Mérida Bed and Breakfast Association

Something delicious is always cooking around here!

It has been said that Merida is not a city of great restaurants, but it is a city of great food.  You just have to know where to look.

Why is that?

Simple: This city emulated the style of the very wealthy, and discreet.  In other words, this is a city where chefs are … stolen!

Indeed, George Chehade, who runs what is arguably the best Lebanese restaurant in town at the Lebanese Club, laments the most is what has happened more times that he cares to remember: A wealthy diner will rise from his or her table, walk straight into the kitchen, ask for the sous chefs, offer to double or triple their salary, and the he walks out with the chef to be the private cook at his or her home!

The wealthy of Merida covet their private cooks more jealously than they do their …

All the great chefs in town historically always ended up working in private homes!

That is changing!  In recent decades, with the arrival of acclaimed chefs – from American Jeremiah Tower to Cuban Zenaida Pantaleon – the city has seen a discreet ascendance of culinary offerings.

Here we provide information on five culinary schools.  Two in Merida are run by Americans (and conducted in English), two are Mexican (and conducted in Spanish), and one is near Cancun, an act of redemption for that beach town which is a revolving door of chefs and restaurants!

            And we also note the arrival in Merida of “Puertas Cerradas” – literally “Closed Doors” – a culinary phenomenon imported from Argentina and France in which guest or star chefs prepare meals for a limited number of diners in private residences. 

            How tantalizing is that?

            Bon appetite!

The Escuela Interancional de Chefs, under the direction of Benjamin Peniche and Abigail Calafell is the city’s premier cooking school.  The professional culinary program affords students a complete education not only in Mexican and Yucatecan cooking, but in the restaurant business.  Click on the image to the left for more information.

The Colegio de Gastronomia del Sureste, directed by Jose Luis Abugannam and Karina Somonte, is well on its way to becoming a significant contributor to Merida’s culinary scene.  With state-of-the-art facilities and an ambitious set of courses, serious coursework is expected of students.  Click on the image to the left for more information.

Designed as a cooking school for visitors – consider this a “day trip” to the heart of Mexican cooking – The Little Mexican Cooking School in Puerto Morelos, near Cancun is a wonderful opportunity to learn the fundamentals of Mexican cooking in a charming, casual atmosphere.  Conducted by Claudia Garcia, the school gets fantastic reviews from participants, which was founded by Canadian Patti Murphy and Australian Catriona Brown. Click on the image to the left for more information.

The international phenomenon Puertas Cerradas (“Closed Doors”) restaurants has arrived in Merida in style.  These restaurants are usually often held in the homes of the chefs, or private residences, and are designed for diners who are looking for a more a personal dining experience. Reservations are usually strictly limited to about 10 or 12 individuals.  Here in Merida, Casa Catherwood has pioneered these dinners, often showcasing local chefs or visiting chefs of renown.  The dinners range from simple Cuban meals for a $20 USD prix fixe, to a gastronomic sensation consisting of the tasting menu from Gramercy Tavern prepared by a visiting sous chef from one of Danny Meyer’s restaurants in New York (which cost $320 USD, because it was a benefit fundraiser for a charity).  Click on the image to the right for more information about upcoming “Closed Doors” events.