The colourful city of Merida is the cultural capital of Southern Mexico’s Yucatan region. It has gained a lot of recognition in recent years as a worthwhile place to visit. Even the likes of Lonely Planet and Travel and Leisure have named Merida as being one of the best cities to travel to in 2022. Tourists come to Merida to see its beauty but also to try some of the delicious authentic food the city has to offer. Some of the best restaurants in Merida serve traditional Yucatecan dishes that they execute to perfection.
There is plenty to do in Merida to warrant spending a long weekend in the city. Sampling the local cuisine and experiencing some of the best Merida restaurants is as much of a highlight of travelling here as wandering through the various neighbourhoods and seeing the historic sites.
The cuisine in this part of Mexico is notably different to Mexican food on the whole. A lot of recipes used in Merida and the Yucatan are pre-hispanic.
In other words, they pre-date the Spanish colonization of Mexico and are the same dishes that were enjoyed by the ancient Maya! Traditional cooking methods are also often used.
Best Restaurants in Merida Mexico
There are dozens of wonderful places to eat in Merida. The best restaurants in Merida are a range of street food stands and taquerias, as well as traditional Yucatecan restaurants and fine-dining establishments.
Hacienda Teya
Where: Merida – Peto, Hacienda, 97370 Teya
Many of the grand old haciendas around the Yucatan have had a new lease of life injected into them in recent years and have been converted into luxury hotels and restaurants. The 16th-century Hacienda Teya now functions as a restaurant and event space.
The menu features traditional Yucatecan dishes that are made with fresh local ingredients. The food here is so good that the restaurant has received a number of awards both nationally and internationally.
Better still, the hacienda is surrounded by fragrant flower gardens and fields so that you can see deer, peacocks, and other animals grazing out the window as you dine. The papadzules are a great starting dish to share with your travel companions.
These are hand-rolled tacos stuffed with steamed egg and drenched in a rich sauce made from pumpkin seeds and tomatoes. A vegan version is available if you don’t want to eat egg.
Many of the most famous Yucatecan delicacies grace Hacienda Teya’s menu. This includes cochinita pibil (pork slow cooked in an underground oven known as a “pib) and pollo pibil (marinated chicken). Wash it all down with an agua fresca – light non-alcoholic Mexican drinks made by blending water with fresh fruit.
Casa T’ho
Where: P.º de Montejo 498, Zona Paseo Montejo
Casa T’ho is a gorgeous restaurant and concept space that is housed inside an elegant colonial mansion on the main boulevard of Paseo Montejo. This is a great place to eat in Merida if you are looking for a change from Mexican food.
You will find mostly Mediterranean and Southern European dishes on the menu here. Their homemade hummus and Tzatziki rival those that you may have tried in Greece!
Dining here means dining in a gorgeous courtyard with exemplary service. The ambiance is particularly special on Saturday nights when live jazz musicians perform to an audience of well-heeled locals.
The restaurant is set within the building’s courtyard and the various rooms that surround it, are still part of Casa T’ho. However, they are all individual boutique stores selling gorgeous clothes and accessories that have been created by independent Mexican designers. Many items would rival the bohemian Tulum-style clothing that you can find in Coastal Mexico and this is a great place to shop if you like having one-of-a-kind pieces that nobody else has.
Museo de la Gastronomia Yucateca – MUGY
Where: Calle 62 #466 x 55 y 57, Centro, 97000 Mérida
The Museo de la Gastronomia Yucateca (MUGY) is an interesting concept restaurant that is a relatively new face on the Merida dining scene. It aims to provide an educational experience so that visitors to the Yucatan can learn about the heritage and traditions behind the various dishes and the ingredients, herbs and spices that are used to create them.
It is possible to order a small platter of four different dishes (just choose whichever ones on the menu take your fancy!). That way, if your time in the Yucatan is limited, you can try several different traditional delicacies at once.
Your server will explain the history and cooking process of each dish to you as they are brought to your table. After dinner, explore the various exhibition rooms which are free to enter and tell you the chronological history of food from this region. If you happen to stop by between 2 and 3pm on any day of the week, you can watch a free show whereby the chefs unearth cochinita pibil and other delicacies from their underground pib ovens.
Wayan’E
Where: Calle 15 X 18A y 20, Itzimná
There are countless taquerias scattered around Merida and the Yucatan. However, there is one place that stands out above the rest: Wayan’E.
Wayan’E means “here it is” in Mayan. As far as most locals are concerned, Wayan’E is the one and only worthwhile place to get tacos in Merida.
Whatever day of the week you stop by, you will often see a queue of locals waiting to be served. Rest assured, eating here is worth the wait and the lines move fast!
For the best dining experience, sit on the stools surrounding the kitchen so that you can watch your food being prepared right in front of you. The most popular time to stop by is on Saturday and Sunday mornings for breakfast tacos (Yes, breakfast tacos!)
You can choose from an extensive menu of tacos. All of the classic Mexican tacos (like bistec and arrachera) grace the menu, but so too do many Yucatecan and breakfast varieties.
The egg with green bean tacos drizzled with hot sauce is a great choice in the mornings. So too are the papas con chorizo (potatoes with spiced sausage from the nearby town of Valladolid).
La Vida Mia
Where: C. 63 214, Sin Nombre de Col 24, 97115 Mérida
If you have spent much time in Mexico, you will notice that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day as far as most Mexicans are concerned. People usually have generous amounts of food first thing in the morning and then eat a notably smaller lunch and dinner.
La Vida Mia in the northern part of the town is one of the cutest places to go out for breakfast or brunch in Merida. The restaurant has plenty of seating – with an air-conditioned interior, a courtyard and a garden.
The decor is quaint and shabby chic, and acoustic and folk music plays out over the loudspeakers as you dine. If you want to try something quintessentially Mexican, order yourself a portion of chilaquiles.
These are deep-fried tortillas that are cut into pieces and lathered with a tomato salsa before being topped with cheese and cream. You can add chicken or egg if you like too.
Mexicans usually order their breakfasts with a side of fruit to share with whoever they are having breakfast with, as well as a pan dulce. Pan dulces are Mexican sweet breads – sort of the Mexican version of a breakfast croissant. Order a concha or a chocolatini (Mexican pastry stuffed with chocolate) and wash it all down with a cappuccino or a homemade smoothie.
Pueblo Pibil
Where: Calle 21 & 28, N ° 180, Centro, 97470 Tixkokob
If you enjoy fine dining, Pueblo Pibil provides an exquisite setting to sample traditional Yucatecan food, as well as an unparalleled degustation menu. Here, you can sample ten courses for 1300 pesos (circa $65).
The menu changes throughout the year depending on what is in season so that only the freshest local ingredients are used. The dishes are prepared using the same methods that the Ancient Maya used centuries ago, and the presentation is second to none.
Pueblo Pibil is located inside a grand, 18th-century colonial mansion that still retains much of its original wall paintings and artwork pieces. It attracts a well-heeled crowd and is a nice place to go for a romantic meal or for date night.
The cocktail menu showcases beloved classic cocktails (like twists on Pina coladas and margaritas), as well as a selection of incredible house blends that use mezcals and tequilas from Oaxaca and Jalisco.
The restaurant actually sits in Tixkokob, a small town 15 minutes outside of Merida. However, it is easy (and affordable) to find a cab or an Uber driver to take you there, and this little settlement, with its centuries-old catholic churches, is worth exploring in itself.
Habaneros
Where: Calle 20-A Num 302 X 5b Y 5c, Xcumpich
Habaneros is a traditional Yucatecan restaurant in North Merida that is beloved by locals and tourists alike. Many regional delicacies can be sampled here but the eatery is particularly renowned for its excellent breakfast menu.
All customers are treated to complimentary miniature churros and dips as they thumb through the menu. If you want to try a traditional Mexican coffee drink, order a Café de Olla.
This is a strong coffee prepared in an earthen pot, using cinnamon, cloves, and cane sugar. It is usually enjoyed hot and without milk.
A lot of the dishes are named after notable ruins and sites from around the Yucatan. For instance, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, etc.
The breakfast menu offers a diverse selection of different egg dishes, along with lighter options such as fruit platters. A highlight of eating here is the live-action cooking stations where you can watch the chefs hand-making tortillas.
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Happy to know that there are many restaurant choices in Merida. Wayan’E looks interesting and will take your word and try their tacos. Thank you for sharing these tips. Will make sure to visit on Saturday or Sunday morning. : )
Wow! I love the variety of food and restaurants in Merida. It’s interesting that the food is not only Mexican but also Yucatan. I would love to try traditional Mexican coffee Café de Olla. I also like the concept of Museo de la Gastronomia Yucateca Restaurant – food and local culture and heritage. Must visit this foodie city someday. 🙂