Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Oaxaca

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Oaxaca? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Almoraduz Cocina de Autor

4.8

4.8 (406)

MXN500 and over

Contemporary Mexican

Puerto Escondido

About the restaurant

Almoraduz is a culinary concept created by chefs Shalxaly Macías and Quetzalcóatl Zurita, who have transformed their restaurant into a space of constant evolution, creativity, and love for Oaxacan culture. With its tasting menu as a reflection of their vision, Almoraduz stands out for its unique flavors and commitment to local ingredients. This approach has earned it recognition from the Michelin Guide, positioning Puerto Escondido as a renowned gastronomic destination.

Upon entering Almoraduz, guests are welcomed by an ambiance that invites them to disconnect and immerse themselves in the authenticity of Oaxaca. The restaurant’s design, with its cozy interior courtyard, creates an atmosphere of intimacy and reflection, perfect for enjoying an experience that goes beyond food. Here, each dish is a work of art that tells a story of love for the land, culture, and the act of sharing.

Top review

Barton

Dined on Dec 11, 2024

Amazing food. We loved the cuisine- wish we could have tried more things. The wild tomato salad, mahi mahi with chimmichurri and risotto were all amazing.

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Experience

Degustación 10 tiempos / Tasting 10 courses

4.7

4.7 (142)

MXN500 and over

Japanese

Puerto Escondido

About the restaurant

Few dining experiences are as revered as Omakase.
Chef Keisuke Harada was lured to Puerto Escondido from Kyoto Japan to set up Kakurega Omakase, where he carefully executes the ﬁnest ingredients into an extraordinary work of art in front of visitors. Immersed in the Oaxacan jungle and next to Hotel Escondido, Kakurega Omakase features a simple, elegant design where nature and food collide.

*ALL PAID RESERVATIONS ARE NONREFUNDABLE / CANCELLABLE OR MODIFICATION*

*THE PRICE INCLUDES THE 15% OF SERVICE*

**AFTER 15 MINUTES THE SERVICE STARTED, THE ENTRANCE TO THE OMAKASE IS NOT ALLOWED**

note: If you are comming from Puerto Escondido, please consider 90 minutes of eta.

Top review

Tyshaia

Dined on Dec 1, 2024

One of the most memorable culinary experiences I’ve had

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Experience

MENÚ 8 TIEMPOS + MARIDAJE

Experience

MENÚ 8 TIEMPOS, SIN BEBIDAS

Experience

MENÚ 8 TIEMPOS, SIN BEBIDAS

Ancestral Cocina Tradicional

4.7

4.7 (166)

MXN310 to MXN500

Mexican

Oaxaca

About the restaurant

ANCESTRAL fundado en 2017 a cargo del Chef Miguel Mijangos, se encuentra ubicado en el emblemático Barrio de Xochimilco en la Ciudad de Oaxaca.
Nuestra pasión es resaltar las tradiciones y costumbres de Oaxaca a través de su gastronomía, la mezcla de ingredientes locales en nuestra cocina de humo genera aromas y sabores excepcionales que son el pretexto perfecto para estimular los sentidos.
El acueducto construido a mediados del siglo XVIII, las construcciones en adobe y nuestro verde jardín al aire libre forman parte de una increíble experiencia.

Top review

StephenVIP

Dined on Nov 16, 2024

My second time here. The food is amazing. Great flavour and presentation.

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Experience

Menú degustación

Glou Glou

4.7

4.7 (56)

MXN500 and over

Wine Bar

Puerto Escondido

About the restaurant

A cargo del chef Luis Pabón y la sommelier Gabriela Moreno, la experiencia gastronómica —que hace eco de la rúbrica de hospitalidad contemplativa deL Hotel Casa TO—, se inspira en un cuidadoso diálogo entre las preparaciones y sus maridajes, donde los fogones y la cava son los medios por los cuales sus anfitriones consienten a los comensales.

Para la cena se han concebido dos menús: uno a la carta y otro para degustar en siete tiempos, maridado con vinos y mezcal.

Las recetas creadas por Pabón rinden un homenaje a la cocina de temporada, brindando protagonismo a la frescura de los productos y sus distintos matices: dulces, ácidos y picantes, enfatizados por el dominio de distintas técnicas de preparación.

Moreno, a su vez, apareja el menú con una selección de vinos Pét Nats, orgánicos, blancos ligeros, naranjas y tintos suaves con bajo contenido de alcohol, también conocidos como vinos glou glou –frescos, jóvenes y divertidos.

Top review

Rhianna

Dined on Nov 30, 2024

Glou Glou was such a wonderful experience for my partner’s birthday. They even gave us a slice of tort with a candle. The sauce chef is *chef’s kiss* exceptional. Some of the best sauces I’ve ever had - throughout the meal. The service is generally good. I do feel as though, compared with other high end restaurants I have dined at, there needs to be more cohesion between kitchen and front of house. Definitely a bit of chaos for clients to see, and with not that many covers. Food great, wine great, generally very expensive (globally, not in Mexico). And I do think that (birthday kindness aside!) generosity isn’t GlouGlou’s thing. A wonderful treat for a special occasion.

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Experience

New Year's Eve @ Glou Glou

Experience

Christmas Eve @ Glou Glou

Experience

Christmas Eve @ Glou Glou // sin bebidas

Criollo

4.6

4.6 (1805)

MXN500 and over

Contemporary Mexican

Oaxaca

About the restaurant

Criollo is located in a neighborhood adjacent to the center of the city of Oaxaca.
Chef Luis Arellano is a cook with a spirit that is both attached to his roots and creative and evolutionary.
He builds the menu adapting to the local products available and the seasons, inspired by the different techniques of Oaxacan cuisine, making nods to the coast, the valleys, the mountains and the Istmo of the state of Oaxaca.

Top review

Katherine

Dined 3 days ago

The food was amazing. If you want to experience an incredible culinary taste of Mexico, this is the place. We walked through a crazy festival market to arrive at this tranquil restaurant. We took our older children who loved the food too. One of the best restaurant experiences I’ve ever had. Will be back.

Casa Oaxaca El Restaurante

4.6

4.6 (1267)

MXN500 and over

Regional Mexican

Oaxaca

About the restaurant

Aquí, un ritmo animado acompaña la transparencia de luz que hace vibrar los colores. La sutileza de lo esencial subraya el poder evocador de los olores y sabores que surgen de la cocina de Alejandro Ruiz.

Se mezclan los aromas y los sabores de hierbas mediterráneas con las oaxaqueñas. Así, la albahaca y el romero comparten sus tintes con la hoja santa, la pitiona y el shorobobo. Asimismo, granada, pescados y mariscos, venado y cordero alternan con chapulines, huitlacoche y quesillo.

Cinco sentidos influenciados por una extraordinaria vivencia gastronómica.

Top review

BayardoVIP

Dined 7 days ago

We had an amazing gourmet experience with many pleasant and unexpected surprises. Highly recommend to try the Short rib and Venison. Servers were attentive.

Restaurante Catedral

4.5

4.5 (499)

MXN310 to MXN500

Mexican / Southwestern

Oaxaca

About the restaurant

Restaurante Catedral brings local, regional and international dishes together to offer a truly unique menu. Start your day off with a breakfast of Teotitlan Del Valle Style eggs or the Socorrido, which is a pork rind casserole with sausage, egg and cheese served in a red sauce with Water Chiles stripes. Restaurante Catedral is the perfect place for a date night. Come enjoy the house specialty of homemade ravioli with Hierba santa that is filled with suckling pork and topped with grated cheese. Restaurante Catedral also serves meat and seafood dishes, like the roasted beef tenderloin, grilled octopus and fried mullet.

Top review

Lourdes

Dined 6 days ago

We were a group of six. The service was wonderful, the food delicious. Beautiful setting. I definitely recommend it.

Chichilo Oaxaca

4.5

4.5 (24)

MXN500 and over

Mexican

Oaxaca

About the restaurant

In 1985, we founded this establishment with the primary goal of preserving the ancient and exquisite Oaxacan cuisine of the Central Valleys, where the seven moles are the stars of our menu. Each dish is prepared with dedication, following traditional recipes to offer you an authentic culinary experience.

In addition to our culinary offerings, we boast a varied selection of beverages that will delight even the most discerning palates. We pride ourselves on providing personalized and warm service through our owners, ensuring that every guest feels at home in a pleasant and family-friendly atmosphere. We love animals and are pet-friendly, so your four-legged friend is always welcome. We look forward to welcoming you with open arms!

Top review

Maryann

Dined on Dec 12, 2024

Highly recommend the pork ribs for an appetizer! Also had the Colorado pork mole which was very good too.

Tierra del sol

4.5

4.5 (283)

MXN310 to MXN500

Traditional Mexican

Oaxaca

About the restaurant

Tierra del Sol is a restaurant that takes its name from the Mixtec song, a melody that has become an Oaxacan hymn.
Just like that nostalgic song, this place celebrates in its own way the culture of an exceptional people: the Mixtec or ñuu savi; the first does it with her poetry and the second with her food.
Our chef: Olga Cabrera, cook, is the architect of such gastronomic praise, and she achieves it from the knowledge and respect for an ancient cuisine that she inherited from the women of her family and her community, Huajuapan – in the heart of the Mixteca region of Oaxaca -, a knowledge that seasons with his special passion for traditional dishes.

Top review

Jeffrey

Dined on Dec 14, 2024

Fabulous dining experience for our last evening in the city.

Zandunga sabor istmeño

4.4

4.4 (209)

MXN310 to MXN500

Traditional Mexican

Oaxaca

About the restaurant

Zandunga comenzó en la barra de la cocina, en la sala, el comedor o en el patio, donde la gente llegaba a disfrutar los fines de semana de garnachas y platillos elaborados por Aurora Toledo. En 2002 abrió formalmente sus puertas como restaurante. Hoy en día cuanta con dos restaurantes Zandunga Sabor Istmeño y La Zandunguera donde su compromiso es otorgar a la gastronomía istmeña el lugar que se merece; una de las mejores cocinas del estado de Oaxaca. El patio principal es acogedor, los salones son especiales para momentos inolvidables y la Mezcaleria es una de las mejores selecciones de mezcales de la ciudad

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Dec 5, 2024

Great food, great company and great service. Cannot complain

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