It’s not every day a Riviera Maya villa turns into a Michelin-worthy dining room. But then again, Tulum isn’t just any place. And Chef Please isn’t just another private dining service.
Born out of the Vacaanda hospitality group’s bold vision, this culinary division is reshaping how luxury is experienced in Tulum and Playa del Carmen. No hotel room required. No formal reservation. Just the scent of corn tortillas sizzling on a comal and a sea breeze slipping through your open patio as a world-class chef plates your next course. That’s the magic Chef Please promises and, by all signs, delivers.
A Mexican fine-dining journey, without leaving the villa
The story starts back in 2020, when Chef Please launched as Tulum’s first private chef service. It was a time when people were rethinking space, closeness, and the meaning of experience. In that void, a new kind of hospitality took root, one that didn’t need white tablecloths or maître d’s to feel elite.
Now, under the creative leadership of Chef Daniel Almendra, the company has unveiled a new tasting menu. It’s a sensory journey across Mexico, reimagined for breakfast, brunch, sunset dinners, and late-night celebrations. Almendra’s dishes don’t just feed, they narrate, each bite a small story of culture, memory, and place.
“This is about waking up to your favorite breakfast already waiting at the table or enjoying a starlit dinner that feels both intimate and unforgettable,” says Vania Ivette Macías García, the charismatic voice behind Vacaanda’s public relations and brand amplification. “We’re not selling meals. We’re curating memories.”
More than food, it’s a philosophy of place
From ocean-view villas to tucked-away jungle homes, Chef Please delivers a five-star restaurant feel directly to its clients’ chosen sanctuary. And that’s not just logistics, it’s a redefinition of what luxury can look like.
Marc Ramón Hernández, CEO of Vacaanda, puts it plainly: “We’re not just plating dishes. We’re provoking emotion through Mexican gastronomy. That’s our north star.”
It’s not an overstatement. The team behind Chef Please includes seasoned chefs with international training but deeply Mexican roots. Their approach marries traditional techniques with contemporary aesthetics, emphasizing local ingredients and sustainable sourcing. It’s haute cuisine, but grounded, like a huarache in polished leather.
“They’re chefs with humility and fire,” Macías adds. “Each experience feels alive because it’s made by someone who truly loves serving.”
Why Tulum, why now?
There’s something deeper happening here. This isn’t just about cuisine, it’s a response to Tulum’s shifting identity.
Once a quiet spiritual enclave, the town has recently faced critiques over its hyper-commercialization and overcrowding. Yet Vacaanda, through initiatives like Chef Please, is pushing back with intention. Their goal? Recenter Tulum as a cultural and gastronomic anchor in the Riviera Maya.
“Tulum still holds its original energy,” says Macías. “We want people to rediscover that magic through real, grounded experiences.”
It’s a subtle but meaningful form of resistance. Amid rising concerns about overdevelopment, initiatives like this demonstrate how luxury and sustainability don’t have to be at odds. Instead of bulldozing authenticity, Chef Please aims to amplify it.
From private breakfasts to corporate feasts
Whether it’s an intimate couple’s brunch or a corporate sunset mixer, Chef Please adapts. Their team orchestrates the full symphony, from ingredients and ambiance to service and clean-up, ensuring clients only need to show up and savor.
The new tasting menu, available in both Tulum and Playa del Carmen, features a rotating selection of seasonal plates. Think charred octopus with nixtamalized adobo. Citrus-dressed ceviches. Mole that feels like a secret family heirloom passed down through fire and patience.
And yet, behind all this elegance is a quietly radical idea: that Mexican luxury can, and should, come from within.
“We want every person to live Mexico through its flavors, stories, and hospitality,” says Macías. “This isn’t fusion. It’s immersion.”
A vision of luxury rooted in soul
What makes Chef Please stand out isn’t just the dishes or the settings. It’s the ethos: a belief that true hospitality doesn’t demand fanfare. It demands care. And presence. And respect for the land that gives it all.
In a region where tourism often feels extractive, Vacaanda is trying something different. Their version of luxury doesn’t erase Mexico’s roots, it highlights them, beautifully plated.
As Tulum continues to evolve, it’s this kind of project that could help steer the town back to its core.