Fonda Regina

This is my first review of a restaurant on Unilocal just to inform other potential guests of the worst service ever introduced to me.
For the initial order you have to wait around 15 – 20 mins till the waiter finds time for you in a non busy morning environment. All fruits except oranges (for juices and smoothies) are unavailable too in case you want to go for something less traditional than orange juice for your meal.
Cutlery is only available if you make the waiter aware of it, wait for some time without ever getting it and then go pick it up yourself at the kitchen.
About the eating experience, let’s agree that the food is not worth the wait and you can find right next to this restaurant much better options without having such a bad experience in Playa del Carmen.
One last tip for people who prefer paying with credit card, check before that their credit card terminal is truly working!

Great quaint little dinner spot near our hotel. Staff was very nice and attentive. They were out of shrimp but that’s what you get when you are fishing daily, so can’t fault them for that. Ordered the fresh guacamole which was very tasty — fresh tomatoes, avocados, cilantro & lots of lime. Tortilla soup was yummy– really appreciated how all the topping came on the side. And two orders of the fresh fish — grouper. Main dishes were simple, tasty and filling. Was about $ 40 after tip. Will return.

What a hidden gem! Among the hustle and bustle of 5^th Avenue you find this little secret garden with amazing food and service! The ambience was so inviting and romantic we had to give it a try. I’m glad we did! The food and service was amazing. Authentic Mexican food just like your Abuela would make!

So much fun Great food and very fresh
We loved the mole
Very small restaurant with fun and friendly staff
Thanks again Mr Teguila

What a hidden gem in Playa del Carmen! We had their amazing guacamole and the diy salsa. The steak with the mashed sweet potatoes and corn was a real treat! Cozy place under the trees, with really nice service! Try the chelada too! :)

This is a small, open air Mexican restaurant. No AC, no full bar, nothing fancy.
Everything was made by hand. Fresh salsa made table-​side. The guacamole order is huge and easily feeds four people. I only wish they had more vegetarian options on the menu.

The ceviche and guacamole were so delicious and was PLENTY for the 4 of us. The margaritas were really good too!

My wife and I loved this place! We stayed just down the street at Mahekal and were so desperately trying to find an authentic experience amongst the tourist trap that is 5^th Ave. The ambiance and service were great. I ordered the enchiladas with a homemade tomatillo sauce and it was fantastic. My biggest complaint is that we didn’t find this place until our very last day in Playa.

Very cute, romantic restaurant next door to the popular Cueva del Chango. I went here for a low key, romantic dinner for two. The service was the best I experienced during my 10 days in Playa del Carmen. We were also one of only three tables being served, so they were extra attentive.
Complimentary chips with table-​side made salsa started off the meal. The salsa was incredibly fresh and delicious. We also ordered guacamole and that was fantastic as well. The waiter highly recommended the grilled fish special of the day, so we got that for our entrée. It was served as a whole fish, lightly seasoned and tender. The chocolate dessert was the only low point of the meal. It was nothing special, but not terrible either. I think we were just expecting more, as the waiter seemed really excited about their chocolate source.
I would definitely come back again, maybe for breakfast to try something different. Good for a romantic evening or a group dinner. Though the place is very tiny, they were able to accommodate a group of 7 that came in without reservations.

This is as fresh as it gets in the city. Everything prepared fresh by hand with unique ingredients in every dish.
The ambience is some of the best in the city. Trees, live ducks, Mexican décor, just a hole in the wall type place you would expect in Mexico. Strong fresh ritas with even a small pool to lounge in. Very relaxed chilled environment. Great for a date or a large group.
The prices are also very inexpensive. Under 10 Usd for many entrees. Breakfast under 5 USD. Would highly recommend to any U.S. foodies who love restaurants who use only the freshest ingredients.

I so wanted to like this place. The ambiance is perfect and the staff so friendly. I went based on Unilocal reviews and I felt like I ate at a different place? The Margarita was horrible. The chips and salsa made at the table was really good but after that we couldn’t eat our food. We asked the waiter what he recommended and I had a a fish dish that tasted like old fish in ketchup, my husband had a shrimp meatball that tasted like dog food. We each ate two bites and felt sick. No discount was given we paid for everything and left very sad. The table next to us sent something back too. There were only two tables total. I broke my rule… never eat at an empty restaurant. There is always a reason why it’s empty when the place across the street is packed. Hope that helps you decide where to eat. I know I wish I had read something like this first.

Excellent food, puro a mano (everything totally from scratch). Formidable margaritas, una parrilla, Great Service too.
It’s not white linens and silver, just top quality, fresh, authentic food.

La verdad es que di con este lugar por casualidad puesto que iba a la cueva del chango pero estaba cerrado y esta «fonda» se encuentra a un costado.
Señalo fonda entre comillas puesto cuando escucho la palabra fonda me imagino algo rico, barato pero en un lugar muy feo! sin embargo este lugar no tiene absolutamente nada de feo!!! esta hermoso, tiene un ambiente muy natural, si no mal recuerdo esta dentro de una palapita, y ella entre arboles y naturaleza, tiene un amplio menú pero todo sencillo, estilo casero, y te lo preparan en cuanto lo pidas, otra cosa que me llamo la atención es que puedes entrar con tu mascota, también fue de los primeros lugares que inicio en darte las bebidas en frascos de vidrio de mayonesa, etc. lo cual me pareció estupendo y en ese tiempo único, pues no había visto algo similar, lo que si debo aceptar que no me gusto es que algunos frascos se veían mas grandes que otros jaja y ese día tenia sed así que me molesto a mi hermano le haya tocado uno aparentemente mas grande, y digo aparentemente pues dudo que le haya entrado mas liquido, no creo que sean tan descuidados los dueños y ofrecer alguna bebida por suerte (suerte si me toca el grandote) de ahí en fuera otro atractivo fue que te dan un mini molcajete con todos los ingredientes ya tostados para que tu prepares tu propio salsa! buenísimo y súper creativo! todo esos elementos y detalles me maravillaron pero debo confesar que las empanadas que pedí me decepcionaron pues por el precio (medio caro) creí que iban a ser de tamaño normal y oh sorpresa eran miniatura! pero bueno supongo que fue un descuido mío seria cuestión de que pregunten antes de ordenar!
AUN ASI LO RECOMIENDO MUCHO!

La fonda Regina es un lugar más tradicional y humilde para desayunar o comer sobre la calle treinta y ocho. A primera vista, parece un restaurante montado en el jardín de la casa de alguien. Las mesas sencillas de madera y las sillas típicas de madera de colores vivos y rosa mexicano. Estoy seguro que todos teníamos unas sillas de esas de chicos. La verdad muy auténtico.
Para los turistas que buscan, a veces sin éxito, un lugar que tenga el espíritu de la cocina mexicana, que no se sienta artificial sino verdaderamente mexicano, este jardín es ideal.
Los detalles típicos están en todos lados, los platos de barro, los vasos de vidrio grueso y las ollitas de barro.
La comida tal vez no es tan destacada, más bien comida casera sin muchos adornos. La cochinilla pibil es muy rica aquí y los huevos con chaia son una especialidad de la región. Acaba tu desayuno con un café de olla.

My wife and I just got back from Playa del Carmen. This cute little romantic restaurant happened to be one of the highlights of our trip. They serve best mole sauce I’ve ever had in my life! The salsa is amazing! Every dish is cooked to order, so be prepared to wait a little longer than your regular fare. But it’s definitely worth wait. Best meal we had on the entire trip!

Andas en la quinta avenida y te mueres por un molito, chilaquilitos o cualquier platillo típico mexicano y volteas y volteas y cocina de todos lados, menos de aquí, ¡este es tu lugar!
Es de verdad una fondita, rica, con sabor a México y precio para mexicanos, no como muchos restaurantes mexicanos, que son más bien pensados para extranjeros y que por cierto, en Playa del Carmen hay varios.
Todo está delicioso, lo que pidas. Todo es servido en barro y la atención es muy buena. Los platos son adornados súper bonitos y van totalmente con el lugar, que por cierto, también es un rinconcito precioso. ¡Me encantó!
El único detalle que no me late, es que te cobran automáticamente el 15% de propina y como que un cargo voluntariamente a fuerzas, no me late y tampoco aceptan tarjeta.
Por todo lo demás, una delicia, no hay queja, regreso cada que puedo.

My wife and I stumbled upon Regina in search for authentic Mayan food in an intimate and romantic setting. Here we found just that with great service and outstanding food that we believe was truly made with love. Cost was very reasonable and our experience was priceless. I had the steam grille fish and my wife the lobster. This greatly enhanced our vacation stay in Playa del Carmen and Mexico.

This little restaurants offer very good tradicional mexican breakfast. Juices are fresh.