Where to Eat in Tulum: My Favorite Restaurants After 6 Weeks

If there’s one thing I never get tired of while traveling, it’s finding somewhere good to eat.

And after spending six weeks in Tulum, I had plenty of opportunities.

I’ve visited Tulum several times, but my most recent stay was a little different. Instead of spending a week bouncing between beach clubs and tourist attractions, I rented an apartment in Aldea Zama and worked remotely from Mexico for nearly seven weeks.

That meant I wasn’t eating out for every meal.

Some mornings started with coffee and breakfast at home. Other days involved long brunches, street tacos, Italian dinners, rooftop pool afternoons or ordering something delicious to the apartment.

And because I was there for so long, I actually had time to return to restaurants I enjoyed instead of constantly chasing somewhere new.

So, if you’re wondering where to eat in Tulum, these are some of my favorite restaurants, cafés and food experiences from my six-week stay.

And because not everywhere was a favorite, I’ll tell you about those too.

I visited in July and August 2025. Tulum’s restaurant scene changes quickly, so always check that a restaurant is still operating before visiting.

Best Brunch in Tulum

Alma Verde — My Favorite Brunch Spot

If I had to recommend just one brunch restaurant from my time in Tulum, it would be Alma Verde.

I loved this place.

So much so that I ended up coming back several times throughout my stay.

And I ordered the eggs Benedict every single time.

Normally, I’m someone who wants to try something different when I return to a restaurant. But these were so good that I couldn’t bring myself to order anything else.

After six weeks in Tulum, Alma Verde was easily one of the restaurants that stood out enough that I’d immediately return.

Sometimes you just want a really good brunch without turning it into an entire production, and Alma Verde became that reliable favorite for me.

What I’d order again: Eggs Benedict. No question.

Would I go back? Absolutely.

Café Maya-Xel — Avocado Toast in an Underwater-Inspired Café

One of the more memorable cafés I visited was Café Maya-Xel in Aldea Zama.

What initially stood out was the interior.

The café has an underwater-inspired aesthetic that makes it feel different from the typical tropical, bohemian design you’ll find throughout Tulum.

I ordered the avocado toast, and thankfully the food lived up to the cute setting.

Since I was staying in Aldea Zama, having restaurants and cafés within walking distance was one of my favorite things about the neighborhood. Café Maya-Xel was an easy brunch option when I wanted to stay close to home.

What I ordered: Avocado toast.

Would I go back? Yes, especially if I were staying in Aldea Zama again.

Where to Eat Tacos in Tulum

Street Tacos — Always Worth Stopping For

I have a weakness for street tacos.

Give me a casual taco stand, a few different fillings and some good salsa, and I’m a happy girl.

During my six weeks in Tulum, street tacos became a regular part of our food rotation.

And honestly, they’re one of the things I love most about spending time in Mexico.

Not every memorable meal needs to come from a beautifully designed restaurant with a cocktail menu.

Sometimes the best option is simply grabbing tacos while you’re out exploring.

My advice?

Don’t spend your entire Tulum trip eating exclusively at the beach clubs and more expensive restaurants. Make time for casual taco stops, too.

Tropi Tacos — A Casual Taco Stop

Another taco spot I visited was Tropi Tacos.

This is the kind of place I’d include when you’re looking for something casual rather than planning an elaborate dinner.

During a longer stay, those kinds of restaurants become just as important as the special-occasion spots.

We mixed nicer meals with simple taco nights throughout the trip, which was one of the reasons eating in Tulum didn’t feel nearly as expensive as I expected.

Taco Flako — Food Trucks and One of My Favorite Nights in Tulum

Taco Flako is tied to one of my favorite memories from the entire trip.

Not because of a fancy dining room or elaborate tasting menu.

Because of Palma Centro.

A guy who worked at my apartment building told me about a weekly event there, and after going once, we kept coming back.

When I visited, the event took place in the evening and brought together more than ten food trucks, a large bar, vendors selling jewelry and other goods, and dance lessons earlier in the night.

As the evening went on, the entire dance floor would fill up.

There were also local performances, including fire performances, and the crowd was such a fun mix of locals and travelers.

Over the course of several visits, I met people from Mexico, Germany, Canada, Africa and elsewhere.

Taco Flako was one of the food vendors we enjoyed there, but the entire experience became about much more than eating.

Would I go back? In a heartbeat.

Palma Centro was actually one of my THRILL experiences from the entire six weeks.

Because recurring events can change, I’d check Palma Centro’s current schedule and vendors rather than assuming it’ll be exactly the same as when I visited.

My Favorite Italian Restaurant in Tulum

Il Bacaro — The Pecan Pasta I Kept Going Back For

Six weeks is a long time to eat the same cuisine every day.

Sometimes I wanted pasta.

And Il Bacaro became my favorite Italian restaurant in Tulum.

This wasn’t somewhere I tried once and forgot about. I ate there several times during my stay and visited both locations.

The standout for me was a pecan pasta that I loved enough to order during my repeat visits.

I also tried the carpaccio.

Il Bacaro became one of those restaurants that was easy to suggest whenever someone asked where we should go for dinner because I already knew I liked it.

And after spending six weeks somewhere, I think the restaurants you voluntarily return to tell you much more than the places you tried once because they appeared on a recommendation list.

What I’d order again: The pecan pasta.

Also tried: Carpaccio.

Would I go back? Absolutely.

One I’d Probably Skip Next Time

Xibak — Fine, But Not a Must for Me

I also stopped at Xibak for happy hour.

And this is where having six weeks in Tulum helps because I don’t feel like I need to tell you every restaurant I visited was amazing.

Xibak was okay.

I have photos from our visit, and we had a perfectly fine time, but compared with the restaurants and food experiences I found myself genuinely excited to repeat, this wasn’t one of them.

I wouldn’t necessarily tell someone not to go.

But if you only have a few days in Tulum and you’re deciding where to spend your meals, there are other places on this list I’d prioritize first.

Would I go back? Probably not when there are so many other places I’d rather revisit.

Best Rooftop Food and Pool-Day Atmosphere

Hunab Rooftop at Motto by Hilton Tulum — Pool Days + Nachos

Because I visited Tulum during heavy sargassum season, I ended up spending a lot more time at pools than on the beach.

And Hunab Rooftop at Motto by Hilton became one of my favorite places for a pool afternoon.

I loved the music and atmosphere, but this also became another one of those places where I found something I liked and ordered it every time: the nachos.

They were great.

There was something about spending the afternoon by the rooftop pool with music, sunshine, drinks and a plate of nachos that became one of my favorite easy Tulum experiences.

It was exactly what I wanted when the sargassum made the beach less appealing.

What I’d order again: The nachos.

Would I go back? Absolutely.

If you’re not staying at the hotel, I’d confirm the current pool-access policy before visiting.

Tantra Beach Club — Some of the Freshest Ceviche I’ve Ever Had

Tantra was my favorite beach club during this trip, but it also deserves a spot on this list for the food.

I had the ceviche, and it was genuinely some of the freshest ceviche I’ve ever had.

That’s saying something considering I’ve eaten plenty of ceviche while traveling through Mexico and other beach destinations.

The only downside during this particular trip was something completely outside Tantra’s control: the sargassum.

It was bad enough that I had very little interest in actually spending time on the beach, but I still loved the beach-club experience itself—and the ceviche alone is something I’d order again.

What I’d order again: Ceviche.

Would I go back? Absolutely, although I’d personally prefer to return outside of heavy sargassum season.

Casual Food Finds

Asian Bodega — A Food-Truck Find

Another casual food stop from my stay was Asian Bodega.

One thing I appreciated about Tulum was having options beyond the restaurants and beach clubs that dominate travel recommendations.

Food trucks and smaller casual spots gave us more flexibility, especially when we weren’t interested in making dinner a big event.

Asian Bodega was one of those finds. I never would have imagined I’d be eating a tofu fried rice in Tulum while attempting to salsa dance, but this was a repeatedly reality.

The Rappi Smash Burger I’ll Never Forget

This might be the least glamorous recommendation in this entire article.

But I have to mention it.

During my stay, I discovered Rappi, which we used regularly to order both groceries and restaurant food to the apartment.

And somewhere along the way, we ordered a smash burger that was so good I still remember it.

Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name of the restaurant.

Which is frustrating, because I’d absolutely order it again.

But it was a reminder that some of the best food discoveries happen when you’re not even trying to find them.

Sometimes you’re just hungry, working from home and scrolling through delivery options.

What About Eating in Aldea Zama?

Since I stayed in Aldea Zama, I spent quite a bit of time exploring the restaurants and cafés around the neighborhood.

Being able to walk to brunch or grab something nearby was one of the reasons I loved the location.

I also noticed several businesses around the neighborhood appeared to be closed during my stay, and one restaurant I ate at frequently has since permanently closed.

That’s something worth keeping in mind when researching where to eat in Tulum.

The restaurant scene can change, so I’d be cautious about building an itinerary around recommendations from an older blog post without checking them first.

That doesn’t change how I feel about Aldea Zama, though.

I’d absolutely stay in the neighborhood again.

Is Eating Out in Tulum Expensive?

This is one of the things that surprised me.

Tulum has a reputation for being expensive.

And certain parts of it absolutely are.

Beach clubs, in particular, can get pricey.

But after spending six weeks there, I found that eating in Tulum didn’t have to mean spending a fortune on every meal.

We mixed restaurants with street tacos, food trucks, cooking at home and ordering delivery.

Some days meant brunch at Alma Verde or dinner at Il Bacaro.

Other days meant tacos.

And sometimes we stayed home and ordered something on Rappi.

I think the biggest difference comes down to which version of Tulum you’re trying to experience.

If you’re eating every meal at high-end beach clubs and trendy restaurants, your food budget will look very different from someone mixing those experiences with casual local spots.

For me, that balance was part of what made spending six weeks there so enjoyable.

Where I’d Actually Eat Again in Tulum

After six weeks, these are the places and experiences that stand out most:

For brunch: Alma Verde — and I’m ordering the eggs Benedict again.

For a cute Aldea Zama brunch: Café Maya-Xel and the avocado toast.

For Italian: Il Bacaro, especially the beef carpaccio and pecan pasta.

For tacos: Street tacos, Tropi Tacos and Taco Flako.

For a rooftop afternoon: Hunab Rooftop at Motto.

For a beach-club day: Tantra.

For food + an actual experience: Palma Centro.

And Xibak? It was fine, but with limited time I’d choose one of the places above instead.

Final Thoughts on Where to Eat in Tulum

One of the best things about spending six weeks in Tulum was not having to rush through everything.

I could return to restaurants I loved.

I could discover somewhere new on a random weekday.

I could spend a long afternoon at a rooftop pool, grab street tacos on the way home or meet friends for food and dancing at Palma Centro.

And while I certainly enjoyed some of Tulum’s more polished restaurants and beach clubs, a lot of my favorite food memories came from the more casual experiences.

If you’re planning your first trip to Tulum, I’d make room for both.

Enjoy the beautiful restaurants.

Have a beach-club afternoon.

But don’t forget the street tacos, neighborhood cafés and food trucks.

And if you find yourself at Alma Verde for brunch, you already know what I’m ordering.

READ NEXT: I Spent 6 Weeks in Tulum: Here’s What It Was Really Like for more about staying in Aldea Zama, getting around, working remotely and what surprised me most about an extended stay in Tulum.

Xx Sylvia