Best Restaurants & Bars in Oaxaca
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."
- – And 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?
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
Latest Blog Posts
Soar Above Ancient Pyramids with an Unforgettable Teotihuacan Hot Air Balloon Flight in 2024
Experience the magic of Teotihuacan from above with the best hot air balloon flight from Mexico City.
Gay Mexico City – Your Complete LGBTQ+ Travel Guide in 2024
For the best of Gay Mexico City, including the best hotels, where to eat, our top 10 things to do, and how to find the best gay nightlife, read on for our complete LGBTQ+ travel guide.
10 Best Gay Nude Beaches in the World in 2024
For the 10 best gay nude beaches in the world, join us as we take you on a journey around the globe to countdown ten of our favorites. Are you ready to have some fun in your birthday suit with us!?
3 Best Gay Hotels in Puerto Vallarta in 2024
For the 3 best gay hotels in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico's gay beach capital, we have you covered from luxury to budget options. Read on to find your perfect stay in gay PV!
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
