El Fish Fritanga

El Fish Fritanga is an open-air fish house on Nichupte Lagoon in the Hotel Zone of Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, at Boulevard Kukulcan Km 12.5, between La Isla Mall and Kukulcan Plaza. It is best known to international visitors as a venue featured on the television programme Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and it combines that exposure with a location that is more casual and less costly than most Hotel Zone restaurants. The cuisine is seafood with Caribbean and Mexican influences. The house speciality is whole fried fish, sold by weight, which arrives at the table crisp and is shared with tortillas and salsas. Other dishes include pescadillas, a fish version of the quesadilla, tikin xic, the Yucatecan fish marinated in achiote and sour orange and grilled, and governor tacos, a shrimp and cheese taco. The menu rewards sharing and a group order. The setting is lagoon-side and open air, with a relaxed, festive mood, informal dress and a lively but not formal noise level. Prices are rated $$, mid-range for the Hotel Zone. Hours are listed as daily, about 11 AM to 10 PM, though they vary, so confirmation by phone at +52 998 840 6216 is advised. Reservations are not normally needed, as the restaurant is walk-in, but groups may wish to call ahead. The official website is elfishfritanga.com. Sunset is the most atmospheric time to visit, with views over the lagoon, and weekends and high season from December to April can be busy. Its position between the two large malls makes it easy to reach on the Hotel Zone bus route along Boulevard Kukulcan.