Appetizers

Best Restaurants & Bars in Oaxaca

Written by Traivor Morrison
Published on
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."

Quotation Mark
For everything bad, mezcal; For everything good, the same.
  • – And extremely wise person


Salsa with Grasshoppers!
Salsa with Grasshoppers!

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.

Chepiche Café
Chepiche Café
Boulenc
Boulenc
Vaca Marina
Vaca Marina
Catedral
Catedral
Tierra Del Sol
Tierra Del Sol
Casa Oaxaca
Casa Oaxaca
Pitiona
Pitiona
Los Danzantes
Los Danzantes
El Destilado
El Destilado
Selva
Selva

Insert drumroll. Here is the full list of our favorites, the best restaurants and bars in Oaxaca:

  1. 1. Chepiche Café – Our ‘go to’ breakfast
  2. 2. Boulenc – Amazing bakery-cafe
  3. 3. Vaca Marina – Best Negroni
  4. 4. Catedral – Classic lunch spot
  5. 5. Tierra del Sol – Gorgeous rooftop
  6. 6. Casa Oaxaca – Foodie staple
  7. 7. Pitiona – Best lunch with a view
  8. 8. Los Danzantes – Our top pick for best restaurant
  9. 9. El Destilado – Best dinner at the bar
  10. 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.

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Hi! We're Two Gay Expats

Hi gorgeous, and welcome to our LGBTQ+ travel blog! We're Andy and Trai, a gay couple traveling the world with PRIDE 🌈  …and our rescue dog, Pattie!

After meeting in San Francisco in 2018 and later moving to Chicago, we decided to quit our jobs in 2021, sell everything, and become Two Gay Expats. For over two years, we explored the best of gay Mexico while waiting for our house, Casa Cangrejo, to be completed in Tulum. We got married at The Beach Tulum in 2020 and became Mexican permanent residents in 2022.

Today, we continue to travel around Mexico and the world to show you our favorite places. If you'd like to follow our adventures, subscribe on YouTube and join us on Instagram.

🖤 Andy + Trai