First Timers Polling the Forum

[J&C in ATX]

Long time listener first time caller, as it were.

Thank you all for the excellent information you have provided - being so well informed in advance really lets you get more out of your trip.

With that said, there are a couple questions I would like to pose to the board in anticipation of our first trip to Tulum.

1. What is the best bar on the beach as defined by quantity over quality?
(Meaning a home base for beach lounging. No frills, low beer prices, decent spot on the beach, stumbling distance to Cabanas Tulum.)

2. What is the best tequila spot in Tulum as defined by quality over quantity?
(Best premium tequila selection. Bonus points for a knowledgeable bartender)

3. Where is the best michelada in Tulum to be found?

Thanks in advance!!:beerchug:

[austxdan]

Long time listener first time caller, as it were.
1. What is the best bar on the beach as defined by quantity over quality?
(Meaning a home base for beach lounging. No frills, low beer prices, decent spot on the beach, stumbling distance to Cabanas Tulum.)

2. What is the best tequila spot in Tulum as defined by quality over quantity?
(Best premium tequila selection. Bonus points for a knowledgeable bartender)

3. Where is the best michelada in Tulum to be found?
Thanks in advance!!:beerchug:

Welcome out of the shadows J&C. You're out in Drippin' eh? I'm in Oak Hill myself.

So . . . Coooool - I have a homework assignment. Let me run on down tomorrow and I'll conduct a week's worth of research. Then I'll come back and tell you what I know. Deal? :D Meanwhile others can fill you in while I do your bidding in Tulum.

In the past I've flopped in front of Playa Kin Ha. They have (or had) cold beer and good guac. I'm not a fan of beach clubs, so I don't frequent them. I'd much rather listen to the wind and the surf, than the "Thumpa-thumpa" of some rap jukebox.

Any of the little hotels with restaurants are good for a base for awhile. We run down to Las Ranitas for lunch/snacks and even though we don't stay there, they let us eat and drink at their beach palapas. We're ordering food and tipping (;)) so I don't feel bad at all about this.

I usually can't remember where I was when drinking tequila. I vaguely recall Mezzanine had a decent selection. Or was that Lol Ha? :burp:

Michelada? Is that one of those low carb beers? The chair is not advised on that one (legislative humor).


But I promise to do my homework and let you know what I find.


Dan

[beachreader]

For quanitity (and quality, your choice), I think the cooler full of beverages of your choice that you keep in your room or patio at CT is always a good bet. Only problem is that CT doesn't have decent beach chairs to hang out in.

I think La Zebra has a high-end tequila selection, but that doesn't mean that other places don't keep the good stuff behind the bar. Puerta del Cielo seemed to have some good bottles, Kin-Ha too. Oh, and Ocho would surely have good stuff.

[side note to Dan--let me know what you think of the new Kin-Ha--very slick and Euro, but Samuel is still behind the bar]

The only michelada I've had in Tulum was at Zamas, but I really liked it.

And you must have lunch one day at Mayan Grill. Great food, great margaritas, fabulous view. But you'll have to drive/bike there and back to CT--too far to stumble.

[TnTWalter]

CT has weird looking chairs I agree.

I have nothing to add...other than the above.

I missed out on the strange concoction...but it sounds blech...I did discover a delicious Mojito at La Z...mm mm good.

And want to add that I was soooooo excited about Ak'iin but there was never anyone there. EVER. And it's so close. OK...one afternoon there were several touristy looking people walking through it. Bummer.

We liked Zazil Kin but it's North [we cabbed and biked].

Enjoy!

[ilovewyoming]

La Zebra has good food..we went mid-day and there is music pretty much playing the whole time. Great place though.. It seems here, in the good ol us of a..you can't even buy gasoline without music or commercials or whaterver screaming at you, so when i head to paradise: tululm...i honestly don't want to hear noise all day long..i want to just chill, read, drink a bit, and walk, meet the locals and not be in an environment that is noisey and intrusive...could be my age...or could be the fact that the world is too busy and noisy, and to get away from it all : I go to Xamach, or hamaca loca or solimon bay or akumal during the low seaason

[TnTWalter]

We hung out outside of La Z on the deck by the beach for 2-3 hours one afternoon and noticed no music at all. In fact I had my portable ipod stereo on our table and we listened to that...

But I didn't try to lay on the beds so not sure. Interesting though.

I also didn't notice music at El Paraiso but we were only there briefly before heading on to Zazil Kin where we hung for most of afternoon with just our stereo...we had it very low so it just bothered us.

:beerchug:

[DougSR]

Welcome to J&C in ATX on the wild card line. This will be in my TR...but I stayed at Cabanas Tulum last week. The soapdish chairs suck nadly for reading. Here's the move!

I got a cooler at San Fransisco and filled it with the beverages of my choice plus ice. They have a decent tequila selection at San Francisco as well. Then I just went next door to Ana j Jose and hung out on their super comfy padded chairs. Then as needed I would go back over to my room and grab a fresh cerveza. I spent two days chillin' and no one said anything. I even went up and asked and the response was "the chairs are for our guests but if they are not full you can enjoy them". I did buy agua from time to time from the waiter. Perfect reading days!

ilovewyoming is correct. La Z does play "chill music" in the bar but not outside during the day. They have a decent tequila selection. Nothing too weird or unusual.

I'm telling you, for tequila! Kilometer marker 242 on the way down, big yellow building, homemade almond tequila! Amazing stuff. A cube of ice and start sipping. My friends here in Texas want to buy it online. HAHA!

[pepper]

Are a michelada and chelada the same? I know it more as a chelada. Anyway...it's lots of lime juice and beer.
Had one at Casa Magna - good. And Zamas - good. How can you mess up lime juice and beer???

[sctx]

ilovewyoming is correct. La Z does play "chill music" in the bar but not outside during the day. They have a decent tequila selection. Nothing too weird or unusual.



I really enjoyed drinkin at La Zebra..... the margarita dorado was excellent....... and so was the salsa instructor ;)

[beachreader]

Pepper, it's my understanding that a michelada and a chelada are different--the michelada is spicy, but there may be other differences as well. I prefer the michelada, but they're both cool. When I was taught this difference, it was a Mexican friend teaching us, but then they casually said that some places call one by the other name, so you get whatever they call it. C'est la vie! :rolleyes:

I found the music at La Zebra (and most of the other places playing music these days) to be very cool. "Chill music" is a good name, generally just ambient, cool vibey stuff, almost like you'd have at a massage, but not so sleepy. I do prefer silence in general, but I'm not opposed to most of the music I've heard down there so far.

I haven't yet heard full-on Euro techno/house music, certainly not LOUD, but then again I haven't been to the Mezzanine Friday night party, and I haven't been to the Ak'iin Saturday night party (if there still is one), so I can't say that techno doesn't exist down there, just that I think there's a difference between a place playing music and a place playing techno music. Ya know? :)

[DougSR]

I really enjoyed drinkin at La Zebra..... the margarita dorado was excellent....... and so was the salsa instructor ;)

My nizzle speaks the truth. The tiny salsa instructor with "the two things" and "the nice other back thing"...ok, lost me for a second. Anyway, watching her and Mr. Salsa rip it up on Thursday night at Zamas was sumtin'.

By the way, I didn't catch any "beat" music while there and nothing, no music, at El Paraiso on Saturday which truly surprised me. The Mexican chill coming from the kitchen at Suenos was very low. I actually wanted to hear there stuff louder by the pool. We never made Mezz. Just didn't seem right after Hechizo but I'm sure they were "pumpin'".

[Gale in KY]

Michalda Recipe

12 oz beer
juice of 1 lemons
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 dash soy sauce
1 dash Tabasco® sauce
1 pinch black peppers
salt

Chelada's are simply lime juice, salt and beer

Salt
1 1/2 to 2 oz. fresh lime juice
5 oz. beer
Ice

Wet the rim of a tall glass with lime juice and dip it in salt, as you would for a margarita. Squeeze fresh lime juice into the glass. Add beer, ice and stir.

You can also create what is known as the Michelada by adding in a little tabasco sauce.


So what do you call the beer and tomato juice I saw alot of people drinking?
I am not a cervesa person, but I was curious about that concoction. I always thought THIS was a Michelada. Hmmm....

[Salome]

I have always thought that beer and tomato (or clamato) juice was a Chelada. Budweiser even makes one pre-mixed...
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29/37389

Not really my cup of beer...as it were....if I want tomato juice I will do a bloody mary.:beerchug:

[beachreader]

I'm guessing in that michelada recipe, it's really lime juice, not lemon juice. Since they don't have lemons and all.

I believe beer and tomato juice is a RedEye.

Here's a link to some "beer and" recipes, some of which sound truly awful!

http://www.thatsthespirit.com/en/beer/beer_cocktails.asp

[pepper]

Thanks for the primer on michelada vs. chelada. Think I'll stick with the chelada - simplicity is always best:)

[J&C in ATX]

Thanks so much for all the info.
Especially the tip on Ana y Jose. I'll try and make friends over there.

FYI micheladas (some places in the interior refer to them as "cubanas") can be essential for drinking in the sun - if you haven't tried one I would highly recommend it. Really refreshes and, since it has ice, stays cold.

In the states it's really catching on (at least here in TX) but folks seem to prefer the tomato based variety which I'm not a fan of.

Usually in Mexico they are made with various combinations of lime juice (lemon juice isn't sour enough for the Mexican palate), Salsa Maggi, and chile. The chile is the key. It can be administered in powder form or liquid form. I would not recommend ever trying it with Tabasco as it will make the drink too vinegary. The best bartenders will soak dried chiles (guajillo, arbol, chipotle etc) in boiling water and then puree and season it. Heaven.

Thanks again for all y'all's help.

[beachreader]

J&C, where can we find those "best" bartenders? I love the idea of proper chiles being used, rather than just powders or whatever.

[J&C in ATX]

The first one I had was in Zacatecas. The best one I had was at La Matanza in Guadalajara. I've also seen it done well in Queretaro, the DF and Manzanillo & Zihuatenejo on the coast (Sorry, can't remember specific names of bars).

I have also noticed that in the bars heavily frequented by gringos it doesn't seem to be as prevalent. Sometimes you have to ask.

[beachreader]

So have you not had a real good one in the Roo?

OK, now we have a new thing to judge bars on, the michelada. We've done guacamole tours, margarita tours, taco tours, now we need a michelada tour.

[VETDRM]

Don't forget about Sangrita, the simply delicious sidekick to your favorite shot of Mexico's best Tequila.

[lonestarjoe]

j&c,

last time we were in tulum we went for a michelada hunt - and i think the best by a long stretch was the ones served up at 'la belle a vita" - coming from town on turn left onto the beach road - just little past mezzanine and nachos.

the drink was nice and spicy, not as good as austins 'el chile', but close.

j&a