Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Oaxaca

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

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!

Restaurante Catedral

4.7

4.7 (543)

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

LynneVIP

Dined 3 days ago

We had such a great meal at Catedral! The food was delicious, the service was superb, and the setting (on the patio under the stars with great music) was amazing.

Almoraduz Cocina de Autor

4.7

4.7 (459)

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

Cody

Dined on Apr 23, 2025

Unbelievable meal. Fine dining in flip flops (in a good way). Amazing service, exceptional food and very reasonably priced. Our favorite restaurant of the trip.

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Experience

Degustación 10 tiempos / Tasting 10 courses

Ancestral Cocina Tradicional

4.7

4.7 (213)

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

Tom

Dined on May 28, 2025

This was so fantastic. The insect tostadas were so delicious. Sounds scary but it must be done. The presentation makes you instantly comfortable…you can’t see a thing😁

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Experience

Menú degustación

Blu - Huatulco

4.7

4.7 (58)

MXN310 to MXN500

Global, International

La Crucecita

Top review

SonaliVIP

Dined on Mar 13, 2025

Good food in a beautiful venue. It was a very enjoyable evening. Portion sizes were large and we all enjoyed our meals especially the arancini.

Casa Oaxaca El Restaurante

4.6

4.6 (1424)

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

Rodolfo

Dined 5 days ago

Great food. Excellent experience. Great place to enjoy local food

Tierra del sol

4.5

4.5 (399)

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

Erica

Dined 4 days ago

The food was nothing short of excellent — every dish was thoughtfully prepared, beautifully presented, and bursting with flavor. The overall service was prompt and well-organized, and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. However, one unfortunate moment stood out: our main server appeared to disregard our table after the initial order was placed, showing noticeably more attention and courtesy to other patrons. Whether intentional or not, it was hard not to feel that we were being overlooked — and sadly, it seemed based more on appearance than anything else. While the rest of the staff more than made up for it, and the server who brought our food even went back to get props to explain everything that went into our meal. we left happy with the meal, however the experience was a reminder of how important it is for hospitality to feel inclusive for all guests.

Brio Cocina Local

4.5

4.5 (26)

MXN310 to MXN500

Contemporary Mexican

Oaxaca

About the restaurant

Brío Cocina Local is nestled in the heart of Oaxaca, just one block from the Zócalo, and features a terrace with a direct view of the majestic Templo de San Agustín. We offer a Contemporary Oaxacan Cuisine experience, featuring signature dishes by our chef, Oscar García Bretón. At Brío, our mission is to honor the richness of Oaxacan local ingredients. We also offer a variety of vegetarian and vegan options. To complete your dining experience, enjoy our house-crafted cocktails and curated wine list.

Top review

Diego

Dined 5 days ago

The service was great, they were attentative to our needs and the dinner views were great.

CASA OAXACA Reforma

4.5

4.5 (105)

MXN310 to MXN500

Traditional Mexican

Oaxaca

About the restaurant

Nos encontramos a 15 minutos del centro histórico.

Un lugar para abandonarse en los sencillos y cotidianos placeres de la buena mesa. Los diferentes espacios juegan con la luz al tono que tu ánimo elige: un soleado jardín, un cobertizo acogedor, una sombreada pérgola.

Top review

ScottVIP

Dined on Apr 20, 2025

Fantastic. Same chef as the one in El Centro but much easier to get last minute reservation. Menu is slightly different than the other one, but everything was five stars all the way. Amazing service and food. I must try if you can’t get into the other one.

METXCALLI

4.4

4.4 (34)

MXN500 and over

Mexican

Puerto Escondido

About the restaurant

En Metxcalli nuestra inspiración es Oaxaca, multifacética y vibrante, que nos transporta a un viaje de infinitos aromas y sabores que activa nuestros cinco sentidos y evoca la grandeza de los mercados, la complejidad de sus mezcales y pluralismo de la cultura e identidad.
Nacido en costas oaxaqueñas, el Chef Gerson Madrid experimenta y plasma los colores de los sabores tradicionales, cual pintor a su lienzo y los caracteriza por trazos gruesos de contemporaneidad, llevándonos a través de una aventura de sabores que cuentan con personalidad propia, que nos evocan a nuestra tierra, a nuestra cocina al sur de Oaxaca y a nuestro propio hogar.
A lo largo de su trayectoria, el Chef ha recorrido la republica en busca de sazones y vivencias que complementan la experiencia Metxcalli.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on May 28, 2025

Food was delicious and flavorful. Service was nice and generous. Drinks and presentation were beautiful

Sommo

4.4

4.4 (47)

MXN500 and over

Japanese

Puerto Escondido

About the restaurant

Sommo is traditional Japanese cuisine... but with a twist. We embrace our local resources and blend Japanese heritage with Mexico's tropical ingredients to offer a culinary experience of the highest quality. Our focus is on creating human experiences—where you feel our home as your own.

Two of the most recommended experiences are the seatings at the Chef's counter and the Bar, perfect for groups of 2 or 3 people max. In either setting, you'll get up close and personal: see our gestures, and take in our aromas.

For groups larger than 3, we kindly ask that you contact us directly at +52 33 1904 8158.

Top review

Alain

Dined on Jun 10, 2025

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Still the Best in Puerto – 3 Years In I’ve been coming to Sommo regularly for the past three years, and it remains my top pick in Puerto Escondido. The sushi is always fresh and perfectly crafted, and their warm dishes like Miso or Udon are exceptional. The cocktails are creative, and the service is consistently warm, attentive, and knowledgeable. The ambiance blends upscale design with laid-back beach town charm — ideal for a post sunset dinner or late-night DJ set upstairs on Saturdays. Whether you’re new in town or a local, Sommo offers a dining experience that feels special every time. Highly recommend booking ahead and asking for seasonal or off-menu specials — they never disappoint.

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