The 12 Best Lo de Marcos Restaurants, Cafes, and Bars
Looking for the best bars, cafes, and restaurants Lo de Marcos has to offer? Good news you’ll be spoilt for choice in this low-key seaside village!
The Top 12 Lo de Marcos Restaurants, Cafes, and Bars
- Apapacho – Stylish cocktail bar with vegan bar snacks
- La Tomatina – A lively restaurant & beach bar with live music
- Water Man Cafe – Cafe with a quality breakfast menu and fresh pastries
- La Sea Food – Casual seafood restaurant with delicious ceviche (and sushi)
- El Vinatero – Relaxed wine bar
- El Cafe – Cozy cafe with great coffee
- Pinta – New craft beer bar
- Jardin Serein – A beer garden with a varied menu and friendly staff
- Pollos Enteros – Charcoaled chicken breast with all the toppings to feed the masses
- Tacos Licho – Street tacos
- Il Piacere – Italian fast food
- Restaurante Bar Neptuno – Out of the way family run restaurant and bar
A Guide to the Best Cafes, Best Bars, and Best Restaurants in Lo de Marcos
We love Lo de Marcos. We loved it the first time we visited in early 2022 and we loved it still when we returned later in November. As Sayulita and San Pancho become rapidly overwhelmed by tourism Lo de Marcos remains authentic and unspoiled by overdevelopment and rampant tourism and we hope it stays that way.
While Lo de Marcos retains its authentic charm, there is no denying that there is a sense that new and exciting things are afoot for the sleepy beachside village. Quietly a number of cool bars, cafes, and eateries are opening, driven by an enthusiastic and passionate young generation of locals excited to share their slice of paradise.
The Best Cafes in Lo de Marcos
If you are anything like us, then finding the best cafe in town is one of the first things you need to do when you arrive in a new town. In Lo de Marcos, there are only a few cafes in town to choose from, but that’s changing fast. Our favorite cafes are the Water Man Cafe and El Cafe.
The Water Man Cafe – The Best Cafe for Breakfast and Fresh Pastries
The Water Man Cafe is the best cafe in Lo de Marcos for a sit-down breakfast, a great cup of coffee, and delicious fresh baked pastries.
The Water Man has a short menu that includes western classics and its own spin on traditional Mexican desayuno. You can enjoy breakfast sandwiches on house-baked bread, crepeiladas – an enchilada made with crepes, or grab a freshly baked pastry from the self-serve cabinet. They also serve some of the best coffee in Lo de Marcos and fresh juices to round out your breakfast.
Another upside to this comfortable care is its fast internet (by Lo de Marcos standards). When we visited the internet speed at Water Man Cafe was just above 50 mbs. There are also electrical sockets near the tables if you need to plug in. If you are hoping to get some work done, be aware that the music at the Water Man Cafe is quite loud making concentrating or taking a call difficult.
El Cafe
A small but charming space, El Cafe has comfortable seating, power, wifi, and of course a good cup of coffee. El Cafe also has a small selection of sweets and their cookies are some of the best we have found in Mexico. It’s a great place to meet friends or catch up on emails.
Wifi is available but like with most places in Lo de Marcos the speeds are unpredictable, ranging from 10 mbs – 50 mbs when we visited. Electrical sockets are located around the cafe for you to plug in your electronics. And, for those hoping to escape the heat, the A/C runs strong.
The Best Lo de Marcos Restaurants
The restaurants in Lo de Marcos may be fewer compared to the nearby San Pancho or Sayulita, but in terms of quality, the restaurants in LDM are as good as any.
Apapacho
Taking the top spot for restaurants in Lo de Marcos is Apapacho, a relatively new cocktail bar, and small-plates restaurant. Set off the main street leading into town, it is easy to miss but that would be a mistake.
With a delicious cocktail menu including tropical flavors like watermelon and smoky pineapple mezcal, it’s the perfect place to grab an evening cocktail to go with your dinner. Their rotating food menu features international flavors and is completely vegetarian, something new for Lo de Marcos. The cuisine at Apapacho is a mix of Mexican and Asian and they manage to pull it off quite well. We especially loved the jamaica bao buns and the samosas when we visited.
The space is inviting with outdoor dining in a beautiful courtyard. It has a fantastic atmosphere with friendly staff and great music.
Apapacho is open from 6:00 pm and opens on Sundays for brunch.
La Tomatina
Popular beach bar and restaurant, La Tomatina is a great option for dinner just about any night of the week. Right on the sand, serving ice-cold beers, strong margaritas, and a solid food menu including Mexican classics like tostadas and fish tacos alongside burgers and pizzas, La Tomatina has found a winning combination. Add to that their frequent live music events and it is little wonder that this busy beach bar and restaurant attracts a crowd.
Located on the southern end of Playa Lo de Marcos right in front of the La Parota RV Park you can expect to find lots of snowbirds here during the winter and it is a popular place for the local ex-pat community.
La Seafood
Another relatively new addition to the dining scene in Lo de Marcos, La Seafood brings something a bit different to the dining options here. The sushi and seafood restaurant is just off the main called, Luis Echevarria. The star of the show here is the aguachiles, some of the best we have tried on the pacific coast. La Seafood offers a relaxed dinner or lunch option with friendly staff and a bright, comfortable setting.
La Seafood has just opened up a second location in nearby San Pancho.
Il Piacere
You may be finding a theme here but many of the restaurants to eat in Lo de Marcos are focusing on international flavors. If you have a hankering for Italian then pop into Il Piacere. This simple kitchen offers simple Italian cuisine done quickly. Think eggplant parmigiana, arancini balls, lasagna or pizza. If your looking for a wine to pair with your meal then El Vinatero across the street will let you have your Italian treats delivered to their wine bar, and help you find the right bottle of red to pair with your meal.
The Best Street Food in Lo de Marcos
You cannot come to Mexico without sampling some of its finest cuisine…street food. Taco stands and trucks line the streets no matter which town you are in and are worth checking out. Here is a list of our favorite street food stalls in Lo de Marcos.
Pollos Enteros
There are two great spots for whole charcoal grilled chicken in Lo de Marcos, and both are found on the main drag. Both serve delicious whole chicken butterflied, grilled over coal and served up with rice, coleslaw, tortillas and salsa. Perfect to grab for dinner and then make lunches from the leftovers.
The only problem is there aren’t necessarily set opening hours. Chicken is usually ready around lunchtime but once it’s gone it’s gone, and that can happen quite quickly. Luckily, we have two spots to choose from.
The first place for charcoal chicken in Lo de Marcos is La Casa del Abuelo which can be found on the main drag Luis Echevarria at the corner of Calle Aldama.
The second spot, marked with a large sign advertising Pollos Enteros, is located along the same drag closer to the turn-off to the main highway.
Tacos Licho
You will almost always find at least one person sitting down for some of their delicious tacos (or quesadillas) once these guys open up shop at 7:00 pm each night. Their specialty is carne asado but you can usually find at least one other type of meat there as well. Their lineup of salsas and accompaniments also are the best we found in Lo de Marcos.
The Best Bars in Lo de Marcos
If you are headed to Mexico to party, Lo de Marcos is not the destination for you. As with many Riviera Nayarit beach towns, bars in Lo de Marcos are closed by 11:00 pm at the latest. However, despite the low-key atmosphere of the town, there are still plenty of quality bars to choose from.
Unsurprisingly most of the restaurants double as bars so you will find many of the best restaurants also included in our list of the best bars in Lo de Marcos.
Jardin Serein
Another relative newcomer on the scene, Jardin Serein opened at the beginning of 2022 and is one of the best places to unwind after dark. The large garden/patio is big enough to sit your whole crew and the ambiance is spot-on. The bartenders at Jardin Serein know their way around a cocktail but the biggest reason of all to visit this Lo de Marcos bar is the staff. The staff here are friendly and welcoming and go the extra mile to make you feel at home.
La Tomatina
Located directly on the beach, La Tomatina is our favorite beach bar in Lo de Marcos, not only for its location but also for its incredibly cheap beer compared to many of the other beach bars along the beach towns in the Riviera Nayarit. A Pacifico will only set you back $30 pesos here which is a bargain when compared to many of the other bars in Lo de Marcos (or in the bars in nearby San Pancho or the bars in Sayulita). They also have regular live music, perfect views of one of the prettiest beaches in Mexico, and a great vibe.
Apapacho
As the best dining option in town, it is no surprise that Apapacho reigns high on our list of best bars in town as well. Perhaps a little bit pricey compared to some of the other bars on this list, their creative cocktails are more than worth the few extra pesos. While they specialize in tequila and mezcal cocktails you will be able to find something to wet your whistle whatever your preference. The charred pina as well as the sandia smash are particular favorites.
Endless Summer Sports Bar and Grill
As the name suggests, Endless Summer Sports Bar and Grill is the best place in town to watch sports. Two large TVs cast many of your favorite teams from American football to soccer and many things in between. As with any good pub, the beer is cold and the food is good offering standard pub fare like burgers and wings.
The owner, Jeff, is super friendly and will make you feel right at home. Don’t be surprised to find lots of ex-pats here as it is a regular hang-out for good reason.
Pinta
Just opened in October 2022, Pinta is the newest bar on the scene in Lo de Marcos and specializes in craft beers. While not a brewery itself, the duo behind Pinta source the best beers throughout Mexico for your enjoyment. When we visited there were over 27 different beers from 5 different breweries across Monterrey, Aguascalientes, and San Luis Potosi. Beers here are a bit more expensive than the domestic beers with most costing around $80 pesos (ranging from $60 – $140 pesos per beer).
El Vinatero
If you have had your fill of beer and tequila then El Vinatero may be the place for you. Surprisingly, the small town of Lo de Marcos boasts one of the few wine bars along the Riviera Nayarit. Another added bonus of El Vinatero is that you can order dinner from Il Piacere or take a bottle of wine from here to round out your Italian dinner. El Vinatero is definitely a great spot if you are looking to change things up while in Lo de Marcos.
Restaurante Bar Neptuno
This local, family-run bar and grill offers homestyle cooking, fresh seafood, cold cocktails, and craft beer. They also have a pool table. Neptuno is a little out of the way from the center of town but you can find it on the corner of Colosio and Del Bosque.
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Hopefully, we have given you some ideas of the best cafes, bars, and restaurants in Lo de Marco!
If you think we missed any great places to try in LDM, or if you have any questions, let us know in the comments below!
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