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From fresh Caribbean seafood and juicy street tacos to authentic Italian cuisine and vegan cafes, Tulum has no shortage of chic restaurants and local eateries.
Whether spending the day in Tulum Pueblo or beaching it up in the expensive Tulum Hotel Zone, you will be spoiled for choice.
After moving to Tulum as a digital nomad and having lived in the town for several months, we’ve had many opportunities to test out the vibrant restaurant scene.
Eating out in Tulum can be super budget-friendly, extremely expensive, or somewhere between.
It all depends on where you go!
In this foodie guide, I’m sharing my favorite places to eat around town.
Best Restaurants in Tulum: Where to Eat & Drink
This food guide to Tulum includes both budget-friendly and expensive options.
Although this guide highlights more local and down-to-earth restaurants, there are still a few spendier places where you can splash out for a special occasion.
I’ve been to more laidback, local restaurants than the “chic” ones in the hotel zone, but I’ll list them anyway since we all have different tastes.
I also prefer to support businesses in town since most (if not all) restaurants in the Hotel Zone run off diesel generators.
Below are some of the best Tulum restaurants and quick details about their menu, prices, locations, and opening hours.
This guide mainly covers where to eat in Tulum Town, with a few places to eat in Tulum’s Hotel Zone (plus my suggestion for the best beachfront restaurant).
Feel free to scroll through depending on what you’re looking for!
A quick note on tipping in Tulum: Tipping is a part of Mexican culture, similar to the USA. For restaurants, 10% is usually the base tip, which means everything is OK.
15% is the standard “good tip” and usually implies everything was very good or excellent. We usually give 18-20%, especially when the service and food are lovely.
1. Restaurant “TÚ”
- Prices: $$+ | $200-500 pesos pp
- Menu: Gastropub, Earthy Dishes, Cocktails
- Location: Calle Andromeda Ote, Tulum Centro
- Hours: 6 PM – 1 AM
TÚ is tucked away off a perpendicular street in Tulum Pueblo, away from the crowds on Calle Centauro.
It’s the perfect place for creative tacos or vegan snacks.
We went here one evening as a last hoorah when my sister was in town, and it was one of the best food experiences we’ve had in Tulum.
While we haven’t been for lunch, I can vouch for the evening atmosphere; its cozy lamps and table candles illuminate the polished concrete walls and minimalist decor to create a comfortable touch.
Everything, from the attentive service and laid-back seating to the unique cocktails and earthy food, sets the perfect ambiance.
Tú’s menu takes you to the “roots” of traditional Mexican ingredients like huitlacoche risotto with fish, baked sweet potatoes with vegan mayo, chile-crusted tuna steak, and mussels bathed in a savory sausage broth. Oh, and their dessert flan is definitely “OMG” worthy!
2. La Hoja Verde (Favorite Vegan Restaurant in Tulum)
- Prices: $$ | $150-300+ pesos pp
- Menu: Vegan/Vegetarian | Buddha Bowls, Curry, Tacos, Pasta
- Location: Calle Beta Sur, Tulum Centro
- Hours: 8 AM – 10:00 PM
La Hoja Verde is one of my top restaurant recommendations in Tulum Pueblo for lunch and dinner if you appreciate creative vegan food.
While their menu has fabulous food, the trilogy tacos with soy, gluten, and mushrooms are a hit.
And if you love soy, their smoked soy sandwich served with rustic potatoes and tangy mustard is AMAZING. (It’s called “sandwich de barbacoa” on the menu).
Their cocktails are pretty good, too (get the mezcalina if you like mezcal), and cost around $190 pesos.
La Hoja Verde is located on Calle Beta Sur, just off the main avenue in Tulum Town. You can’t miss it!
Tip: Go for lunch for a smaller crowd, or get there early for dinner to enjoy an evening ambiance with cozy lights and live music.
3. Botanica Garden Cafe
- Prices: $ | $100-250+ pesos pp
- Menu: Brunch | Homemade toasts, Omelettes, Quiche, Salad/Fries, Desserts
- Location: Andromeda Ote Manzana 16 (just two blocks from Ave. Coba)
- Hours: 8 AM – 3 PM
Botanica is still a hidden gem, but thanks to its inspiring garden atmosphere, filled with plants, earthy decor, and delicious food, it’s quickly becoming one of the best restaurants in Tulum.
We discovered this quaint cafe while cruising around our neighborhood on our bikes.
We are so glad we went in because it’s become one of our favorite go-to places for brunch!
Their tartine toasts with house-baked bread are a menu highlight (avo toast, salmon, roast beef, and baked beetroot are some options).
They also have delicious homemade quiche, eggplant flatbread, omelets, and side dishes like fresh salad or fries.
They make excellent fruit juices, like pineapple with basil, and always have great-tasting coffee and lattes. Plus, the kitchen staff and servers are super welcoming and friendly!
Tip: Botanica has a community vibe and offers special creative classes you can join on certain days, like language immersion or painting! You can also bring your laptop and work for a few hours while you eat/drink (a great option for digital nomads in Tulum). 💻
4. Del Cielo
- Prices: $$ | $150-350+ pesos pp
- Menu: Brunch | Eggs Benedict, Smoothies, Chilaquiles, French Toast, Baked Goods
- Location: Satélite Sur 5, Tulum Centro
- Hours: 8 AM – 2:30 PM
Del Cielo is a tropical restaurant in Tulum Town known for its gourmet “heavenly breakfast” and lunch.
It is one of the most popular brunch restaurants in town, so go early to get a seat!
Their menu is loaded with tasty brunch food, with options for vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
They have many egg dishes, like eggs benedict (my favorite is the Avocado Florentine) and Mexican chilaquiles or huevos rancheros.
For drinks, you can get typical brunch-style options like fresh green smoothies, juices, coffee/tea, etc.
As for the atmosphere, they have both indoor/outdoor seating in a tropical, plant-filled setting.
5. Bonita Burger Bar
- Prices: $-$$ | $200-300 pesos pp
- Menu: Burger Bar | Meat/Vegan options, Fries, Aperol + Cocktails
- Location: Calle Beta Sur, Tulum Centro
- Hours: 3-11 PM
Bonita is our go-to place for a no-frills meal (burgers!) in a lovely outdoor garden.
They are located just beside La Hoja Verde, so if one is too busy, we usually end up at the other. I can’t speak for the beef burgers, but the chicken and vegan patties are tasty!
You can order a side of garlic or parmesan fries for a little extra. We’ve also tried their blue cheese fries with caramelized onions and vegan cheese fries with vegan chorizo!
I always get a margarita here because they do it the way I like it: not too strong and with lots of salt (lol). Their Aperol spritz creations are also a hit on the menu.
Tip: Don’t leave your extra pocket change at the hotel because musicians are always coming around to play music (and ask for tips).
6. Moro (@ Habitas)
- Prices: $$$+ | $500+ MXN pp
- Menu: Sustainable Gastronomy
- Location: Habitas Tulum (Beachfront eco-hotel)
- Hours: 10-10 PM
Moro is one of Tulum’s top gastronomic restaurants. It is located inside the eco-friendly hotel and beach club Habitas.
The atmosphere is dreamy, with sand between your toes and beautiful, open-air architecture.
You can also come here for breakfast and lunch for a cheaper meal, but their dinner menu is filled with combinations you won’t find elsewhere in Tulum.
We ate here for dinner one particular evening to ring in Paul’s 31st birthday. The food and mixology bar didn’t disappoint, but you won’t be able to budget here.
The minimum spend per person to spend a day at their beach club is $100 USD.
Keep in mind that this restaurant is for adults only!
7. Villa Pescadores Beachfront Restaurant
- Prices: $$+ | $200+ MXN pp
- Menu: Gourmet Mexican | Fish Tacos, Tostadas, Seafood
- Location: Playa Pescadores
- Hours: 11:30 AM – 6 PM
Villa Pescadores is an eco-rustic beachfront hotel and restaurant owned by the Ahau Tulum Hotel Collection.
You can eat at the beachfront restaurant here even if you are not a guest.
It is one of the best places for lunch on Tulum beach if you spend the day on the public beach (Playa Pescadores).
The menu is packed with fresh seafood and Mexican dishes and doesn’t disappoint! We had tuna tostadas and fish tacos here with the turquoise blue Caribbean as our view.
If you want a beachfront restaurant experience but don’t want to spend much on a beach club, come to Villa Pescadores!
8. Akuma Tiger
- Prices: $$+ | $300-600+ pesos pp
- Menu: Japanese Fusion | Sushi, Ngiri, Seafood, Vegetarian & Vegan options
- Location: Calle Polar Pte, Tulum Centro
- Hours: 6:30 – 11:30
You might be surprised to find that Tulum is a hotspot for sushi!
Akuma Tiger is one of the best sushi restaurants in town, in the center of Tulum Pueblo.
A fusion of Japanese and Mexican cuisines, you’ll find everything from inventive starters like the Spicy Tuna Nori Tacos to Shrimp and Philadelphia Kushiague, a take on a fried Philadelphia roll.
There are also a few vegan options, like the Kyu roll and vegan spring rolls.
While this isn’t a budget option, it’s worth the splurge for excellent sushi! One roll costs between $120 and $280 pesos, while a ngiri platter costs between $310 and $480 pesos.
The ambiance is intimate and modern, with indoor and outdoor seating in their small courtyard.
Note: Unfortunately, Nao, one of my favorite Tulum sushi restaurants, closed. Akuma Tiger is a wonderful runner-up and highly rated on Google and TripAdvisor.
9. El Bajon Vegan Tacos
- Prices: $ | ~$100 pesos pp
- Menu: Vegan Tacos, Agua del Dia (Fruit Water)
- Location: Calle Sol junction with Calle Orion Sur, Centro
- Hours: 11:30 am to 8 pm (Monday-Friday), 11:30 am to 5:30 pm
El Bajon has the BEST vegan street tacos I’ve ever had.
Luckily, Bajón was the first Tulum restaurant we ate at when we moved here.
We just happened to stumble upon it after riding our bikes down our street and decided to have lunch there.
We’ve been a handful of times since, and each time is as satisfying as the last.
This place has only a few tables and gives you the feeling of being in small-town Mexico, eating street tacos—but without the meat!
These guys are passionate about veganism, but their tacos remain authentically Mexican.
Their vegan tacos are served on two hot corn tortillas and Mexican-style with a colorful plastic dish of spicy red onions, cilantro, lime, and salsas for you to garnish as you’d like.
The soy-based tacos are my favorite and truly tasty—you can hardly tell they’re not meat. I’d argue they’re better!
Tip: Right next door (actually, the two connect) is a vegan market and shop full of locally and ethically-made items, including eco-friendly hygiene products, recycled clothes, and vegan-based meats and cheeses in the fridge.
10. Raw Love
- Prices: $$+ | $200+ MXN pp
- Menu: Vegan & Healthy Raw Food
- Location: Pueblo & Beach
- Hours: 8 AM – 5 PM
Raw Love is one of the most popular Tulum restaurants, thanks to the grand entrance of the ‘Ven a la Luz’ art statue.
But little do people know that Raw Love has two locations—the first on the beach behind the famous art statue “Ven a la Luz” and the other in Tulum Pueblo. We’ve been to both.
Of course, the beach has the sandy floor and hippie vibe most are after when coming here. But the town location is just as cute and worth trying out.
We always go for the avocado toast with pickled purple sauerkraut and a smoothie bowl. You can’t go wrong visiting this popular (and healthy) cafe in Tulum. It’s a fantastic place to eat!
11. Street Food in Tulum
- Prices: $ | < $100 MXN pp
- Menu: Mexican Tacos, Tortas, Quesadillas, Desserts + Vegan Tacos/Pizza
- Location: Several locations
- Hours: Evening
You can’t visit Tulum (or Mexico) without exploring the local street food scene.
Tulum has a few places for this, but the best hotspot for street food is the night market behind the Plaza Municipio and Parque Dos Aguas, just off Avenida Tulum (Calle Sol Ote).
Here, you’ll find tacos al pastor, esquites and elotes (street corn), tortas (sandwiches), marquesitas (Mexican sweet “crepes”), and more! 🌽
Another awesome spot for street food is beside the Oxxo located at Av. Tulum Oriente Mza 6.
Here, the well-known Tacos y Tortas El Tio food cart serves cheap and authentic Mexican tacos, such as tacos al pastor with pork, chicken, beef, etc.
But if you enjoy vegan/vegetarian food, the cart beside it (Cordobesito?) features vegan tacos and pizza!
The vegan garlic pizza was super good, with a thin, wood-fired-tasting crust for being grilled on a food cart. The tacos were also delicious, with potatoes, jackfruit, and soy options.
12. Burrito Amor
- Prices: $$ | $150-200+ MXN pp
- Menu: Healthy Burritos + Juices
- Location: Av. Tulum Pte. entre Calle Sol Pte. y Calle Acuario
- Hours: 8 AM – 10 PM (Wed-Mon)
Burrito Amor is another classic choice for where to eat in Tulum, especially if it’s a delicious burrito you’re craving!
There isn’t much to say about this place other than that it’s delicious, fairly budget-friendly, and I love its tropical outdoor seating and airy interior.
Located in Tulum Pueblo, Burrito Amor has excellent food and service!
Their burritos contain healthy ingredients, such as black beans, avocado, nopal (cactus), pico de gallo, rice, and other yummy stuff.
You can also order organic eggs for breakfast, colorful salads, and a few sweet treats.
13. Ki’bok Coffee
- Prices: $$+ | $200+ MXN pp
- Menu: Mexican + American Brunch, Organic Coffee
- Location: Calle Centauro Sur Mz 05 Lt 11, Tulum Centro
- Hours: 7 AM – 9 PM
Ki’bok Coffee is perhaps Tulum Pueblo’s most popular place to dine for breakfast and lunch, but it’s not our favorite.
From dawn to dusk, it is always packed full of tourists.
The food is pretty good, and the drinks are always reliable (the chai latte is delicious!), but you feel like it’s a tourist trap.
They’ve become somewhat of a victim of their success.
It’s not the nicest ambiance or the quietest, especially in the back part of the restaurant in the “garden,” where the tables are close together and the sounds bounce off the wall.
Still, it’s popular for a reason, so if you need hearty breakfast food, come here!
14. Yaax Ik
- Prices: $$ $150-200+ MXN pp
- Menu: Mexican + Mayan Dishes
- Location: Calle Centauro Sur 249, Tulum Centro
- Hours: 8-12 AM
Yaax Ik is a beautiful open-air palapa restaurant with swings and fresh Mexican and Maya cuisine. We have visited on multiple occasions and had a great experience.
You can order something from the on-site taco cart, like tacos al pastor, or from the kitchen for a bigger meal, like seared salmon or lobster.
I can vouch for the tuna ceviche because it’s so good (if you like it). It comes with mango, chaya (Mayan spinach), and tortilla chips.
Pair with a mezcal cocktail or margarita, and you’ll have a delicious meal!
15. Matcha Mama
- Prices: $$+ | $200+ MXN pp
- Menu: Smoothies, Bowls, Matcha Drinks
- Location: Pueblo & Beach
- Hours: 8 AM – 6 PM
Matcha Mama is famous in Tulum for its tropical swing bar, delicious matcha smoothies, and acai bowls.
There are two Matcha Mama locations:
- the Instagram hotspot in Tulum’s Hotel Zone
- the Tulum Town location, tucked away on a semi-quiet street.
I prefer the one in the Pueblo as it’s less crowded, more spacious, and has a nice vibe.
Matcha Mama is a healthy and colorful cafe. We often come here after swimming in the Tulum cenotes or a long day and want a nice pick-me-up!
16. The Good Burger/Pizza
- Prices: $$-$$$ | $300-400+ MXN pp
- Menu: Burgers, Pizza, Ribs, Cocktails
- Location: Tulum Town
- Hours: 9 AM – 1 AM
The Good Burger and The Good Pizza are in the same building in Tulum Town.
The burger restaurant is on the ground floor and features menu items like wine, ribs, meats, and burgers, while the pizza restaurant is on the top floor and only serves pizza, a few apps, and cocktails.
We rarely went here for food, but we would head to the rooftop for a unique view of Tulum Pueblo while seated in these little cozy “pods” that hang out beyond the roof.
The cocktails here are expensive (around $200 MXN or $10 USD) but are pretty good. My favorite is made with Ancho Reyes liqueur (poblano chiles), mezcal, passion fruit, and lime and comes with a spicy rim. 🍹
17. IL Bacaro
- Prices: $$-$$$ | $200-300+ MXN pp
- Menu: Homemade Pastas, Pizzas, Wine, Desserts
- Location: Calle Centauro, Tulum Pueblo
- Hours: 11 AM – 11 PM
Il Bacaro features “authentic Italian” in Tulum, and they whip up the best pizzas (which we’ve tried).
Our favorite is the fresh Bresaola mozzarella pizza with cherry tomatoes, arugula, and Quatro Fromaggi pizza.
The vibe here is cozy, with open-air seating in a dark and jungly atmosphere.
The downside of eating out at Il Bacaro in Tulum is that they get busy quickly and early, so try to go a bit earlier in the evening to snag a seat.
They also have La Brasa, their sister restaurant, located just opposite. It looks nice and features a grill and wine bar.
Il Bacaro also delivers on tomato.mx (Tulum’s dedicated delivery service website) if you want pizza delivered to your house or hotel.
18. VIVO
- Prices: $$ | $150-200 MXN pp
- Menu: Vegan / Vegetarian | Mexican + American Brunch
- Location: Av. Tulum (World By Hand store)
- Hours: 9 AM – 4 PM
VIVO is an outdoor restaurant in Tulum, located at the home decor store World By Hand (which connects to the restaurant).
If you’re looking for a beautifully decorated and airy place to eat in Tulum with vegan and vegetarian cuisine, head to Vivo!
We came here for a late breakfast and had a great meal (avocado toast and fresh agua del dia). They also make homemade ravioli, plant-based burgers, smoothies, lattes, Buddha bowls, grilled veggies, and more.
If you are a digital nomad in Tulum, Vivo is also laptop-friendly (and pet-friendly, too!), so you can come here for a drink and work (charge your laptop before since there don’t seem to be many power outlets).
19 – Bonus! The Cetli Restaurant
Last but not least, I wanted to include Cetli here because we have heard great things about it (but never got to try it).
Cetli is located just outside of Tulum Town and features upscale Mexican cuisine, including inspiring mole dishes and frozen mezcals.
It is open from 7 AM – 10 PM. Let me know if you try it!
Other Tulum Restaurants That I Don’t Recommend
Try to be mindful of the restaurants you eat at while visiting Tulum, especially those that harm the environment, like Palo Santo, which is notorious for polluting nearby mangroves.
Others that I didn’t like either due to the food or business practices were Papaya Pizza & Co and Tres Galeones for their “hidden” gratuity.
While there are a few other restaurants in the Hotel Zone that I haven’t been to, they’re likely to be overrun with visitors.
I could mention dozens of other places where and where not to eat in Tulum town, but I think this list sums it up!
Here are my other travel guides to Tulum to check out!
Great restaurant suggestions. Have been trying many of them in our month in Tulum. And I wanted to love TÚ after reading your amazing review but it was a bit of a mixed bag for us. Gordita with nopal was amazing. And the entrees were very tasty but lacking in accompaniments outside of the main protein. Cocktails were creative but they take forever to prepare. But the most disappointing was the seating – when you’re dressed up and splurging on pricy dinner – you don’t want to be cowering over low coffee tables in the main room, That was a big miss. And they charge 5% extra for any credit card purchases.
Thanks for sharing! That is helpful to get your point of view, and I’m sure it’ll help other travelers. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out! Good to note about the credit card charge, too — I think they’ve increased that since we visited, unfortunately. Glad you’re enjoying all the other recommendations, though! Xx
Love the suggestions as there are a few vegan option places I haven’t been to yet.