Cositas Buenas

Cositas Buenas is beautiful restaurant in Tulum featuring creative dishes, a beautiful atmosphere and a great addition to the night life in Tulum pueblo.  When Cositas Buenas opened its doors this past summer I was so excited.  First of all I simply adore the people that run it.  And I have come to realize that the people and their character are what make a place truly great.  And the people that opened this place are as wonderful as you can get.  Musician and friends- I knew that whatever they set out to do with this place was going to be great and I could not have been more correct. 

The décor and overall look of the whole place is so beautiful and full of life.  With the large coconut lights beaming with colorful glass and cut out shapes of stars and suns to the chalk board menu bursting with colors and creative names.  The dessert menu cannot help but bring a smile to your face not only because of the sinfully delicious desserts but also for the daily special… AMOR!   With a side of helado if you please.

The front dining room is open and fresh and evokes an emotion that both pleases and calms at the same time.  As you pass the open kitchen to the back bar and garden you can see clearly why this is such a great spot for the local music scene.   The large open garden has a great flow of air and energy and is decorated in perfectly rich muted tones and beautiful artwork.  This is the perfect place to dance the night away under the starts surrounded by the best of natural elements of Tulum.

With wonderful breakfasts from fruit and French toasts and huevos rancheros you can leave satisfied however this spot has gained great reputations for their Pandaquiles, a play on chiliquiles (panda is one of the owners!)  And I can tell you – they are killer.

For afternoon and dinner choices you can find the great classics of the area from civiches, arrachera, chicken and fish as well as great salads, baguettes and hamburgers.  I have really loved the great salads  and tasty crepes.  They also feature fresh daily bread that can be in any number of flavors from Parmesan, rosemary, or nut.

Coming here for night time events is one of my favorite spots because of the greet bands that they book, (Panda is a great musician from the area- as are several other people with the restaurant and they know how to pick good music) but also because there is plenty of space to enjoy the music, the bar, the food and Tulum.

While in Tulum check out this great location.  Just across the street  from the ADO bus station. Check out more great spots in Tulum at our http://www.tulumliving.com/

El Camellos- Some of the best fish tacos in TULUM!***

When talking about the very best fish tacos in town you might get a few different answers. But one that you will hear again and again form the locals is El Camellos!!! This wonderful ALL FISH RESTAURANT is absolutely amazing. Considering that as of about 10 am you can see it packed with local fisherman- that should really be your first clue to how great this spot is. Not to mention that the fisherman just got down unloading their daily catch at the pescaderia (fish store) that shares this location.

When this hot spots needs a whole fish for their pescado frito entrée it is served fresh out of the cooler from this pescaderia. The most amazing part of the whole experience- is that you would never be able to tell that there were 5 massive coolers filled with fish. That is how fresh the fish at this spot is.

During the day this is many locals’ favorite spot for fish tacos. Coming 3 to a plate you can get these beauties cooked any number of ways from breaded to grilled. One of my favorites is Yucatecan style with tomatoes, peppers and onions. You should give it a try. And for only 60 or 70 pesos a plate—you can afford to try them all.

After 5:00 p.m. there are no more tacos but the various ceviche plates – that are HUGE by the way- along with the shrimp, octopus and let’s not forget the fresh fish dinners keep people happy throughout the night.

This is one of those spots that serves up the very best of the shores of Tulum to happy people eager to eat it. With various salsas and hot sauces ready on the table-my table is never quite complete without the chopped habenero they bring me drenched in lime stop

El Camellos is toward the south end of town a little past Rancho Tranquilo. This is a great spot that the whole family will love!

Altamar Tulum ***

Restaurants in Tulum have been earning a reputation for having wonderful flavors, exciting combinations and well executed plates. These amazing Tulum restaurants continue to get better and better and impress even further with each new day.

This past Valentine's day I took a very good girlfriend of mine out to dinner at Altamar Tulum. I have been eager to try this new restaurant since it opened a few months ago. With a warm and welcoming decor and great lighting, this amazing restaurant feels very calm and peaceful for being just off the main avenue of Tulum.

The first thing that we noticed was the beautiful open kitchen were we could watch the talented chefs create their masterpieces. After speaking with the manager, John and getting his recommendations we were excited about out upcoming meal. We toasted our friendship with a very well made margarita. It was the perfect start! The spread in the beginning of the meal was also a show stopper. Going much further then the traditional chips and salsa- a block of 6 different items was presented. jicama with spices, cucumber with spices, roasted sunflower seeds, nopal(sauteed cactus) and 2 salsas- neither one very hot but both full of great flavors.

To begin we had the civiche. While civiche is a common thing to find in the restaurants here, this civiche sets itself far apart from the normal dish. With a more south American twist using corn, avocado and some ginger that made the fish, shrimp and octopus just melt in your mouth. The pieces of fish were large cubed pieces and the octopus was soft and perfect.

The 2nd appetizer was to die for!!!! It was a chupe de camerone. A shrimp dish that is warm and creamy. It was almost like a dip but it was so amazing we were eating by the spoonful. This recipe is an old family recipe from Chile and I must say that I am in love with the chefs grandmother. This dish was one of the very best things I have eaten in Tulum and will be going back for it again.

For our main dish we ordered the arrachera steak that was stuffed with panela cheese and and chaya. Chaya is a local leafy vegetable much like spinach but even better. The steak was an amazing cut, very little fat and full of flavor. Served over baby potatoes and with a delicious sauce this was a welcome piece of meat.

The manager had recommended the octopus for an entree as Eric, the head chef cooks it perfectly. While I am not normally the biggest fan of octopus (usually because it is so tough and chewy) we decided to give it a shot. I could not have been happier. From the plating to the flavors this was the best octopus I have ever eaten. It was served with rice in a corn husk and a spread of beans and their amazing guacamole. We could tell from the moment that we cut into it that it was perfectly cooked. It was amazing.

There were several times that our waiter was prepared to clear the plates but we warned him that it was too good and that he might lose a finger! hahaha it was such an amazing meal. We literally ate for 3 hours. It was amazing. The food was accompanied by a beautiful bottle of white wine. We ordered the house wine and we were very happy with it. The wine list had several bottles that I know and love so it would be hard to find one that was not great!

Now- we are 2 ladies out on Valentine's Day so there was NO WAY that we were not going to get dessert. The perfect end to this amazing meal was a dense chocolate cake served with a coconut ice cream that was to die for. The cake was more like a mouse and melted in your mouth,

The other dessert was a pastry shell filled with fresh strawberries and served with vanilla ice cream. Both desserts also had a sauce made of a jamaica (hibiscus flowers) reduction that complimented the desserts beautifully.

The details and attention to service at Altamar Tulum made for an absolutely killer dining experience and I cannot wait to go back for more. They are also doing some great events such as oyster Wednesdays and lobster Saturday. In their 2nd floor lounge that over looks the main avenue they have a daily happy hour called Daily Sunset. 2x1 drinks and FREE APPATIZERS!!!!!! Cannot beat that.

You will not be disapointed with your experience at this wonderful Tulum restaurant.

Ginger- Stunning food in Tulum Pueblo ***

Gourmet food in Tulum might not be what you would expect but it is what you can find. For my 5 year wedding anniversary we wanted to go a special dinner in Tulum. My husband and I have always loved food and the fancier the better. Well, I had wanted to go to Ginger since first moving to Tulum but had not gotten the chance in their first location. I was thrilled when I heard that it had reopened.

First I must say that I started my perfect evening with a great massage from my wonderful HEALER Friend Gina. And it was amazing. you can read more about it HERE.

Ginger is located just 1 block off the main avenue at the first round-a-bout- and it is a beautiful restaurant. A wide open space with clean lines and vibrant décor- this restaurant in Tulum would be easily at home in San Francisco or New York. Before I even get to the great food- one of the things that I love about Ginger is their support of local artists and musicians. With expositions for local photographers and artists- the local talent of Tulum creates an amazing space at Ginger.

Just the other day I heard that a very talented musician, Tasha was playing there and I have seen a number of facebook notes of great stuff happening at Ginger. They also have a ladies night and this place makes every lady feel like a queen and 2 for 1 drinks- is just icing on the cake. I am hoping they get on the calendar soon so I can know about all of the great things they are doing. I do not want to miss anything at this wonderful restaurant in Tulum.


I went to this spot a while back with a girlfriend of mine that was visiting and we had the amazing salad with goat cheese and strawberries. It was well- amazing. We also had the tropical civiche. Although not the traditional civiche which I love too- this one used more tropical fruits and was the perfect sweetness to work with the fish.

For this special night- we got all dressed up and headed to Ginger. I was very excited. This was my husbands first time seeing the location and he remarked how easily this could be in SF. I totally agree.
To start we ordered the Goat Cheese Tart. Something I had my eye on since the last time I was here. Although, I admit, it was hard not to get the fresa salad again. We also ordered a bottle or red wine that we had not yet tried.


Before the appetizer came, they brought us some bread and this amazing marinated oil. I am not sure what is in this oil- but it is great. We can tell that there are chilies and garlic and many other wonderful spices- but not exactly sure what. Knowing that the food was going to be amazing- we made sure not to fill up on bread- I do not care how good the oil is- the food is worth the wait.



The tart was as good as it sounded. It was perfect with the wine that we had chosen and we were off to a good start. While we waited for our entrées we enjoyed looking at the artwork on the walls. I love it when restaurants feature local artists and have it for sale. I have found some of my favorite artwork at restaurants on my travels. And here you are going to find amazing pieces of art for a great price and what more perfect memento of your vacation then a piece of art.

For our meals, I ordered pasta with shrimp sautéed in garlic and chili. It was perfect. I love shrimp and many times when I order the it the shrimp gets over cooked. That is not good. The chef at Ginger was amazing. The food was cooked perfectly with just the right blend of spices. And there was a great amount of shrimp in my dish. It is never fun to fish for fish on your plate.

My husband ordered the Filet Mignonin a red wine sauce. He was a little reluctant at first because sometimes a cut of meat is on the menu but it is not what is on your plate. Plus the price for this was great. But we had great confidence in this restaurant and we were proven right. The cut of meat was wonderful. It was in fact a filet mignon and was cooked perfectly. And such a thick cut is easy to do wrong. The sauce was also amazing and complimented the meat perfectly


We would have ordered dessert here but 1 thing my husband and I do on our dates is restaurant hop for courses. So dessert was going to be in town. But I cannot wait to go back and try 1 of the desserts. If the rest of the food in any indication – it will be amazing. I always love it when a chef comes out to talk to a table. Especially when the restaurant is quite. It really takes your dining experience to another level and I think it shows that the restaurant and the chef genuinely care how you like the food and want to know your opinion.

I have not even gotten to the best part.

When we got our bill we were floored. We ordered a nice bottle of red wine, an appetizer, and 2 nice entrees and our bill was like 800 pesos! I could not believe it. A great prices and for the food you are getting!!!! WOW!!!! This is a spot to try. And what is great is that it is not a place that needs to be fancy. We were and did not feel out of place. I came here with a girlfriend the other day in jeans and a t-shirt and easily fit in. It really is perfect for all occasions.

While you are in Tulum, or if you live here- you really need to check thi

Mateo's! Great food on the beach road. ***

When Mateo’s opened on the beach road opened a while back and I was so excited to see a taco place on the beach road. The food on the beach can get very expensive and this looked like a great options for some good food on Tulum beach. In its original location it closed and I was sorry to see it close. But my unhappiness was short lived as I saw it reopen not far away from its original location- but even better.

The location of Mateo’s is on the jungle side of the beach road about 2 km south of the turn. The structure of the restaurant is a large open space and has a very comfortable feel. The space is also great for large groups because it is so open.

We ate here for my birthday before heading off to do some dancing and I must say that the food totally lived upto the great thing that I had hear about this place. Everyone in my family is totally obsessed with fajitas. It is one of my mom’s favorites so she ordered them at several locations around Tulum and these ones I think were the best ones that we had.

3 of us all ordered fajitas and hubby had fish tacos. The plates of fajitas were massive and so good. Served with rice, wonderful black beans and a killer guacamole. The meat was mixed with perfectly sautéed peppers and onions and tasted amazing. My mom is already planning her next trip down to come and eat at Mateo’s. My husband’s fish tacos were also amazing. Served with some great salsas and stuffed with large pieces of avocado- this is another dish we will be ordering again.

The margaritas at Mateo’s were very well made and if there is one thing that always impresses me about a restaurant or bar… it is a well done margarita. Mateo’s totally passed the test. So the next time you are on the beach road and looking for a great place to eat- check out Mateo’s. If you see a table that just keeps ordering fajitas and margaritas- that will be us- come over and say hi! jajaja

El Gourmet Tulum ***

So the other day we set out to find something new to eat in Tulum. We grabbed the kids and set out to town on our foodie adventure. We passed by a shop that we had heard wonderful things about but had not yet checked out ourselves. Here was the perfect opportunity. El Gourmet Tulum here we come.


After living in San Francisco for so many years, wine and cheese are a huge part of my diet. Well, I guess not so much diet as palate. We love wine and cheese. Moving to Tulum was a bit hard at first because there were not many options for cheese- and by that I mean ANY options for cheese. The option was Playa del Carmen. Enter El Gourmet Tulum.

From the sign on the door listing some of the many treats inside, we could tell that this was going to be a worthy stop. A proud announcement of cheeses like gorgonzola and provolone and various salamis and oils! Yummy!!! We could not wait to get inside.

The first thing we saw was a large deli case proudly showcasing cheeses and cured meats. We ended up getting 3 cheeses. We loved 2 of them and the 3rd was a bit salty for our taste. But that is the thing about cheese- like wine- you have to taste them all to really learn the ones that you like the most and why. There were not as many different cheeses as I would have dreamed but it is low low season and not every cheese eater in Tulum knows about this great spot yet. I cannot wait to go back in high season and see all the new things they are offering in their case. We specially asked if they had a semi soft triple cream- a typical favorite of ours. They did not but seemed willing to take input about cheeses we would like to see in the shop.

The rest of the shop also held some special treasures. Along neatly ordered shelves are various forms of stewed tomatoes, olives and capers-and many other gourmet condiments and kitchen needs including some wonderful looking gourmet mustards. I love a good mustard. A good mustard can totally change a recipe. With the plethora of noodles and other items here, you could make 1 killer dinner party with the ingredients from this store. In the future I think the plan is to sell wine as well and then I think I will shop nowhere else.

The basket of fresh baked bread is the perfect thing to round of our little snack. We chose to use some fresh fruits but almost got one of the fruit chutneys that they had to balance our budding cheese plate. We had a wonderful night of indulgence thanks to the shelves and more important the deli case of El Gourmet Tulum. We will defiantly be going back again.

El Gourmet Tulum is about 4 blocks off the main avenue. I will get the street names. This shop is defiantly worth finding. They speak English and Spanish and in fact the woman in the shop is also an English teacher. I would imagine she would also be able to do Spanish lessons as well.

If you need help getting touch with El Gourmet Tulum or you need help finding it- let me know. This is a shop that I really want to make sure stays open. I cannot go all the way to Playa del Carmen for cheese. I will lose my mind.

El Bistro at Ziggy's Beach Club ***

El Bistro opened a while back as part of the new Ziggy's Beach club at Cabanas Tulum. This great spot on the south end of Tulum beach is really great. Restaurants that are perfect for kids??!!??!! This is it.

I have 2 kids and taking them to a restaurant is not always the easiest thing. And I want to have a good time too. Well this place is great.

El Bistro is perfect for alll groups but especially for families for a few reasons. 1- it is very large. There is a lot of space for the kids to be in without interrupting the other people enjoying their day in the sun.

There is a great 2x1 drink special ALL DAY!!!!!! Serving up all of the Rivera Maya's best cocktails! The beach here is amazing- soft clear - great waves... And just to seal the deal... there is a wooden swing and a screened in trampoline!!!!!!! I mean REALLY!!???!?!?! It was perfect, and made an already great day - even better.

I have been here on 2 occasions and the food has been amazing both times. The kid friendly menu is was really appreciated. The portions are a good size and the food is made with quality ingredients. I hate getting food for my kids that is a total after thought --and this food was really good.

This time I was here with my brother and my husband and the food once again did not

disappoint. I had a shrimp in garlic dish, hubby had calamari and bro had a fajita.

It was all very good.

We ordered one of the most annoying drinking ever made.... the Miami Vise. This drink is half strawberry daiquiri and half pina colada. It is a total pain in the butt because it requires the bartender to make 2 - already annoying drinks.

Now- do not get me wrong- bartenders make lots of annoying drinks and the do it gladly.... but if you ask a bartender to make several of these- please show your appreciation. Because they are sooooo good and so easy to order many of- but tip accordingly- because they are not easy. My hubby was kind enough to take one for the team and order the 3rd one in our group so the bartender could make only this one drink. I always like to order a shot of rum on the side and put a splash in each drink because it can get too sweet for me.

The food was amazing and we had a really good time. I would defiantly recommend eating here. It has a very well rounded menu and there are options that will please everyone. And those of you with kids.... this is PREFECT!!! Options for the kids, a play ground, and a perfect beach... what more could you want.

I had heard that there might be some live music or beach parties here. If so I will keep you all posted. This would be a great place for a party or wedding.

The Cottage Restaurant, Tulum ***

When I saw this new restaurant first start to open I got really excited. The photos of the food that had been taken was amazing and I could not wait to get inside and see the real thing.

The Cottage Restaurant has a nice outdoor seating area featuring a large bar prominently displaying the wide array of beers available. With numerous examples of brew from Mexico, Argentina as well as the USA and Europe proudly drawing me in side, I sat and watch people enjoy their food.

As this was an unexpected stop, I was not ready for a full meal. But I cannot wait. All the food was beautifully presented and you could smell the fresh ingredients. It was wonderful.

As this is a perfect place to people watch- I would imagine this a perfect place to have lunch. Great food specials are offered throughout the day during certain times. Dishes as low as 47 pesos to only 80 pesos for fajitas!

They also offer free Wi-Fi which is always wonderful. Between that and the 2 x 1 Happy hour- I just found a perfect place to stop off in town and check my email.

Another amazing draw for me to The Cottage Restaurant was the aroma of this incredible espresso bar featuring independently grown coffee from Chiapas! From plant to cup! Cafe "Yajalon"

I am so looking forward to eating a full dinner here. I will be there Friday night with a friend and will report all that I find out.

El Mariachi, Tulum Pueblo ***

El Mariachi's in Tulum Pueblo is a great restaurant with good local dishes at a great price. Funny enough, this was actually the very first place we ever heard of in Tulum. Were looking for a launrymat and the directions were "right next to El Mariachi." It was the very first place we ever ate at in our new little town.



Located right on the main avenue of Tulum it was very easy to find. The first thing we saw was a huge platter of fish being served above a large flame and it smelt delicious!!!. We ordered some traditional favorites and dug in. The beers were cold and the salsa was spicy. It was perfect.



We have had many other good times at El Mariachi's since that night. Some of the most recent favorites being World Cup 2010. We watched the Mexico game there and look forward to watching the quarter-semi and Finals there as well.



The plates are very large at El Mariachi's. This was my husband's favorite part. The food was good and there was a lot of it. There are some very plentiful breakfast items. The Chiliquilles is a favorite of mine and my kids.



This is one of the spots that is absolutely slamming with locals in the evenings. From 11:00 p.m. till close (5 am) this place has 2x1 beers. Talk about some happy hours. Especially when you think about the fact that so many of us work until the late evening- El Mariachi is the best place to go.



There are times they will have 10 peso tacos but as you can imagine... these do not last long.



There is also a nice garden area in the back of the restaurant. it opens up onto a nice little courtyard.

Sushi date with my little girl

Yesterday I took my little girl out for a little girly time.  She is such a joy and she works so hard so I decided that we would go to town and get a treat together.  Leave it to Lena.  What did she want..... sushi!  I do not know if it is from living in San Francisco for so long or what but she LOVES sushi!  I would venture to say that it is her Favorite food. 

So we headed to town to get some sushi.  I love Sushill-Out but they have been closed lately.  It looks like they are going to be doing some renovations or something. So we headed to the new Japanese place in town.  The sushi is very good.  Expensive but good.  I am so used to sushi in SF where you can find amazing sushi rolls for just a few dollars. 

We had a very wonderful little snack and then started to head back home.  Just under the new Japanese place is Taco Diaz.  They recently moved to this location.  We decided to be nice ladies and get a few tacos pastor for the boys back home. 

It was at this moment that it started to rain.  Now, I am originally from Oregon, USA.  It rains A LOT in Oregon.  To say a lot is sort of an understatement.  Then after 10 years in San Francisco we are very used to the cold and wet weather.  Lena could not get out in the rain fast enough.  She played in the water while I waited for the tacos. 

While we were walking home - she would not let me run to the next cover.  She said no, no no - walking mommy.  It was so much fun.  We could not stop laughing. It was great.  We got more then a few looks and even more smiles as we jetted down the sidewalk. 

Kids help you remember about the fun things in life.  Sushi and dancing in the rain was a perfect Sunday evening!