Food is always a huge part of my vacation, it’s something I look forward to, and one of my favorite ways to get to know the local culture. I recently stayed at the Catalonia Royal Tulum all-inclusive and wanted to share my thoughts on the food and restaurants at the resort and share a little information on how it all works in case you are considering a stay here. If you haven’t already, you can find a full review of the resort at Catalonia Royal Tulum: the good, the bad, and the ugly, an honest guest review.
you will probably find SOMETHING that you like
If I am being honest the food was hit and miss for me but I must also acknowledge that I was able to find something that I liked at each of the restaurants. Because it is an all-inclusive if you happen to order something that isn’t to your liking it is simple enough to just order something else. That is one of the luxuries of an all-inclusive, one in particular that I really like.
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8 restaurant options at the Catalonia:
El Grill Steakhouse
(dinner)
The salad was good (as were all salads I ordered at the resort.) I had never heard of beef carpaccio and was surprised when raw beef dressed with shaved parm and a balsamic drizzle was brought to my table. It wasn’t bad and I got to try something new.
La Palapa Buffet
(breakfast and lunch)
This is a huge huge buffet with plenty of fresh food options. If you can’t find something you like here then you might as well give it up. My favorite dish on the breakfast buffet was the Chilaquiles, corn chips with shredded meat and either green or red sauce (they have both! YUM!)
Fresh Churros! They have a chocolate fountain on the breakfast buffet with crepes and other little pastries….and then I saw the churros and the heavens opened and the angels sang! No chocolate needed! Ok, I’m being dramatic but is there really anything better than a fresh churro?
Terrace Tapas
(dinner)
The food wasn’t my favorite but the portions are tiny (tapas!) so you can try lots of different offerings and the atmosphere was simply fantastic! I tried to stop in here each night if only just for dessert so I could soak up the feel of the place. Think tables under the canopy of the jungle and lights strung all around to add to the mood. I enjoyed the spiced olives with pork cracklings, and the beef strips with shredded cheese and tomato. Dessert was always good!
La Toscana Italian
(dinner)
Candle lit dinner for one? Yes please! This is a lovely place to have dinner whether you’re alone or with company. On the menu: pizza, pasta, calzones, seafood and more. Go here for the bread. They serve warm delicious buttery focaccia bread and it is delectable! They have very good salads with ingredients like fresh mozzarella, balsamic, shaved parm, Gorgonzola, walnuts, and honey mustard all served on beds of colorful arugula and/or baby or micro green type lettuce. No iceberg here! I wasn’t thrilled with the pasta that I ordered but some of my favorites were the artichoke and chickpea dip with garlic bruschetta, the focaccia and the salads!
BLOVED Beach Bar
(breakfast, lunch and dinner)
You must purchase a privileged room to access this area. Favorites: Tuna Cracker (fresh tuna, avocado, chili chipotle and fried onion on a fried corn tortilla “cracker”) and the Pork carnitas tacos. The scallops and steak were also very good.
Breakfast offerings: a fresh fruit plate with yogurt and honey, many different egg concoctions with add ins like Serrano chile, green sauce, smoked salmon and chorizo, just to name a few, side orders of fried banana, delicious drinks (banana, coconut, oat and honey or orange pineapple and spinach.)
Ruaxa
(dinner)
You can get a steak with a side of rambunctious dinner theater here. It’s rowdy and loud but fun. Just don’t go here expecting a quiet intimate dinner for two . Check out this video on youtube for a sample of the show.
Adelita Mexican Restaurant
(dinner)
On my last night at the resort there was a long wait to get a table here so I’m sorry to say I wasn’t able to try the food at the Mexican restaurant. I did ask several guests and they said that the food was very good. On the menu: Fajitas with crispy tortilla (refried beans, chicken, beef Oaxaca cheese, white cabbage, cream and avocado,) corn tortilla mole enchilada’s (topped with fresh cheese and cream), octopus tacos, and much more.
Sorrento Snack bar
You’ll find quick snacks at Sorrento in the beach/pool area. I wasn’t impressed with the nachos but I didn’t leave hungry either.
Food samples!
I appreciated the sample sizes menu offerings that they brought around while I waited for my food.
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what to wear
I apparently missed the key “five-star” wording in the resort description. Since I was headed for the beach/jungle I packed accordingly. I felt a bit under dressed in the tropical dresses that I packed for dinners. Most guests were wearing what I would call dressy casual or smart casual.
The QR Codes
The QR code method for accessing the menus was at times downright frustrating; inconvenient at best and just flat irritating at worst. I found their site to be littered with glitches and technical issues. Do yourself a favor, when it’s working take a screenshot of the menu for later reference, or if you are struggling with the QR code process just ask for a menu. (If you don’t know how to scan a QR code someone will be glad to help you.)
Room service
There is a small room service menu. The hamburger was edible and filling.
what about drinks?
Drinks are bottomless at an all-inclusive. Alcoholic drinks are, of course, served in all of the restaurants. Additionally there are 4 stand alone bars: a margarita bar in the lobby/reception area, the swim up bar at the pool, a tiki hut near the pool, and another on the beach.
can I drink the water at Catalonia Royal Tulum?
The water and the ice are filtered and safe to drink.
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What is the date of the review? We are considering CRT Feb. 2023. Thank you for the review.
Hi Barbara. I was at Catalonia Royal Tulum in January 2022. Enjoy your trip! it really is a fantastic little spot. -Angie Kunze, We’re Not in Kansas Anymore
You may also be interested in my full review of Catalonia Royal Tulum all-inclusive resort. You’ll find it here: https://www.werenotinkansasanymore.com/post/catalonia-royal-tulum-mexico-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-an-honest-guest-review