Charlie’s

Glad we followed the Lonely Planet advice for this place. We stayed in Tulum a few nights and were not impressed by the food offerings. This was the first restaurants we were really happy with. Good service and good food and drinks. I am tempted to give the place only four stars because they didn’t have toilet seats in the mens bathroom but it is it enough reason. I should say that we didn’t nesssesarily try to find the best restaurants in Tulum. There may be others that are good but we didn’t happen to visit them. I would definitely advise for those staying at the beach hotels to take a taxi to this restaurant rather eat at the beach restaurants which in my experience are mediocre and more expensive.

Wow… talk about a sight for sore eyes. DISCLAIMER: We got here after a solid day of travel — via airplanes and several buses… and we were bushed. Also, we had gotten an AirBnB apartment from Charlie, the owner — and this is where he told us to meet him.
That said, we felt… cared for. Comforted. Looked after. Dare I say… important.
Charlie’s wasn’t crowded when we got there (and in truth, we never did see a place in Tulum that was crowded), and his staff was ready to try to make us comfortable after a 20-​hour journey. They succeeded! The menu was full of favorites, and also replete with Mayan specialties. Enough of the staff spoke English so I didn’t feel responsible for translating the menu to my wife. My margarita was authentic, albeit a bit small. The food was tasty and satisfying. Oh, and did I mention it was just two doors southwest of the ADO bus station?
At the end of our meal, Charlie packed our bags into his van and drove us to our rental. My wife and I did not return to eat at his restaurant during our stay, as we were eager to try other places as well. …but we did not find a place in Tulum as satisfying, or with as nice an ambiance, as Charlie’s! On our next visit, we plan to eat there more often.