Restaurant in Merida, Mexico
Local Yucatecan cooking beyond the tourist circuit.
A Pearl Recommended Yucatecan restaurant in Valladolid with a 4.7 rating from over 1,800 reviews, Ix Cat Ik is the go-to meal for food-focused travelers routing through the peninsula. It delivers genuine regional cooking in a neighborhood setting, well away from the tourist circuit. Easier to book than Mérida's destination restaurants, and more locally rooted than most.
If you are traveling through the Yucatán Peninsula and want to eat Yucatecan cooking that goes beyond the tourist circuit, Ix Cat Ik in Valladolid is worth the detour from Mérida. This is the place for food-focused travelers who want regional specificity over polish — a Pearl Recommended Restaurant for 2025 with a 4.7 Google rating across more than 1,800 reviews, which signals consistent execution at scale rather than a flash-in-the-pan reputation. It is not the right pick if you need a full-service fine dining experience; for that, Kuuk in Mérida is the stronger call. But for an explorer who wants to eat how Valladolid actually eats, Ix Cat Ik is the anchor restaurant in this part of the Yucatán.
Ix Cat Ik sits in the Militar neighborhood of Valladolid at Calle 39, just far enough from the centro to feel local rather than tourist-facing. The cuisine is Yucatecan Mexican, rooted in the flavors of the peninsula — think achiote-rubbed proteins, habanero-forward heat, and the slow-cooked techniques that define the region's cooking. The kitchen is helmed by Cyril Attrazic, a name that points to a Franco-Yucatecan sensibility, though the menu leans firmly into regional identity rather than fusion territory.
The volume of Google reviews here tells you something important: this is not a restaurant surviving on novelty. Over 1,800 reviews at 4.7 stars means a broad cross-section of diners , locals, domestic travelers, international visitors , are returning consistently positive verdicts. For context, that review count is high for a restaurant operating outside Mérida's centro, where most of the Yucatán's dining attention concentrates. Ix Cat Ik has built a reputation on its own terms, in its own neighborhood. That is the profile of a restaurant with real staying power.
For the explorer dining through Mexico, Ix Cat Ik belongs on the same regional itinerary as Levadura de Olla in Oaxaca or Le Chique in Puerto Morelos , places that use Mexican regional cooking as their primary language. It is not operating at the technical register of Pujol in Mexico City or KOLI Cocina de Origen in Monterrey, but it is not trying to. It occupies a different and arguably more important niche: a neighborhood-rooted restaurant that represents the place where it operates, not a destination built for outside consumption.
Valladolid itself is one of the Yucatán's most compelling smaller cities, positioned between Mérida and the Caribbean coast, and increasingly drawing travelers who want to slow down rather than rush between cenotes and resorts. Ix Cat Ik functions as a genuine neighborhood anchor here in the way that Chef Rosalia Chay's restaurant does for Mérida's more contemporary dining scene , it gives the city a restaurant worth planning a meal around.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. No website or phone number is currently listed in available data, which suggests walk-ins may be viable, though calling ahead or asking your hotel to assist is the safer move, especially on weekends when Valladolid sees higher visitor traffic. Price range data is not available, but Yucatecan restaurants at this neighborhood level typically run well below what you would pay at Mérida's destination restaurants. Budget accordingly for a mid-range to affordable meal rather than a splurge.
| Venue | Cuisine | Booking Ease | Price Signal | Leading For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ix Cat Ik | Yucatecan Mexican | Easy | Not listed | Regional deep-dive, neighborhood dining |
| Kuuk | Mexican | Book ahead | Higher end | Fine dining, occasion meals |
| Huniik | Yucatecan Mexican | Moderate | Mid-range | Contemporary Yucatecan in Mérida |
| La Chaya Maya | Mexican Cuisine | Easy | Affordable | Casual, traditional Yucatecan |
| Ixiim Restaurant | Mexican Cuisine | Book ahead | Higher end | Hacienda setting, destination dining |
Pearl recommends Ix Cat Ik for food-focused travelers in the Yucatán who are routing through or stopping in Valladolid. The combination of a 4.7 rating from nearly 2,000 reviewers and a Pearl 2025 recommendation places it among the most reliably reviewed restaurants in this part of the peninsula. If Mérida is your base, the full Mérida restaurants guide has the wider picture , including Huniik and Kuuk for more polished options. But if Valladolid is on your route, Ix Cat Ik is the meal to plan. Explore the broader Mérida region further with our Mérida hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ix Cat Ik | Pearl Recommended Restaurant (2025) | — | |
| Kuuk | — | ||
| Huniik | World's 50 Best | — | |
| La Chaya Maya | — | ||
| Ixiim Restaurant | — | ||
| Tuétano | €€ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Ix Cat Ik and alternatives.
Casual is fine here. Ix Cat Ik sits in the Militar neighbourhood of Valladolid, away from the tourist centre, and the setting is local and unfussy. Light, comfortable clothing suited to Yucatán's heat is the practical call — no dress code is indicated in available data.
It works for a low-key celebration centred on food rather than ceremony. Ix Cat Ik holds a Pearl Recommended 2025 designation, which signals kitchen quality, but if you need a formal special-occasion setting with guaranteed private space, Ixiim Restaurant or Kuuk in Mérida are better fits. Book Ix Cat Ik when the occasion is the meal itself.
Yes. Walk-ins appear viable given no online booking system is listed, which makes it practical for solo travellers moving through Valladolid on an unscheduled itinerary. The neighbourhood location means a quieter, less performance-driven room than tourist-facing spots in the centro.
Specific menu items are not documented in available data, so ordering advice here would be speculation. The kitchen focuses on Yucatecan cuisine — expect dishes rooted in the regional tradition: slow-cooked meats, recados, and local produce. Ask staff what is freshest that day.
For Yucatecan cooking in Mérida with a similar focus on regional authenticity, La Chaya Maya is the accessible everyday option and handles larger groups well. Huniik offers a more considered, chef-driven take on local ingredients. Kuuk is the choice when you want tasting-menu format and a higher price point. Ix Cat Ik's case is specifically as a Valladolid stop rather than a Mérida substitute.
The address is Calle 39, Militar neighbourhood, Valladolid — not in the main tourist zone, so factor that into getting there. No website or phone number is currently listed, which makes showing up in person the most reliable approach. Pearl recommended it in 2025, so the kitchen is worth the slight extra effort to locate.
No specific dietary accommodation policy is documented for Ix Cat Ik. Yucatecan cooking is traditionally meat-forward, so if you have significant restrictions, it is worth confirming directly when you arrive. Vegetarians should go in with that question ready rather than assuming flexibility.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
