Mérida’s food scene is a melting pot of cultures—and when it comes to Middle Eastern flavors, we’re spoiled for choice. From cozy family-run kitchens serving recipes straight from Lebanon to elegant dining rooms worthy of an Arabian Nights fantasy, you can find everything from silky hummus to saffron-laced kebabs right here in the Yucatán capital. Here are our top picks for when the craving hits
1. Tarbush – Lebanese Home Cooking & Specialty Store
Part mini-market, part take-out kitchen, and all heart, Tarbush delivers the comforting flavors of Lebanese home cooking. Walk in and you’ll likely hear the family chatting in Arabic while customers browse shelves stocked with za’atar spice blends, Arabic coffee, Turkish coffee makers, green olives, Lebanese breads, and boxes of flaky baklava and mamool.
From the kitchen, the take-out menu is a treasure chest of hot and cold mezze: silky hummus, tangy labneh, tabbouleh fresh with parsley and mint, stuffed grape leaves, cabbage rolls, raw and fried kibbeh, sambousek stuffed with cheese or meat, kafta, chicken and rice, and lentils with rice. Everything tastes like it’s been made with love—and it has.
- Calle 9 #269, Campestre, Mérida, Yuc.
- 999 322 1103
- Hours: Tue–Sat 8 AM–6:30 PM | Sun 8 AM–6:30 PM | Mon Closed
- Social media: @tarbush_restaurante
2. Siqueff – 90 Years of Lebanese–Yucatecan Heritage
Centro location
A Mérida institution, Siqueff has been feeding the peninsula for nearly a century, blending Lebanese roots with Yucatecan classics. In their original restaurant in Motul is where the famous huevos motuleños got their start—and where breakfast, lunch, or dinner always feels like a coming to a family get together.
Our feast began with huevos árabes con kafta—eggs baked with olive oil and oregano, paired with juicy kafta, creamy labneh, and pita. Then came cabbage and grape leaf rolls, golden ftayer stuffed with Swiss chard, sambousek filled with lamb and swiss chard, and velvety hummus. The shawarmas? Packed with tahini, chickpeas, veggies, and kafta. We finished with a sweet sampler of homemade Arabic treats.
- Calle 60, Mérida, Yuc.
- Hours: Mon 8 AM–5 PM | Tue–Sun 8 AM–6 PM
- Social media: @siqueffcentro
3. Habibi – An Arabian Nights Dining Escape
Step into Habibi and you’re transported—warm sand tones, wooden tables, Moroccan lanterns, and the scent of cardamom, mint, and cinnamon drifting from the kitchen. The menu is all about sharing, with seasonal ingredients and Lebanese classics served with a refined twist.
We started with crisp cucumber with labneh, fresh mint, garlic, and lemon (Kiyarbi), a parsley-packed tabbouleh, and beetroot borani with roasted garlic. Mains included stuffed hen with rice, kafta, and nuts; Samkeh Harra—grilled catch of the day with pine nut sauce; and a slow-cooked lamb stew with couscous, dates, and ras el hanout. Dessert was a silky mahalabia pudding with cardamom, orange blossom, pistachios, and mango sorbet.
- Centro Comercial City 32, Av. Andrés García Lavín Calle 32 #298, Fundura Montebello, Mérida, Yuc.
- Hours: Mon–Thu 1 PM–11 PM | Fri–Sat 1 PM–12 AM | Sun 9 AM–5 PM
- Social media: @habibi.merida
4. Hamid – Mérida’s First Persian Restaurant
Chef Hamid brings the soul of Mashhad, Iran, to Mérida at the city’s first Persian restaurant. His dishes celebrate the sweet, sour, savory, and aromatic—saffron, pomegranate, rosewater, and slow-cooked meats.
Favorites include the kebab koobideh (lamb and beef skewers with saffron rice and grilled tomatoes), chelo morgh (saffron chicken with sour orange), creamy mast-o-khiar (yogurt, cucumber, and mint), and zeytoon parvardeh (olives marinated with pomegranate and walnuts). For dessert, the Persian ice cream with saffron and pistachios is unforgettable.
- Near Gran Plaza, C. 33 476, Gonzalo Guerrero, 97115 Mérida, Yuc.
- Hours: Wed–Sat 2-10 PM Sun 2-8 PM
- Social media: @hamid.comida.persa
5. S’MIR Comida y Botanas Árabes – Don José Mir’s Take-Out Legend
Don José Mir is a Mérida legend in the city’s Lebanese community—and his take-out shop is a flavor-packed institution. He’ll walk you through every dish with care, and you’ll leave with a bag (or box) full of homemade specialties.
We tried stuffed grape leaves, rice with vermicelli, raw kibbeh, Lebanese shish barak, hummus, tabbouleh, and spinach-filled ftayer. Everything was fresh, aromatic, and made with that “just like home” touch.
- Calle 9 entre 38 y 40, Calle 9 280, Fraccionamiento del Nte, Mérida, Yuc.
- Hours: Tue–Sun 8 AM–4 PM | Mon 9:30 AM–1 PM
- Social media: @Sr. Mir Comida Arabe
