Best Downtown Tulum Restaurants
Best Downtown Tulum Restaurants
If you’re visiting Tulum and you’re staying downtown, you will see that there’s a lot going on in the area.
Tulum has a fun downtown area! On Avenida Tulum there are some great hotels, bars, shops, and, of course, some great restaurants!
Here are some of the best downtown Tulum restaurants.
Good to Know First!
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The Restaurants!
Here is a map that shows you where these restaurants are.
Also, you can check out hotels and book your hotel for your time in Tulum here.
Papi Tulum
This place is a hidden gem during the day or evening. It’s right on the main Avenida Tulum.
At first you think it’s just a little restaurant, but it’s so much more!
You can sit out front on the patio, or inside at the bar, or in the back of the restaurant too!
At the back of the restaurant there is an indoor pool! You can go into the pool and drink or eat from the ledge of the pool!
They have fans and air conditioning to help with the hot days in the back of the restaurant.
They have a fun vibe with hats on the wall, fun neon signs, and of course, the pool!
We really enjoyed the food that was packed with flavour like these hand-made tortilla chips for our nachos. They have tacos, gringas, burritos, alambre, guacamole and drinks!
El Papi Tulum is located on Avenida Tulum, the main street, Manzana 22.
You can’t miss El Papi Tulum it’s the place with the huge lit up TACO sign.
They also sometimes have someone out front in different costumes such as a clown costume trying to scare people. You have been warned. lol!
Taqueria La Chiapaneca
This is definitely a hot spot for locals and taco lovers! They have tacos, quesadillas, salbutes, panuchos, tostadas, and tortas.
In particular, don’t miss out on the Al Pastor Tacos!! Check out my video below on the process of making Al Pastor tacos at Taqueria La Chiapaneca.
It’s not a fancy spot at all, in fact, it’s kind of basic with a few things on the wall, but it can get quite busy. They do tacos and other Mexican dishes fast and great!
This restaurant is quick and straight forward.
They bring you your tacos or whatever you order, then you go to the salsa and toppings station where you can add what you choose.
You can sit inside the restaurant or the side outdoor patio.
I recommend this place if you’re looking for lunch or to satisfy a late night craving for tacos.
This restaurant is located at Called (street) Acuario Nte 3 on Avenida Tulum, which is the main road.
It opens at 10:00am and closes at 11:00pm 6 days a week. They are closed on Mondays.
La Hoja Verde
We chose this restaurant when we wanted a break from tacos and wanted some healthier meals.
We ate at La Hoja Verde, which means the green leaf, for breakfast and dinner on different days.
I actually recommend both; if you’re looking to get some vitamins and eat some lighter food, but still filling.
They have freshly squeezed fruit juices and green juice smoothies and drinks to quench your thirst and rehydrate your body.
The environment is very nice with positive messages and natural decor.
They specialize in vegan and vegetarian dishes.
La Hoja Verde is on Beta Sur S/N, just around the corner from Avenida Tulum, the main street across town.
It’s open daily for breakfast at 8:00am and they close at 11:00pm daily.
Batey Mojito & Guarapo Bar
This bar is very cool and laid back with a great vibe!
There is a different type of live music everyday like flamenco, reggae, singer song writers, jam rock and more.
This bar has actually been around for over 10 years now.
I would say that the most iconic thing about this bar are the mojitos!
They have this awesome Volkswagon Beetle that has been transformed into a machine to make fresh sugar cane juice!
It’s awesome! In fact, I tried it!
There is a handle that you turn by hand to squeeze the sugar cane through the gears to get the juice.
So, of course the mojitos are fantastic.
Maybe you’re wondering what a guarapo is. Well, it’s a fermented drink with sugar cane juice.
This bar has good food too. At first, I thought it was just a place for drinks and music, but as I looked around I saw lots of people with burritos, guacamole, and tacos.
Batey Mojito & Guarapo Bar is located at Called Centauro Sur N 7 between Avenida Tulum and Andromeda Oriente.
From the main road, Avenida Tulum, it’s about a 1 minute walk.
Babel Cafe
Personally, I loved this place for breakfast.
They also have good wifi and a large table dedicated to people working on computers.
There signs say “hecho con amor” which means made with love.
I found all of the food to be fairly quick and not greasy.
They have yummy waffles, bagel sandwiches, salads, hamburgers, shakes, and desserts.
As you can see, it is opened concept, but they do have fans.
I recommend this place if you’re looking for something fresh that is not deep-fried or
too heavy. It has a quiet and calm atmosphere, and it’s convenient as it’s on Avenida Tulum.
Babel Cafe is a great place to sit and work or use the wifi to catch up with people as you sip on a natural drink and some great food.
Babel Cafe is located on Avenida Tulum close to the municipal square.
It’s open from 8:00am until 10:00pm daily.
Los Cantaritos Tequileros
Los Cantaritos Tequileros is located on Avenida Tulum a few blocks past the municipal plaza.
This is actually a new place! I mean very new, my husband and I went there on the 2nd day that they opened!
They are bringing the style of the Jalisco Tequila Cantaritos to Quintana Roo.
If you don’t know what a cantarito is, check out the video below!
They actually have 4 different sizes of cantaritos. They use they clay-type of cups and mix tequila with juices. Which size would you get??
It is very nice!
They have a fun party vibe with salsa, merengue, cumbia and more playing throughout their open-concept restaurant.
Although, I do recommend wearing flat shoes as the floor in little pebbles, actually this is something that I noticed at many restaurants in Tulum. I assume it helps when there’s heavy rain…
We had already ate when we discovered this new place, but they have food chicken wings, tacos, huaraches, molcajetes, seafood, guacamole and other Mexican dishes.
They have an impressive bar full of tequilas, mezcals, and other alcohols, however I recommend a cantarito!
You can see the 4 different sizes of cantaritos on the bar that you get to choose from, after that you choose your tequila. They a page full of tequilas and mezcals for you to choose from.
They are opened every day from 1:30pm until 1:00am.
I recommend checking out this place for late night dinner, snacks and drinks, afterwards you can dance to the tunes or chill on their open-concept patio area.
Go for the good vibes and fun atmosphere as well as the drinks!
Burgerito
This place has a beautiful jungly back patio, an indoor area and a front street patio too.
They have these awesome cheesy fries that they load up with different toppings and hand-made burgers!
They have vegetarian options and a lot of meat options too.
For example, you can get a beef burger, chicken burger or veggie burger.
I recommend sitting in the back area that they call the garden. It’s open concept and surrounded by trees and plants. They do have some awnings and umbrellas as well as lots of trees and plants to offer protection from the elements.
Burgerito is is opened everyday except Tuesday. They start breakfast at 8:00am and close at 10:00pm
Burgerito is located on Avenida Tulum 21.
El Camello Jr.
This is a seafood place that is buzzing with locals.
Although it’s on the main Avenida Tulum, it’s a little further past the bus terminal a few blocks and on the outskirts of the downtown area.
They have indoor dining and an outdoor patio out front too.
You can order things like guacamole, nachos, rice, and hamburgers.
The true stars of this restaurant are there seafood dishes like there ceviches, fish fillets, seafood soup, and seafood skewers.
El Camello Jr. is opened from 10:30am until 10:00pm daily, except for Wednesdays.
It’s located past the bus station on Avenida Tulum, on the same side as the municipal park at Carretera Chetumal-Cancun (which is Avenida Tulum continued) Manzana 40.
Casa Chilaquil
This is a great place to check out for breakfast. Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast.
Chilaquiles are tortilla chips with a salsa on them. They are covered in salsa and topped with something of your choice like fried eggs or steak.
They also have smoothies, egg dishes, bagels, enchiladas and desserts.
This is a calm and chill place with wifi to get breakfast, brunch, or lunch.
Casa Chilaquil is open daily for breakfast and lunch from 8:00am to 1:00pm.
It’s located between Calle (street) Beta and Orion Norte on Avenida Tulum.
Las Margaritas
This is a popular dinner and happy hour bar on the main road.
They have a fun atmosphere with a patio area on the sidewalk out front.
They have 2 for 1 specials on drinks, and yes, you can order just 1 drink first and get the other later.
Las Margaritas has English speaking servers and caters to English speaking tourists well.
They have Mexican traditional dishes like nachos, burritos, tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, alambre, molcajetes, seafood, and more.
They also have some pasta dishes, and vegetarian options such as omelettes, soup, quesadillas, and stuffed peppers.
Las Margaritas also serves breakfast.
Las Margaritas is located on Avenida Tulum, which is the main through road downtown. It’s across from the ADO bus station.
Enjoying Downtown Tulum
Downtown Tulum is a good place to chill, party, mingle, and eat!
Although there are some clubs and bars, there are also some chilled out places.
Also, you will notice a lot of swing sets.
It’s nice to walk after lunch or dinner, then chill on the swings with ice cream from Aldo’s.
Aldo’s is a chain restaurant that you can find in many places in Tulum. I have also seen Aldo’s in other Mexican destinations like Cancun and Playa Del Carmen.
Which downtown restaurant is your style?
Which restaurant do you prefer?
Maybe you want a local restaurant and some tacos, or maybe you’re craving something with more vitamins and you head to a cafe to chill.
Tours in & around Tulum
Are you looking to book some tours for you trip to Tulum. You can check out your options, and even book, right here using Viator.
Where to Stay in Tulum
There are many different unique and interesting hotels in Tulum. There a lot in the beach area, obviously the hotel zone, and lots in the downtown area too!
Check some out here with booking.com.
How to get around Tulum
Transportation can be interesting in Tulum.
There are no city buses, but they have big white vans called ‘colectivos’.
They cost some where between 20-50 pesos depending on where you’re going and which route you’re on.
You can also choose to walk, or take a taxi if your location is further.
They have lots of rentals here to accommodate the transportation issue.
You can rent a 4 wheeler, a scooter, a bicycle, a motorcycle, a car and an electric scooter.
If you’re looking for some destinations that are close to Tulum, check out:
Mexico Travel Tips
If you’re looking for some travel tips about travelling in Mexico, check out these blogs.
Best Mexico Travel Tips! (Read Before You Go)
Besides being a travel blogger, I am also a travel writer, Amazon author and an English teacher. Check out my services here!
