BEST OF MERIDA 2025 - Botanas Botanas are a special treat,…read morebasically free food you get with drinks. Lucero doesnt call it in here, they serve a great variety of excellent options (mmm the gizzard is absurd). It varies throughout the day the service levels and botana availability; but show up around 7-8pm for a safe bet on a good experience with solid service, availabilty, and a good place to hang. See prior reviews for more details and happy eating from John Seeto!

What a great surprise this was! I had no idea what we walked into, I thought we were just going to…read moregrab drinks at this ultra chic looking bar. We ordered beers, we received those, and literally 2 min later a waitress came out with all these mini tapas and I was in shock. I had mentioned that we didn't order them and she said they came with the beer, and oh my, it's genius! we literally didn't feel the need to leave the bar and ordered more than we should've. Some of the tapas were great, some were decent, nothing terrible but what a deal and concept.

This is one of the absolute best places for botanas in Mérida. Go and order a beer and you'll soon…read morefind yourself devouring a number of tasty snacks. The ambiance is always lively, the food and drinks always reasonably priced and delicious, and the service is great. We always make this one of our first stops in Mérida!

Came through twice…read more The first was at noon on a Sunday. Joke is on us: we learned they're not open until 2pm (only on Sundays. Otherwise, they're open at noon all other days.) We came through a couple of days later because it came highly HIGHLY recommended by Big Bro. So, I was more curious than anything. Another reason I came through is to try their kibi's. (It topped my Yelp search when looking for this particular grub.) We wanted to get drinks as well since it was a hot and humid day! Pina colada for me, brewskis for Hubbers. We put in an order for the kibis because that's main reason I came through. Drinks came through, and then... mini plates of snacks, oh, WHAT! La botana, is what they call them. Whew, didn't plan on eating more than the kibis, but I welcomed it! It was a pretty good variety, too: there were sausages, pork skin, jicama and some sort of salad. Staff told us if we wanted refills on any or all of them, to let them know and they'd be more than happy to comply. Kibis finally came through, and I have to admit that I was disappointed. Not only did they lack taste, but they were also hard. They may have been overcooked which most likely contributed to the lack of flavor. Initial thought in mind were hockey pucks. Chewing through one was a challenge that I didn't bother going for a second. (It was practically inedible.) The guac, pico de gallo and sauce were great, but didn't do much for the pucks. Hubbers really liked it, though, so there's at least that. FOOD: 2. SERVICE: 4. I noticed staff mostly just hanging out together at the bar, but they were excellent at being mindful of guests. VALUE: 3. 5 for las botanas, 1 for the kibis. PARKING: Street only. It will be a challenge, for sure. OVERALL: 3. FUN FACT: They are the second oldest cantina in Merida (opened in 1917.) I learned the place is far livelier at night when they have bands performing. Someday, maybe...? Not a one-and-done, but it'll be a long minute before a second visit, if at all.

This is the type of restaurant that you visit for an experience... not only the food and drinks…read more From the moment you arrive you are welcomed and given the proper amount of time to just take in the vibe. The service here by the lovely Alexandra was on point!! Her recommendations and attentive nature were Fire! The food program is something to take your time with.. as is the beverage menu. Let them lead you and you will not be disappointed. The bone marrow was the best I have tried and the octopus was superb. We are still talking about it today. Great place to spend a few hours. Highly recommend a reso Thanks again Alexandra

Had dinner here earlier this evening. I would give it six stars if possible. Great ambience,…read moreextremely well trained staff and friendly servers that made good recommendations. I had a local tequila and a local beer that were both excellent. The fish soup appetizer was a meal, as noted/advised by my server. But I also had grilled shrimp which were perfectly grilled and delicious, as were the side order of mashed potatoes that came with it. Latte was tasty but needed to be hotter, and I just wasn't up for asking my server to take it back and heat it more. Overall, a fantastic dining experience at a reasonable price in my opinion.

Looking for a place that just serves fresh, well-prepared seafood, at the best cost you'll find?…read more This is the place. WYSIWYG, so seating is limited, service is functional, and the ambience is what it is. But, if you want a memorable Shrimp Fajita dish that doesn't break the bank, you'll find none better. It's a dish of ~16 goodly-sized shrimp and onions, paired with guacamole, Pico de gallo, and sauces, along with the ever-present corn tortillas. I'm leading with this, because we got it twice, and it was hard to forget. They also have fish, octopus, and more, in a number of preparations (cocktails, soups, fillet, ceviche). So, a fair bit of variety. Just don't miss the Fajita option. Cash Only!

you won't be disappointed as you won't write home about .. great value for money . fish is fresh …read more I took 3 different cocktails [ oyster , shrimp , octopus ] medium size great taste all fresh .. then i had the "sol" filet as main dish . i would go back anytime . Service is great too , nice staff .. I have been here about 8 times .. i learned how to order my food .. some dishes are spicy , make sure you ask .. 2 more points : ---- they don't take cards .. it's cash only .. ---- no AC , it's an open store front .. with some ceiling fans I do recommend this place for early lunch ..

Very fun karaoke bar with high energy, cool dj, good vibes all around. The mix of spanish and…read moreenglish songs was great and the language difference didn't stop anyone from having a good time. Service was really good! Everyone wanted to help you and make sure you had what you wanted/needed. It only got slow when it was time to pay but not in a horrible way. Our check was missing drinks and we had to get it corrected and then the card reader wasn't working and needed to get swapped out. I told my husband that I thought some drinks were complimentary but he wanted to pay. I could've easily been wrong but it seemed like the drinks were given for us to try. After a full day of flights, I really wanted good food. Sadly, this was not the place for that. The only thing I loved were the French fries and so we ordered a plate of fries. It wasn't on the menu so I was happy they let us order. My shrimp tacos had alot of breading and I didn't taste or see a shrimp. My husband's fish looked like buffalo chicken. I also didn't like two of my drinks and didn't drink them. The margarita had salt inside the drink and the rim. The aperol spritz...not a fan and didn't drink either. Come here for the fun not the food!

Dinner a few nights ago. Ate fairly early and the place was pretty much empty. Disappointed in the…read moremenu, as relatively few interesting seafood dinner offerings; but lots of tacos and such. I had a large seafood ceviche. Tasty, good size, but nothing special. Also had pulpo tacos which had minimal taste. Good service. Prices were okay. Music outside was a nice touch. Two for one Martini was a nice special, but martini was just okay. I was surprised with the rating as I thought this was a very average dinner venue.

I love Apoala, and not just because it's one of the first time I've eaten crickets! The food is…read moreOaxaca's rather than Yucatecan, so it's a good way to explore other Mexican cuisines in Mérida. The drinks are well-made as well. We always have a great time eating here and sitting outside to look out on the square--very romantic!

My husband and I had dinner at Apoala last night - our last dinner in Merida! We really enjoyed…read moreourselves! The menu spans Yucatecan and Oaxacan dishes - which was great since we love both! We shared: the ceviche de camarón, maíz y calabaza asada; the pesca del dia (that came with Mexican herb gnocchi and a tartar sauce); the memelitas; and a dessert (panna cotta with passionfruit sauce). We also had a few cocktails each (all of them were great). No complaints about the menu, food, or drinks! The location is wonderful! The restaurant is one of several that overlook the Parque de Santa Lucia. Great outdoor/al fresco dining. There was live music while we enjoyed our meal, and it just had a great ambiance overall! The service was also great - very friendly and helpful! Definitely a great place for dinner out in Merida! I'd be happy to repeat it!

Been living in Mexico for 3 years now and still can't get enough of the mariscos. I'm late with my…read morereviews but I'm never disappointed here.

I like there shrimp dish. I had shrimp crevice and it was a lot better and less expensive than…read moremarket in the city. Come with a lot of homemade condiments which I really liked. One thing, being a foreigner, I really don't know open hours for restaurant. I research before hand on yelp for opening hours. When yelp says they are closed, I go there and they are open. ( made me very happy) If you speak Spanish, it's maybe better to call before you head out.

Great. I arrived expecting nothing and it was a good S fresh experience. The fish and the octopus…read moreare great.

Greeted and seated. Great ambiance surrounding. Service was prompt. Ordered beverages and went…read morestraight to the menu. Ordered octopus tacos, large octopus and assorted Appetizers. All did not dissapoint. We received a small show on adding fire to the octopus which I found entertaining. Crispy and tender. Overall, this place had good food and Service. Seafood at it's best. Good place to eat.

There are a lot of seafood options on the boardwalk of Progreso. Don't take my word for which one…read moreis the best, but I trust my nieces with their choice. My nieces frequent Chichi regularly and they like it. This is a seafood restaurant with extensive menu with meat and other options. If you're a vegan like me, you'r options are limited but not impossible. The bay windows open and if you're seated by them you have a grandiose view everything going on the boardwalk and the beach. If you didn't want to eat in the restaurant but wanted to eat on the beach under a Palapa - thatched umbrella dining table, and if there was space available, the Palapa it is. The service is slightly slow but for a Saturday afternoon it's expected with a full dining room. There are make shift box fans spread out in the dining area and each table is equipped with mosquito fan and a purse stand. As a vegan, I ordered the guacamole minus cheese and minus Chicharrones. The guacamole was fresh and the habanero salsa options at the table SLAP!! There were four options with the black one - fiery spicy but had a tremendous amount of flavor. Even though it's fiery spicy it's not overbearing for me. The rice and fried banana plate needed to be clarified before final ordering but I was told that there was not any animal products in my dish. The SOL cerveza was ice cold and was continually replenished. The rice and fried banana plate arrived and it was good not great but good. Everyone else's dishes and were plated with care. My nieces enjoyed their dishes as well. Can Chichi be a tourist trap ? Maybe but we were a party of 7 with apps, entrees, drinks, and deserts for $200. All in all it was a great Saturday lunch that left us full for the rest of the.