Eat in Centro Historico, Oaxaca

Zandunga Sabor Istmeno

• ★ 4.4
• Istmeno (tehuano)
• $$$

Zandunga Sabor Istmeno is Oaxaca's Tehuantepec-isthmus room on Garcia Vigil, the kitchen that ships banana-leaf tamales and garnachas to the centro.

Origen

• ★ 4.7
• Modern Oaxacan
• $$$$

Origen is Rodolfo Castellanos's Benito Juarez flagship since 2011, a Michelin-Guide selected room where modern technique meets criollo corn.

Casa Oaxaca el Restaurante

• ★ 4.6
• Mexican
• $$$$

Casa Oaxaca el Restaurante is Alejandro Ruiz's 18th-century townhouse below Santo Domingo, the rooftop terrace room with contemporary Oaxacan menus.

Los Danzantes

• ★ 4.5
• Modern Mexican
• $$$

Los Danzantes Oaxaca on the Andador is Alex Burgos's open-courtyard room with one Michelin star (2024, retained 2025) and a Green Star, with a mezcal program.

Pitiona Cocina de Autor

• ★ 4.5
• Modern Oaxacan
• $$$$

Pitiona Cocina de Autor on Allende is Jose Manuel Banos's tasting-menu room, a kitchen that runs seasonal Oaxacan ingredients through fine-dining technique.

Las Quince Letras

• ★ 4.4
• Traditional Oaxacan
• $$

Las Quince Letras on Abasolo near Santo Domingo is Celia Florian's women-owned mole room since 1992, where the mole negro runs more than thirty ingredients.

Restaurante Catedral

• ★ 4.2
• Traditional Oaxacan
• $$

Restaurante Catedral one block from the cathedral runs a generous courtyard with live music and a seven-moles platter (negro, chichilo, amarillo).

La Olla

• ★ 4.3
• Traditional Oaxacan
• $$

La Olla on Reforma is Pilar Cabrera's twenty-year converted-house room two blocks from Santo Domingo, kitchen behind the Casa de los Sabores school.

Los Pacos

• ★ 4.2
• Traditional Oaxacan
• $$

Los Pacos on Abasolo with a rooftop terrace runs seven moles on one tasting board (negro, coloradito, amarillo, verde, chichilo, manchamanteles, rojo).

Tierra del Sol

• ★ 4.8
• Modern Oaxacan
• $$$

Tierra del Sol on Reforma is Olga Cabrera's three-floor Oaxaca room, named Mexico's Restaurant of the Year for 2026, with a rooftop comal of tetelas.

Cabuche

• ★ 4.2
• Mexican
• $$

Cabuche near the Zocalo is an inviting Oaxacan room with a deep pulque, mezcal and craft-beer list and a 100-peso two-course lunch that locals book daily.

Comala

• ★ 4.1
• Oaxacan
• $$

Comala on Pino Suarez is a Centro restaurant-bar with a leafy courtyard, serving Oaxacan plates from morning to 1am, with a mezcal and craft cocktail program.

El Asador Vasco

• ★ 4.0
• Spanish-basque Grill
• $$$

El Asador Vasco on the Zocalo's upper Portal de Flores is Oaxaca's long-running Spanish-Basque grill with a balcony table that locals book for nights out.

El Destilado

• ★ 4.5
• Modern Mexican
• $$$

El Destilado on Cinco de Mayo is Julio Aguilera's tasting-menu room, with a nine-course menu and a mezcal and Mexican sake pairing programme since 2016.

Criollo

• ★ 4.6
• Modern Oaxacan
• $$$$

Criollo is Enrique Olvera's Pujol-backed Madero room with Luis Arellano on the stoves, a courtyard-built tasting menu of Oaxacan recipes since 2017.

Levadura de Olla

• ★ 4.9
• Mexican
• $$$$

Levadura de Olla on Garcia Vigil is Thalia Barrios Garcia's Michelin-starred room (2024, retained 2025), Mexico's first regional star outside the capital.

Suculenta

• ★ 4.0
• Mexican
• $$

Suculenta on Porfirio Diaz is Paulina Garcia Hernandez and Daniel Lopez's food gallery, with hand-crafted jellies and wild Sierra Norte mushrooms.

Hierba Santa Cocina Oaxaquena

• ★ 4.0
• Modern Oaxacan
• $$$

Hierba Santa on Independencia is a Centro Oaxacan kitchen that runs around the namesake leaf, with a mole program and a Pacific-catch second course.

Mezcalogia (kitchen)

• ★ 4.3
• Mezcaleria With Food
• $$

Mezcalogia on Garcia Vigil is the Casa Cortes family's El Jolgorio mezcaleria with a strong kitchen of Oaxacan plates and a 200-bottle mezcal cocktail bar.

El Sol y La Luna

• ★ 3.9
• Italian
• $$

El Sol y La Luna on Pino Suarez is the Centro wood-fired pizza room with handmade pasta, a long-running Italian table at a quiet end of Cinco de Mayo.

Muss Cafe

• ★ 4.5
• $

Order Pour over Finca Las Nieves

Muss Cafe on Miguel Hidalgo is Aurora Tostado and Stefano De Bellis's 2019 specialty cafe, sourcing organic Finca Las Nieves beans from the Sierra Sur.

Cafe Brujula Alcala

• ★ 4.5
• $

Cafe Brujula is Oaxaca's specialty-coffee anchor on the Andador, roasting small lots from Sierra Norte and Pluma in-house at the Garcia Vigil sister branch.

Cafe Brujula Garcia Vigil

• ★ 4.4
• $

Order Filter coffee, beans bagged

Cafe Brujula on Garcia Vigil is the roastery branch with in-house Oaxacan beans, a small-batch Probat roaster on display and pour-overs every morning.

Cafebre

• ★ 4.3
• $

Order Pour over Mixteca Alta

Cafebre on Manuel Bravo is the Centro specialty roaster pouring Mixteca Alta and Sierra Norte beans in small lots, with a Reforma second branch since 2024.

Boulenc

• ★ 4.6
• $

Order Sourdough toast and filter coffee

Boulenc on Porfirio Diaz is the cafe and sourdough bakery courtyard with masa-madre breads, mushroom banh mi and a sit-and-stay terrace inside an old hotel.

Marito y Moglie Cafe

• ★ 4.4
• $

Order Pour-over and Turkish eggs

Marito y Moglie Cafe on Pino Suarez is the Centro pour-over and brunch room famous for Turkish eggs, ciabatta sandwiches and pastries from the in-house oven.

Pan:am Abasolo

• ★ 4.2
• $

Order Chilaquiles and waffles

Pan:am on Abasolo is the Centro all-day cafe with chilaquiles, enchiladas suizas and a bakery counter of fresh waffles, scrambles and Oaxacan pastries.

Comala Cafe

• ★ 4.0
• $

Order Mezcal-aged espresso and Oaxacan plates

Comala on Pino Suarez is a Centro courtyard cafe-restaurant-bar with all-day Oaxacan plates and a mezcal-leaning bar that runs to 1am most nights.

Pan con Madre

• ★ 4.6
• $

Order Sourdough loaf and pour over

Pan con Madre on Quetzalcoatl is Oaxaca's sourdough pioneer (masa madre), a courtyard cafe-bakery with cardamom spirals, focaccia and a wood-fired oven.

Comedor Yolis (Mercado Sanchez Pascuas)

• ★ 3.9
• $

Order Tejate and chocolate

Comedor Yolis at Mercado Sanchez Pascuas is one of the slate of breakfast counters (Yolis, Lupita, Nelly, Chonchita) inside the local market on Porfirio Diaz.

El Volador (Plaza de la Danza)

• ★ 4.1
• $

Order Tejate

El Volador is one of the Plaza de la Danza tejate stands in the Jardin Socrates, where the prehispanic cacao-and-maize drink is whisked to a foam by the lake.

Nieves Manolo

• ★ 4.4
• $

Order Nieve de leche quemada and tuna

Nieves Manolo on Macedonio Alcala is the Velasco-Cuevas family's 1953 nieves stand, with leche quemada, tuna and sorbete by the Jardin Socrates lake.

Chocolate Mayordomo

• ★ 4.3
• $

Order Chocolate de agua

Chocolate Mayordomo on Mina and 20 de Noviembre is the 1956 Tlacolula family chocolate house, with chocolate de agua and pan de yema for dunking on demand.

Mezcaloteca tasting room

• ★ 4.7
• $

Order Mezcal flight by appointment

The Mezcaloteca tasting room on Reforma pours guided flights by reservation, a seated run through single-batch agave spirits from maestros mezcaleros.

Hierba Dulce

• ★ 4.3
• $

Order Vegan plates and herbal tea

Hierba Dulce on Porfirio Diaz is a tranquil plant-based cafe in Centro with Oaxacan ingredients on a fully vegan menu, named after the local sweet-leaf herb.

Pasteleria Carmelita Morelos

• ★ 4.0
• $

Order Pan de yema oaxaqueno

Pasteleria Carmelita on Morelos 908 is one of the Centro outlets of the Carmelita family chain, with pan de yema, conchas and a cake counter open daily.

Pasteleria Carmelita Libres

• ★ 3.9
• $

Order Pan de muerto in October

Pasteleria Carmelita on Calle de Los Libres is the second Centro branch of the family chain, with pan de yema, pan de muerto in October and traditional cakes.

Pan:am

• ★ 4.2
• $

Order Pan dulce platter

Pan:am on Abasolo bakes housemade bread and pastries each morning, paired with a breakfast room serving chilaquiles, waffles and pan dulce platters.

Chocolate Mayordomo (Mina)

• ★ 4.3
• $

Order Chocolate de agua

Chocolate Mayordomo Mina is the 1956 family chocolate house from Tlacolula, with cacao milled to order, drinking-chocolate tablets and pan de yema on offer.

Chocolate Mayordomo (Mercado 20 de Noviembre)

• ★ 4.2
• $

Order Cacao tablet

Chocolate Mayordomo's Mercado 20 de Noviembre stall (Casetas 21-23) is the in-market branch of the 1956 chocolate house, milling cacao on demand and bagging.

La Soledad pan de yema

• ★ 3.9
• $

Order Pan de yema

La Soledad on Independencia is the historic pan de yema counter near the Basilica de La Soledad, with the egg-yolk-rich bread Oaxaca dunks in chocolate.

El Volador tejate counter

• ★ 4.1
• $

Order Tejate

El Volador in the Jardin Socrates pours tejate, the prehispanic maize-and-cacao drink declared Oaxacan cultural heritage in 2023, with totopos on the side.

Mercado 20 de Noviembre pan dulce row

• ★ 4.2
• $

Order Pan de muerto in October

Mercado 20 de Noviembre's pan dulce row runs the southwest aisle, with conchas, pan de yema and pan de muerto every October from a dozen Oaxacan home bakers.

Chocolate La Soledad

• ★ 3.9
• $

Order Chocolate de leche tablet

Chocolate La Soledad on Mina is the other long-running chocolate house in the Mina-20 de Noviembre block, with stone-ground cacao milled on the counter daily.

Chocolate Guelaguetza

• ★ 3.8
• $

Order Mole-tablet kit

Chocolate Guelaguetza on Calle 20 de Noviembre has run since 1956, with stone-ground cacao tablets and pre-mixed mole pastes sold by the kilo for home cooks.

Tejate vendors at Mercado Benito Juarez

• ★ 4.2
• $

Order Tejate bowl

The tejate vendors at Mercado Benito Juarez whisk maize, cacao, mamey seed and cacao flower into the foamed prehispanic drink, served from gourd bowls.

Mercado Sanchez Pascuas pan dulce stalls

• ★ 4.0
• $

Order Pan de yema

Mercado Sanchez Pascuas's bread row sits in the third hall, with pan dulce, conchas, tejate and a fonda counter (Yolis, Lupita, Nelly) open from 06:00 daily.

Cafe Brujula

• ★ 4.8
• $$

Cafe Brujula is Oaxaca's specialty-coffee anchor on the Andador, roasting small lots from Sierra Norte and Pluma in-house at the Garcia Vigil sister branch.

Cafe SL28

• ★ 4.0
• $$

Cafe SL28 on Garcia Vigil is a premium single-origin roaster working closely with Sierra Norte and Pluma farmers, with sustainable sourcing on the small bar.

Boulenc Coffee

• ★ 4.5
• $$

Boulenc's coffee program ships Oaxacan single-origin beans through espresso and filter brews paired with the in-house masa-madre sourdough toast platters.

Marito y Moglie

• ★ 4.2
• $$

Marito y Moglie on Pino Suarez pours Sierra Sur and Mixteca-region single-origin pour overs alongside an in-house bakery and a tight brunch room.

La Popular

• ★ 4.3
• $$$

La Popular on Garcia Vigil is a restaurant, bar and gallery with a natural-wine list and a tight kitchen of small plates, a fixture of the Oaxaca scene.

Sabina Sabe

• ★ 4.4
• $$$

Sabina Sabe on Cinco de Mayo 209 is named for Maria Sabina, a cocktail bar with a vast mezcal collection, natural wines and local-ingredient small plates.

Selva Oaxaca

• ★ 4.5
• Cocktail bar
• $$$

Drink Selva cocktail with mezcal, hoja santa and Oaxacan cheese

Selva on Macedonio Alcala is on the 50 Best Discovery list, a creative cocktail bar with Oaxacan-ingredient drinks and mezcals from small distilleries.

Comala Wine Program

• ★ 4.0
• $$$

Comala on Pino Suarez runs a small Mexican wine list with Casa Madero, Bichi and Cuna de Tierra alongside the in-house mezcal cocktails and the courtyard.

Mezcalogia

• ★ 4.3
• $$$

Mezcalogia on Garcia Vigil pairs Casa Cortes mezcals (El Jolgorio, Nuestra Soledad) with a tight Mexican wine list and a small kitchen of Oaxacan plates.

Mezcaloteca

• ★ 4.7
• $$$

Mezcaloteca on Reforma is the appointment-only mezcal library with 100-plus family producers for educational flights and a small dry-snack pairing service.

In Situ Mezcaleria

• ★ 4.5
• $$$

In Situ on Vicente Guerrero is Ulises Torrentera's mezcaleria with 180-plus mezcals, often poured by the author himself, and a small snack program for long.

Selva Oaxaca Cocktail Bar

• ★ 4.5
• Cocktail bar
• $$$

Drink Selva cocktail with mezcal, hoja santa and Oaxacan cheese

Selva on Macedonio Alcala is on the 50 Best Discovery list, a creative cocktail bar with Oaxacan-ingredient drinks and mezcals from small distilleries.

Cuish Mezcaleria

• ★ 4.4
• Mezcaleria
• $$$

Drink Wild-agave mezcal flight

Cuish on Diaz Ordaz is Felix Hernandez Monterrosa's mezcaleria since 2009, with wild-agave mezcals downstairs and a small art and live-music room upstairs.

La Casa del Mezcal

• ★ 4.2
• Cantina
• $$$

Drink Mezcal de pechuga

La Casa del Mezcal on Flores Magon is the 1935 cantina behind Mercado Benito Juarez, with a long mezcal counter and old-cantina feel in central Centro.

Oaxaca Brewing Co

• ★ 4.2
• Craft beer taproom
• $$$

Drink Oaxacan stout

Oaxaca Brewing Co on Tinoco y Palacios is the city's flagship craft taproom from two Baja-California-trained brothers, with stouts, IPAs, fruit ales.

Oaxaco Cerveceria

• ★ 4.0
• Craft brewery taproom
• $$$

Drink Pulque-cerveza and IPAs

Oaxaco Cerveceria on Allende is a small Centro taproom with house IPAs, pulque-cerveza and a wood-fired pizza kitchen, run by a husband-and-wife team.

La Mezcalerita

• ★ 4.0
• Mezcal cocktail bar
• $$$

Drink Mezcalarita

La Mezcalerita on Macedonio Alcala is a small mezcal-cocktail room near Plaza de la Soledad with a strong mezcal-cocktail menu and craft beer.

Los Amantes

• ★ 4.0
• Mezcaleria
• $$$

Drink Los Amantes mezcal flight

Los Amantes on Macedonio Alcala is the mezcaleria from one of the city's older mezcal brands, with a poetry-and-cocktail program in a small Andador room.

Los Danzantes Mezcal Bar

• ★ 4.4
• Mezcaleria
• $$$

Drink Los Danzantes mezcal flight

Los Danzantes runs an in-house mezcal bar program from its distillery, pouring single-village mezcals (Santiago Matatlan) alongside the restaurant menu.

Casa Oaxaca Cafe

• ★ 4.2
• Restaurant-bar
• $$$

Drink Mezcal sour

Casa Oaxaca Cafe on Garcia Vigil 407 is Alejandro Ruiz's casual second room, a daytime cafe with mezcal sours and Casa Oaxaca classics at half the price.

Tlayudas Libres

• ★ 4.7
• $

Try Tlayuda

Tlayudas Libres on Calle de Los Libres is Oaxaca's canonical late-night tlayuda stand, with cooking fires on the street and tasajo, chorizo and quesillo.

Tlayudas Las Animas

• ★ 4.4
• $

Try Tlayuda

Tlayudas Las Animas on Mariano Matamoros is the Thursday-to-Saturday-only tlayuda stand near Carmen Alto, a quieter neighbour to the Libres counter nearby.

Lechoncito de Oro

• ★ 4.7
• $

Try Tacos de lechon (suckling pig)

Lechoncito de Oro on Calle de Los Libres is Oaxaca's most famous lechon stand, with suckling-pig tacos, tostadas and tortas with pierna or chicharron.

Pasillo de Humo (Mercado 20 de Noviembre)

• ★ 4.6
• $

Try Tasajo, cecina, chorizo

Pasillo de Humo inside Mercado 20 de Noviembre runs charcoal-grilled tasajo, cecina and chorizo by the half-kilo from a dozen stands, 80-150 pesos a plate.

Mercado Benito Juarez chapulines row

• ★ 4.3
• $

Try Chapulines

The chapulines row outside Mercado Benito Juarez on Miguel Cabrera lines a dozen vendors selling grasshoppers fried with garlic, salt and chile to take home.

Memelas Dona Vale (Mercado de Abastos)

• ★ 4.6
• $

Try Memelas with morita chile

Memelas Dona Vale at Mercado de Abastos is the famous comal counter with thick masa memelas topped with morita-chile sauce, asiento (pork lard) and quesillo.

Tamales oaxaquenos at Mercado Sanchez Pascuas

• ★ 4.3
• $

Try Tamal de mole negro

The tamal counter inside Mercado Sanchez Pascuas runs banana-leaf tamales oaxaquenos (mole negro, amarillo, rajas) from 6am, the Oaxacan breakfast standard.

Esquites and elotes Zocalo carts

• ★ 4.0
• $

Try Esquites and elotes

The Zocalo evening carts roll out esquites (cups of corn with mayo, queso fresco, chile) and elotes on the cob, the canonical Oaxacan plaza-evening snack.

Chocolate de agua at Mayordomo

• ★ 4.3
• $

Try Chocolate de agua

Chocolate Mayordomo's counter on Mina mills cacao on demand and pours chocolate de agua (water-mixed) into ceramic mugs with pan de yema for dunking.

Chiles de agua stuffed at Mercado 20 de Noviembre

• ★ 4.2
• $

Try Chiles de agua rellenos

The comedor counters at Mercado 20 de Noviembre stuff chiles de agua (a milder Oaxaca-only chile) with quesillo and serve them fried in a tomato-garlic broth.

Empanadas de amarillo street vendors

• ★ 4.3
• $

Try Empanada de mole amarillo

The empanada-de-amarillo vendors at Plaza Llano fold thin masa around mole amarillo with quesillo and hierba santa, the late-afternoon Oaxacan classic.

Cabuche (craft beer program)

• ★ 4.0
• Brewery
• $$

Cabuche on Hidalgo runs a craft-beer program alongside pulque, mezcal and a 100-peso comida corrida, the broadest fermented-drink list in the Centro.

Mercado 20 de Noviembre

• ★ 4.7
• $

Mercado 20 de Noviembre is Oaxaca's covered food market with the Pasillo de Humo grill alley of tasajo, cecina enchilada and chorizo over wood coals daily.

Mercado Benito Juarez

• ★ 4.6
• $

Mercado Benito Juarez opened in 1894 one block from the Zocalo, with chapulines on Miguel Cabrera, mole pastes and the chocolate rows facing 20 de Noviembre.

Mercado Sanchez Pascuas

• ★ 4.4
• $

Mercado Sanchez Pascuas on Porfirio Diaz is the small local market in the northwest of Centro, with tejate and tamal counters from 06:00 daily, locals only.

Central de Abastos (Mercado de Abastos)

• ★ 4.4
• $

Central de Abastos is Oaxaca's giant supply market with mole-paste rows, the famous Memelas Dona Vale counter and a Saturday tianguis from the valleys.

Mercado de la Merced

• ★ 4.0
• $

Mercado de la Merced near Plaza de la Merced is a covered market with comedor counters, pan dulce, fresh produce and a daily lunch crowd of locals only.

Oaxaca Eats Food Tours

• ★ 4.7

Oaxaca Eats Classic Centro Food Tour is a 4-hour walking crawl in Centro with about 15 tastings across 4 venues, ending on a mezcal flight.

Culinary Backstreets: Tasting the Roots of Oaxacan Cuisine

• ★ 4.8

Culinary Backstreets Earth Corn and Fire is a 5.5-hour walk across Mercado de La Merced and Mercado 20 de Noviembre with a comal tortilla demo and a mole.

Culinary Backstreets: Tasting Oaxaca, By Night

• ★ 4.6

Culinary Backstreets The Late Shift is a 5-hour afternoon-into-evening crawl through 9-12 stops including a tortas counter open since 1930, a tlayuda vendor.

Oaxaca by Locals

• ★ 4.4

Oaxaca by Locals runs a Centro market crawl with a local guide, hitting Mercado 20 de Noviembre, the chocolate block and a small mezcaleria for a final.

Oaxaca Street Food Tour

• ★ 4.5

Oaxaca Street Food Tour walks the Zocalo, Pasillo de Humo and tlayuda stands, run by a women-owned business committed to local and fair-trade vendor sourcing.

A Chef's Tour

• ★ 4.4

A Chef's Tour Oaxaca is an evening 6:30pm-10:30pm walk for up to 8 guests with 14-plus tastings: campechano tacos, lechon, tlayudas, garnachas.

Secret Food Tours

• ★ 4.3

Secret Food Tours Oaxaca runs a 3 to 3.5-hour walking crawl across Mercado 20 de Noviembre, Mercado Benito Juarez and the Zocalo, with 10 stops for mole.

Guelaguetza

• ★ 4.9

Guelaguetza is Oaxaca's headline festival: indigenous dance from the eight regions, food fairs and the Feria del Mezcal across two Lunes del Cerro Mondays.

Feria Internacional del Mezcal

• ★ 4.7

Feria Internacional del Mezcal runs July 17-28, 2026 at the Centro de Convenciones, with 100-plus producers, 208 artisans, mezcal tastings and craft beer.

Noche de Rabanos

• ★ 4.7

Noche de Rabanos on December 23 fills the Zocalo with oversized radish carvings (saints, dancers, cathedrals), totomoxtle and flor inmortal categories every.

Dia de Muertos

• ★ 4.9

Dia de Muertos in Oaxaca runs October 28 to November 4, with the Xoxocotlan panteon vigil October 31, comparsas downtown and pan de muerto on every comedor.

Fiesta de la Virgen de la Soledad

• ★ 4.2

Fiesta de la Virgen de la Soledad culminates on 18 December at the basilica in Oaxaca, with a calenda on 16 December, mañanitas, fireworks and buñuelo and nieve stalls around it.

Convites Populares (Guelaguetza opener)

• ★ 4.3

The Convites Populares on July 10 and 11, 2026 are the small-scale neighborhood invitations that open Guelaguetza, leaving from Cruz de Piedra.

Casa Crespo

• ★ 4.6

Casa Crespo on Jacobo Dalevuelta is chef Oscar Carrizosa's class, with a market walk at the Mercado Sanchez Pascuas and a Mixteca-region menu cooked together.

Casa de los Sabores Cooking School

• ★ 4.5

Casa de los Sabores is chef Pilar Cabrera's school upstairs from La Olla on Reforma, with market visits, mole-from-scratch lessons and a traditional Oaxacan.

Casa Crespo Afternoon Cooking Class with Market Visit

• ★ 4.2

Casa Crespo's Afternoon Cooking Class with Market Visit is the 4.5-hour Tuesday-to-Saturday session that includes a market walk and a no-set-menu group menu.

La Olla private mole class with Pilar Cabrera

• ★ 4.3

La Olla on Reforma also runs Pilar Cabrera's private mole classes upstairs at Casa de los Sabores, a 4-max session for the mole negro tradition end-to-end.

Pasillo de Humo

• ★ 4.6
• $

Try Tasajo, cecina, chorizo

Pasillo de Humo inside Mercado 20 de Noviembre runs charcoal-grilled tasajo, cecina and chorizo by the half-kilo from a dozen stands, 80-150 pesos a plate.

Memelas Dona Vale

• ★ 4.6
• Brunch
• $

Try Memelas with morita chile

Memelas Dona Vale at Mercado de Abastos charges 15-30 pesos per memela with morita-chile sauce, asiento and quesillo on the comal, the budget breakfast.

Cabuche (comida corrida)

• ★ 4.2
• $

Try Two-course set lunch

Cabuche on Hidalgo runs a 100-peso comida corrida lunch (two dishes, fresh fruit-water and coffee), the best-value full-table Oaxacan meal in Centro.

Empanadas del Carmen Alto

• ★ 4.3
• $

Try Empanada de mole amarillo

Oaxacan empanada stall on Jesus Carranza, Centro, Oaxaca. Mole amarillo, hoja santa and shredded-chicken empanadas on a comal; under MXN $40.

Tamales oaxaquenos (Mercado Sanchez Pascuas)

• ★ 4.3
• $

Try Tamal de mole negro

The tamal counters inside Mercado Sanchez Pascuas charge 20-30 pesos for a banana-leaf tamal oaxaqueno (mole negro, amarillo, rajas) from 06:00 each morning.

Tejate at Mercado Benito Juarez

• ★ 4.2
• $

Try Tejate (cacao-maize drink)

Tejate vendors at Mercado Benito Juarez charge 20-40 pesos for a gourd bowl of foamed prehispanic maize-cacao drink, the budget Oaxacan refreshment standard.

Chocolate Mayordomo (chocolate de agua)

• ★ 4.2
• $

Try Chocolate de agua

Chocolate Mayordomo on Mina charges 25-45 pesos for chocolate de agua in a ceramic mug, with pan de yema for dunking on the side for an extra 10 pesos.

Zocalo evening esquites carts

• ★ 4.0
• $

Try Esquites and elotes

The Zocalo evening esquites and elote carts charge 25-50 pesos for a cup of corn with mayo, queso fresco, chile and lime, the canonical plaza-evening snack.

Pan:am (breakfast)

• ★ 4.1
• Brunch
• $

Try Chilaquiles and pan dulce

Pan:am on Abasolo charges 80-180 pesos for a full chilaquiles or enchiladas suizas breakfast plate, with the in-house bakery's pan dulce on the side.

Empanadas de amarillo (Plaza Llano)

• ★ 4.4
• $$

The empanadas-de-amarillo grandmas at Plaza Llano cook only Friday to Sunday afternoons, folding thin masa around mole amarillo and quesillo on the comal.

Selva

• ★ 4.5
• $$

Try Cocktails and mezcal

Selva on Macedonio Alcala stays open 16:00-01:00 Mon-Sat, a 50-Best-Discovery bar with hoja santa and Oaxacan-cheese cocktails on the late-night list.

Zocalo esquites carts

• ★ 4.0
• $$

Try Esquites and elotes

The Zocalo esquites and elote carts run 18:00-23:00 daily, cups of corn with chile, lime, mayo, queso fresco and the standard plaza-night Oaxacan snack.

Cuish (upstairs)

• ★ 4.3
• Live music and art space

Cuish's upstairs hall on Diaz Ordaz hosts live music, art shows and DJ nights for the Oaxacan artists-and-mezcal crowd, with the downstairs mezcaleria.

Casa Oaxaca rooftop terrace

• ★ 4.5
• Restaurant rooftop terrace

Casa Oaxaca's rooftop on Constitucion 104-A is the sunset table looking onto Santo Domingo, with tableside guacamole, chapulines and mezcal sours at golden.

Los Pacos rooftop

• ★ 4.2
• Restaurant rooftop terrace

Los Pacos on Abasolo has a rooftop terrace with the seven-moles tasting board, Centro views and a pre-dinner mezcal pour, the family-friendlier evening room.