Trendy Tulum Feasting — A Petite and Solo Wayfarer

When I arrived in Tulum after a 4 hour flight and 1-1/2 hour drive from Cancun, I was famished. Apart from their newly refurbished Palapa-roof restaurant which accidentally burned down two months prior on Valentine's Day, my ultimate delight once arriving to La Zebra Tulum was recognizing the Mulberry Project Bar logo on the beach. Mulberry Project in New York on famous Mulberry street is a cool speakeasy known for its bespoke custom-crafted cocktails. You mention your poison - sweet, bitter, citrusy, tangy, herby, spicy and they will execute your drink as you like it.

Mulberry Project collaborated with La Zebra Tulum with a pop-up bar on the beach since November 2015 until May 2016. The mixologist is actually one of the co-owners of the bar in New York. I enjoyed thirst-satisfying, tasty cocktails at this pop-up for most of my stay at La Zebra. When asked, the bartender also made me a healthy concoction of pineapple juice, seltzer, fresh ginger and bitters when I had an upset stomach. I think he may have saved my life.

Mulberry Project pop-up is an excellent reprieve on the beach with great bartenders to match. It was easy to strike up a conversation with them and a group of women I encountered one afternoon was asking one of them about the best places to dine in Tulum. The most famous restaurant in Tulum is Hartwood located on jungle road. Hartwood is notoriously known for being the hardest restaurant to get in. They do not take reservations and patrons are willing to stand outside on line for hours to make same day reservations. This is the long line in front of the establishment that I observed on my way from the airport to the hotel. The line starts around 1:00pm in the peak heat of the afternoon while the mosquitoes make a feast out of the patient wannabes, hoping to snag a table. The bartender acknowledged it was an excellent restaurant but not worth cutting into the day in order to get a table. He instead suggested ARCA an equally fine restaurant to frequent which is literally next door. Another restaurant he suggested not to miss is Kitchen Table.

Some of my best meals were at La Zebra Tulum for breakfast and lunch. La Zebra offered contemporary Mexican cuisine overlooking the blue Caribbean Sea. At the time, mild construction was taking place to finish building a long, wraparound bar towards the back of the restaurant. By the time I left the hotel, the bar was fully operating. The tables are wonderfully hand-painted with various themes by a local artist, Enrique Diaz and every morning I chose "La Corona", a depiction of a crown which I fell in love with. Rather, my vanity feel in love with.

One of the picturesque places to dine and take in the beauty of the magic of Tulum after visiting the ruins is Mezzanine. Mezzanine is a chic boutique hotel near the start of the Playa zone. It is also part of the Colibri Boutique Hotels brand and affiliated with La Zebra Tulum. This restaurant offered the best Thai food in Tulum with a breathtaking view overlooking the Caribbean sea, After a couple of hours at the Tulum ruins, catching a thirst-quenching drink and satisfying lunch at Mezzanine is the perfect way to end the hot morning or afternoon at the archeological site.

I enjoyed a tremendously delicious dinner at Simple Tulum located on jungle road near La Zebra. Simple specializes in fresh seafood and catch of the day grilled over an open fire and seasoned or served with homemade marinades, rubs and salsas. I chose the Red Snapper from the Catch of the Day menu, prepared with a garlic-parsley rub called talla. The owner, Ava, who greeted me enthusiastically when I arrived suggest that I have the whole fish split in two so that I may enjoy the fish two ways with another garlic-guajillo based rub called ajillo. Overall the fish course was excellently executed and seasoned well, accompanied by a wonderful glass of Sauvignon Blanc recommended by the server.

The first word that came to mind when I walked into ARCA was sexy. It is funny how an outdoor space in the middle of the jungle managed to create an intimate, sultry space. ARCA is a large space but it was comprised mostly of large tables, possibly meant for large parties or even for communal style. I could only see a few two-tops at the back of the restaurant. I was seated at the bar which I didn't mind considering I was dining solo and proceeded to order from a menu I was accustomed to seeing in New York; roasted bone marrow, quail salad, braised lamb shank. It was a welcomed surprise. My starter included the roasted bone marrow followed by the baby octopus confit with navy beans, kale and bacon. My dinner was sublime. Two drinks later and with no room left for dessert, I enjoyed a nice conversation with a couple from Boston for a little while and made my way back to the hotel (in the dark of the jungle road).