Bar Tulix

Have you ever walked across Houston Street, passed Dos Caminos, and thought, “Hmm. This part of Soho could use a fun Mexican restaurant that isn’t part of a chain that has a location in Times Square”? Just us? 

Apparently not. We’ll take the lack of empty seats at Bar Tulix’s bar each night as indication that the people of Soho (like, the actual residents and office workers, not tourists) are excited about having this spot in the area.

If there’s anyone who can anticipate what type of restaurant will do well in Soho and its surrounding neighborhoods, it’s the group behind Bar Tulix, which also runs nearby moneymakers Lure Fishbar and Bowery Meat Company. They previously operated this space, in its decade-long iteration as Burger & Barrel, but shifted things in 2022 to an entirely new “seafood-centric Mexican” concept.

The menu has the things you might expect: crispy fish tacos, tuna tostadas, sea bass aguachile. There are also some dishes where Mexican cuisine is more of a loose reference point—hiramasa sashimi and clam toast, for example—but if you can look past that, most of these items are pretty tasty. Some dishes, like the shrimp cocktail tostada, the chili-topped citrus salad, and the roast pork tacos (there’s some meat here too), we’d gladly return for. Others, like the octopus with romesco, feel slightly out of place and skippable.

Bring a group of Soho-based coworkers here for a team dinner, or grab some snacks and a spicy margarita at the bar. You don’t necessarily need to cross town or transfer on multiple subways to eat at Bar Tulix, but it’s certainly a useful place to know about in Soho.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Emily Schindler

Shrimp Cocktail Tostada

The tostadas are the best things here: shrimp cocktail atop some mayo, atop a crunchy tortilla. It works.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

Spicy Tuna Tostada

With avocado, radish, and a spicy, garlicky mayo, this tostada is another nice bite. Get one per person.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

Manila Clam Toast

These clams come in a rich, ancho chile butter sauce on sourdough bread. Though tostadas should be the focus of your appetizer ordering, we’d order this again too.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

Hiramasa Sashimi

With buttery pieces of sashimi, this dish starts out strong, but the caviar and spice feel like they’re shouting over each other.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

Masa Encrusted Branzino Tacos

The masa crust is laid thick on these crispy fish tacos, and we like the tangy cucumbers and mix of herbs they come with. They’re solid, but not a must.

Roasted Carrot Tacos

Bar Tulix's roasted carrots would be nice as a vegetable side dish, but they feel sort of thoughtlessly dropped into a taco here.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

Pibil Taco

These rolled tacos filled with roast pork are the best of the taco section. Again, crispy tortillas are the move here.