Plant-Based/Vegan Dining at Dreams Riviera Cancun

May 2014
Having both visited and stayed at other AMResorts properties, I was not at all concerned about my dietary needs during our three-night stay at Dreams Riviera Cancun, a family-friendly all-inclusive resort located approximately 25 minutes from the Cancun airport. My experiences with the resorts within this company have always been fantastic, and our three nights spent at Secrets Silversands prior to our arrival here further proved that dining like a vegan princess is possible when enjoying such a mainstream vacation.

Before You Depart
Making arrangements before traveling isn't necessary - I merely showed up at breakfast and lunch and was easily able to fend for myself with the many choices presented in the buffet, or sat down to dinner and spoke with the restaurant's chef to see what my options might be. The staff all speaks English well, so there shouldn't be any language barriers when working with the restaurants to find options, and since these resorts are more upscale, the chefs and supporting staff working in food service are quite knowledgeable about various dietary needs and restrictions.

Dreams Riviera Cancun is lush and tropical.

The beautiful resort view from our balcony.

My Apologies on the Photography Front...
My photography skills during this leg of the trip were sorely lacking - I often forgot my camera in the room, and when I took my camera with me I usually forgot to shoot anything other than what was on the plate in front of me...except for this lone shot of the fruit spread at the buffet in the World Cafe.

grilled veggie tacos

fresh fruit

Breakfast: My husband and I generally ate at Himitsu, which transforms daily from an Asian restaurant in the evening to an adults-only breakfast venue in the morning. The buffet is smaller here; however, you can also help yourself to the offerings at the main buffet in the World Café, although the offerings are more of the omelet/pancake/breakfast meat type. During our stay, my favorite breakfast quickly became grilled veggie soft tacos - once I had convinced the chef I didn't want eggs, we had a great chat in Spanish (I am fluent) about me being vegan. The veggies were prepared on the same surface as the eggs, but I was okay with that. I also enjoyed cereal with non-dairy milk and piles of fresh fruit.

sushi and a spring roll

veggie fajitas

Lunch: I was extremely happy with my lunches while staying at Dreams Riviera Cancun because the buffet featured several made-to-order stations with veg-friendly options. I had a loaded veggie pizza baked without cheese, sushi and a spring roll, and vegetable fajitas during our stay. Since customization was such a breeze, I was always able to find options. The food was more simple than other adults-only resorts we have stayed at, but I actually preferred my lunches here because I had greater control over what I consumed without bothering too many staff members! (Although people are always happy to help, especially if you're friendly!) The extensive salad and fresh fruit offerings always bring a smile to my face in Mexico, and I usually topped off my meal with a gigantic salad or bowl of mixed fruit.

fancy salad

veg flatbread

veg pasta

guac made tableside

avocado salad

veggie enchiladas

Dinner: On our first night at Dreams Riviera Cancun we visited Portofino for an Italian feast because we hadn't yet dined at an Italian themed restaurant during this vacation (Secrets Silversands also has an Italian restaurant), and what a great decision that was! The chef came out to speak to me regarding my dietary needs and proceeded to fix me a three-course meal of some wonderfully flavorful Italian food. I started with a salad of eggplant, zucchini, tomato, and lettuce before moving on to a veggie flatbread and ending with a glorious bowl of veggie-heavy pasta. I cannot rave enough about this meal, and I was so pleased with the options presented to me.

On our second night, we had a later dinner at Himitsu because I hadn't been feeling well during much of the late evening. I barely ate, but did have some vegetable sushi which is usually a surefire win for me, but didn't impress me here. I did not take my camera with me to dinner because I was more focused on returning to our room to rest.

On our final night we visited El Patio for Mexican food, primarily because I cannot eat enough guacamole on vacation and the Mexican restaurant makes the really great stuff table-side at dinner. Again, I spoke with the servers and told them of my needs before ordering. We started with the guac and I also was served a salad with great flavor but a little too much oil for my liking. I then sampled an appetizer that remains a question mark, although it tasted quite a bit like a corn meal/veggie tamale of sorts.  My entrée was similar to the appetizer in taste, but I believe it was a sort of veggie enchilada. All in all, another good meal.

Overall, I enjoyed a very good dining experience that was more simple in taste and presentation than other resorts I have visited, but still quite pleasurable. I would feel very comfortable recommending Dreams Riviera Cancun to vegetarians and vegans alike.