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!

Wow, where to start…read more.... Well, if you find yourself lucky enough to be visiting Yucatán you have to stop at this restaurant located in the sleepy town of Tixkokob located approximately 15-20 minutes outside of Merida. Yeah it's a bit out of the way but if you want the best cochinita pibil in the state, dare I say- the country of Mexico- this is the spot. Sure there are other spots in or near Merida but hands down this was my favorite. We were heading back to Merida from a day trip to the town of Isamal and had planned our early super to be here. The restaurant itself is a jewel located in the town and once you walk into the restaurant you feel as if this restaurant can be in any major metropolis with vast quantities of 5 star restaurants. The restaurant is beautifully decorated both inside and outside- if you have a chance take a walk around the outer patio and see where the ovens are located where they made your meal. Now the food! Well let me say that if I could have eaten the metal tray that the order of cochinita pibil came on I would have done so! The pork was very flavorful and moist and the consome (broth) which is from the pig itself was so delicious. Fresh corn tortillas come with the order as well. I didn't want this experience to end but there is only so much goodness one can handle. We also had the guacamole and the mofongo to start and share. These were also tasty. All around the service (as with every other place we visited in Yucatán) was top notch with the friendliest of people. The hostess also gave us a tour of the grounds and explained the history of the location. Side note: as we finished our meal and we're preparing to leave the Mexican singer, Yuri, showed up with her entourage. :)

Wasn't expecting such a fancy place. Bf is a huge food watching his YouTube channels and found this…read moreamazing spot. Everything is made frEsh sO you need a reservation. We made it 2 days in advance for a Sunday at 1 sO we could watch them take out the food from the ground traditional Mayan style!! Amazing place and amazing food!!

I like to come here and sit at the bar and enjoy their 20 peso drinks and snacks. The mini torta…read morepibil and panuchos are some of my favorites. I've never had a sit down meal here but the the main dining area is very nice and there is another section that is open to the sky. Customers are a combination of locals and visitors. Bathrooms are clean and service is good.

The secret upstairs bar under the open skies makes this restaurant extra special. Its a platform…read morepatio built into shade trees with a thatched roof. It's enchanting at night watching the lighted towers of the old cathedral standing watch over the Merida night sky...sitting at a candle lit table with cool Yucatan breezes blowing. It's a far remove from the hustle and bustle of the narrow, crowded downtown streets and the lively plaza. I ordered a pumpkin seed-based salsa which was prepared table side in a stone vessel. My friend ordered the grilled fish with rice, pickled carrots, onions and sauces. Both were delicious. We also had nice drinks, red wine sangria, and beer. What was perhaps the best feature of the place is the excellent waitstaff who are bilingual, who are helpful with making you feel comfortable, who provide charming conversation and tips, and who are generally well trained in hospitality. Such a far cry from the dour and arrogant wait staff typically found in Washington DC restaurants. This is a good place for a quiet escape from the plaza crowd.

The food was OK. I think it's more hyped up than it needs to be. The restaurant is beautiful but…read morethe food was better at the local taqueria That being said, there were many large groups so I think it's good for that. They have a very large selection of food so there's something for everyone. Prices are OK, what you'd expect for a touristy spot. Recommend having a reservation for dinner as there was a wait.

I am of somewhat mixed mind about Chaya Maya…read more On the one hand, if you are in Merida for just a few days, and you don't have the time and energy to research things, Chaya Maya is in a great location and the menu has virtually ALL of the Yucatecan dishes you may want to try. It's pretty much all here, which is a big plus. The staff is very tourist friendly, and can speak and understand English well. They even asked in advance if anyone had allergies. So, for the less adventurous, it's an 'easy' experience. We ordered a variety of dishes...Lomitos, Pipian de Pavo, Pan de Cazon and more. All tasted fine, though we've had better on our tour of the region and at lower cost. The Chaya de Pina was fantastic. I'd recommend that for your agua fresca option. Service was attentive. High marks there, and it's clear they expend a lot of effort on the front of house experience, though the tortilla maker sitting in the room making tortillas by hand felt a touch gimmicky to us. In essence, if you want an expansive menu, easy for the English-speaking tourist, this is a good place to go, or perhaps to start your journey. You might lose some authenticity and pay a bit extra as a tradeoff. Chaya Maya does execute well, even if it has a bit more of a polished, corporate feel to it.

I'm rating La Casa de Frida a bit generous (it's really a 3.5) because I live in Merida and I…read morereally miss Central Mexican food. I just returned from Puebla and this mole and Chile en Nogada don't hold a candle to the ones I had there however, in Merida these things are hard to get and as such, due to a lack of competition I'm giving La Casa de Frida four stars. I've eaten here several times and have a tendency to forget about the place as it's not on a section of Calle 61 that has many businesses even though it's only 2.5 blocks from the Plaza Grande. Merida is in Yucatan and it might as well be in another country other than Mexico. When someone wants to satisfy that craving for "real Mexican" food they don't have a lot of options but La Casa de Frida can satisfy that craving. La Casa de Frida is a very eclectic place that is Frida Kahlo themed with bright pink and blue walls and pictures of Frida or copies of her artwork covering just about every inch of the walls. Even the tables and tablecloths are Frida themed. One room has AC and the rest have fans so if you're hot ask for clima. We sat in the courtyard which is somewhat covered and brighter than the rest of the restaurant. No matter when you come here you will probably have the place to yourself as there's rarely anyone else in the building. Being almost August we came for Chile en Nogada and also Mole Poblano. The Chile was stuffed more with fruit than meat which was fine for me. It's not battered and deep fried like many are. The walnut sauce was not cold like it usually is in Puebla however it tasted fine. Because the bare pepper is showing under the sauce and the sauce is hot it doesn't look as good in photos but note the flavor was fine. It wasn't as good as the one I just had at Hotel Colonial in Puebla but I paid 300 pesos there and at La Casa de Frida it's 150 so there's that. We had two dishes with mole - enchiladas and pollo en mole. The mole has a nice flavor and a bit of heat that builds as the meal progresses. It's not as strong or smooth as ones I've had in Puebla but again this is Yucatan so we can't measure with that stick. Also both of these dishes were 100 pesos which is pretty cheap. We also ordered a margarita and an agua jamaica. The drink menu isn't very long but both were as good as they get in Merida. The jamaica came with a quite a lot of foam on it and it wasn't as sharp and bitter as most while also not being too sweet. The total bill for three people with three drinks was $430 pesos which I think is reasonable. The service has gotten better since I've been coming here in the last year. There used to be a guy that would drop food off and then disappear in the back for another 30 minutes. Today a lady was working and we never waited too long for anything.

La Casa de Frida is a very charming place all frida theme decoration it looks more like a museum…read morehahaha it was empty when we arrived so we took our time going from room to room while they were cooking our food. Camarones al Coco Enchiladas de Mole Poblano and Enchiladas Verdes was our picks and I will say my favorite was Enchiladas de Mole Poblano they were so tasty and truly tasted like real poblano Mole they were filled with shredded chicken and came with rise on the side I mixed the mole with the rise and it was delicious. Camarones al Coco was the second best plate shrimp was very good and the coconut gives a great flavor. Enchiladas Verdes was not so good it was just okay I even didn't eat the last one and my auntie said if Gabriel didn't eat that last one is not because he is not hungry anymore I'm pretty sure he just didn't like it, ohh well... she knows me well hahaha. Over all the restaurant is good and customer service is very good too. I do recommend it and I think you will have a great experience and a good meal to enjoy.

Great service! Food was delicious and hot. Cute setting and ambiance. Eduardo our server was super…read morefriendly and helpful! This will be my go to spot next time I am in town.

CHILA-KILLING IT - These folks freaking kill chilaquiles. We came twice, the service is fast and…read morefriendly, and the prices are supremely fair. And while small, it seats quite a few and is very well decorated inside. All my life I thought maybe you needed egg for the perfect chilaquiles but truth be told we got theirs with and without egg and the way these folks melt the cheese, it gives it this amazing texture not unlike a perfectly runny omelette. The egg is not in fact required. The flavors are rich, the chips are perfectly crunchy and crispy yet still drenched in salsa, and the meats and toppings just sing. Definitely by far the best chilaquiles we've ever had, and it's not even close. If you don't try Chilakiller's, don't bother ordering chilaquiles anywhere ever again because if you cared about chilaquiles, you'd have them here. Eat here, you won't regret it! Happy eating! -John Seeto

Bestt place for tradicional Poc Chuc in Merida. Always a must when visiting here. Come during the…read moreweek, there's a line around the block on the weekend. They also serve other tradicional plates, everything here is authentic and delicious.

Poc chuc y los frijoles colados eran muy deliciosos!…read more Well worth going out of the way for a visit

Once you're done having a grand time at La Negrita, you should come to Pipiripau, as this place…read moregets poppin' at night. Similar to the style of La Negrita, this place looks small from the outside, but as you walk in, you'll see it leads to an outdoor area with a small dance floor and a live band! Drinks are cheap here (e.g. 180 pesos for a bucket of beer). The place is adorable with tons of artwork and a wonderful open-air vibe. I'm not sure if they serve food here, as I didn't see any food on the menu, but I also came late.

I can't speak for any of the food, but this is a super cool spot to hang out for drinks and live…read moremusic. Picnic bench style seating, and plenty of it. There's a very small "dance floor" between the live band setup and the bench seating. Lots of beer and cocktail options. Definitely a younger crowd. Service isn't bad, but be patient. This place gets busy.

Fresh food great service. Ate there 3 out of 5 days. Walked from my Airbnb. Nice outdoor patio…read more Great fresco drinks.