Breakfast, Brunch and Street Food in Holbox
Discover the Best Cafeterias, Snack Bars, Ice Cream Parlors and Markets
The Best Places for Breakfast, Brunch and Street Food in Holbox
The options for breakfast and brunch in Holbox are as varied as the overwhelming range of restaurants. Although many accommodations have their own hotel restaurant to spoil their guests in the morning, the excellent selection of breakfast cafes should not be overlooked. Here you can find out where to have the best breakfast in Holbox, where to enjoy a leisurely brunch and where to get a good coffee. You will also find suggestions for snacks, tips for cheap street food, and much more.
Breakfast in Mexico
The familiar “continental” breakfast of bread, toast, sausage, cheese and egg is offered in many Holbox hotels, but has little in common with the typical Mexican breakfast. In Mexico it is called “desayuno” and can be divided into two types. The first, lighter, consists of sweet pastries, pancakes, waffles with coffee or hot chocolate, fresh fruit, smoothies or yogurt with honey and cereal. The second, more substantial type of breakfast is closer to lunch and includes chilaquiles (tortillas with salsa), huevos (eggs) prepared in a variety of ways, tamales, tortas, quesadillas or tacos. For more information on typical Mexican dishes, visit the Food and Beverages page.
Whatever you prefer, Holbox Island has it all. The selection of cafes is large and the prices are similar everywhere. Depending on the popularity of the café and what’s offered, you can expect to pay 125-220 MXN (6-11 USD / 5-8 GBP) for a breakfast dish and 50-90 MXN (2.50-4.40 USD / 1.90-3.40 GBP) for a coffee. Most cafés on Isla Holbox open between 8 and 9 am and close between 1 and 3 pm, some even later.
Jugo, Agua de Frutas, Licuado or Smoothie?
The difference may not be obvious at first glance, as the drinks are similar. A Jugo is a juice made from fresh fruit or vegetables, usually mixed with orange juice. In Agua de Frutas, also known as Agua Frescas, the fruit juice is diluted with lots of water and ice, while a Licuado contains milk and tastes more like a shake. A Smoothie is made by blending the fruit, often with oats, honey, nuts, and sugar.
The 10 Best Holbox Cafés for Breakfast and Brunch
To help you find your way around, we have compiled our top 10 favorites of the best cafes in Holbox for breakfast and brunch. If you prefer to spend the day at the beach, you can of course do so at a beach club. Some of the restaurants offer this as well.
Bilú
The cozy breakfast and brunch restaurant Bilú, with its beautiful landscaped garden, offers an extensive breakfast menu. Typical Mexican dishes such as chilaquiles or Poblano omelets are served, as well as breakfast classics such as a variety of pancakes, avocado toast and sandwiches. We also recommend the fruity acai bowl and the fruit salad with yogurt and granola. There is a large selection of hot and cold coffees and freshly squeezed fruit juices. Prices are in the lower mid-range.
Zonnebloem Holbox Coffee & Breakfast
The small, colorful Café Zonnebloem is a family business with Dutch roots. The covered terrace with a few tables offers a cozy atmosphere with pleasant music, ideal for breakfast or brunch. The food is very varied and ranges from sweet dishes such as waffles, pancakes and Pain Perdu (honey cake) with fresh fruit and nuts to croissants, bagels, sandwiches and focaccia with turkey, serrano ham, chorizo or chicken. There are also delicious Mexican breakfast items such as chilaquiles, enchiladas and quesadillas, and much more. All dishes are lovingly decorated with edible flowers.
And if you still can’t find what you want, order a delicious bowl of acai, berry or tropical fruit. Add a coffee, latte or matcha tea, and try one of the many smoothies, fruit juices and milkshakes. The prices are a bit higher, but this is in line with the quality and size of the portions. As Café Zonnebloem is very popular and has only a few seats, the wait can be long.
Copal Café Zomay Holbox
Copal Café is located next to Hotel Zomay, close to the beach. The front of the coffee shop is air-conditioned and there is a small open garden with a beach feel. The menu ranges from sweet breakfast classics like croissants, waffles and pancakes, fresh fruit with yogurt and granola, delicious acai bowls to elaborate avocado toast, bagels and sandwiches with cheese, egg, turkey ham and salmon. There are also teas and coffees from espresso to frappuccino made from 100% Mexican coffee beans. Prices are slightly higher.
Another Clandestino: Coffee, Bread & Breakfast
One of our favorite breakfast places is Another Clandestino, located just below the Hotel Casa Peregrino Holbox. This is because of the calm little patio with good WiFi at the back of the restaurant, the fabulous bowls, and the gorgeous avocado toast. We also love the moist carrot cake and fresh croissants. We recommend the salmon bagels as well. In addition they offer great smoothies, juices and coffees at reasonable prices.
Painapol
Painapol is probably the most famous breakfast and brunch restaurant on Holbox Island. The painted wall in the open garden in the shape of a white-haired old lady is a popular photo motif and creates a very special atmosphere. The breakfast and brunch menu is overwhelming as well. We recommend the grilled focaccia, avocado toast, crostone (large bruscetta) and even gluten-free bread, all of which can be ordered with different ingredients depending on your mood. Very tasty are the many fruit bowls, which are even available in smaller portions (jars). There is good coffee and unusual fruit juice mixes, with ingredients you can choose yourself.
In general, Painapol places great emphasis on individual eating habits, which is why there are not only many vegan options, but also existing allergies are taken into consideration. Due to the popularity and the individual preparation of the dishes, there are often long waits and the prices are noticeably higher. When it is busy, there is a long line outside the café, so you must either be patient or arrive very early to get a seat.
Mr. Happy
The breakfast and brunch restaurant Mr. Happy is also quite touristy. However, the café, located near Holbox Airport, is very spacious with plenty of seating and offers a relaxed atmosphere with occasional pleasant DJ music. There are many Mexican dishes to choose from, such as eggs prepared in a variety of ways, chilaquiles and molletes (rolls filled with bean puree and cheese). Of course, you can also get toast with avocado, mushrooms, salmon or ham. The sweet options such as waffles and pancakes are very tasty and available in many variations. There are hot and cold coffees and lattes, Horchata (Mexican rice drink), smoothies and fresh fruit juices. Prices are average.
Baguettes D’Mary
For an authentic and relatively cheap breakfast in Holbox, we love the inexpensive café Baguettes D’Mary, which is particularly popular with Mexicans and is centrally located right next to the studios and apartments of Estudios Rehilete. Although the small interior and terrace have only a few seats, they offer a pleasant atmosphere. The food is relatively simple, with no frills, but of the highest quality.
There are many different types of baguettes with cheese, ham, tuna, salami, bacon or even omelets. All kinds of huevos (eggs) are very good here. And to accompany them, people like to eat a Coctel de Frutas (fruit salad with yogurt and granola) and drink a fresh fruit juice or espresso or both. All for a very reasonable price, although patience is sometimes required.
Le Jardin
The bakery and cafeteria Le Jardin is located just west of the main square and its relaxed atmosphere is ideal for an extended breakfast. The quiet yellow building has a beautiful open interior with a terrace. It serves authentic French pastries such as fresh croissants, baguettes and muffins. The house specialties such as Quiche Lorraine and Tartelette with tomatoes and olives are unique. The omelets, which can be ordered individually with different ingredients, are delicious. Fresh fruit juices and a large selection of coffees are also available at reasonable prices.
Capriccio Café
We have long been fans of the super-nice Capriccio Café, which used to be a little oasis of calm in the cozy courtyard of the Hotel Pueblito. It recently moved, but is in the same building a little further down the street and is now much bigger. The menu has grown as well and is ideal for small appetites.
The homemade brownies, cakes and pies have always been delicious. Now they have added ham and cheese croissants, baguettes with Manchego, spinach and raw ham, smoked salmon bagels, avocado toast, and more. There are also fresh fruit juices and smoothies with pineapple, passion fruit, mango, coconut or other fruits, and a large selection of frappés, cold and hot coffee. We think the prices are very fair.
Coffee Shop Complemento Café Holbox
The Complemento Café is centrally located between the main square and the beach. It has a small terrace with a view of the surroundings and a cozy interior. The café offers a wide variety of toasts and sandwiches, some of which are unusual, such as the Chori toast with Argentinian chorizo or the mushroom sandwich. The egg dishes are also delicious, and Shakshuka (eggs in tomato sauce) is only available here. In addition to coffees and lattes, there are some cold brew coffees like the Mocka Brew with cocoa or the “Holbox” with coconut. It’s all a bit unusual, with prices in the upper mid-range.
Street Food in Holbox
Food Stalls
It doesn’t always have to be a restaurant or café when you’re hungry. Like many places in Mexico, Holbox has many small food stalls offering delicious street food, grouped around the main square. Especially during festivals and celebrations such as Easter or Carnival, the island is teeming with mobile stalls and food trucks offering a wide variety of eagerly prepared dishes at unbeatable low prices.
Here you will find typical Mexican dishes such as tamales, a corn dough steamed in a banana leaf and filled with vegetables, cheese or meat. There are all kinds of delicious tacos, empanadas, quesadillas, burritos and conchinita pibil. We recommend the stands of Lecmu Tacos, Tacos Bebote Holbox and Matambre Fast Grill, which even offers burgers and Argentinean empanadas. The small Taqueria Mateo Restaurant is also more of a street food place, but the tacos al pastor here are excellent.
Be sure to try a Marquesita, a specialty of the Yucatán. It is a thin, crêpe-like waffle that can be filled with your choice of Nutella, cajeta (caramel sauce), bananas or cheese. Also typical of Mexico are churros, a fried choux pastry dessert. They are cut into long strips with a mold, fried in hot fat, and taste similar to doughnuts.
During the day some beach vendors with a cart offer their snacks, ice cream or fresh tropical fruits such as mangoes and coconuts to sun hungry beachgoers. Don’t be afraid to try.
Ice cream parlors
Ice cream has a long tradition in Holbox and is very popular. The most famous is the Gelateria El Mangle Blanco near the main square, which offers Italian ice cream, milkshakes, waffles and crepes.
Another very popular place is La Gelateria, not far away, which even offers its own black Holbox ice cream creation with coconut and vanilla. Also the HELARTESANO ice cream parlor serves delicious Italian ice cream and a blue Holbox version.
Market and Fruterias
One of the most delicious specialties of the Caribbean is the fresh exotic fruits that cannot be found anywhere else in this quality and ripeness. Not only are there some tropical fruits on Holbox Island that you have probably never heard of, such as the Mamey, but they are also very cheap here due to the short transportation routes. The largest selection can be found at the local market, the Mercado Municipal de Holbox, in the west of the island, near the small airport.
The market is open daily from 6:30 am to 2:30 pm and is only closed on Sundays. Many stalls sell fresh fruit and tropical fruits such as pineapple, papaya and mango, and the vendors will be happy to prepare a fruit salad or juice for you at a very reasonable price. There are also several stalls selling snacks such as tacos, empanadas and tamales, which could be an additional option for a cheap breakfast.
If your accommodation is in the east of Holbox Island, the Fruit and Vegetable Store is a good place to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.
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