Pen Shell Scallop Crudo
Pen shell scallop cured in kombu, with lemongrass oil, lacto-fermented tomatillo and charred avocado. Silky umami, fresh and aromatic: the ideal dish to open dinner.
Our kitchen
The Dishes of ARCA Tulum
These are some of ARCA Tulum's dishes, just as they arrive at the table. Contemporary Mexican cuisine cooked over fire, with seasonal ingredients from local producers. Next to each photo is what matters about the dish: how it tastes, how it feels and what options it has.
Raw Bar and Aguachiles
This is how most dinners at ARCA begin: raw seafood, ferments and citrus. These are also the dishes that depend most on the season; sea urchin, for example, is ordered from producers a week in advance. how producers and seasonality shape every dish
Mandarin, Sea Urchin and Sea Snail
Mandarin aguachile with sea urchin and sea snail: fresh, lightly acidic and spicy, with a marine umami. The jicama kimchi with grasshoppers adds crunch, the urchin creaminess and the snail a firm bite.
Sea urchin is ordered from producers a week in advance, depending on the season.
Scallop Aguachile
Fermented tomatillo aguachile with scallop and salicornia: briny, fermented, silky and crunchy at once. Seaweed and halophyte plants, the ones that grow by the sea, bring out the ocean flavor.
Vegetarian and vegan version with jicama instead of scallop.
Zitácuaro Trout Tostada
Trout pâté with avocado, fried trout and trout roe on a crispy tostada. Umami, with notes of allspice and smoked cream, and the salty touch of the roe.
When trout roe is unavailable, it is topped with fried trout skin and chaya.
From the Sea to the Fire
Fire is at the heart of ARCA's kitchen, and it shows in the seafood: the octopus goes on the grill, the prawns are roasted and the crab is smoked before it reaches the plate. Several of these dishes have an alternative if you prefer no spice or have an allergy. what open fire cooking is
Crab Esquite
Nixtamalized corn with smoked crab meat, crab bisque and coconut cream from a local supplier, with a subtle heat from guajillo chile. Fried capers and fried corn bring the crunch.
It changes with the season: spider crab from March to August and local red lobster from September to February.
Roasted Prawns
Roasted prawns in a ripe plantain sauce, silky and creamy, with acidic and lactic notes from the plantain vinegar and a subtle heat. To finish the sauce, order roti (flour tortilla) or pulque bread.
If you are allergic to shrimp, it is replaced with a fillet in the same sauce.
Mayan Octopus
Tender grilled tentacle with recado negro and peanut salsa macha: deeply smoky and spiced. Crispy Cotija cheese completes the contrast of textures.
Crab Flauta
A crispy yuca flauta filled with crab: delicate, with notes of coconut, smoke and a touch of acidity.
It can be topped with caviar or chive emulsion.
Striped Sea Bass
A fillet with crispy skin and firm flesh, with notes of coconut; a fresh, herbal jicama salad, and a silky, lightly spicy poblano sauce with coconut and ginger.
A non-spicy option is available: white sauce of coconut, ginger and lemongrass.
Soft-Shell Crab Taco
Crab in amaranth tempura on a hoja santa tortilla. Very herbal, with the mild flavor of the crab balanced by the crunch of the amaranth.
From the Milpa and the Wild
Corn, pumpkin seeds, huitlacoche, mushrooms and squash blossoms; and from the wild, meats like wild boar, rooted in the region's foraging tradition. Two of the menu's vegetarian options are here too: the mushroom tlayuda and the dzikilpak. territory as a language
Dzikilpak
Ground pumpkin seeds with a toasted flavor, herbal squash blossom and tomato for acidity; on top, whole fried and smoked pumpkin seeds for crunch. Creamy and crunchy at once.
Served with charred tostadas.
Grilled Mushroom Tlayuda
The vegetarian version of the wagyu tlayuda. Crispy fried mushrooms with smoky, earthy huitlacoche mole, and a green leaf salad for an herbal note.
Mexican Wagyu Tlayuda
Rich, meaty and smoky: oxtail, sweetbreads and huitlacoche mole. Tender and crunchy at once, thanks to the chicharrón and the sweetbreads.
Suckling Pig
Tender confit suckling pig with crispy chicharrón, over a pork and black bean reduction. Smoky and balanced, with lightly acidic notes from cacao mucilage vinegar.
Served with tortillas.
Wild Boar Pibil Tlacoyo
Juicy shredded wild boar pibil wrapped in nixtamalized masa, with bean sauce. Intense and spiced. It is game meat, a nod to the region's foraging tradition.
Vegetarian, Non-Spicy and Seasonal Options
If you have any dietary restriction, let us know when you book. This is what the kitchen can adjust:
- Vegetarian: grilled mushroom tlayuda, dzikilpak and the aguachile made with jicama instead of scallop (also vegan).
- No spice: the striped sea bass can be ordered with a white sauce of coconut, ginger and lemongrass.
- Shrimp allergy: the roasted prawns are replaced with a fillet in the same sauce.
- Seasonal: the esquite is made with spider crab from March to August and local red lobster from September to February; sea urchin depends on the season.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Dishes
Does ARCA Tulum have vegetarian options?
Yes. The grilled mushroom tlayuda is the vegetarian version of the wagyu tlayuda, the dzikilpak is made with pumpkin seeds and squash blossoms, and the scallop aguachile can be ordered with jicama instead of scallop, in a vegetarian and vegan version.
Are there non-spicy dishes at ARCA Tulum?
Yes. The striped sea bass can be ordered with a non-spicy sauce of coconut, ginger and lemongrass instead of the poblano chile sauce.
What if I am allergic to shrimp?
The roasted prawns are replaced with a fillet in the same ripe plantain sauce. It is best to mention any allergy when you book.
Do ARCA's dishes change with the seasons?
Yes. The esquite is made with spider crab from March to August and with local red lobster from September to February, and sea urchin is ordered from producers a week in advance, depending on its season.
The menu changes with the seasons, so some of these dishes may not be available on the day of your visit.