Azul is one of eight restaurants at Grand Velas Riviera Maya, a luxury all-inclusive resort in…read morePlaya del Carmen: https://www.yelp.com/biz/grand-velas-riviera-maya-playa-del-carmen-3 The restaurant is located in the family-friendly Ambassador section of the resort, next to the big Ambassador pool and the beach. I believe Azul is the only restaurant at the resort that's exclusively a buffet. Therefore, its value is in its ease and convenience, which is extra important for families. The dress code is beach casual. Since it was just my wife and me (no kids), we preferred the resort's sit-down restaurants on the Grand Class side of the resort (adults only). My three-star rating (OK) of Azul is based on our single-visit experience and is relative to our experiences at the other restaurants at Grand Velas, which were generally good to great. If this were a standalone buffet restaurant outside a resort, I'd probably give it four (maybe even five) stars based on the buffet's expansive selection, the dining room and patio's spectacular ocean views, and the terrific service. Let's just say it's better than Golden Corral. :) So yeah, my rating is kind of weird for this one. Again, this is relative to Grand Velas, which is an exceptional resort. My wife and I stopped by Azul for a snack on a Sunday around 2:30pm. At that time, the Ambassador pool was busy with families and the restaurant was quiet. We had the beet gazpacho, a sushi hand roll, assorted sushi rolls, and a coconut margarita. Everything was fine and what you'd expect from a high-end resort buffet. We sat on the patio and took in the views. We enjoyed it. The staff took good care of us.

This is a casual refined French restaurant open for breakfast and lunch. They do serve some…read moreInternational and Mexican fare. We came here on 2026-06-27 for lunch. This restaurant is located in the Grand Velas Riviera Maya, Grand Class section. We ordered the following: 1. Guava Mojito ($150) (alcoholic). 2. Berries Lemonade ($100) (non-alcoholic). 3. Lemonade ($100) (non-alcoholic). 4. Virgin Strawberry Daquari ($140) (non-alcoholic). 5. Green Ceviche ($270). 6. Tomato Soup ($200). 7. Turkey Breast Sandwich ($380), substitute potato salad with French fries. 8. Grilled Octopus ($520). 9. Butter Shrimp ($580). Since we are guests of the Grand Velas Riviera Maya, everything we ordered was included, so we didn't have to pay the above prices. They started us off (complimentary) with chips, vegetable sticks, and blue cheese dip. The service was excellent. There is indoor and outdoor seating. I will update this review later. There was one annoying thing. They sat us at a very nice half-booth table by the window, but a server kept going in and out of a door next to our table to serve outdoor dining guests. The issue is the door doesn't automatically close so hot 33C temperature keep coming in, making us uncomfortable. After I complained to the hostess, she locked the door! I was very surprised. Luckily there was another door the servers could use. There is free WiFi from the resort. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible. There are separate male/female washrooms in the resort pool areas. There is free parking in the resort's parking lots. Review 2026-114

It started to rain on the way to the beach so this was a detour. All I can say is "meh." Food is…read morevery Americanized--quesadillas/tacos/fajitas. I had a traditional chicken tinga quesadilla which was on a corn tortilla with manchego cheese but they also had a"gringo" option on flour tortilla. I also had a house salad which was ok. Margarita was disappointing but the waiter was nice and prices were decent. This is the spot for those comfortable with Mexican chain restaurants in the states and want something familiar.

Great pizza, even better service...thanks Abner! The Bella Italia is the best pizza I've ever…read moretasted. Abner recommended the Pulpo salad. Winner, it was fabulous. I'll be dreaming about this place in Houston

Piaf is one of eight restaurants at Grand Velas Riviera Maya, a luxury all-inclusive resort in…read morePlaya del Carmen. One of the big reasons my wife chose Grand Velas was its stellar food options. The resort has four 2024 AAA Four Diamond restaurants (Frida, Piaf, Sen Lin, Lucca) and one 2024 Michelin Star and AAA Five Diamond restaurant (Cocina de Autor). Generally, the food, drink, and service were outstanding. Piaf was one of my favorite restaurants of the group. Below is how I rank Grand Velas Riviera Maya's restaurants. Book reservations as early as you can for Cocina de Autor, Frida, Piaf, Sen Lin, and Lucca (the nicer sit-down restaurants). Tier One 1. Cocina de Autor - fine dining, tasting menu Tier Two 2. Frida - Mexican 3. Bistro - casual, poolside sit-down 4. Piaf - French 5. Sen Lin - Asian Tier Three 6. Lucca - Italian 7. Azul - casual, poolside buffet Piaf is located in the Grand Class section of the resort, which is mostly reserved for adults only. More specifically, Piaf is located next to Sky Bar and Cocina de Autor. These are among the higher-end establishments at Grand Velas. In this area, the dress code is more formal (e.g., no shorts or sandals allowed) and the ambiance is more sophisticated, at what's already a classy resort. My wife and I had a great time here, not only at Piaf, but at Sky Bar and Cocina de Autor as well. We got drinks and hung out at Sky Bar before dinner at Piaf. Sky Bar is worth a visit. Before or after dinner at Piaf or Cocina de Autor is a good opportunity. It's a wonderful, swanky bar with superb cocktails and service. Piaf is what I consider a modern upscale French restaurant. It's "white-tablecloth" dining, but the decor is contemporary and the service is more casual. It certainly doesn't look nor feel like a traditional, stuffy French restaurant, though they do try to "transport" you to "the Parisian luxury of the 1940s." I enjoyed the live music, which was provided by a talented violist (or violinist, couldn't tell which). The red and black interior with distinct, ornate chandeliers is beautiful. If the weather is nice, the dining room opens to the outside with an elevated view of the ocean. Below is a list of what we had. Even though this is an all-inclusive resort, the menu still has prices for those who have to pay separately. I've included those prices, in Mexican pesos, for informational purposes. Complimentary Amuse-Bouche Complimentary Bread Service * Three types of breads, rolls, and pastries, two types of butter (regular and tarragon) and herb salt Appetizers * Lentil salad in two textures, Scandinavian-style salmon, candied carrot puree with yuzu, tangerine mousseline, ikura, and mint oil ($420) * Crispy oysters with mayonnaise foam ($650) * Foie gras terrine served with apple puree, gingerbread ice cream, and toasted brioche ($550) * Traditional snails with tartiflette, Morbier cheese, and watercress puree ($450) Fish and Seafood * Scallops with black lentils, served with lime tea sauce and crispy apple ($600) Meat and Poultry * Ribeye Angus with green pepper sauce, pasta and truffle risotto, roasted cauliflower, and herbs salad ($900) Desserts * Dulce de leche and banana fondant ($350) * Financier with yuzu mousseline sauce ($300) * Dark chocolate souffle served with passionfruit sauce ($300) In general, we really liked the food. Presentation-wise, everything looked terrific. My wife and I each only had one dish that we weren't big fans of. For her, it was the snails. For me, it was the foie gras. I thought the snails were delicious and finished every last one of them. The watercress puree paired well and was unique. I normally like foie gras and we order it a lot if it's on the menu. However, this particular terrine had, in my opinion, an unpleasant funky flavor/odor that I could never get comfortable with. My wife liked it, though. Everything else was good to excellent. I have to point out the blue cheese pastry bread. It was surprisingly fantastic and I don't even like blue cheese. It was like a blue cheese-stuffed croissant. We don't remember what the amuse-bouche was. I think it was some sort of fish cake. It was yummy. We had red and white wines with our meal. I suggest going with the Mexican wines at Grand Velas. They were the best we had. The service we experienced at Piaf was worse compared to the otherwise exceptional service we experienced during our stay at Grand Velas. I think there were two reasons for this: (1) There was a misunderstanding internally within Grand Velas staff about our reservation time. When we arrived on time, Piaf staff didn't have a reservation for us and therefore, had to accommodate us as walk-ins. (2) During our visit, the servers appeared to be short-staffed. They were definitely spread thin, rushing between tables, and not really able to spend the right amount of time with each party. As a result, the service was more robotic and less personable. I get it. It happens.

This place was mostly good. The only bad thing was the fact that our concierge booked us this…read morerestaurant and it is 12+ and I have a 10 year old. We were not told this which was very frustrating so do not believe your concierge, most have no clue about the hotel. However, after waiting for 30 minutes the server allowed us to be sat as a one time exception. The food was great. I loved the ribeye, fish with potato flakes, and soufflé with passion fruit. They can simplify the food if you have a picky teen, but my kids loved it. It's a very nice restaurant with a violin playing, but it was dark. I recommend this place but make sure your kids are 12+.

This is a buffet restaurant that is open from early morning until late night. It offers…read moreinternational cuisine but at a high quality. Azul means blue in Spanish so the cups and flowers are blue. We came on 2026-06-27 for breakfast at 09:10. The restaurant was about 50% full. It is located inside Grand Velas Riviera Maya resort, next to the main pool. If you are a guest there, there is no charge. If you are not a guest, there is a charge. Note: All prices in this review are in Mexican Peos. The breakfast buffet costs $1,044/p = C$85 = US$60. A mimosa costs $180/small glass = C$14.50 = US$10. They slice prosciutto on the spot. They even have nine different high-end cheeses. There are fruits I have never seen at a buffet like fresh Sweet Granadilla (Orange Passionfruit) and fresh Fig. There are chefs preparing hot meals and carving roast beef, making omelettes/scrambled eggs, etc. There are your typical Mexican and American breakfast items. All the food and drinks are presented well in the buffet area. They are constantly filling near-empty plate. The service is good; they serve you drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) but the food is self-serve. They clear away used plates quickly. There is always a staff member at the two exits who open the door for you. There is a huge indoor dining area and adequate outdoor seating. There are hat/handbag holders. There is free WiFi from the resort. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible (there are ramps indoors!). There are separate male/female washrooms in the resort pool areas. There is free parking in the resort's parking lots. There are high chairs for little children. Review 2026-113

This is a snack and coffee shop is open 07:00 to 21:00. The serve many things:…read more1. Coffee products (hot and iced and frappuccino). 2. Juice, tea, latte, various milks. 3. Croissants including croissant sandwiches. 4. Paninnis (13:00 to 21:00). 5. Gelato. On 2026-06-27, we ordered the following: 1. Iced Chocolate ($90). 2. Iced Latte ($180). 3. Iced Mocha with Whipped Cream ($180). The service was good. There is indoor and outdoor seating. There is even a grand piano which they all guests to use! My son actually used it. Unfortunately it sounded closer to a harpsicord than a typical piano. There is free WiFi from the resort. The cafe is wheelchair accessible. There are separate male/female washrooms in the resort. Review 2026-115

When we first arrived we were greeted with warm hearts at this trendy up and coming Italian…read morerestaurant. As soon as we sat they gave us bread, breadsticks, olive oil, balsamic vinager and a sample of the there house Pinot Grigio that was excellent. It had a crisp taste and helped cool us off from the hot humid weather we were having. They also had some homemade crisps one of rice, potato and another that I don't recall. These were great. We ordered the cheese platter for starters and it was good. The olive bread that they served on the side was good as well but didn't have much flavor. The olive oil they served at the table was a little bland and given the pricing I would have expected better quality. On to the main course which we had was trofie al pesto. The flavor of the pasta was excellent and cooked just right "aldente". There could have been a little more garlic flavor for my taste but I am garlic lover. I did like the twist of the added string beans and chunks of potato. I thought the potato chunks took away from the flavor of the pesto a Intel but like I said I am a garlic fan. The wine we had which was a house Pinot Grigio was great. After dinner I had a sauvagion ice wine for dessert. We were also provided with an option of lemoncello or grappa as compliments of the house. I had he grappa and it had a nice bite with a very smooth finish. This was a nice touch to finish off the meal. Overall we enjoyed our experience here as well as the beautiful white table cloth ambiance. The staff was extra friendly and attentive to our needs. I would go back again to try some of their other dishes as this place has me interested. I would rate the ambiance a 4 stars and the food 3 with some room for improvement.