At 450-750 mxn per small dish, this place is so overpriced and overhyped. There’s a reason their online menu has no prices. The prices as of august 2024 has doubled to tripled since their 2019 menu because of all the hype around this restaurant. The portions are small and the staff expect and pressure you to order a lot and tip a lot.
Do yourself a favor and save your money. Eat better and cheaper food in Tulum Centro. Then visit an actual high end restaurant in Mexico City where you’ll leave full for $100+ usd/pp and the food and experience will be worth the price.
I’ve lost the link but you can find 2024 prices posted here by another reviewer and the 2019 menu is on TripAdvisor.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 4
Kevin Atkinson
Overall bad food. Very salty, Drinks mediocre, If you come from a respectable city with good restaurants I would pass on this place.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Arianna Di Foggia
A very welcoming and relaxing atmosphere. Exorbitant prices (but you know). The two ceviches were good, except for the prawns drowned in a sauce that disturbed their flavour. Out of two drinks, one very good and the other worth reviewing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
yousef
Arca Tulum is a destination in its own right, offering more than just a meal. Nestled amidst the teeming embrace of the Tulum jungle, the restaurant itself effortlessly blends into its open-air surroundings. With its interplay of natural light and shadows, it creates an ambiance that is both intimate and expansive.
The evening commenced with house cocktails - a smoky mezcal drink and a botanical gin-based cocktail. Then the food journey kicked off with the dzikilpak. A nice prelude consisting of smoky pumpkin seeds, imbued with a vibrant chive oil atop a crisp heirloom corn tostada, while the xoconostle added a tangy, tropical bite of complexity.
The bluefin tuna crudo was a study in great balance. The silky tuna was a canvas for the hibiscus and fermented plum aguachile. The morita chili added a subtle heat that elevated the dish without overpowering it, while the dulce seaweed and purple basil brought a harmonious composition.
The softshell crab taco was the evening’s crescendo. The tempura battered crab was the epitome of crispness, paired with the fermented habanero and salsa to achieve an impeccable balance of sweet, heat and umami - truly satisfying.
The bone marrow was a rich, sweet and smoky creation. The grilled pulque sourdough, with its subtle tang, and the serrano salsa provided the right counterbalance. It was a dish that demanded to be savored, slowly and deliberately.
The striped sea bass was yet another seafood dish defined by elegance. Seared in coconut oil, the fish and the accompanying green mole exhibited complex and nuanced flavors. The coconut and jícama slaw added a refreshing crunch and sweetness, balancing the dish.
While the details of the specific dessert have faded, the lingering impression of its sweet and overly satisfying finale remains.
Arca Tulum is a place where the service is precise. A place where the jungle and the sea come together on your plate. A place that you cannot help but linger long after the last bite.
Luca Rigazzi
Very trendy restaurant in the Tulum of clubs full of music. The menu has a choice of around 10 dishes, ideal for sharing at the center of the table. Execution and taste: excellent. Octopus is the best. They have two types of sparkling water: expensive like in all restaurants outside Italy. Reservation necessary. To improve: the music is too loud to talk while eating.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
AR
One of the best in Tulum amidst so much mediocrity, the food is excellent, the contrasts in its flavors both in its dishes and in its cocktails are exceptional. The attention and music are also very good. I will be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adrian Rayyan
Out of this worlddddddd! I never leave reviews !!!! A mustttttt
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
allan abou mrad
Quite original revisited Mexican cuisine! We took the tasting menu with my family (max 4 people) and frankly nothing to say, we were amazed by the mix of flavors offered, as well as the perfect service!
However, the place is quite dark, and there is a fairly annoying noise from the generator which contributes to the atmosphere of the restaurant.
I recommend !
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 5
Karel Miranda
The food was good, but it is expensive for the small portions they give and the waiter was not at all pleasant and gave very poor service, so we did not leave a big tip, which bothered him. There are many flies and it is not a comfortable place, for the price of the place I would expect a better atmosphere and service. It's an overrated place
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Kamilah Edwards
Visited while on my bachelorette. The ambiance and atmosphere was very intimate and the service was exceptional.
I will point out that this restaurant has a tapas style menu rather than plated meals. You’ll most likely order at least 5-6 dishes for the table (we dined as 3) to share.
In our opinion, loading up on protein helped with satisfaction, this isn’t the place you’d want to come extremely hungry.
ARCA is definitely more on the pricier side of dining in Tulum.The dishes are individually expensive (so be prepared to spend $$$) though most dishes bursted with flavor.
Table favorites: -Soft shell crab taco -Prawns -Bread (esp. dipped in sauce from prawns) -Cocktails & mocktails
Overall, I would recommend for the fine dining experience in Tulum.
Vegetarian options: Not extremely vegetarian friendly as the menu offers mostly seafood dishes.
Best place for fine dining in Tulum. The vibes are unmatched and the menu has exquisite flavors. Must get the bone marrow and aguachile scallops dish.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rocio Chireno
Excellent food and atmosphere, the attention is formidable. We came for my birthday and they were kind enough to give us an exquisite dessert. It is expensive for the additional amenities offered in the area. The amount of flies eating was also extremely annoying.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Darcy Ludington
Arca had fantastic food. Their bass dish had some of the best sauce I have ever eaten and I loved the cocktails.
Probably my favorite cocktails in all of Tulum because they knew how to work with the flavors of the alcohol!
Unfortunately, the atmosphere really hindered the food experience as we had to constantly shoo flies and mosquitoes away from us and our food. As my friend said "shooing these flies feels like a part time job".
I would recommend that they put candles and smoke at each table, if not a fan to push the bugs away as much as possible to better assist with the problem. They did try to use smoke every now and then but the bugs kept coming back. Given the price, I'd hope they would have a better solution for their patrons to enjoy the food.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Roasted Bone Marrow
Shaun Randall
The service was great, kind, and knowledgeable. Their recommendations were amazing. The scallop crudo in an acidic sauce and seabass in a poblano sauce were the best dishes. The cocktails were all pretty interesting, the white coffee was my favorite. The other dishes were ok but kind of small. Its not a great price to amount/quality. I would also go late as possible. Near sunset it was super hot with a ton of flies and mosquitoes. Its not close enough to the beach to get a nice sea breeze.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Grilled Fish, Scallop Crudo with Sea Urchin
Gaby Goussen
It is a very complete culinary experience full of flavors, let yourself be carried away by the recommendation of the place but the seafood is 10 and the suckling pig is a special of the place
At 450-750 mxn per small dish, this place is so overpriced and overhyped. There’s a reason their online menu has no prices. The prices as of august 2024 has doubled to tripled since their 2019 menu because of all the hype around this restaurant. The portions are small and the staff expect and pressure you to order a lot and tip a lot.
Do yourself a favor and save your money. Eat better and cheaper food in Tulum Centro. Then visit an actual high end restaurant in Mexico City where you’ll leave full for $100+ usd/pp and the food and experience will be worth the price.
I’ve lost the link but you can find 2024 prices posted here by another reviewer and the 2019 menu is on TripAdvisor.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 4
Overall bad food. Very salty, Drinks mediocre, If you come from a respectable city with good restaurants I would pass on this place.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
A very welcoming and relaxing atmosphere. Exorbitant prices (but you know). The two ceviches were good, except for the prawns drowned in a sauce that disturbed their flavour.
Out of two drinks, one very good and the other worth reviewing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Arca Tulum is a destination in its own right, offering more than just a meal. Nestled amidst the teeming embrace of the Tulum jungle, the restaurant itself effortlessly blends into its open-air surroundings. With its interplay of natural light and shadows, it creates an ambiance that is both intimate and expansive.
The evening commenced with house cocktails - a smoky mezcal drink and a botanical gin-based cocktail. Then the food journey kicked off with the dzikilpak. A nice prelude consisting of smoky pumpkin seeds, imbued with a vibrant chive oil atop a crisp heirloom corn tostada, while the xoconostle added a tangy, tropical bite of complexity.
The bluefin tuna crudo was a study in great balance. The silky tuna was a canvas for the hibiscus and fermented plum aguachile. The morita chili added a subtle heat that elevated the dish without overpowering it, while the dulce seaweed and purple basil brought a harmonious composition.
The softshell crab taco was the evening’s crescendo. The tempura battered crab was the epitome of crispness, paired with the fermented habanero and salsa to achieve an impeccable balance of sweet, heat and umami - truly satisfying.
The bone marrow was a rich, sweet and smoky creation. The grilled pulque sourdough, with its subtle tang, and the serrano salsa provided the right counterbalance. It was a dish that demanded to be savored, slowly and deliberately.
The striped sea bass was yet another seafood dish defined by elegance. Seared in coconut oil, the fish and the accompanying green mole exhibited complex and nuanced flavors. The coconut and jícama slaw added a refreshing crunch and sweetness, balancing the dish.
While the details of the specific dessert have faded, the lingering impression of its sweet and overly satisfying finale remains.
Arca Tulum is a place where the service is precise. A place where the jungle and the sea come together on your plate. A place that you cannot help but linger long after the last bite.
Very trendy restaurant in the Tulum of clubs full of music.
The menu has a choice of around 10 dishes, ideal for sharing at the center of the table.
Execution and taste: excellent.
Octopus is the best.
They have two types of sparkling water: expensive like in all restaurants outside Italy.
Reservation necessary.
To improve: the music is too loud to talk while eating.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the best in Tulum amidst so much mediocrity, the food is excellent, the contrasts in its flavors both in its dishes and in its cocktails are exceptional. The attention and music are also very good. I will be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Out of this worlddddddd! I never leave reviews !!!! A mustttttt
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Quite original revisited Mexican cuisine! We took the tasting menu with my family (max 4 people) and frankly nothing to say, we were amazed by the mix of flavors offered, as well as the perfect service!
However, the place is quite dark, and there is a fairly annoying noise from the generator which contributes to the atmosphere of the restaurant.
I recommend !
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 5
The food was good, but it is expensive for the small portions they give and the waiter was not at all pleasant and gave very poor service, so we did not leave a big tip, which bothered him. There are many flies and it is not a comfortable place, for the price of the place I would expect a better atmosphere and service. It's an overrated place
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Visited while on my bachelorette. The ambiance and atmosphere was very intimate and the service was exceptional.
I will point out that this restaurant has a tapas style menu rather than plated meals. You’ll most likely order at least 5-6 dishes for the table (we dined as 3) to share.
In our opinion, loading up on protein helped with satisfaction, this isn’t the place you’d want to come extremely hungry.
ARCA is definitely more on the pricier side of dining in Tulum.The dishes are individually expensive (so be prepared to spend $$$) though most dishes bursted with flavor.
Table favorites:
-Soft shell crab taco
-Prawns
-Bread (esp. dipped in sauce from prawns)
-Cocktails & mocktails
Overall, I would recommend for the fine dining experience in Tulum.
Vegetarian options: Not extremely vegetarian friendly as the menu offers mostly seafood dishes.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Soft Shell Crab Tacos
Restaurantji Recommends
Best place for fine dining in Tulum. The vibes are unmatched and the menu has exquisite flavors. Must get the bone marrow and aguachile scallops dish.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent food and atmosphere, the attention is formidable. We came for my birthday and they were kind enough to give us an exquisite dessert. It is expensive for the additional amenities offered in the area. The amount of flies eating was also extremely annoying.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Arca had fantastic food. Their bass dish had some of the best sauce I have ever eaten and I loved the cocktails.
Probably my favorite cocktails in all of Tulum because they knew how to work with the flavors of the alcohol!
Unfortunately, the atmosphere really hindered the food experience as we had to constantly shoo flies and mosquitoes away from us and our food. As my friend said "shooing these flies feels like a part time job".
I would recommend that they put candles and smoke at each table, if not a fan to push the bugs away as much as possible to better assist with the problem. They did try to use smoke every now and then but the bugs kept coming back. Given the price, I'd hope they would have a better solution for their patrons to enjoy the food.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Roasted Bone Marrow
The service was great, kind, and knowledgeable. Their recommendations were amazing. The scallop crudo in an acidic sauce and seabass in a poblano sauce were the best dishes. The cocktails were all pretty interesting, the white coffee was my favorite. The other dishes were ok but kind of small. Its not a great price to amount/quality. I would also go late as possible. Near sunset it was super hot with a ton of flies and mosquitoes. Its not close enough to the beach to get a nice sea breeze.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Grilled Fish, Scallop Crudo with Sea Urchin
It is a very complete culinary experience full of flavors, let yourself be carried away by the recommendation of the place but the seafood is 10 and the suckling pig is a special of the place
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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