Our tour rep recommended Ajua to us, so we decided to try it. We were SO glad we did! We were VERY impressed. We arrived at 7 p.m. and spent two+ hours there, enjoying a leisurely dinner and drinks. (If you want to get a chance to eat dinner here, we recommend making a reservation, because by 8 p.m. the restaurant was pretty much full).

My husband had a Corona and I had a Mojito. Both were served promptly and professionally (well, some may think it semi-professionally as my Mojito arrived on the waiter’s head which added to the whole Ajua experience). I had the Mayan Lobster and Steak for dinner. The lobster tails were fabulous and the steak was very tender and cooked to perfection. My husband had the New York Steak which was very nicely done to order and very flavourful. We were very impressed with the Caesar Salad which was prepared at our table. I found it to be very tasty and VERY fresh. We decided to pass on dessert because we were both had no room for anymore food. The grand finale for me was the Mayan Coffee which was made at our table. I had had this coffee at other resorts in the Cancun area, and loved them, so asked the waiter if he could make one for me. He turned the preparation of the coffee into a really spectacular performance right in front of us at our table. The glass was rimmed with lime juice and sugar, and the waiter proceeded to pour the liqueurs to and from two metal jugs which were heated, and suddenly they were ignited by the fire as he poured them back and forth. Eventually, the liqueurs were poured into the glass of coffee, which had a huge scoop of home made vanilla ice cream in it. The ultimate after dinner drink!

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner, and contrary to some of the opinions on this review page, the price of the dinner was comparable to any other upscale restaurant in PDC. Yes, the tax and tip were not included in the prices, but that is very normal for most restaurants. We left our waiter a very nice tip for his professionalism and hard work, and our philosophy is “If you don’t like the waiter, the restaurant, the food, the loud band, or the ambience, then don’t leave a tip, or speak to the Maitre ‘d. Only leave a tip if you are totally satisfied and believe the experience was worthy of the amount you decide to leave.” PDC has always had very reasonable prices for what you get, and someday they had to join the rest of the world in raising prices. We’ve been going to PDC for about 10 years now and have not seen prices rise until the last couple of years. This is consistent with most countries in the world. Anyway, in conclusion, if you don’t like the big prices, then there are plenty of restaurants on the beach where you can get a meal for under $10.00US per person, including a bucket of 5 beers for $5.00US. The choice is yours.
Trip Advisor, luvswords, Calgary, Canadá
March 16, 2010

Tierra España – ¡Restaurante Español y Tapas Bar en Playa del Carmen!

www.tierraespana.com

Discover the real taste of Spain in Playa’s newest restaurant, Tierra España, featuring authentic Spanish flavors. The menu offers an extensive selection of fabulous tapas, seafood and exotic cuts along with wonderful Spanish wines, brandies and sherry. The breakfast menu includes such favorites as Tortilla Española y Serrano ham with eggs along with a Continental Breakfast.

Tierra España has a beautiful Spanish atmosphere, which is highlighted by the Spanish music that enhances your experience, with air-conditioned dining in the restaurant and an outdoor patio for al fresco dining.  Also, soccer including the Spanish league games on Saturdays and Sundays, FIFA, the qualifying matches for the World Cup and more!

Tierra España creates a marvelous culinary experience with its wonderful tapas such as Shrimp al Ajillo, Fresh Anchovies in Vinegar, Serrano Ham, Catalan style Octopus, and Spanish Chorizo.  The main dishes include Paella, Rib Eye with Potatoes and Sweet peppers, Rabbit with Garlic Mayonnaise, Cod Filet with Bacon and Serrano Ham, and many more.

Descubre la sazón real de España con el nuevo restaurante en Playa, Tierra España, con los sabores auténticos de España. El menú de Tierra España tiene una extensa variedad de tapas, paellas, mariscos y carnes con una gran selección de vinos, brandis y jereces de España también. El menú para desayunos incluye tortilla española y huevos con Jamón Serrano y también un desayuno continental.

Tierra España tiene música española con un bonito ambiente de estilo Español. El restaurante cuenta con aire acondicionado y un patio al frente donde puedes sentir la brisa del mar. ¡También disfrutaras el fútbol ¡de la Liga Española los sábados y domingos así como los partidos de FIFA, Copa Mundial y más.

Tierra España es un maravillosa experiencia en cocina española con las tapas más ricas como Gambas al Ajillo, Boquerones en Vinagre, Navajas a la Vinagreta, Jamón Serrano, Pulpo al la Catalana, y Chorizo Español.  Los platos fuertes incluyen Paellas diario, Chuletón de Avila con Patatucas y Pimientos, Conejo a las Brasas con Alioli, Lomo de Bacalao a la Vizcaína, y muchos más.

Tierra España
Avenida Constituyentes entre 15 y 20
enfrente del Hotel Las Golondrinas
Reservaciones: 984 803 0122
Para Llevar:   984 803 0122 

Abierto diario 7 am – 12 am

From: Life’s A Beach Blog 

Saturday evening, friends and supporters of Ak Lu’um International School gathered at Ajua Maya Restaurant on Calle 4 for an intimate wine tasting presented by Ricardo Garcia, owner of one of Playa del Carmen’s best wine purveyors, Off the Vine. Judy Long, mother of Avery, organized and hosted this fun and informative evening, one which is sure to become a regularly scheduled event. For $250 pesos per person we were treated to 7 different wines, 2 whites, 4 reds and a fortified wine, all of which were produced in Mexico. In a past life, I sold wine for a prominent importer/distributor in New York, so I was particularly excited for a taste of what Mexico might have to offer.

Ajua Maya Restaurant in Playa del Carmen is one of my favorite restaurants in the Riviera Maya region. Brenda has done an amazing job of making the restaurant not only a fun place for a good meal, but she has also done a lot to give back to the local community. The restaurant has grown and expanded as it has gotten more popular, but it remains true to its original character and retains its welcoming and friendly charm. Brenda is great with her employees, vendors, customers and everyone she comes in contact with. Many customers return just to see her and say hello.

Josh Hinsdale, Author
Title:  Playa del Carmen, Tulum & the Riviera Maya: Great Destinations Mexico: A Complete Guide - Purchase on Amazon

We were in Playa Del Carmen, trying out the Cuisine, my favorite restaurant there is called Ajua, great food, excellant service and wonderful live music, and they make a heck of a good Margerita.

Jude
Strathmore, Canada

The service here was wonderful. The waitstaff were not only accomodating but terribly fun — everything from bringing drinks on their heads to offering to take pictures of you (take your camera!).

By the time we at at this restaurant, we’d eaten ourselves silly and went only for the main course, instead of the appetizer and dessert we also generally indulge in.

I had the lobster flambe. It was good although I wasn’t as fond of the tequila sauce as I thought I might be. My husband loved it though and he doesn’t even like tequila. The lobster itself was cooked perfectly. Really perfectly. It was so tender, just right.

My husband had the Mexican steak with lobster (grilled) and said it was excellent. He eats a fair amount of steak and said he couldn’t tell the difference between American & Mexican steak except that, on the menu, the American steak was quite a bit more $.

We had a delightful time here and our only regret is that we didn’t visit Ajua earlier in our trip!

Portland, Oregon
January 7, 2009 – Trip Advisor

The Steak and Lobster here were fanstastic as was the chicken. We were in Playa for 5 Nights and this was by far the best dinner we had while on vacation. Prices seem reasonable, I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a great dinner.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Trip Advisor, Jan 21, 2009

Thank you for the time you spent with the Hacienda Restaurant group. They really enjoyed themselves; it was a perfect event.
S. Goodwin, Summit Planners

Best Destination Weddings Forum:
http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t13757
Non Resort Wedding in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico: A Review

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Wedding Coordinator: Ajua Weddings (Ajua Weddings – Playa del Carmen Wedding Planner, Riviera Maya Wedding Coordinator, Wedding Reception, Akumal, Tulum, Xpu Ha, Cancun, Mexico)
A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I don’t even know where to begin to rave about Ajua Weddings! First off, my coordinator was Maartje Oremus. She was absolutely amazing to work with. But before I get into that, I would like to talk more about why we picked Ajua Weddings. The first reason was because we wanted a Catholic ceremony. After much research online, I found that Ajua Weddings are very experienced with planning a Catholic ceremony. With all of the work involved planning a Catholic ceremony, I wanted to make sure we went with someone with experience. Ajua definitely has that! They made the entire process go so smoothly! The second reason why we picked them was because we wanted a non-resort wedding. We wanted our wedding to not only reflect us as a couple, but to also embrace our destination of choice. Ajua definitely made that happen for us! We had our wedding at the AMAZING Capilla Nuestra Senora del Carmen – a cute little chapel centrally located in Avenue 5 in downtown Playa del Carmen.

All of the vendors that Ajua Weddings used for our wedding were absolutely amazing. My bouquet was simply gorgeous as were the bridesmaids’ bouquet and the boutonnieres. The cakes (Tres Leches cake for the wedding cake and chocolate cake/chocolate filling for the groom’s cake) were absolutely delicious. I also had a special request to have 2 eggless miniature cakes made for our vegan guests and we got amazing feedback on that – our vegan friends wanted some to take home with them! The guitarist they picked out (Benjamin Aguilar) was wonderful – the music was beautiful and fit perfectly with the ambiance of the chapel.

Maartje Oremus (our coordinator) was a joy to work with. The scariest thing for me while planning the wedding was working with someone whom I had never met and with a company that I just randomly found online. To put my dream day on someone I didn’t even know was pretty terrifying. However, Maartje made the whole thing so easy for me. All I had to do was send her pictures of what I wanted and she made sure it happened. She was so patient with me throughout the whole planning process. I don’t know about you girls, but I can be a bit of a bridezilla, but that didn’t faze Maartje at all. She was such a trooper – helping me make my decisions, offering suggestions to me, and letting me change my mind 5 million times without batting an eye! She didn’t even blink when I walked in to our pre-wedding meeting with boxes of wedding stuff! Maartje coordinated everything for me – from transportation, to flowers, to cakes, to music — EVERYTHING! She even arranged for a van to pick my family and I up at the airport upon our arrival in Cancun. Maartje also took care of everything on the wedding day – all we pretty much had to do was show up and enjoy ourselves. Oh, my mom also meet Maartje at the pre-wedding meeting. My mom’s a pretty good judge of character and after our meeting she told me that she could tell that Maartje is a genuinely good person. She couldn’t have done a better job even if she wanted to. She was the perfect wedding coordinator and I will forever be grateful for all the work she did in making sure my dream wedding came true.

Reception Site: Ajua! Maya Restaurant
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We had our reception at the Ajua Maya restaurant, which is also on Avenue 5 and owned by Ajua Weddings. Ajua Maya is by far the best restaurant and the best bar in downtown Playa del Carmen! The food was SOO delicious. We gave our guests a choice of either the BBQ platter or the rib-eye and both were a huge hit! Our vegetarian/vegan option was the spinach enchiladas and those were delicious also. The ceviche was by far their best dish ever – probably the best I’ve ever had! The restaurant is the perfect blend of 5-star dining and laid-back atmosphere. As for the restaurant staff, well, I don’t think there are words to describe what an amazing staff they have at Ajua! They kept all of us entertained throughout the night – from serving food and drinks on their head, to the infamous legs (very funny), and to the best conga line ever (which, I must say, ends with tequila being poured down your mouth!). Ajua Maya also have a live salsa band playing at the restaurant every night. The music was amazing. It definitely gave our wedding the perfect Mexican vibe!

Ajua also catered our beach cocktail party and the food they served at the cocktail hour were also huge hits with all of our guests! I’m telling you, these guys can’t do anything wrong! If you are looking for a unique place to have your reception, rehearsal dinner, whatever, definitely go with Ajua Maya! You will have an absolute blast there and I can guarantee that you will leave the restaurant with happy stomachs!

HUGE kudos to Maartje, Vaughan and all the staff at Ajua Weddings and Ajua Maya Restaurant!