what makes a restaurant special? First is care, which comes from the raw material supplier, storage, team management and obviously the talent and creativity of the chef.
Mur Mur restaurant in Tulum
In tulum among my top 5 restaurants is Mur Mur, whose cuisine is piloted by the chef Diego Hernandez Baquedano who, with his restaurant “Corazon de Tierra” in Baja California, was elected by Travel and Leisure magazine as one of the great stars of Mexican cuisine. In the years 2013,2014 and 2015, its cuisine was awarded among the 50 best in the world in Latin America by the famous “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” award. Once in Tulum be sure that u gonna stop there.
Juju Coelho at Mur Mur Restaurant in the city of Tulum wearing Colcci and Bota Animale dress and Dayane Bjoux accessories.
Every time I go I see myself delighted with the presentation of the dishes and the execution in every detail of the mix of flavors.
Mur Mur restaurant in TulumMur Mur restaurant in Tulum
Founded and led by the couple Jorge Vallejo and Alejandra
Flores, the Quintonil restaurant is since 2015 in the list of the 50 best
restaurants in the world, now occupying the 9th place.
The chef Jorge Vallejo,
although new, has a load of gastronomic experiences to envy. Vallejo graduated
in culinary arts at Ambrosia, her first professional experience in the kitchen
was working on cruises around the world. From there the chef worked in the
kitchens of Pujol, the Condessa DF hotels, Habita, Hotel Capital District and
in 2010 he served as executive chef of the St Regis kitchen.
Alejandra Flores holds a
degree in restaurant management from CESSA, a master in business administration
with a hospital focus and a marketing specialist at the Les Roches education
center in Switzerland. It was working at Pujol that Alejandra and Jorge met,
she was director of operations for the restaurant and Enrique Olvera Group.
When Chef left the hotels, he
embarked on a knowledge experience in Copenhagen. Back in Mexico, Vallejo and
his wife decided to open their own restaurant: O Quintonil, where Alejandra
runs the salon and manages and Vallejo leads the kitchen and menu.
In the renowned
high-gastronomic restaurant, the dishes served to carry all the knowledge the
chef has brought cooking and studying in kitchens around the world. What makes
the menu even more incredible is the use of ingredients typical of Mexican
cuisine that are taken from a garden that has in the restaurant itself, thanks
to the initiative Origins, founded by Vallejo in partnership with chefs Mauro
Colagreco, restaurant Mirazur, in France and Virgilio Martinez, who heads the
restaurant Central in Peru. The initiative seeks to keep ingredients, techniques,
and customs of the kitchen of small Latin American communities, without using
pesticides or any artificial ingredient.
Speaking of the menu, the
restaurant presents only the option of a tasting menu that undergoes changes
during the year due to the availability of ingredients. This happens with both
dishes, as well as desserts and even with the wine and drinks menu. My choice
was a 12-course option, where what most charmed me was the reinvention of
guacamole, worth a try. The desserts are also stunning, very appetizing.
Quintonil, when compared to
another famous and respected restaurant in Mexico, Pujol, could have impressed
more, yet it is a sensational restaurant. The presentations were spotless, the
dishes delicious and the place is super cozy and beautiful. One of the mottos
of the place is to welcome the customers well and treat them like family as
well as all the staff and this is very well passed on to those going to the
restaurant.
I was very well received and
met there, it was a great pleasure to be with the whole Quintonil team and to
have this new gastronomic experience. I hope to come back!
Have you considered staying in a luxury hotel in the middle of the Valle de Guadalupe mountains in Mexico? If so, Encuentro Guadalupe is the right destination!
The hotel, which is in the winery region, is my favorite place when I want to disconnect from everything and enjoy nature. According to the hotel itself, Encuentro is “a space that invites our guests to enjoy the common areas and reuniting with themselves, keeping in touch with nature, respecting the surroundings and admiring the wonderful landscape that the Guadalupe Valley offers us”.
Encuentro Guadalupe. Source: Instagram.
Encuentro has 22 lofts made for the guests to relax. Each room has its own terrace, mountain views, local-made wine floors – the hotel has seven hectares of vineyard – and an outdoor clay kiva. Everything to enjoy the stay and connect with nature.
Valuing the experience, Encuentro welcomes each visitor with a drink of their own production, that can be enjoyed while visiting the winery and admiring the view from the lobby. The wines tasted by guests are produced right there in the hotel’s owned vineyards. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Nebbiolo are some of the types that make up the hotel’s wine cellar.
Its architecture is rustic and uses elements of nature in its composition, such as decorative objects made of logs, fireplaces built with clay, natural stones composing the decoration of the lofts. All connected with the view of the mountains, which can be enjoyed from the glass walls surrounding the hotel.
Hotel’s architecture. Source: Booking.
About the gastronomy, the hotel has the Origin restaurant, which works as an “open kitchen”, where guests can watch the execution of the dishes, made by chef Omar Valenzuela. Each dish is a combination of flavors, shapes and colors that explores ingredients from northern Baja California.
In addition, the hotel features the Raw Oyster Bar, headed by chef Melissa Navaro, whose signatures are oyster dishes and drinks that delight the guest with their beauty and taste.
One of Raw Oyster Bar dishes. Source: Instagram.
And did you already know about Encuentro Guadalupe? When passing through Mexico, be sure to visit the hotel! Book your stay right now clicking here! Also see more about tours and activities in the area through Get Your Guide.
Tell me in the comments what you think about the tip and if you know another destination to disconnect and enjoy nature. And don’t forget to share this post to compete for a trip to the Maldives!
For those who like “Instagram destinations”, The Sketch Bar & Restaurant in London is a great choice. Considered one of the most photogenic restaurants in the world, Sketch has 5 halls, including an art gallery, tea room, cafeteria, bar and restaurant.
The famous bathroom of The Gallery hall.
The restaurant, created in 2002 by Mourad Mazouz, was designed to impress its visitors with its architecture, design, music, art and, of course, gastronomy. The place occupies two floors of the building that once housed Christian Dior’s atelier and the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Each space was developed by designers and artists, who created unique works of art to integrate each one of the five halls. In addition, the restaurant has hosted over 50 exhibitions by various world-renowned artists.
The Gallery. Source: Google
The Gallery, one of the most frequented lounges, serves tea and dinner. The room, all decorated in shades of pink, has works featured by artist David Shirgley on its walls and its decoration is inpired on the sixties’ architecture.
The Lecture Room & Library is Skecth’s most luxurious lounge, decorated with Swarovski crystals, inspired by the design of a jewelry box. With two Michelin stars, its menu, signed by chef Pierre Gagnaire, features dishes of unusual combinations and an extensive wine selection.
The Lecture Room & Library. Source: Google
The Parlor has more intimate atmosphere and works all day long as a lounge, cafeteria and patisserie. The Glade lounge alludes to an enchanted forest with its romantic décor, serving breakfast, tea and cocktails.
The Glade lounge. Source: Google.
Lastly, The East Bar has the most modern decor and works as a bar, serving drinks with Djs to cheer up the visitors. It’s worth the visit!
Have you ever been there or enjoyed the suggestion? Share what you think in the comments and share suggestions of cool places in your city. Oh, and don’t forget to share this post with your friends to win a trip to the Maldives!
If you like to enjoy good wine and venture out to try new flavors you are in the right place! Firstleaf is an online club that partners with several wineries and promises to leave you 100% satisfied.
The club takes your preferences when it comes to wine and makes a personalized statement for you, so you can not go wrong in making the choice. Another very important thing is also that they take their feedback and send it directly to the wine producers, so they go for excellence.
To become a member of the club just sign up for the official website, fill in your preferences, buy your wine and be happy! After all, I’ve never seen anyone sad drinking good wine, have you?
I have already made my wine selection so that you can know, just click on the shopping cart below:
Image taken from Gordon Ramsay’s Masterclass promotional video
If you are a culinary lover and like to cook, this post is perfect for you! The Masterclass platform offers several online courses with highly qualified professionals to pass your knowledge on. There are several areas of knowledge such as culinary, cinema, design, fashion, music, science and technology among others.
The gastronomy classes are given by renowned professionals such as Gordon Ramsay, Thomas Keller, James Suckling, Dominique Ansel, Alice Waters etc. In other categories you can find personalities like Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Aguilera and Natalie Portman.
Each course has an average of 20 lessons and you pay an annual fee to gain access to all the unique material. There is also the option to pay only one class or give a class or the entire course of gift to someone. I find these types of online courses very interesting and practical, it is great for those who want to specialize, especially in cooking which is something that besides adding knowledge I consider as therapy for the soul!
