Best Restaurants & Bars in Oaxaca
If the way to a man’s heart is truly through his stomach, then be prepared to fall in love with Oaxaca! Read on to learn about the best restaurants and bars in Mexico’s culinary capital!
YOUTUBE HIGHLIGHT
After three weeks of eating and drinking our way through Oaxaca, we are ready to share our favorites! Of the dozens of restaurants and bars we tried, we highlight the best restaurants in Oaxaca in our YouTube video above. We also share our insights on where to find an incredibly well-priced Airbnb and the colorful handmade crafts called alebrijes. Be sure to stick around until the end when we both reveal our top pick for the best restaurant and the best bar in Oaxaca! If you cannot wait, then skip ahead for our full list of favorites!
Oaxaca cuisine is as varied as the climates and mix of peoples who call the state home. Some of the most well known products include Oaxaca cheese, chocolate, and of course, mezcal. Mezcal is produced from the agave plant like its more famous export: Tequila. We love substituting mezcal for tequila in our margaritas or negronis, and mezcal is gaining popularity both in Mexico and abroad. There is a saying in Oaxaca, "Para todo mal, mezcal, para todo bien, también."
For everything bad, mezcal; For everything good, the same.
- – An extremely wise person
Oaxaca is also the land of seven moles which are prepared with a variety of chili peppers like pasillas Oaxaqueños and herbs like pitiona. We quickly began to recognize both of these ingredients on menus or in a table side explanations. We also noted the omnipresence of grasshoppers or chapulines everywhere from the artwork in our room to ingredients on menus at the city’s top restaurants. Locals say if you eat grasshoppers, at some point you will return to Oaxaca, so why not?
Pro tip – Reserve a mezcal and/or mole tasting as soon as possible on arrival in Oaxaca. You’ll learn which mezcals and moles you prefer when eating and drinking your way through the city.
Insert drumroll. Here is the full list of our favorites, the best restaurants and bars in Oaxaca:
- 1. Chepiche Café – Our ‘go to’ breakfast
- 2. Boulenc – Amazing bakery-cafe
- 3. Vaca Marina – Best Negroni
- 4. Catedral – Classic lunch spot
- 5. Tierra del Sol – Gorgeous rooftop
- 6. Casa Oaxaca – Foodie staple
- 7. Pitiona – Best lunch with a view
- 8. Los Danzantes – Our top pick for best restaurant
- 9. El Destilado – Best dinner at the bar
- 10. Selva – Our top pick for best cocktail bar
*** To see more of our adventures in and around Oaxaca, check out our Ultimate Guide to Oaxaca, Best Restaurants & Bars in Oaxaca, and Hierve El Agua YouTube videos and be sure to smash that like button and subscribe! And, of course, follow us on social media @twogayexpats for more gay travel inspiration!
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Did we get something wrong? Has a business we highlighted closed or perhaps something new and fabulous opened? Are you interested in working with us? In all cases, we'd love to hear from you! Email us at hello@twogayexpats.com.
