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Wow wow amazing foodie experience here. Can't recommend enough if you want a unique, superbly tasty experience highlighting ingredients of the region. We had a great server, Jonathan, who gave great recommendations. Each dish was presented with a detailed explanation which was appreciated. Everything was super high quality, unique and delicious.
The food was unique. We ordered the venison tartare, the soft shell crab taco, the bone marrow, and suckling pig. We wanted the Mexican Wagyu for the kids but they were hesitant about cooking it medium well so we passed. Everything was so good except the pig. It was not crispy like the description and it was sour. The service was so so. The waitress took really long to take our order after telling us to make a full order when we sat down. The bus boys were more attentive and definitely were on point clearing tables and bringing dishes. The restaurant was outdoor and there was limited lighting. It was so dark and had to use my flashlight to see the dishes. There were big fans so it was nice and cool and they had citronella somewhere to avoid the bugs.
The Striped Seabass with green mole and jicama salad is worth the trip. Order 2. You won't want to share. Other highlights include the prawns, wagyu, and bone marrow. Do not skip desert. The ingredients and preparation are outstanding. Believe it or not, the inventive cocktail menu makes the already superlative menu even better. Don't overlook some adventure in a glass. With the tulum vibes in the dining room, open kitchen, and great service ARCA is a must visit.
This is our 3rd or 4th time dining at Arca, out of maybe 10 to 12 times coming to Tulum. The last time hadn't left a great impression, so we wouldn't have thought to bother again, except for our friends wanted to go. The night began with an inelegant ritual of standing in a line crowding around an iPad to scan 2 QR codes, one for internet, requisite for the second one which was for the menu. Understandable, but with a line of 10 people behind us, it was a bit of an uncomfortable start to the night. While of course physical menus are preferable (not to mention more than justified by the price points) and feel more substantial and necessitate less of the entire restaurant looking into little blue screens in an otherwise dark and dim warm candle lit space, I guess I would suggest doing this whole ritual once seated at the table. We ordered eight dishes in all. The kid's dish came first, crispy chicken and potatoes. Big slabs of meat with hidden cartilage, not ideal for our 7 and 3 year olds. The first dish of our meal was the Dzikilpak-- meticulous and painstakingly prepared, and sadly not very interesting. Kind of like a pesto hummus. The work that went into conceptualizing the presentation felt primary, and the food itself a side thought. This was, we discovered, a feature and not a bug. In rapid succession, we were served the bluefin toro, shrimp and crab esquites. The toro looked absolutely gorgeous until a too-viscous red sauce was poured all over it, completely overwhelming its delicate flavor and obscuring any sort of specialness that may have been. The fermented mix underneath didn't make a lot of sense and also seemed unnecessary. Texture was great though, and quality was apparent. Then there were the prawns, 4 of them swimming in a large bowl of cashew sauce--a ratio so absurd--but it was explained to us that if you wished, you could drink the sauce with the emptied out shrimp heads. Thanks. The esquites was the low point of the meal. Offered up in a large shell, the corn tasted like waterlogged corn nuts, having the consistency of chickpeas. Mealy was the word that came to mind. Neither the shell nor the dim light saved its unappetizing appearance, which could have been easily overlooked if it tasted incredible. Seabass was decent but I wouldn't base a whole meal around it. After a long intermission, punctuated by the stinging of mosquito bites, the bone marrow and tlayuda were dropped. The former was overly wrought, too many flavors and far too smoky. The latter was brought, with much pomp and circumstance, in what looked like a bowling ball, dramatically opened to reveal its anticlimactic contents. This was a humble dish, not only in appearance but in flavor--I'm sure the steak was good quality, but I was glad I had asked for habanero sauce to give the dish a modicum of flavor. The pacing was uneven, which again could be overlooked had the meal been exceptional and had the hostess not made such a big deal upon entry about our strict time limit of an hour and a half, a timeline they themselves struggled to meet. The prices were the least offensive part of the meal--far more offensive was its masturbatory indulgence in being creative. I always find it difficult to find the soul of "tricky" food. All in all, I think this would be a great choice for people who are unsavvy diners and easily impressed by modest theatrics. If you want woodfired, go to Hartwood or Casa Banana. Sincerely, an LA diner who felt duped by the high rating so felt the need to add my experience.
I don't know what I could possibly say about Arca that would do it justice - this is a food experience that I genuinely will remember forever. Despite staying at an all-inclusive in Tulum, once we all heard that there were so many Michelin restaurants in Tulum, we knew we had to leave the resort and experience some incredible cuisine in Tulum. Arca doesn't just feed you, it gives you a cultural experience in addition to the absolutely incredible food and drinks that are unlike anything I've experienced - and for a price that you couldn't touch anywhere else given the quality, ambiance, and experience. Stepping into Arca is like stepping into a jungle experience with its outdoor seating, wood fired ovens, with beautiful greenery around you, and candles everywhere to light the area and also keep the vibe special and natural. It's also spacious - no tables on top of each other so you just feel like you can breathe and take your time. The DRINKS! A great mix of classics and ones that brought in a really unique cultural vibe - for example, my friends ordered dirty martinis, while I opted for the Mestizo Margarita - which used sour orange which is native to Tulum and recado negro syrup to give it the black coloring. DELICIOUS! Everything was fully explained to us when it was brought out, which really added a special touch to the experience. The FOOD. Oh my god, my mouth is watering as I write this review. The food at Arca is my favorite vibe - tapas to share, so plays nicely into my typical "Do you guys just want to get a bunch of apps?" vibe. We threw everything in at once, but it was all spaced out and basically arrived 2 at a time. We had the sourdough bread that was hot and so fresh, served with a coconut butter that lives in my dreams which arrived with the bluefin tuna crudo, served in an aguachile and with a vegetarian take on a chicharron. All dishes come out with explanations of how they should be eaten as well as the culture/history behind them as well. From there, we got my personal favorite, the whole squash, which was literally a roasted squash prepared so many ways and included squash blossoms and this AMAZING sauce. That came out at the same time as the grilled broccolini that was basically a deconstructed Caesar salad with some really unique, delicious twists to elevate it. Lastly, we had the crab esquites which was a massive portion served with corn, tomato, and in this delicious broth (it was also served in a massive shell) and the Mayan octopus that sat on lentil puree with radishes. Everything was AMAZING and it was the perfect amount of food for us. Again, the service was just top-notch, next level with every dish presented and described - you could feel the pride everyone had in being a part of the dining experience at Arca and it was truly special being a part of it. As a last surprise and delight, they brought out a cake and candle since my best friend and I were in Tulum to celebrate our collective birthdays. It was SO good and came with a goat cheese ice cream that I will also probably crave forever. This is truly a must for those who want a cultural experience in a gorgeous environment with people who are truly the best of the best at what they do. This is a dining experience I still think about and cannot wait to return to for the next time I'm in Tulum!
Pros: The food is actually as good as they say online, and their beverages excel in quality compared to everything on the main Tulum street. Good vegetarian and pescatarian options. My partner has a huge aversion to mushrooms and he inhaled the mushroom ttlayuda. The ambience is amazing, an introverts paradise if you're a fan of dim ambient mood lights. Cons: Expensive! Steep. They were out of most of the mixology options on the menu that we were there to try. While seafood plates were good, the octopus was overcooked and a bit chewy. Crab tacos tasted or were primary just batter, no meat.
We went for dinner a couple weeks ago when we were in Tulum. I'm still thinking about the amazing seabass and green mole! It's so unique - doesn't taste like any seabass I've had. And so delicious and flavorful. We also got the Dzikilpak spread. It was unique and flavorful and filling. The restaurant is trendy and outdoors - typical for Tulum. Service was as expected for Tulum.
Really nice spot. Excellent service. We did the chefs tasting with alcohol pairing. Everything was small bites but so delicious and you can order more if you want. The presentation for each dish was pretty and explained with background of all the ingredients. Each pairing went well with each course. Would def recommend a nice fine dining experience here.
Tasting menu - hands down 10/10. From appetizers to mains and desserts, chefs kiss! Delicious food on our last dinner in Tulum with my girls. Servers were nice and attentive, cool vibe overall.
The food was authentic and exquisitely done. Fresh, simple, high quality ingredients, prepared perfectly with excellent waiting and table attendant, excellent cocktails.
Hands-down my favorite dining experience in Tulum. We had a 5:30 PM reservation and were seated immediately. As a family of five, it was comforting to see other families dining there as well, since some restaurants tend to lean on the clubby side. But Arca is not that, you can tell they that their focus is in the quality of their dishes. First off, I must give major props to the spots amazing taste in music, from disco to Feist, I couldn't stop singing when I wasn't sipping from the delicious cocktails. The restaurant is moody and chic, tucked under gorgeous palm trees. All of the food is shareable, and it's more fun that way so that you can taste a bunch of things. We ordered about five dishes, excluding the kids, delicious crispy chicken and potatoes. EVERYTHING WAS 10 OUT OF 10!! We live in Los Angeles and dine out frequently, a lot of restaurants are trying to pull off the Tulum thing..and while they are absolutely delicious and elevated, Arca is top tier. Highly recommend visiting.
Best food I've ever had. My first experience at a Michelin featured restaurant. The soft shell tacos were INCREDIBLE. The crab was perfectly tempura fried giving the taco a nice crunch. The tortilla is subbed out for a leaf, which I found worked perfectly with the tempura. Where a regular tortilla could have been too heavy, the leaf gives a nice freshness to the taco. All of the flavors worked well together. The saltiness of the sea urchin paired well with the sweetness of the scallops. The bass was cooked to crisp perfection and I could drink the green mole sauce. The sauce was slightly smoky which worked well with the light and bright jicama salad. The salad also cut some of the richness from the sauce and the fish. The mushroom tlayuda was perfectly crisp with smoky, meaty mushrooms and fresh greens. The prawns were soft and juicy and I could drink that sauce as well. The atmosphere was laid back and sophisticated. Great music, not too loud. Definitely very pricy but worth it for the experience.
We went there when vacationing in Tulum. It was a perfect dinner for the occasion. We all loved our drinks, perfectly balanced, not too strong or too sweet. The food was served in smaller portions so we probably ordered 8 items for 5 people. Everything was very delicious. The ambience was amazing. We sat by the open kitchen and it was so much fun to see their actions. They are definitely in the top 50 as awarded.
We were recommended to this spot by a friend. We didn't make reservations ahead of time (which is not recommended...make the reservation!) but managed to get a table at the back bar around 7:15. We actually preferred the back bar because it was quieter and more "cozy". We ordered the crab tacos, Cesar beans (which ended up being broccolini), sea bass, and suckling pig. We finished with both desserts- a cheesecake and an avocado mousse affagato. I cannot say enough good things about the food and drinks. Absolutely incredible and probably the best food we had all trip (we spent time in Playa del Carmen and Coba before this). Oddly enough the crab tacos were our least favorite- although everyone else seems to rave about them! Our server started out incredible, but clearly became oversat later on in the evening because we waited over 45 minutes for our check after asking twice. I subtracted one star for that, but other than that it was an incredible experience. Highly recommend! read more
5 stars! I would make the argument that we had our best meal at Arca while in Tulum. Get the bone marrow, if there's one thing you do, do this! The marrow was some of the most flavorful I have ever tasted. Phenomenal ambiance with kick ass drinks and entrees. Definitely on the top of my list for tulum! read more
6 years ago
Fantastic a must try is the bone marrow! The drinks are good too but ask for double you won't taste any alcohol. Share plates! I recommend this so you can try more. read more
Come here for: trendy Tulum food meets the ethos of California farm to table Food: amazing- BEST meal i ate in Tulum and i did hit all the "top spots", love the octopus (sauce is oh so good) and also the bone marrow. I enjoyed the roast pork but it was really because of the fresh salad it came with- beautiful preparation and very unique. Drinks were decent- don't do the classics and stick to the house specialities Decor: a bit too trendy for my taste if I'm honest, could have been more natural looking Service: very strong! read more
5 years ago
Main reservations here for dinner, I was waiting in line to check in with the hostess for 10 minutes which then made us late from the 15 minute grace period. They had because of this we had to wait at the bar for 30 to 40 minutes even though we had a reservation. After that I'd issue it was a great experience. We had the Soft shell crab tacos for an appetizer and our main course was prawns and the fish. Service was great we told our server with me back to see him. read more
4 years ago
8 years ago
Try the octopus dish, mango mousse dessert, the bread, the salad. Yum yum yum! Delicious! The atmosphere is also great but make sure you are wearing mosquito repellent. Street parking is hard to find, but there is a public parking station close by. Make sure you have cash because this restaurant or the parking station do not accept cards. read more
6 years ago
One of the best restaurants I've ever ate at. The food is phenomenal and combine that with the ambiance = 5 stars. We ended up ordering everything on the menu (limited menu and it changes daily/weekly) as each meal we'd order was just fantastic. The bone marrow is absolutely amazing, highly recommend. read more
8 years ago
Last time I was in Tulum we couldn't go due to rain. This past week when I returned I made sure my friend and I were there at 6 pm on the dot. We were seated right away Ambiance: amazing. I mean what more could you want except to be eating amazing food in the middle of the jungle Cocktails: we tried to many I am not sure which ones to recommend but all of them! Service: quick, efficient, helpful & friendly We started with the veggie tartare and we were not disappointed. Even my meat loving friend was loving this Bone Marrow- WOOOW. HANDS DOWN best bone marrow we have ever eaten. In fact, we ordered another round because it was that amazing. MUST GET Fish of the day- was a snapper in a coconut and basil sauce i believe with a side salad including coconut and jimaca - i believe. This was so good! This was our best meal that we had on this trip & i will defiantly be going back ** i went in 2016 and this place recommended as one of the best restaurants in Tulum. I went back May 2018 and it's still just as popular! In fact, our friends couldn't get in for a few days due to such high demand* read more
5 years ago
Arca is a nice restaurant in Tulum. The bartenders are outstanding! You can tell every detail is taken into consideration whether it's food, decor, etc. Everything is outdoors with pretty lights. The menu offers a variety of food with exquisite presentations. I did feel like some of the dishes although pretty, were lacking in flavor. The food also comes out very quickly...almost too quickly for tapas which should be enjoyed amongst the table before the next dish is served. We did not try the sister restaurant Atila but heard it had a similar vibe. I would definitely go to Arca again, I'm just not convinced it was as amazing as everyone seems to think flavor wise. read more
7 years ago
Arca was an experience that I will never forget. This restaurant is tucked into the jungle. The candle lit Bagoda has a romantic atmosphere which set the scene for one of the best meals of my life. The waiter recommended the coconut pineapple cocktail to start which ended up being the most delicious alcoholic beverage I have ever had. The gin was not overpowering and the balance of freshly squeezed pineapple and extracted coconut milk was the ideal combo. I normally do not enjoy cocktails because they are too sweet but this concoction was the perfect balance of sweet,sour and bitter. We started the meal with the green beans, smoked avocado and sweet potato empanadas. The green beans were a highlight of the evening. The beans are finely chopped and arranged in a circular wall surrounding a sous vide egg yolk. The waiter suggested eating the salad with a spoon and starting in the yolk and dragging your spoon into the beans to get everything in one bite. I have never experienced textures and flavours quite like the way they were combined in this salad. Normally I cannot order empanadas because of my gluten allergy, however, the ones at Arca are made from dehydrated and ground sweet potato...the waiter even ensured that they were gluten free. The empanadas are not greasy and the black sesame crust creates the perfect crisp to the contrasting mushroom and cheese sauce inside. They are accompanied by the most delicious salsa verde. I enjoyed the sauce so much that I kept it to enjoy with my main dishes. The avocado starter comes to the table enveloped in smoke and is certainly a spectacle to see. Pieces of avocado are grilled, set in a lemony broth and housed in grilled leaves. I am not sure what these leaves were but they had an anise flavour. For main dishes we enjoyed the venison roulade and fish. The venison was "fall apart" and was set over a rich sauce. Venison can be very "Gamey" but this meat was prepared so well; there was only delicious taste and no gaminess. The venison comes with a spiralized salad with a minty dressing. The waiter explained that the freshness of this salad was to cleanse your palate between bites of the rich meat. The fish entree was adorned in a Mexican inspired coconut curry sauce and accompanied by a jicama and coconut slaw. I would have never imagined that large shreds of coconut would be the perfect addition to slaw. We finished our meal with the avocado mousse. The mouse has more of a cheese cake configuration with the mousse atop a sable cookie crust. The mousse was not sweet but quite tasty, however it was not something we would return to order. This meal was definitely one of the best I have ever had...Arca is a place I will return to in the future and one you should make the trip to enjoy if you are in the Tulum area. read more
5 years ago
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4 years ago
Great option if you are celebrating something special or just want to have a nice meal while in Tulum! My friend and I were celebrating our birthdays and made a great choice in coming here. The menu is set up family style so we got their broccolini, suckling pig, the house bread, short rib tacos and 2 drinks to share. The broccolini was a stand in for another salad they had and it was so flavorful, loved it. The suckling pig roulade was my favorite - so unique and the blend of flavors and textures. The tacos came out on a little grill and it was a build your own presentation which I enjoyed. My friend has an avocado allergy and they were great at working around that. Presentation on all the food was beautiful and the drinks were also good and they threw in dessert on the house since it was our birthdays! The restaurant is completely outside surrounded by trees/plants so it feels like you're dining in the middle of the jungle which is really cool but be sure to bring the bug spray! The kitchen is also open concept and the bar looked like a great spot too. We made a reservation day of which was really nice but is probably rare since September is the off season so definitely book in advance if you come during their high season! read more
7 years ago
Artistic, tasty, creative! One of the best dining experiences (especially considering it's in such a touristy town)! Every time they brought out a dish, it was not what I had imagined - in a very good way! Sorry I didn't get to try every single dish on their menu. Will definitely go back when I'm back in Tulum!! read more
4 years ago
Some of the best food I've eaten in Tulum. This place is so special and not noisey and clubby like other Tulum restaurants. read more
6 years ago
5 years ago
Arca had delicious food, but like the pictures show a very small around and more fusion type of food. The coconut based sauce that came with our fish was more Thai/southwest Asian than Mexican flavors. It's a nice experience, expensive, but maybe have a snack before. They were responsive with RSVP on IG. read more
8 years ago
4 years ago
8 years ago
View my full review in the link below with photos! A must visit restaurant when you arrive in Tulum, the most magical place in Mexico! https://www.brookeingram.com/dining/2018/3/5/top-restaurants-to-dine-at-in-tulum-mexico read more
4 years ago
Great experience overall. Excellent service, presentation, and cocktails. Three of the dishes were exceptional, especially the sea bass and ice cream. However, I was very disappointed by the bone marrow dish, both in flavor and in the eating procedure, and the suckling pig roulade was bland. read more
4 years ago
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7 years ago
8 years ago
Food was just undeniably high quality and delicious. Service is really really top notch. The ambience is just great as well! It has a nice jungle feel with a still modern and simplistic design to it. Understandably the place is quite pricey but if you have the money and time this place is worth the visit. I ordered the bone marrow which the waiter recommended. The bone marrow comes in a sizzling coal plate and is flavored with tamarind but not to strongly that it overpowers the bone marrow flavor and the perfect amount of jalapeños to top it off. read more
5 years ago
5 years ago
this place was recommended from friends and it was so worth checking out. It's super hip and chill, loved the music, loved the staffs vibe. the food was sooo good! we tried the soft shell crab tacos which were amazinggg, we had the bone marrow which was the best I've ever had with the sourdough toast it's paired with.. just WOW. we also tried the octopus which was to die for. the cocktails were soooo delicious and beautifully crafted, compliments to the bartenders. super cool vibe, also they have a full bigger spaced bar area in the back so they have a lot of space. eat here. read more
5 years ago
6 years ago
5 years ago
This was the best meal I had during my trip to Tulum! The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was very relaxing. I ordered the roasted pepper tartare with bread, which was a delicious starter. I also tried the incredibly flavorful seared prawns and octopus al pastor. The El Solar cocktail came with a chapulin garnish, which was... fun. Capped off the experience with a lovely cheesecake dessert. read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
10 years ago
Drinks are amazing! They get 10000 stars for drinks but the food? I am disappointed. I live in Williamsburg Brooklyn and maybe my expectations are high but if you are paying these prices then you deserve best. Food was so blend I had to ask for hot sauce to add I wish they had salt on the table but they didn't. If you go eat here just ask for salt, pepper and perhaps hot sauce if you would like. My advice is: stop trying to be so cool and get your season right. read more
8 years ago
6 years ago
More info about ARCA
Carretera Tulum-Boca Paila Km 7.6
77780 Tulum, Quintana Roo
Mexico
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http://www.arcatulum.com
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