Casa Violeta

Casa Violeta is a small and charming restaurant on the beach offering a basic Italian menu. The ambiance is warm and light with a glass and coconut chandalier suspended above the approximately 8-table dining area. They have a full bar with a variety of wines to offer diners. Our first night there we ordered the house wine, a Chilean red and white. The red recieved 2 pigs for taste but the pour was meager. The taste for the white was 1 pig but the glasses were at least full. The bread was not Italian and was cold (1 pig) and no butter or olive oil served as accompaniment. Appetizer and main course came out at the same time but we were sharing (come on - - we live here!!). The carpaccio was excellant with pine nuts, roasted zucchini and goat cheese. A snorting 3 pigs although there was some sand in our lettuce. The price we pay for eating on the beach. The pasta was..,que rico... how delicious. We ordered the penne with gorgonzola and pistachios. It was perfectly al dente and melted in your mouth. Food presentation was beautiful. And the service was attentive, warm and, like the clientele, beautiful. Desert, unfortunetly was a diver! The apple streudel was served cold and tasted as if it had been store bought. It was served with unplumped raisins and garnished with chocolate instead of vanilla ice cream. It was a sorry let down to such a scrumptious salad and pasta. Such an anomoly that we returned. The second time around we tried all three of the red wines and two of the whites. All were adequate but, again, meager pours. However, the GuineaPig's experience was redeemed by the delicious entres and the beautiful service. That evening we tried the fish and it was stupendous. All in all, great ambiance, meager but satisfactory glasses of wine and delicious food, Casa Violeta is a 2 and one half pigs of gastrointestinal delight at Tulum Playa!!

Puerta del Cielo

"Sorry, we are open" reads the sign at the main entrance. That should have clued us in on the fact that Puerta del Cielo isn't quite ready for the public. They have a limited menu and we were unable to find much that fit our pallete. The bar is well done and spacious but the dining room lacks a cozy charm. The plates for appetizers look cool in triangular shapes that fit together but they disappiont when you see they are melamine. There is just something about plastic dishes that takes away from the flavor and beauty of the food. The GuineaPigs tried their salad del cielo. Tiny pieces of salami garnished the side not to mention that the brocoli, cauliflower and green beans were still frozen and difficult to eat, to say the least. The dressing was typical of any Thousand Island dressing you could buy in any supermarket, even in Mexico. We were not offered any chips, bread or accompaniment with the salad and were left alone to finish our nicely chilled but mediocre chardonnay. We said no to a second cup and second course and wandered up the road to find something more substantial. Before we left we took a quick tour around the property. The brand new swimming pool looked inviting and the bungalows looked spacious and beautiful. The landscaping is well done and they have allowed for lots of space between bungalows creating privacy and breathing room for their guests. Give the place until May and the GuineaPigs will check back to see if they have beefed up the menu.