Arca

Arca is a Mexican restaurant and bar on the Tulum–Boca Paila road along the beach strip of Tulum, where chef José Luis Hinostroza cooks over an open fire. He opened it in 2015.

Hinostroza grew up in Southern California in a Mexican family, so the cooking of his parents' country came to him at home before it became his trade. He also took part in the research and development team that Noma assembled for its pop-up in Tulum. The Michelin Guide lists Arca among its recommended restaurants in Mexico, and it has appeared on the extended list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants, while its bar has made the World's 50 Best Bars.

The kitchen describes its food as micro-seasonal, set by the plants and animals of the jungle and coast around Tulum. Ingredients come from small farmers, fishermen and foragers, and the plates are meant to be shared across the table. Venison is served as a tartare under a crisp chicharrón made from mushrooms, and the softshell crab taco, fried in an amaranth batter with mezcal on a hoja santa leaf, has become the dish people ask for by name. The main course is suckling pig, brought with a purée of soursop or a sauce of cinnamon leaf and hot tortillas, which invite diners to build their own tacos.

Mexican street food is the starting point, and the fire and the local produce carry it into a longer, slower dinner. By day the space looks plain, but after dark it is lit by candles, and the bar and the open kitchen become the two points the eye returns to. Wood smoke, flames and low light make the meal feel close to cooking outdoors, which suits cooking that draws so much from the jungle and coast.