There are so many fantastic restaurants in Merida that I had a hard time narrowing down my list of the finest Merida eateries. I spent the past six months living in this city and eating my way through it to compile this list for you.
Merida definitely has plenty to offer everyone. Apart from the obvious and outstanding Mexican staples, authentic Yucatan cuisine and many of your favorite foreign choices are available.
This list of the greatest restaurants in Merida includes something for everyone. From the greatest burgers in town to street tacos, exquisite dining, and the best breakfasts in Merida, these are my favorite places to eat in Merida!
Before your trip: check out my packing list for Mexico and read my article on whether or not you need travel insurance for Mexico.
When in Merida, don’t miss out on the following activities that will let you immerse yourself in the city (get them while they’re hot!):
- Full-Day Cuzama Cenote Tour from Mérida
- From Mérida: Hacienda Mucuyché and Cenotes Tour
- Mérida Cooking Class, taste of Yucatan
- Mérida International Airport: Private Transfer
- From Mérida: Ria Celestun Biosphere Reserve Tour
Contents
The Best Restaurants in Merida
Blanco Manjar
+52 999 923 0003, Centro 47 496
Manjar Blanco rapidly became one of my favorite Merida hangouts. In a more sophisticated atmosphere, you may get high-quality copies of original local foods. If you want to experience Yucatan cuisine but aren’t a fan of street food, this is the place to go!
My favorite meal here is the queso relleno, or filled cheese. This one is a hollowed-out ball of Edam cheese stuffed with meat and spices (and sometimes olive and eggs). After that, the dish is cooked until the cheese melts and covered with crimson and white sauces.
You should also try the Lomitos de Vallodolid, which are another of my favorites.
This meal consists of pork loin served with chopped eggs in a mildly spicy sauce. It’s very delicious when filled into their handmade tortillas.
Good tip: Make sure to request additional black bean dip, which is placed at your table when you arrive; we all agreed it was the finest in town!
Maz de la Sierra
Av. Jose Diaz Bolio 70, Col. Mexico, +52 999 688 9441
This restaurant, located a little outside of Merida’s major tourist area, is one of my favorite locations in town for gourmet (non-street) tacos.
The costilla (rib) tacos are my fave.
as well as the pulpo triador tacos, which are octopus tacos on cheese tortillas.
Tacos aren’t the only thing on the menu. They also offer enormous tortas (sandwiches) and grilled seafood (but I always jumped for tacos).
Good tip: Check their Facebook page for weekly offers. Every Wednesday, they had two-for-one tacos all day.
Repblica Hermana
Several Places
This craft beer establishment, which is also a favorite, provides some truly fantastic meals. Their salsa, particularly the green salsa produced in-house, is some of the freshest and finest in town.
Everything on the menu is delicious, but our favorite was the tuna tostadas, which are ideal for a light lunch when it’s sweltering outside (and in Merida, its always hot out).
Hermana Republica also features a stunning patio that seems like it belongs in a design magazine. If you’re dining after dusk, be sure to request a table outdoors.
El Suizo Pastor
Several Places
There is much discussion on where to locate the greatest pastor in Merida. Everyone has a favorite, but I believe we can all agree that El Pastor Suizo rates high on most lists.
Pastor meat is a variation of schwarma, or spit-roasted meat, which Lebanese immigrants introduced to Mexico. The Mexican version substitutes pork for beef, and the results are spectacular. Pastor is used in everything from tacos to nachos to sandwiches, but we always ordered the basic tacos al pastor.
Garnish the tacos with cilantro, onion, and the necessary squeeze of lime to taste, then order at least three!
The Barrio
Calle 45 #493 A x 58 +52 999 197 4745
El Barrio, a brunch place in town, boasts updated interpretations of traditional dishes and displays designed for Instagram. Maybe my favorite breakfast.
The service is swift and pleasant, the juices are squeezed fresh, the coffee is great, the rates are reasonable, and the cuisine is some of the finest in town. What more could you want?
Apoala
+52 999 923 1979Calle 60 #471
Apoala, one of Merida’s best fine dining options, is where I would take out-of-town friends for a guaranteed good supper. Apoala specializes on Oaxacan cuisine delivered in a fine dining setting.
The menu is full of fresh seafood and steak alternatives in a beautiful location, particularly if you can sit outside. The marinated octopus and avocado appetizer, the seared tuna chilaquiles, and the arrachera are among my favorites.
Since they offer some of the greatest seafood in Merida, every seafood dish they showcase is certain to be outstanding.
Pro tip: The park where Apoala is situated has a cultural display on Thursday evenings, which includes live music and dance. If you can get one of the coveted patio tables, you’ll have front-row seats to the event!
Wayane
Several Places
Wayane serves the greatest, most genuine tacos in Merida, according to several locals. It is disputed, but Wayane is a Merida institution, and you can frequently see residents queuing even during non-peak hours. They provide over thirty different sorts of tacos, including local favorites like poc chuc (citrus-marinated pork) and castacan (pork belly, my favorite).
And no question, the tacos are amazing and the rates are among of the finest. They also provide a delicious breakfast at a reasonable price. Daily guisos (stews) are available, as are some of the greatest tortas (sandwiches) in town.
The Prospe of Xtup
+52 999 923 0801 Central Calle 59 530
If you only have a short time in Merida (or the Yucatan in general) and want to eat high-quality local cuisine, La Prospe del Xtup is the place to go.
Most guidebooks recommend La Chaya Maya, but La Prospe del Xtup is a far better alternative in my view. The recipes are genuine, and the quality is excellent.
They also provide these massive platters where you can sample a variety of local foods all at once. If you’re in a group, they are ideal!
The Sonora Grill
+52 999 481 9451 Fracionamiento Monterreal, Calle 37 (Plaza Royal Shopping Center)
I seldom recommend readers to dine at a shopping mall, but Sonora Restaurant serves some of Merida’s finest steaks in a luxurious, if not overdone, setting.
Almost every sort of steak is available here. In fact, they provide your alternatives tableside for you to choose from. Ribeyes, Tomahawks, Porterhouses, and T-Bones are all well cooked.
The restaurant also includes a moving bar cart where drinks may be made at the table. But only if you’re not looking for a wine from their huge range.
If you don’t want to consume red meat, Sonora Grill also serves salads and fish.
Rosas and chocolate
+52 999 924 2992 Zone Paseo Montejo, Paseo de Montejo 480
Rosas & Xocolate is a Merida restaurant adjacent to its eponymous hotel, which is one of the most renowned in the whole Yucatan area. You can be sure that a hotel this lovely has a fantastic restaurant connected.
I usually went to Rosas & Xocolate for breakfast, but their supper menu, which is full of fusion foods, is also fantastic. The mol duck, fresh seafood selections, and ribeyes are all favorites.
Cacique
Several Places
Cacique soon became our go-to spot after a night on the town. They have a comprehensive menu, but we’ve only ever had the pastor nachos.
When you order that, you’ll be handed a basic plate of chips and pastor meat, as well as a slew of sides like marinated onions, garlic cream sauce, several spicy sauces, and limes to personalize your nachos.
I’m sure they’re just as good during the day, but I’ve only ever eaten them after 3 a.m., and they’re fantastic!
Tokio 07
Calle 43 332, San Ramn Norte +52 999 944 0116
Tokio 07 provides traditional Japanese sashimi, nigiri, gyoza, and other dishes. The restaurant also serves Japanese-Yucatan fusion foods, such as chipotle gyoza ramen.
Due to its success, the restaurant has grown many times, but (luckily) they have managed to maintain the outstanding quality and service they are renowned for.
Pizza and Core
+52 999 435 3814A|47 Calle 64 408 Corner
Pizza e Core is without a doubt the greatest pizza shop in Merida, and I’m sure I’ve tried most (if not all) of them! The chef is an authentic Italian who cooks pizzas on a wood-burning stove using imported ingredients.
The toppings are straightforward, the crust is delightfully crunchy on the exterior and chewy on the inside, and the cheese is gooey and melty. I can’t tell you how many times I had takeout from here during my stay in Merida!
Chilakillers
+52 1 999 177 9208 Central, Calle 57, No. 498 A
Chilaquiles are another popular Mexican delicacy composed of maize tortillas and generally topped with cilantro, onion, avocado, and queso fresco (fresh cheese). You may be tempted to call them morning nachos, but locals will tell you they aren’t!
Chilakillers takes the recipe to the next level by allowing you to choose your toppings. You may select from a variety of hot sauces, refried beans, steak, and my personal favorite, castacan, or crispy pig belly. I also prefer to top mine with a fried egg, but you may have it scrambled instead.
You will be given a menu to finish your unique order when you arrive. The very hot sauce is no laughing matter.
My favorite dish is the steak with refried bean sauce, which comes with a side of the hottest sauce.
Chilakillers also has some of the greatest fresh juice combinations in town, and they are glad to personalize your juice order as well.
Special Mention:
While not a single restaurant, but rather a group of eateries, Parque Santa Ana, or Santa Ana Park, was my favorite destination for Merida street food.
Throughout the mornings and nights, you’ll find a series of eateries providing almost identical plain versions of Yucatan food at extremely low costs. This is one of the finest venues in town to taste real versions of the poc chuc or cochinita pibil described above.
Take a plastic chair from whatever seller appeals to you. You will undoubtedly eat some of the finest cuisine of your stay.
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