Jungle Jax Tulum — Restaurant in Quintana Roo

Really nice music and attentive service.

I don’t like writing bad reviews. However, the food is not good. By far the worst meal I’ve had in Tulum across three long stays. My party agreed, but nobody had the heart to tell the chef as he kept coming by to ask if we thought it was good since we were the only guests in the restaurant. I’m not sure what the expectation was from his side, but it’s uncomfortable for us to tell him that every dish was not good. The two girls with me politely said yes when he asked. I stayed silent, nothing was good. If it was only one bad dish I’d tell him, but it becomes pointless if the entire meal is bad. We took the food home because we don’t like wasting. Doesn’t seem like Bastien will accept the criticism given his response, but that will only hold him back. Instead of addressing the feedback, he’s basically saying we were disingenuous for not telling him to his face and that since we took the leftovers home we’re liars…okay then…Detailed feedback below.

Our orders:

Salmon, cut very thick, with no salt and some olive oil. This was served with soggy untoasted bread and was very chewy.

Melted camambert with a toasted baguette. This was the best item, but it’s melted cheese with toast, so it’s going to taste good if you like melted cheese with toast.

Roasted chicken, this was okay. A little overcooked, but not by much - slightly dry. It was sitting in a turned off rotisserie when we arrived. Herbes de Provence seasoning…

Ribeye… This was an off the menu item that came 1000 pesos, something we learned upon receiving the bill. It was actually cooked to the right doneness. Very little salt was used, which I think is important on steak. The potatoes tasted very soggy, as if they were left out for a while or boiled way too long. They certainly weren’t roasted.

Unpictured - ratatouille, very mushy, also Herbes de Provence seasoning. Although the chef, Bastian, presents this as French cuisine, I’m not tasting any garlic or onion in any dish so far.

The octopus tasted a bit fishy. It was extremely tough and as he served it to us, Bastian explained that his preference is to leave the octopus membrane on. I believe this contributed to the excessively chewy texture. It was also herbes de Provence seasoning.

The hibiscus drinks were good in that they were made fresh and we were allowed a sugar free option.

At the end, Bastian came and sat down at our table to explain that this restaurant is usually full. He offered a shot to the one in our party who drinks and they toasted. It was a nice gesture, but given the meal was 2600 pesos and a perfect Google maps rating I had higher hopes. I hope this review...

We are staying in La Veleta for 2 weeks, and I found Jungle Jax while looking on Google Maps for the best restaurants around. While there were a lot of 4.x's, JJ's was the only 5.0, and review after review was a rave. We had to try it for one of our special dinners out.

We arrived around 7:30pm, and walked through a haze of copal smoke (it keeps the mosquitos away!), and found Bastian by the kitchen/bar. We were lucky to arrive somewhat early on a night that wasn't busy, so we got very personalized service! Bastian is a great host, as well as the chef, cook, server and presumably the dishwasher. He speaks French and Spanish, as well as English. We had a nice introductory conversation about our backgrounds, and how we arrived at this particular spot on the Earth at this particular moment in time.

He offered us our choice of table (inside or outside, we chose outside, under the canopy of trees). He told us about the menu, as well as where he sources his meats from, which is important to us, but not something we asked him nor expected him to do. A good chef knows to start with good ingredients.

We ordered the camembert cheese (appetizer) as well as the goat cheese salad (appetizer/special) to come out together, and then the ribeye and the duck breast (special) to come out together. My wife is a wine-drinker, and he asked her a couple of questions about the flavors she likes, then cross referenced with her order for the duck and brought out what he felt would be a great pairing, and it was.

Everything came out perfectly cooked and perfectly paced. Nothing felt rushed, and we never waited too long for anything to come out. The food was delicious and memorable, clearly the best meal we've have since arriving in Mexico 6 weeks ago. To cap off a perfect meal (with plenty of leftovers for dinner tomorrow), he brought over a shot of homemade mezcal to share with us, complimentary.

It's a family affair too - when more customers came in, his wife came down to help him with preparing the food. They make a great team.

Everything about this place is awesome. The vibe, the atmosphere, the host, the food, the music - everything. If I could give it 6 stars, I would. Don't miss this fine...

During our week-long adventure in Tulum, my husband and I stumbled upon Jungle Jax, and what a serendipitous discovery it was! Securing a last-minute reservation felt like striking gold, and from the moment we arrived, the experience was nothing short of extraordinary.

Nestled in a cozy, intimate setting that doubles as both the chef's home and restaurant, Jungle Jax exudes warmth and charm- literally as you dine in their front yard. The ambiance feels personal and inviting, as though you’ve been welcomed into someone’s private sanctuary.

The service? Impeccable. From the chef’s thoughtful touch to the attentive staff, every moment felt curated to perfection. We started with the tomato carpaccio and the garden salad, both vibrant and bursting with fresh, local flavors. The carpaccio was a standout—delicately sliced with just the right balance of acidity and sweetness.

When it came to our main course, we were torn between the whole roasted chicken and the wagyu steak. Ultimately, we chose a combination of the half chicken and steak, and it was the perfect decision. Each bite was a testament to the chef's expertise—the meat was seasoned to perfection, cooked to an ideal temperature, and paired beautifully with a zucchini relish that added a unique twist to the dish.

The dual-purpose nature of Jungle Jax—a home and a restaurant—creates a dining experience unlike any other. It’s not just a meal; it’s an immersion into a chef’s world, crafted with care and passion- and this is felt as he interacts with guests who are dining at the restaurant- including us!

If you're in Tulum, Jungle Jax is an absolute must. The unparalleled service, the unforgettable food, and the intimate setting will leave you craving a...