Cumaná's cooking is unmistakably Caribbean and unmistakably coastal. Fish is the staple — fried red snapper (pargo frito) is the local classic, usually served with arroz, fried plantain, and a green salad. Pescado en coco, a fish stew with coconut milk that is closer to the cuisine of nearby Trinidad than to the rest of Venezuela, is the dish to try if you find it on a menu.
The waterfront and the area near the Hotel Cumanagoto have the best concentration of seafood restaurants. For cheaper local food, the kiosks along Playa San Luis and the lunchtime fondas around the market are the places to go for empanadas de cazón (small shark), pastelitos, and a midday menú ejecutivo.