Mérida, Mexico, Is a Favorite Travel Destination Among Locals — How to Visit
"Yet another Mérida nightlife legend, Dzalbay has become a city institution for its live jazz and blues. Music is at the foundation of this place, whose owners are a group of men from around the world who met playing in the Yucatán Symphony Orchestra. Today, visitors come for the live music (of course), as well as the cocktails, food menu, and rooftop terrace." - Travel + Leisure Editors
We came to celebrate a friend's birthday.
We ordered 4 plates and 4 cocktails.
My wife took one bite of her meal and said it wasn't pleasing. We immediately notified the waitress and gave her back the entire plate with one bite missing.
When the check came, we didn't understand why we needed to pay. I calmly and respectfully approached the manager and he began speaking loudly to me saying, " You ordered it, you have to pay!" I asked him to lower his voice as I was standing less than a foot away from him. He kept talking over me, telling me that my displeasure is subjective. It is subjective, because I am an individual and if you charge me full price for a meal I return that same meal to you, in full, it's insane to charge me full price. The waitress never offered to replace the meal nor ask if I wanted something else. Which is called good customer service. My friend also sent back his veggie burger after taking one bite. Word to the wise: eat before you go!!
Michelle Lannoo
Google
Awesome food and service. The atmosphere and the music were wonderful. First time here and definitely won’t be our last!!!.
Debbi Cameron
Google
A great venue with lots of atmosphere to listen to some great music last night. The service was quick. Innovative cocktail menu. Tried the Billie Jean and the Nina Simone both interesting. Good range of beers.
Ina Rittershofer
Google
Really nice bar with live music in the evening & a lovely rooftop terrace. It reminded us in general of a pub :)
prices are great, drinks are tasty and also the food (we only had hummus) was good.
Every evening there is another band playing. If you come by before 7pm you will get a table.
M. C.
Google
The menu was missing the name of the food items, it only had descriptions. For example, the burger was just "beef meat with lettuce and cheddar cheese, with a side of fries". So a burger but without the name. Mentioned this to the waitress who took off and left without taking our order or asking for our drinks.
Been here before and service was good, this time it was not. She came back with the manager and he had the same attitude of blowing off the issue. I didn't think it was a big issue, but their disimissive attitude was bad.
Gene Novar
Google
Live music was the reason why we decided to visit this place. It was well worth it! Accordion in accompaniment of 3 guitars and great voice made it all better. Food was great and beer is always good. Thank you for a wonderful time.
Alfonso Felix
Google
Cool place in Centro Merida. Great music and beers. Unfortunately the servers are quite discriminatory against Mexicans. They will take forever (20 minutes before first approach) to talk to you but will take orders from foreign customers that sit and arrive after you. They won't let you order at the bar either if you are at a table, so it makes for a poor experience overall.
George H
Google
We attended this establishment twice during our visit to Mérida, as it was recommended by friends who had traveled here, a local guide, and a local resident.
The place offers great-priced drinks; the margaritas were brilliant, and there was a large selection of beers to choose from.
Although we did not eat, many of the tables around us did. The olives served with the cocktails (not much at all) came highly recommended and did not disappoint.
The atmosphere was delightful with live music, featuring jazz on the first night and blues on the second. The music was not too loud, allowing for conversation while still creating a great ambiance.
The servers adopted a relatively relaxed and chill approach, which added to the laid-back vibe of the place.
Thanks for two great evenings. We will definitely be recommending this spot to anyone visiting Mérida.
Mary P.
Yelp
Aug 2024 * Friends
As far as I'm concerned, this place is it. If, while in Mérida, you can't find the "there" there, you will find it at Dzalbay Cantina. Everything is top-notch: food, drink, MUSIC, ambiance. Note: the other night I was there, had a few and departed quickly when my Uber arrived. I forgot my wallet! The next day, it was there waiting for me. Nothing had been taken. Where else in the world could that happen?
Stuart W.
Yelp
Very cool place with an interesting vibe, crowd, and music. Friendly service made me feel immediately welcome. Crowd was an eclectic mix of ages and several expats. Drink was great and really enjoyed the mix of the blues and bluegrass.
Deirdre T.
Yelp
What a surprise! Strolling back to the hotel we were drawn to the sound of live music. I thought we were in New Orleans for a minute! First rate musicians.
Heidi P.
Yelp
Great music, good drinks and a fun atmosphere! You can even enjoy the music from the rooftop seating.
Douglas B.
Yelp
Dzalby is a very tiny venue. We were enthralled with a local jazz combo, but the limited seating forced to the roof . Unfortunately, we could not hear the jazz combo, only canned music. The food was underwhelming.
Our sever was exceptional and welcoming.
The special house cocktails were creative, my Cab Calloway with guava and vodka was great! Get there early to secre a main floor table.
Babs F.
Yelp
we went here for drinks ended up staying for the live music and the extremely friendly server. We had such a nice time that we even tried to buy a T-shirt so we could remember this bar forever. It's got a beautiful rooftop, a cozy lounge with couches, and although we didn't have food many people were eating and everybody was having a great time. The band that plays there was an amazing jazz band that kept us there tapping our toe and sipping our drinks.
James M.
Yelp
Amazing music!!!! You have to come check out this cantina when you can. Great food, wonderful atmosphere & great drinks. This place is a must!