If you are looking for fresh spins on the traditional dishes of the area, this is the place! The dishes we tried were all full of flavor and lighter on the oil than many other restaurants. Highly recommemnd the aguachiles, enmoleadas, and tacos picante. The dessert was pretty strange and seemed to have ritz crackers in it-no one in my group really liked it. I would bump the rating to 4.5 for the dessert because I am a dessert person. On thursdays there is a traditional show in the santa lucia square and we were seated right by the stage! read more

Best place we ate the whole time in the Yucatan! The drinks were amazing and so was everything we ate! Seriously, even the "green salad" was the best salad I've ever had. The aguachile with coconut milk was such a unique spin on ceviche it was unforgettable! Highly recommend. We had 2 drinks,2 appetizers, an entree, and dessert for $50 do not miss out on eTing here! read more

Deliciously expensive and worth it: try tuna tartare or fried zucchini blossoms - you won't be disappointed. Best Michelada I had yet... We shall return for another special meal before leaving Merida! read more

This is an absolutely lovely restaurant in the plaza Santa Lucia in Merida. The food is excellent and they have a great selection of wines and cocktails. My dining companions who ordered dishes where meat (beef, chicken, pork or fish) was the starring player were thrilled with their meals. I tried to be different and ordered a pasta dish and regretted it when I saw my friends' dinners. Great service! read more

Consistently good food, well prepared and served in a beautiful setting. One of the best in Merida!

Went here on our first night in Merida. We came for the traditional Yucatan fare and the live performance in the adjacent park. Vocal jazz was on cue that night. We opened with an octopus entree, and then I had a wonderful salad and my stepson had a piece of beef with potatoes, prepared with Yucatan flavor. The food was great. It was pricey. read more

I can not recommend this place highly enough, attentive staff (but not annoyingly so) beautiful, beautiful food and an amazing atmosphere. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I think this was my favourite meal while in Mexico. The drink menu was short but reasonably priced and full of the classics, I think the mojito I had here was the best I've ever had. The price range in definitely reasonable for the quality and attention to detail of the restaurant as a whole. Love, love, loved it! read more

Delicious, great location, and unique menu selection. Family of 3: tried to eat there but it was full so we wisely made a reservation for a few nights later. The menu is great, especially for seafood lovers, though there are plenty of options for everyone. We ordered fried squash blossoms, carnita tacos, and a thinly sliced beef, avocado, and mango puree for appetizers; a fish dish and beef dish with relleno stuffed with grasshoppers for entree. Unique flavor combinations that aren't something we can find elsewhere or recreate, though I wish we could. I think it's a little overpriced for the area, especially given the amazing possibilities and range of eating options nearby. A really gifted chef. Glad we tried this spot! read more

One of my favorite places in Merida, great food, great staff and don't tell them I told you but really low prices. Situated in a lovely park (Santa Lucia) and just a favorite place for an evening meal read more

Best restaurant in Mérida. Ruben, Sergio, and David were the most gracious and accommodating hosts; truly the epitome of class and excellent service. I had the zucchini blossoms and the top sirloin tacos which were recommended and they were perfectly seasoned and cooked exquisitely. Can't wait to return. Go here now, if you don't- you are missing out on the gem of Mérida. read more

We had a wonderful meal and amazing service! The shrimp with habanero hollandaise, the scallop and octopus ceviche and the cloud cake were some of our favorite dishes. The mescal tasting is not to be missed! Oh, and the margaritas were best I've ever had! read more

This is our favorite restaurant in Merida. As full time residents we try many different places. For a date night this is where we go. Food is terrific (and different) service is very good, and specialty cocktails are interesting. Also location in Santa Lucia is ideal. read more

Amazing food! Seafood ceviche was amazing as well as the mojito. Our waiter Manuel was beyond helpful and charismatic. Will definitely eat here again! read more

Can't say enough good things about this restaurant. We were seated quickly and the service was very good. They served plates from the right side only and always wiped the table clean after every course. I had the menta colada which was so refreshing. My boyfriend and I shared the short rib appetizer and it was very tender. I had the pasta of the day which was fettuccine in a cream sauce with meat bits and pumpkin. The pasta was definitely HOUSE made and one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. (My boyfriend's dad was an Italian chef so I've had my share of great pastas) This place will not dissappoint. If you are looking for great food with a romantic atmosphere and great service, Apoala is highly recommended. We will be back before we leave Merida! read more

This is a lovely restaurant with nice service. I went because it was supposedly vegetarian friendly. i was brought a plate of tortillas which tasted wonderful. When asked what was on them I was told they put had pork on them. As a vegetarian, I was not too happy about that. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants - in any location, not just Mexico. Excellent service, great food (try the duck in hibiscus sauce), very good selection of mezcals. I never miss eating here when in Merida - at least once. (And, in response to someone else's comment about the consistently excellent reviews about Apoala being those of friends and the atmosphere "cafeteria like," that reviewer has obviously not been to the Apoala I frequent as often as I can, and I'm NOT in any way, shape or form associated with the restaurant.) Great restaurant. Period. read more

I wish we could rate more than 5 stars- the best food and cocktails and desserts (wow, the desserts) we've ever had. AND the BEST waiter in the WORLD: Guillermo! Attentive, funny, informative, amiable, overall 12/10 guy. It got busier towards the end (we got there around 6, stayed till about 8:30). read more

Some of the best food we have had so far! The fish was wonderful, drinks were great, and staff was friendly. Highly advise going if you are looking for something a little nicer with a modern take on classic Mexican flavors read more

One of the best places in Merida to enjoy an extraordinary food experience combined with a cool environment and quality drinks.

Apoala is a delightful restaurant on Santa Lucia Plaza. The restaurant is very close to a small stage on the Plaza, which frequently has performances going on. The ambiance of the restaurant is wonderful. There are house musicians 3 nights a week who provide the perfect background accompaniment to the meal. The staff is outstanding. Friendly, knowledgeable, attentive. The managers keep a sharp eye on everything in the restaurant, the terrace and the plaza. And, of course, the food. Yes, the food. The "De La Casa" salad, with lightly seared tuna on a bed of greens and grilled vegetables is perfect. 5/5. The tuna and pork belly tacos were light, clean, and provided a delicious mix of flavors. 5/5. The pork roast, seared black on the outside and fall-apart moist inside, served on a bed of lentils, was the best I've ever had. 5/5. read more

Best dinner during the Merida trip! I ordered the tuna salad, menta colada and chocolate brownie. Food was great, for sure the best tasting meal we had in Merida. Very popular place, it's better to make a reservation! read more

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Despite the fact that we attempted to leave a reservation, no return phone call was made. We know at least a portion of the staff speak English. You have two choices on where to eat: inside which is small and claustrophobic; or outside, which was a wonderful experience. The wait staff was appropriate and pleasing. The three dishes that we had were all excellent and well presented very well. We have the short ribs as appetizer and this was not in your mouth affair. We then shared one of the fish dishes and one of the beef broth-based soups. We had a chocolate thing for dessert and it was incredible. Asked to go to the speakeasy after dinner. Therefore, save a little extra room for special cocktail in a special room with a great DJ. Even the older among us feel absolutely hipster. I'm heading back there before I leave this town for the drink that served with the burning piece of wood. That's all I can tell you. read more

Absolutely fantastic fine dining for a very reasonable price. We ate here twice while we were in Mérida and loved it both times. The ensalada verde is an amazing vegetarian option (salads are not usually inspiring but this one is!!), as are the enmoladas de quinoa y amaranto (tortillas stuffed with quinoa in a delicious mole, spicier than expected though). Either make a reservation or come right when they open to get a table. read more

Just like everyone else, we truely enjouyed this place. We started off with some great cocktails, a Dry Gibson Martini, a Hendricks G&T with the works (cucumber, mint, lime and hibiscus petal), and a Manila which I was told was a mix of avocado, mango with a lovely spicey swirl and rum. The last drink was more of a smoothie than a cocktail but very tasty, and probably better on it's own vs a before dinner drink. First we ordered apps and took in the lovely St Lucia square, we had the short rib,the smoked salmon and zucchinni flowers stuffed with cheese. All three were delectable,but my personal stand out was the short rib, which was a generous portion and could easily have been a meal. For the mains we opt to split a suckling pig plus (comes with corn tortillas, refried frijoles, and steamed potatoes) a vegetable salad (french haricots vert,greens, roasted eggplant and feta), the third dish was the Posole Langosta (a soup/stew common in the yucaten but usually made with pork and or chicken). the pork and posole mains were also very good, the salad was good but not nearly as impressive as the other dishes. The service was very friendly, helpful and professional, and to their credit they even managed to pull this off when when the power ran out about 30 minutes after our arrival. Hats off and we will be back. read more

Our favorite restaurant in Merida. The food is excellent with several Oaxaca and other Mexican specialties. The service is friendly, attentive, and English speaking. It serves many tourists and expats, but it doesn't have a touristy feel. This restaurant and three others surround Santa Lucia Park. At least once a week (Thursday) there is music on the park bandstand. read more

We loved Apoala, and ate there several times. Highly recommend it. The ceviche was wonderful, and the service very attentive. Reservations are highly recommended, especially on the weekend. read more

Food was tasty and not too pretentious, service was nice and smiling, environment was nice and cozy. Music a little bit sad but it was the end of the evening. read more

Avoid!!!! Do yourself a favor don't go!!!!!!! At all means. I cannot opine about the food because after 1 hour and 10 minutes, and several other tables been served the waiter told us that our appetizers where not ready! If you are up to waiting 2 hours for your food then it could be your kind of place. When the waiter volunteered to let us see the kitchen they had only 3 appetizers prepared. The kitchen was messy and dirty! Needless to say we left with the manager not offering any explanation but to say that if we didn't like we should leave and pay forrvour drinks. All this on a Saturday night! It definitely is a place unlike any other one in beautiful Merida,where service can be slower than optimal but not disrespectful; AVOID AVOID AVOID read more

Amazing meal! Decadently gorged ourselves on exquisite foods for ~$25US per person. Sorry, no time for more details. Just GO!

This is not a 5 star restaurant in any way. The decor and ambiance is almost cafeteria-like, the service is about 3 star and as far the food goes, they put a lot more emphasis on the presentation than on the quality. They are trying to be fancy, the portions are small... but the ingredients/flavors don't mash very well, the food generally is bland. A little overpriced too, a 0.5 liter sparkling water is 80 pesos... If you read the 5 star reviews on this place it's pretty obvious that some of them are written by the owner or friends & family. You fellow honest yelpers that gave this place 5 stars, you need to go out more... read more

Very good food, nice service, large selection of mezcal and tequilas, unusual local beers. The smoked salmon with peppers and the steak were both delicious. read more