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.