Hartwood — Restaurant in Tulum

Lived up to the hype!

Prior to visiting Tulum, we researched restaurants in the area and Hartwood kept coming up as a top recommendation.

Their website states you should make reservations one month in advance, and I can see why. The neighboring restaurants were practically empty, while Hartwood was full to the brim, and had people waiting out the door for the chance to dine in that evening.

We decided to walk to Hartwood from our hotel (Kanan), which was located two minutes away. We were greeted upon arrival and were told it would be a 45-60 minute wait. Of course, parties with prior reservations were prioritized. There were about eight other small groups/couples walking in who were told the same. In the meantime, they had us sit in the waiting area inside of the restaurant, and one of their waiters took our drink order.

We went with the appropriately named "diablito", and the piña habanero margarita. Both were delish, although I'd recommend the diablito to someone who doesn't mind bolder flavors.

The restaurant feels unique and welcoming from the moment you walk in. It does not have a roof, so you get to dine under the stars and enjoy the lovely Tulum evening breeze.

Hartwood is off-grid so you will notice all cooking is done by open fire in their wood burning oven and grill, the dining tables are candlelit, and solar panels power their necessary lights and music. These details immediately invite guests to feel relaxed, to unwind, and to enjoy the experience with all of their senses.

Hartwood's menu changes daily based on the locally sourced and available ingredients that week, and it shows! Every single menu item we ordered tasted so fresh, felt so nourishing (even the cocktails), and introduced us to a medley of unlikely flavors that highlighted why Hartwood is so in demand.

We ordered the octopus, tuna tartare, and the red snapper. I wish I could recall all of the ingredients in each dish, but oh my goodness, they were incredible! Each ingredient harmoniously blended with the next, and with each bite you would get a note of pineapple, or habanero, mint, or mango, and so on.

We overheard the waiters telling incoming guests that certain items on the menu ran out for the evening, so we were glad to have visited a bit earlier in the evening (8pm), or we would not have been able to enjoy these delicious dishes.

The desserts looked inviting, but we were full (portions are generous), so we declined the invitation for the sweet night cap.

The staff was personable, professional and fun. We felt welcomed and attended to the entire time.

Before leaving, we decided to take a peek at the impressive open-air kitchen, which feels like an experience in and of itself. There's no wall or glass separating the kitchen from the dining area, so you truly feel like the dining experience is a holistic, integrated experience. I absolutely loved this concept. It's a great reminder that we are what we eat, and it's important that we close the gap between food source and table in a harmonious and sustainable way.

Hartwood is a must if...

We’ve been visiting Tulum for years and typically make it a point to eat at Casa Jaguar. This time, based on the recommendation from our hotel, we decided to visit Hartwood instead — planning to compare both restaurants back-to-back.

Atmosphere (Sunday Night) The restaurant was bustling — standing room only in the small waiting area. We had an 8:00 PM reservation but weren’t seated until 8:40 PM, along with about a dozen other guests who also had reservations.

At first, the atmosphere was lively and charming: candles everywhere, an open grill flame visible from the seating area, and a busy, vibrant energy. The music — old American rock and roll sung in Spanish — felt quirky but fun. However, as the night wore on, the music shifted chaotically: from 1950s rock and roll to Queen, then to music that was so loud and unfitting it became difficult to hold a conversation. It created a sense of dissonance that distracted from an otherwise beautifully curated environment.

Drinks I tried the Mixe and a glass of Prosecco. Unfortunately, both were disappointing. The Prosecco was flat, overly sour, and served in a goblet rather than a flute — I rated it a -1 on a 1–10 scale we used to compare restaurants that evening. The Mixe was light and fruity but extremely watery; the mezcal was barely noticeable, and the fruit flavors weren’t bold enough to carry it.

Service on drinks was minimal. No one stopped by to check on them, offer a second round, or ask for feedback, so I simply left them unfinished.

My wife ordered a mocktail, however, and loved it — lush, fruit-forward, and well-balanced.

Food Ceviche: Absolutely delicious — fresh, light, a perfect balance of lime, mint, and spice. Our only critique was presentation: it was plated flatly, which made it harder to scoop up the amazing sauce with forks instead of, say, bread or tortillas.

Whole Grilled Snapper: Beautifully cooked and meaty, perfect for two people. We gave it a 9/10. While we enjoyed it, tortillas or a hot side dish would have elevated the experience. The waiter didn’t offer to flip the fish as they do at Casa Jaguar, so we did it ourselves, and it was even better on the second side.

Eggplant: Nicely roasted and served with a mole-like sauce that tasted more like a light pasilla sauce. Good but not great — we rated it 7/10.

We skipped dessert, feeling satisfied but not compelled to continue.

Overall Experience Hartwood offered a good dinner — fresh food, creative combinations, and a lively scene. However, the chaotic music choices, inconsistent service, and the drinks’ quality made the experience feel a little disjointed.

We felt the meal was priced fairly when compared to what a similar experience would cost back home, but perhaps slightly high for what was delivered. It was a memorable evening, but not the fully elevated experience we...

We had a reservation, but there was still a wait for the table. Not a big deal, as they offer you drinks while you're waiting, except they brought me the wrong cocktail, which I didn't realize until after I had sipped it. I was halfway through before we saw a server again, so I didn't mention it. It was ok, but given how expensive the cocktails are I would've liked to have been given the correct one.

As mentioned in other reviews, they read the A-frame menu to you, and the environment is very loud, so we missed the description of half of the options. We tried Googling them, but they only have one menu board, and they move it on to the next customer that is seated.

We had a 9pm reservation, and by the time we were seated at 9:15 half of the menu was unavailable. I'm not an overly picky eater, but generally not a big fish or red meat fan, so my options were limited to the salads (jicama or beet).

The three tables that were sat after us had already finished their meals before we received ours.

The ceviche was presented beautifully, but had very little fish, was very spicy (even for MX standards, as they included full slices of chilis with seeds), and had no bread, chips or tortillas to eat out with. When I asked for some, they said they didn't have any, even though several of the other dishes came with tortillas.

The price was reasonable for the area, I suppose, as everything is inflated in the hotel zone, but still shocking in comparison to other meals we had throughout the week. If you're a foodie that is going to eat anywhere in this club area of Tulum, this is the place to go. But if you're really a foodie, that's looking for a more comfortable, leisurely experience, don't go to the hotel zone at all.

Given the price, I expected more attentive service. The whole experience felt like they were the hottest ticket in town, and they knew it, so didn't need to try.

To be fair, if this had been the only restaurant we had gone to in the Yucatán, it probably would've been in our top few. But we had so many other amazing meals, with amazing service, that were much less expensive, that it makes it hard to justify this as being in the same category.

Go to Jungle...