BLACKBOOK THE SMART
BLACKBOOK THE SMART GUIDE RESTAURANT CETLI Off the well-trod stretch of resorts lies Cetli, where chef Claudia Pérez brings a deft, ambitious touch to haute Mexican cuisine out of a former home. The two dimly lit rooms are replete with mismatched artwork and worn wooden cabinets filled with picture frames and figurines. Pérez (at far right) runs virtually a one-woman show (a few waiters may assist with front-of-thehouse duties), introducing specialities – including the must-try cucumber-mint water – taking orders and then cooking every dish. The best table is the one that looks through a cut-out to the kitchen where Pérez turns out her signature chile en nogada, a poblano chile stuffed with minced beef and covered in white cheese sauce. The heavy flavours of the meat and sauce are offset by the bright crunch of pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top. $ Polar Poniente and Orion Norte; +52 984 108 0681 COQUI COQUI RESIDENCES & SPA You’ll smell Coqui Coqui long before you arrive; perfumer Nicolas Malleville launched his hotel and perfumery in 2003, and his signature candles – scents include lime, agave and tropical woods – burn all over town. The rooms feel almost monastic in their minimalist sensibility – unadorned lime stone walls, white canopied beds and scant fur nishings, illuminated mostly by candles. The bar soap, shampoo and bath oil in the bathroom of every residence comes, naturally, from the house line of bath products. Though it’s hardly new, the hotel has a quiet, understated cool that’s always in style. There’s no pool, no airconditioning: what Coqui Coqui offers is beautifully perfumed disconnection. Rooms start at US0; Ctra. Tulum Boca Paila, km. 7.5; +52 984 100 1400; coquicoquispa.com This restaurant has all the trappings of a backyard hangout, with low-lit corners and mismatched furniture that owner Diego Quintana chose – very carefully – himself. The diverse menu features Caribbean ingredients prepared with Southeast Asian-inspired flavours, like a curry-seasoned whole boquinete (a flaky white hogfish) with goat’s cheese and passion-fruit sauce. CASA JAGUAR But the real draw is the list of house cocktails, many of which are made with mescal, a more complex cousin of tequila that’s also distilled from agave. The Jaguar Juice, a spicy, citrusy blend of mescal, hibiscus, cinnamon, mint and orange, earns its spot as Casa Jaguar’s signature drink. At Ctra. Tulum Boca Paila, km 7.5; +52 984 155 2328; casajaguartulum.com FROM TOP: EDUARDO ALVARADO; © COQUI COQUI; © CASA JAGUAR 22 departures-international.com
BLACKBOOK HARTWOOD For his everchanging daily menu, chef Eric Werner visits the Mercado Municipal in nearby Valladolid. It’s a locavore tradition he brings with him from stints at New York restaurants Peasant and Vinegar Hill House, where he worked before opening Hartwood two years ago. Werner’s cooking centres on the flames of his wood oven and open grill; most of the menu plays to the crispy, primal appeal of smoke and char, like the garlic-scented red snapper stuffed with tangerines. At Ctra. Tulum Boca Paila, km. 7.6; hartwoodtulum.com ENCANTADA BOUTIQUE HOTEL & SPA Each of Encantada’s eight rooms incorporates details drawn from local artisans and architecture: Mayanstyle thatched roofs, pillows and bedspreads handembroidered with Yucatan artwork. The rooms aren’t large – they barely fit the king-sized beds shrouded with translucent canopies that double as mosquito nets. Get a second-storey beachfront suite, throw open the doors and wake up to the sound of breaking waves. The spa at Encantada occupies an open circular palapa on the sand, allowing guests to walk in barefoot with a Coco Loco – the bar’s popular coconut-rum cocktail – in hand. Rooms start at US5; Ctra. Tulum Boca Paila, km. 8.7; +52 984 1562544; encantadatulum.com BE TULUM FROM TOP: THE SELBY/TRUNK ARCHIVE, © ENCANTADA; © BE TULUM Last year, fashion photographer Terry Richardson blogged a photo of the ocean during his stay at Be Tulum with the caption, “View from the awesome Be Tulum hotel.” The 20 jungle-cloaked suites represent the high end at this boutique property. Book an oceanfront suite only if it’s on the second storey (with a balcony, in-room tub and much more light). Otherwise, the less expensive jungle suites are just a few metres farther from the deserted beach – the hotel’s greatest selling point – at Tulum’s southern tip. Rooms start at US5; Ctra. Tulum Boca Paila, km. 10; +52 877 265 4139; betulum.com CONTACT PLATINUM CARD SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS departures-international.com 23
