Hartwood

Run by two displaced New Yorkers who made the “why not just move here?” vacation dream a reality, Hartwood is Tulum’s de facto hot spot. The open-air restaurant is packed every night, and diners happily wait up to an hour for one of the wooden, candle-lit tables. (It helps that the edge of the restaurant has comfortable benches and chairs, where you can sip strong cocktails as you wait.) Everything is prepared atop a grill or in a pizza oven, and the menu changes almost daily depending on what’s in season (vegetables) and caught that day (seafood). Make a reservation to ensure you don't have a long wait (some items sell out and watching your pick get crossed off the blackboard is a let-down).