In the venerable words of Charles Bukowski, “Some men never die and some men never live, but we’re all alive tonight.” Everyone deserves a night that never ends. A night that “runs up [your] wrists, into your head and back down to your gut.” A night in a seek and you won’t find spectacular hidden spot where the lights are low, the drinks are strong and the entirety of it turns into one of the best stories of your life. Sounds like any Saturday night at your local watering hole, right? NOT. This is a real-life bohemian gypset disco smack in the middle of the Mexican jungle, serving up fresh, local fare & smoky mezcal cocktails with a side of pulse-pounding beats so beautifully perfect your very bones will sing.
Our #BirthdayBucketList of the week finds us buying a same-day plane ticket, grabbing our bests, something sparkly and gypsetting for twenty-four hours in Tulum, dancing the night away in a jungle disco. A sweet and sweaty night in the middle of a jungle lit only by the light of the moon and the silvery sparkle of a disco ball.
Photos: Nicole Franzen for Gitano Tulum
Admit it, you’ve dreamed of the one day you call in sick to work, only to buy that same-day plane ticket to somewhere utterly perfect for 24 hours. It’s the stuff dreams and cheesy, inspirational Instagram quotes are made of. Most of us are too rational to ever think of doing something like this – or would rather save our precious PTO for 10 days in Patagonia or on a train trekking through Europe. But what if you could add that one sponteanous story to the fabric of your life? Wouldn't that warrant a worthy place squarely on your bucket list?
In the spirit of the very place we’re talking about here today, the gorgeous restaurant & mezcalateria Gitano– Spanish for ‘gypsy’ located in the cool, coastal town of Tulum - let this wild, jungle disco set your soul on fire.
Picture this: deliciously green palm fronds delicately frame beautifully weathered, rough hewn tables, richly woven textile pillows adorn the benches, creating a superbly sophisticated yet undone air of simplicity and global minimalism. A sweet & silvery disco ball presides over the entire place, glinting and sparkling off every available surface. It’s as absolutely delightful to find a disco ball in a jungle as you think it would be. At once so completely and utterly out of place, but amid the smoky copal atmosphere and multi-cultural, cool crowd - it's fits perfectly. A neon sign makes a strong announcement that you've reached the exact place you’re supposed to be at the exact time you’re supposed to be there. All the nights you talked about doing something this spontaneous – this is your wild night. It’s calling.
Gitano isn't simply a global feast for your eyes, but also for your tastebuds. Dine on small plates brimming with fresh roasted corn torillas, guacamole and sweet and spicy pico de gallo.The tacos are to-die and the large plates are fresh caught or farmed locally.
As the remains of the day fade into the inky black of the night, polish off every bite of the gorgeous Guava Cheesecake with amaranth graham cracker crust and raspberries. Then head over to the bar, where hand-crafted cocktails are a sweet and smoky way of life. To try: Gypsy Disco
mezcal, anejo rum, lime, house basil and grenadine.
Watching the bartenders create these hand-crafted concotions is a perfectly-timed symphony of fresh ingredients and smoky infusions worthy of Bach or at least Beam, himself. After a few of these luscious libations, you'll be ready to let the music fill any and all of the empty parts of your heart.
Instead of Vegas, treat your 'ride-or-dies' to 24 hours in Tulum. Dance into the wee hours of the night, lit by moonlight and the glint of a disco ball. Nourish your body with delicious food, laugh with abandon, sip sweet and smoky cocktails and let the torn and frayed connective tissue of your real life, heal itself under the light of a disco ball, placed perfectly in a Mexican jungle.
Photos: Nicole Franzen for Gitano Tulum | Venue: Gitano Tulum
