I *just* finished my dinner here and loved the vegetarian mole dish so much I wanted to write a review! Loved the Emoladas Vegetarianas read more

Apoala - Emoladas vegetarianas - Mexican Near Me - Merida, YUC

We had a fantastic dinner here. Their cocktails were arguably the best we had our entire time in Merida (and we were sampling heavily..), service was fantastic, and all the food delivered as people dreamed. It lives up to its high reviews. read more

Amazing food amazing service. Great location great location well worth it must visit while you're in Mérida.

What a wonderful surprise Apoala was! We came here looking for a few cocktails and ended up having one of the best dinners we've had during our entire trip in Mérida. Service was beyond excellent, our server was extremely busy (gets really busy here on the weekends) but he made sure we were well taken care of, he was very attentive, polite and made several recommendations on the menu. The mezcal cocktails were top notch and the food simply delicious. Must try the bone marrow broth made table side! I'm vegan and they had more than enough options for me to try read more

Apoala - Apoala 2021 - Mexican Near Me - Merida, YUC

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This place was amazing. Highly recommend the margarita, the green salad and short ribs. Sitting out eating on the plaza and beyond excellent service made for a wonderful experience. read more

Apoala - Salad - Mexican Near Me - Merida, YUC

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Had outdoor seating. The food and drinks were DELICIOUS! Excelente! The filet was amazing. I fell in love with their drinks. Definitely going back! read more

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Came here as a new resident here in Mérida to experience centro dining and I was beyond impressed ! Amazing handcrafted cocktails and specially curated food . Our Waiter Alberto was very knowledgeable and helped us make spectacular selections ! Intimate and amazing. read more

Apoala - Mexican Near Me - Merida, YUC

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Very good fresh food. Mexican Cousine with a upscale twist. They have dish with crickets. Meat and salad dishes are all fresh prepared. Price are a bit on the higher aide for the area but still affordable. Nice outdoor seating as part of a place. Very friendly staff. read more

This restaurant features Oaxacan dishes and moles as well as local specialties. My wife and I came in for lunch while walking around downtown. It was a beautiful day in January. We sat outside and ordered cocktails, which were excellent. I had ceviche shrimp and my wife seared tuna on chilaquiles with a Oaxacan mole. Both dishes were delicious. The staff was, like everyone in Merida, cheerful, helpful and courteous. read more

My family and I had a great meal at Apoala last night. My Spanish is terrible and I can't remember go to pronounce what I ordered but it was a thin sliced steak with a relleno and chiliquillies on the side. The margarita was perfect and our server was very friendly. So far my experience with service in Mexico has been fantastic. I wish we had the same experience at home read more

Excellent food and drinks! A bit pricey, but worth the spend if you want an exquisite meal. The salad is one of the best I have ever had and the flor in Amarillo were to lick your fingers after! Highly recommend it! read more

Apoala - Mexican Near Me - Merida, YUC

Superb in everything-- outstanding ambiance, revelatory food, and the service is excellent--welcoming, warm, and clearly enjoying their work. read more

I want to give this place 167 stars. I went back to the plaza the second night thinking I'll find something else, but after browsing, I just went back for seconds. read more

Everything was absolutely amazing. We ordered aguachile blanco de pescado y coco, chilaquiles con atun, thlayuda doblada, and the tacos de cangrejo y concha suave. The aguachile blanco de pescado y coco was very light and fresh. Chilaquiles con atun, my least favorite, but still good. Thlayuda doblada was great and the tacos de cangrejo was everyone's favorite. Amazing service and we got a free mezcal tasting! read more

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Service was lacking, shrimp was over cooked. flavors of dishes were bland. it's next to several other mini restaurants.

Very nice dining al fresco in Santa Lucia Parque. Roving singers, friendly and efficient staff, charming setting, and well executed dishes makes this place an enjoyable dining destination. My dad had the Fish of the Day dish with was a thick filet crusted with a crunchy light covering over a bed of gnocchi in a cream sauce. It was fresh and balanced. Creamy and a gentle tart flavoring. The portion was huge enough for lunch the following day. I had the thin steak the size of your head with a grilled pepper on top stuffed with Manchego cheese and to my surprise, a topping of crumbled seasoned and fried crickets. I'm not an eater of anything with more than four legs other than crustaceans, but I made an exception here. I must admit the dish was also generous, with me lunch on the leftover the next day. Steak was smoky, salad was fresh, cheese pepper cricket add nice flavor texture and je ne sais quoi to the dish, as it is pre-Hispanic influenced. read more

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**FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN MERIDA** AMBIANCE ========= Romantic, terrace seating overlooking Santa Lucía Park. Dressy, so make sure to wear something nice. Guitar band playing nearby. FOOD ===== SHRIMP CEVICHE The freshness and taste were unbeatable. Probably the best ceviche I've ever had. RATING: 5/5 MOLE TACOS Wow, that mole sauce. Perfect everything. RATING: 5/5 BEVERAGE ========== TEQUILA TASTINGS Requested two good tequilas (of course we didn't know what they were). It was like a blind tequila tasting. They were both smooth and solid. RATING: 4/5 COCKTAILS are solid. Make sure to request their Oaxacan Old Fashioned. RATING: 5/5 Staff were efficient and friendly. Bartender and other staff members stopped by our table to check on us. PRO TIP ======= - Check out their lunch and cocktail specials. - Call or e-mail for reservations. - Check out their next-door Speak Easy for another fantastic cocktail. HIGHLY RECOMMEND for romantic dinners or group gatherings. read more

One of the best meals I've had in Merida was here at Apoala. Very nice ambiance on the inside but we decided to sit outdoors where there is a great view of Santa Lucia park. The food and drinks are delicious and will not disappoint. We started with some delicious cheese stuffed zucchini blossoms, I had a beef tenderloin filet that was amazing - juicy and flavorful with a potato puree and reduced red wine sauce. My wife had a skirt steak that literally melted in your mouth - unbelievable! The service was excellent and if you are one of the cool kids, you might be shown the secret hidden speakeasy bar after your meal read more

Absolutely excellent. This restaurant features a gorgeous outdoor dining atmosphere, a prompt and highly knowledgeable wait staff, brilliantly executed and delicious dishes, and a small but great selection of artisanal Mexican beers. High-quality imported & local wines are available as are some of the world's finest Mezcals (hand-made in small batches in the state of Oaxaca). I frequent Apoala often and have personally tried nearly everything on the menu. Every dish they offer is delicious, however, the Tiradito de Short Rib and the Filete de Res are absolutely exceptional; my two favorites. Their Sopa de Lima is very well crafted. Flores en Amarillo is a must-try appetizer. The salads offered on the menu seem to change with the seasons but they are all expertly designed combinations. The flavors and presentation are both beautiful. If you are a foodie, Apoala is a real treat. I am very critical when it comes to dining in higher-end establishments and I do not give 5-star ratings often. Of everywhere I've dined in Merida, Apoala is the finest based on the ratio of quality/service/flavors/experience/atmosphere/presentation/price. While it may not be a Michelen-rated restaurant, it definitely deserves the title of world-class. You will not be disappointed. read more

Wonderful place. High quality food and attentive services. I've been here twice during last two years, never got let down. There's also a speakeasy bar in the back of the restaurant that's open Wednesday - Saturday. I knew someone had her wedding dinner catered by Apoala. Need say more? read more

The food here is delicious. My Picanha Tacos were some of the best tacos I have ever had. The daily dessert selection is exquisite as well. If you are a foodie this is a must. Make sure to make reservations as this restaurant is always booked. I saw them turn away so many people who had no reservations due to a lack of space. The waitstaff or front of the house seems a bit disorganized. I had dinner by myself. Showed up in comfortable clothing as it was scorching hot. The waiter seemed to be paying more attention to 2+ parties. I was very patient and asked the waiter for water twice, my appetizer twice, my napkin twice, my dessert twice, and even my drink twice. I kept my cool only because I was not in a hurry. I did however notice the difference in attention from a one person, comfy clothed table (me, also not underdressed) to a 3 person table in post work day button ups. I decided to leave the waiter a very generous tip so he could learn to treat everyone as equal regardless of social facades. Overall Congrats to the Chef! Too bad the waitstaff doesn't complement the amazing quality of the food. Because of this the establishment did not get my 5 Stars. read more

Dinning in Mexico, whether it's fine or casual, is always a true pleasure. Mérida is a city that like the rest of the Yucatán Peninsula embraces fusion and honors its past. Apoala, is a perfect example of this. Apoala, which pays homage to the local cuisine of Oaxaca, is located in a small plaza not too far from the main plaza, located amongst other restaurants and bars. The architecture here is amazing and you have the option of eating al fesco. When you first arrive you'll see on the table two beer bottles, which are Mexican craft beers as a suggestion for those beer loves. Also, you'll see and get a free taste of their house mezcal, and like in typical Oaxacan restaurants, you'll get oranges and grasshoppers to clean your pallet. I have to say that their mezcal is the best. It's very sweet and very pleasant to drink. Their cocktails are too notch and a must get. I was with a group of friends so we all chose different ones. The food was outstanding and not disappointed at all. My friends all got the lechón, which was not on the menu. It was very tender, delicious and generously portioned. I got the lobster pozole. I liked it, but didn't loved it because I though that the broth, which is poured over, was a little salty for my taste and dense. Most fish broth and soups I've had typically are more fishy and lighter and this wasn't. Also, what I missed was adding onions, tomates etc to my pozole. The broth had it blended in already which is maybe why it was a little dense. Overall, if you come here you will not be disappointed at all. And, the service here is excellent. Everyone went just above and beyond for us. read more

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Not good al all. No comment needed The wire wine was warm. The fish was very dry. Expensive for that type of food read more

They restaurant is beautiful & sitting in Santa Lucia (expat plaza) is a lovely way to spend the evening. The margaritas were some of the best & they have a few nice Mexican wines. Loved the bathroom, super cool. Our waiter was great.......... Both the food was bland, catering to the bland American palate. We shared the short rib appetizer, beautifully plated, but tasteless. My tluyda was huge, but bland. The one I had on the streets of Mexico City was 100% better. My friends ordered the tacos de picana & the camarones entree, both looked fabulous, but lacked flavored. It's a shame some many of the restaurants in Merida serving dumbed down food. read more

Very nice place with good food, in the centre of Merida. We went there for a dinner without a reservation so they told us they have a waiting list and we should be back in 45mins to an hour. We were back in 50 mins and they told us they had no table for us and that they don't know how much it's gonna take. That was the worst part of the service, but they finally set up table for us outside and we could enjoy the good food. We got good salsas to begin with, the coctails were pretty good as well. Unfortunately I don't remember the name if the dish but it was vegetarian. They gad two desserts of the day to choose from and it was delicious. The waiter was kind, helpful and with the sense of humor! read more

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That was hands down the best food we had on our trip to Mexico. Make reservation, otherwise you may have to sit inside, which is nice but one of the points of the place is to be at the square and enjoy the vibrant night life of Mérida. Service was excellent. Drinks: great selection of cocktails, expertly mixed. Food is what the place is all about. Contemporary, with traditional Mexican influence. Started with ceviche and salad. Although I don't like to order salads (who cares about a bunch of lettuce), that was just delicious. Mix of lettuce, green beans, corn, etc.; ceviche was bright, fresh and full of flavor. Entrees were fish, equally delicious and inventive. Dinner with 5 drinks was about $80. Not a bad price for the experience and the quality. Nice change from traditional Mexican food. read more

We are traveling around Mexico and just got Merida today. I've told this place is one of the greatest Mexican restaurants in downtown so we had a dinner here. Putting it straightforward, this place is nothing but just an example how untrained server could mess up decent quality foods. The food itself was good enough. But our dinner was completely ruined by a really impolite and untrained server who were inconsiderate, frowning all the time, and almost threw our foods down on the table without single word. It seemed he's overwhelmed by caring other people at the same time too but not us. The climax was tipping moment. I didn't give them 20% but he probably expected that. Because right after he saw the tip wasn't 20% he threw the receipt down on our table and turned back then went away, with frowning face, without saying anything like "thank you" or "have a good night". This was the most unpleasant moment in Mexico for me. read more

We chose to have dinner at Apoala mainly for their impressive wine list, it's not easy to have a glass (not bottle) of a good wine in Merida. They had run out of EVERY by-the-glass white and rose wine on the list, and several reds. It was their busiest night of the week (every Thursday there's a live show on the square), so they were either astonishingly unprepared, or it was an attempt to push bottles of wine. Either way, unacceptable. Our server Manuel was very professional and courteous, but clearly overworked. The appetizer of shrimp ceviche was outstanding - an amazing mix of flavors and textures. Then it went downhill. Our second appetizer of 'white fish with coco' was - surprisingly - also a kind of ceviche, with barely any coconut. It was not what the menu described. Most disappointing of all - our main course of steamed seabass with cilantro, lime, and other goodies, turned out to be an overdried tasteless chunk of fish on a bed of undercooked root vegetables, the only cilantro and lime was used for garnish. The most disappointing dish we had in Merida. read more

Hands-down, the best food we've had in Mexico, yet. The zucchini blossom appetizer was so good, I ordered it as a dessert as well. Guillermo gave us amazing service; extremely professional. As a chef, servers like him are a dream to have on staff. read more

Apoala - Zucchini blossoms. - Mexican Near Me - Merida, YUC

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This restaurant is amazing! So much good food! We got there around 7 and didn't have a reservation and was told there would be a wait. We only waited about 10 minutes. So you might want to get a reservation before going. Because you don't want to miss this place! The food isn't typical Mexican, it's more of a fusion and modern. Drinks were fabulous too! read more

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What an incredible meal I just had!! From the drinks, to the appetizer, to the "pesca del día" (catch of the day), I am one happy camper. For Mexico, it's pricey but it is certainly worth every last peso. Highly recommended!! Gracias, Adrián, por tus atenciones y deliciosas recomendaciones! read more

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Where to start. Each trip to Metida bring me automatically to that restaurant. Was there last evening and had the Octopus and Scallops ceviche then the grilled shrimps. What I love about this place is the professionalism of the staff, you feel they are on a mission to make every moment memorable of your visit. Wanted to get a dessert and the bartender, love to seat by myself at th ed bar, went to get another server with perfect english, I followed his suggestion and let me tell you, the best fondant chocolat ever. But he also told me that today july 16th they are changing the menu, I will be back tonite, on my stool and watch them working with proud and passion. All my regards to the Lady Chef, the staff speak highly of you, sorry if i did not mention any names but all know how much I enjoyed watching you working, smiling and be respectful to each others. Thank you for all, like we say in France "Chapeau bas", means all my respect. read more

Located in beautifully restored Santa Lucia Park. This place has it all, a beautiful place, great service, and amazing food. The prices are a bit expensive compared to other restaurants in Merida, but you will feel like you are getting what you are paying for. I recommend to try their now famous 'Stuffed pumpkin flowers' and the steaks. To drink, you will find that their cocktails are just as interesting as the place itself. I recommend the Nativo. A beautiful mix of ginger, gin and cucumber. You will find it refreshing and most welcomed in the, sometimes stifling, heat of Merida. read more

Apoala - Pumpkin flowers stuffed with cheese - Mexican Near Me - Merida, YUC

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Love the mezcal , and the salmon with beans definitively a good recommendation for dinner

Excellent location, service and cocktails, but the food shone most of all. We had the short rib (costillos) and can't recommend that enough. Also lovely tacos, fresh tortillas, and juicy pork (suckling pig on the menu, but more like carnitas). Cauliflowers and Mayan-style empanadas we're also good. read more

Apoala - We had to wait 3 days to get a reservation for this very popular restaurant in Merida. Reviews were mixed, but at least one local and lonely planet had recommended it as one of the city's top restaurants. Unfortunately, we were extremely disappointed. The margaritas were good, but cost 140, compared to equally good ones at Chaya Maya for 51. The octopus tlayuda had perhaps 2 or 3 obvious tentacles, but was bland and cost over 200, compared to a fabulous one on the street in Mexico City for 25 (admittedly without the 2 or 3 bites of octopus). The shrimp ceviche was almost all corn kernels, with scattered flavorless tiny bits of shrimp. The fried squash blossoms appetizer was greasy and had very little flavor. The 3 dishes (all appetizers aka entradas) & 4 margaritas cost us over 1200 (about $60) excluding a tip--our most expensive meal in 16 days. Go to Chaya Maya instead--authentic, flavorful, well-prepared Yucatecan cuisine, excellent & friendly service in a lovely courtyard. You can watch the delicious tortillas being handmade on the premises, and try several specialties, inc. cochinita pibil, relleno negro, pavo in pipian, & tacos estilo Maya (Chaya leaves). Todo está muy bueno! read more

We enjoyed our first evening in Merida at Apoala. They make or have access to their own private Mezcal which we started the meal off with - excellent sipping Mezcal. Food was very good especially the squash blossoms. read more

We had a delightful experience in Apoala! A place I would dine in everyday if not for trying other restaurants in Merida. I had one of the best ceviche outside of the ones I make. My wife had a steak that had tiny grasshoppers. Out of this world!!! Apoala offers Oaxacan cuisine and the ceviche I had included a Oaxacan paste that made it very interesting. We've been there twice in our week stay in Merida and will go back again today. And don't let the atmosphere scare you. Their prices are not that much more than the "cheap" places to eat. A must when visiting Merida! read more

Apoala - Margaritas! - Mexican Near Me - Merida, YUC

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Don't get me wrong, the food here is high quality, prepared with really good technique. But it's not as Mexican as I was expecting. It's definitely for the American tourists. If I closed my eyes and just ate, I would think that I was at a nice, good Tex-Mex place in Texas that had less cheese and some slightly more interesting menu options. In fact, if I had eaten at this restaurant in Texas, I probably would've enjoyed it a little more. But the expectations, while being in Mexico, made this place a little bit of a let-down. read more

The front of house staff were super unhelpful. On the first time, we waited for a while, then got told there was a huge wait (despite an empty table or two, perhaps they were reserved). The second time we arrived before opening, told to wait till 7pm when they opened which we did, then got told they were fully booked. Did eventually try something there, not horrible but definitely not worth the hassle of getting in. read more