"Conrad Tulum's Mediterranean room, chef Josue Chavez cooking salt-crusted fish off a garden terrace — book it for a low-key anniversary."
About Maratea
Josue Chavez grew up cooking in the markets of Mexico City and now runs Maratea, the Mediterranean room at the Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya, which opened in 2022 off the Cancun-Tulum highway in Akumal. The menu travels the Mediterranean basin, from southern Spain to Turkey, in small and medium plates. The salt-crusted catch of the day, cracked open at the table, is the dish to build a dinner around. Expect roughly $50 to $110 a person before the cocktail list. For the wider scene, see our Tulum dining guide.
The Kitchen
Chavez frames Maratea as a tour of the Mediterranean basin rather than a single country: southern Spain, North Africa, Greece and Turkey all turn up on a menu of small and medium plates meant for sharing. House-made pita arrives first, warm, with herby dips. The gazpacho is a reliable opener in the Yucatan heat. The salt-crusted catch of the day is the signature, a whole fish baked in a salt shell and cracked open tableside, and the ravioli is the kitchen's nod to Italy.
Most plates land in the small-and-medium format, so a table of four orders widely and shares. Ingredients lean on the region's biodiversity, with seafood from the Caribbean coast a few minutes away. Maratea sits off the Conrad Tulum lobby, opening onto a garden terrace, and has run as the resort's Mediterranean restaurant since the hotel opened in 2022. Plan a dinner of several plates per person rather than a single main. For a celebration, compare our best anniversary restaurants.
The Room
Maratea reads as a Mediterranean garden terrace tucked off the lobby, calmer and more grown-up than the beach-club rooms Tulum is known for. Sound is conversation-easy, a low hum rather than a DJ. Lighting is dim and warm after dark, with greenery and lanterns around the tables. Seating is generous, well-spaced two-tops and larger tables on the terrace, built for lingering over several plates. Dress is resort-smart: linen and sundresses rather than swimwear, though Tulum stays relaxed. The room seats a comfortable crowd and rarely feels rushed, with service open from six to eleven.
Best for an Anniversary
Book Maratea for a low-key anniversary because it is quieter than Tulum's beach clubs, the terrace seating is spaced for conversation, and a long table of shared plates makes for an unhurried evening. Order the salt-crusted catch to crack open together, start with pita and gazpacho, and let the cocktail list carry the night. Being inside the Conrad means you can walk back to the room rather than navigate the highway after dinner. For more tables worth booking, see our best Tulum restaurants guide. Reserve a terrace two-top after sunset.
Not for
Skip Maratea if you came for beachfront tables or Yucatecan cooking. It is a hotel Mediterranean room off the lobby, not on the sand, and the menu looks to Europe.
Frequently Asked
Is Maratea worth it?
Yes, if you want a calm, well-cooked Mediterranean dinner over a beach-club scene. Maratea, chef Josue Chavez's room at the Conrad Tulum, does salt-crusted fish, gazpacho and house-made pita well, at roughly $50 to $110 a person. It is a hotel restaurant rather than a destination on its own, but for resort guests and anyone wanting a quiet, grown-up evening in Tulum, it delivers.
How hard is it to book Maratea?
Reserve a day or two ahead in high season, less in the quieter months. Maratea takes bookings on OpenTable and through the Conrad Tulum, and resort guests get priority. The terrace tables after sunset are the ones to request. It rarely sells out the way Tulum's beach clubs do, so a same-day table is often possible on weeknights.
What is the dress code at Maratea?
Resort-smart. Maratea expects linen, collared shirts and sundresses rather than swimwear or beach cover-ups, though Tulum runs relaxed overall. There is no jacket requirement. Because it sits inside the Conrad rather than on the sand, the room is a touch more polished than Tulum's beachfront spots, and the evening crowd dresses accordingly.
What should I order at Maratea?
Start with the house-made pita and herby dips and the gazpacho, then build the meal around the salt-crusted catch of the day, cracked open at the table. The ravioli is the kitchen's Italian turn, and the small and medium plates are made for sharing across the Mediterranean basin. Order widely for a table of four and pair it with the cocktail list.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Maratea
Booked on OpenTable and through the Conrad Tulum. Sunset terrace tables are the ones to request.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
AddressCarr. Cancun-Tulum Km 307, Conrad Tulum, Akumal, QR 77774
NeighbourhoodConrad Tulum, Akumal
CuisineMediterranean
Price$50–$110 per person before drinks; small and medium plates built for sharing
Dress CodeResort-smart; linen and sundresses, not swimwear
SeatingGarden terrace off the lobby; well-spaced two-tops and larger tables
ReservationOpenTable / Conrad Tulum · 1–2 days in high season
