El Remate is located at the end of Paseo de Montejo and crosses with Calle 47. It’s an iconic spot in Merida where the city puts on a festival celebrating Mexico each Saturday and where you can find different restaurants. It’s right in heart of Merida.
In the last six months there have been some great additions to the restaurant/bar scene in this area. El Remate, Terraza, Pizza Neo and El Gato have added spark to this bustling part of the city and are most definitely on our list of Merida’s newest hot spots for gastronomy and cool ambiance. We love to frequent these places and you’ll always find interesting people to strike up a conversation with.
El Remate
El Remate de Montejo is a Mexican food restaurant that showcases emblematic dishes from various regions around Mexico. It’s a spacious, café-style setting that offers a charming dining area, complete with a beautiful bar and a view of avenida Paseo de Montejo and the Remate. The restaurant’s lively atmosphere is enhanced by the festive Mexican music playing, making it a fun place for friends and families to enjoy.
Some of our favorites for breakfast are the chilaquiles and enchiladas en mole for breakfast. Their coffee bar is amazing, featuring Chiapas coffee low in acidity and they make fresh baked sourdough breads and pastries each morning. Plus they have incredible juices such as beet and carrot, or green juice and a menu of mimosas or bloody marys.
For lunch or dinner we loved the quesadilla de barbacoa with the creole handmade corn tortilla. The bone marrow tacos are incredible and the organic pork tomahawk with mole or salsa verde is delicious. Vegetarian and vegan options are also available.
- +52 999 900 4818
- El Remate
- @elrematedemontejo
- elrematedemontejo.mx
- Hours: Open 8am-12am Tuesday to Sunday.
- Bookings
Terraza
La Terraza at the El Remate is the rooftop terrace with a fantastic view of Paseo de Montejo. The ambiance is chic and the bar is super stylish and cool. This is a great place to hang out in the evening for dinner and cocktails. La Terraza has a full seafood bar including oysters and chocolate clams fresh and flown in twice a week from Baja California. They highlight their seafood options although they also have a variety of meat and vegetarian options.
Some of our favorite dishes are the scallop ceviche, the watermelon salad –very refreshing and flavorful. The shrimp skewers with olive, roasted peppers and serrano ham is a great appetizer. And the Pil Pil fried sea bass inspired by the typical dish from Calderitas Quintana Roo. Served on a bed of onions cooked in habanero butter, beans, handmade tortillas, green salad, rice made with coconut milk and almonds, we love this dish.
The mixology is top notch and it is very worth starting your night with a refreshing cocktail.
Also to note the music playlist is awesome (I got it on my spotify) and the vibe is chill, fun sophistication.
- +52 999 900 4818
- @elremate.terraza
- Hours: 4pm-12am Tuesday to Sunday
Pizza Neo
Located on the ground floor behind El Remate restaurant, Pizza Neo was the first restaurant to open in this group. The ambiance is cool and it took the name “Neo” named after the Mayan Revival architectural style popular in Merida during the 1920s and 1930s that drew inspiration from the architecture and iconography of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. The portrait of the well-known Yucatecan architect Manuel Amábilis, who pioneered this style in Yucatan, is seen in a frame in the corner of the restaurant.
The pizzas are outstanding, made from the freshest ingredients and with sourdough bread which is a first in Merida for pizzas. The pork and lamb on the menu come from a local organic ranch. Some favorite appetizers of ours are sardines and lamb carpaccio. They have cocktails and a nice wine list.
This is also one of the few places you can get pizza by the slice!
- +52 999 900 4818
- @pizzaneo.mx
- Hours: 4pm-12am Tuesday to Sunday
El Gato
El Gato is a styly speakeasy that has an awesome mid century design and great cocktails. It is named after the story “El Gato” written by accomplished Yucatecan writer Juan García Ponce, whose portrait is also displayed at the bar. As you walk into the small bar, you feel as if you are walking back in time and as if you are as cool as a character from the series Mad Men.
They have DJ’s playing on the weekends and it’s a great spot to have an excellent cocktail.
- Hours: Open Wed-Sun 6pm-2am
This is a spot you definitely don’t want to miss while in Merida!