Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz Opens Xal, His First Restaurant In Mexico

Forbes

16-04-2025

When renowned Basque chef Andoni Luis Aduriz learned that Grupo Xcaret had opened an ultra-boutique, adults-only hotel within its award-winning ecotourism resort, his desire to take over the property's upcoming signature restaurant was almost immediate. The co-founder of IXO Grupo and innovative leader of two Michelin-starred Mugaritz was impressed by La Casa de la Playa's stunning architecture and privileged location within Xcaret, the award-winning tourism emporium in the Riviera Maya, as well as by the rich culinary heritage and abundance of local ingredients.
Sensing that something very special would come out from the partnership, he approached the group to suggest his idea: a restaurant inspired by the historic Manila Galleon Route, the commercial naval route which connected New Spain with Europe and Asia that began operating in 1565, changing the global culinary and cultural landscape until it ceased to exist in 1815. Obviously, and thankfully, they agreed to put the stunning space into his capable hands.
Opened in February 2025, Xal — pronounced 'sal,' as in Spanish for salt — is Aduriz' first venture outside Spain, a gastronomic concept that explores the cultural exchange of three territories: Mexico, the Philippines, and the Basque region. The concept combines the innovative approach to cooking for which the chef is recognized with ingredients native to all three regions. The menus will change seasonally and in harmony with whatever ingredients are the freshest available locally and across Mexico.
'I get approached constantly by people who want me to collaborate in their projects, but this is the first time that I have asked to be part of one,' says the affable Aduriz. 'It is a dream come true and a privilege to work in such an incredible place, with extraordinarily fresh, high-quality ingredients and an enthusiastic, capable staff.'
La Casa de la Playa has been recognized as the best resort hotel in Mexico and the second-best hotel in the world according to the Travel + Leisure® World's Best Awards 2024, and received a Five Star designation from Forbes Travel Guide Awards 2025. Its impressive architecture, which blends almost seamlessly with the natural surroundings, is rooted in Mexican art and design, as is the signature of the parent company.
Xal joins the other property restaurants, Tuch de Luna by celebrated chef Martha Ortiz, and Lumbre and Centli from brothers Daniel and Patricio Rivera-Río, chef owners of Koli, in Monterrey, to offer an extraordinary culinary adventure.
Xal's beautiful dining room is an indoor-outdoor space, decorated with traditional furniture and art from Europe, Asia and Mexico. Breakfast and lunch are available to hotel guests, with a la carte menus featuring dishes that are familiar, yet elevated in both flavors and presentation. In the evening, a 10-course tasting dinner is open to the public via reservation, with menus carefully designed by Aduriz to transport diners on a journey in which the ocean is the common thread.
"Our route will be through salt, hence the name of this restaurant," says the iconic chef. "The sea, a beloved and respected travel companion, is the path that unites us, just as salt does, which cares for and preserves our food."
Among the emblematic dishes in the opening menu are a rice tamal with marmitako and tuna crudo, a reinterpretation of a Mexican classic with Basque influences; a blue corn taco with duck confit, local field herbs, crispy pork castacán (a Yucatec specialty), and melipona bee honey jelly, which captures the essence of local ingredients.
The ginatán, a traditional dish from the state of Guerrero, is reinterpreted with Maya octopus, coconut milk and chile guajillo as a nod to Filipino cuisine adapted to the local palate. The menu finishes with a dessert of cacao pulp with tapioca and pink pepper.
The food is complemented by a selection of drinks including wine, sake, and teas, which mirror the three cultures and is an innovative collaboration between Sandra Fernández, sommelier at Hoteles Xcaret, and Kristell Monto, sommelier from Mugaritz. Their approach to the menu harmonizations, as the pairings are called at Xal, is fueled by an open mind and an effort to match the out-of-the-box, experimental approach for which Aduriz is renowned.
A distinguished Mexican sommelier and winemaker with over 23 years of experience in the wine and spirits industry, Fernández is responsible for the creation of Casa Madero's signature 3V and 2V wines and received a gold medal at the Brussels World Competition for the wine L by Baumgartner. Since 2020, Fernández has served as the corporate sommelier for Grupo Xcaret, where she continues exalting Mexican wines by including them in the lists of all of the famed group's restaurants.
In fact, Fernández and La Casa de la Playa sommelier Pavel Martínez have also curated a lovely selection of Mexican wines for the Cava, the property's unique wine cellar which is open 24 hours for guests to peruse, taste and enjoy a bottle or glass of their choice. During the daytime, Martínez conducts tastings and seminars that are lively and informative, as guests are not always familiar with the variety and quality of the wines produced across Mexico.
Author of more than a dozen books - among which are collaborations with scientists and thinkers - Aduriz has led Mugaritz since 1998. More than a restaurant, it's a creative ecosystem where the kitchen is merely the excuse for deeper interdisciplinary experimentation, which has earned it two Michelin stars and has been the only property considered one of the 10 best restaurants in the world, according to the renowned list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants, for 14 consecutive years.
In 2023, Andoni Luis Aduriz was honored with the Icon Award from this same prestigious list for his contribution and inspiration to global gastronomy. That same year, he was named one of the 100 most creative people in the world by Forbes Spain.
"Xal is an invitation to savor the heritage that unites us with the world, celebrating our roots with an authentic and sophisticated approach," said Akis Neocleous, executive director of Hoteles Xcaret. "Andoni not only brings his prestige and creativity, but also reinforces our commitment to offering unique gastronomic experiences, positioning La Casa de la Playa as a benchmark destination for haute cuisine."
Reservations at Xal are strictly necessary, especially for those who are not guests at La Casa de la Playa.