Playa Patrón is bringing the sounds, flavours, and magic of Tulum to Vancouver, sand and all! On weekends they will have a luxurious 3 course brunch of modern Mexican cuisine, curated by famed Tulum Chef Cesar Castañeda. To go with brunch is handcrafted Patrón Tequila cocktails, with a soundtrack set by deep tropical house DJs. Playa Patrón has two brunch seatings, 12pm – 2pm and 2pm – 4pm. Check out my experience of the Playa Patrón By Day Brunch below!
Playa Patrón By Day – Brunch Experience
Playa Patrón By Day is a ticketed event at $110 per person. Each Playa Patrón Day Brunch Ticket includes:
- a three course brunch meal
- 3 standard size Patrón tequila cocktails or 3 non-alcoholic beverages
- Admittance into the Playa Patrón beach experience
Additional Patrón tequila cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase, but I found the 3 cocktails plenty for brunch. There is a regular menu and a vegan menu to choose from, but this review will cover the regular menu.
Playa Patrón By Day – 3 Course Brunch Menu and Cocktail Pairings
For our first course we had Shrimp & Passion Fruit Aguachile which features wild caught jumbo shrimp, Guajillo chili salsa, red onion and passionfruit pulp. The shrimp was plentiful, large and had a nice snap to them. I didn’t think passionfruit would work well with seafood, but the tartness of the pulp goes well with the fresh shrimp. The cocktail paring is a Classic Patron Paloma. This cocktail is so light and refreshing and the fresh grapefruit juice works well with the bold and fresh citrus flavours of the aguachile.
Our second course was a Xcatic Chili Taco Trio. The tacos are all served on handmade corn tortillas with tomatillo salsa and roasted xcatic chili aioli. The three toppings were:
- black pepper & cardamom grass fed beef
- white onion & lemon free range chicken breast
- potatoes al ajillo
If you order of the vegan menu the choices are:
- black pepper & cardamom roasted mushrooms
- spiced jackfruit
- potatoes al ajillo
This was my favourite dish of the day. The tortillas were so soft and the perfect vehicle for the toppings. Each one packed such a huge punch of flavour! I thoroughly enjoyed my taco trio and wish I could have it again! Surprisingly my favourite was the potatoes al ajillo. The roasted potatoes were so crispy and they went well with the pepper on top. The cocktail pairing for this dish is the Daisy 75. This cocktail is their interpretation of a margherita and it’s so light and refreshing. The chili rim was the perfect complement.
For dessert we had Marquesita. This features a crunchy vanilla crepe, fresh cream & edam foam, bitter chocolate, mango & agave puree, orange & clove salsa and fresh strawberries & kiwi. This traditional dessert from the Yucatan Peninsula is often found as a street snack, but this interpretation has a Quebecois twist. The cocktail pairing for this is the Los Altos Colada. This final cocktail comes with a huge show with dry ice that depicts the morning mist that creeps over the red clay fields of agave plants.
Worth a Try?
This is definitely a cool experience to check out especially if you’re a fan of Patrón. The vibe was great and very laid back and the service was very friendly. The meal itself was very good, albeit a bit slow as the kitchen is essentially a parking lot. Overall, for the price I think the value for the food and experience is there. Tickets can be purchased here. Playa Patrón Vancouver is happening August 11-14.
Playa Patrón Vancouver
Address: Concord Pacific Place (811 Carrall St. Vancouver BC)
Website: https://playapatron.ca/product/vancouver-ticket/