The local take
The list leans casual: family restaurants near the main plaza serving mole negro and enchiladas, busy taquerías, and night stands selling tlayudas and roast-pork tacos until late. Markets are a meal in themselves, with smoky rows of grilled meat, mole pastes, fresh tortillas, mezcal and tejate, a frothy corn-and-cacao drink with pre-Hispanic roots. For a bigger night, chefs turn local corn, chiles and garden produce into creative dishes and tasting menus, some served on rooftops.
Breakfast means sourdough bakeries and coffee shops in the Centro and the colorful streets of Jalatlaco. Each place is a pick from our local guides, with a note on what to order, and the chips narrow it to markets, cafés or fine dining.
CasualBig Group FriendlyAlmú Tilcajete
Almú is a family-run restaurant in the village of San Martín Tilcajete, located 30 kilometers south of Oaxaca.
Oaxaca de Juárez, San Martín TilcajeteRecommended by Carlos V.
Bakeries/CafesCasualBoulenc
Boulenc is an open-air bakery and restaurant that’s having a moment in Oaxaca.
Oaxaca de Juárez, CentroRecommended by Carlos V.
CasualCabuche
Cabuche is a gem near the Zócalo where locals go when they’re looking for hearty dishes with Oaxacan flavors.
Oaxaca de Juárez, CentroRecommended by Carlos V.
Fine DiningCasa Oaxaca El Restaurante
This restaurant, which is a stone’s throw away from the Templo de Santiago de Guzmán, is a fine dining contemporary Mexican restaurant.
Oaxaca de Juárez, CentroRecommended by Carlos V.
Food MarketsCentral de Abastos Market
This market, the biggest in Oaxaca, opened in 1974.
Oaxaca de Juárez, CentroRecommended by Carlos V.
Fine DiningBig Group FriendlyCriollo
Criollo is an outdoor restaurant housed in a building that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Oaxaca de Juárez, CentroRecommended by Carlos V.
CasualEl Biche Pobre
If you’re in the Jalatlaco neighborhood, stop by El Biche Pobre to try dishes that highlight the best of Oaxacan cuisine.
Oaxaca de Juárez, Barrio de JalatlacoRecommended by Carlos V.
Street FoodCasualEl Lechoncito de Oro
This roadside taco stand always has a line down the block of people looking for lechón tacos.
Oaxaca de Juárez, CentroRecommended by Carlos V.
Food MarketsLa Cosecha Oaxaca
This market in the center of Oaxaca was founded by the artist Francisco Toledo.
Oaxaca de Juárez, CentroRecommended by Carlos V.
CasualLa Popular
La Popular is a small eatery near the Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán.
Oaxaca de Juárez, CentroRecommended by Carlos V.
Fine DiningLevadura de Olla Restaurante
This restaurant has one Michelin star and is led by the young chef Thalía Barrios García.
Oaxaca de Juárez, CentroRecommended by Carlos V.
Food MarketsMercado 20 de Noviembre
This market is the busiest and most popular in Oaxaca.
Oaxaca de Juárez, CentroRecommended by Carlos V.
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