Tikua - SouthEast Mexican cuisine

This place is top notch! The food, the service, and the atmosphere are amazing. We were greeted warmly in spite of not having a reservation and were seated promptly. We were given a complimentary appetizers and different types of salsas. The soups we ordered were delicious and filling. I had the cream of black bean and my girl had the sour lime and chicken soup $160 pesos. We were full and decided not to over stuff but the desserts sounded too good not to try. They were all very creative but we chose the avocado pie. I can’t recommend it enough, it was delicious! It’s hard to describe but trust me, it made my socks roll up and down!

I would give this place an extra star, if I could. Such an extraordinary menu with so many new and different dishes (for us) from different regions perfectly prepared and presented. We came twice during our 3 night trip in Queretaro. The service is super friendly and helpful with the selection. They even let us try two different moles before we ordered them. They also have great beer. Espresso was so la la, but better than in many other places in Mexico. So far one (if not the) favorite of our trip to central Mexico.

Our favorite dinner restaurant on our trip through El Bajia. We kind of stumbled upon it and ate there every night until we left. The service is top rate. The waiters spoke good English, which was very convenient. They explained the dishes to us and the food was fantastic. The ambiance and music also made it a memorable and romantic experience.

Everything was great from start to finish. My favorite thing, mainly because it was such a surprise, was the Avocado-Citrus dessert. I'd been craving something chocolate, so I'm glad I followed my server's recommendation on that one. I highly recommend stopping in! (sorry about the half eaten food in the pictures, I was really hungry and forgot to take pics first!)

We ate here for both a breakfast and a dinner when we were in town. The menu is varied, as is the decor. The staff was kind and looked after us well.

We arrived on a Sunday 11:45 after passing all the packed brunch places on the plaza. We had an incredible breakfast that was unique in every way. From service to menu to presentation it was beyond five stars. We started with a house made iced coffee which I would come here just to enjoy that! It’s more like a whipped shake made with coffee, avocado and chia seeds. It may sound odd but it’s absolutely delicious! I made myself stop drinking it to save room for the corn bread which was the best I’ve ever had. It’s like fluffy clouds of whipped corn. My husband and I shared the Huevos Vallisoletanos which is scrambled eggs and sausage in a mellow pumpkin seed sauce served with corn tortillas and Tamal Vaporito which is a chicken tamale perfectly steamed in a plantain leaf served with a sauce. We enjoyed our breakfast so much that we made a reservation for dinner tomorrow night. I can’t wait to try their inventive cocktails and dinner menu.

One of the best restaurants in Queretaro. The menu is insanely creative... I wanted to try everything! The 4 sausages are delicious especially the one with the black sauce. I ordered the robalo in green sauce & veggies which was exactly what I was craving. Mocktails are amazing. Can't wait to come back!

We ended up at this place by happenstance... The restaurant we intended to go to was closed so just googled a restaurant within walking distance from the parking garage... THIS PLACE WAS FIRE 🔥!!! Ambiance was super quaint, all around service was WOW!!! Food was LEGIT!!! Can't say enough great things about this place. If you're on the fence, get your butts in there. Adrian and his whole service team were AMAZING.... Chef was at the door to say goodbye... We will definitely make the drive from San Miguel back there...

Everything TODO TODO EXCELLENTE !!! La comida y los tragos, Jugos Delicious Delisioso !!

Wow wow!!! This is our favorite restaurant with an extensive menu from Oaxaca . Ambience is great service is great and the food is out of this world. Make sure you order the mole Negro.

We had such a great meal here, my only regret was we weren't hungrier! The mole negro was seriously amazing, the flavored water with Yerba buena and tuna ( kind of a fruit like a cactus pear that we've never heard of) was off the hook delicious. Service was outstanding and attentive, the dining room was beautiful. 6 stars, going back tomorrow night

From start to finish, I couldn't have hoped for better. The blue corn chips with a quartet of salsas were incredible. There was a complimentary amuse boucher that was very good too. I had the cochinitas pibil tlayuda and really enjoyed it. On the recommendation of one of the servers, I had an avocado citrus dessert that was a delicious blend of flavors. The service was top notch. I was always attended to, and the servers were very helpful answering questions. Lastly, the restaurant is beautiful inside. I really can't say enough good things!

The 3 habanero based sauces are incredible. The adreso de habanero is smoky and delicious (spicy). The mole negro with chicken thighs was amazing!! The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable when asked about the food/ingredients. The agua fresca de tamarindo was legit and not from some bottle. It brought back memories when I was a kid and spent my summers in Mexico. I could feel the grit from the fruit. They play very soothing cool jazzy/RB music (Cleo Sol/Maye). Very relaxing atmosphere and nicely decorated!! Coming back is a must.

Great service, great atmosphere, delicious food. I didn't have a reservation but was fortunate to be seated in the patio area with vines on the walls, really nice area to have a meal. I then asked for recommendations as I hadn't been before - the staff was very helpful in guiding me to some of their popular options. I ended up having a local beer, mango guacamole with grasshoppers and three different moles with pork ribs for an entree. All were delicious. The chips and salsa that come as soon as you sit down were also great. Will definitely come back!

Amazing food and service. We had the flight of enchiladas and chicken mole, and one of the desserts, all were very delicious with unique flavors. The drinks were also very good. The free appetizers were delicious.

First of all I love Querétaro. I was visiting from Seattle & my friend from Houston. After a day of touring the city, Tikua Sureste was the icing on the cake. The relaxed, pleasing to the eye ambience heightened our fine dining experience. The staff was friendly & attentive. The background music was soothing. My friend had a cocktail & I enjoyed a fruity citrus mocktail. Our appetizer was the guacamole sprinkled with crickets. I ordered the Salmon dish which my waitress guided me through to the several different way to have it served. My friend ordered the chicken mole. Both were delicious. We topped the dinner off with a chocolate "postre"/dessert & l had a cup of cafe de olla. I highly recommend this fine dining experience when in QRO.

Tikua Sureste caught my eye while walking by one evening. The setting invites you into a mysterious garden and enchants you throughout your dining experience. The staff was fluent in English but graciously accepted my attempts at Spanish. The drink menu is intriguing, as were the appetizers. We enjoyed the guacamole with chapulin. While chapulines are crunchy on their own, they became a bit chewy mixed into the guac. But it was tasty. For entrées we had the four moles, which were exquisite, yellow being our favorite, but the black was also delicious. We also had the huachinango, red snapper, cooked in banana leaves with interesting chilies and herbs. Don't skip dessert! The chocolate cake(?) was out of this world! It was presented with almost as much flourish as fantastic taste! We will definitely return to Tikua on our next adventure in Querétaro.

Read lots of great reviews of this restaurant but it left us underwhelmed. The service was good and the atmosphere is charming but the food was just okay. An order of the rainbow mole platter with 4 different mole covered enchiladas filled with the chef's recommendation arrived lukewarm warm and flavors so subtle as to be unremarkable. Tuna with vegetables and herbs was much better. I guess this is the place to go if you want to eat insects but not our thing.

What a gem! The culinary highlight of my week in Mexico. Innovative and traditional cuisine in perfect harmony. I tried the worm tacos (Tacos de Gusanos), which taste like ham a little bit. The fish was amazing, with a Coriander-Pumpkin sauce, but the highlight was the desert, Tamal de Zapote. I am a big fan of Mexican chocolate and this dish did not disappoint it was not too sweet and had the weight of a fresh mousse. I was tempted to have a second one. The service was also great. The Menü was in English and the staff spoke English quite well.

This was our random choice for our first meal on our first day in Queretaro and it was SO good that we visited them 2 more times over the course of our week-long vacation. The space itself is beautiful and welcoming. The menu was a creative and delightful adventure into the diverse cuisines of Mexico. Each dish was absolutely delightful. The portions were perfect for shared plate dining. And the service? Outstanding. One of the delightful surprises was the extensive options for mocktails. Quite often at finer dining experiences my only options for a non-alcoholic beverage are water, soda, or coffee. Not so at Tikua. Their mocktails are elegant, delicious and bright.

Wow! If you're in Querétaro this is a must visit place. Everything was perfect and what a beautiful ode to the delicious and rich food from Yucatán, Chiapas and Oaxaca. We were visiting from Chicago and had a wonderful meal. The cocktails are an excellent compliment to everything and the dessert, oh my!

An unexpected gem! We enjoyed dishes from the seasonal día de los muertos menu. They offer traditional dishes from Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Yucatán that are comforting and delicious. The service was warm and attentive. Will definitely return!

A pleasant surprise - sophisticated Oaxacan fare in casual but elegant garden setting. Service was efficient and warm. Cocktails were spot on. In our week in Queretaro and having been to many places, this place stands out.

We stop by for birthday celebration dinner and my wife and daughter just loved!!! Plenty options it is a fusion of taste and journey experience full of taste in everything we try, highly recommend it.

Lovely outdoor seating with great music! Food was delicious and drinks hit the spot. Service was excellent.

This restaurant tries too hard to be "elite," subsequently failing to give customers a sense of being taken care of (instead of "taken advantage of"). Upon being seated, we were presented with a waiter pushing a liquor wagon, proceeding to run through his script of supposedly enticing options for us to consider. The same thing with food, where we had to slow him down, explaining we were going to go about it step by step, starting with a simple appetizer. He apparently saw little profit motive with us since he then moved on to other tables and we were left with another waiter. At this point we had little interest left in exploring other main course offerings and went for dessert -- a cocoa bizcocho , which was very good, served in an elaborate bird's nest of sugary webbing that had to be surgically extracted away from the cake. Maybe this sort of thing impresses some people. But we just found it pretentious and unimpressive. The outdoor patio seating area was nice though.

Amazing ambiance. The decor is impressive. I had a Tlayuda and passion fruit water. Everything was delicious

Amazing food and more than amazing service. We went twice in 3 days and tried many things. None is disappointing.

The service was fabulous. We learned loads of interesting information about the cuisine, the culture and history just while ordering. The ingredients are locally sourced and they make all kinds of imaginative dishes with them. The cocktails were also first rate. Try the Mezcalita with Tamarin.

Lovely atmosphere and fantastic service. We tried some traditional dishes and even nibbled on a few grasshoppers. They explain each dish perfectly, which was helpful. The food was very flavorful and cooked with care.

A lucky find on a visit to the center of this colonial and modern city. Very good food with knowledgeable and attentive servers in a lovely atmosphere. I learned a lot about southeastern Mexican cuisine and enjoyed it. Very clean restrooms. Good value: not cheap but not prohibitively expensive.

Good place to stop and eat. It is a popular place so be ready for a wait time. Plates are made to order and delicious.

Great restaurant! We sat in the back outdoor area. Nice ambiance, very attentive staff. They spoke English and Spanish, which was very helpful. Food was delicious. Fresh and made to order. We were very relaxed and not rushed. We highly recommend coming here.

Good food and great service our host was welcoming and gave us great details on food also gave us suggestions since it was our first time, great ambiance for a dinner date with the wife or also with family and kids, definitely will be returning in the near feature.

Very good, but too pricy cuisine. The menu is insanely extensive and includes cuisine from all over the country. I would have preferred a smaller menu that focused on doing a great job on those things instead of trying to be everything to everyone. That said, everything I tried was above average and the cocktails and service were top notch.

Pre-meal complimentary dish, satisfying to try the different spices. Awesome! The sparking water with a cumber slice was awesome. I ordered the Tácitos de Cochinota Pivil and the sopa de Lima. The soup was freaking amazing! My favorite thing though had to be the Agua de Lima Mango y Albaca. Amazing!

You must go to this restaurant and return, return, return whenever you can! The service is outstanding, and the food is some of the best Mexican food we've ever eaten. In fact, a Mexican woman told us that it's even the best Mexican food she's ever had. So what's on offer? Try their non-alcoholic drinks, which are made of mineral water, juices, and herbs and spices. Just wow! They also make a delicious guacamole with mango, and every meal begins with chips and special sauces. I loved their housemaid mole. It had a sweet chocolate taste due to orange juice that they add to it. My partner had a delicious chicken stuffed with figs and Oaxacan cheese. Our waiter showed us the extensive dessert tray, but we could eat no more! This is a very, very special restaurant. There is a breathtaking mural inside, and gorgeous patio seating in a courtyard out back. And best of all, it's economical! The meal I just described for both of us was a total of US$38.

An amazing birthday celebration that included an impromptu tasting menu and an ornate birthday celebration plate! A place to visit for special occasions or because it's Thursday night and you want excellent food with a memorable experience that accompanies it. Go there to feel connected to the stories of the lands and the people- and you will also leave nourished in both your appetite and in your soul!

One of the most beautiful restaurants in Centro Histórico, Querétaro, México, Tikua Sureste is a special adventure in food. The food is not your usual enchilada, but a representation from Oaxaca and regions to the south. The wait staff is very knowledgeable and will assist with the menu, even providing tastes to help you make your decision. The ambience is cool and upscale! I highly recommend Tikua!

Tikua Sureste specializes in indigenous food of Mexico and some traditional plates. It is located in the old historic district of Queretaro. Tikua Sureste was a mouth-watering experience. We were showered with different salsas, unknown in the Reno area. We tasted all of them. One was made of ant eggs and is naturally peppery. My favorite was a habanero salsa that was white; it was probably made in a blender with olive oil. Blue corn tortillas, which are very popular in the area were served as chips and freshly made tortillas were served with our food. I gorged myself with the "Mole Negro" from Oaxaca" with pork ribs, topped off with fried plantains. and a side of black beans. Actually, the mole was very intense and there was too much of it that it overpowered the taste of the ribs. This is a very traditional festive meal, thanks to the cocoa from the area and the indigenous folks who perfected the "mole" centuries ago. This was an opportunity for me to enjoy an authentic meal which cannot be found in the Reno area. It is also a meal that I will talk about for years to come. Queretaro is the third oldest city in Mexico and is one of the cities that is considered the cradle of Mexican Independence from Spain.

If you tell me there's a better place to have a Mexican meal in Querétaro and have not been in Tikua I will doubt you. Is a great place for southern Mexican food. Dishes are well thought and flavors are exquisite. Start with the Chukwa and don't be afraid of any of the moles. The prepared cocktails are also a must. The personnel is all very knowledgeable of their dishes and drinks. Next time I'm in Querétaro it'll be the first place I'll go for a meal.

Oaxacan flavor in Querétaro. This review is of drinks on the back patio only. Prices are moderate but you pay for what you get. The patio is beautiful with old Spanish colonial walls filled with plants and vines. Look up and you'll see the top part of an 18th century basilica tower peeping into view from across the street adorned with gargoyles. 17 de septiembre is a cocktail with spices hot chocolate and mezcal. It was recommended by our server and boy was it tasty! There is a huge list of juices, and other drinks. Also available are Mexican wines and beers. Fantastic mural inside the restaurant.

Omg this place is awesome the service is phenomenal we went there in a hunch with the reviews of other people . The service was second to none I've never received such good service. Gustavo was my server he did such an awesome job that I feel like going back next time I come back to Querétaro. His recommendation were on point . I has taquitos de cochinota pivil as an appetizer then lime soup, it's like tortilla soup with lime . Sour but awesomely good. After that I had ribeye with ash mole sauce . Cooked medium ahhh I can still taste it . Like I said all recommendations from Gustavo.. great job !

First time in Queretaro. Being highly recommended on Yelp and Trip Advisor, I decided to make this my first restaurant in the city. It was pretty decent grub, but I wasn't super impressed. Possibly because I didn't get to pick any of the dishes. I was alone on the first night, and the server was able to speak decent English. However, since they just changed their menus, they did not have any in English. I let the server choose the dishes for me. They brought out some dips with chips and a complimentary taco. Nice-desu. Drinks, I had a local beer and a interesting cucumber slush type cocktail. Was not a fan of the cocktail. For the appetizer, the server recommended sausage tacos. It came with 4, and there were also various onions and stuff that you could put on top. Pretty dece. For the entree, they server recommended this weird cheese filled with meat dish. It came out with tortillas. It was...interesting. I wasn't a fan. Too heavy for me. Overall, pretty good service. Clean restaurant. The food was just OK. I would give this place another go if they had up to date menus in English or if I was with my Spanish speaking colleagues.

Delicious and great attention to detail. Don't miss this gem. The courtyard in the back is lovely.

Service was excellent, food , so interesting and delicious ! The seating was delightful. We ordered a jar of juice and it was huge and very refreshing.

Hands down one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. The service here is impeccable, after every dish we had only seconds to spare before our plates and utensils were cleared and a new set was brought out. Not once did our glasses get less than half full, with both wine and water, before a server had come to top off the glasses. The head waiter (male) and the manager (female) were both so knowledgeable and could tell us everything detail about the dish. Being a vegetarian it can be difficult to find a good fine dining experience with dishes i genuinely enjoy and this place most definitely checked off every box. Their food was absolutely delicious, we ordered both meat dishes and vegetarian dishes. For meat lovers the Chirmole Negra Enchiladas with meatballs (weird combo but worth trying) was my S/O favorite dish. All of the moles are vegetarian so any of the enchiladas with mole were amazing! As a side note, every dish we got was a hit. I would come back to QRO just to dine here again.

Tikua was memorable for its Oaxacan and Yucatánian dishes. The place is pretty pricey relative to other sit-down restaurants we visited in Querétaro, but I think for service, decor, and quality of food that it's worth it. The restaurant is pretty large, there were several rooms to choose from. I noticed that this might be an expense-account type restaurant. There were a couple of largely English-speaking tables of jacket-and-khaki types eating here. My wife and I split a chile covered with an awesome mole sauce and stuffed with cheese and escamoles. This was one of my most favorite dishes on our trip - the dish was flavorful and rich without tasting too sweet or too cheesy. For entrees we ordered another mole dish and a dogfish dish. The latter was mine, and paired pretty well with the radish and spiced onion plates that were served at the meal's onset. Long story short - if you're looking for a more fine-dining meal in Querétaro, Tikua is worth it.

Just returned from a vacation in Mexico and the memory of dinner at this restaurant is making me salivate. Service by Lalo was phenomenal as well! After be seated we were presented with chips and a few salads ranging in slice, as well as a free appetizer (see pictures). I ordered the lime soup and three moles over molotes (plantain & queso), my friend ordered two plates of tacos (including the grasshopper tacos!!) and the Yucatán Dia de Los Muertos special, which was like a tamal with chicken, pork, and habanero chili. I also ordered a mezcal drink mixed with chocolate and chili and we spilt a chocolate mousse cake dessert. Belisimo! Don't worry about walking the few blocks from the plaza; it's worth it. Everything was beyond excellent and it was wonderful to try so many traditional dishes that you won't find in the States. The atmosphere and service were top notch!

Beautiful open air dining (retractable ceiling) Service was top notch. Very attentive wait staff. Food and drinks were top notch. Highly recommend.

We are a late lunch. The service was great, English or Spanish. The serving sizes were great. The Temazcal (Chorizo con cheese) was not very good.

The food and service were excellent. We had the picana with mole negro and the sopa de frijol to start and both were fantastic. The tortillas and salsas that they put on the table were also very good. We never had to wait for service as the waiters were always available and were quick to attend our needs. I would highly recommend this place.

Excellent and super authentic. Cute atmosphere and helpful servers that patiently answered my questions. The pibil chicken was better than the ones I've tried in Yucatan with flavor of herbs and sprices coming thru. I don't see chicken pibil often but they have pork version too. Huge selection of fruits for aguas frescas, i had the green cactus fruit (tunas verdes) which was very good. I had a salad too which was huge and fresh but wish they had house made dressing instead of just oil& vinegar. Yucatan style chips and salsa were compliementary. Had a chocolate azteca for the end of the meal, made from Chiapas cacao.

AMAZING restaurant with traditional Mexican cuisine from Oaxaca, Chiapas and Yucatán. We cheated on this one and followed TripAdvisor advice on restaurants (unfortunately Yelp hasn't quite taken off across Mexico, so here we are pushing forward!). Located in the "centro antiguo" of Querétaro, a few blocks away from the cathedral, the restaurant is situated in and old building with traditional colonial architecture. The venue is spacious, with high ceilings, simple decoration and well trained staff. The menu offers a wide variety of traditional delicacies, including "chapulines" (grasshoppers), tlayudas, panuchos, mole, and multiple mezcal-bases beverages. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious! Great quality, very reasonable prices, vast portions, great taste, and overall creative and well presented. This is a restaurant I would absolutely recommend to anyone visiting Querétaro and that is interested in trying authentic Mexican cuisine!

Excellent food from the Oaxacan, Chiapas, and Yucatan regions of Mexico. The food here is like nothing you can get in the US or in many parts of Mexico, for that matter. We've been eating out every meal in Guadalajara, Chapala, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allande, and Quetertaro, and the meal We had in this restaurant was the best so far. Service was also great. If you find yourself in Queretaro, do yourself a favor and eat here. They are open from 9 am until Midnight. There was nice live acoustic guitar music after 9pm on the Saturday night we were there.

What a great recommendation from the hotel we stayed in. The entry was very cool with an amazing painting on the wall and great garden. The food was exotic with some bugs like others said but plenty of other options. Great variety of menu with food from different regions of Mexico. We all tried something different and loved the food. One of the best surprises of our whole vacation. Highly recommend

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Querétaro. It is a beautiful place with a sliding roof in the main dining area, allowing views to the sky. The food is a creative take on the delicious food of Oaxaca, and always presented in an elegant fashion. The seafood dishes I've had are particularly outstanding. The patio is gorgeous, intimate and tranquil. The service is friendly, accommodating, and, likely some of the best in the city. Order a cocktail, and it will be prepared table side. We live in Querétaro, and always bring visitors to this superb restaurant. This is where we celebrate special occasions. You won't be disappointed.