With their tag line reading “Bar and Restaurant with a
Twist” Ula Gula will impress you with their original recipes and top-notch
service.
Although Ula Gula opened 4 years ago I hadn’t eaten
there before last Friday. When a restaurant has survived the Playa del Carmen scene
for more then a year there is definitely something to their concept. Argentine
owned and operated, I had only ever heard great reviews, and when a friend
invited me and the Web Guy out for dinner I suggested Ula Gula. We arrived and
were immediately seated at a great table with a view of 5th Avenue perfect for people
watching. The waiter came over with the menus’ and took our drink orders returning quickly with a tray full of perfectly
poured cocktails.
He offered to give us menu suggestions, and we decided on a
couple of starters for the table. We settled on the De Rio Salad ($80.00 pesos)
the Kubik Tuna ($90.00 pesos), and La Vegetariana
($90.00 pesos)and all were definitely great choices. The De Rio was a munificent
salad with fresh red leaf lettuce, arugula, carrot, and prosciutto served with a light homemade sesame vinaigrette, and we all
shared it with gusto and “mmm, mmm’s” between bites. The Kubik Tuna was 6 large cubes of fresh tuna seared on the outside and served with soy, wasabi,
and an arugula salad and it was a perfect compliment to the salad and made my
taste buds dance with glee. I must say that this was my favorite of the
starters and I horded it eating 4 of the 6 pieces of tuna! La Vegetariana was a considerable portion of grilled vegetables served with a brie cheese sauce, and
balsamic vinegar caramel, and it was colorful compliment of flavors. With a
fresh bread basket that was brought to the table with a choice of homemade focaccia,
onion rolls, and rustic bread it was almost enough food not to even order an
entrée!
We then ordered our entrees with the entire table deciding on
fish dishes. They offer a daily fish, which was grouper, and then you can
choose from a variety of styles. Two of us ordered the Mediterranean,
a generous piece of fish cooked perfectly, and accompanied with a parsley
gorgonzola sauce, cucumber and green olive salad, and was settled on a rich
serving of mashed potatoes that made me want to lick my platter clean. With an
extensive pasta and grilled meat section of the menu you could come back many
times and never order the same thing twice!
Web Guy ordered the Marley style grouper
($165.00 pesos) which came in a smoked tomato broth, with sweet potato croquette, prosciutto,
and red bell pepper, and it was perfectly balanced with zesty flavors. We ended
the meal by sharing a dessert, Fondant de Chocolat ($60.00 pesos), which if you
are a chocolate lover will have you smiling from ear to ear. A hot little
chocolate cake filled with warm liquid chocolate, and served with vanilla ice
cream and peach sauce made me want to cry with joy.
I have to say that this was one of the most pleasant dining
experiences that I have had in the 4 years that I have lived here in Playa del
Carmen. The service was attentive, the food was exquisite, the location was
perfect, and I would highly recommend Ula Gula to anyone who wants a great
experience. The ONLY complaint I had was that the menu is printed in very small
fonts, and if your eye sight isn’t like it was when you were 20 you may need
some help reading it! And is that really a complaint?
Ula Gula is located on 5th Avenue between 10th
and 12th Streets in Playa del Carmen. They are located on the second
floor, and they are open from 5:30 PM until 11:30 PM every day. For further
information or to make a reservation please call: 984-879-3727
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We've been to Playa the last 2 Februaries (08 & 09) and both times we spent a lot of time at Ula Gula bar and restaurant. We've eaten twice at the restaurant and have visited the bar many times. Both times Ula Gula was a highlight of our vacation. Luis is the best!