Woodend

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Where the Wood Meets the Sea

Woodend by Curtis Stone sits on the beachfront of Belmond Maroma along the Riviera Maya, at the point where the jungle's edge gives way to the Caribbean. The name itself carries meaning: it references both a farm in Australia where Chef Stone's family has deep roots, and the precise moment at this property where the wood of the jungle meets the sea — the same wood that ends up firing the grill in the kitchen. That thread of intention runs through everything here.

Curtis Stone and the Open Flame

Chef Curtis Stone is a Michelin-starred restaurateur whose cooking philosophy centers on restraint: local ingredients, simple forms, and the conviction that great produce should speak for itself. His signature technique — live fire over an open flame — is the engine of the Woodend kitchen. The drama of open-fire grilling brings depth and char to sustainable fish, meat, and plant-based dishes alike, while vibrant Latin marinades, signature sauces, and spice blends add layers without overwhelming the ingredient.

As a steakhouse, Woodend earns its reputation through that same discipline. The menu also reaches toward the sea, with freshly caught seafood woven throughout. Standout dishes include Grilled Blue Shrimp with green mango, apple, daikon, and charred almonds; Oyster Crudo finished with pineapple mignonette and lemongrass; Mayan Rice with maitake mushrooms; and a Semifreddo built around pistachios and Mayan chocolate. Seasonal produce grown in Mexico shapes the menu's rhythm, with the farmers and fishermen behind those ingredients treated as its true authors.

The wine program has earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — a recognition that reflects the care given to pairing a cellar of depth with a menu this ingredient-driven.

The Room Itself

Designed by Tara Bernerd & Partners, the main dining room sits beneath a traditional Palapa roof with a bamboo ceiling that brings natural warmth without formality. Gently curved banquette seats and eclectic cane chairs anchor the space, and a tessellated floor of glazed Saltillo terracotta mosaic tiles — framed by borders of dark green, terracotta, and off-white — gives the room its quiet character. A glimpse through to the onyx-clad open kitchen keeps the fire visible, a reminder of what drives every plate that arrives at the table.

Dinner here, on the beachfront as the Riviera Maya night settles in, is the kind of experience that earns its place — not through spectacle, but through the quality of what lands in front of you.