If you saw in my last post about Tulum, I was very impressed with the vibe of the city. It is definitely a place with its own aesthetic and a very trendy one at that. It is casual but also some place you would want to get pretty dressed up for. It’s like where Park Avenue people find their inner hippie and it definitely has some of the sickest night life. Conveniently enough some of the places with the best party scene or vibes are also restaurants.
I am a huge fan of Mexican food also and can never turn down a good taco or margarita but I also tried some incredible unique finds as well. While there were plenty of phenomenal dishes, there were also a couple of misses and skips. Make sure to keep reading to see my food diary from Tulum.
Let’s get some of the “ok” out of the way.
La Taqueria
Accompanied with pineapple, onion and cilantro
Accompanied with carrot and purple cabbage, olive oil and chipotle mayonnaise.
Accompanied with tomato, onion and cilantro
A cool and casual spot of Tulum. Very garden-like with board games scattered on tables as decorations. I would say it definitely leans more as a good lunch spot and happy hour deal. These were a solid trio of tacos, but not the best. The shrimp was by far the best and a memorable one from throughout the trip. The chicken was a touch on the dry and bland side, but I mean nothing horrible. And the el pastor was unique and tasty with a sweet savory aspect, but the meat was a little tougher than expected. However, to be fair, the menu is extensive with so many great looking options, I am sure you can mix and match to something really great.
Mistico Garden
Mistico has a really cool ambiance and typical of that of Tulum. It feels very casual and almost treehouse-like with games(similar to La Taqueria) scattered around swings in the middle of the bar. The cocktails were phenomenal, but, I will say, the burrito was definitely a little underwhelming. I was hoping for some beans or some veggies but it just felt like meat and cheese, and the guacamole was nothing special either. I will say, though, it is a resto bar so it is not particularly known for their food anyway and might just be a better place to dance and have drinks.
Melattes Cafe
For not being much of a breakfast person, this one was an exception. This breakfast was so delicious and definitely hit the spot with the sweets cravings. The mango smoothie was just no ordinary smoothie bowl, maybe because of the freshness of the fruit but I loved everything about this, the flavor, the creaminess, the crunch. Definitely a 10/10! The pressed croissant was also definitely tasty with a little crispiness from the toasted croisstant but freshness from the fruit. I was also impressed with my latte. I thought it would be way too sweet but you definitely taste the coffee and we all loved it.
Casa Jaguar
SLOW COOKED PORK BELLY MARINATED IN CITRUS WITH CHERRY TOMATOES, CILANTRO, RADISH AND PICKLED ONIONS SERVED WITH A X-NIPEC SAUCE, AVOCADO MOUSSE AND TORTILLAS.
CATCH OF THE DAY GLAZED WITH SMOKED BUTTER, SERVED WITH PICKLED VEGETABLES, LETUCE MIX,CORIANDER AIOLI
AND CHILES SAUCE.
Casa Jaguar is a hotspot in Tulum in general but a great place to mix dinner and nightlife. It again is like dining in the middle of the jungle with more of “deep house” music vibes but so large that there are multiple food seating areas, bars, and even a open back section for dancing (although it reminded me more of a rave).
The food was also really good. Crispy pork belly was a nice and interesting change-up from typical classics. It was well fried and had a nice balance with the avocado and salad pairings. The fish was fantastic. I beleive our catch of the day was a snapper and it was so moist on the inside and a lovely char on the outside, and overall really flavorful.
Mamazzita
Short rib in slow cooking for 12 hours with “Mamazzita” Rub.
Tequila Volcán De Mi Tierra blanco · Grand Marnier forest fruits · volcano salt · agave honey.
Octopus · peppers · cucumber avocado · toasted corn · dried chili sauce.
Similar to Casa Jaguar, Mamazzita is also one of those dinner-and-a-whole-night-out all in one. The music is loud and club-like and there are also really fun shows as well. There was a tribal-like ceremony and then a more traditional Mexican singer. Both are very interactive, with the performers coming around to tables as you dine, and even a point where people were invited to dance on stage. It was definitely a blast and a unique experience and the food made it all the more enjoyable.
This barbacoa was next level – the seasoning was so intense that it was packed with flavor and was fall-off-the-bone tender. I think it was easily the most stand-out dish I had during the entire trip. The octopus ceviche was also really good and had a mildness to it from the sauce but a kick in each bite from the chili peppers. I think it was a nice light complement to a more hearty meal of the barbacoa. The Red Scarlet was a nice option too – again with a million menu items it is hard to narrow down. I would say this is a sweater version of a margarita. It wasn’t as exciting as the description sounded but not disappointing nonetheless.
Burrito Amor
TF
smoked pork with fresh pineapple whole black beans amor rice and mixed bell peppers
Rib Eye of Beef
rib eye of beep in an epazote marinade grilled with whole black beans purple onion diced pico de gallo and avocado
After a very disappointing first burrito experience, I felt Mexico redeemed itself in this department at Casa Burrito. I mean, I would hope so, it is in the name. These both really hit the spot and were excellent combos, but there were also so many really great choices to choose from. The smoked pork and pineapple again had a bit of that sweet savory aspect which much more tender meat. But between the two, the rib eye was hands down the winner. It is more classic in flavor but each bite just tasted quality and delicious.
