All about Yerba Santa Restaurant in Mérida, Mexico (2025)

I walked past El Minaret a few times without realizing there was a restaurant tucked inside. It took me a while to catch on that this striking building actually houses a fine dining spot.

Yerba Santa Mérida has actually been one of the city’s upscale dining spots since way back in 2017. It offers modern Mexican cuisine with Mediterranean influences.

As mentioned, the restaurant is located inside El Minaret. If you are not yet familiar with the iconic building in Mérida, be sure to take a look at it, even if you are not yet planning a visit to Yerba.

What’s on the menu at Yerba Santa Mérida?

I like that there’s a good selection of seafood such as octopus, tuna, salmon, or shrimp, but you can also go for duck breast, a ribeye steak, beef tenderloin, or pick from plenty of meatless dishes.

The wine, cocktail and spirits choice is also large, up to the bottle of Dom Perignon champagne for Mex-$ 18,000 (around 1,000 US dollars) almost everything your heart desires is available.

The interior design is also very sophisticated with lots of marble and gold. So Yerba Santa Mérida is more of a fine address for a dinner without your younger kids. Reservations are required. Prices are in line with other up-scale restaurants in Mérida.

In addition to its own website, you can also find Yerba on Facebook and on Instagram.

Upscale Restaurants in the City Center

In addition to the Yerba Santa Mérida, the restaurant K'u'uk in the city center is particularly worth mentioning. It is also located on Paseo de Montejo and is one of the best upscale restaurants with Yucatecan cuisine in the city.

K'u'uk offers Yucatecan cuisine combined with techniques of molecular gastronomy in a beautiful colonial house with a dignified club atmosphere.

If you are a lover of a good steak, you will definitely be happy in the city center in Restaurant Row. There you will find the 130 Grados Steakhouse (the name says it all).

And now it's getting really downtown, let's go straight to the Plaza Grande: It's hard to find a more central location with a better view than Restaurante Picheta in Mérida.

Restaurante Picheta serves Yucatecan cuisine and features a rooftop terrace, perfect for enjoying dinner and a glass of wine while watching the sunset. It is widely regarded as one of the top dining spots in Mérida.

Upscale Restaurants in Northern Mérida

You will find an amazing number of upscale restaurants in Mérida, with both local and international cuisine. While Yerba Santa Mérida is located in the city center, you will also find what you are looking for in the north of Mérida.

One of my favorite restaurants in Mérida is Cienfuegos – the name literally means "a hundred fires," and it definitely lives up to the name with its open-flame grill. It’s located on the northern edge of the city, a bit off the beaten path, but absolutely worth the trip.

You’ll find classics like New York steak, ribeye, and tomahawk cuts hot off the grill, but the menu goes way beyond meat. They also serve up fresh seafood – think tuna, salmon, squid, shrimp, and even crawfish

If you enjoy a great steak, there are some solid places to try. Gourmets order a rib eye Akaushi (Wagyu) at Sonora Grill. The Japanese cattle breed is renowned for its tender meat and rich fat marbling. The breed is highly prized for its exquisite taste and texture.

The Story Behind El Minaret Mansion

The villa on Paseo de Montejo, the so-called El Minaret, that houses the Yerba Santa Mérida is already spectacular. As written, if you haven't seen it yet, be sure to take a look. Casa del Minarete was built in 1908 at the end of the Porfiriato period (1876-1911).

The building was designed as a residence, with its most distinctive feature, the Minaret, inspired by the Arab influences popular in the peninsula at the time of its construction.