Mivida — Restaurant in Tulum

Bottom line: mediocre food, extremely overpriced. I understand that the nature of this strip of beach is to make money of tourists and that I may be criticising established and accepted practices but I first came to Tulum in 1995 and I am still a little taken aback by the brazen money business of today. Don't get me wrong. This place offers you access to a nice little corner of the beach. And if you understand the 500 pesos minimum consumption to be your fee for that access, go for it. But don't come here for the food. Some dishes are average, some barely edible. The small hummus portion is basically half a can of chickpeas, thrown into a blender that sets you back more than 200 pesos. We came for dinner and paid more than 1700 pesos for a few tapas. We live in London and you get more and better food there for that kind of money, even in the city. When we came back to the beach the next day we were immediately policed by a waiter going on about the minimum consumption. Again, maybe accepted practice but I don't want to be just seen as a walking cash cow, sorry. You may be perfectly fine there but I would see the money spent for being at the beach, not...

This place was a surprise hit for us in Tulum. We went here on a whim, intrigued by the menu. The dining area is situated near the beach, in the back of the adjoining hotel. The ambiance was amazing and beautiful. But the food was the true star. In fact, it was so good we ate here 3 times during our 5 day stay in Tulum.

If you're hesitant to eat Italian food in Mexico, don't be. It was phenomenal. The 'Maltagliati con pulpo' and 'Fettuccine a la Pescatora' were delicious. The pasta was handmade, and you can't go wrong with handmade pasta.

The paella, surprisingly, was not our favorite thing. It was just ok, nothing special.

The tapas were noteworthy, especially the 'pulpo y papas', and the 'tartare de salmon'.

Mivida is a treasure in Tulum. Unfortunately it never seemed busy the three times we were there, and that is a true shame. More people should know about this place. We can't wait to come back...

First thing first, if you can get a table out back, DO IT! The oceanside view and breeze are wonderful. As for us, we arrived here at night and the front area was empty, but the decor drew us in. We sat in front, even though the mesero asked if we wanted to get a different table (should have said "it's much nicer out back," but we weren't picky, just hungry). We enjoyed our meal and chat with the staff - the owner has traveled the world and was fun to talk with. That being said, we walked out back after our meal and discovered the moon dancing on the ocean. Sit out back! Food and staff were excellent. We would...