Hotel Xcaret Arte has absolutely outdone itself regarding its culinary experiences!
The food there is next level—fantastic dining options with menus crafted by some of Mexico’s most renowned chefs.
They showcase the cuisines of Mexico, utilize fresh local ingredients, and offer spectacular options that are fusions of Mexican foods with other ethnic flavors, many of which are from cultures that have been in Mexico for generations.
10 PLUS Culinary Options
Hotel Xcaret Arte offers ten varied dining options and some pop-up carts that provide daily and night treats.
However, guests of Hotel Xcaret Arte can venture into the family-friendly Xcaret Mexico, located right next door, which adds nearly a dozen additional restaurants to your options.
Our visit was only five days long, and we could only hit some of them with one or two meals off-site while enjoying Xcaret’s parks.
In No Particular Order
It’s no secret we’re foodies! As we travel the world, we book street food and market tours anywhere we can. Back home in Merida, we eat at local family-run taquerias and loncherias as much as possible, with much of our shopping done in Merida’s Mercado Lucas de Galvez.
Mark is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, with an extensive culinary background, and admittedly eats anything that doesn’t eat him first. On the other hand, Chuck is an excellent baker and home cook. But a little more reserved in his likes.
We’re not sure we’d agree on ranking which restaurant was best, mainly because we look for different things and have different tastes.
But we can agree that the food and service in all the restaurants we tried at Hotel Xcaret Arte were excellent and worth trying.
So here we go!
Encanta!
We’ll keep this short and sweet. Chuck chose Encanta for his birthday dinner, and it did not disappoint. Chef Paco Mendez crafted a menu showcasing many of Mexico’s food and regions.
See the fantastic food we enjoyed at Encanta in our blog post “Encanta for Chuck’s Birthday Dinner.”
Mercado de San Juan
Mercado de San Juan showcases the flavors of Mexico’s towns. It is designed and decorated to give the feel of a local Mercado. And they KILLED IT!
It’s so visually stunning that it’s almost overwhelming. There are Mexican baskets, cooking implements, and decor everywhere you look.
In our local neighborhood in Merida, we have local Panaderos. They’re the local guys with carts who sell bread and sweet treats. They all have bicycle horns that you can hear from a block away. The restaurant has horns echoing in the background was so fun.
They have women making Quesadillas, Tacos, and Tortas. They even have a Mennonite man, known for their fabulous Cheeses, going table to table offering samples.
We popped in there our first night for a light dinner and one more time for breakfast. The food was delicious, and there were plenty of options.
We chose other options most of the week for several reasons. Number one, we live here and eat many of the foods offered regularly. And number two, as a full-service buffet restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner, people roam all over. So we chose some quieter options with less traditional foods.
If you are relatively new to Mexico and want to try authentic foods, especially street foods, in a “safe and clean” environment, then this is your place.
Cayuco
Cayuco is a restaurant with Mediterranean and Mexican flavors by Chef Franco Maddalozzo.
We were exceptionally fortunate as this beautiful restaurant was just steps from our suite. The restaurant sits on the infinity pool, so it has lovely views every way you look. And the interior decor, while simple, had a very tranquil and calm feel.
We only ate breakfast and a quick lunch there as it had food stations that were a bit less traditional than Mercado San Juan. It’s smaller in size and less hectic in the morning.
It offered an awesome Salad Bar, excellent Ceviche and Aguachiles, some that could be made to order based on your liking.
Mark got a decent Bagel (something we don’t often get in Merida) and may have eaten his weight in Smoked Salmon.
The bakery and breakfast foods were delicious, with crispy Hash Browns and plenty of crisp Bacon.
The menu for the rest of the day offered Pizza, Pasta, Bruschetta, fresh Fish, Carpaccio, and delicious-sounding appetizers.
Outside the windows was Cayuco Wet Bar, a relaxing swim-up bar with excellent cocktails.
Arenal
Arenal was located just beyond our casa, down by the waterways. It was pretty laid back with knotted rope decor, and some seating was in hanging chairs. Toward the back of the restaurant is a wall filled with spectacular glass pieces.
We dined there twice during our trip, once at lunch and once for dinner after returning from one of the parks.
Lunch at Arenal
They start you off with a platter of crisp Tortillas with a selection of dipping sauces.
Both times, Mango Margaritas with spicy rims were the order of the day. We’d heard great things about these, and they didn’t disappoint.
For lunch, Mark tried the Yellow Fin Tuna Tartar with Orange, Soy, Grapefruit Emulsion, Radishes, Avocado, and Pickled Papaya. It was delicious, light and refreshing.
Chuck tried some of their Street Corn with Mayonnaise, Quest Fresco, and Chilis. It was delicious but cooled down quickly by the time it got to the table.
We both tried their Lobster Got Dog. Their take on a Lobster Roll combines Lobster and Shrimp in a light, flavorful sauce under a cloud of shaved Cheese. It comes with Wirth Truffle Fries, but we opted for the plain. It was good, different, but good, a little rich, and we could have lived without the Cheese.
We don’t often eat dessert at lunch, but what the heck, we were on vacation. Mark selected the Cacao – creamy Manjari Chocolate Mousse with Toffee and a Butter Crumble topped with Passion Fruit Puree and Cacao Nibs. Chuck went slightly simpler with Vanilla Ice Cream with Brownie, Candied Almond, and Chocolate Sauces.
Dinner at Arenal
They start you a bit heavier for dinner with luscious Refried Beans with Chicharron and crispy Tortillas. Mark began with their County Salad, similar to a traditional Wedge Salad with Lettuce, Tomatoes, Bacon, and Sour Cream Dressing.
Mark ordered a T-Bone Steak with Mac and Cheese and Roasted Vegetables for his entree. Chuck ordered a Rib Eye Steak with Corn and Mac and Cheese. Both were delicious and well cooked, although Mark would have liked a little harder sear on his Rare Steak.
The restaurant was relaxing, the staff was friendly and attentive, and the food and presentations were excellent overall.
Kibi-Kibi
Kibi – Kibi is located in Casa de los Artistas. It was actually underneath our suite. The restaurant is exclusively for guests of Casa de los Artistas or other resort guests for an additional fee.
You may remember this image in our blog post about our suite. Our suite is two rooms behind the woman standing at the plexiglass wall. And just below there, you can see the lights inside of Kibi-Kibi. Here’s another view from inside the restaurant.
Kibi-Kibi is A fusion of Yucatan and Lebanese flavors with a menu by famed Chef Roberto Solis from the Yucatan. We see this fusion a lot in Merida, with Kibi being sold on every street corner and lots of fusion foods to be found.
We have yet to explore it as we wanted to understand what they were. So with this menu and the help of our server Marcelino, who was terrific and from just outside of Merida, we dove right in.
The decor here is both minimalist and over the top. Much of the artwork and decor focus on Henequen fiber, which was Yucatan’s gold and made many people very wealthy before the invention of nylon rope.
The entryway has two hanging chairs, and the decor starts with long henequen swags with beaded knots at the top. Chandeliers are made from twisted woven circles that resemble covers to a basket where Tortillas are served. Artwork on the walls is made of woven henequen, as are installations on the ceiling. The entire restaurant is warm and inviting, and the water features add to the tranquility.
Starting Off
We started our dinner with a light, refreshing beverage of Local Limas and Chaya, two staples of the Yucatan.
The amuse bouche was a Pita bite topped with ‘al Pastor’ in a Black Recado, a sauce made by charring Chilis; it was topped with Onion and Feta Cheese.
We were also served a combination of dips, including Baba Ganoush, a dish of smokey Eggplant, and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. They were delicious and a great light bite to enjoy with our drinks.
From there on out, it seems Marcelino kept the food coming. What was probably an Ala carte menu turned into a multi-course tasting menu.
First Courses
First up was a trio of traditional Kibi, a Kibi stuffed with Cheese and Lobster, and a Vegetable Kibi. Kibi is a croquette-type dish made of Ground Meat and Bulgar Wheat with Herbs and Spices. All of the twists on the original were fresh and delicious.
This was followed by a Quesadilla stuffed with Quesillo Cheese, accented with sliced Chilis and a Salsa Verde. It was what you want a street Quesadilla to be but on the next level.
Entrees
Chuck took the next one, while Mark just took a small bite. The Fish Of The Day, which was Sea Bass, was served with Carrot Puree. It was delicious, and we could have eaten several of these.
Meanwhile, Mark was downing this Panko Crusted Venison with Black Recado – a meat Chuck doesn’t eat. While Mark would have liked it a little more on the Rare side, it was delicious.
Our server also snuck in a Kofta, a Lamb Kabob made with Herbs, Spices, and Roasted Nuts with Garlic and Onion. This was another one for Mark.
SIDE Note: Chuck was a Vegetarian for quite some time, and while he’s now eating meat, “cute” animals are off-limits. So, no Duck, Lamb, Veal, Venison or Rabbit.
Our last entree dish was A Grilled Ribeye with Roasted Onion, Kalamata Olives, Carrot Puree, and Feta Puree. AMAZING!
There’s Always Room For Rice Pudding!
It is absolutely one of Mark’s favorites and is available locally on every corner of Merida. However, this Rice Pudding In Three Textures was over the top! Deliciously creamy Rice Pudding with Dates, topped with a Rice Foam and crispy Rice Paper. It was indulgent and worth every calorie!
This one restaurant may have opened us up to a new circle of local Lebanese restaurants to explore in Merida.
Chino Poblano
Chef Jonatan Gomez Luna is one of the leaders of a new generation of Mexican chefs. Chino Poblano is the fusion of cuisines from Puebla and China.
The decor is fun, playful, and sleek. Outdoor seating surrounded by water and greenery is dotted with larger Ginger Jars in traditional motifs of the pottery of Puebla.
Inside, a barrel ceiling is covered in traditional Mexican tiles. The long tables below have funky high-back wooden chairs dotted with tall silver candelabra.
A dividing wall is filled with playful Maneki-Neko or beckoning cats. These fun golden cats seen in Chinatowns and Asian stores are super cute. (They’re actually Japanese)
We did NOT do the Chefs Tasting Menu as we learned from experience that we’d have too much food. So we picked our own… you’ll see how that worked out.
Chuck started with a Gin and Tonic, and Mark started with his go-to vacation cocktail, a Mango Margarita with a spicy Tajin rim. Both were excellent.
Entrance
You are presented with a flight of unique and interesting small bites as you are seated. The first was Tepache in Green Tea. Tepache is a traditional Mexican fermented Pineapple drink. It was steeped in Green Tea and served in a Tea Cup with cobalt blue designs typical of the pottery of Puebla.
Served after the Tepache was Chinchin. It was cold, delicious, and fascinating, a spherical cocktail of Lychee Margarita.
Along the line of interesting things were these Peanuts made of Soy and Foie Gras. WOW, we had to do a double take as they looked so much like the real peanuts. Mark LOVED these. He’s the Foie Gras guy.
The last in this presentation was a Prawn wrapped in Jicama, Orange, and Shiso with a Hunan-style Sweet and Sour Sauce. These were all incredible start to the dinner.
Appetizers
For this course, We went with the Szechuan Chicken Wings in a Chili Glaze with Roasted Bok Choy and Lobster and Scallops in a Kafir Lime, Jicama, Cucumber and Yuzu Aguachile with Coconut Ice Dust.
These dishes were so amazing and incredibly different. One was spicy and warm, and the other cold and acidic. Both were dishes we’d order again.
We also shared an order of Sweet and Sour Pork Jiaozi with a Peanut Mole. There were small bites with big flavors and multiple steamer bakes, so we had just enough to save.
Bao Buns
We also ordered the slow-cooked Pork Belly Bao Buns with a Smoked Chili Glaze and Pickled Cucumbers. These were RIDICULOUSLY GOOD… soft Bao Bun with rich fatty Pork Belly – we ordered several more.
Main Courses
Mark is a Pekin Duck freak; he’ll order it at any chance. This Duck was excellent; it was paired with a traditional Mole Poblano and Scallions, served with a pig full of Blue Corn Tortillas. It was truly a fusion of two cultures that were meant to be.
Chuck opted for the Kung Pao Marinated Chicken served with Green Beans and Cauliflower Puree. I came with lettuce leaves to make a delicious wrap. The marinade was packed with flavor and a great, non-tradition twist on the dish.
Save Room For Dessert
Mark ordered the Rice Milk, a 5 Spice Ice Cream with Rice Milk Froth: light, refreshing, and the perfect size.
Chuck, the Chocoholic, went straight for the Chocolate. Tonka Bean, Sesame Seeds, Caramel, Soy, and Vanilla Ice Cream dusted with gold—just the right amount of Chocolate.
But wait, there’s more. They then finished our meal with beautiful jewel boxes filled with treats. Bombons, Cocadas, Mango Gummies and Fortune Cookies.
This, like the other restaurants, was outstanding!
We Missed A Few
With only five days at Hotel Xcaret Arte and spending several days, including meals, at some of the Xcaret parks, there was only so much time for eating.
At night, there were Taco Carts, and After Hours, Speak Easy, the resort offered a Starbucks-style Coffee shop with specialty Coffees and well.
Here are the places we missed at Hotel Xcaret Arte.
Cantina Vi.Ai.Py is a cantina from Oaxaca by Chef Alejandro Ruiz.
TAH-XIDO, a contemporary Japanese Restaurant by Chef Luis Arzapalo.
Apapachoa is a 100% plant-based restaurant that we heard RAVE reviews about.
And last but not least, Xaak is a grand seven-course work of art created by five culinary artists. Chef Roberto Solis, Chef Franco Maddalozzo, Chef Paco Mendez, Chef Jonatan Gomez Luna, and Chef Alejandro Ruiz. With wine pairings by Award-winning Sommelier Sandra Fernandez.
Xaak’s current cost is about $150 US per person, and all reviews rave about how it is so worth the splurge.
Maybe next time.
