My wife and I loved our experience at ARCA. The team there all seemed hip, professional, and provided great service. Though the concept of outdoor dining may not be unique in Tulum, it was done nicely and felt like a unique experience- especially with a view of the open kitchen wafting smoke from it's wood fired oven and grills. The food then delivered, impressively, making this one of our favorite places to eat in the world. We started with the tomato dish that our server raved about, and we were glad he did! The tomatoes were local and in season, served with croutons, (if I'm remembering correctly) a cotija cheese blended with almonds and herbs, and a cool yet super flavorful tomato broth. It didn't sound impressive on the menu compared to some of the other dishes, but it made for a brilliant start to the meal. Two soft shell crab tacos then landed on our table, w/ quite a presentation. The crab is divided into halves and stood up to look like it is emerging sideways from the round chaya leaves that serves as the tortilla for the "tacos". To our delight, this dish was a complete thought from the chef as not only did it look and taste great, but it was easy to eat and didn't fall apart as we took each bites until our hands held nothing more but the desire to grab another one. Alas, we could not as the next dish came to remind us that we must continue onto new and exciting things, which came in the form of smoking & sizzling bone marrow on a hot bed of coals. The bone marrow is another example of stellar presentation that serves a purposeful function and delivers on taste. Next, we enjoyed the suckling pig roulade, but what makes it stand out is the fresh chayote salad w/ mint vinaigrette that you must eat it with together. It's an excellent way to brighten its counterpart in the tender spools of pork. To top it all off, we ordered the mango pudding/passion fruit dessert. Absolutely delicious, and so easy to eat and share. It was a perfect end to what felt like a perfect meal and experience. We highly recommend! read more

The atmosphere is nice but the food and drinks are "meh" and overpriced. We knew about the prices beforehand and were fully prepared to pay but at New York/LA prices the quality and portion size was far below what was expected. The entrees are the size of appetizers so my girlfriend and I left hungry and got street food that tasted better for a fraction of the cost. If you're looking for fine dining, this isn't it. read more

This may have been our best meal in Tulum. Very nice space/atmosphere, and we were seated next to the kitchen, which was an added bonus. Our server was attentive and great from the start, explaining what needed to be explained and giving good advice about what to order. The food was amazing. We had the green beans (served sort of like a tartare, and very interesting in both flavor and textures), the soft shell crab tacos (served in a leaf, crunchy and delicious), the bone marrow (served on a glowing bed of coals, with good bread -- we were expecting this to be too rich, but it was really well balanced), and the squash (basically a play on the various flavors and textures of the different components -- my favorite part was the seeds). The only slight letdown was the dessert, an avocado mousse which was just too dense to really shine, and needed a bit more balance. We'd happily come here again, and in fact would have the following night if it wasn't raining (the restaurant is entirely open to the sky, and was thus closed). read more

Great restaurant in Tulum beach area. We made a reservation in advance and was quickly seated. We ordered two drinks and four plates to share - soft shell crab taco, octopus, catch of the day and the roasted pepper tartare. All the dishes were very creative and beautifully presented. Seating is outdoors and there is a lot of mosquito incense - just FYI. Some of the other reviews say cash only but they do accept credit card (we paid with credit card). Total came out to be around 150CAD. read more

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Arca is a great dinner spot and also a great spot for drinks! It's set in the jungle with a very cute vibe. The bar is lit up so beautifully and there are many tiki torches all around. I tried a few things on their menu as well as a few drinks. I love tequila and mezcal and being in Mexico, you've got to enjoy it! I had the el solar, which was a spicier mezcal drink, if you like the smoky flavor, go with this one. I also had the Chechen which was a tequila cocktail, and this was my favorite! I tried the har mar superstar, and id for sure recommend this as well, more of a mezcal mule. Overall their cocktail menu is great! Food..started with the Raw Chayote and the Braised Suckling Pig. Both were excellent choices. The raw chayote was a flavorful healthy salad, very refreshing! The braised suckling pig had great flavor, a bit spicy, and very tender. We also ordered the local squash and potato gratin, as well as the wood-fired zucchini. I highly recommend them both as they were very different and unique! Our waiter was very kind and attentive. He was also knowledgable as we asked him many questions and was also quite friendly! We quizzed him quite a bit on the differences between tequila and mezcal, throughly enjoyed our chats with him. The mosquitos were out strong, but they do a pretty good job with the tiki torches to keep most away. The prices are pretty average for the area, a bit overpriced for Mexico, but that's the price you pay for gorgeous Tulum! Check them out! read more

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Food was good however a bit disappointed that everything around Tulum is American prices.... Dinner for two came out to over $100! We ordered while fish and it was fresh and tasty. Pork belly was done really well Creame Brûlée was delicious! read more

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The most incredible dining experience in Tulum. We truly felt wined and dined (in Arca's case... Mezcaled and dined). Umberto was an incredible server as he thoroughly explained the process of mezcal in full detail bringing out tastings of two of his favorites. He continued to explain each new dish and cocktail that came out in emphatic detail giving us mini histories of not only the ingredients, but why they are significant to the Quintana Roo area. We ate course after course, drank cocktail after cocktail over four hours. We never felt rushed to leave and only encouraged to take it slow and enjoy every element in the food and drinks. This is a MUST for anyone seeking a food experience in Tulum. Highly recommend: Roasted pepper tartar Bone marrow Octopus Whole Fish Umberto as your server! read more

Beautiful atmosphere, tasty handcrafted drinks, and delicious food served with awesome service. Thank you Arca! A must try!

So far this is my favorite restaurant during my first trip to Tulum. We ordered the bone marrow bread, the suckling pig and the beans for appetizer. All were amazing! The bone marrow was my favorite! The grilled bread gave the dish an extra Smokey flavor and the bone marrow comes out over sizzling charcoal. It's a beautiful dish that tastes just as amazing as it looks . The atmosphere is also great. I love the music they played there. I kept Shazaming every song! The ambience has this super rustic, retro chic vibe---all in the middle of a jungle. Our waitress gave us all th pointers and suggestions on the menu and she was spot on! The only downsize I exeroienced was the portions were very small. I live in New York and it was small my NYC standards. So make sure you order a couple entrees and a couple appetizers otherwise you'll still be hungry! read more

Great restaurant! Didn't have a bad dish here, and we ordered almost everything on the menu for our party of 6. It rained on us a little while we were there but we still had an incredible dinner. Loved the fish filet and sweet potato empanadas as two of our favorite dishes. Oh and that sauce with the prawns was amazing! Would definitely recommend! read more

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If I could give 10 stars I would! Arca was by far our favorite restaurant in tulum - we went to most of the well known locations - I including Hartwood, but IMO this was head and shoulders above the rest. The atmosphere is beautiful, the space has a lovely design which is true to the jungle of Tulum yet modern and spacious. Every person we interacted with was wonderful. The vibe is great and the service is above standard. We had Connie as our server and she was amazing, patient, knowledgeable and guided our selections. We tried new things and everything exceeded expectation. I am so happy we got a reservation and this evening was the highlight of our dining experience - thank you Arca for an amazing evening. I only wish I had come earlier so we could enjoy a second dinner here before we leave Tulum read more

Oh. Mah. Gah. Do you want a restaurant with a MAJOR "WOW" factor? This is it. Every dish had us "ooooohing" and "ahhing" at the presentation, flavors, and creativity. Ambiance is STUNNING. Get one of everything on the menu. Just do it. read more

ARCA - Wow. All outdoor dining and bar area. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tulum, ROO

One of the best meals I've ever had. Order the soft shell crab tacos and octopus. Amazing!!

BEWARE!! DO NOT BUY AN ARCA GIFT CARD!! Based on their customer service so far--I have yet to eat there-- I would give them the lowest possible rating. A gift card I purchased for delivery for 12/24/2022, a Christmas gift, was not delivered, but charged to my credit card. This is possibly Arca's mistake; possibly mine. However, it's been impossible to communicate with Arca staff! No email address is available on their website and the phone number always goes to its voice mail. I have successfully texted Arca on its WhatsApp texting thread but 4 texts (the first dating 12/25/2022) have done nothing but generate its automatic "Thank you for contacting us! We'll be responding to your message as soon as possible." If I do not get a reolution to this I will have to reach out to my credit card company. read more

We really enjoyed our dinner at Arca! The ambiance is very clean with a contemporary take on classic beach architecture resulting in an elevated outdoor dining experience. The food was well thought out and perfectly executed. Staff was knowledgeable and friendly. High marks for the ceviche and main dinner courses. Of the two desserts offered we chose the hazelnut flavored grilled Mexicsn fruit (can't remember the name) and it was absolutely delicious. read more

Awesome food, great atmosphere & stellar service. It's a classy outdoor setting with an open kitchen - typical for tulum. Cocktails are crafted well & they had a good selection of alcohol. We had the red pepper tartar with the almonds which looks like a piece of art & is delicious. The prawns were a highlight. Very fresh with a lightly spicy sauce that was executed perfectly. We also really enjoyed the bone marrow - don't be scared it is awesome!! The server was super friendly, knowledgeable & English was no problem. read more

We were supposed to come here for my fiancé's 30th birthday. I made a reservation 3 months ago that was confirmed via email. When we arrived, the restaurant was dark and obviously closed. Two guys employed by the restaurant were there to tell people it was closed and "hasta manana". They did not know a reason for the unexpected closure and did not know when the decision was made to close for the night. There were several other couples who arrived the same time as us who were equally confused and disappointed. Any sort of communication notifying us ahead of time would have been appreciated before taking a taxi there. For what is supposed to be one of the best restaurants in Tulum, this was very unprofessional. read more

I don't get the hype. I ordered the ribs per the waiters suggestions and they were not good. The ribs were so salty that I couldn't taste any of the flavors. The only thing I enjoyed was the bread. I was very disappointed. Nice ambience though read more

Such an amazing experience! The food the Atmosphere the service a gem! In Tulum and a most everything we are was amazing we had the prawns so delicious the octopus and the bone marrow everything was so delicious we ordered it twice! My favorite place in Tulum by far! read more

This was our best meal in Tulum, and we went to all the hotspots (Hartwood, Kitchen Table, etc.) Definitely get the soft shell crab tacos and the prawns; both were out of this world. The bone marrow was decent but didn't need the tapenade, in my opinion, and the empanadas had great texture but were weirdly sour (maybe the mushrooms?). More importantly, the experience was so much more enjoyable than that of some of Arca's competitors. The service was friendly and attentive, the space was open but intimate, the music wasn't too loud, they take credit cards, etc. Oh, our cocktails were delicious too. A great way to end our trip!! read more

Amazing restaurant. The dishes, especially the starters are wonderful. We were wow'ed by the baked potatoes (it tastes a lot better than it sounds), sourdough, melon salad. We loved their lobster and suckling pig. The cucumber salad on the side was also quite delicious. Overall, I loved the balance of the dishes, proteins perfectly balanced by citrus and vegetables. The chefs clearly put a lot of thought and design into it. In terms of the drinks, I LOVED their camaleon. The chili taste certainly was unique and delightfully delicious! read more

ARCA - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tulum, ROO

This restaurant was described to us as the best in Tulum. FALSE ADVERTISING!! Extremely disappointing! They were incredibly unaccomodating towards my food allergy, gave me 4 items on their menu I could pick from, so we ordered 3. The 2nd dish that was served immediately sent me into an allergic reaction and instead of them apologizing and accepting blame for what they did, they tried to tell my husband (as I was throwing up in the bathroom) that nothing bad was served to me. Their Manager and Chef did not accept fault or blame, which actually is the worst part even more than having an allergic reaction. I imagine they will still have plenty of patrons, however I genuinely hope people think twice before going there after reading this. If you do not have food allergies you're probably totally safe, however any sensitivity to any type of food and beware! read more

Wonderful ambiance, staff is very friendly! At night, the staff one by one light every single candle that adorns the restaurant with patience and care. read more

Absolutely exquisite dining experience. A must must must for foodies. Look at my photos. read more

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So loud you have to yell back and forth with your server....repeatedly. I hope the manager reads this review. Just once go from table to table and ask your customers "Would you like me to turn the music up or down?" And LISTEN to them. I go to dinner to share with others. It was not only impossible to hold a conversation it was impossible to order food correctly. I asked them twice to turn it down just a little and they obliged, then the manager turned it up even louder. What a douche. Tulum isn't Cancun yet...but maybe it's heading there. One tacky bar competing with another to be noticed, becoming increasingly gaudy and loud. Too bad. The foods pretty good. FYI we had reservations to come back but canceled them. One more question for the manager: Why is it the music is like a disco inside but not at the Host / check in station? Answer: They wouldn't be able to do their job. Use your head and think about it. read more

This was one of the best meals that my boyfriend and I have ever had! Between the 2 of us we ordered 5 dishes. We first ordered the roasted pepper tartar, soft shell crab tacos, octopus al pastor and the bone marrow. After the 4 dishes we decided we wanted more so we ordered the prawns. Everything was delicious and the service was amazing! We loved the ambiance of the restaurant and the energy from the open kitchen. We will definitely be back next time we are in Tulum! read more

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The food presentation is artistic and the taste is delicious. The soft shell crab taco and scallop crudo was out of this world. I love the open air concept. Service was top notch. Definitely go! read more

One of the best restaurant in my life! The place is amazing, the food was delicious , the staff super friendly and helpful. We had , the tartar de pimiento , peras a la parrilla , pulpo a la parrilla con queso de cabra y el lechón asado .... wow!!!! AMAZING!!!! read more

This was my favorite restaurant in all of Tulum (and I ate a lot of good food there)! The softshell crab, prawns, and octopus were all delicious and the upscale jungle ambiance was just perfect. read more

Really enjoyed my dinner at Arca! As a solo diner was pretty impressed that they offered to do half portions so I could try more items. Food was on par with top NY and SF restaurants. Loved the soft shell crab taco - so flavor. read more

THE BEST FOOD & COCKTAILS IN TULUM I can honestly say this as our group went to Kitchen Table (a super close runner up), Mi Amore (strong third), Secret Garden, Mezzanine, Posado Margarita, and Gitano to name a few. Their bone marrow, home made bread, whole fish, desert and cocktails were flawless. Service was by the far the best in town, as Umberto brought over both the head chef Angie and head bartender Diego to our table because we couldn't stop Raving about every new item. The Naked in The Desert is to die for, as well as the lone palm, and pretty much every drink on the main is full proof. Plus, Diego made us 4 "dessert cocktails" off menu because he's just an amazing young man. I can't recommend this place enough. After a week of wining and dining, Arca and Kitchen table were the only two spots our group returned to so DO NOT SKIP THIS PLACE! Highlight of our vacation. read more

Perhaps if we hadn't been eating up and down the Riviera Mayan coast all week leading up to our dinner here, my experience may be been different. We headed to Arca for our first evening, on a tip from our hotel concierge. We enjoyed a stroll under an almost supermoon and as we walked up, we saw a restaurant that is charming and rustic alike. The dim lighting was nice, the hostess, aloof. The atmosphere of the restaurant went much the same, at first enchanting with warm lighting, candles and great music - but then pretentious in staff, service and menu. We sat and explored the menu, and I was a little underwhelmed- it lacked fresh salads and then viewing the big brick oven in the back of the restaurant, which promised some great grilled varieties, alas not much in the way of grilled meats or flatbreads, grilled vegetables, etc... It made for a long decision process in ordering, meanwhile the server buzzed around us; I need a little space when ordering, so that's a little uncomfortable. Before all that, though, we ordered drinks, and I tried their chili margarita with Mezcal in hopes of something spicy. It was good, but I asked if she could kick the spice up a notch with jalapeno or something; it just sufficed in spice. On to food, we ordered the sourdough bread and the sardines to start. The bread was quite good. The sardines were briny and salty and also quite good, but served with a pita-type chip. The pairing was actually, for me, inedible. What was DELICIOUS though was the sardine, on the buttered sourdough bread- so make sure you order both and mix the two. The pita chips become a throw away without a dip for flavor, but it's worth it to switch in the bread butter. For entrees, the fella ordered the roasted fish of the day (yellowtail tuna); I went for the suckling pig via recommendation of our server. His fish was good, the skin was not crisped up enough, and we all know a sticky half crisp skin is no bueno. The highlight of his dish was the cauliflower puree- would totally order that as a side dish if they allowed. The suckling pig overwhelmed in cumin, very tender, just not the flavor I was feeling that evening. The side salad was a welcome refreshing cut through the cumin, for sure. I stuck to the salad (I believe it was a lentil or bulgur type salad with fresh herbs, very good.) The weirdest thing of the night though, was this sort of crisped skin on top of the pork, it was crisped to a pulp. I mean almost-broke-a-tooth-hard-as-a-ROCK crisp, most disappointing because who doesn't LOVE a perfectly crisped piece of pork skin. I'm honestly not even quite sure what this inedible thing was. On to a drink that was not the one I ordered, but they insisted it was the same one I'd had before, a check that didn't match my experience or my hunger and the feeling of something crawling on both of our feet (since we sat in the rocks). Although I'd say I'm an adventurous type- this wasn't really my cup of tea on the adventure scale. It was top of the list for least-favorite-experience on our Tulum trip. read more

Make a reservation! You can try for a walk in table, but it's quite popular, so reserve in advance if you can (we reserved a week in advance during the busy Christmas holiday). We thought the service was excellent. There were quite a few negative reviews saying the service was slow, etc but we actually found it to be so fast - maybe even too fast as we wanted even more time to enjoy ourselves. But our server was amazing - super friendly, knowledgable and made the experience great. read more

We had originally wanted to go to Hartwood, but as it was closed we walked around and liked the look of Arca. Very glad we made the decision! Best meal we had in Tulum. For appetizers we had the fingerling potatoes, and the lobster tail, with the house bread. If that's all we had eaten I would have been content; everything was exceptional. For mains we had the whole fish, and the suckling pig: great flavors, perfectly cooked. Great food, great cocktails, great staff, and set in amazing surroundings. Wouldn't change a thing read more

So much beauty and love at Arca. Their sourdough bread embodies what Arca was built upon. The chef explained to me that sourdough was not such a simple bread. You need the right water, temperature, and process. Arca experimented and was challenged to make the perfect bread and somehow it manifested. I don't remember quite how the story went but when the chef told it to me, I felt like I was in magical Mexico where I was experiencing a one of a kind moment. We talked about butter and how their source their ingredients. Every detail is thought out, absorbed, and constructed for it's patrons. Romantic setting at it's best, the cocktails are the best I've ever had, and the food was like a moment in your life that you remember and are just filled with longing to go back. Was it real, did I experience Arca or did I imagine? The design of the space is otherworldly pandora. (Momentary detail, I loved walking to the bathrooms and being leg up my candles) The owners are this beautiful couple and a brilliant female chef. I just can't explain the magic here, feel so lucky to have experienced it and hope to go back soon. I also hope to hear the story of their sourdough bread again, it really resonated with me and I believe it would with others. read more

the best soft shell crab tacos ever. on the expensive side but worth every penny. the squash dish was also divine! read more

ARCA - soft shell crab tacos coated in amaranth are a not miss - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tulum, ROO

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My girlfriends and I came here for dinner for my 30th birthday. EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING we had was absolutely delicious. Our cocktails were delicious and every item we ordered was perfection. I cannot get over how darn pretty and romantic this restaurant is. It would be the perfect spot to go on a date with someone you love. The ambiance if spectacular and I just loved it. 100% would go here over the over-hyped spot nearby! read more

This place is going to become huge very soon... They opened a couple of months ago, but look at all the reviews and you'll understand why it's already a must go... Everything there is perfectly balanced. The decor, the music, the bar, the service, and of course, the food!! Chef Maya is the daughter of 2 American hippies, born and raised around here, then lived 15 years in San Francisco and now back in Tulum. Her cuisine is so flavorful, it's hard to describe. If you've ever been to San Francisco and were lucky enough to dine at State Bird Provision, you'll recognize the same culinary influences... Give it a try, you'll be amazed... PS: for some reason, Yelp or Trip Advisor have the address wrong. It's actually located right by the restaurant Hartwood. They didn't have a sign when we went there, so it was a bit hard to spot. Make sure you don't miss it! read more

Really really great. Everything from the service to the food to the cocktails to the decor was top class. The pretty unique environment of true jungle afforded by this area of tulum really blends well with their style and decor. I had an amazing cocktail here and then followed it with something I had been really craving since I had begun looking at reviews and info about tulum. An astonishingly tender roasted octopus with just the perfect level of wood smoke from their wood burning oven and just a bit of crispiness to some bits while still meltingly soft throughout. One other notable mention: they provide beautiful mood lighting with mostly tiki torches and a lot of candles. The torches likely help drive away mosquitoes a bit as well and every now and then one of the waiters will gently carry a pleasantly fragrant piney scent incense burner around the entire area to further ward off the mosquitoes with wafted smoke. Somehow it just adds to the experience. Mosquitoes can be a huge problem in this area of tulum so going the extra mile to really drive them away allowing one to eat in peace is incredible. read more

If you want to impress someone while in Tulum, this is the place to go! Went there with my boyfriend without a reservation. I would recommend a reservation if you of on a weekend. The ambience is perfect. It's outdoor seating with lights that are up and down the pools. We got a table and our waiter was very friendly! He recommended that share at least 5 plates together. The first dish was grilled avocado with toasted pine nuts in a broth. We weren't a big fan of this dish but the presentation was cool since it came out with a cool mist around it. The second dish was bread with butter and sprinkled salt. The bread was soft and warm and really delicious. The third dish was a fish fillet with toasted coconut. It was really good. The fish was cooked perfectly and the coconut gave a little sweetness to it. My boyfriend thought this was the best dish. The fourth was fried octopus tacos. They were sooooooooo good! Really delicious!! And the last dish was prawns! This was by far my favorite entree! THE SAUCE WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD. It was so good. They even gave us extra bread to soak up all the goodness. We also had two drinks. One margarita and one pisco sour. Both were very very good. Lastly for dessert, we had a dish with mango and jackfruit. It was actually really amazing. Not too sweet and really refreshing! I would recommend visiting this place! read more

ARCA - Prawns - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tulum, ROO

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