Some of the best and most popular restaurants in Merida can be found in and around Santa Lucia Park. Here is my opinionated summary of the choices.
Apoala was my favorite place in town to eat before all the other restaurants opened in Santa Lucia. It´s still has the very best Mexican food in town but the tranquil ambience is all but gone. The service is exceptionally good. I like the salads especially, all the ceviches & the squash blossoms. Did I say crab tacos? Yes crab tacos are excellent. I just had a private party in their speakeasy catered by Apoala with cocktails by Malahat´s crew. It´s my favorite place in town again.
La Chaya is a tourist trap but if you are going to eat traditional Maya food and you don´t want to eat in the market stalls you may as well toss the dice and eat here. It seems to be really popular with the Mexican tourists, not to be mistaken for locals. But 5 minutes away in Manjar Blanco and my guests tell me it´s very good.
La Tratto & Bryan´s Burger Bar are part of a Canadian bistro chain that is very popular with the locals and the expats. It´s a good choice if you are with kids. There´s better pizza down calle 60 at Raffaello cooked by a grumpy Italian. Friends tell me the burgers are just awful but I haven´t had a burger in 6 years so…. I´m not entitled to an opinion.
Pita is a casual place with an Israeli menu. I like the Humous and Falafel here but I prefer the dump around the corner called Cafe Alemeda for authentic Lebanese cuisine with a Yucatecan twist. But Pita has falafel and Alemeda doesn´t so…. toss up.
Peruano on calle 55 and the park is new and I hear good things about the ceviche but I´ve not been, yet.
La Recova is a steak house and I did like the original location before I gave up meat. But I find nothing to like about it now. The carnivores in my life do sneak in past the maitre´d at Apoala and I tell me it´s good.
Rosa Sur 32 this should be your choice if you can´t get a table at Apoala. The chef who opened Rosas y Xocolate´s dining room has returned to open this Baja inspired space. I sadly lacks atmosphere though some might spill over from the surrounding places.
Ki Xocolatl is the place to grab some Mexican-Belgian chocolate to take home or have a coffee or chocolate dessert after dinner.
500 Noches all I know about this place is they make a lot of noise, aka music. Must buy some ear plugs and go.
Don´t see what you want here then head up the calle 60 to Mercado 60 the right choice if everyone want´s something different and you want to be at the same table. It´s basically a food court from a trendy mall dropped into a old parking lot with a good location and live music. Plus it is open until 2 am on weekends.