Tulum Restaurants
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Tulum - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
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We’ve compiled the best of the best in Tulum - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
This hidden jungle garden with hardwood tables and twinkling candlelight is hard to spot from the road, but once you're here, you won't want to leave. Start your meal with stuffed piquillo peppers or a relleno negro shrimp tostada, and don't miss the sweet-savory pork ribs with organic vanilla, sweet potato, and an apple-cinnamon topper. Vegetarians will appreciate dishes like the stuffed local Mayan pumpkin and beer lovers will enjoy the restaurant's craft beers, produced in-house.
The mystical jungle atmosphere of this sophisticated restaurant is only beaten by its exquisite blend of Mexican and Mayan traditional cuisines. Dine to the tune of indigenous drums and the tenuous shapes formed by candlelight, while enjoying delicious cocktails prepared with local and organic ingredients. Try the octopus in black recado or the duck in black mole and, either way, you'll thank me later.
This jungle-chic restaurant serves up creative fine-dining fare unlike anything else you'll find in the region. Standout dishes include deconstructed sushi (where the rice comes in foam form and the soy sauce is a cream), burning grouper with Thai veggies (lightly smoked right at your table), and a rich pork belly dish in a tangy Asian-inspired sauce. It's difficult with dishes this good, but leave room for dessert. The chocolate cream, served with rum, dulce de leche, and peanut foam, is the perfect, decadent end to a perfect, decadent meal. This creative fare is served in a romantic jungle setting, with distressed wood floors, exposed stone walls, and ceiling lights that mimic birds' nests. In the background, Eastern music and the sound of water falling complete the ambience. Even the most discriminating foodies won't be disappointed by this hidden gem tucked away on the beach road just before the Sian Ka'an nature reserve.
In the back of the Amansala Resort & Retreat, this shady beachfront restaurant is the place to be for sweeping ocean views and light, healthy lunches. Smoothies are served fruity and not overly sweet, guacamole is fresh and flavorful, and the salsa selection is excellent. Don't miss the amply portioned spicy-sweet Thai curry Buddha Bowl. And if you're craving some beach time after your meal, ask about Amansala's beach club, where MX$374 will get you a spot on one of their sun beds for the day.
Called "Camellito" by locals, this restaurant is famed for having Tulum's freshest seafood—and the jammed parking lot is testament to its enduring popularity. Fish or shrimp tacos are light and fresh, but the full splendor of the place is expressed by its whole grilled or fried fish, served with generous mounds of rice, beans, and plátanos. Come hungry. The lively scene and tropical ambience are a Mexican original.
This jungle-side hangout is laid-back, casual, and comfortable, with an open kitchen and airy layout in a large, traditional palapa. Standout dishes include organic-chicken-stuffed jalapeños and organic chicken in red sauce (so tender that it practically falls off the bone). Paying tribute to local blends is the wine list, on which 80% of the bottles are from Mexico. An international crowd of expats and in-the-know vacationers makes for a lively scene, especially at night. For large parties or special events, book ahead.
New York chefs cooking New York food for New York prices—in a wood-fired jungle lot, open to the night sky—that's Hartwood. Try slow-roasted pork ribs marinated in agave honey or a light, fresh ceviche and finish up with homemade ice cream in flavors like peanut brittle, sweet corn, and cream cheese. Big-city transplants Mya Henry and Eric Werner opened this solar-powered restaurant in 2011, and it has been drawing a full house ever since. Chef Werner has added farming to his list of talents and the rabbit on the menu comes from his farm. The setting of dark-wood tables on a white pebble floor is remarkably charming, though mosquito-repellent smoke can get heavy at times. The open kitchen and massive oven make for a dramatic, fiery show when the sun goes down. In high season, book ahead by email or get here when the restaurant opens at 6, or risk a New York–style wait.
Rub shoulders with cab drivers, local government officials, and expat regulars over coffee at Tulum's favorite family-owned and -run coffee shop, where espresso drinks are made with 100% Mexican-grown coffee from places like Oaxaca and Veracruz. Upstairs you'll find a small bakery, out back a quiet jungle garden, and up front a relaxed beachy bar space, all serving up coffee, baked goods, and Mexican dishes like mollete—spiced toast over black-bean puree with pico de gallo (pro tip: add a fried egg for something special). Eco-friendliness is important here and the plumbing is a composting system.
People come from up and down the Riviera for the zingy flavors of this southern Thai restaurant. Popular dishes include pad Thai, drunken noodles, and money bags (crispy fried wonton wrappers filled with a Thai shrimp mix). Overseeing the menu is Thai chef Dim Geefay, a well-known teacher and TV cooking personality. Recipes start with basil, chile, mint, and lemongrass, which are homegrown from seeds brought over from Thailand. The spiciness of the soups and curries (created with house-made coconut milk) are rated as "Tourist," "Expatriate," and "Truly Thai." Health-conscious diners will also appreciate a range of salads and the mildly sweet flavor of the Chaya green juice.
This collection of plastic tables under a tarp may not look like much from the outside, but it's where the locals go for some of the best (and cheapest) tacos in town. Grab a seat and order up some pork or vegetarian tacos, priced at just MX$15 to MX$17 each, and a bottle of agua fresca (water mixed with fruit and sugar). Tables and salsas are shared, so get ready to make some new friends.
Health-conscious travelers rejoice: the menu at The Real Coconut features as much organic produce and free-range meat as possible and is entirely dairy-, gluten-, and refined-sugar-free. Stop by for lunch in the bright, modern beachfront dining room and order up some tacos with shrimp al pastor (served on tortillas made with coconut flour), a nacho bowl with organic chile, free-range chicken, or a light soup with a healthy bone-broth base. For dessert, try the giant chocolate chip cookie (it's hard to believe something so decadent is gluten- and dairy-free) or order up a thick, cold choco-nutty smoothie.
With tables under a palapa roof and on the beach, this restaurant is a perfect place to sink your toes in the sand while dining. Chef Hidalgo offers understated appetizers like tuna nachos (tuna tartare and avocado with tortilla strips) or guacamole on a bed of fried cheese. Veggie fans will love salads made with soft cheese, fresh greens, caramelized almonds, and Jamaica sauce. The fish is about as fresh as it gets—if you’re an angler, the kitchen will even cook up your catch. By day, the menu focuses on sandwiches and wraps; by night the attention turns to ribs and surf and turf. A pleasant background of live, local music will have you swaying in your seat from 7:30 to 9:30. And the bar, where they've traded in bar stools for swings, is just as nice as the table seating. Service can be slow, but it's worth the wait. There's Mexican wine tasting on Thursday and flamenco on Monday.
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