First note: Cash only! So come prepared. Also come prepared to WAIT. I was able to make a reservation two weeks before arriving in Tulum and was super stoked, since I'd heard reservations used to be unavailable. We showed up at 7:45 for our 8pm rez and got seated at... 8:45. The bar is right next to the waiting area so we did have the option to start with drinks but as it was raining steadily at that moment, we chose to wait. It's a very busy space, but still romantic? The menu system was neat, with just one or two big chalkboard menus available which the servers use to run-down everything in detail. That part does make it all seem very personalized. My husband and I went with the ceviche Yucatan, papaya empanadas, fish, and agave ribs. It was all EXCELLENT. The minus one star is only for the wait and also feeling a bit rushed during the dinner, but that might just be me. Looking at a ton of people waiting to be seated makes my dinner a bit less relaxing. But would still return! p.s. when emailing for a reservation, might be best to give a couple windows available for your party rather than being too specific. read more

Amazing spot in Tulum! Ambiance and service was outstanding! Make sure you take a peek at the kitchen area in back...loved the wood fires! We dined here beginning of January- the prawn appetizer was not to be missed! Also enjoyed the grilled octopus and the sweet potato with honey! One tip- make sure you make a reservation! We saw several people waiting for multiple hours who did not have reservations. This is a must-go place in Tulum to see and be seen! Dress code here? ANYTHING goes! (Satin pajamas and beard? Evening gown and flip flops? Bikini top and jeans? No problem!) read more

Should be renamed Hart(less)wood. Going for dinner is never just about the food. It's about the experience and I can honestly say I was hard pushed to find any positives about my trip to Hartwood this time. I'd been before 2 years ago and it was like going to a different restaurant. The team behind Hartwood has done a spectacularly amazing job at its marketing and hype. However, in my opinion, all the hype seems to have ruined it. For much of our meal we were dumbfounded that what we were witnessing was real life, real spice. Where do we start? Ok. Dancing the dance to actually get a table. We played by the rules, we eventually got in. Huzzah. It's worth mentioning it did take 4 attempts, but how can you do Tulum and not do Hartwood we thought. We arrived and were brought to our table straight away by the 'hostess' - we'll use that term loosely for the sake of the review as she was very far from the dictionary definition of the word. No offer of drinks no explanation of how the menu works. Literally shown our table. No one approached us for at least 10 minutes. We stopped one of the 15 staff to ask about a drink. He told us he wasn't in charge of that, he'd send someone. We noticed the menus around the place in Spanish so asked him if he could tell us what was on the menu. 'Some salads, ribs, other great stuff'- walks off. Oh. I get the big production they make from reading out the menu but there was no mention that this was about to happen. Someone eventually comes to take our drink order. I order two as it doesn't look like we're going to be on a roll with the ordering. Third server comes and introduces herself. To say she was terrifying was an understatement. I'd liken her attitude to a robotic prison guard telling us what we were being served as punishment for the day. During the reading of the menu ceremony we asked her a couple of questions. She did not like that and made us feel awful for even daring to ask anything or not remembering what was in the first thing she read out. Someone stood in the way of the menu she was reading (queueing for the toilet) and was scorned and scolded for daring to get in her way. Honestly, we were terrified of her. We decided we'd both just get main and ordered ribs. We were told the ribs take ages coming from the oven and that we should get starters. We'd just gotten our drinks at this stage so declined - we were happy enough. She walked away, we had a quick discussion and thought we should maybe get a starter on second thoughts. We called her back, told her we thought she had been right and we'd get a salad. Eyes rolled, she went off and added the salad to our order. 5 mins later the ribs arrived. And I say arrived... they were flung onto the table by yet another server, not a word spoken on their delivery. Our sides came 5 mins later. In the meantime we asked if we could cancel the starter we'd ordered seen as we'd now received (loose use of the word) our main. She obviously was not impressed with yet another ridiculous request from us. Food was good. It wasn't my favourite in Tulum but it was good. Based on the psychology of eating, it probably would have tasted better if our surrounding experience was better. The whole time we were eating we were circled in rotation by the 'hostess' gauging at what stage we were at and how long more before she'd get her precious table back and our angry, attitude laden server who was, what we can only assume, planning our murder (yes, she was that terrifying). We were sitting near the kitchen so spent a good amount of time watching the millions of staff with glazed over eyes looking bored out of their minds, with no sign of a smile or any interaction between each other. The only thing to add any heart to Hartwood was Valentine. He was warm, friendly, welcoming and a joy giver, everything Hartwood was not. We ordered another drink and were asked if we wanted a dessert. We declined, 2 mins later our bling was flung onto the table. "hope you enjoyed your night". Em, No actually. read more

I'll make it short and sweet: - It's mostly Hype. - The food is nice but nothing special... If you never traveled you might be impressed by fresh ingredients but honestly I've been to Greece, France, Italy and Mexico were it's not that big of a deal to grill a freshly caught fish on a grill ... - Service is poor. Waiters have an attitude and you can tell they really try to get you out of your table to have a good turnover... Overall there's better places to go to. It's nothing bad but nothing special and very overpriced for Tulum... It's like NYC prices and attitude in Mexico. Enjoy! read more

An outstanding, unique experience. First of all, five practical things you must know: 1) The place is closed Mon and Tues. 2) Hartwood is Cash Only and the nearby ATMs when I visited were a) not working and b) sketchy anyway. (Some techies we chatted with while waiting said NEVER use those ATMs.) If you have US dollars, Hartwood will accept them (but it's better to change to pesos ahead of time for a better exchange rate). 3) The first seating is at 6:pm but to get a table it is wise to arrive at 5:pm. Bring a bottle of wine (and glasses) to enjoy while you wait for entry. 4) One of the waiters will perform a Mayan cleansing ritual with pom (copal) smoke shortly after guests are seated. This serves to drive off mosquitoes. If you are sensitive, bug spray is warranted. The mosquitoes didn't bother us. 5) Some of the wait staff are veterans, very knowledgeable and helpful, and others are...not. Mariano and Valentino are both great. If you have 4 or more people at table, I suggest you get ALL the apps and an entree for every two people. The Jikima Salad is a must. A mackerel Ceviche was gorgeous and perfectly balanced, on another occasion a tuna Ceviche was not. The pork ribs are 16 hours in wood fired oven, then bathed in agave honey and grilled upon order. Foolish to come to Tulum and not have these (unless you are vegetarian, keep kosher, halal, etc.) My vegetarian wife was quite happy with an off menu offering waiter Mariano arranged for her, an elaborated version of a poblano side dish. We have wine, others rave about the cocktails. read more

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I am a firm believer that restaurants should be reviewed on Yelp only after having tasted the food that these establishments offer. Lamentably, Hartwood's deficient organization merits a review based solely on their intelligence-deprived system for taking seating at their popular locale. As many Yelpers have noted, Hartwood's website is filled with misinformation when it comes to their reservations, or alleged lack there of, stating that most of their seating is designated for walk-in guests. However, even though they open at 5:30, not 6 like the website suggests, 'walk-ins' actually have to 'check in' with the host starting at 3pm for the day's service. Traveling from near Playa del Carmen, where we were lodged because of a wedding, we learned about Hartwood's unfortunate system about 50km too late. They do not operate a phone for their restaurant, but the website only invites you to write to them via e-mail if you are trying to make a reservation for more than 8 people. I hope the joint voices that come to the restaurant through this medium will provide enough impetus for Hartwood to implement a real reservation system, or at least update their website. People would be a lot happier if any of these tasks were performed, and the goal of any restaurant should be to make people happy. read more

Just got back from an amazing dinner at Hartwood and want to give the most overall objective review possible. So let me start with the best part of dinner, because isn't the food what we're really there for? If I could give the food 6 stars, I would! My parents, my son and I went to dinner here tonight, from Playa del Carmen. Money doesn't grow on trees for us and so we really appreciate great food and a great experience, and we got that and more here tonight. Those who know Tulum know that this is an eco-friendly tourism area, so being off-grid and using local, fresh resources is very important, and they do this in an amazing way. The kitchen is powered by a wood flame, no electricity, and EVERY food item is cooked on this flame. We ordered: Wine: 1 bottle of sauvignon blanc, and a bottle of water 2 Appetizers - The lobster salad with watermelon and asian noodles (amazing) and the grilled prawns with a spicy caribbean sauce. Both were incredible! Entrees: My son and I shared the 20 oz Ribeye and ordered the Empanadas de Papaya, along with a grilled platano (banana) that was to die for. My Dad had the lamb T-bone and Mom had the pork ribs. We also ordered a grilled beet, cooked perfectly and yum yum yum! We devoured the food and loved every single bite. It was original, perfectly cooked, great presentation, and a highly original and creative assortment and blend of flavors. Now, here's where we move from 6 stars to well - 4. Thankfully it's summer, so we didn't have to endure that ridiculous system of reservations. I would probably never want to spend half a day of my hard earned vacation just trying to get a table, so that never would have worked. We got a 7pm reservation by phone and came at 6:30 and they were happy to seat us early. There wasn't an open seat in the house when we left, but at least we came, ate, and left. It was hot, and the tables are all outdoors, and the tables are hard wood with benches, and sitting outside in 90 degree heat on benches is just not a 5 star experience. It was very "Tulum", but hard to give 5 stars to a hot sweaty uncomfortable table and bench. The ambience is lovely, the menu on blackboard, moved around the restaurant to be viewed until order is placed. The cocktails looked yummy, but we didn't have them, and the candle light, intimate feel was great. The cash only policy is a bit silly. Pay the 3% on credit cards. ATM's in Mexico are very risky and most of the time when you use one, your info is stolen and bank account drained. If I'm eating a 5 star dinner, I want 5 star amenities. Our waiter (Eric, but not the owner/chef) was super! Mexico table service is different from US. They do NOT come bring check at the end of the meal UNLESS you ask them. Plain and simple, that's the culture, so "slow" service is not really slow if you're referring to not bringing your check.. Our food came out very quickly and we loved it. Overall, this was a super treat for us and we loved our dinner. I was shocked - beyond shocked that someone would write less than 4 stars for Hartwood. You go there for great food, and you are going to get absolutely AMAZING food. Do not skip this place. Although I could not give this an overall 5 stars for the experience, I wish I could give 4.5. That would be more accurate. Our bill: $2800 pesos, not including tip. ($155 USD, inclusive of all food, drink, and tax) Look, $40 per person at the end of the day, all in - is AMAZING for the quality of food we had. Really noteworthy, really special and we loved it. read more

If you are a foodie in Tulum this is a MUST to check out. The food and drinks are amazing! My fave was a lobster and green papaya salad and the ribs which are on the menu daily are to die for!!! read more

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Dishes that are each a work of art. A combination of flavors and ingredients that complement each other perfectly. A roasted eggplant with smokey mole sauce; and empanadas with meat in a corn and also sweet mango sauce. The empanadas grilled and deliciously toasted and burned slightly in parts because of the open flame method of cooking. A honey monkey margarita. Bring cash, they don't take plastic and masterpieces of food like this are a little pricey but worth it with every bite. read more

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Reading the reviews, it's clear that there's a ton of hype (isn't that why we all went there in the first place?) and that getting in is a nightmare. That said, I have to say we were privileged enough to stay at a hotel that somehow got us kind of a reservation, which sounds pretty extraordinary after reading these horror stories about getting in - something we'd tolerate in NYC where we live but seems a little, shall we say, un-vacation-ly. Service - we had totally great service. From the server that took our drink order and kindly tussled our son's hair (don't judge, we're on vacation with a 2.5 yo and 1/3 of the tables had kids with them too - it's the Brooklyn way) when we came in and when my husband had to take our son out because he melted down since we kept him up past his bedtime since this place opens at 6. They have high chairs and they're very cute. Everyone was nice to us and our waiter explained stuff, the food came quickly, and while our server was absent when we needed the check (again, unhappy toddler and we wanted to vacate before it got worse) it took a little while longer than it should've. Price - our dinner for two-ish, jicama salad, empanadas, ribs, fish, camote, plantain, ice cream, two alcoholic drinks and a bottle of mineral water was $137 US. Brooklyn prices. which was ok but felt odd to me given that we weren't in NYC we were in the jungle and thus covered with flies the entire time .... Ambience - It's a lovely spot and the heaping counters of produce and delicious smells are inviting. It feels cheerful and boisterous and hip even with a toddler on your hip. It's also outside, and thus - we had small flies on us the entire time we ate. I attract bugs, so I had them the worst. The servers carry buckets of smoke around to get rid of bugs and I hope this wasn't related but we had the seat by the bathroom and when I looked around just us and table next to us were swatting them most. I mean swatting as in I couldn't take a bite without swatting - and I was eating fast given aforementioned cranky toddler. I had sprayed bug spray anticipating mosquitoes, not small black flies. yuck. But maybe this is the city girl coming out. FOOD - my husband gushed about the ribs and the jicama salad was delish. empanadas cooked over a fire? eh, skip 'em. The fish was great and what the fire did to the sweet potato and plantain was extraordinary and fun. The ice cream for dessert was some of the best I've had in years (corn, cheese) and I wish we'd ordered more. Drinks were meh - I ordered Mexican wine (idk) and my husband had the hartwood and didn't like it, so I think that was the wrong step on our end. Our question was: Was this dinner worth keeping a kid up two hours past his bedtime and suffering a remaining day on vacation with an overtired toddler? While it was delicious, in retrospect I said no although my husband said yes. I gave 4 stars because that was our issue, not the restaurant's, but something to think about when you go read more

I'd give this more than 2 stars, but I didn't even get past the bar. A group of us did the standard thing - show up at 4, wait for a res, get the res, come back later, etc. Except when we came back later they told us that they had moved our res back 90 minutes without telling us. No big deal, it's Mexico, we get it. Go next door to get drinks and come back about 15 minutes before our reservation. We come back up and they have sat our table with another group, that wasn't us. Really not sure how that happened but it did. They then tell us that they won't have the table for us for another 60 minutes, as the group they sat instead of us just started ordering. I'm at the bar having a drink this whole time while the lead of our group does the talking with the hostess. yada yada yada - we never got to eat there. 1 star because of terrible service, 1 star because I got a free drink in the process and it didn't suck. read more

A ridiculous situation to have to pause your vacation to go stand in line for the opportunity to make a reservation at this jungle side restaraunt with just a single shared bathroom! We missed getting one on Wednesday but got one Friday. The whole thing sets an unrealistic expectation that can't be met. 9pm reservation and didn't get a drink til 930 right before we were finally seated. Food was good (not great) and drinks were fine. Prices are reasonable. 1630 pesos for 3 entrees, 1 side, and 2 drinks including added gratuity. They were sold out of the papya empanada appy. Skirt steak was very good. Ribs were good (I'm spoiled with Texas BBQ). Fish was fine. I liked the plantain side. Gratis desert of cheese and corn ice cream was really strange! But the corn kinda grew on me.... But there are tons of great places in this town and many of them with perfect beach views and breezes. It really isn't worth the reservation PITA. read more

I had such a great meal at Hartwood! The ceviche had the cleanest flavours in town and the ribs were to die for! Cocktails are not worth it unless you feel like getting tipsy as they are very strong in alcohol but less in taste. The service was top notch once we got our table. However, even with a 1 month reservation in advance, we waited 1h20 for our table. I would go back on every visit! read more

We read the NY Times review for this restaurant and decided to check it out. The yelp reviews were mixed so we were anxious to see the real story. This was one of the best meal experiences I have ever had. The staff from beginning to the end were fabulous. I had the ceviche yucatan appetizer...awesome. My main meal was grilled octopus... The best I ever had. My husband had grilled fish. Fresh and flavorful. I can honestly say this was an A+ meal. Thank goodness we ignored the bad reviews. We have no complaints. Would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone and will definitely return. read more

Food was wonderful. Service was good. Payment is CASH ONLY and all ATM machines on the entire strip were out of cash (closest working ATM was 30 mins away in town). We had to get whatever cash we had in our pockets as a group in Pesos and dollars to pay the bill. It was $600+ dollars. What made it worse is that their exchange rate was 17 pesos to the dollar vs. 18.7 in other restaurants and 20 at the bank. Left a bad taste in our mouths at the end of the evening. Restaurants should make money out of selling food and not from money exchange. read more

Eric and Mya, the beautiful coupling and dream team behind this restaurant have done an incredible collaboration in setting this establishment out to visitors and locals of Tulum. Ex pats from NYC they have tapped into the organic flavor and whimsical mystical culture of Tulum. Not only was the food and cocktails delicious but the space itself was romantic and stunning. The scents in the air were decadent of fresh local local ingredients and the mysterious fragrant incense of Tulum. There's always a wait but well worth it. read more

Hartwood - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

Great place to eat ....get there early....expect to wait but it is worth it...yummi fresh foods...bring ur family read more

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The food was fantastic and service spot on. While they do not take reservations, how the front is set up with servers coming to take drink orders lightens the wait. Be forewarned, even though they do regular walk through of mosquito deterrent smoke, the pests stay close to the ground and will bite you. This is part of the being in the jungle, however, if you don't bring it to MX, you can buy bug spray in many places or your hotel property may have some you can borrow. Ladies- do not bother doing your hair, putting on heels or a ton of makeup. You will be miserable. :) The only thing we did not prefer was how they sort of rush your dining experience to burn the tables faster (and also to assist ticket times for the kitchen). We were told by a local that if you go later for dinner you can relax and enjoy the experience as well as some cool cocktails with the bar staff. Everything we had was awesome and they truly keep it local. They even source their beef from a local "grower" and only serve what is available. If you want to do one great meal that is a good dollar value (not cheap, but not overly priced), it is a must go to while you are in Tulum. read more

I have to say, this place is worth the hype! After reading about the restaurant as a "must do" during a visit to Tulum, I'm so glad my friend and I stopped in here for dinner. We weren't disappointed. First off, don't totally believe about the inefficient reservation system they have, requiring you to wait in line at the restaurant in hopes to score a seat. Email them! And, as long as you are a little flexible, you'll likely get in. We emailed and told them when we were in town and about what time of night we wanted to eat. Heard back within a day and got an 8pm reservation a few days later. Of course the place was packed out, but Hartwood has such a great vibe, it lends itself to having a jumping restaurant. As with most places in Tulum, the restaurant was "built in" to the environment. Open air, sand, simple tables and chairs, candles, the jungle. We had to wait a bit before we were seated, but their service is attentive and gracious. We actually had two people wait on us the entire night. One guy who served our drinks and the other our food. We started off with a couple of fresh fruit drinks and then a couple glasses of Malbec. The fruit drinks for inventive: I had a mezcal jalapeño margarita (I think) and my friend had a watermelon cucumber concoction. Both were super fresh and light. The malbec was a pretty typical, full-bodied red. You don't actually receive a menu to peruse. They have these piece of wood peppered around the restaurant with the food items listed there. The server walks you through everything, which was a nice touch. We enjoyed the Yucatan ceviche, the beet (bitable) side, and pulp (octopus) and grilled robalo (snook) entrees. There was pretty much nothing about this meal I didn't love. The ceviche was light and perfectly acidic, the beet was perfectly roasted and seasoned (the avocado cream accompaniment was dynamite), the fish was flakey (I've never even heard of snook!) and the octopus, oh the octopus. Pulpo is a big thing in Tulum and this one was great. Could of enjoyed a bit more "grill" flavor to it and a touch more seasoning. But it was a solid dish that I would eat again. I really enjoyed Hartwood, and I would definitely come back on another visit to Tulum. Yes, it has a hipster/NYC sort of vibe, but I don't think it was overdone. After slumming it on the beach for a few days, it was kind of nice to feel a bit more sophisticated for a couple of hours. read more

We loved everything about our experience at Hartwood. Although we didn't have a reservation, the hostess was nice and encouraged us to wait for the first available table. We waited for a bit but meanwhile, a bartender approached us w a drink menu... so, very welcoming. Finally got seated and ordered two starters, empanadas and ceviche (not your typical ceviche, more like sashimi) but so delicious. I wanted to lick the broth off the ceviche plate. It was that tasty! A little fried, a little freshness, yum yum! We ordered the pork and Coronado fish and both were cooked to perfection. If I had to choose my favorite though it would be the pork dish, mouthwatering! They had a nice selection of the wines, ordered a vino tinto from Valle de Guadalupe, LA Cetto...our fave! Highly recommend Hartwood, it's worth the wait/ worth coming back night after night in hopes to get seated! read more

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Booked 2 months in advance by our friends who run a restaurant in Provincetown Cape Cod. We were all very excited about this meal and it being a highlight of our dining out here in Tulum! The previous day we dined at RosaNegra next door and we're blown away.. I digress. So greeted at the entrance and told that our table would be ready shortly and to order a cocktail. Waiter was there immediately and cocktails were really yummy. We were seated and asked for still or sparkling. Sparkling was poured, very unevenly like it was almost a joke. And asked if we wanted wine. We did and all ordered different glasses of wine. At this point for some reason we were being rushed. The "menu" a HUGE chalk board was brought over to the table and presented. We all ordered appetizers, Jimica salad was to die for, tiger prawns cooked perfectly. What a great start. As soon as the last bite of salad was done, the mains were plunked down on the table. Weird. Again unpleasant feeling of being rushed. This is where it gets bad. Buy this time water and wine glasses are empty. Waiter fluttering around other tables. Food was served by runners who didn't speak English. Not ONCE did he check back with us. Terrible service. If he had I would have told him to get me a new steak. The skirt steak entree was inedible. And I mean like fucking shoe leather. So I had some of my wife's meal and my friends. Plates were whisked away and guess what! Smiling waiter appears with the tremendous bill and asks if everything was wonderful. So......... I explained politely my issues. And he just blankly stared, no offer of a discount, or take it off the bill or dessert, nothing............... I also said there's no way I'm paying 20%. I gave 15% only because I hope they pool tips No apology given. This restaurant is hyped up and continues to get tourists but really is nothing special. Don't waste your time. As I'm sitting in my Villa. Looking out at the pool with terrible stomach cramps I'm getting angrier and angrier. Assholes.... read more

I give this place 3.5 stars, 4 if I'm feeling generous. I had heard about this restaurant from too many bloggers and travelers alike that I just had to go. It definitely did not exceed my expectations, but it just met them. I wouldn't say I was disappointed because the food was good, but I wasn't extremely wowed by anything.... except the appetizers. The smoked fish salad and empanadas were delicious. Dishes I would certainly order again. The fish on the menu was also very nice. The octopus was good, but I'm comparing it to the octopus that I had the night before at ARCA and that was sooo good. Don't get me wrong, the octopus here is delicious, but since I had a really perfect octopus dish the night before this one it was hard not to compare by the decimals (a tad bit salty for my taste here). I read an article about Hartwood from 2012, but I'm not sure if it's changed since it's been a while, but it said that all their food is cooked in the wood-fired oven and the only other kitchen appliance they have is a blender that is run off a generator. If that's the case I'm impressed and it totally would bump those 3.5 stars up to 4. The feel of the restaurant is super cute with only a few menus standing up around the restaurant so your server can explain everything to you on the menu. The kitchen is open so you can look into it and also looks super cute as well. I recommend going at 3pm on the day you want to get reservations to put your name in for the time you want to dine, otherwise you probably won't get a table-- that's how fast this place fills up! Overall, it's a good dining experience and I would recommend going, but I would say to also check out ARCA just down the road as I really, really enjoyed that restaurant. read more

In planning a trip to tulum from nyc I was investigating the dining options prior to going. The New York Times had written the hartwood up as being super fresh in not only ingredients but attitude and ambiance which is the absolute best way to describe it. Mostly outdoors, Hartwood puts you in touch with the tropical laid back feel of the area. read more

Hartwood - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

This was the most unique food experience I've ever had. The flavors are amazing and the ingredients are usually seasonal based on what the restaurant can procure. We had the ceviche, fish collar and pork ribs with wood fired beet. It was all incredible and surpassed any expectations I had. For dessert, we had peanut brittle and sweet corn ice cream. Both were highly unique flavors and equally delicious. I suggest getting reservations a month in advance because this place is a hot spot and not a walk in restaurant. read more

Amazing place. We ordered all sides, the eggplant was the best we ever had, filled with cheese. We also had the best fish and ribs we ever tasted. The staff is friendly and a great atmosphere is magic. If you go to tulum you must go here! read more

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Hartwood's a delicious treat to all the senses! They don't have a phone so don't bother tryig to call for a reservation. The door opens at 6p and there's usually a line of people sitting along the knee high stone wall of the restaurant. It's first come first serve. We arrived later in the evening and the hostess took my name and we waited at the bar for our table. The bar was hopping with busy bartenders making Caribbean house specialties. I had a lime, ginger and soda water concoction that refreshed me after a long day. The restaurant runs off solar power so there aren't many electric lights. It has a great ambiance, lit by candle light and vintage oil lamps. There are several people waiting when I arrived, I hear this place is always packed. After a short wait, we sat at one of the bench style wooden tables in the back. You can see the chef chopping in the kitchen (no electricity is used in the cooking) and the huge fire in the open faced oven. I had the ribs with cabbage and peppers. They were smoky and tender. The meat fell off the bones. I tasted one of the fish of the day that was served with beans and jalapeno peppers. The fish was moist and delicious and the peppers were a great addition that weren't too spicy. The best part of the meal was dessert. We shared a duo of cinnamon ice cream and corn ice cream. I kept going back and forth tasting them trying to decide which one I liked better and I still can't decide. They were both delicious, unique and amazing! We met Mya and Eric (the owners), originally from NYC, and found out that they own a farm and boats that are used to get the fresh, local ingredients for the restaurants. They were lovely and I'm looking forward to my next visit to Hartwood. It's worth the wait. read more

Just back from wondrous Tulum - we'd planned a special dinner at Hartwood, hearing and reading such great things - this is one of the GREAT NIGHTS and not one I'll forget for a very long time. I've been to French Laundry (twice) lived in New York, eating amazing food in London, Paris, and Las Vegas - Hartwood is authentic, original, unique, UTTERLY understated (my favorite) and some of the finest Mexican cuisine I've ever eaten - and I lived in Mexico for years. The Starter - a Ceviche of Sea Trout with chilis, radishes, serrano slivers, fresh lime - sublime. My starter - Smokey, crispy Empanadas with a pickled Pineapple salad, my partner's - a poached lobster salad - both heavenly. My main, the grilled Octopus - BEYOND - huge portions. The other main, their trademark slow cooked Pork Ribs - also tender, juicy, smoky - divine. We ordered the Beet side - a GIANT BEET showed up - roasted on the fire, in a bed of gorgonzola cream - I'M TOTALLY stealing this idea. One whole beet, washed and scrubbed, then fire roasted - wow. Dessert - amazing Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream, Cotijo Ice Cream and Pineapple Cinnamon Ice cream - all to die for! Wear bug spray!!!!! I was eaten alive at dusk (my fault, they were burning gorgeous Copal incense, doing their best). Dinner was not cheap, but NOT too much either, and the service - the clientele, the ambience, the cocktails - GO GO GO - and I will see you there! THANK YOU, HARTWOOD!!!!! read more

I was so excited to go to this resteraunt, stayed at Casa Malca and everyone raved about this restaurant and I was so upset because I was unable to make a reservation. Finally I got in contact with Paulina super nice and was able to accommodate our reservation ( literally she was the only thing good about this experience super nice and friendly and helpful). When we got to the resteraunt it's the only one in Tulum that does not have WiFi, does not have fans and it's freaking hot! They do not have a menu our waiter was so rude literally raced through the meals and description. By the way this restaurant is only cash! The time to order our food came and the waiter was so rude! We literally ordered every apitizer on the menu as we were a big group and obviously had no clue what anything was thanks to our terrible waiter! Then our waiter tells us we have to order our main courses cause we have to leave fast! Are you kidding me???? This restaurantes a joke and seriously the worst experience I had In Tulum! TERRIBLE read more

This is the best meal you will have in TULUM! The food is exceptional, the service is incredible, and the atmosphere is perfect. We had the pork ribs which are a MUST. And we had one of the fish of the day but they're all probably amazing. Everything was super fresh and beautifully presented. Can't wait to come back to Tulum to eat here. We live in LA and have amazing food a lot, this restaurant gives most LA restaurants a run for their money. read more

Probably one of the better fine dining establishments in Tulum. Delicious well presented food and tasty mezcal cocktails with a very eclectic and romantic set up as well as strong service. We were in Tulum during off-season (September 2016) and this place was still very busy. Luckily we made reservations ahead of time. Unfortunately it's cash only and beware the stand alone ATMs that are right next to Hartwood (although I will note it's NOT associated with Hartwood so don't want to tarnish their good name) as I got money scammed out of my account. This is an issue in Mexico which is why they always advise you to only use bank ATMs. Only reason I had to use the ATM right next door was because we ended up not having enough cash on us to pay for dinner and wasn't going to taxi all the way into town then back to pay the bill so i took the risk. read more

Everything we had was amazing. This place was the highlight of the trip and will be back for sure on my next trip. The octopus was the best I have ever had! Tender, not chewy, and a little crispy on the outside. Highly recommend! read more

Hartwood - The pulpo- slightly charred on the outside and so tender. Best octopus I have ever had - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

Don't bother going here it's seriously not worth it. This place is quite overrated. After hearing and reading about this place, I've decided to make a reservation a month ahead, as recommend. Upon arriving, we were greeted by the hostess, who had an attitude, as she must have felt so special being the hostess at Hartwood. Take your stick out of your ass and just try to be nice. It's actually quite simple! She walked us over to this cramped lounge area, to wait for our table. 20 minutes later we got our table. This lovely server went over the menu, which was mostly seafood, which we love. He took our order and seriously 5 minutes later we got our appetizers. Yes 5 minutes later! Seems that everything is pre-made, for high turnover! 10 minutes after we finished our appetizers, we got our main course. Again seems pre-made for high turnover! The food I would give a 4 star rating. We had the lobster salad, ceviche, grilled shrimp and we had both a fish dish. Very good! However experience 1 star. It really felt like a TOURIST TRAP, and it seems they are more focused on a high turnover! Drinks were just ok and wine is served in water glasses, which is not something I would expect from a place who charges you premium prices. There are so many other great restaurants in Tulum that I would recommend over Hartwood. Don't be fouled by it's name read more

Heartwood is must in Tulum. Perfect ambience, wonderful people, and delicious food. Lobster salad and Bonita were favorite s. read more

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it doesn't matter how good this place is (although from some of the reviews sounds pretty average) I refuse to have to interrupt my vacation to go stand in line and beg for a table for the evening. When we asked the hostess if we could call to make the reservation she told us that they don't have a phone because they want to save power. Come on people! Get a traditional plug-in landline that does not require power!!! Or implement your very rudimental website! Or simply just do walk-ins only... First comes first serve! But I guess that doesn't make if feel exclusive enough huh... So many more yummy and less pretentious places in Tulum... Forget about Hartwood! read more

Im sure the food is amazing. But i didnt get to experience it. Came here for my bday. Didnt realize it was cash only. We were seated, ordered a drink and once we saw the sign asked where the closest atm was because we did not have enough cash. Was told by 2 staff members there was not one close and if we did not have cash to please vacate our bar seats despite the fact we had ordered drinks. Then had to go sit in the bushes to finish our $20 cocktail. Come to find out there are multiple atms within one block walking distance from the restaurant. read more

OK, here goes my attempt to put our "Hartwood experience" into a Yelp review. The fact that we actually did partake in a visit here is worth noting, as it's not a given just because you might decide you want to have dinner there. That my friends, was initially why I didn't even think I wanted to. Because the fact that there is a "process" to "get in" really turned me off. But anyway, here is how it went for us... Some background. We read about Hartwood, and knew that they had this crazy thing where you couldn't just call and make a reservation. You had to show up middle of the day specifically between 3pm and 6pm and make a reservation in person. There could be lines. You might not be guaranteed to get a spot. We biked past after lunch somewhere else, about 2:30pm. There was a line of people sitting there on their wall sipping on beers waiting for get lucky. Sorry, we weren't about to cut our day in half to try to get a spot at a restaurant... But anyway, my wife found that you could "try" to email them to get a reservation. The site said only for parties of 8 or more, but then another page said that was the "new process". So we tried it. We emailed them on Tuesday like "we're here all week, we'd like a reservation for 7pm or 7:30pm, what night can you have us" and they replied back "Thursday 9pm, reply back to confirm". Of course ignoring our actual request, but at least they replied. So we did write back. And a bit more of the douchery, they never wrote back to let us know we had the table booked. So two days later, when we had our supposed reservation, we said to ourselves "let's just show up and if they give us any problem, we'll just go to another spot nearby". We showed up, and voila... we were on the list and confirmed. Had to go kill some time next door for a drink since we were a bit early, but it seemed the stars were aligned in our favor. TL;DR; OK so after a novel, why don't I write a bit about the actual dinner experience, right? VERY GOOD. Start to finish, it actually was a very good and memorable meal. I have to say, in my head I was going to be ready to criticize after all the hoops, but it is a great place to have dinner. The menu changes daily, but here is what we had... + ceviche de yucatan. a nice starter, great flavors. TOO spicy though in our thoughts. + filete de robalo. my main dish, a great piece of fish, great accompaniments, good portion. no complaints at all. + platillo de pulpo. my wife's dish, a super plate of octopus, sooooo good. + two scoops of ice cream, one corn and the other cheese. both super good though, would get it again for sure. Have to say, am glad we went. I actually was even thinking of trying to go again but we had so many spots to try it just wasn't in the cards that week. So in summary: don't let the douchery (or the hype of douchery) stop you, get some emails sent, get a reservation, go have dinner here. read more

A little pricey for Tulum but you definitely get what you paid for. They give you so much food! I had the ribs and they were absolutely delicious! read more

Hands down one of the best meals I've ever had. Innovative cuisine sourced from fresh local daily sources. Delicious food, beautiful open kitchen, incredible service and knowledgeable staff. Wonderful cocktails and wines. read more

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Overhyped and underwhelming. Came here with a dinner reservation with my partner. Vibe was buzzing and the best thing about the restaurant. The longest part of the experience was having the menu unnecessarily recited to us. We opted for a completely forgettable appetizer, vegetarian tacos, pork ribs, eggplant and yuca. My partner was satisfied with the tacos. The pork ribs were decidedly average, stringy and fatty. The eggplant was undercooked and bland. The yuca was at the top of the a heap for us, though I imagine it's because they loaded it up with butter. Food is clearly preprepared as our orders came out within 5 min of the previous course. Hartwood is a tourist trap as it is currently constituted. They would do well to expand the bar area and switch up the menu and preparation process. Until then, I will not return. read more

For me the hype was also totally worth it...the food was amazing...I loved the empanadas ...my fish dish was probably one of the best I've ever had and we travel everywhere. Staff was super friendly and accommodating (we were able to get a reservation for the bar when we arrived 1.5hrs before it opened)..definitely a little pretentious but we live in NYC and are use to it! read more

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