Williamsburg’s clubby new Tabu serves up first-rate contemporary Mexican dishes

By Scott Lynch

Full disclosure: I’ve never gone clubbing in Tulum. So I don’t really know how accurately the Artesano Group recreated the vibe they were going for at Williamsburg’s brand new clubstaraunt Tabu.

But I can tell you that the massive outdoor patio here — it can hold about 75 people — is lush with plant life and fancy beachy furniture. Sand-colored sails provide shade, the bar soars with undulating shelves of tequila and mezcal (prices range from $12 to $60 for a two-ounce shot), Mayan iconography is embedded everywhere and the soundtrack is all chill covers and “poolside remixes” of famous pop songs.

Patio for days (Photo by Scott Lynch)

Behind the DJ booth in back is the showstopper, a working waterfall designed to evoke a cenote, those limestone sinkholes in the Yucatan that house azure pools of seawater. And at brunches on Sundays you can expect live fire shows and dancers. None of it feels like your typical east-of-Bedford-Ave Williamsburg spot. You’re a long way from eating BBQ in the driveway at Fette Sau here.

So Tabu hits the right notes for a glittery, if a little goofy, night out, but the best news is that the food here is really good, a tight menu of “contemporary Mexican” from chef Kevin Boularte, who previously spent time in the kitchens of Oxomoco and Mission Ceviche.

Everything is semi-snacky, and you’ll need at least two or three dishes for a complete meal. The bowl of aguachile roja is an excellent place to start, with chunks of trout and scallops bathing in a strawberry-rhubarb sauce, the tart fruit working well with the bright seafood.

Trout and scallop aguachile rojo, $22 (Photo by Scott Lynch)

Both of Tabu’s tostadas also got high marks from my party of two. The octopus one is piled high with the cephalopod, chopped into tiny, chewy bits, slathered with chipotle mayo and covered in a salty queso fresco. And the beef tostada is pretty, funky, and saucy in about equal measure.

Beef tostada, $16; octopus tostada, $17 (Photo by Scott Lynch)

Tacos come in pairs, and the best of the three we ate was the fish tempura, a plump, juicy, well-executed version of the classic. The slow-cooked pork tacos were also decent, as were the portobello and black truffle ones, though next time I want to try the tortillas topped with lamb with garlic yogurt sauce.

Fish tempura tacos, $15 for two (Photo by Scott Lynch)

Don’t skip dessert. In fact, you could pull up to Tabu for a couple of late-night pops and, say, the corn cake with guava curd, and leave here happy. Or get the chocolate-layer tower, starring an excellent housemade sorbet.

In addition to all the straight agave, Tabu also has a bunch of $18 signature cocktails created by beverage director Marek Trocha, including a “ritual sagrado” made with sotol, guanabana, and watermelon, and a “fiesta” co-starring tequila, chocolate liqueur and pineapple. Beers are sold on tap or in a can or bottle, and all of these cost $7 or $8. Wines by the glass will set you back $14.

Corn cake with guava, $13 (Photo by Scott Lynch)

“All of our team is young, in our early 30s,” Trocha said of the Artesano Group, which also run their namesake, well-regarded Peruvian restaurant in Tribeca. “But we all have at least a decade of hospitality experience. With Tabu we wanted to do something fun, something fresh, to add something refined but also playful to the neighborhood.”

Tabu is located at 10 Hope Street, between Roebling and Havemeyer Streets, and is currently open from Wednesday through Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.