I am not one to trash a place when I don't get my way, so let me let you be the judge of what makes a great dining experience.
This restaurant was recommended by our son-in-law, who owns a highly respected farm-to-table restaurant in Panama City. He told us it had amazing reviews and a great concept close to what his restaurant was based on, fresh local ingredients determining the changing menu. When we arrived in Tulum we were excited and sought the location out to begin our preparations. The first day we drove by at 2:30 and there was a line outside. My wife exited the car and asked the process. She found that they do not take reservations, and instead you had to wait in line until 3pm to leave your name for a spot to dine that same evening. She waited in line, with us in the car until 3pm. 2 people before she reached the front of the line the hostess shouted, "That's it. No more space today!" And paced away into the inner courtyard, away from the confused patrons in line, closing the gate behind her.
The second day we decided to get in line earlier to win a spot for the evening. We left the beach at 2pm and quickly made our way to the line a few blocks away. When we got there, there were already more than 25 people in line. We waited. One hour in the hot sun. Finally the line moved and we slowly made our way to the front, where we would find our fate. "4 people", I told the hostess. She barked back, "5:30pm or 9:00pm?" My wife told her that we were not senior citizens so we would take the 9pm time slot. "Lots
of people of all ages eat at 5:30!" She quipped. "It's 4 people at the bar." She continued. We would have preferred a table but no options were offered. Only a blank stare from the hostess. We took the 9pm time slot and shuffled away like disciplined children.
The walk back to the beach was filled with comments about how we were amazed that they could run a successful business with such poor customer service, but with a long line of hipsters every day they really didn't have to put customer service at the forefront of their business plan. We finished the afternoon at the beach and went back to our condo to get dressed up and enjoy a great meal.
We had heard that if you were one minute late for your specified time they would give your spot away, so we rushed to arrive at promptly 9pm. We parked and walked tot the front of the entrance and were greeted by a gentleman that asked for a name. I gave him my name, which is quite simple, and watched him run his finger down the clipboard once, twice, three times. "What was your name again?" He enquired. I looked over his shoulder at the clipboard and pointed to my name, which had a line drawn through it. "You were at 8:30." He said. " We have given your spot away. "
I rebuked him, saying, "No, she told us 9pm! And we are here at 9pm". He responded, " Let me get the hostess". Our favorite hostess walked up, listened to his explanation and said, "No, I said 8:30 and there is no space for you." And stood with bands on hips staring in silence. No statement of sympathy. No solution. No apology about possible confusion. No regret. Nada.
We didn't get to try the food. We hear it is good. We will not go back and try again. If we are going to spend $150 per person for dinner we would rather frequent somewhere that leaves you with a complete dining experience, positive from beginning to end. We own a business. We pride ourselves in customer service, which is what carried our business through the Great Recession. A business like this will hear nothing but the toilet flushing if the tourist industry takes a nose dive again. I won't feel sorry for them.
The bright side of the story is that after the failed first attempt we went next door to Arca, also a farm-to-table concept. The atmosphere was amazing. The staff was amazing. The food was amazing. No line. No attitude. Great food and a fantastic dining experience. Do yourself a favor and skip the pretentious Hart(less)Wood and dine at Arca! read more