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    The Flying Foodie / theflyingfoodie@gmail.com / © 2015 by The Flying Foodie

    The restaurant scene in the Tulum beach zone is surprisingly diverse considering the reasonably small number of places available - you can find everything from tacos and wood-fired steaks to handmade pastas and crafty cocktails. But for the more intrepid palates, head into Tulum town proper for a taste of authentic Yucatecan and Mexican eats, the way the locals like it -  El Camello and Honorio are absolutely not to be missed. Aside from Honorio (which is only open for breakfast), best time to graze is at night when everything is open for business following the afternoon siesta.

     

    BEST RESTAURANTS

     

    By the beach

     

    Posada Margherita

    Our favourite beach-side restaurant - family run, excellent handmade pastas, we had a shrimp zucchini fettucine that was out of this world (normally they do with lobster, but the seas had been so rough, they didn't have any that day), and they bake all their bread on site, the foccaccia was just about the best we'd had anywhere. They give you a HUGE complimentary platter of various types just while you're waiting for food. The other house dish is the whole snapper cooked in sea water (aquapazza) - excellent stuff and enormous portion!

     

    Mateos

    The best bet for tacos near the beach...this was our first meal after arriving and it was a great way to start things off. And because it's owned by an expat, it definitely is a lot cleaner and tourist-friendly than the more authentic, tho in my opinion tastier, local options in town...it even has a little sports bar area with soccer on the tellie. It's known for tacos (which are good), but the chef himself said the best dish is the Tex Mex burger.

     

    Hartwood

    Opened by former Peasant and Vinegar Hill chef, the whole deal is they cook everything in this large outdoor oven filled with hardwood. To be honest, we were underwhelmed by our meal here. The lentil salad was just eh, and this pork "ribs" dish didn't have any ribs (and the waiter couldn't have cared less when we brought it up). We did have an excellent grilled steak though and the rustic, open-air spot is lovely. Definitley the place to be down here.

     

    El Tabano

    In the swamp across the road from Hemingways, this Barcelona-born chef has been getting rave reviews for her modern takes on classic Mexican cuisine. 

     

    Casa Banana

    Another universally recommended spot on the swamp side of the road, it's a Mexican/Argentine steakhouse where grilled steaks and seafood get equal praise.

     

    Hemingways

    This was highly recommended by many local expats we came across, for its quaint beach-side setting and its signature handmade tagliatelle with seafood for 2, which is just one of a few items on the menu that is entirely recited by the waiter in a heavy Italian accent. While the pasta was beautifully made (by a very rugged Italian chef) and tossed in a deeply rich sauce with TONS of mostly-local seafood (clams, mussels, small crabs, giant prawns and local lobster), there was something a bit sloppy about the execution (crabs still had gills intact).

     

    Mezzanine

    This hotel restaurant does Thai-infused Mexican fare, and apparently does it well, with elevated front-line ocean views to boot. Sister hotel/restaurants El Pez and La Zebra also get great reviews for their simple menus of ceviche, local seafood dishes and refined Mexican classics like Cochinita pibil (roast pork) and chiles rellenos (stuffed peppers)

     

    Las Ranitas

    Another recommended spot that we just didn't have time to check out - the menu is a mix of Mexican and international dishes.

     

    In town (the "local" stuff!)

     

    El Camello

    DO NOT MISS THIS PLACE!! It's amazing - seafood is the focus here, and their specialities are the complimentary shark dip and the whole fried fish, which you can watch them prepare in the adjacent fish market (where you'll also see locals bringing their catch to be cooked in the giant woks). They also do excellent ceviches and really grand, layered seafood cocktails, and even tacos - portion are HUGE, so order accordingly. Everything is very good here and it's packed with locals, taxi drivers and just a few in-the-know tourists. Their shark dip is so good, we had it again in Grand Electric Muskoka in Canada!

     

    Honorio Taqueria

    Open Tues-Sun 6-11am. Satellite Sur, cnr of Calle Sol (across the street from La Parrilla de Chava)

    The best place for breakfast tacos washed down with a cane sugar Coke...it's just a little cart with a handful of stools and plastic tables. Order one of each - chicken, beef and my favorite, the l'echon, which is crispy suckling pig - which come on a plastic lined paper plate, a flour tortilla and topped with marinated onions.

     

    Urge Taqueria

    Probably the best local taco place in town - they specialize in fried fish and shrimp tacos, there's a small condiments bar right there so you can load up on all the pickled red onion and salsas that you like. Ceviches are good here too.

     

    Los Aguachiles

    Avda. Tulum at Avda. Palenque

    Another local favorite for tacos, though we ran out of time before we could try.

     

    Flor de Michoacan

    Avenida Tulum, betw Calles Alfa and Jupiter

    This paleteria (popsicle place) also sells fresh squeezed juice and gelato, but the main reason to come here is for the all-natural, uniquely flavored popsicles, which include chile mango or chocolate and shredded coconut.

     

    Antojitos La Chiapaneca

    Tacos el pastor (sliced meat stacked on a turning metal sword, like kebab-style, with a pineapple on top) is the speciality here with lots of homemade salsas to try.

     

    Pollo Branco

    Apparently THE best place to get the local speciality roast chicken...it's right next to Altamar (where we did the cooking lesson, see below), but alas we just didn't have enough hours in the day to try it.

     

    Cetli

    The most upscale restaurant in town, Claudia Perez Rivas is a celebrity chef, and this is your best bet if you want to try (refined) classics like chiles en nogada and mole.

     

    BARS/NIGHTLIFE

     

    Be Tulum

    Unsurprisingly for the most spiffy hotel in town, the hotel's bar/lounge is a chic spot to sip a pricey cocktail.

     

    Mezzanine

    Once again, hard to beat those elevated ocean views and sea breezes while sipping an exotic cocktail, but it's also apparently the place to go on Friday nights, when they have live DJs spinning house music.

     

    Casa Jaguar

    It's on the jungle side so bring bug repellent as the mosquitoes are fierce, but it's got a funky layout and unique cocktails (like hibiscus grapefruit mint) served in clay mugs. The restaurant itself gets very mixed reviews.

     

    Batey Mojito and Guerapo Bar (in town)

    Noone even mentioned this place when we visited in August 2012 - maybe because it's in town - but it's apparently THE place for a fruity mojito and live music. It would be a perfect stop when coming to town to get a taste of all the local joints like El Camello and La Chiapaneca.

     

    Papaya Playa

    A popular spot for the monthly full moon parties, it's a busy late night spot with house music.

     

     

     

     

    Where to Eat: Tulum

    Posada Margherita. The homemade pre-dinner bread selection - hard to save room for the pasta!

    Posada Margherita. Excellent Italian on the beach with superb focaccia and handmade pastas

    Posada Margherita's signature handmade pasta with shrimp

    Mateo's roadside taco bar

    Fish acqua pazza ("crazy water") which is just cooking in olive oil, water and lemon juice

    Mateo's signature Tex Mex burger

    Mateo's, a Tulum institution. It may not be the most authentic or the best Mexican around, but it's a great spot for lunch or smoothie regardless

    El Camello

    *Stay & Play

    *What to Eat

    El Camello's signature spicy shark dip - free with your meal

    El Camello's speciality dish - whole fried local fish with beans and rice

    El Camello's fish market - and fry station

    EL Camello draws a local crowd

    Best breakfast tacos: Taqueria Honorio

    Breakfast on the street: Taqueria Honorio

    Taqueria Honorio toppings

    Urge Taqueria - simple fish and shrimp tacos

    L'echon on the left (amazing crackling skin!) and the chicken on the right - simplicity at its best!

    Urge's selection of condiments

    Hemingway's seafood tagliatelle for 2