Restaurant in Riviera Maya, Mexico · Inside Fairmont Mayakoba, Riviera Maya
Tauro Steakhouse
275Pearl PointsFairmont's steakhouse that earns a late night.
About Tauro Steakhouse
Tauro Steakhouse at Fairmont Mayakoba is the Riviera Maya's most complete resort steakhouse for a special-occasion evening: specialty aged cuts, a Mexican spirits cocktail program, live piano, and a lounge setup that keeps the night going well after dinner. Reservations are easy to secure. Rated 4.4 on Google. Best for couples and celebration dinners staying on property.
The Verdict
If you're staying at Fairmont Mayakoba and want a proper steakhouse dinner that extends into a late night at the bar, Tauro is the answer. The martini bar at the entrance and a dedicated lounge area make this one of the few Riviera Maya resort restaurants designed to work as an evening destination rather than just a dinner stop. Reservations are required, but booking is direct — this is not a hard-to-get table, and it earns a solid Google rating of 4.4 from 71 reviews. The combination of specialty aged cuts, a Mexican-leaning wine and cocktail program, and live piano performances makes it the most complete special-occasion option within the Fairmont property.
The Space
The room is built for an evening out. A martini bar greets you at the entrance, and a separate bar and lounge area gives you somewhere to settle before or after dinner — a layout that most resort steakhouses skip entirely. Tables are arranged across both indoor and outdoor seating, with the outdoor section offering the kind of open-air Caribbean evening atmosphere that justifies being in the Riviera Maya rather than any other steakhouse city. The interior was designed by Room 1804 Design and leans into a softly lit speakeasy aesthetic, with an open wine cellar and aging refrigerator visible from the dining room. Live piano performances run through the evening. For a celebration dinner or a date night where the setting needs to carry some of the weight, the physical space here does meaningful work.
The Food and Drink
Chef Cristian Ramirez runs a menu that takes specialty cuts seriously. The aging refrigerator on display is not decorative, the kitchen offers cuts aged with cognac and finished with a citrus and pistachio crust, alongside pastrami preparations that move this beyond a standard hotel steakhouse format. The range runs from New York strip to flank steak, with imported cuts complemented by Mexican options that prioritise locally sourced ingredients. Starters follow a classic steakhouse structure: French onion soup, a raw bar selection. Sauces include Argentine chimichurri and harissa. The burger, served on pretzel bread with slightly aged meat, is a genuine alternative to the main event if a full steak isn't what you want. Finish with the passion fruit lava cake if you want something that contrasts the weight of the meal.
The cocktail menu is where the late-night case for Tauro is strongest. The Raging Bull (corn whisky, corn liqueur, ginger, agave nectar, lemon juice) and the Wild West (Volcán Silver Tequila, corn liqueur, Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, orange bitters) are well-constructed drinks built around Mexican spirits, not the generic resort cocktail list you'll find elsewhere on the property. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are available, making this workable for mixed groups even if it's primarily a meat-focused kitchen.
Who Should Book
Tauro is the right choice for couples celebrating a milestone, business dinners that need a polished setting, or anyone staying at Fairmont Mayakoba who wants a restaurant that functions as a full evening rather than just a meal. The lounge and bar setup means you're not rushed out after the final course, the room is designed for you to stay. If you're not staying at the Fairmont, it's still worth the trip in from Playa del Carmen for a special occasion, particularly if the live piano and the aging program appeal. For a more casual night or a group that wants to explore the wider Riviera Maya dining scene, check our full Riviera Maya restaurants guide for alternatives that don't require a resort visit.
Know Before You Go
- Location: Hotel Fairmont Mayakoba, Carretera Federal Km 298, Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico
- Cuisine: Mexican Steakhouse
- Chef: Cristian Ramirez
- Booking difficulty: Easy, reservations required but availability is generally good
- Dress code: Resort casual
- Seating: Indoor and outdoor; martini bar and lounge area at entrance
- Amenities: Bar, outdoor seating, valet parking, gluten-free options, vegetarian options, kid-friendly
- Google rating: 4.4 (71 reviews)
- Getting there: On-site at Fairmont Mayakoba; valet parking available for non-guests driving in
Explore More in the Region
Tauro sits within a broader Riviera Maya dining scene worth planning around. For seafood, Gaia at Maykana is a strong alternative nearby. For contemporary Mexican fine dining just up the coast, Le Chique in Puerto Morelos is the region's most technically ambitious kitchen. If you want to compare against Mexico's broader steakhouse and meat-focused dining scene, The Club Grill in Cancun is the closest direct peer. For context on where Tauro sits within Mexico's wider restaurant conversation, Pujol in Mexico City and HA' in Playa del Carmen represent the upper end of the regional benchmark. You can also browse our full Riviera Maya hotels guide, our full Riviera Maya bars guide, our full Riviera Maya wineries guide, and our full Riviera Maya experiences guide to build a complete trip around your stay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tauro Steakhouse handle dietary restrictions?
Yes. Tauro lists gluten-free and vegetarian options among its amenities, so both restrictions are accommodated on the menu. The kitchen's emphasis on locally sourced Mexican ingredients means vegetable-forward sides and starters are not an afterthought. If you have specific requirements, reservations are required regardless, so note your needs when you book.
What should a first-timer know about Tauro Steakhouse?
Reservations are required, so do not show up without one. The dress code is resort casual, which at Fairmont Mayakoba means polished but not formal — think neat resort wear rather than a suit. The room opens with a martini bar at the entrance, so arriving a few minutes early to settle in there before your table is ready is worth doing. The menu runs from raw bar starters through specialty aged cuts, so come hungry and plan for a full evening rather than a quick dinner.
Is Tauro Steakhouse good for solo dining?
It works for solo diners, but the format favors groups or pairs. The bar and lounge area — including the martini bar at the entrance and a separate lounge — gives solo guests somewhere comfortable to eat and drink without the awkwardness of a large table for one. If you are traveling alone and staying at Fairmont Mayakoba, dining at the bar counter is the right move here.
Is Tauro Steakhouse good for a special occasion?
Yes, this is one of the stronger special-occasion options along the Riviera Maya resort corridor. The combination of a speakeasy-style room designed by Room 1804 Design, live piano performances, an open wine cellar, and an aging refrigerator on display gives the evening a sense of occasion that generic resort restaurants do not. Couples celebrating a milestone or business dinners that need a polished backdrop will find Tauro delivers the right atmosphere.
What are alternatives to Tauro Steakhouse in Riviera Maya?
For seafood rather than steak, Gaia at Maykana is the nearby alternative worth considering. For contemporary Mexican cooking at a different register entirely, Le Chique at Azul Beach Resort operates a tasting-menu format that suits adventurous diners over meat-focused traditionalists. If you are willing to drive toward Mexico City-level Mexican fine dining, Pujol and Quintonil set the national benchmark, but those are a different trip, not a local swap.
Can Tauro Steakhouse accommodate groups?
The room includes both indoor and outdoor seating and a bar and lounge area, so group dinners are manageable logistically. The menu's shareable format — starters, cuts, sauces, and sides ordered separately — works well for a table of six or more. Reservations are required, so for groups above four, book early and confirm whether a dedicated area is available when you call.
What should I order at Tauro Steakhouse?
Focus on the specialty cuts: the kitchen ages beef with cognac and finishes with a citrus and pistachio crust, which is the most distinctive thing on the menu and the main reason to choose Tauro over a standard hotel steakhouse. The Raging Bull cocktail (corn whisky, corn liqueur, ginger, agave nectar, lemon juice) is a concrete starting point at the martini bar. If you want a lighter finish, the passion fruit lava cake is documented as the kitchen's preferred closer.
Location
Hotel Fairmont Mayakoba, Carretera Federal Km 298, 77710 Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico
Riviera Maya, Mexico
Compare Tauro Steakhouse
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tauro Steakhouse | Mexican Steakhouse | Easy | |
| Pujol | Mexican | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown |
| Quintonil | Modern Mexican, Contemporary | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown |
| Rosetta | Italian, Creative | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown |
| Em | Mexican | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown |
| Le Chique | Mexican, Contemporary | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown |
Comparing your options in Riviera Maya for this tier.
How It Compares
Tauro's closest competitor in the region is Le Chique in Puerto Morelos, which operates at the $$$$ tier with a contemporary Mexican tasting menu that represents the most technically ambitious cooking in the Riviera Maya corridor. If the cooking itself is your primary reason for booking, Le Chique wins. But if you want a full evening rather than a focused tasting experience, Tauro's lounge, bar, and live piano format offers something Le Chique doesn't, the architecture of a night out, not just a meal. For context on how the top end of the Mexican dining conversation looks, Pujol in Mexico City and HA' in Playa del Carmen set the regional benchmark for ingredient-led Mexican cooking, though neither competes directly with Tauro's steakhouse format.
For a direct steakhouse comparison, The Club Grill in Cancun is the most relevant peer. The Club Grill has a longer track record and draws a more local business-dinner crowd; Tauro leans more heavily into the resort-stay experience and places greater emphasis on the cocktail and late-night bar angle. Which you choose depends on where you're based: if you're in Cancun, The Club Grill is the easier call. If you're at Fairmont Mayakoba, Tauro is the obvious answer and doesn't require leaving the property. For guests who want to explore beyond the resort corridor, Gaia at Maykana offers strong Mexican seafood as an alternative night out without the steakhouse format.
Against the broader Mexican restaurant landscape, Tauro doesn't compete with destination-dining experiences like Animalón in Valle de Guadalupe or Alcalde in Guadalajara on culinary ambition. It's not trying to. The value proposition here is a well-executed steakhouse with a genuine late-night bar component inside one of the Riviera Maya's better resort properties, and on those terms, it delivers.
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