9 cantinas in Mérida: beautiful, anachronistic and immortal

Famous and traditional. Mérida’s bars and cantinas are the stage for stories, reunions and solitude.

The oldest cantinas and the best bars in Mérida to drink, snack and eat.

Mérida’s bars and cantinas are true icons of the passing of time and of a tradition that never dies.

Though they may seem out of time, anachronistic and timeless, a couple of them still bar women from entering.

Read: The Yucatecan woman: a pioneer in the fight for her rights.

In every one of Mérida’s cantinas, alcoholic drinks star in a scene much like the Tower of Babel. Beer, of course, will always be the Yucatecan public’s favourite.

In many, simplicity and informality are the key to their success. Others rebuild the old concept with a modern design twist and live music shows, turning them into the city’s immortal spaces.

The truth is that at Mérida’s cantinas it is not only about drinking; they are also good options to eat, listen to music or spend a bohemian while — with friends, family (some have a suitable atmosphere) or alone (why not?).

There are several famous cantinas in Mérida whose names are also suggestive. From “El Estado Seco” to “La Casita de Paja”, the names are extravagant, original and very funny.

A cantina’s location says a lot about it too. The cantinas in central Mérida are the oldest and sit in the most traditional, working-class neighbourhoods. There are more than a hundred cantinas.

You may be interested in: A portrait of Mérida’s neighbourhoods: Santiago.

The food, or botana, at cantinas is also a hallmark. It usually varies by region, and in some places can even run to a three-course menu or more. The Yucatecan cantina botana includes the most traditional flavours such as sikil pak, papadzules, kibis and various tacos.

A city with more than a hundred cantinas

Must be the heat… Mérida has more than 100 cantinas. They are spread across the city’s neighbourhoods, though most are in the centre.

In Mérida, going to the cantina is an experience everyone should live more than once. They are a meeting point by tradition or habit, ideal for celebrating, leaving your problems behind or even working.

Mérida’s cantinas and bars are marked by their mixed clientele: from workers and university students to artists, teachers, journalists and foreigners.

There are classic, traditional bars and cantinas in old buildings, open to the public for decades, and also chicer options with high-quality service, live music, open-air spaces and unique, modern styles. There are options for every budget.

Origin of the cantinas

The word “cantina” comes from a Celtic word meaning: pantry, cabinet or small room where wines were sorted and kept.

In colonial times they were called tabernas, for establishments that sold all kinds of intoxicating drinks.

Cantinas originated around 1847 during the US occupation of Mexico, driven by the growing demand for drinks from the invading soldiers.

Beer, the favourite drink in Yucatán’s cantinas

Beer is the oldest recorded drink in the world. But it was in the early Middle Ages that what we know as modern beer was born. Around 1150, German monks began using hops in beer. This peculiar ingredient, which gives the bitter taste, had other advantages — among them, it helped preserve the drink longer.

Over time, countries such as Germany, Belgium and the British Isles became true brewing centres thanks to their rigorous techniques and ingredients.

Snacks or free food? Ideal for discovering the region’s cuisine

At cantinas, the main feature is the great variety of botanas. They are almost always dishes of the region, state or city where they are.

Some cantinas offer more than 20 dishes, making them the ideal place to discover the region’s typical food. In some, they are divided by rounds and the type of botana changes according to how many drinks you’ve had.

Some cantinas still run rules or systems for eating free and enjoying the complimentary botana: the first drink gives you a choice of about 5 simple snacks, and so on, until you reach main dishes like poc chuc, relleno negro, brazo de reina, etc.

Some of the most common botanas are:

Papadzules: very tasty, a pre-Hispanic recipe typical of Yucatán.

Charritos: these mostly corn-based fried snacks are famous across Mexico.

Brazo de reina: this tamal is typical of Yucatecan cuisine. It is made with chaya, a tree native to the peninsula and Tabasco.

Kibis: of Lebanese heritage, this Yucatecan delicacy is served as a botana in many Mérida cantinas. Made with wheat dough and filled with minced meat.

Codzitos: simply a fried tortilla with red salsa and a little fresh cheese — the best ally for a cold beer.

Polcanes: filled with íbes, a legume native to Yucatán, polcanes are a very tasty gordita-style snack. You’ll find them in markets and on street corners.

4 curious facts about the cantinas

1. Did you know that only in 1982 were women allowed into cantinas? That ended a ban in place since the 19th century.
2. 62 litres per inhabitant per year. That is the average consumption of Mexicans at cantinas and bars in Mérida.
3. The forerunners of cantinas were the mesones. In Mexico, the first opened in 1525 in the country’s capital.
4. The word and concept of “cantina” began to be used in 1847, after the US invasion of Mexican territory.

9 bars and cantinas with a complimentary botana

Dzalbay

One of the oldest cantinas in Mérida. For eight decades it has served Yucatecan botana and good service. It is also known for its live jazz bands on Sunday afternoons — a show that takes you back to old New Orleans from your table. Address: Calle 64 x 53, Centro.

El Cardenal Cantina

This bar-restaurant has a friendly atmosphere and outdoor spaces. There is live music, and be sure to pair your beer with its delicious botanas and the promotions it constantly posts on social media. Address: Calle 63 x 70 y 72, Centro.

El Gallito

Its comfortable, long bar is a symbol of the bars in central Mérida. Among the tastiest botanas are fish, ceviche and mole.

Address: Calle 45, near the corner of 62, Centro.

El Estado Seco

A classic among students and one of the busiest cantinas in Mérida. A budget cantina born in the 1930s, still serving the thirstiest today.

Old and informal, you can enjoy an ice-cold beer (double caguama) and eat well thanks to a generous botana that may include chicharrón in red salsa, huevos motuleños and potatoes with chorizo. The menu changes by the day, with an average of eight different snack plates between beers. Address: Calle 47 y 66, Centro.

La Casita de Paja

Lots of beer and rum at affordable prices, for the pirates who arrive looking to quench the sea’s thirst. At La Casita de Paja you pick your music on the jukebox. Very popular with locals and university students. Address: Calle 55, between 44 and 46, Centro.

El Lucero del Alba

One of the cantinas in Mérida ideal for a weekend with the family. Spacious, with live music and a varied range of 100% Yucatecan botanas, you can try everything from cochinita tacos to relleno negro or brazo de reina — you can even get free mollejas! Address: Calle 56 y 47, Centro.

La Negrita

If you want a varied crowd, you’ll find it at La Negrita. Adults and young people, foreigners and locals gather here every day at this afternoon cantina.

Read: Favourite buffet breakfasts in Mérida.

Its botana is simple but plentiful: refried beans, chicharrones, cucumbers, popcorn and codzitos. There is live music. Address: Calle 62 y 49, Centro.

Eladios

One of the most famous cantinas in Mérida for a family atmosphere. Every day, women and men gather at Eladios for a drink and a tasty Yucatecan botana. On the tables there is almost everything: poc chuc, squid ceviche, niño envuelto, kibis, gorditas… Address: Calle 59 #425, Centro.

Bar Pueblo Nuevo

Popular and cheap, another bar in Mérida where you can enjoy a cold caguama. The botanas are home-made and include potatoes with escabeche, relleno negro and frijol con puerco. Address: Calle 53, corner of 44, Centro.

What did you think of these cantina suggestions? They are a great place to eat, cool off and witness the immortality of place in Yucatán.

At all of them, your beer comes with an assorted, generous botana, sometimes with the best artisan flavour. Go and discover them!

Read: Yucatecan bombas.