Kuuk - Detroit

We spent our last evening in Mérida with a 21 course degustation dinner with paired drinks at Kuuk. The experience was amazing, each single dish is different and all are delicious. Although the individual dishes are snack-sized, you will end up quite full and more than a little tipsy. Actually, two or three dishes less would have improved the experience. Five desserts of which four are based on ice cream were not really needed. The drink pairing is well worth the price, the drinks are excellent and blend perfectly with the food. The staff is very friendly and attentive. All in all, an absolutely amazing evening out.

What a beautiful experience! A typical Merida mansion restored to its original glory and utilized as a restaurant.... Complete with a bar area and separate rooms to keep the dining experience more private and personal. Then there's the food.... Incredibly creative dishes served with stunningly perfect presentation. For example, a dish made to resemble a Yucatan cenote! Incredible. Very tasty, unusual dishes and yet reasonably priced for such high-end gastronomy. Service was attentive but not intrusive. We will return so we can try the tasting menu! For a memorable dining experience, you MUST try K'u'uk in Merida.

Beautifully preserved colonial building. Service was slightly uptight. Reservation needed (not able to accommodate walk ins even though the restaurant was completely empty at that time, because everything was fully reserved. The a la carte menu was disappointing. (Maybe I should have tried the tasting menu? Hits: Cochinita pibil tacos (solid Ceviche (love the high acidity Misses: Elote (huge portion, underwhelming flavors, mayonnaise was too sweet for me Beef tongue tostada (greasy Octopus (grateful that they tried to make this dish gluten free for us by not frying it. But the end result was soup, while I was expecting a crispy grilled octopus Steak (bland meat. The side of potatoes and sausage was good though The mismatch of my expectation versus what was served definitely added to my subpar experience. But the food quality did not taste “fine dining” to me.

The food here is a feast for all your senses. It was such a joy to dine at a place that takes such care of where they source the food, the stories they share about the food, the love made preparing the food and attention to every detail from service to the amazing cocktails! The building itself is breathtakingly restored. My partner and I ordered the tasting menu and you won’t regret it but it is expensive (on par with US prices). It was 10 courses with some bonuses. Each course was beautiful crafted and shared a part of maya and yucatecan culture. The tortillas are beautifully embossed and these were the best esquites I have ever had!! The menu rotates some courses regularly so you can go back and enjoy it again. I loved the plating! It was creative, colorful, playful and diverse! All the important components to make a meal exceptional. Each course told a story. I will share pictures because I cannot describe it in words. Because the tasting menu didn’t come with panuchos, we order a la Cart cochinita pibil panuchos. These are the best we have had anywhere in the whole peninsula and they are surprisingly affordable. It was around $200 for 3 filling panuchos. You can easily pay that much at many touristy places in centro but the quality here is much higher. The a la cart menu is a much more affordable way to enjoy this incredible dining experience. The cocktails are ! Definitely don’t skip them. They are original, take an artistic spin on classics with local ingredients. We sat outside of the back terrace but the whole restaurant is located in a villa. It has all these beautifully restored rooms and you can choose to sit in any of them. What made our experience at kuuk truly special was we were offered a tour of the kitchen and also the “lab” and library where they recipe test and create! I don’t know how common this is but worth asking. We were the last people at the restaurant that night so they were just closing down for the night. We are foodie enthusiasts and they obviously noted that and made our dining experience extra special!

If you are in need of great environment, food that is AMAZING, and SERVICE that is THE BEST… look no further than Kuuk! People say the servings are ‘micro’… simply not the case! The ‘food fusions’ are UNBELIEVEABLE! Just when you think, ‘There’s no way these pairings will work,’… think again! Hands down… best restaurant we’ve ever been to! You MUST go here!!!