Food · Tulum · Mexico
What to eat in Tulum
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Tulum, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Popo le Chien, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Cochinita pibil, Tacos al pastor and Panuchos and salbutes. Compare al pastor, cochinita and seafood tacos at the stands along Avenida Tulum, where prices are a fraction of the beach road's. Prices on the beach road are much higher than in town; many visitors eat dinner in Tulum Centro.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Cochinita pibil
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 3
- Tipping
- Tipping 10–15% is customary in restaurants, where it is often not included, and 10–20…
- Food experiences
- 3
10 foods to try
Breakfast
1.Cochinita pibil
Yucatecan pork marinated in achiote and sour orange, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked, traditionally in an underground pit. It is served in tacos or tortas with pickled red onions and habanero salsa.
Where: Morning stands and small restaurants in Tulum Centro; many sell out before noon.
Street food
2.Tacos al pastor
Spit-roasted pork marinated in chilli and achiote, shaved onto small corn tortillas with pineapple, onion and coriander.
Where: Taquerías along Avenida Tulum in town, busiest in the evening.
Street food
3.Panuchos and salbutes
Yucatecan antojitos: panuchos are fried tortillas stuffed with black beans, salbutes are puffy fried tortillas, both topped with shredded turkey or chicken, avocado and pickled onion.
Where: Loncherías and evening stands in Tulum Centro.
Dish
4.Sopa de lima
A light chicken broth flavoured with the local lima, a fragrant citrus, and served with shredded chicken and crisp tortilla strips.
Where: Yucatecan restaurants in town.
Dish
5.Tikin xic
A Maya way of cooking fish: a whole fish or fillet is rubbed with achiote paste and citrus, wrapped in banana leaf and grilled over coals.
Where: Seafood restaurants in town and on the beach road.
Dish
6.Ceviche and aguachile
Fresh fish or shrimp cured in lime with onion, coriander and chilli; aguachile adds a bright green chilli-lime sauce.
Where: Marisquerías in Tulum Centro and beach restaurants at lunchtime.
Dessert · Vegetarian
7.Marquesitas
A crisp rolled crêpe from Mérida, filled with Nutella, cajeta or condensed milk and, traditionally, grated Edam cheese.
Where: Carts around the town park and along Avenida Tulum in the evening.
Dish
8.Poc chuc
Thin pork slices marinated in sour orange and grilled, served with charred onions, tomato salsa, black beans and tortillas.
Where: Yucatecan restaurants and loncherías in town.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Agua fresca and chaya juice
Cold drinks of fruit or flowers blended with water, such as hibiscus (jamaica) and horchata, and juices made with chaya, a leafy Maya green, often blended with pineapple.
Where: Juice bars and taquerías throughout town.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Xtabentún
A sweet Yucatecan liqueur made from anise and honey from the flower of the same name, served as a digestif, neat or over ice.
Where: Restaurants and liquor shops; it is a popular bottle to take home.
Food experiences
Taco crawl in town
Compare al pastor, cochinita and seafood tacos at the stands along Avenida Tulum, where prices are a fraction of the beach road's.
Jungle dining on the beach road
The southern hotel zone has some of Mexico's best-known destination restaurants, cooking over wood fires under the trees; book ahead in high season.
Yucatecan breakfast
Start the day with cochinita pibil tortas or huevos motuleños, fried eggs on tortillas with beans, ham and peas, at a local lonchería.
Quick bites and street food
- Cochinita pibil — Morning stands and small restaurants in Tulum Centro; many sell out before noon.
- Tacos al pastor — Taquerías along Avenida Tulum in town, busiest in the evening.
- Panuchos and salbutes — Loncherías and evening stands in Tulum Centro.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 3 are usually vegetarian: Marquesitas, Agua fresca and chaya juice and Xtabentún. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Prices on the beach road are much higher than in town; many visitors eat dinner in Tulum Centro.
- Some beach clubs require a minimum spend on food and drink for a lounger; ask before you sit down.
- Drink purified water only; ice in restaurants is normally made from purified water.
- Carry cash in pesos; many small taquerías and stands do not accept cards.
- Check whether service is included, which is more common in hotel-zone restaurants.
Tipping
Tipping 10–15% is customary in restaurants, where it is often not included, and 10–20 pesos per bag is usual for porters. Tip cenote and tour guides, and round up for taxis only if the service was good.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Buenos días | Good morning |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much is it? |
| La cuenta, por favor | The bill, please |
| Bix a beel? | How are you? (Yucatec Maya) |
| Dios bo'otik | Thank you (Yucatec Maya) |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Tulum famous for?
Cochinita pibil, Tacos al pastor, Panuchos and salbutes and Sopa de lima. Yucatecan pork marinated in achiote and sour orange, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked, traditionally in an underground pit.
+Is Tulum good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Marquesitas, Agua fresca and chaya juice and Xtabentún.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Tulum?
Tipping 10–15% is customary in restaurants, where it is often not included, and 10–20 pesos per bag is usual for porters. Tip cenote and tour guides, and round up for taxis only if the service was good.