What’s the point in traveling somewhere and doing the same things, eating the same food, and hanging out with the same people you would back home? This month, we’re taking you on a tour to discover a few places where you can try truly unique food and drinks—with items that aren’t exactly traditional Yucatecan food, but which incorporate our local ingredients, flavor, and preparations into offerings you won’t find anywhere else.
Cocina Vidente - CIGNO Boutique Hotel
Staying at charming CIGNO hotel is a treat in itself, but you don’t have to occupy one of its 10 luxurious rooms to allow yourself to be pampered by its outstanding staff. CIGNO has three bars, each of which offers outstanding service. Bar Tortuga (tortoise) welcomes you with a wide variety of classic drinks in an old-world setting. No menu here; just let the bartender know what you’re in the mood for, whether that’s a specific cocktail or just the idea of one. At Bar Palmera, on the rooftop, the warm hues of a breezy sunset are best appreciated with a refreshing cocktail in hand.
For a full meal (and an extraordinary one, at that), however, make yourself comfortable at Cocina Vidente. Cocina Vidente offers a wide variety of dishes that blend Mexican flavors with French techniques. While there are many outstanding options to choose from (for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), today we’ll focus on those that most prominently feature the flavors of Yucatán.
Cocina Vidente’s Uniquely Yucatecan Drinks
Nicté Sour. A blend of local grapefruit and lime juice, house-made cherry syrup, and tequila, this citrusy, refreshing cocktail is garnished with the flower that gives it its name (nikte’ is Maya for flower). Nicté Sour comes with a complimentary jícara (calabash bowl) of pepita hummus.
Vidente. Vidente is a tangy concoction that incorporates mandarin and bitter orange juice, house-made sotol limoncello (sotol is an agave-based drink), and xcatik pepper syrup. Xcatik is widely used in Yucatecan cuisine, as it provides a lot of flavor with only a tiny bit of heat. Still, if you’re sensitive to spiciness, Vidente might not be the cocktail for you.
Margarita Pixan. My own personal favorite, Margarita Pixan is more on the earthy side. Its name references the Maya name for the soul (pixan), and honors it by blending bitter orange, activated charcoal, and recado negro (a tasty seasoning made with charred peppers and spices) with copal-infused tequila. The result is a vibrantly black drink that you can only try here.
Vidente Blond Ale. If craft beer is more your thing, CIGNO has you covered as well. Try their artisanal house label, Vidente, an entirely local blond ale that features a touch of local honey, known worldwide for its superior flavor and quality.
Cocina Vidente’s Uniquely Yucatecan Dishes
Ensalada de la Milpa. Milpa is the name given to the Meso-American, pre-Hispanic farming system, which varies by region, but is predominantly based on the corn-beans-tomato triad. In Yucatán, the triad becomes a foursome through the addition of calabaza local, a variety of squash. Ensalada de la Milpa, or milpa salad, features a variety of leafy greens, squash flowers, a tomato gazpacho, calabaza seeds (pepita) and almonds, and a mandarin vinaigrette, topped with your choice of burrata or prawns.
Cochinita Negra. A twist on traditional relleno negro, Cochinita Negra strays away from ground pork and hard-boiled eggs, served instead as pressed pork served over tostones (plantain chips), banana leaves, garnished with pickled onion and a delicious recado negro reduction on the side. A happy addition: a healthy amount of handmade tortillas.
Vidente, Cocina Mexicana inspirada en el maiz
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Breakfast, lunch and dinner
8 am - 11 pm
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Calle 66 593, Barrio de la Ermita, Mérida
Rosas & Xocolate
Mérida was quite a different place back when Rosas & Xocolate opened in 2009. Fifteen years later, one of the things that hasn’t changed is Rosas & Xocolate’s status as an outstanding boutique hotel with an outstanding restaurant in an outstanding location. Whether you decide to treat yourself to a stay on Paseo de Montejo or just drop by for an unforgettable meal (evenings are especially magical there), you won’t regret planning to stop at Rosas & Xocolate during your time in Mérida.
Platillos muy yucatecos que sólo puedes probar en Rosas & Xocolate
Pibil lamb tacos. Cochinita pibil is undoubtedly Yucatán’s most famous dish, prepared and served with different degrees of authenticity around the world. If done right, the slow-roasted pork, marinated in recado rojo, should be fall-apart tender and mouthwateringly tasty. For a unique twist, try a version of it that’s made with lamb instead of pork. Served on tacos with pickled onion, it might just change your life.
Shrimp with lime foam and candied octopus. Talk about an option that’s as refreshing as it is unique. The unique flavor of Yucatecan lime (different from Mexican lime) brings out the best in both the shrimp and the octopus, but the addition of cucumber and roasted pineapple are what truly make this dish shine.
Rosas & Xocolate
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Luuch
You might expect a privileged view overlooking Paseo de Montejo to come with an inflated price tag, but that’s not the case at Luuch. Offering a good combination of home-style traditional Yucatecan dishes and new, creative preparations using local ingredients, Luuch is a great option for a nice, unpretentious meal filled with the authentic flavors of Yucatán.
Uniquely Yucatecan Drinks at Luuch
Cucumber/Habanero Margarita. Give your margarita a tasty kick you can only find in Yucatán with Luuch’s cucumber habanero margarita.
Uniquely Yucatecan Dishes at Luuch
Hummus. Don’t be fooled by this appetizer’s modest name—this is a very particular twist on the chickpea dip you’re likely familiar with. At Luuch, the hummus takes on a new dimension with the addition of fire-roasted tomatoes, radish, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, and pepita. Served with tortilla chips, it’s a perfect snack to go with your drinks.
Luuch
Murciégalo Mezcalería
This unassuming bar is a YT staff favorite for good reason. While the food menu consists of mostly Oaxacan dishes, the drink menu is all about agave from all over México. Mezcal is the main feature (Murciégalo offers several exclusive varieties and labels), but also tequila, henequén (the Yucatecan agave variety), sotol, and many other distillates. However, Murciégalo offers a wide array of original agave-based cocktails mixed with truly local ingredients. At Murciégalo you won’t find any cocktails featuring fruits or vegetables that aren’t locally grown. We’ve written about head mixologist Jorge Manzanilla and his philosophy before, but today we’re focusing on a couple of his creations.
Murciégalo Mezcalería’s Uniquely Yucatecan Drinks
X’margara. The legacy of henequén (the sisal agave) can be seen everywhere around Yucatán, but did you know it is now being distilled? The resulting spirit has a personality of its own, and you can try it in Murciégalo’s X’margara, a twist on a regular on-the-rocks margarita made with bitter orange and Yucatecan salt.
Mayahuel. Other than the mezcal and the worm salt, there isn’t a single ingredient in this cocktail that won’t grow in a Yucatecan garden—take it from this mediocre Yucatecan gardener. Passion fruit, bitter orange, and local basil make this frozen drink a delight for the senses that, as their menu puts it, will cloud your judgement and warm your heart.
Divino T-pache. Tepache is a fermented drink made from pineapple and sugar, dating back to pre-Hispanic central México. At Murciégalo, Manzanilla takes tepache to new heights by adding bitter orange, angostura bitters, and, of course, mezcal. Divino T-pache is served in a jícara and garnished with dehydrated citrus and pineapple.
Carajillo Pibinal. A pibinal is an ear of corn that’s cooked underground, in an oven called píib. This results in a deep, smoky, almost caramelized flavor that you can only try in southeast México. To create this one-of-a-kind apéritif, a pibinal-based mezcal infusion is shaken with espresso and cream. Now don’t tell me that’s not something you’d be curious to try.
Murciégalo Mezcalería
Looking for a Uniquely Yucatecan Craft Beer?
Yucatán is a beer-loving state, and there are several craft breweries to prove it.
- Cervecería Flappers
- Cervecería Mastache
- Cerveza Ceiba
- Cerveza Cuerno de Toro
- Cerveza Patito
- Dama Real Cerveza
- Esmeralda Brewing
- Thodes Brewery
Want to find out more about local craft breweries in Yucatán? We, of course, have an article covering a few.
Looking to Try a Uniquely Yucatecan Liqueur?
Yucatán’s rich natural diversity has, of course, given way to plenty of alcoholic beverages with flavors that will surely surprise you. You can read all about them in our article A New Generation of Yucatecan Liqueur, or use the following as a checklist:
- Bitter orange liqueur
- Habanero pepper liqueur
- Bugamvillea wine
- Henequén liqueur
- Yucatecan Gin
- Xtabentún (honey and anise liqueur)
First published in Yucatán Today print and digital magazine no. 448, in April 2025.
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