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    La Bodeguita del Medio

    3.9 (140 reviews)
    ModerateCuban, Bars, Dance Clubs
    Closed 12:30 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    La Bodeguita del Medio Photos

    LA BODEGUITA DEL MEDIO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Live music
    Loud
    Good for dancing

    Recommended Reviews - La Bodeguita del Medio

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    Reviews With Photos

    Ron S.

    This is one of my favorite hang outs in Playa. Music, food, drinks and staff is outstanding.. true Cuban vibe with live bands and dancing.. please give it a try Ricardo and Xavier good bar tenders!!

    Outside
    Donny F.

    Have not been here in over 10 years. I didn't disappoint. We had the guacamole and the meat balls as appetizers and had the Cuban chicken and the Ropia véieha and they where both perfect. Will be back next time for sure

    Cesar Q.

    The environment and vibe was cool, the service was fantastic and had air conditioning!!! It was unseasonably hot and humid and they offered quite the respite that was much needed. We ordered the overpriced underwhelming paella which had only a paltry amount of shrimp and protein, I am from the Caribbean and been to most of Latin America and this was quite pathetic, you can see in my pictures how much is was lacking. I ordered 5 rum and cokes during my visit (75 minutes) we thought it didn't taste right because it wasn't right!! They water down their liquor BIG TIME, usually takes me only 3 to affect my gait and speech and walked out still quite sober. The Cuba Libres were definitely not 80 proof or even 60 proof as they should be. The server was very friendly and attentive to our needs however the food and overall experience was sub-optimal. Please avoid this tourist trap as there are many better and affordable options on 5th Avenue, never going back again..

    Maduros
    Anna L.

    Firstly, how can you be a Cuban restaurant without yucca?!!!! Secondly the maduros were sliced and all stuck together and looked like a pile of dog Sh**. This restaurant is not Cuban. I ordered Pollo Cubano and it was boiled chicken with store bought gravy+ tamarindo sauce.

    Cuban sandwich
    Foodie D.

    This is a Cuban themed restaurant with live music in Playa Del Carmen. They have things like Cuban cigars for sale too, although they can't be transported into the USA. I would rate the food at 7, the ambiance and music a 10. The service was also prompt and professional. The only thing I would recommend for them is that they should have a dance floor for couples who wanted to dance. A few of the couples were in the walkway and it was awkward because it was blocking the server's paths.

    Ava E.

    This is a late post, I was in Playa from 10/30-11/14 and frequented this place twice. Of course I had to come here, and it was nice to be able to eat something different than Mexican food. I don't eat meat and although Cuban is one of my favs, I couldn't eat chicken ...so I had shrimp instead with black beans, rice and plaintains. I was in heaven. My friend at the chicken...and said it was amazing. I was tempted!!!! The second time I came just the black beans, rice and plaintains...AND the caramel flan...which is amazing! The staff here was great and they have live salsa....it was a bit loud but it was fine...love this place!

    Almost inedible Masitas de cerdo, Vaca frita and congri rice. Also, some room temperature beers.

    The ambiance is nice. Great Lightning, wonderful music, excellent service and a TOTAL DISASTER for food‼ The food was cold, really cold, the congri rice was mediocre, the vaca frita unappealing and bland, the masitas de cerdo had ZERO seasoning and the beers were almost room temperature. Good luck (after leaving aside your $4 beer because its warm), asking for a glass of ice water ( ONLY FOR SALE). This joint is a TOURIST TRAP . Music good, service very dedicated but the kitchen is literally a hot mess, prices SKY HIGH and the whole experience is based on an OWNER BASED experience ($$$) vs. CUSTOMER based experience. Truth be told; out of 5!

    My date and my mojito
    Brittany H.

    Went here late night on a Friday for the live music which was awesome. I thought I would see a lot of dancing but that didn't happen. The restaurant is nice inside and outside you can see all the bats and people watch. The staff is friendly and the food was okay. We had the shrimp dish which was good and it had a sweetness to it. I had the fajitas which was good and I enjoyed the rice. We rarely did restaurants on 5th but we wanted to go for the music. The mojitos were okay. I'm not a big time drinker and they weren't strong for me. Still worth going to.

    Sampler
    Isabel E.

    This was my first Cuban experience and the food did not disappoint. We did ask our waitress what she recommended but she let us know that she wasn't well versed in Cuban food. She did show us what the majority of people got, and that is what we ordered. We were not really too impressed with the starter sampler (I would skip it), however, Ropa Vieja and Moros y Cristianos were excellent! The dinner was also paired up with wonderful live music and a not too busy 5th Avenue.

    Overpriced tiny portions bad service not tasty food.
    Cynthia S.

    Oh come on!!! We get some papas para llevar- 70 pesos gets you this teeny tiny handful in a giant styrofoam box. We asked the absentee server to add 10% tip and she added 20. Portions way too tiny and not that tasty to warrant the high price tag. AVOID!!!!

    Looking back from the outside eating/mouth cancer spot

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    1 year ago

    Food is terrible , not cuban at all and would not recommend anyone to eat there it is the worst cuban food ever.

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    3 years ago

    The food and ambiance was great! Can't wait to return. The staff is friendly and attentive

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    Page 1 of 4

    La Bodeguita del Medio Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - La Bodeguita del Medio

    Nice atmosphere with English speaking waiters and live Cuban music.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Coco Bongo

    Coco Bongo

    3.2(123 reviews)
    0.9 kmCentro
    $$$

    What an interesting experience! We got a promotion for Coco Bongo through our resort and they…read moreoffered transportation to and from the club. We were drooped off around the corner from the place which was sketch but it was fine. We did not buy VIP tickets so we stood in line for awhile and the people watching on that street was great! There was also a large police presence driving the streets with large ..instruments.. in case people were rowdy. Once we got in the it was PACKED. Think like a Vegas night club but then they start doing awesome aerial acrobatics ! We saw a Magic-Mike-esque show, a burlesque portion, Beetlejuice, 60s rockers and it was fantastic. I guess you could get free hot dogs and drinks (we only got a couple of drinks) but it was fun. Because we didn't get VIP they rotate general admission every 5 mins which gets annoying but my husband paid a waiter $20 and he got us in VIP. in between the shows it was like a regular club and it was so cool! We unfortunately had to leave early so we didn't see the whole show but I'm sure it still would have been so fun! Just be prepared to be stuffed in like a

    We had a blast. Definitely recommend going on your trip to Mexico. We went during Halloween. So…read morelate post. We got the gold member tickets. They sat us right next to the bar. The bartenders kept the drinks flowing. Entertainment was great. Guys walked us to the stage to dance the Macarena so much fun. Drinks were great. Atmosphere was great. Only gave 4 stars because it was on the pricey side and even transportation was pricey. But definitely go and enjoy the shows and music.

    Photos
    Coco Bongo - They served snacks during the show

    They served snacks during the show

    Coco Bongo - Más tequila

    Más tequila

    Coco Bongo

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    Clandestino - Night Club

    Clandestino

    3.3(8 reviews)
    1.1 kmCentro

    My 2 girls came when they first got here Dec 28th and danced the night away with zero complaints…read more They had such a great time all 4 of us came back on Jan 2nd to see what the hype was about and what we missed out on. You need to wear a mask to get inside and up the stairs. They spray sanitizer in your hands right as you go up the stairs. We got a small table overlooking the street and we were not pressured to purchase bottle service or anything. I saw the other reviewers post and that sucks she had that experience. Great mix of music, great crowd, personable servers and we didn't have to wait super long for our drinks. They came by to check on us and see if we needed more drinks, clean off the empty shot glasses, empty water bottles, empty glasses and/or if we were okay. The bathrooms started out clean but by 1am they were pretty gross. However, there's a large mirror to check yourself out in when you come out :-) There is a security guard who walks around. Service was great, music was great, atmosphere was great, we were not pressured to buy any bottles or anything, zero complaints here

    First to arrive for the evening and greeted by security and management welcomed in our first time…read morein Playa Del Carmen! We were early and the manager showed us the absolute best of the views from the rooftop! Excellent staff everyone is professional and the entire place is so well ran we look forward to returning!

    Photos
    Clandestino - Dance floor

    Dance floor

    Clandestino
    Clandestino

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    Abolengo

    Abolengo

    2.8(17 reviews)
    0.9 kmCentro
    $$

    We came here on a Tuesday night so it was not overly crowded. There was a guy nearby outside…read morepromoting the club and he encouraged us to go in and give it a try, including 1 free drink for ladies. So, we went in. The music was mostly Latin Electronic style. I really wanted to hear more salsa or merengue, but I guess that it wasn't popular here. The DJ played music, but there were music videos playing at the same time. So, I guess he was a music video dj of sorts? A few people were dancing, but it was really more so a bar with very little space to dance. The space is like indoor - outdoor. They have a patio with seating so you can enjoy the outdoor weather. What was really cool was the presentation they did for the cinnamon tequila shots. They stack the glasses up really tall to make a tower, then they pour flammable liquid over the glass tower - I guess tequila - and set it on fire and sprinkle cinnamon which lights up like fireworks. As I write this, I am thinking - please do NOT try this at home!!! But you could tell, they had done it many times and they knew what they were doing so it was safe. We had a nice evening out listening to music, watching music videos, dancing and taking in the scene.

    TOURIST SCAM ALERT!!! Stopped by and wanted to try a couple drinks. We chose 2 of the drinks in the…read morejars at 17.50USD. They gave us two drinks with watered down fruit juice from a can and ZERO alcohol. We told the waiter and he smirked and walked off. We told him again, and he says he'll talk to the bartender and get it fixed, and then just stood around laughing with other waiters. We realised it was a scam and offered to pay and leave. They tried to intimidate us and wouldn't let us leave without a tip, and then secretly charged us a 30% tip on our cards, bringing it to around $50 USD for maybe 12 cents worth of fruit juice. I URGE YOU TO AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!

    Photos
    Abolengo
    Abolengo - The Weeknd

    The Weeknd

    Abolengo - Ladiiiieeees night

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    Ladiiiieeees night

    La Bodeguita del Medio - cuban - Updated July 2026

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