La Negrita is the best of Mérida's cantinas — the traditional Mexican drinking establishments where the price of your drinks includes a rotating series of small plates of food (botanas). The system is exactly what it sounds like: you order a round of beers or mezcal, and the kitchen sends out plates of snacks — panuchos, queso relleno, salbutes, and other Yucatecan bar food — which arrive and are replaced as you drink. It is a good-value, social, and genuinely local way to spend an evening.
The cantina is on Calle 62, a block from the Plaza Mayor, and has been operating in various forms for decades. The interior is dark wood and coloured glass, with high ceilings and the accumulated grime of a serious working bar. Trova musicians play on Thursday evenings and at weekends. The clientele is a mix of Meridanos, expatriates, and tourists who have found their way to a local institution; the balance feels about right. It can get loud and crowded by late evening, which is either a drawback or the appeal, depending on what you came for.