Hartwood
Mexican restaurant · Tulum
Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila 7-6Km, Tulum Beach, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., Mexico
Highlights
Wood-fired seafood, cocktails, and jungle ambiance. Reservations essential.
Wood-fired seafood, cocktails, and jungle ambiance. Reservations essential.
"Andrea Gentl & Martin Hyers GentlandHyers.com Hartwood is buzzing from the second the doors open at 5:30pm. Couples share pineapple ceviches or lobsters big enough to have their own seat by candlelight, at tables that look like they were carved out of a tree trunk. Come here with a group so you can split things like gamba mayas in a nutty, spicy sauce, or ceviche tropical served in a half coconut spilling over with chunks of white fish and fruit, or sea bass with skin crisped to perfection. It’s hard to make a bad decision here, except for the occasional misstep (like a sweet potato side that’s a little too sweet). You’ll have to email a few weeks ahead to get a table, but we promise it’s worth it." - barbara gutierrez, rianne shlebak
"Hartwood is buzzing from the second the doors open at 5:30pm. Couples share pineapple ceviches or lobsters big enough to have their own seat by candlelight, at tables that look like they were carved out of a tree trunk. The menu is scrawled on a giant blackboard, which is taken to each group and explained, dish by dish and very loudly, by the server. Come here with a group so you can split things like gamba mayas in a nutty, spicy sauce, or ceviche tropical served in a half coconut spilling over with chunks of white fish and tropical fruit, or sea bass with skin crisped to perfection. It’s hard to make a bad decision here, except for the occasional misstep (like a sweet potato side that’s a little too sweet). You’ll have to email a few weeks ahead to get a table, but we promise it’s worth it. Food Rundown photo credit: Rianne Shlebak Gambas Mayas These grilled prawns would be great on their own. Add the sweet and spicy bright orange sauce underneath, and they're better than great. photo credit: Rianne Shlebak Ceviche Tropical Of all the ceviches on offer in Tulum, this might be the most extravagant. The huge half coconut it’s served in is soaked in the tangy juices of the citrus sauce, rounding out the dish with a just-sweet-enough touch. photo credit: Rianne Shlebak Arrachera Angus Don’t worry about telling the server how to cook your steak—Harwood has it under control. The skirt steak beef is super tender, the potatoes on the side are nice and crispy on the outside and fluffy inside, and all-in-all it’s one satisfying main. photo credit: Rianne Shlebak Filete De Robalo What this sea bass fillet lacks in size it makes up for in gorgeous, buttery texture, offset by the crispy skin. If you’ve never eaten fish skin before, this might change you forever. photo credit: Rianne Shlebak Camotes Of everything we tried at Hartwood, this is the only thing we didn’t like. The way-too-sweet sweet potato is baked and then doused in so much cinnamon until it—and anyone eating it—can hardly breathe." - Rianne Shlebak
"A Guide-favorite restaurant in Tulum, known for its entirely wood-burning kitchen and live fire cooking style, focusing on local ingredients and flavors." - David Shortell
"Maintaining respect for the community and environment, chef Eric Werner leads the team at one of Tulum’s most renowned restaurants as they forage in the surrounding areas, source ingredients from local markets, and cook freshly caught seafood over fire. The chef leaves local Mexican food culture in the hands of Tulum’s traditional cooks; he focuses on cooking in Mexico, rather than cooking Mexican cuisine. In reality, that translates to sea bream filets, Caribbean lobster, and arrachera cuts of Angus beef cooked on a wood-fired grill, served simply with bitter greens and roasted vegetables. Seated under simple white awnings on a gravel floor, the restaurant evokes a Tulum before the hype." - Bill Esparza
"To get a table at Michelin-recommended Hartwood, you’ll need to fill out a form on their website. If there’s an opening, they’ll get back to you. Sounds simple, but as popular as Hartwood is, you’ll want to do this as far ahead of time as you can or you’ll be left trying to snag a seat at the bar. As well regarded as it is, Hartwood is stripped back to the basics. The restaurant is“off-grid:” Solar panels supply energy and everything’s cooked over an open fire, the restaurant claiming a zero carbon footprint. The owners, New York natives Eric Werner and Mya Henry, wanted the restaurant to feel like a shipwreck hastily put together with what they had on hand after a storm. The menu, which changes daily based on what’s freshest at markets across the Yucatán, is written on a blackboard, featuring favorites like the wood-roasted beet with a dollop of avocado-habanero cream and ceviche flavored with ginger and mezcal or local grapefruit." - Lee Musho
