Merida, Mexico

Eating out in Merida, Mexico

The dining in Merida covers a wide range of styles, from white-tablecloth restaurants and streetside bistros to hacienda restaurants with dancing and live music. The food incorporates international flavors from Italy, France, the Americas, and, of course, regional Mexican cuisine. Local seafood appears on virtually every menu, and most dishes are bold, although not necessarily hot.

Gourmet

Virrey de Mendoza is one of the most sophisticated restaurants in Merida for both food and service. Elegant furniture and soft lighting set the mood for a special dinner including house specialties like chicken with chile pasilla and orange sauce, crab-stuffed poblano chiles with lobster sauce, huitlacoche crepes, and filet mignon with cilantro, mushrooms and olive oil. Calle 60, no. 327.

Highly Recommended

Alberto's Continental is housed in a charming old town house. The spacious dining rooms are built around a patio filled with native foliage, and an eclectic style combines Cuban floor tiles, Moorish arches, and antique furniture. The innovative menu includes Yucatecan specialties, as well as Lebanese and Italian dishes. Rich Turkish coffee adds the finishing touch. Calle 64, no. 482.

Local Flair

Portico del Peregrino draws natives and tourists alike, with iron grillwork, red-tile floor, and abundant plants that help create an amiable atmosphere. Dine on the softly lit outdoor patio, or inside the old colonial home. The house special is zarzuela de mariscos (seafood casserole cooked in white wine). Other choices include tortilla soup and shish kebab. Rich desserts top off the meal. Calle 57, no. 501.

Romantic

La Casona is set in a gracious old mansion with a lush interior garden. Live romantic music accompanies your meal of Yucatecan cuisine like pollo pibil and huachinango (red snapper baked in banana leaves). Italian dishes are available as well, such as homemade ravioli and linguine with mushrooms. Calle 60, no. 434.

Going party in Merida, Mexico

Merida has a lively and diverse nightlife, with nightly music and dance, as well as art shows in local parks. There are also a wide variety of bars and clubs that offer everything from rock 'n' roll to disco to local folk music.

Serenatas

The local parks have a folk show every Thursday, with music and performances in traditional Yucatecan attire.

La Planta Alta

Dancing and lively conversation go on all night, as do the big-screen music videos. Calle 56, no. 444.

Ciudad Maya

This nightclub brings together past and present with enormous replicas of Maya pyramids and Havana-style floor shows with Cuban dancers. Between dance numbers, acrobats and magicians take the stage. Calle 84, no. 506.

El Trovador Bohemio

This intimate club is decorated completely in red, and boleros play passionate music Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Calle 55, no. 504.

Common events in Merida, Mexico

Founding Day

Marks the anniversary of the Spanish city's 1542 founding. Celebrations include parades, fireworks, and outdoor parties. January.

Carnival

Festivities begin the week before Lent, with parades and floats, outdoor music and dancing, and fireworks. February through March.

Descending Deity

Kukulcán, the plumed serpent deity, appears to emerge from his temple atop El Castillo Pyramid at Chichén Itzá and slither down to earth. March 21 and September 21.

Fiesta of the Christ of Sitilpech

This festival lasts one week, with daily processions in which the image of Christ is carried from Sitilpech village to Izamal, about an hour from Merida. Dancing and fireworks accompany the processions. October.

Day of the Dead (All Saints' Day)

Mexicans all over the country go to the cemeteries and build marigold-strewn altars on the graves of their loved ones. They symbolically share a meal by leaving offerings and having graveside picnics. November 1.