Visiting Oaxaca and trying to narrow down where to eat? You’ve come to the right place. (As in here, to my blog, but also, to Oaxaca. So jealous that you get to eat delicious Oaxacan food). As the gastronomical hot spot of Mexico, it’s safe to assume that the quality of Oaxaca restaurants is TOP notch.
You have some hard decisions ahead of you, narrowing down where to eat in Oaxaca when you only have a few precious meals to enjoy in this culinary dream city. Thanks to the region’s epic mountain ranges, jagged coastlines, and grassy farmlands, Oaxaca state has a variety of climates and cultures, all factors that lend a hand to the delicious cuisine on display in Oaxaca restaurants.
From cheap eats at roadside stalls and hole in the wall cantinas, to gourmet meals served on rooftops with dreamy sunset views, Oaxaca has it all, in abundance. I can say with 100% confidence, if you eat at any of the following restaurants, you’ll leave happy. I still have dreams about Oaxaca tlayudas.
PS. I wrote a full guide on what to do and see in Oaxaca when you’re not busy eating!
Oaxaca is a coffee region, with beans being grown throughout the state and roasted locally. With the abundance of amazing local coffee, the cafe scene in Oaxaca is thriving, and you’d be missing out if you didn’t attempt as many as possible, (and bring as many bags of beans home that you can)!
Just down the road from Santo Domingo, is Oaxaca en un Taza. This little coffee shop has amazing croissants and pies, with tons of seating. If you like drinking your coffee in cute spots, this is your jam. String lights twinkle through the cafe, plants are everywhere, and the tissue paper rose wall is pretty cute too.
Set in a the sunny, well lit courtyard of an old house near Oaxaca’s centre, Cafébre sports local artwork, and serves up Oaxacan grown and roasted beans. Cafébre purchases it’s beans directly from the producers, so it’s a good place to get a few bags to bring home.
My favourite coffee shop in Oaxaca, Cafe Volador is a few blocks away from the downtown core. Tucked away in Plaza de la Cruz de Piedra, it’s surrounded by boutique shops close to the old aquaduct. They serve Oaxacan beans in a cute little setting, and the alfajores were delicious!
A tiny little coffee shop, where the walls are plastered with flowered wallpaper and kitten pictures. Come on, look at this place. Cafeto y Baristas serves locally produced coffee, and offer numerous brewing options!
A little bakery a few blocks out of the main downtown area, we stopped here on our walking tour. Everything looked delicious, but I had the foccacia bread and it was unreal.
A french style bakery, this place is overflowing with fresh baked bread and pastries. Next door is a cafe serving a full menu from the bakery. Sandwiches, coffee, and a full breakfast menu. Definitely not a ‘local’ menu, but if you’re like me and live for carbs, grab a snack. I had the almond brioche
Located in the Mercado de la Merced, this is the spot for a cheap and delicious breakfast. There are no menus, so it can be a little bit daunting at first, but don’t be afraid. A friendly staff member will come take your order, and all you need to really remember are enmoladas, chilaquiles, enfrijoladas con huevo frito. Order any of those and you’ll be quite content.
A must visit while in Oaxaca. It can be a bit overwhelming, but that’s part of the fun. When you walk into the hall you’ll be greeted by the smoky smell of grilling meat and a group of ladies all trying to pull you towards their individual stalls.
Once you’ve had a wander up and down the lane, you can pick your stall (the prices are all competitive and about the same across the board). The vendors offer the same cuts of meat mostly, chorizo, cecina (pork pounded thin, covered in chili sometimes), and tasajo (beef pounded thin).
Word of advice for picking your stall? Look for one that looks like it has a hot grill and has a line. #1 rule for eating when travelling, always go where the people are. You pick your veggies and they are grilled by the same people who grill your meat. Someone will come to your table with a tray and you can pick your salsas. Someone will also come around for a drink order. You pay everyone separately.
La Cosecha Oaxaca is an organic market to the south of the town centre. Small stalls line the market, with vendors selling everything your little organic loving heart could possibly desire. It’s a great spot to walk around and sample a bit of everything. I loved the mole amarillo empanada from Lachina Oaxaqueña!
Tom and I found a stall that served the most amazing cup of Oaxacan coffee at La Cosecha Oaxaca. If you’re unfamiliar with Oaxacan coffee, you need to try it. The coffee is slowly brewed in a large clay pot, along with orange peel, cinnamon, and brown sugar. As major coffee fiends, we guarantee it’s delicious.
A little bit away from the town centre in the Colonia Reforma neighbourhood, the first thing you notice when you walk into Itanoní are the large comals (griddles), that take up the majority of the space. They use heirloom corn from different regions around Oaxaca to make the tortillas they’re famous for. Fresh tortillas are formed, pressed, and cooked on the comals everyday.
They serve a variety of different corn-based meals, but the star of the show? The tetelas, triangular folded tortillas stuffed with meats, cheese and vegetables (all from local farmers).
Tlayudas are an Oaxacan speciality, and Tlayudas el Negro does them especially well. A large crispy fried tortilla is covered in refried beans, meat, Oaxaca cheese, and any mix of veggies, and then seared on a comal. Tlayuda el Negro serves theirs with pickled onions and an avocado salsa that is the absolute bomb.
Sipping on mezcal cocktails and listening to live music in a cozy, laid-back bar on your list of things to do in Oaxaca? Check off that box at Mezcalogia. A little bar so seating can be difficult to come by, but it’s worth the wait. The drinks are delicious, and the atmosphere will keep you there much longer than you planned.
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