If you are ever in Tulum this place is a must. The owner, Mexico City–born chef Claudia Perez Rivas, has performed wonders with the Mexican traditional food for 10 years now. Cetli is one of those places that put you into a different mood instantly, the moment you cross the doorway you feel it.

The décor is traditional Mexican but very original at the same time. There is something honest and pure about it. When you look around and see all the little pieces you know all of them were chosen and placed for a reason. The restaurant itself is a residential one family home turned into welcoming dinning room for visitors. That itself gives you homey vibe, you are not in a place with waiters and bus boys running around.

It is a perfect place for a romantic and authentic dinner. The traditional Mexican music that is played in the background only adds to the fact that you fully feel you are at the right place, this is the real deal. Plants, candles, incense sticks, ropes, little Mexican skeletons, crosses and paintings of saint Maria, it is all there and somehow it all fits together perfectly, creating eclectic wholesome.

Cetli is all about food, Mexican, traditional with a twist but most importantly the menu was created with passion and chef’s creativity. All dishes were prepared with a fine-tuned attention to details. You know that right away, before you get your orders Claudia welcomes you with a plate of small Mexican snacks, cheese empanadas, garlic butter wrapped in a corn leaf, cheese with dried tomatoes, toasted chili grasshoppers, home made bread, Mexican cheeses with raspberry jam, black bean sopas and mild green chilli. It is all to die for and a perfect way to start your dinner. Everything is presented and a stone plate that creates another level of authenticity.

For the appetizers we ordered salads, the menu offers many vegetarian and healthy options that deliver variation of Mexican flavors with modern cuisine. Served in small cocunut shells the salads delivered everything you hope for. The intense but not overwhelming flavors, green chaya (Mexican spinach) with citrus and nutty flavors from toasted almonds are perfect addition to already well-balanced salad. We also got another appetizer to share. Stuffed pepper with mole sauce, although it is stuffed with other vegetables, which may sound boring, the combination of cocoa sauce, pepper and stuffing takes the dish to a different level where you think you eat in your mother’s kitchen. Pure, home made food that is plated with a fine restaurant chef’s eye. For the main we ordered chicken and cheese enchiladas with green almond mole sauce and tamarind fish.

Again mole sauce delivered flavors that you do not experience on a regular basis. Tamarind fish had interesting sweet/sour flavor severed with whole pieces of tamarind fruit. This dish is for more adventures people because it does not taste like your regular fish dish. Because it dipped in tamarind sauce, it may feel too sweet for some but let’s not forget the name of the dish already indicates what it is.

After we ate all the food we could not resist ordering bread pudding. If you like desserts you must order the pudding, if you are not sweet tooth kind of person, you must order the pudding. This is how good it is. Warm, soft and not too sweet, but that is not the best part of it. Again the sauce is what completes the dessert. The pudding is floating in amazing white sauce that is warm, sweet and smooth with spices that I cannot fully identified. This addictive dessert makes you want to lick the plate, you will not feel you had enough and you will be ready for another one.

Cetli delivers what it promises and what it stands for. Again it is not fancy, high-end restaurant, but with its sophisticated character and flavors transforms a dinner into an experience. If you want to add unforgettable meal while you are on vacation this is the place to go.

Cuisine: Modern Mexican

Avg price per person: $50, cash only

Attire: Casual

Overall Rating: 5 plates