Tulum, Mexico was originally a peaceful town buried among Mayan ruins in the jungle.
Tulum stands apart for a number of reasons, one of which being the prevailing tropical coolness that pervades the town and its inhabitants. It is distinguished for its vast beaches and crescent moon shape. Its structures are snuggled into the cliffside, providing visitors with vistas of the Caribbean Sea that seem limitless and otherworldly at times.
Tulum has evolved into a refuge for artists, culinary connoisseurs, and beach bums alike, in addition to a tourist destination.
Whether you want fresh seafood from basic beach-side shacks, the most genuine tacos in town, gluten-free burritos, or tasting menus for special occasions, Tulum and this list have you covered!
If you like to do anything other than eat amazing cuisine, Ive compiled a list of the finest things to do in Tulum (spoiler: more food!)
Additionally, if you want to eat while touring the bay, check out my boat guide and select a trip that works for you.
Visiting other Mexican gastronomic hotspots? Check out these resources:
- 6 Must-Try Dishes When You Visit Baja California Sur, Mexico
- 15 Best Merida Breakfasts
- 10 Must-Try Restaurants in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
- A Walking Food Tour of Cancun with Eat Mexico
- 11 Must Try Bars & Restaurants in Cancun
- 15 Must Try Playa Del Carmen Restaurants
- Top Things to Do In Mexico City, Mexico
- Best Guadalajara Restaurants
- 9 Amazing Things To Do In Cozumel
- 13 Must-Try Restaurants in Cancun
When in Tulum, don’t miss out on the following activities that will let you immerse yourself in the city (get them while they’re hot!):
- Tulum and Cenotes 5 Hour Guided Tour
- Tulum and Coba: Full-Day Archeological Tour with Lunch
- From Tulum: Sian Ka’an Half-Day Tour
- From Tulum: Chichen Itza, Cenote, and Valladolid Tour
- Tulum: Skip-the-Line Entrance Ticket & Tequila Tasting
Tulum’s Top Restaurants
The Asadero
01 984 157 8998Av. Satelite Nte. Mz 23 Lt.5 between Sagitario and Sagitario
El Asadero is one of the many excellent restaurants in Tulum. The ambience, cuisine, service, and views will not disappoint. It’s ideal for couples seeking for a romantic getaway or a group of 10 wishing to spoil themselves.
El Asadero provides traditional Mexican food ranging from Puebla-style mole negro to more contemporary adaptations of classic Mexican meals such as smoked duck breast with tequila and pomegranate sauce. For those in a hurry, there is a small bar and take-out section near the front of the restaurant.
If you visit Tulum, you must eat fish. This is why El Asadero is so well-known among seafood and meat enthusiasts both. The steaks are really soft, well-cooked, and well seasoned. The menu also includes shrimp, octopus, and squid, but if you request it, the cooks would gladly prepare a lobster tail for you.
There is also a decent wine selection, and their margaritas are irresistible. All of this leads to El Asedero becoming one of Tulum’s greatest restaurants.
Amor Burrito
01 984 160 2989Avenida Tulum Pte Mz 3 Lote 5 Local 1
For many visitors, the most difficult problem is locating Tulum restaurants that provide healthy, tasty meals. Although there are several of these eateries in Tulum, Burrito Amor provides some of the better alternatives.
To guarantee a wonderful dinner, their fresh ingredients are cooked utilizing superfoods such as chia seeds and raw honey, as well as slow cooking methods.
Burrito Amor, although being in the center of pandemonium on Beach Caracol, is impossible to miss once you arrive.
Check out their morning burritos, which are tortillas filled with fluffy eggs and your choice of toppings such as Mayan spinach, smoked pig, and air-dried beef from Monterrey!
Homemade cinnamon granola with coconut milk, tapioca custard with toasted coconut, and avocado toast are some more morning alternatives. Whichever dish you’re craving, you’ll enjoy this fantastic Tulum restaurant.
Mercado del Mar
01 984 178 4510Jupiter Sur
Sabor del Mar is one of my favorite Tulum seafood restaurants. It’s not spectacular, but the seafood dishes are delicious, the cooking is quick, and the pricing are affordable. It’s a low-key establishment featuring menus in both English and Spanish.
You choose your meal from a picture menu on a clipboard; they put your order on the clipboard and provide you a receipt to present to the server.
The tuna tower, ceviches, tuna tostadas, and fish tacos are all must-order items.
Pro tip:Due to the popularity of the location, its not unusual to be requested to wait 30-45 minutes for a table for dinner. If you don’t like waiting, you may come for lunch; they open at noon. It is frequently less crowded than around noon. They also do not sell alcohol.
This is an unequaled combination of quality and variety for seafood in Tulum.
La Chiapaneca Antidote
+52 984 112 3249Acuario Nte. 3Calle Acuario
It’s simple to locate amazing street food in Tulum, but finding a terrific street food restaurant with an unrivaled array of Mexican foods is a different matter.
That is why I like Antojitos La Chiapaneca, which serves authentic Mexican street food produced by the owner and his family. Get the grilled pork on soft corn tortillas for delicious tacos for only 20 pesos each.
Their pork chop in salsa verde and pollo asado with rajas de poblano a la parrilla are also highly recommended.
Take a seat inside or at the bar and let the waiters serve you platters of anything you like. There are bowls where you may top your tacos with freshly cut limes, sliced onion, cilantro, and a variety of spicy sauces. A word of caution, however: check the heat of the sauce before pouring it over your dish; the habanero peppers are potent!
You’ll be seated among groups of locals and a few visitors, all of whom are enjoying the basic but tasty meal. This was certainly one of the greatest and most affordable meals I’ve ever eaten in a Tulum restaurant. I went back the following day because it was so wonderful!
Humo
Tulum, Quintana Roo
In the middle of Tulum’s main square and market, Humo is a beautiful rustic Mexican restaurant. It’s simple to locate, just across from Yoga Rao and Pangea, near to Aara Spa. The structure is bright green in color, and there is a huge wooden sign over the entrance that says Humo.
Humo restaurant is one of my favorite places to dine in Tulum. The meal is usually wonderful and fresh, and the pricing are really fair.
Humo serves enormous servings of Mexican and foreign food, attracting a large number of tourists who subsequently experience local specialties such as mole de olla, chilaquiles, barbacoa, or machaca with huevos al gusto, pozole Verde, and many more.
Nay, Kay
249 Calle Centauro Sur
There are several eateries in Tulum, but none compare to Kay Nah. This restaurant’s open-air setting appeals to me. The location is ideal, and the staff is quite kind.
It’s nice to know that there are vegetarian options available, as well as Mexican and seafood delicacies. I may have eaten a little too much, but every mouthful was worth it!
They offer a great range of seafood to pick from (fish, octopus, shrimp, oysters, and so on), as well as a variety of Mexican cuisine. Everything is really reasonably priced, which is fantastic since everything they provide is quite fresh.
Tulum Beach Road Restaurants
Hartwood
Tulum-Boca Paila Highway 7
Hartwood is a jungle-side open-air restaurant on Tulum’s beach road. It is recognized to be one of the greatest Tulum restaurants for excellent dining.
Hartwood’s menu varies everyday dependent on what is newly fished or harvested. All cooking is done over an open fire in a handcrafted wood-burning oven and grill, which imparts tremendous flavor to each meal.
Fresh fish, octopus, and shrimp are some of the meals you may expect to encounter, all perfectly cooked. If you aren’t in the mood for seafood, Hartwood also serves outstanding steaks and is well-known for its honey-roasted ribs.
Pro tip: This Tulum restaurant is only open for supper from Wednesday through Sunday, and you should make a reservation in advance. Bookings may be made up to one month ahead of time by contacting reservations@hartwoodtulum.com. Hartwood accepts solely cash payments.
Pescadores Villa
01 984 231 1077 Km.3 Tulum Ruinas a Boca Paila Carretera
Villa Pescadores is one of the top restaurants in Tulum. This beachfront restaurant boasts a spacious outdoor terrace and an inexpensive menu that includes excellent fish tacos and more, as well as fresh-brewed sangria and late-night nibbles.
This Tulum restaurant serves as both a bar and a restaurant, making it perfect for a night out on the town, and its laid-back ambiance will make you never want to leave.
Villa Pescadores unquestionably takes the title for the most creative presentation of their delectable ceviche.
The fish was fresh and served with fried Mexican chips in a contemporary restaurant that was often full but never seemed crowded.
My favorite meal was the ceviche marinated in lime juice and flavored with house-made espresso grounds for a great balance of sweet and salty tastes.
Even better, Villa Pescadores does not charge an exorbitant price to sit on their beachside restaurant seats or beds. You only need to place an order. This is unusual since most beachside restaurants or lounge chairs charge a minimum of 500 pesos per person to utilize their luxury property. Another incentive to visit this beachside restaurant in Tulum.
Table in the Kitchen
+52 98 41 88 4924 Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila kilometer 6-km 6
Kitchen Table Restaurant is one of my favorite restaurants. Kitchen is a restaurant in Tulum, Mexico that serves what many believe to be the ideal breakfast.
The Kitchen Table is an absolute must-see. A small, local restaurant providing authentic Yucatecan cuisine in an intimate setting with some of the greatest rum drinks around.
Their seafood tacos are delicious, as are their entire roasted lobster and short rib.
They also have an outstanding selection of vegetarian alternatives, which may be difficult to find in Mexican and seafood restaurants since many of them only provide meat platters.
Tulum is a taboo place.
+52 99 86 90 0259 Kilometer 7 Carretera Tulum-Boca Paila Zone Hotelera
I like Taboo Tulum Restaurant because they provide excellent fish and Mexican cuisine. Throughout the day, the restaurant provides a very calm ambiance, almost as if you were on holiday again.
Nevertheless, at night, this restaurant changes into a nightclub environment, with dynamic dancers and violinists performing and playing music all around you, certain to make your pulse race!
With the tropical hues and ocean noises in the backdrop, you forget you’re in Tulum, which is always a good thing. The attentive crew prepares delicious cuisine and beverages. It’s our favorite Tulum restaurant.
I like the freshly prepared fried fish tacos offered at lunch, as well as the grilled fish and shellfish and their roasted octopus or salmon for supper. I feel at ease visiting there since they always welcome you with a smile and courteous assistance is always accessible.
Vagalume-Tulum
Tulum Beach QROO 15, +52 98 4 217 8728
Vagalume Tulum Restaurant serves delicious seafood and Mexican cuisine. This restaurant is moderately priced, and the ambience is welcoming.
Their wait staff is all extremely knowledgable about the food and takes our orders quickly.
I’ve been here many times and have always received precisely what I needed.
The best chips and salsa can be found at Vagalume Tulum Restaurant. I’ve tried a variety of their meals, but my favorite is their Vaca Frita Tacos with Cilantro Lime Rice and Pico de Gallo. I also enjoy that their menu has an excellent vegetarian variety.
I definitely suggest this restaurant to anybody looking to taste a Mexican seafood Yucatan platter.
The Mexican Adventure
01 984 211 4877 Manglex Hotel, Carretera Tulum-Boca Paila Mile 10
The Mexican Experience demonstrates Yucatan’s diverse cuisine in an interactive and entertaining manner. The cuisine is cooked fresh by a network of tiny family businesses and combined into one wonderful evening.
Director Andres Padilla and his wife, Xavier Badia, are the minds behind this unique interactive eating idea.
The supper is restricted to 21 persons and is set up with a large communal table.
The three-hour culinary journey begins with a tequila and mezcal sampling and a fun cocktail-making class. The seven-course meal begins after cocktails. The tasting menu highlights the region’s greatest foods, many of which you may have never eaten or even knew existed.
What is my favorite dish? The cacao mousse with mezcal-infused caramel, hands down. You’ll be asking for more of that melt-in-your-mouth bliss! Be sure to enjoy a Mexican Experience in Tulum for a one-of-a-kind eating experience.
Tulum Archeological Zone
+52 98 41 77 2231 Boca Paila Avenue, Tulum Beach
Arca Tulum Restaurant is a restaurant in Tulum, Mexico that provides a variety of meals such as Grilled Octopus in Recado Negro Terrine, Grilled Deer Ribs, Fresh Chayote Salad, and many more. The restaurant features a beautiful view, delicious cuisine, and the greatest egg rolls in town.
I advise getting the white fish fillet, it is incredibly excellent. It seems to have bacon within, which for some reason does not translate into flavor, but this fish fillet has a great crunch to the skin as well as the exterior.
I highly suggest eating the Seafood Paella, it is absolutely excellent and features a variety of seafood. This meal is distinguished by the crispiness of its seafood.
Tulum Chamicos –
Caleta Tanka, Bahia Soliman Bay, 984-115-0260
During my most recent trip to Tulum, I stayed on the beach and dined at a variety of local Tulum eateries. I was in desperate need of some inexpensive and joyful genuine meals (preferably on the beach). I thought it was impossible until I discovered Chamicos Tulum.
Chamicos, located approximately fifteen minutes north of Tulum town on an isolated cove, is undoubtedly Tulum’s best-kept secret and not the kind of spot that travelers often stumble into.
They provide delicious fresh seafood, ceviche, salads, and quesadillas, as well as the greatest margaritas I’ve ever eaten.
Spending the day here, full of Mexican people and consisting of plastic tables, chairs, and hammocks along a soft sandy sheltered beach, was the highlight of our trip in Tulum. Try this Tulum eatery for a taste of traditional Mexican cuisine.
Pro tip: Chamicos has a second restaurant in town that serves the same delicious cuisine but loses the view and beachfront setting. I suggest going to the beachside spot!
Sliding and slipping
+52 98 41 19 7014 Kilometer 2.5 Tulum-Boca Paila Carr.
A modest but magnificent restaurant managed by Canadian artist Kyle and Mexican chef Ramn sits several kilometers down the road from Tulum: more specifically, 5.5 kilometers south of the town center.
Liquido y Solido Restaurant is a nice restaurant located in the center of a little garden and adorned in brown and orange hues. The clay bowls, wooden seat, and colorful plates make you feel as though you’ve just returned from ancient Tulum, where this restaurant is situated.
The meal is not only good but also visually appealing, presented on wooden platters or terracotta bowls in charming arrangements. There are vegan and vegetarian alternatives available. There are also a variety of delectable juices and frappes on the menu.
While visiting Tulum, Mexico, you can discover a wide variety of delectable cuisine alternatives. There are traditional Mexican cuisine as well as gourmet ones. There will also be a range of tastes, including sweet, savory, and spicy.
So, which of these Tulum restaurants will you visit?