My wife and I had a very enjoyable dinner last night at Cetli. The food was awesome, the atmosphere was enchanting, the hospitality was genuine, and the wine was out of this world. We had the chiles en nogada and a sampling of different moles after staring with soup and the spinach salad. Claudia recommended a tempranillo from Mexico that blew us away. The wine was very reasonable (~$40). I would have gladly paid $120 for the wine...it was that good. Ignore all the haters and try this place when you visit Tulum!!

This great little spot is a bit more expensive than other restaurants in town, but comparable to the beach eateries and MUCH, MUCH better! First off, the owner is fantastic. She greets you, takes your order, offers suggestions and presents the food whenever possible. It is apparant that she is proud of her craft and really helps create an experience rather then just a meal. The atmosphere is perfect. The complimentary hors d'ouevres platter was a nice suprise, large and delicious. Both of our meals were beautiful and tasted great. Wonderful sauces. My one minor complaint would be that mine was served just warm, and I would have preferred in hotter. Absolutely worth spending a few extra dollars!

We just came back from spending 2.5 weeks in Mexico and our best meal was at Cetli. The food is traditional Mexican but with a really nice twist in the recipes. The ambiance is great as it is also the decoration. The chef/owner comes out to your table and talks you through the menu. You can tell she is really passionate about her food and this come across on each of the dishes that she serves. Is not dirt cheap, but it is great value for money as the food that you are eating is top notch. I had the chicken with Macho banana and it was just perfect!
We would have love to go back again but we tried on our last night in Tulum. If we ever come back we will go again!

We went to Cetli two times in October during our 10-day visit. Both times Cetli was just incredible. The best restaurant we ate at on our trip. The Mexican zucchini entree was our favorite dish. All of the salads were fantastic. Let her choose the wine! Tried to go for a third dinner (it was that good!), but it was unexpectedly closed probably b/c it was low season. On one of the nights we went, we were the only people in the restaurant the entire time, which was extremely romantic, but not sure it made business sense for her to be open. So maybe call in advance to make sure she's going to be open. You won't regret going to Cetli!