Delicious Restaurants In Oaxaca

POSTED ON AUGUST 24, 2017

Oaxaca cuisine has the reputation of having delicious authentic food. We read somewhere in the city that ‘one falls in love with Oaxaca through its flavors’ and the only way to find out if this statement was true was to try the food. So that was exactly what we did. Here are some of the great places we visited.

 

Casa Oaxaca

Our first dinner in Oaxaca was at Casa Oaxaca located right behind Santo Domingo church. We recommend making a reservation as this is a popular restaurant for locals and visitors.

We sat on the rooftop patio and had amazing views of Santo Domingo church and the Cathedral. The decor is absolutely stunning and very traditional. Our food was delicious and we encourage you to try some of the dishes we tried.

To start, there were a couple of complimentary items including a memela, which is a large tortilla with black beans and cheese. We also got a molcajete of fresh salsa prepared right in front of us.

We ordered chapulines (grasshoppers), guacamole, quesillo, and queso fresco that were served with fresh homemade tortillas.

Our main dishes included turkey breast with mole negro with rice, fried plantain and plantain sauce.

Off the menu, one of us also ordered the filet angus premium with a flavorful chapulines sauce, mashed potatoes and salad. Both dishes had rich flavors to die for and we loved our first Oaxacan culinary experience.

 

Our total dinner was $1,036 pesos or $58 USD.

 

Las 15 Letras

Las 15 Letras is a cute serene and romantic restaurant on Calle Abasolo just a few blocks away from Santo Domingo church. The restaurant is decorated with cacti outlining the interior walls and beautiful Oaxacan crafts.

We started with some refreshing Oaxacan drinks mixed with chilli powder and mezcal.

For our main course Rosy had an exquisite shrimp with mezcal and mole negro served with rice. Mark had beef with mole amarillo and white rice served with fresh tortillas.

Definitely a place to add to your list.

 

We spent $480 pesos, about $27 USD.

 

La Quinta Real

La Quinta Real is a gorgeous hotel that was once a convent. The rustic architecture and decor is beautiful inside and out, definitely worthy of a visit!

We went to La Quinta Real for their Guelaguetza event with buffet style dinner. We recommend arriving before the suggested 6:15pm time, so that you get the best seating close to the stage.

As soon as we arrived, a trio was playing traditional Oaxacan songs and played throughout our dinner until the Guelaguetza started.

The buffet was extensive with a large salad bar, cheese platters, traditional rolled taquitos and molotes stuffed with chorizo and potatoes.

The main course included different types of moles, pork, potatoes with sour cream and grilled onion served with chapulines. They also had soup and black beans.

There was a dessert table with cakes, cookies, brownies and flan.

Drinks included cafe de olla and hot chocolate.

The Guelaguetza event was amazing! We enjoyed learning about the different regions of Oaxaca through the colorful, fun and energetic Indigenous folk dances. This was such a great cultural event that no one should miss when visiting Oaxaca.

 

Total dinner was $655 pesos per person or $37 USD.

 

Restaurante Mayordomo

Another fun place to dined at and watch a Guelaguetza show is Restaurante Mayordomo. Due to semana santa and the limited dates of the event, the restaurant was packed on the daily and reservations were needed. Additionally, this restaurant is conveniently located two blocks away from Santo Domingo on the main walkway from Santo Domingo to the Zocalo.

The food was great! We started with a Crema Oaxaquena and Sopa Istmo.

Crema Oaxaquena was a zucchini and mushroom soup with traditional string cheese.

Sopa Istmo was a shrimp soup with crunchy tortilla, beans, and spices. The best soups ever with amazing flavors that will have your taste buds craving more.

Our main dishes included seafood with cheese and tortillas, and breaded shrimp served with a fresh salad.

For dessert, we ordered a rich chocolate brownie with mezcal served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup with strawberries. A great combination and a sweet way to end our dinner!

Dinner cost total $405 pesos. About $23 USD.

 

Restaurante Del Tule

Located in Santa Maria del Tule, this restaurant offers authentic Oaxacan dishes in a casual setting.

We ordered quesadillas with flor de calabaza or squash blossoms. We also had chiles rellenos with chicken served with rice and black beans.

 

The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating and very attentive staff.

 

We paid $181 pesos, about $10 USD.