Kuuk

Absolutely outstanding!!!!!!! By far my favorite dining experience that I have had to date!!! Every single bite was a flavor explosion and a texture rainbow that touched every taste bud delicately and boldly all at the same time! Highly recommend! Everyone there was absolutely amazing and all contributed to an incredible experience! Thank you so much!

Unique food experiences at Kuuk. We loved it. Our favorite dish of all was the smoky shrimp over rice. the pumpkin appetizer is a must try. i wish we would have saved more room for a second dessert. we shared a light one with tofu & celery. imaginative and delicious. Good wine. Great cocktails. Excellent service. We loved it.

Kuuk is the finest dining experience in Mérida. Exceptional quality, variety and execution. Great ambience and top service as well. Great wine list with a large selection of Mexican wines and solid representations from everywhere else in the world. Love coming here anytime I am in Merida.

Of course we did the tasting menu and it did not disappoint. Not much that can be said that probably hasnt been said before. The service is great but it felt a bit impersonal compared to other restaurants of this stature. The food is bold and it's nice that they introduce you, or at least not let you forget that you're eating ingredients not found elsewhere. The physical place is gorgeous.

Wonderful restaurant set in one of Merida's grand old mansions. They have an a la carte menu but I highly recommend the "tasting menu" which is a 12 course culinary experience. The waitstaff is incredibly knowledgeable and will explain each course as it is served along with recommendations on how to best enjoy each dish. Absolutely amazing. After your meal, request a tour of the mansion, you will be amazed by everything going on in there, from the massive kitchen to the taste research lab. A truly wonderful experience

I can’t even begin to describe how good this place is. The Chilmole may be one of the top 5 dishes I’ve ever had in my life. I consider myself well traveled and have eaten at several of the top restaurants in the world and I rank this right up there with the best of them. Make sure you pace yourself because the desserts are incredible. Also I did not do the tasting menu but the cocktails are incredible. Wow.

Been looking a long time for a place that innovates and creates beautiful and delicious plates with an amazing service and a delightful ambiance. Kuuk it’s one of the best places I’ve gone so far that has all this point and more so far. Every dish it’s planned for you to enjoy all the components on it, the attention to detail and the great way of pairing flavours it’s simple incredible. Keep it up with those amazing ideas and that incredible service.

Beautiful place. Excellent service. Drinks top shelf. But food was unimpressive. The starters were delicious. Unfortunately the pork belly was dry as was the Robalo. It was still a pleasant experience but at that price we would not return.

K'u'uk is a fascinating restaurant and probably the most foodie experience you can have in Merida. They are committed to preserving Yucatecan cuisine and Mayan traditions, but the food itself is also incredibly modern and makes use of many molecular gastronomy techniques. And to top it off, it's located inside a gorgeous colonial-style house at the end of Paseo de Montejo (by the monument). All of this adds up to a pretty spectacular meal. At a place like K'u'uk, I have a hard time resisting the tasting menu, so we did that! They also offer an a la carte menu if tasting menus aren't your thing. The tasting menu provides a name for each of the 12 courses, but they explain the course in detail when they serve it. Of our courses, I most enjoyed the coconut, shrimp, sea tostada, Mayan octopus, tamale, and meringue courses. There was one I really didn't enjoy - the venison in pipian - which I found texturally quite difficult to enjoy, but the rest I liked or loved (the tamale was my favorite in flavor, but the Mayan octopus and shrimp courses were the most "what am I eating?!"). They also offer a great beverage program, which includes anything and everything. I started with a glass of wine - a Gewurtztraminer from San Luis Potosi, which I really enjoyed. Then I moved onto a cocktail (my husband had selected a great one, so I copied him), which I loved as well. The service was great throughout, but they did something at the end of the meal which was totally different and wonderful: they offered us a quick tour of the house and the test kitchen. The test kitchen in particular was amazing to see. We saw equipment they use, idea boards for inspiration, former projects, and more. This was a really special addition to the evening. Overall, the meal was very good (other than the one dish I did not enjoy, my only complaint is that 12 courses is quite a lot, and I ate more than I would have preferred to), but the experience is one I will remember. Every moment of our dinner was evidence of how much the restaurant and every member of its staff cares about its mission to share and preserve Mayan and Yucatecan cuisine and food culture. A special meal and place in Merida.

Kuuk in Mérida, Mexico, nestled within the Yucatán Peninsula, is a culinary gem housed in a historic mansion. Our experience was nothing short of extraordinary. Opting for the sampler menu, we embarked on a gastronomic journey featuring 15 courses of Michelin-quality delights. Each dish was a symphony of flavors, from the adventurous crunch of crackers topped with dry grasshoppers to the innovative twist of AI-generated hot sauce. Kuuk truly caters to every palate, offering a diverse range of tastes and textures. This establishment exemplifies culinary excellence and is a must-visit for any food enthusiast seeking an unforgettable dining experience in Mérida.

We made our reservation for our first night in Merida. Beautiful location. Service was awesome. The food was absolutely delicious. A little on the pricey side. After dinner, they did offer a tour of the place (kitchen, bakery, lab..) which was a bonus.

Food was OUTSTANDING. Went with a friend and shared three starters which was more than enough. Ordered a variety of seafood starters which were each distinct in flavor and presentation. Excellent service.

This is absolutely the best fine dining experience in Merida, no questions asked. The whole experience from the beginning to the very end was an absolute joy and delightful journey. Chef Pedro Evia make sure that your visit brings you to aspects of culinary map of Yucatan and Mexico where all the flavors are gathered for you to experience the essence of Mexican-Mayan food in the modern way. We chose the tasting menu for our dinner and that was absolutely a great choice. All the moments were delicious and very surprising, the connection of the flavors was ideal. We are very avid fans of octopus and we agreed that their Pulpo was most likely the best we had so far. The Panal de Mieles which was a first dessert introduction was a flavor blast, it brought us back to the flavors of childhood. We enjoy the dinner with wine and drinks which were also of very fine quality. I really loved the idea where after the dinner you get the tour to the kitchen and their lab so you can see how the team create their dishes and how the particulars ideas are created. We had a chance to talk with the chef who was in the restaurant and that made everything ideal. If Kuuk gets its Michelin star shortly I will not be surprised as they are absolutely on the star level.

An inventive modern approach to Yucatan cuisine. Kuuk was the elevated historical meets modern experience I was looking for in Merida. The wines (I didn't do the pairing) were splendid. And the food was all flawless. I went for the tasting menu and I think doing anything else would deprive you of the full experience. The flavors are rarefied and intense. The greatest stars were the vegetable dishes: Esquites, pumpkin, and cucumber ceviche. The black Grouper was perhaps slightly more chewey of a fish than I prefer. The venison was tender and fall-apart without being overcooked. It was definitely not gamey. The meal features a lot of smokey and herbaceous flavors as does Yucatan cuisine. I only perhaps would have liked that they had takes on the classics: Cochinita, Queso Relleno, and Sopa de Lima. However I can't fault a place for choosing and excelling on a specific set of items.

We came for a late lunch and ordered several different items. The Sopa de Lima was delicious, as was the Ceviche de Dorado. The wait staff was very attentive and informative. We are only in Mérida for a few days, but we found a gem on our first try.

Food was excellent. Highly recommend. But for me the highlight of the evening was Andrea! She gave us the most passionate and in-depth tour of the kitchen and equipment used to create the incredible flavors. She had a very good knowledge of how things work, where each flavor derived and wonderful passion for Kuuk and the architecture. She is a gem! Thank you.

The food, service and ambiance were all amazing. Highly recommend Kuuk for couples or families vacationing.

Amazing restaurant with great food and service. My wife and I decided to come here because of other locals recommending this restaurant. I am so glad we did. It looks like a mansion from outside and inside. I had the rabbit and it was delicious. My wife ordered the short ribs and the flavor was so so good. Honestly nothing here was bad. Even the champagne glasses were at a reasonable rate especially because I did not want to do a whole bottle by myself as my wife is pregnant. After dinner, they gave us a tour of the entire restaurant and the hostess was super knowledgeable. I highly highly recommend this restaurant!

We went for the 20 course-tasting menu... and we ended up speechless. Every single dish was out of this world, full of new (for us) and fascinating local flavours, each bite was telling us a story of its culture and passion trough the amazing combination of the presentation, ingredients, high skills technique and creativity. We were amazed by the local wine too. The service and the decor was immaculate. Totally recommend it. One of the best food experience of my life. Gracias amigos.

Amazing atmosphere in a colonial style house/restaurant. Appetizers: The black ceviche was astounding and The beef tacos were outside this world.. Main dishes: the tikin actions was delicious and the pork meat had been marinated for 10 hours - just melted in my mouth. Deserts were absolutely exquisite and heard to explain as each one had a combination of flavors to enjoy with each bite.

If I can give 10 I would the food is impeccable and clean. It's great for fine dining and the the presentation of the dishes was just unbelievable if you ever get to Merida this is worth checking ..

21 Unique with espectacular presentation highly recommended bring a good appetite, fun and creative

Stepping through the doors of KUUK is like stepping back in time to when High Society dressed to the nines and center hall homes were the norm. An absolutely lovely setting for what has been one of my most memorable meals in Mexico. KUUK opened its grand doors in 2012 and has been serving a contemporary take on classic Yucatán dishes ever since. When you are seated the waiter will present you with two options The Tasting Menu and the Menu for the Season. While the tasting menu looked delicious we decided on the Seasonal Menu which offered a wider selection of dishes. To start we opted for the Castakan con Queso (Pork Belly and with Cheese) and a Yam and Citrus salad called Xec. The Castakan was absolutely marvelous and the Xec was a delightful mix of citrus flavors and textures. These two dishes set the tone for the wonder that was to come. For our main courses we selected the Cerdo Pelón (Creole Suckling Pig) and the Lengua (Beef Tongue) these were not only visual feast but perfectly executed contemporary takes on Yucatán classics. The pig was light and juicy and the accompanying sauces paired perfectly. The Beef Tongue was tender and totally focused on letting the flavors shine through. We did have one dish that didn't work for me which was the Ceviche Negro but I think it was mostly me not being used to this preparation that didn't let me truly enjoy it. As you would expect the service was outstanding and the Bar is a most stop of you appreciate well crafted and unique cocktails.

Good service. Food is pretty but does not taste good. Beautiful venue. Women at the front very helpful

I was there in 2019 and loved it. Now,( after two dinners within a weeks) things have changed, unfortunately for the worst. Service, food, ambiance. For example, the pescado en cenote dish was amazing before, now it was just blah. Chipped plates, dirty curtains are unacceptable in a restaurant like this. Servers are very stiffed, they gave us the impression they do not want to be working there... and yet, we tipped 20 percent. On my vegetarian tasting menu I had a dish that was repulsive both esthetically, a human face with a silicon tongue wrapped around the spoon handle...really? Perhaps for the beef tongue dish is more appropriate, but not for the vegetarian option. On a positive note, some of the dishes were very good, nice presentation. Fernanda, the hostess was the only one who made us feel welcomed in the restaurant, and was always smiling. Sadly, we will not be back.

Artfully presented gastronomic adventures in an elegant setting. From the tabouleh appetizer to the fish to the unique Yucatán version of toffee for desert-a mouthful of memories

Kuuk is extraordinary along every dimension: gracious service, beautiful space, gorgeous presentation, and superb cuisine. The menu is unbelievably imaginative -- each dish is more creative than the next. They are immensely flexible and accommodating, ready to switch the tasting menu to pescetarian or even vegetarian with little warning. Appetizers are world-class; main dishes are generous and subtle; desserts are extraordinary. Truly one of the most exceptional restaurants we have ever eaten at. Outstanding in every way!

Food: It was truly awful.Same menu as the previous reviews. The pumpkin course was so overly sweet. It came with a frozen sweetened yogurt, sweet potato purée and a syrup. This was the second course I believe. Too sweet The esquite was no different than your everyday esquite from a food cart. The hands that they came in were awkward. Couldn't set my utensil down anywhere and it didn't hold the gourd bowl whatsoever. The pork which we had instead of the veal, came with a mamay puree and a black sapote purée. Flavors were very similar to the pumpkin. Did not work well with the pork at all. There was a black sapote dish as well with a sour orange granita. If you read this far already I'm sure you're sending a pattern. Flavors seem recycled, therefore redundant. My favorite dish really was the cucumber black ceviche. It was light bright and refreshing. The wine pairing was alright. The Pitaya Rose was the great. The worst part was at the end, we told the waiter to tip 18% and upon calculation, it turned out to be 20% that they had checked. That left an awful taste in my mouth and really is what made me want to leave the review. Overall, I wouldn't recommend the experience for the price.

One of the best meals in our life. The tasting menu was incredible with a lot of new flavors and impressive presentations. The service was impeccable, the wine list covers all regions but specially mexican wines and spirits. Three-michelin stars

Sad attempts to make food looks good. Tasteless dishes without much inspiration. Overall disappointing experience. Somebody needs to figure out how to make this place live by its standards.

Brilliant menu , Brilliant staff, wonderful atmosphere. The tasting menu is just fantastic with a very cleaver approach of the local ingredients served in beautiful ways. The lamb of the tasting menu is one of the best meats i have ever had. We selected a bottle of Mexican Cabernet that was truly an amazing discovery, Ensamble. The chef & owner will make you feel great ! One of the best meals of my life.

I have no idea how this place is supposed to be great. Nice building though. "Ok" not for me, nothing exceptional.

We were entirely disappointed with the tasting menu. The whole experience seemed like a showing off of how pretty you can make a dish without considering the flavor or textures of the dish at all. We also got the drink pairing and I expected more. For a ten course meal, we only got four drinks (one had to be split between two of the courses and spoiler alert: it didn't even go with one of the courses it was supposed to). Honestly, only one drink went with the meal (sort of). The price is not worth it. Eat street food instead. We have been blown away by the panuchos and tacos you get from street carts or markets. Don't waste your time and money at Kuuk.

Had the tasting menu with the wine pairing and it was not worth it. The last drink was a cocktail with vermouth and it tasted like sweet jager. It was so unpleasant that I couldn't drink it after first sip. For the price of the meal in Merida, we had much higher expectations. Presentations were nice but the dishes had no balance. Some of the dishes had components that didn't go well each other. For example, there was a fish dish with a chaya broth and some cooked apples on the side that didn't go well at all. The desserts were pretty good - the honeycomb and the chocolate bread that were served at the end. Overall, was just not a very memorable meal.

Not worth the price. We ordered 2 apps (brisket, pork belly) and 2 mains (octopus, chicken turrine), and none were stand outs. I can appreciate a place attempting to do something interesting with its food - even if it doesn't meet the mark, but the server was rude throughout the meal and basically shoved the bill at us at the end and walked away. There are plenty of other great places around the Yucatan to grab a nice meal. Don't waste your money here.

Nice, quiet, and relaxed atmosphere. The multiple food course option was great. Opted for the wine pairing too. But, in retrospect, would probably order a bottle next time. Better value and selection. So glad we went to this experience. Very memorable.

Our tasting menu dinner at Kuuk lived up to the hype. It was a delicious michelin-level journey through the culinary secrets of Yucatan. Each dish was perefct, no complaints. We didn't opt for the wine pairing and instead had a couple of glasses of very good Mexican wines. Kuuk has the most impressive wine list we've seen in Merida. I hope they actually stock those as it's a tendency in the city to have a long list but not much in the cellar... Service was good. The bathrooms are perhaps not up to par with the rest of the impressive elegant property. The place was somehow lacking in ambience, but we were there for the food so ignored that part. I would, however, suggest to dim the lights slightly.

Just as the few last time, service is arrogant, dinner is great, beautiful desserts, but no taste

Come to Kuuk and be ready for an unforgettable gastronomic journey. The postmodern cuisine is delectable; service is topnotch; and the classic mansion in which it is housed is a perfect counterpoint to the art and science of the food that awaits you. This is one of the best I've experienced in Mérida. Bravo.

Nice restaurant and food is good special for me about drinks and service. But about food not really WOW! For me. But or good I recommend for you.

Modernist cuisine, culinary physics, call it what you will. The chef puts a new spin on traditional Yucatec cuisine. Sometimes de-constructing, sometimes re-arranging, he is always true to the tradition. The wait staff is superb. We had the 10 course tasting menu. While that sounds like too much food, the service was paced and the dishes planned so that we left feeling quite satisfied but too full. A note on the address and map here. The location shown is a couple blocks away. By clicking on the restaurant's website provided by Yelp you will find the exact location. Avenida Rómulo Rozo #488 por Calle 27 y 27A, Col. Itzamná.

This is a perfect example of a presentation and service only restaurant that has been living off a reputation (maybe it was good some time long ago?). It still shows up on all the best of Merida lists for some ungodly reason. Save yourself the time and disappointment. It's dated presentation, a poor facsimile of fine dining service, and worst, just plain bad food. If you want revelatory life changing food while in Merida or really anywhere within 2 hours, drive to ixi'im restaurant for one of the best meals of your life instead. You can thank me later.

I did give this a 5 star but after my return in July, that changed to the worst degree! It was a horrible experience and most of that was directed at the terrible staff! I will never return. It is sad that they went down the chain so much! Visited February 2016

Please explain to me why this place has earned so much acclaim. We had dinner on a Saturday night on our first visit to Merida, and I had high hopes. Most were dashed, one step at a time. Yes, you enter into a grand mansion. But then you are escorted into one of what appears to be five or six small dining rooms, each with about five tables. 30' ceilings, odd suspended light fixtures imparting a cold eerie light. 1970s or 1980s barrel chairs in red ultra suede. No table cloth or placemat, just a polyester napkin on square tables made of fake wood laminate, shiny plastic, bizarre and cheap. This is NOT the setting of a "Michelin star worthy" restaurant. We ordered a la carte and were soon presented with a wooden box with four kinds of "bread". Two had the consistency of cheap dinner rolls with an inexplicable smear of "sausage" inside. One just a hard slice of baked baguette. I ordered the tuna tartare app which was about 4x more food than one could ever eat as a starter. On the side: hard corn chips. Yikes. I had the beef filet main course, again, way too large a portion, and it was presented with a flourish as she poured from a small pitcher the "au jus" pronounced with a strong "s" at the end. This was more like a brown gravy. To be fair, the beef was delicious, soft and well cooked. And my husband's fish in "cenote" was delicious too. We then opted to share a dessert, the lemon tart, which was so incredibly over-garnished yet sickly sweet with way too much sugar. I had chosen this place based on all the reviews and their beautiful website, which leads one to expect haute cuisine and small plates. Not so. The chef seems to be a one trick pony with garnishes: it's all about those polka dots from his pastry tube, on every plate. As we finally left we noticed - too late- the gorgeous little cocktail lounge and bar just inside the entrance. Low lighting, lovely furnishings. Next time (if ever) we will go for a drink only (or three or four?) This is one of the priciest restaurants in town, so I will end with two words: Buyer beware.

Don't miss this. High style Yucateca cuisine - local ingredients with luscious flavor presented as art. Magical evening of food, wine and good conversation last night at the Kuuk mansion. The tasting menu is just right length and balance of flavors of the Yucatan's special cuisine, in our view one of the world's best. Chef Pedro Avila Puerto has launched more than a few restaurants but this one is his crown jewel, being watched closely by many outside Merida. Kuuk is his laboratory and training ground for a new generation of chefs. Yes, there is other good food to eat in Merida but you are really missing out if you leave here without experiencing the best this city can offer. There is nothing like it in Cancun, by the way.

World class restaurant. Modernist food but not too over the top. Mostly local ingredients. Extensive Mexican wine and tequila list.

We loved Kuuk. In July '16 we got two tasting meals, two cocktails, and two glasses of wine for a total of $175. Considering the beautiful setting, amazing customer service, gorgeous and intricate food, and tour after the meal, we were very happy! Something like this would cost twice as much in the US. And the focus on Yucatecan cuisine made us look at the dishes we had been eating all week in a new light. Highly recommended!

The food is honestly wonderful but I will never patron them again thanks to our experience with the management / owner. We went to visit Merida to plan our wedding and had dinner at Kuuk as a taste test. They gave us a tour promising that they could host our welcome reception based on what we envisioned but then it took our wedding planner seven months of going back and forth with them (mostly them being unresponsive or asking us to reach out at a later time) for them to finally tell us that they wouldn't do a dinner for the amount of people we originally told them we were expecting and to also tell us they would not do the dinner format we wanted. It was a completely unprofessional, frustrating, and disappointing experience.

Food and service in the restaurant is absolutely amazing. Great Mexican white wine too. Tried octopus, pork belly appetizer, lime soup and honey comb desert - everything was delicious.

We spent our 50th wedding anniversary with our family at Kuuk. Our sons made the reservations months in anticipation. It was magical, starting with the beautiful mansion on Paseo de Monteja where the restaurant is located, in front of the magnificent Monumento a la Patria. Service was excellent and we were fortunate to meet chef Pedro Evia who talked about how his mother's cooking has been an inspiration for his search for a new Mexican food style a la Yucatan using local ingredients and flavors mixed with high-tech gastronomy science. We all ordered the tasting menu and no one was disappointed. Every plate was elegantly prepared and Chef Pedro's nouveau cuisine and regional ingredients filled our mouths with an explosion of flavors. Our sommelier was very helpful and knowledgeable and it was delightful to talk to him. We even got a tour of the kitchen and wine cellar - how lucky we were. All in all, what can I say in a simple Yelp review? This restaurant and experience was once in a life-time, but don't wait until you celebrate 50 years of marriage to do it!

I really wanted to like Kuuk but unfortunately it is just okay. First the setting-it is in a beautiful mansion. Unfortunately, you are then seated at cheap appearing tables, with music that is loud enough that conversation is difficult across the table and lighting that is much too bright for a nice meal out-forget having a romantic evening. I was also seated next to a mostly dead plant(attention to detail). As far as the food-form seems more important here than function-in other words, the presentation is beautiful but the taste is just satisfactory. The salad appetizer was excellent and the shrimp/octopus aquachile was excellent but served with soggy tortilla chips (really?). The creole suckling pig was very tasty other than the large piece of gristle in mine(attention to detail). The desserts were disappointing-the solid milkshake was actually a little bitter and the honeycomb was extremely sweet. The service was efficient. After reading other reviews, maybe I was expecting too much, and I tried not to compare it to restaurants in other countries that I have had the opportunity to try, but I have had much better meals in other restaurants in Mexico.