Bakerlicious is All About the Delicious Baked Goods. Italdo Serves More Than Just Great Baked Goods.
By: Jonty Rees | November 2020
Italdo, the Italian owned and operated bakery is making quite a name for itself as the place to go for fresh bread, croissants, pastries and more
Photos by Bernardo Flores
When you absolutely, positively, have to get a fix of crusty sourdough bread, take the short trip south from Tulum Centro to Italdo. Located in the same shopping center as the Gypsea Market on Avenida 5 Sur, this Italian owned and operated bakery is making quite a name for itself as the place to go for fresh bread, croissants, pastries and more. Italdo’s Roman owner, Fabrizio Pellegrini, is a master baker, and you’ll need to be the early bird to catch his regular or manchego cheese-crusted sourdough baguettes to-go. You can tell that these loaves represent the heart and soul of the operation, and each day’s limited run is likely to be gone by early afternoon.
Bread is by no means all they have to offer, and their ever-changing selection of sandwiches, salads, and desserts is delighting locals and tourists alike. The coffee is very good and with a wide boulevard offering a relaxed European vibe, there are few better places to linger over that late breakfast or light lunch.
The menu can be found on a pair of bulletin boards on either side of the front door. Everything is freshly made daily on-premise, and the friendly staff is always willing to satisfy customer requests. I ordered the Black Croissant, which is usually made with activated charcoal infused dough, but instead took the Gluten-Free option. The thick slice of GF bread was grilled, panini-style, and generously covered in a layer of guacamole with a crumbly white cheese topping. It was good, with no hint of the fiber-board texture of some GF breads.
The Jugo Verde that accompanied my open-face sandwich was terrific, a glorious combination of celery, cucumber, lime, orange, beet, and spirulina. Equally satisfying were the Mango and Carrot juices, and they all came in reusable pop-top (think Grolsch lager) bottles, in keeping with Italdo’s sustainability philosophy. A hefty slice of veggie quiche and the Burrata Baguette with Jamon were both very well received at our table. The quiche was stuffed with spinach and mushrooms on a classic short crust, and the baguette came with a large portion of excellent Serrano ham and creamy Italian Burrata cheese on a garlicky baguette.
Would we go to an Italian bakery without sampling the pastries and desserts? Of course not! The almond croissant was melt in the mouth fresh and would be a perfect partner to a strong Espresso or Cappuccino while you watch the South Tulum world go by. Continuing the Gluten-Free theme, the chocolate orange frosted white cake was another crowd favorite. Things are looking up for those who have to avoid wheat.
The menu at Italdo is short, but everything on it is lovingly crafted at the store, with high quality ingredients, and made fresh-to-order. The owners have made a strong commitment to using ethically sourced local organic produce where possible, and are walking Tulum’s eco talk when it comes to recycling programs and composting - no landfill fodder here. Mangiamo!
Italdo Avenida 5 Sur, Colonia La Veleta, Tulum QR 77760
Hours 8 am to 8 pm every day - Holidays may differ
Tulum Eats Magazine is published 12 times a year, unless we decide to go on prolonged vacations. You can find the print magazine at select locations throughout the Riviera Maya, and in some East Coast establishments, where we will randomly place, during selective times. The website will be updated monthly, with selected materials that may or may not be the same as the print version. Look for us soon, in other states of Mexico.
