After hearing all about getting in to eat here I had some very high expectations. And they were fulfilled. The candle it outdoor seating with a open brick oven and stove on the jungle sides was very romantic. It was a mix of Mexican, Caribbean with the New York flare. We started with drinks as in every place in Tulum it was very fresh. Still getting use to having peppers in my drinks but none the less that was my dates drink lol. Mine was fresh sweet and tasty. We started with cheese empanadas with Papaya. Would have never paired the two together at home but it was delicious. For dinner I had the whole grouper. Being from Louisiana having fresh grouper a fishing pole a way it was interested in what it was gong to be seeing we are on the beach. Wow it didn't disappoint it was perfectly cooked. It was seasoned well not overcooked moist fresh fish. balanced with some beats and patatos on the side . course a pepper if you so dare to mix in with the bites. The girlfriend had the Ribs and they were fall off the bone melt in your mouth goodness. Have never had a rib like that. It's well worth the wait in line mid day or just a email away to ask if they can accommodate you at their convenience. I will be back next trip to Tulum. read more

Hartwood - Wow this was good. More to come - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

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Managed to score a reservation for 1 at the bar. The staff was super knowledgeable and helpful. Try: All the mescal drinks The octopus The Jicama Salad Definitely wear some bug spray since it is outdoors, a light sweater or rain jacket are helpful. Taxi from Downtown Tulum to the restaurant was about 100 pesos read more

Wow, this is one of the best restaurants I've ever been to in the world. We were a big group, so ordered nearly the entire menu to share. Every single dish (even the beets, and I don't even like beets lol!) was beautifully plated and truly delectable. What a remarkable culinary experience. read more

We got lucky and scored a reservation for 7 just a few days before arriving to Tulum. After hearing such great reviews from friends that have dined before we were very excited! Our reservation was at 9 and when we arrived our table wasn't ready for another hour. We were served drinks in the waiting area & then were informed that the owners friends were sitting for over an hour after they paid the bill. It was a little annoying as we were hungry but we made the most out of our waiting time with a few delicious cocktails. As we finally sat, a little over an hour later, we were greeted by a enthusiastic, apologetic server. He started us with waters, more cocktails & a menu explanation. The menu is handwritten on a chalkboard with little description on each item and all freshly caught that day. It was a bit hard to understand but we did love how unique and fresh the menu seemed. We decided to order a LOT! 7 hungry people and a delicious sounding menu. We got 3 of the daily catches, one being a whole fish. A few veggie dishes, eggplant in mole sauce, roasted beets, ceviche, lamb tacos, green salad, and lobster salad. I think a few more that i may be forgetting. Everything was fantastic, fresh, delicious, and unique. The stand outs were the beets, the lobster salad (SO GOOD), and the fish dishes as they were incredibly well cooked and fresh. Overall this was a great dinner and if you are visiting Tulum I absolutely recommend. read more

My partner made a reservation at Hartwood several weeks before we arrived for a vacation in Tulum. The reservation was made to celebrate my 30th birthday, and also a surprise engagement that took place earlier that day. Our reservation was made for 8pm and was cancelled without any kind of notification prior. When we arrived at the restaurants promptly, the host told us let us they weren't doing a second seating due to rain and they were going to be closing early. This of course was extremely disappointing given how excited we were I eat at "the Best restaurant in Tulum". To make the situation worse, the hostess was pretty unfriendly and not at all helpful when we asked about three other restaurants in the area. Can't really comment much else since we didn't get to eat at Hartwood while in Tulum, but we hope to visit again soon and try the food everyone is raving about. read more

My wife found this restaurant recommended on several Tulum travel media sources so we had to try it. The atmosphere feels formal and cool, yet it is also beach casual and there were no issues with the service. Having two children and not being accustomed to local traffic patterns and the difficulty with parking, we arrived late but they honored our reservation and we got seated. Others without reservation were being turned back. We ordered the ceviche starter and ordered two fishes. One was a large fish on the bone to share for two for myself and my wife, and the second was a smaller fish for my 2 young daughters to share. We ordered two bottled waters and I ordered 2 of their special drinks and a tequila shot. When all added up the total should have been around $100 usd - but the bill was for $150. The kids were having a full meltdown so we rushed out and I quickly paid the bill without going over each item - my mistake. The last time I felt this cheated was in a tourist trap shop in London. To me it reduced an otherwise decent experience into your typical tourist trap where you have to haggle to pay a fair price that is clearly advertised. Not what you expect from a place that is about keeping a New York Times recommended pristine reputation. If you decide to go, be vigilant about the bill. I am not going to recommend that you go because it is a pet peeve of mine when a business is run dishonestly. It is all that is wrong with this world. read more

best restaurant in tulum, hands down. menu was fresh, diverse, and enjoyable to the last bite. consider yourself lucky if you snag a reservation and then promptly run, don't walk. read more

Wow" I had read about Hartwood in the NY times year ago and when we decided to visit friends who live in Playa del Carmen, I insisted we go to Hartwood. Set across from the beachside hotel in what they refer to as the jungle side. They take no reservation except for parties of 8 or more. People start lining up a 2;30 to get in at 5:30 when they open. The menu changes daily so it is written on a blackboard. Great staff who are extremely knowledgeable and can also speak English. The only drawback are the flies. It is a totally open restaurant without a roof or electricity. They don't even have a phone. Everything was superb. Fortunately being a foodie and having a cookbook library with over 2,500 cookbooks, I bought their cookbook which recently was published. read more

Loved everything about this place. The wait staff lug up a blackboard menu but we had already been told to order the jicama salad, roasted beet, and octopus. Everything was most awesome. We are going back tonight. read more

I wish yelp let us use half stars. I would give Hartwood a solid 3.5 stars. I stood in line at 2:30pm to get a reservation, as fellow yelpers had advised. I waited 40 min in line and was lucky to snag one of the last 5:30pm dinner reservations. So, is it it hyped? Yes. Did it live up to the hype? I would say that it has a great atmosphere and good quality food. But, you won't find me waiting in line again. No no no. Instead, I would hit up the neighboring joint Casa Banana again for some delectable eats. And NO line. read more

Hartwood - Ceviche, empanadas, pork ribs, seared robalo fish. Ceviche dominated! - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

I'm close to giving Hartwood a 5 star review but I think service could be improved slightly. I emailed one month in advance for a reservation per their request but when I arrived they said they had no record of our reservation. Kind of a bummer but luckily we were staying in Tulum for awhile so we just booked for another night. They emailed me the next day apologizing for the mistake and saying they had received my emails but never opened them. It would have been nice to have been given a slight discount or a free cocktail or even just a nicer table to account for the mixup but all in all - not the end of the world. When we arrived to our new reservation the service was okay but not amazing. The food was really good (I had the angus steak and my fiancé had the sea bass). I didn't like the drink I ordered (The Hartwood) but the food made up for it. We also ordered the sweet potato dish as a side and really enjoyed that. Definitely worth a trip if you're in Tulum but make sure you get a confirmation email about your reservation and remember that they are cash (pesos) only. read more

One of the best meals of my life. As soon as I told people I was going to Tulum, I had three separate pleas that I make sure to dine here. Glad I followed through. Setting is rustic. Like gravel floor with park benches for seats. Being solo I say at the bar. The first thing you need is a cocktail. I had a concoction of mezcal, mandarine, and hibiscus. Delicious. I thought about wine for dinner but you can have wine anywhere. Dinner was calamari salad...calamari were tender and succulent. Main course was Caribbean lobster grilled and served over a watermelon/lemongrass/edible flower salad. Delicious. The flavor combo of the lobster with the flower will stay with me. For dessert I had corn ice cream. I mean effin' eh...corn ice cream. Hartwoods thing is local and seasonal. So likely my meal won't be replicated. From service, to ambiance to the food, a true delight. If you are in Tulum, particularly at a resort, make sure you plan a night around this gem. You won't be disappointed. I sure wasn't. read more

Hartwood - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

I had the most amazing dinner with a group of 9 of friends at Hartwood to celebrate a birthday last week. First, a couple notes on reservations at Hartwood. Without a reservation you could possibly wait for hours for a table, unless you have epic timing. We made our reservation way in advance - because that's how we roll. Hartwood only takes reservations for parties of 8 or more and they will not seat you until your entire party is present. I was told by a friend (not sure if this is true) that you have until 15 minutes after your reservation time for your entire party to arrive or you lose your reservation, and you can't just saunter in with 6 people and say two people dropped out and expect to keep your reservation. Needless to say, we all made sure we were on time and even with our reservation, we had to wait an hour for our table. Not a big deal, they brought us cocktails. So why a five star review? The food was simply that good. On our server's suggestion, we ordered an appetizer for every two people, along with one bonus appetizer (for the 9th person), and an entree per person. We passed all of the dishes around and everyone got a tiny taste then each person gorged themselves on their own entree. I highly recommend this so you get to taste as many dishes as possible. Every dish was scrumptious! I got the jimaca salad and the octopus - both were beyond delectable. After everyone had a little bite, I hoarded my dishes and gobbled them down. I'm not a big dessert person but the table ordered an assortment of ice creams and they were also quite nice - even the corn flavored ice cream (who knew?). So my advice is to get a group of 8 reliable people, make a reservation before you even head to the Yucatan, and arrive on time. If your table is not ready, you can order one of their enchanting cocktails, relax on a bench in the waiting area and people watch. And seriously, get the freaking jicama salad and the octopus, it will blow you away. read more

The hype is real. I'll start by providing a full disclosure that the idea of interrupting valuable beach time to stand in a hot and humid jungle for the mere chance (no guarantee!) to make a reservation that night... didn't excite me. I had an issue with this system on principle (PRINCIPLE!), but my husband's desire to try the food on our last day convinced me to go along with it and wait. The reservations fill up fast, and we snagged a reservation on the earlier side (6:30 PM, in May 2016) at the bar. First, the atmosphere is both serene and swanky; the view of the open, wood-fire kitchen really adds to the excitement. Since our reservation was on the earlier side, we weren't truly hungry and instead ordered our food "tapas style," which allowed us a taste of a few appetizers, side dishes, and an entree. We ended up with the papaya empanadas (just OK, wouldn't order again), the betabel (INCREDIBLE! in both concept and execution), the platano (delicious, but easily replicable), the octopus (INCREDIBLE! again in concept and execution), and a combination of "corn" and "cheese" ice creams which were truly unique and surprisingly delicious. Our drinks were also great - I had the hibiscus-based drink, which was a treat to both the eyes and palate. By the end of our trip to Tulum, I was getting tired of back-to-back fresh whole fish, taco, and ceviche options... I know, I know. I'm a true and possibly ugly American. But the textures, smells, and taste of Hartwood's food awakened my senses and allowed me to really appreciate the meal in a very real way. I'm regretting not having gone there more often during our trip, but maybe it's best left as an incredible one-time memory (until we go back, anyway). I picked up the cookbook for myself and a friend, and we're both really excited at the prospect of recreating/creating some of these incredible dishes. BONUS POINTS to the co-owner/head chef (?) for being incredibly kind and accommodating - when he chatted with us, I had an inkling that he might have been the owner, but I couldn't put my finger on it at the moment. I think a part of him must have been slightly amused that the concept of Hartwood had filtered down to non-glamorous young Americans like my husband and me. Side note, everybody else in Tulum looks like a supermodel or lumberjack. Anyway, he was a nice guy and shared his favorite dishes and drinks with us, which was great. read more

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If I could give zero stars I would. I showed up to this restaurant for my birthday dinner having made a reservation months in advance. The Argentinian woman working the door was one of the most rude individuals we have ever interacted with. She told the two of us because we were 3 minutes late that she didn't hold our table and we would have to wait in the long line. What? The restaurant is completely hype and not worth it. There are many other far better places in Tulum to go for dinner. read more

Such a special place. The fragrance of whatever they burn to keep the mosquitoes at bay was delightful and having a great view of the wood fired kitchen is a treat. Drinks are on point. With dinner, I thought it mostly hits but I appreciate that the menu always changes. Risk taking makes a meal more memorable- in a good way. read more

The best costillas I've ever had! Beautiful restaurant. Excellent service. Amazing ambiance. I'll be back every time I visit Tulum. Definitely get there before opening to make a reservation. read more

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Went prior to COVID. Worth the hype and worth the money. Best beet I've ever had. My fiancé got the steak and I got a delicious whole entire fish that I forgot the name of. I miss regular restaurant life read more

In the center of Tulum strip , small hipster haven, very laid back vibe with a HUGE menu ( literally huge menu- life size). The girls and I shared a few dishes because of course we wanted to try more than 1 item on the menu. The staff was very pleasant and service was faster than the speed of light (we ordered our food and got it within 5 minutes- starbucks takes longer than this lol). The highlight of my meal was the dessert , heaven in a coconut shell. You must make reservations via e-mail a month in advance, this place is on HIGH DEMAND! read more

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We were in Tulum for a bachelorette and the bride was aggressive about working to get reservations squared away in advance. The restaurant was very accommodating to our group of nine and even moved us to a new table when it started to rain. As others have mentioned, the staff is incredibly well-versed on their menu, which is super fresh and changed regularly. We tried two different kinds of ceviche with our starters and I was blown away (as a New England girl who knows her lobster) at how good the lobster salad ceviche was. Super fresh and great flavor profiles. I split a main for dinner with another one of the girls in our group and between us, we had an amazing fish/veggie dish and a fantastic steak. We were able to get pitchers of cocktails, which were also yummy albeit a little weaker than one would probably hope for. The staff was really attentive throughout the meal, and we ended up having dessert after the meal too (key lime cheese cake and corn/cheesecake flavored gelato...sounds weird but was delish). Overall, it's definitely expensive (and cash-only), but the great service and impeccable food here are worth it. read more

Waited in line for about 2.5 hrs to get the only reservation time they had left--5pm. Hostess was great. Servers were great. Food was great. Very hard to get into and for good reason. The food was so fresh and the dessert was lovely. read more

Hartwood - Lime tart - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

Insincere and arrogant, you can find dozens of great restaurants in Tulum without the BS of this spot. Gelato spot next door ain't bad.

Unbelievable. The roasted beet is SOOOOOOOOO good. I had the spicy pineapple margarita and it was maybe the best cocktail I've ever had. The atmosphere is totally dreamy and service perfect. We had this peanut infused mezcal at the end of our meal and I would kill to know the brand/recipe. Definitely an unforgettable experience. Thank you! read more

Their food was delectable and fresh. However, their seating method is chaotic and intrusive, even after making a reservation some one month in advance. read more

Struggling with how to review Hartwood. Food very well prepared with one outstanding dish, the gambas mayas. The crowd, ambiance and price point feel like an ABC Kitchen-like Manhattan place. A bit overdressed, loud but not quite clubby and definitely no bargain. Not what we were looking for in a Mexican beach town, though it's on par with this stretch of Tulum. Not that it's the restaurant's fault, but scene of overdressed people taking selfies in front of the sign up front just put a sour taste in my mouth. Eye rolling silliness. Certainly not worth the hype. Wouldn't return. read more

I made a reservation a little over a month from when our trip was to Tulum. This place is so cute, and the food was equally as good. The fish dishes are so fresh, cooked well, and the accompaniments are so interesting and local. The drinks were also wonderful. Hartwood is a must go to, but people should realize this is an outdoor restaurant in the jungle with bugs and smoke, and very fresh natural food. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Tulum. Excellent menu w excellent flavors. Had a scoop of corn and a scoop of cheese ice cream for desert. It was great! read more

FOOD IS FANTASTIC. I wanted to get that out of the way upfront because the food here is really, truly, good. Things like octopus are cooked to perfection and plated beautifully. Simpler offerings like the tomato salad and roasted beet are just as divine. The unfortunate truth is that the food couldn't make up for the poor service we received when we dined on New Year's Eve, 2016- hence the two stars. I made our reservation for 9:30 PM back in September 2016, the first day that Hartwood would take reservations for NYE. We arrived at 9:30 on December 31st and waited a few minutes to speak to the hostess. She apologized and told us they were running about 20 minutes behind. Not a big deal- the restaurant was swamped, it's NYE, and it's Mexico. At 10 PM, we checked back in. This time, we're told it'll be an additional 30 minutes. We could see that this was likely overly optimistic as there were four other parties in front of us, all of whom had reservations, all of whom had been waiting. At 10:20 PM, the manager walked around and passed out drink menus to waiting guests. He took orders and about 20 minutes later, we received the drinks. At 11 PM, the hostess apologized again and said they were having trouble getting a large party (occupying four tables) to leave. We looked over to the referenced party and noticed the waitstaff and the chef taking shots and partying with them while these folks danced on their chairs. Totally understand the atmosphere- it's Tulum, and again, it's NYE. But it was a bit frustrating to see the staff of the restaurant continuing to hang out with the offending party while the hostess tells us that she's done everything she can do but they won't leave. At 11:15, we were finally seated. Our waiter immediately came over, took drink orders, and brought a complimentary appetizer to the table. They very quickly read off the menu and took food orders. Food (really good food) quickly appeared. I know others were turned off by the fast pace of the ordering process, but we were so hungry by this point that we didn't mind. When we got the bill, we noticed that the only thing taken off the bill was the complimentary appetizer, which amounted to $9 USD. The drinks while we were waiting were still there. Frustrating. Our waiter (who was great and attentive), noticed our frustration and brought over the manager. The manager was visibly intoxicated, kept swaying from side to side and slurring his words. Our waiter looked embarrassed. When we asked why the drinks were still included, the manager responded by saying he'd buy our whole table rounds of shots to make up for it. A kind offer, but we were a family of 6 and that wasn't exactly what we were hoping for... Side note: I don't want to come off as a complete curmudgeon. So that the reader's aware, I'm a 20-something who has taken my fair share of shots and danced on chairs. Tulum is also a bit of a party town, especially for New Year's. But I thought it was kind of inappropriate for the manager of a place that's so critically acclaimed, on a night that's clearly one of their busiest, to be so drunk while on the clock. I want to try this place again because the food was so darn good. Let's just hope they can figure out the whole service thing, especially for such a big night of the year. read more

It's not hype at all. Food is great and drinks are excellent. Starting with the cons: no reservations and have to get in line at 2 if you want to dine there that night. Wait staff is fine but as with most restaurants in Tulum, after you get your food, they usually just kinda disappear. Pros: food. Ceviche yucatan, jicama salad, ribs, octopus and fish are seriously awesome. Oh, and the side of a grilled/roasted whole beet is so delish, l'd go back just for that. Dinner for two with each getting an appetizer and an entree will run you about $120 US. Plus drinks. They only take cash - plenty of ATMs around. read more

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Our dinner was needlessly expensive, and the wait staff was arrogant and inattentive. It seemed like they were focused mostly on turnover, sadly. Some people would have you believe that Hartwood is to Tulum as the Tour Eiffel is to Paris, but it's not. I think that's just outdated hype that has been repeated so much that people think it's true. But there are plenty of other restaurants in Tulum run by locals that offer better service with less unnecessary snootiness. read more

I'm sorry, I wanted to love this place. I made our reservation a month ago and really looked forward to this. Our dinner was less than average. The best thing I can say about this place is that the prices are in my opinion reasonable. The food here is SERIOUSLY no better than any other place we visited. Not worth the wait. The ambiance was LOUD far from relaxed and highly annoying. Parking was difficult to find and the hostess had trouble finding our reservation. Our food was DUMPED at our table as if we were at the equivalent of an Applebee's by some dude, (no way to tell whom actually works here). Our waiter did take an inordinate amount of time to read us the menu but he's not the dude dumping our food at our table. They gave the impression that they were anxious to turn our table to seat the next set of guests. Not worth the trouble, btw they only accept cash. That's fine and we wouldn't mind, but for all the trouble- again it's not worth it! There are SO many excellent restaurants, this was just a MASSIVE disappointment. read more

One of the best meals I have had. Amazing experience. We were a group of 15 and recieved top notch service. Don't miss your opportunity to dine here! read more

Off the chizain. Our dinning experience started off with a cool, ruff around the edges type dood named Valentine taking our drink order. We ordered the passion in the jungle and a bottle of Chardonnay. Than our waiter Eric came and descriptively explained the starters. Loved his attitude and delivery. I ordered the Prawns and the jicama salad. The food came out very fast, the prawns were huge and soooo good. Also the jicama salad was a pice of art. We were the closet table to the kitchen which was possibly the most authentic open air jungle kitchen I have ever laid eyes on. We also got the veggie empanadas with papaya in them. After that the ladies were full and ordered another round of sex in the jungle while I proceeded to go all in and ordered the pork ribs and polished of the wine. The ribs, like everything, arrived quick and fell off the bone in a tender delicious porky adventure with a sidekick of Pepperoncini and a hot slice of pineapple to boot. Valentine roll back to tell us about desert. He recommended the cheese and corn ice cream which sounded not so appetizing after filling up on savory things and just looking for sweets. We took his word for it because he's a guy with hairy ears that knows whats good. Low and behold he was right. By this time there was a good wait for the restauraunt and we made our exit thanking everyone and even getting a picture with the legend, Valentine. read more

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OMG!!! What can I say about one of the best culinary experiences in a long while. Don't get me wrong, I am fortunate to be able to eat at many fine restaurants, but Hartwood sets a new bar. From the moment we arrived, we were treated as special guest. My wife and I had already sampled many restaurants this day so we decided to share an appetizer and main. We went with the Sierra which was basically raw and fast became one of my favorite sashimi dishes ever. The flavor was amazing. For the main, we went with the beef short rib. Immediately after we started, we felt bad that everyone did not make the same choice as us. There is a simpler spice with the char from the open flame that perfectly complements this long marinated dish. I can't say enough about the ambiance, the service, and the food. My only regret is that we don't have more time to come back and try all of the wonderful selections. A true delight if you are lucky enough to try. A quick note, show up around 5:15 and you should be lucky too! read more

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I truly wanted this dining experience to live up to the hype. Unfortunately, it fell short....very. Even with reservations made weeks in advance, we waited almost an hour. (FYI, This is only information and the understandably true nature of any busy restaurant.) Why the mediocre review: several reasons: 1) The rate at which the waitress reviewed the night's fare made me feel like we were on an odd speed dating game. The deafening music accentuated such. 2) The wine was sub par to others available at any other restaurant we've experienced in Tulum (this is our second trip in the last 6 months). 3) The fish dip appetizer was highly suspect but I consumed it despite my body's warning (a VERY regrettable decision). 4) The flank steak and accompanying side was beyond over salted. 5) The feeling that our table was more important than our experience was a constant. 6) My favorite part of the meal was the sweet potato side. 7) I was up all night reliving and paying for aforementioned appetizer choice in all ways imaginable. I recommend walking next door and experiencing Arca or a few steps further, Cenzontle; both offering a beautiful experience, atmospherically and appetizing. read more

Don't bother reaching out to reserve a table.....no one ever gets back to you. Like...ever! #notcool.

Hi, does anyone know how to make a reservation here in advance? Email on Thur website is not accurate. Thank you

Being a returned Tulum traveler, we didn't make the mistake twice of not making a reservation! You must make it a month in advance through their website. Hartwood has a small menu of their "specialities", so pick a salad, appetizer, couple entrees, a side item and a dessert and share in the deliciousness. Everything is so fresh. I have to say the "BEET" as a side item was amazing and probably my favorite. Thank you Julio for being an awesome server!! read more

The food is beyond. Honestly, some of the best steak and fish I've had. With that said, this restaurant will charge you $100USD "convenience charge" to pay in American Dollars. Externally, that doesn't even seem that outlandish, but when that's coupled with the fact that the only ATMs in a 2 mile radius give out American dollars and that you will wait at least 30 minutes past your reservation time to sit - it starts to get a little ridiculous. The food was good, but 560 dollars for 4 people...sorry, just not worth it. read more

Food is absolutely delicious. Make sure you book a reservation BEFORE ARRIVING IN TULUM. We booked ours about 1 month in advance. Generous seafood portions. Our Yellowtail looked like something you would expect from a high dollar steakhouse. The ribs were pretty good, I would not recommend them over other menu items. read more