Arca Tulum
Restaurant · Tulum ·
Open-fire cooking crafts unique micro-seasonal Mexican dishes
Open-fire cooking crafts unique micro-seasonal Mexican dishes
"Don't let its location along a very busy road in the touristy part of town fool you: Arca is every bit a can't-miss spot. This inviting open-air venue welcomes guests to three seatings each night. The menu changes frequently, as it's all based on what's freshest from their long list of farmers and trusted suppliers. Everything is cooked over the live fire, and dishes are complex in their mix of ingredients, with compelling presentation and flavor. Everything has been considered in this highly personalized, au courant cuisine. Some dishes, like the expertly seared octopus paired with a lively xcatic-based salsa, lentils, pickled radish and epazote, will linger long in your memory. Finally, mamey brûlée with caramel, pixtle ice cream and amaranth granola, is a worthy conclusion." - Michelin Inspector
"Did you come to Tulum to celebrate something? Do it at Arca. The menu at this well-designed jungleside spot changes seasonally, but you can expect dishes like roasted bone marrow, suckling pig, and mushroom or wagyu tlayudas. If you’re traveling solo, order a mezcal cocktail or two, like the Lost Martini or the Naked In Tulum, while you eat at the bar." - barbara gutierrez, rianne shlebak
"With a campsite kitchen and cozy, evening-picnic atmosphere, Arca should be at the top of your list for its artful, micro-seasonal cuisine, complete with ingredients that taste as if they were picked just beyond the fan palms surrounding the outdoor space. It’s the flagship restaurant of Mexican American chef José Luis Hinostroza, whose resume includes Alinea, El Celler de Can Roca, De Kromme Watergang, and Noma. The award-winning restaurant excels at seafood, whether Hinostroza’s signature taco — soft-shell crab in amaranth tempura posed upright on an hoja santa “tortilla,” buffeted by a crispy, spinach-like chaya that enhances the grassy flavor of grilled avocado — or an arresting scallop crudo resting in a black pen clam shell the size and shape of a tennis racket, a spectacle under a mist of dry ice. The lively, young crowd and busy cocktail bar strike a playful contrast here at Tulum’s most celebrated restaurant." - Bill Esparza
"Led by Noma alum chef José Luis Hinostroza, Michelin-recommended Arca comes stacked with accolades. While it’s one of the most awarded restaurants in the region, it’s also one of the least pretentious, set outdoors in the jungle of Tulum, with a fire roaring at one end of the space and a mirrored bar at the other. At Arca, Hinostroza wanted to intensify the flavors and textures of traditional Mexican dishes — and succeeded. The scallop crudo, served in a prehistorically large scallop shell, is tossed in a basil and coconut salsa verde and sprinkled with coriander flowers, alongside crackers made from dried scallop and puffed amaranth for dipping — not unlike a Southeast Asian prawn cracker with some added crunch and pop. Looking for classic flavors of the region? Start with Arca’s version of the traditional Mayan pumpkin seed dip, sikil pak: The smoked dip is made with habanero, tomatillo, squash, and coriander flowers, with a wooden spoon to mix it at the table. Some of the best dishes showcase Hinostroza’s international influence as a Southern California native. The Prawns from Campeche come in a morita chile butter bath reminiscent of massaman curry, with coconut flour roti for dipping. And the smoky crab esquites, tossed in a coconut crab bisque and served inside a crab head, could pass for a barbecue side — albeit, one of the best you’ve had. If there was ever a restaurant to order a cocktail, it’d be this one. The bar manager, Edson Sanchez Calderon, put together one of the most thrilling cocktail lists in the region. Opt for the Tropical Dragon, a cocktail made with Casamigos tequila washed with banana syrup, or The Lost Martini, with prickly pear spirits, wild agave mezcal, and St. Germain, and garnished with a cutting of seagrass that adds a fresh salinity to the classic cocktail." - Lee Musho
"Best known for its Mexican flavors in Tulum, Arca will have its cuisine featured in the collaborative event with Camphor and chefs Max Boonthanakit, Lijo George, and Luis Hinostroza on July 30, combining Arca’s Mexican flavors with Camphor’s French dishes for a six-course $295 dinner and a $75 cocktail experience on July 29–30 that includes two cocktails, canapés, and caviar; tickets are available on Resy under the ARCA Tulum Cocktail Experience." - Mona Holmes
