Cetli, a must do in Tulum!

[mayaflya]

Cetli is the real deal. The sign on the wall says "Mexican haute cuisine", and Cetli delivers. We finally made it there for dinner Thursday night, after trying and discovering them closed on Wednesday. I had tracked down it’s location on my earlier Tulum restaurant reconnaissance, and shot the exterior by daylight, but I wish we had tried it earlier in the week, so we could have eaten there more than once, it was that good!

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The restaurant is on Avenue Polar, one block west of the main drag, at it’s intersection with Orion Norte. It looks to be housed in what was formerly a residence. The site has a wall surrounding the structure with a narrow open courtyard running around the building, just inside the wall.

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There are two dining areas, one in what looked to be a former carport, and the other inside, in what once was a living/dining room. There was a large noisy group of young people in the carport area, so our hostess suggested the inside space. She could tell that we were looking for a more quiet experience. She was working hard, from the first minute to the last, in order to make our meal memorable. We selected a table by the open screened window, next to the entry courtyard, the only diners there.

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We were immediately presented with menus, and an apology that no alcoholic beverages were available, as they had not yet received their liquor license. She said that we could bring our own in, and that there was a liquor store a block away, if we wanted to go get something. We declined, and said it wasn't necessary. She asked how we had found the place, and I replied, "the Internet, but it wasn't easy". I told her that we had been looking for an upscale interpretation of Yucatecan specialties....instead of the Italian, Thai or other imported cuisine that is more common in Tulum. She absolutely lit up, and you could see that this was exactly her vision as well....

We ordered two cucumber waters....and pored over the menu

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We ordered two different salads, mine was the Campesina, a mix of fresh spinach, tomato, local cheese, pecans, and prosciutto. The wife ordered the Mixta salad; shredded beets, jicama, and carrots over spinach leaves.

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But, before the salad course, our host brought out an appetizer tray, with toast made from a black sesame/herb bread, points of cheese, two small cheese empanadas, a tiny dish of a mild salsa verde, and herbed butter....delightfully presented in a perfect little cornhusk bundle. The cornhusk presentation was to be a theme throughout the meal.

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Service was prompt and attentive, and other couples arrived as we were dining. It was fun to watch their reactions to the menu and presentation, and to share in their pleasant surprise as the meal unfolded.

Main course, Tlitic, prawns in huitlacoche (black corn fungus) sauce for me, The wife had a Chile en Nogada, a beef/pineapple/raisin stuffed poblano pepper with a white nut and cheese sauce. Rice was served on the side, again in the small tied cornhusk packets.

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Dessert for the wife was their signature Cetli, a sweet corn cake, with chocolate sauce...and chamomile tea with lime.

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I had the bread pudding with a white chocolate/raspberry sauce and an espresso.

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Truly amazing. The check was presented with two wrapped (corn husks, what else?) mexican candies...total price for the meal, 520 pesos! Our least expensive dinner out!

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You just gotta go, and go more than once! The food was wonderful, the presentation impeccable, the service passionate. Bravo, Cetli!

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[AdGuy]

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Mayaflya...you are my hero!!! Thanks for reporting on this...we're definitely heading there the first chance we get!!

[Lynnette]

By your description this is Cetli as I remember from another location. I think the owner was Claudia. The food and ambiance looks amazing....beautiful presentation, and I can't WAIT to be there!! Thank-you so much for checking it out!!!!!!

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[heenan]

Excellent! We are always interested in another great Mexican restaurant. Looking forward to visiting this restaurant on our next trip. Heenan

[Jana]

Great post - thanks for taking such detailed pics and notes! It looks like a wonderful place and I can't wait to try it out (I don't know how I'm going to survive until January!!).

[beachreader]

OMG OMG OMG I am SO excited to go there! They were on my list after Lynette's original post about it a while back, but as I never got my tail off the beach road this trip I didn't go searching for it.

Thank you so much, Maya! Upscale Mexican cuisine is exactly what I've been looking for for the past couple of years, the fact that this is Yucatecan is all that much better! :star::star::star:

Those shrimp look gigantic, were they difficult to eat?

[DougSR]

I don't consider myself upscale (more the long haired rocker of this group) but I definitely have to check this place out in May. I wonder if I'll feel self conscious hitting Cetli solo? Ah, never bothered me before.

I can't believe the cost for such an amazing dining experience. Great post Maya. Thanks.

[mayaflya]

Those shrimp look gigantic, were they difficult to eat?

They WERE huge, which made taking them out of the shell a little easier. They gave me a stone platter to put the shells on...but the last one was a little messy to eat...I was picking black corn fungus from under my fingernails till the next day! ;-)

[Libelula]

Okay, I am not trying to be a party pooper....I loved Cetli. I loved the candles, the atmosphere, the service, the drinks, the appetizers, the presentation..everything. Except my main course which was the ixoxotic with the green almond sauce. Maybe I just made a wrong choice. Don't let this stop you from going. I would go again I just wouldn't get that particular main course. Please don't be mad at me, I'm not trying to ruin it for you all. But I would want to know.

[beachreader]

Libelula, no worries, we don't flame people for different opinions, glad to hear about your experiences too! What is ixoxotic, anyway? Sounds exotic, anyway. :)

Doug, you know, looking at my post, I'm a little irked with myself for using the word "upscale". I kind of hate that word, it just popped out. I'll try to think of a better word to express it, but for now, "upscale" seems to fit. Home-cooking is great, and there are great places to find that, but I enjoy the presentation, the innovative approach to traditional ingredients, the atmosphere, just about everything that a serious "upscale" restaurant offers. I'm no fan of pointless snobbery, tipping to get a table, jackets required, that kind of nonesense--it's all about the food to me.

I eat meals out alone all the time, and I've come to really enjoy it. Not just on vacation, but when I'm traveling for work. I like the relationship you can establish with the waiter, the focus on the food when it comes, quiet time to read with a glass of wine or whatever, all of it. It's a very peaceful thing for me, and the scale of restaurant doesn't really matter.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not antisocial (I hope); a convivial evening with friends or one special person is a beautiful thing, but I like the solo thing too.

[Lynnette]

The ixoxotic dish is chicken breast covered in a green almond mole. This particular dish might not appeal to everyone, but from the menu Maya provided, there are lots of fabulous choices!! I wouldn't let one dish or even one time at any restaurant deter me from trying it. Cetli is at the top of my list and I think will give Hechizo a run for the money, once it's discovered!

[TheWindyCity]

Your description and photos got me excited with anticipation!! Now I am thinking of cancelling Hechizo???? Oh man! Huitlecoche (corn fungus) is a rare treat, even in the Yucatan. Not many places, besides Los Lirios, incorporate it into their entrees.
Muchas thank you's!

[AdGuy]

Now I am thinking of cancelling Hechizo????

TWC...that's why you're there for more than one night! Perhaps schedule them close together so you'll have a close comparison.

[Libelula]

Like I said I would definately try Cetli again. It wasn't a taste preference, it was really bad! The chicken was dry and bland, the almond sauce was also bland, but there was so much of it was drowning...very pasty. It was a texture nightmare all around. My dinner mate had it too and was also disappointed. Neither of us are picky eaters. Our other dinner mate had a dish with traditional mole that was fantastic. And again everything else was fabulous! I would still recommend it, just not that particular dish.

[dionski]

Maya, all I know is that this morning at 7 after reading your post all I could think about was dinner at this place sometime soon.:wave:

thanks, d2