Hello there,

We are spending 10 days over Christmas and New Year in the Yucatan spending time in Merida, Sant'Elena in Ruta Puuc (1 night), Valladolid, Tulum and Campeche.

We have booked hotels and flights but now thoughts turn to good places to eat (and drink!) so we are asking for suggestions for nice restaurants to eat at, we like to have a bottle of wine with our food when we eat out. How much is wine at a restaurant in the Yucatan? We tended to pay 250 - 350 pesos in Oaxaca, Mexico City and Puebla the last time we were there last year at Christmas, hopefully the prices are the same in the Yucatan (or less!). Also, we shall want to have Christmas lunch (we celebrate Christmas lunch, not Christmas Eve dinner), anywhere to suggest to have Christmas lunch, in or around Merida?

Thanks for reading this and I look forward to your suggestions.

dinner at el meson de marques in Valladolid, wine is about 350 pesos.
A big selection of restaurants all around the main square in Merida especially on Friday and Saturday night when they close off the streets and move the diner tables in the middle of the street. starts around 6.00pm every week end.

Here are my very old notes. Be sure to do a bit of research on current opinions (including whether these places still exist!):
http://www.fodors.com/community/mexi...nd-chiapas.cfm

Thanks Rohelio and kja - some great suggestions! Do you think Christmas lunch will be booked up? Would you suggest that I book ahead - and any suggestions for that?

Also, any suggestions for specific restaurants generally - in other words, referrals, good places to eat (not necessarily expensive!)?

Anyone?

In Santa Elena, we had some good meals at the Pickled Onion - that's also where we stayed, which we really enjoyed.

In Merida, we ate really well from some street vendors around the central square and at the food stands at Parque de Santa Ana and near the intersection of Calle 56 and 69 just outside of the Galvez Mercado. For full-service restaurants, we had a nice diner at Amaro on Calle 59, a block off the main square. They have a nice patio, good ambiance, nice service, and good food. We also liked Casa de Frida on Calle 61 and 66. We also ate some great food at some of the small loncherias around, but I don't remember their names, unfortunately.

Hmm... I thought my comments <u>were</u> specific and, for those for which my comments were positive, I would consider them referrals of good places to eat -- assuming you confirm with more current information.

I would never assume that a restaurant in a Christian country would be open on Christmas and I would never show up on Christmas without a reservation. Your call.

Hi kja, I'm sorry if I appeared to be rude, I was just being greedy - more, please!!

re Christmas, unlike Mexicans and Spanish, where I came from we celebrate the main Christmas meal at lunch so therefore it definitely wasn't booked up, for example, in Oaxaca when I was there.

Anyone heard of Manjar Blanco in Merida - I can't make out if they serve wine, any info on that?

Thanks.

Just a quick note to mention that there are many restaurants in all of the Yucatan who will allow you to bring your own bottle of wine. That said, some will charge you a decorking fee where the cost is quite reasonable (about 50 pesos) and some will definitely hike the cost to 300 pesos... We have noticed that, depending on the person you speak to and at what day and time you ask.

My suggestion for Christmas in Merida is to reserve very soon as the few places that are open are already booked.
I've never been but I'm told that the Fiesta Americana puts out a nice Xmas dinner. They may still have room.

A little bit of info about Merida;
http://yucatanexpatlife.com/calendar...t_display=list

http://www.yucatanliving.com/merida-restaurants

http://yucatantoday.com/categoria/fo...rants/?lang=en