We had an epic dinner at Casa Oaxaca with our kids over spring break. It's a highly sought after destination in Oaxaca, right behind the beautiful Templo de Santo Domingo. Even so, it didn't feel touristy or crowded. They have a beautiful space and decor, half indoor and half outdoor. Nice gallery with art to hang out in, while they get your table ready. We sat on the upstairs terrace and the views are just breathtaking. The service is very attentive and they recommended some great vegetarian dishes. The drinks were delicious, even regular lemonade had aloe vera pulp and chia seeds in it. So special! They even got warm milk for our little girls :) Great use of raw leaves and edible flowers. We ordered 3 different desserts --the chocolate torta, creme brulee and tres leches--all outstanding! I made reservations a few weeks in advance, highly recommended as this place is where everyone wants to be. read more

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Everything about my dinner here was excellent. They made salsa table side as a starter and it was made spicy per my request. For dinner I had the Lechón which was so tender that it fell apart with just a fork. For drinks I got the Mentas del Huerto and the Casa Oaxaca. I think the fresh ginger and simplicity of the Casa Oaxaca cocktail made it my favorite of the night. Thank you so much for making my solo dining experience in Oaxaca a night to remember. read more

Casa Oaxaca - Lechón - confit suckling pig with chileajo mixteco, pickled vegetables and potatoes - Oaxacan Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

Casa Oaxaca has been one of my favorite dining experiences; but a recent experience was not so great...the food was mediocre, but service was poor....as waiters seemed distracted, too busy, and trying to get a napkin was too much work. read more

Possibly the best dining experience- upstairs a panoramic view of Sta Domingo and the mountains. Attentive service. The appetizer with queso on a black corn taco instead of chips and salsa. We ordered 4 appetizers and 1 Primera plata. All fabulous! read more

Casa Oaxaca - Oaxacan Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

OMG. Our best dining experience so far. Gorgeous rooftop terrace with great taste spacing, lighting and service. Even on a Saturday night with 4 large groups, our service was ultra-professional, timely and friendly. Their food is 1st Class- duck tacos and crab stuffed squash blossoms were amazing and beautifully plated. 2 of us had the short rib on a bed of lentils stewed with avocado leaves. The best short ribs ever! The shrimp with squash blossoms was generous, filling and gorgeous. What a great place- strong wine list, great service, unforgettable terrace and world class food. read more

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Nice setting with rooftop dining. Attentive waitstaff. Food was good - came out warm but not hot. Flavors were good- B+ overall

Best meal in Oaxaca. Table side salsa and guacamole are amazing. Hot stone seafood soup was delicious. Entres were very good as well. We finished with a chocolate mousse and a hot chocolate de agua. It was a beautiful night with an amazing dining experience. read more

Great location, food, and atmosphere. Highly recommendable. Apparently this place is a must for all tourists coming to Oaxaca. At first, the wait staff seemed a bit disorganized (as in, they were a little forgetful, and multiple staff would stop by asking the same questions, even after we ordered the various courses). However, they realized this soon enough and, honestly, the service was really good. Food was tasty and original (like everything in Oaxaca). Check it out! read more

Simply fab. I hate food that is fancy for the sake of being fancy. That said, this food was presented as art and tasted divine. Highlights included the tableside shaken cocktails and made to order tableside salsa. The turkey mole was juicy and flavorful. I loved the coconut plan and chocolate sphere. All beautifully presented and tasted wonderful. The restaurant itself is gorgeous. Choose the terrace for a stunning view of Santo Domingo. Can't wait to go back! read more

The experience here was simply OK. Space and presentation: 5 stars Service: 3.5 stars Food: 3 stars I was expecting the food here to taste fantastic as it is supposedly one of the best restaurants in Oaxaca with a famous chef. The food was just not up to par... I'm from LA and I'm spoiled. The quality was good, everything was fresh, but the taste was anything but wow. I had the mole they normally serve with lamb and subbed it for veggies and the flor and hongos soup. The soup was nice. The mole was nothing special. And they gave me like 3 pieces of veggies... pretentious much? Why do I need three sticks of boiled carrots and a little vase full of mole? How am I suppose to eat that? The group I came with was not too wowed by their mole and meat dishes either. Actually, they were bored with them. They loved the pescado soup which is cooked with hot lava rocks in front of you. One of the waiters was a snob, the other was extremely friendly and accommodating. The first one actually gave me information opposite of the other one.. so I was confused about what I was ordering (yes, I speak Spanish) They also had a lot of waiters who were all hovering over us. When I asked for water they gave me puré still water in a fancy bottle. The table behind us was getting served free house water with fruits in it. We asked for that instead for refills... The best part about coming here was the demonstrations. I like that they make salsa in front of you and cooked the soup in front of us with hot rocks. I also like how the space looks. That being said, the flavors were nothing to write home about. And the portions were pathetic for the price. Not planning to come back again read more

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The perfect place to end our trip! The food was incredible, insightful and delicious. I especially enjoyed the escamoles, tasty little pillows of butter bug eggs on crackers with guacamole. Definitely a must stop. Trust the waiters on giving you recommendations, as they will let you know what is in season. They also make fresh salsa for you at your table, giving you dinner and a show! Don't be afraid to go for the bugs as they are a traditional component of Oaxacan cuisine and quite tasty once you get past the day taboo :) overall favorite restaurant in the city and delightful experience. Tip: ask to sit on the terrace, you'll get an amazing view of the city. read more

From flavors, to plating, to architecture, to service - this place is on point!! My favorites were the mezcal cocktails! Every one of them was perfectly balanced and not too overwhelmingly smokey. The waiter also knew a lot about each of them. The food was delicious! The salsas, salty fresh cheese, and mole were great! (The turkey a bit tough. The only critique.) And the service was amazing. My friend coughed and they brought her water. The staff was fluent in English and Spanish. Try to make a reservation! If you can't get one, show up and see if you can get a place at the bar or on the patio. We skipped dessert and went for another round of cocktails. read more

It's okay but not worth being double the price of better Oaxaca fine dining restaurants. Cocktails are very good. Food is just okay. A solid 3.5 not a 4.5. read more

Really sad to be writing a 1 star review for Casa Oaxaca :( The meal started out perfect. On the roof. Heat lamp. Had our reservation. That's when things began going awry. Something I've noticed in Oaxaca is that at restaurants they ask for your order as SOON as you sit down - when they did it at dinner I was a surprised considering the menu was bigger than most. Ordered drinks and some apps on the fly. One drink came back with dish soap inside. Other apps came cold. (Cold crickets no bueno). We ordered our entrees. Mind you there were two different servers helping us. One with a blue shirt so he looked like the boss. Then the server in the white shirt asks if we want anything else because the kitchen was closing. I ordered desert. Then sometime goes by and then we are served desert ... without having our entrees.... (desert was meh cake very dry). The blue shirt server notices and seems flustered. White shirt asks if we still want them. We feel bad so we say yes. Thinking they're already almost done. I ask for them to go because they're closing. They bring up the entrees in a giant white TRASH BAG. They don't have any smaller bags LOL. End up carrying it home without the bag. Turned out the be somewhat of a hilarious night but. There was no apology or acknowledgment - nothing. For me personally the Oaxaca food strayed a little far for my tastes from the originals - and the experience was very odd. read more

Was very much looking forward to dining here and was not disappointed. The service here is excellent. Every single staff member was exceptional. The menu, very thoughtful and inspired. Every dish, beautifully executed with layers and layers of flavors with simple, authentic presentation. There is no trickery to cooking with tradition as your guiding principle. The dessert menu was beyond!!! The desert menu somehow manages to steal the show......which is a true feat as everything from cocktails to appetizers to entrees is staggeringly exceptional. We will be back!!!! read more

I stopped in without reservations at 7 on a Sunday in February and was seated upstairs within 30 minutes. The ambiance of the upstairs tables is worth the wait. One of the more memorable meals of my stay in Oaxaca. Try the "stone soup". Great service and presentation. read more

We went with a plan to go all out for one meal in Oaxaca. Mission accomplished with flying colors! Waitstaff was helpful and knowledgeable. Great view from the terraza and sipped on wine as the next course arrived. Fair warning: as their making your salsa, if you say you 'like spicy', then SPICY salsa is what you'll get. We didn't think we'd finish it, but paired with the mole, the salsa was gone before we knew it. What a meal in the heart of the city! read more

Don't bother coming if you can't eat upstairs. We of course requested the terrace in advance and were rudely shut down when we arrived. There's a troublesome disparity between the terrace and the unattractive water-stained basement barn of a restaurant beneath it. It's like paying for first class but dining in steerage. To add to the injustice, there were abundant two tops upstairs The table side salsa is nice but it was ten minutes before they brought us the stale tortilla to eat with it. The service was fine. Everyone was friendly and doing their best. The food was mediocre. My recommendation: make downstairs an inexpensive family taco joint. Then save upstairs for the Casa Oaxaca classic. That way everyone knows what they're getting. read more

Fantastic food and service. Wonderful cocktails. This place is the best restaurant in Oaxaca. We loved the outside seating.

I really enjoyed the dinner, but the waiter ruined it at the end. This was our first night in Oaxaca and our first restaurant, and we wanted it to be special. And it was, even if the rooftop was a little chilly toward the end. When the check came the problems came. I pulled out my phone when I asked for it, and my search indicated that gratuity was automatic. As I surveyed the check, I saw that it clearly was not. I indicated that I needed a minute, because I wanted to make sure I tipped adequately, but the waiter merely loomed. I asked what was normal, and he said "whatever you like." So I really didn't know what to do. With that, I did a fast google and the first thing that came up was 10%, 15% for drinks. I'm traditionally a generous tipper, so I went with the 15%. The waiter had a clear reaction, so I asked if what I had written was normal, and said that I wanted to be certain. He replied that it was fine. As I started to walk, the shamming began. First mocking laughter behind me, then clear signals to one of the other waiters, who scoffed at me as I walked by. I was pretty angry and would have reacted far more strongly on a normal day, but since I was with my spouse I opted not to make a scene. Why ruin a night over a couple of rude jerks? We were thinking of going back later in the week, but now we will never return. I also still have no idea what amount would have gotten a better reaction. And at this point I don't care. read more

The atmosphere at the terrace is great, the food is top notch! BUT be careful, they ask you about water at the beginning and then continuously serve you water every time your cup is empty and at the check you can expect a charge of $25 just per water!!!! WHAT?? I should order wine!!!! How in the worl I would think they would charge for water! At the end when they saw we were very disappointed and disagree with that they (the manager actually and a very rude manner) take the check and ask the waiter to remove that charge! The rest of the staff and the food were excellent though! read more

My husband and I spent 10 extraordinary days at Casa Oaxaca that we will never forget. It is a combination small restaurant/hotel, two blocks or so from the main restaurant by the same name. The staff made us feel completely at home, and each meal we had there was magic. The interior courtyard is an oasis in the middle of the bustling colonial city, close to everything but with the feeling of being on a serene mountain top. Not to be missed. read more

DO NOT get the appetizer of tuna tacos. It's canned tuna (comida de gato). The ceviche and squash blossom apps were tasty. The octopus was passable. Service was attentive. To their credit they removed both entrees from our bill to make it right. Plenty of other options in Oaxaca. read more

Unbelievable experience was really exceptional on every level. First time I saw them making salsa at the table. Would advise the tasting menu. Staff incredible and friendly. Selection of mezcals was the best we saw. We spent over 4 hours here. 10/10. read more

Really excellent restaurant. Beautiful atmosphere on the upstairs patio (even in December). Food was excellent, maybe the best Octopus dish I've ever had. And we also really enjoyed Napoleon as a musical accompaniment to the evening. Amazing experience read more

I really enjoyed this restaurant and really recommend it. And the waiters were super kind and I really enjoyed having them. This restaurant is outstanding and the best restaurant I have been to in Oaxaca and I really hope you visit. read more

Decided I had to try Casa Oaxaca based on the recommendation of Anthony Bourdain. It's a pretty restaurant across the street from the Templo de Santo Domingo. We arrived before the dinnertime rush on a Sunday, without reservations. If I were to come here again, I would definitely make reservations, because spots seemed to fill up fast. The waiters were attentive. I got some fruity drink, he got a beer. The restaurant was filled with tourists wearing the Oaxacan embroidered shirts they had probably purchased at the Zocolo earlier that day, as Daniel M. rightly noted. So the atmosphere was very touristy, down to the tableside salsa that was prepared for you. I ordered the turkey mole and my partner ordered the lamb chops. We also got the mango chamoy ceviche as an appetizer. Delicieux doesn't even begin to describe it. The chamoy ceviche was unimpressive but the lamb chops were tender and the turkey mole had a deep, earthy taste..without the taste of dirt I had come to associate with mole. Only regret was getting the desert. I was unimpressed and would've been better off getting ice cream from the stand in front of the Templo. read more

The menu is overly complicated. My dish was very good but harmonizing the courses wasn't possible. No doubt the rooftop setting is extraordinary. My wife's selection was awful. The staff made no attempt to satisfy her and she left hungry and disappointed. I was surprised that we were charged for a selection she found inedible. No chance I'd recommend this restaurant. read more

Casa Oaxaca is fantastic from food, to ambiance, to service and price. I recommend sitting on the rooftop dining area. Our visit was made even more special by the roaming guitar player, Napoleon, who played a romantic Mexican ballad for me and my wife. He is a gem and should always be around to serenade the guests. Do not miss! read more

Ambience was definitely a 5; service was a 5 and price was excellent. We sat on the roof but it wasn't too cold as they had outside i had brought a sweater and a jacket just in case. Their complimentary is always excellent: a huge blue cracked corn tortilla with feta like cheese on top of it and fabulous avocado/green tomato salsa made right in front of our eyes. For the main course my husband ordered Almendrado con cerdito (suckling pig with almond mole and I had Manchanteles con costilla corta (short ribs with not a bone in sight!). Both were outstanding!! The almond mole on my husband's dinner had been cooked for 8 hours! My dinner was fabulous! Before dinner we had a Mezcal with ginger cocktail and a margarita and both of us had a glass of Malbec from Chile with dinner. Bill was 1220 with tip ($61), and worth every penny. In the states our meal would have cost $140. read more

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A challenge for us to get a table here... I called here for a reservation during our 6 day stay in Oaxaca for Day of the Dead. I spoke to the hostess only in Spanish & I was immediately told that there was absolutely nothing available for lunch or dinner during our entire 6 days in Oaxaca... Something I've noticed in Latin America is that when I speak Spanish I get few rewards. But, if I act like an entitled gringo, who expects people all over the world to speak my language, I'm treated so much better. I've got to remember not to speak Spanish to restaurant or hotel staff, until I'm seated in a restaurant or checked into a hotel. Anyhow, I really wanted to dine at Chef Alejandro Ruiz Olmedo's Casa Oaxaca. Therefore, we personally walked over to Casa Oaxaca around dinner time (in the pouring rain) & indeed, the restaurant was full & with people waiting & hoping for tables in the pouring rain. However, being there in person & still being persistent & available for 6 days, we were able to get a lunch reservation for the next day. I'm so glad that we were flexible about dining here because it really added to a perfect afternoon for us. We were seated around 2PM for lunch on the outdoor rooftop terrace, overlooking Templo Santo Domingo de Guzman. The all male waitstaff could've not been more knowledgeable, friendly, courteous & professional. They described the meal options thoroughly. They made a beautiful homemade salsa at the table for everyone, which is a courtesy of the restaurant. My friend, who is from Colombia, doesn't like spicy food. So they pointed to the peppers on the tray, which they would not put into our salsa, so as to please my Colombian friend's palate. Oddly enough, he ordered grasshoppers & agave worms with guacamole for his appetizer & I ordered the plantains with mole; both very traditional Oaxacan dishes. We shared each other's appetizers & they were both divine. For my main course I had the suckling pig & it was to die for! My little man had the duck. We tried each other's dishes & we were both very impressed. I really wanted to try one of Casa Oaxaca's desserts. However, they have a very classic Oaxacan tradition on their menu, which is Chocolate Oaxaqueño de Agua. There is also Chocolate Oaxaqueño de Leche on the menu & we ordered one of each as our finale to a perfect lunch. They're both delicious! But, we each preferred the chocolate drink with milk. Do whatever you can to get a reservation here. The female hostess is not very pleasant. But once you get past her, everything is excellent! Just across the street is the beautiful church & the Botanic gardens offered a delightful tour, which we did, after our memorable Oaxacan lunch. You will thank yourself for dining here. I would've given this restaurant 5 stars. But, the female hostess on the phone, when I made my initial contact with the restaurant, was not welcoming & she could have cared less that we really wanted to dine here. She refused to help us. This lack of gracefulness on her part could almost make me give Casa Oaxaca 3 stars. But, everything else was absolutely perfect! It's also a visually beautiful restaurant. I'll post some pics here too. Enjoy and don't let the hostess dissuade you. She's young and beautiful and immature. God bless. read more

This beautiful restaurant has a lovely terrace overlooking the Catedral Santo Domingo. The evening was chilly so they brought ponchos over to our table! They make salsa at your table giving you lots of options along the way including whether you would like Chapulines! The food was delicious and there were many options on the menu including a few delicious and creative vegetarian options. read more

Absolutely wonderful! Staff are most welcoming and accommodating to dietary needs. I ate here on a number of occasions and the staff always went above and beyond to assist me. Both the wait and kitchen staff were willing to tailor the menu to be vegan (vegano) with many delicious dish options available (recommend you suggest changes yourself as some options are available when suggested by not presented as vegan). Highly recommend, especially any seasonal mushroom dish! All vegetariano dishes could be made vegan, as well as the frijole sopa. Also, the cocktails, oh my god! Heaven. (Photo is of seasonal mushrooms in yellow mole sin queso, and all the sides. Astounding!) read more

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And incredible dining experience. Such a meal would cost you 4 to 5 times more in the U.S. The cocktails were fantastic and the wine exceptional, but the food was truly amazing. The group I was with ordered most appetizers, all were tasty but the bugs dish will not be for everyone. The duck tacos and mole sampler stood out. Similarly, I tried many entrees, all great, but the octopus and short rib was memorable. And the desert-one of the best I've ever had. The rose ice cream was delicious. This is a must do in Oaxaca. read more

We had planned to have dinner on the beautiful rooftop terrace, but the hostess was so offputting that we just had one drink in the bar and left. read more

We had a really nice meal here. We split the turkey mole, the nopal salad, and the bean and traditional soup. The salsa is made by hand at the table. We also had some mezcal martinis which were delicious and also shaken and served at the table. We had the corn tamal for dessert per the recommendation of the waiter. Everything was delicious. The location is right downtown and the seating upstairs is excellent. There are tables with a view overlooking the street and the famous Santo Domingo church. The service is excellent. Our waiter gave us recommendations and was honest about the amount of food we needed. I recommend making a reservation as it gets busy. read more

Casa Oaxaca is an incredible place. Their cuisine really stand up from the crowd, on a highly innovative way, using local products and elements. The flavors, presentation with unparalleled service made this restaurant a unique place in Oaxaca. read more

We had an exceptionally good meal and overall experience here. Being from Philadelphia I have to agree with the other food snobs that there is something that holds it back from 5 star excellence. That said, I would go there again in a heartbeat, and I recommend it wholeheartedly to tourists to Oaxaca. read more

Not the best for vegans or even vegetarians. Service is excellent and drinks are tasty. Everything is filled with cheese, ants, grasshoppers, rabbit, fish, etc. love the ambiance and people. read more

I had lunch at Casa Oaxaca a few days ago and overall I think I left wanting more. The rooftop terrace is beautiful and the salsa is made table side, which was a great experience. The guacamole and tomato salad were great. Fresh and delicious. The main course left me wanting a lot more (I had the pipian veggie dish). The flavor was bland. The service workers seemed stretched thin...my party hardly got any attention and follow up through out the meal. I am glad I went once, but don't need to return. read more