This might have been our best meal in Oaxaca. There isn't a traditional printed menu; there is a tasting menu with optional pairing menu. Our dishes were delicious but could have been spaced out a little better. It was so also unclear to us just how many dishes we were getting; we were told it was a 7 course menu but did not realize the last course is a tea with no food. This we were waiting 1/2 hour expecting a 7th course only to ask after and realize our mistaken expectations. The ambiance is great! Check the weather before you go as it can get chilly after sundown. read more

Criollo - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

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AMAZING experience as a whole. We arrived without reservation and they made an accommodation for us on a whim. They have a large selection of drinks which is awesome! I got the cheapest white wine and it was so good. This restaurant has a tasting menu only for dinner, which we were surprised by but it was awesome! It was seven course along with a toasts appetizer. The service was impeccable! Everything delivered at the perfect time as well as taken away. They remember our white selection and would refill once empty. The ambiance, one of the best I've ever been in! Architecture is so creative. Also really admire the fire pits. After our meal, one of the guys showed us around and told us about the place which was so nice..once we paid, the same guy met us as the door to order us a taxi! We were so charmed. Would recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice and elegant dinner. read more

Great place and food!! The service is terrible!!! Please cheff Arellano give some attention to.... Really bad service... read more

Muy malo. Toda la comida desabrida. El mole sabe a puré gerber. El peor aguachile que he probado. Masas sin cocer. Los peores cócteles y la peor elección de estos con la comida. Sobrevalorado read more

First off, the space and the setting is gorgeous. Loved entering the courtyard through the beautiful kitchen. Absolutely magnificent. Also love the traditional tortilla oven in the courtyard, the tortillas are served within seconds, they are warm and paired with a delicious salsa. The service was good, but we would have loved to see the menu written out or printed. Most of the time we weren't sure what we were eating because of language barrier. :( The menu had 6 courses, we mostly enjoyed the tomato soup with quesillo and the fish course, which was flaky and very tasty. I hate to say this, but I felt like the menu could have been so much more imaginative. The theme of using tortillas and tamales in some of the dishes was a little bit repetitive. Also, we got the tasting menu paired with cocktails. The pairings were great, but it's A LOT of alcohol. :) Overall a great experience, but mostly for the beautiful setting. read more

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Criollo is good, but really at 3x the price of a fancy meal (say at Casa Oaxaca), I have kind of a hard time being happy with the entire experience. I made reservations in advance and was seated at the bar table. There are 7 courses, and if you have any allergies or preferences they will accommodate. There is no printed menu, but I got 1) Beef taco, camote, pineapple, leaf of the prickly pear 2) Garbanzo bean soup, chayote 3) Tostada de mushrooms 4) Fish with confit tomatoes, eggplant and local fruit 5) Ribeye with huiltacoche, corn salsa, fried mushrooms 6) Cacao pulp drink 7) Ice cream with a biscuit and various fruits. The entire meal now costs about 950 pesos. I think one of the biggest problems is the pacing of the meal. I had first service and at one point there was an extremely long break. The other thing is compared to pujol in Mexico City, I found the food not really pushing the acidity boundaries and instead relying on many of the same greens from dish to dish. Perhaps I'm being too harsh comparing it to Pujol, but I would say good, but not great. read more

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Came here to celebrate my husband's birthday, but they never acknowledged the occasion. Food was mediocre. We've definitely had better mole in mercados and other restaurants around the city. Honestly, the best thing was the guava sorbet and the fresh tortillas with the salsa. Most disappointing part of the meal was how we paid 750mxp extra for the beverage pairing, and noticed that everyone else around us got double the mezcal pour. Our server was a lot more attentive to the Spanish-speaking diners around us. I think she was genuinely nice but was not comfortable serving English-speaking customers...(look, our Spanish is limited but we try to speak some Spanish) to the point where she walked up to us with the credit card machine and then abruptly said, "okay, my boss will come." And then walked away. Then the chef(?) shows up just to ring us up, clearly annoyed that he had to come out of the kitchen to do this menial task. It was awkward and surprising for a restaurant with an international reputation. With this being said, I think the meal was okay. It's worth the money, but not memorable (well, in a good way). There's just so much good food in the city, I wouldn't waste another meal here. read more

Very creative cuisine, good flavors and an amazing setting. But, service was horrible. It took about 15 minutes to get coffee and food at least an hour. We ordered simple things, like emoladas and enfrijoladas, which is just tortillas drenched in sauce that's already made ahead of time. Someone at my table ordered milk, and the milk came when we were getting ready to pay. This is the second time we came here, and even though today it was Monday, and there were less clients than for Sunday brunch, service took twice as long. Seriously bad service. Four stars for the food, less than half for service. read more

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Went here for breakfast, it was amazing! Coffee was 10/10 and food was so flavorful. I haven't eaten here yet for dinner but I'm sure it's great too. Also the restaurant itself is beautifully laid out and there are chickens walking around, so cute. read more

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This place is a dream! Everything from the service to the best Mexican food you will ever have in your life to the drinks! I was truly amazed of how delicious everything was, I'm definitely coming back to Oaxaca to come here again! They have a preset menu that changes depending on the season and ingredients they have available so you won't get the same meals if you go for a second time which to me is an incentive to see what else they come up with! read more

Criollo - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

Unfortunately Criollo misses the mark. Expectations were high going in having Enrique Olvera involved but the meal mostly fell flat considering the price and hype. First caution is to avoid the bar seating because it isn't like the typical belly up where you can watch all of the action. The bar seating is a large communal table which is in a very dimly lit and poorly ventilated room. We noticed several over guests express surprise with the bar setup who complained and ended up having to be moved to the main dining room. Also, the garden seating groups all pass through the bar which can be a little distracting watching the parties stop to take pictures. When I was there it happened to coincide with a very large wedding reception where there would be groups of 20-30 periodically passing through but this probably isn't the norm. The food and drink pairing itself were ok but it really depended on the course. One course was dangerously undercooked and another was served cold and very under seasoned. You would expect better execution from what is advertised as a high end dining experience. My experience wasn't worth the price and Criollo definitely didn't deliver up to the excellent food standard Oaxaca is known for. Don't waste your time here and try somewhere else. read more

I first went to Criollo a year ago. The food was amazing. So of course, I was going to again. I went last week and unfortunately the food quality and taste had decline. Not worth the price. It saddens me to leave this review. I hope they step up their game. read more

Ambiance was lovely -staff was sweet but the food was terrible- bland- fresh ingredients yes but no depth of flavor - no deep soul.... Flat flavors:/ would not recommend - they have cute animals in the back read more

Visiting Oaxaca this was definitely on my list. This restaurants vibe is if you want to have a nice dinner, go on a date or just have a nice time with friends. The ambiance is amazing. I love the decor and different things to look at. The servers were super friendly. The food was good however if you're looking for some hearty homey food I'd suggest going to the small business and food street vendors outside the downtown area. read more

Incredible ambiance and delicious food. Was in town for a close friend's wedding. The Criollo team catered both the wedding event the evening before (off-site) and brunch the following morning/afternoon (on-site). Everything we tasted I thoroughly enjoyed. My favorites were the shrimp soup, grilled beef, and the chorizo. read more

Criollo - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

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We read about this restaurant in an article by Food & Wine Magazine and were excited to try it. When we further learned it was the same chef as the famous restaurant Pujol in Mexico City we were even more excited. We made a reservation online. When we arrived we were seated right away. Hostess was nice and welcoming. We did not know it was a tasting only menu but were happy they could accommodate our vegan and pescatarian diets. We chose the tasting menu with the alcohol pairing. Our waiting was very knowledgeable and the service was impeccable. Every course was perfectly paired with its alcohol accompaniment and the flavors and complexity of each dish was unlike anything else we've ever eaten. The food was local with multiple layers and a plethora of dimensions. Each course just kept getting better and better. By the end we were so full and exhausted and felt like we had just experienced something wonderful. I have a feeling this will be the highlight of Oaxaca for us. read more

Best place in Oaxaca . For lunch dinner and breakfast . Quality of food and mix of tastes are the best. read more

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Ambience 5 stars Food 1 star Where do I begin? We went with such elevated expectations after reading about the restaurant and having been bowled over by Pujol in CDMX. If Pujol was heaven then this was hell. We did the 7 course menu with drinks pairing. The horror. Let's start with the drinks. The champagne was mediocre but drinkable. The rose was sour and young. The coffee drink was bizarre. The mezcal was adequate and the beer was lovely. All in all- such a letdown. None of the waiters cared for the fact that we didn't every finish our drinks or that we didn't like them. The food was worse. Much worse. Oh dear. The lentil appetizer was also divine. And everything else was beyond awful. Raw pork belly, bitter tasteless tamales, watery chocolate desserts with mysterious cream that were inedible. We left hungry. The service was so terrible- I asked three times if I could please have a mezcal cocktail and got not a single server to bring it. read more

This place is sososososo good. It exceeded my expectations! You will be full and want to come back. I loved our server as well, he was so nice and helpful when it came down to explaining our different plates. The dessert ugh! Coming back to Oaxaca just for this place is def on my list. Give this place a try. read more

Overpriced and poor service. My partner and I ordered the drink pairing with our meal and somehow it was forgotten after the first pairing. We were offered to have the drinks or have them comped and given a glass of Pinot. We chose the drinks as we still wanted to experience them. Drinks never came. No explanation. The waiter asked how everything was and me, clearly disappointed, shared it was not great. He shrugged and took my plate away. We left hungry and frustrated. This was an extremely disappointing experience. There are better restaurants in Oaxaca at a fraction of the cost who will work for your business. Sadly, it felt like Criollo relies on its sister restaurant though the ambiance is the only similarity. read more

Criollo - The only drink pairing we got... - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

What can I say? The service was poor and the food was mediocre at best. Took my girlfriend here for her birthday dinner, thinking it was going to be something special given all the press and attention slathered on this place. But don't come here and waste your money on overpriced mediocrity. Find a taco stand on a curb somewhere. It'll be a much better experience. When trying to order drinks or course correct the food that was served to us after clearly telling them we didn't want onions, we were met with shrugs and no apologies because basically the waiters didn't seem to care. Oh another thing, if they think they're riding off the coattails of Pujol, they're sadly mistaken. Make a reservation elsewhere. Seriously, y'all. read more

I wanted to hit an nice restaurant on my Oaxaca trip so I came here with a friend. The vibe was super nice and I liked the layout of the restaurant. I started with a cocktail which I didn't enjoy. The rose I got was good though, but the pour was really small. Most dishes were were either meh or plain bad. The eggplant paste caused my tongue to burn. The pea soup was so bland and the vegetables in it were undercooked (i.e. inedible). I asked for salt to add to it and was given a dirty look. There was a raw fish dish that also lacked all flavor and really needed soy sauce or something. The tiny tiny chicken was so dry it was hard to eat and the accompanying mole had zero flavor. The dessert was also boring and dry. About halfway through the meal, my friend and I decided we needed to get some real food afterwards and went to a taco stand. I also got the stomach flu that night. Not sure which restaurant it came from. Gets 2 starts because the ambience was nice and we had a good time laughing about how bad the food was and making fun of the place. In all honesty, taco bell would have been a better meal. read more

​​For our trip to Oaxaca,​ I was so excited to come to Criollo. The restaurant is a 15 minute uber/ taxi ride from the central/historical part of Oaxaca. It has one of the most beautiful patios​ in Oaxaca City and has a very quaint​ back garden that is much more casual and homely than the architecturally​ inspiring main dining area (but ​ beautiful). The main entrance is near the kitchen; it's a beautiful and clean space where the chef and his staff make delicious food. There is a Chef's table in the kitchen; it seemed like a very intimate experience between the team and the table. The food was amazing​! The menu was farm to table inspired and consisted of small dishes; hand made tortillas​ (made tableside​​), and exceptional cocktails. All made with local and seasonal ingredients​. I would recommend​ this place for the foodie who appreciates the intricacies, subtleties​, and diversity​ of Mexican food. read more

This is off the beaten path but it's from chef Enrique Olvera. This is top of the line food, experimental, traditional, and very special. It's pricey but worth it to go at least once if you're in Oaxaca. read more

Lots to do/eat in Oaxaca; skip this one. Wasn't impressed by the food or service. Tasting menu was bland; little flavor and the drink pairing was not good either. read more

This was definitely a dining experience! We were here with a larger party and I have to say the service was great despite the fact we had so many people. From the cocktails, to the ambience to the food everything was excellent. It is a 7 course prix fixed tasting menu with small tapas style dishes...but definitely plenty of food. We had so many amazing dishes and all so different and unique. The only one we were so fond of was the steak dish. It was just very hard to chew and not so flavorful. Other than that everything was phenomenal and they even catered to the young one in our group bringing her a specially made dish. They had a good wine list with many offerings from Baja. The cocktails are different every day and pre made which was kind of a bummer because we were wanting to custom order something but they were still tasty cocktails. Overall, this was a great experience and definitely worth a visit if you are ever in Oaxaca. read more

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Nice restaurant and they are only do set menu and you have to booking. All foods is good and not really far from downtown area you can walk or taxi. read more

Criollo - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

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Menu changes every day, the food was good, the wine pairings did not work at all, nothing really complemented each other. Ambiance is clean modern Mexican. Overall ok but there are better options in the area. read more

Excellent service, creative dishes, the paring of drinks with plates its not something extraordinary. Wine can be better the Mixology is much better. Portions are small but, if you have the money to spend it go fir it! the experience of different plates is worth it. Much more expensive than any other restaurants. Casa Oaxaca is much, much better price and food quality. By the way after 30min my husband and I end it up with a stomachache. Good luck! read more

One of the best experiences I've ever had it is a 7 course menu.. the waiter was amazing at explaining and the will change it around for allergies or preference every course was amazing and the flavors where out of this world this a must STOP chef Enrique really did take the best of Oaxaca produce and just made it simple yet amazing also you won't leave hungry like other restaurants read more

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Criollo was THE highlight of our trip to Oaxaca. We did the tasting menu with accompanying drinks, just telling them beforehand that we didn't eat red meat or want to eat grasshoppers. I wish now I had made notes on each dish; they each had an explanation of ingredients and process but it was too much to remember. All I can remember is that everything was SO delicious. The street view of this place is so unassuming, you'd think it was a tiny hole in the wall, but once you walk in, there's a football-field-size outdoor dining area that makes you go "wow." They walked around with smoking copal to set the atmosphere and, although it was a little chilly outside, it was just a beautiful experience. The food is incredible; I wish we could've gone here a second time, or gone for breakfast, instead of some of the more mediocre places we ended up at. Make a reservation well in advance and make sure you make this part of your visit. Expensive, but so worth it. read more

A very dissapointing experience.!!! Food was terrible. Fixed menu which is trying to be noveau cuisine but really destroying the essence of true Oaxacan food. Very expensive like 80$ per person! . Too bad because the service was wonderful and the place is nicely decorated . We travel all over the world and this is one of our worst reviews. read more

Great experience, great food and great service. The tasting menu with the drinks is absolute out of this world

A little out of the way, but absolutely worth a visit. The open-air dining area is as beautiful as the food is delicious. The 6-course tasting menu changes daily, and after our meal I wouldn't hesitate to go back in the same week if we had more time. They brought a simple meal for our 2 year old and she was beyond happy but loved desert the most, of course. The cocktails were fantastic and we were pleased to see the wines were all Mexican. Bravo Chefs Enrique and Luis. read more

Criollo is one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten at - in the world. I rate it above The French Laundry and many other Michelin starred restaurants. Classic Oaxacan ingredients and courses make up an inventive, authentic tasting menu the provides a delightful surprise on each new course. The toasted brioche-like bread with foie gras, blueberries and raspberries was small but packed an explosion of flavors in each bite. The dorado with a green mole was a table favorite. Ice cream with a sweet masa shortbread and hibiscus purée finished off a dessert course that started with a separate ice cream course -ginger & lemon zest with tiny diced mangoes. Visually stunning, the dining room creates your own sense of privacy while allowing you to feel part of the restaurant vibe. Can't wait to come back - or to buy the cookbook. the food is true to Oaxacan roots - with world-class innovation and execution. read more

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Really dissatisfied with this dinner. Husband and I decided to make a reservation a while back for our honeymoon vacation. We were hesitant to go because of the mixed reviews but decided to go anyways because the "vibes" seemed fun. Food was straight up bad. They served us a mackerel with peanut butter tahini tostada that was inedible. Why the peanut butter? Drinks were light pours. One of the drink pairings was a whiskey on the rocks which we thought was incredibly bold, since the whiskey was bad. Service was fine, a bit rushed and they kept interrupting every 3 minutes to take away our plates even if we hadn't finished. The restaurant itself was really beautiful and the dessert was good. Do not waste your money here, tons of other good eats. read more

This is the second time I ate here. The first time we went for brunch on a Sunday and it was fabulous! We ate in the beautiful garden with live music next to a succulent roasting pig and our food was wonderful. I was so looking forward to dinner. I was surprised to find that we could only order the 7 course tasting menu, but excited for a wonderful culinary experience. All of the courses except for two were very mediocre and boring. The presentation was also horrible, as black rice in a black tiny bowl made it difficult to see what you were even eating. The ice cream was wonderful but we only got about a tablespoon in a teeny bowl. The tamale wasn't cooked through and not near as interesting as the ones in the market. The price for this disappointing experience was outrageous. Don't bother going here for dinner. There are much better foodie experiences in Oaxaca for a lot less money! read more

It's so lovely. Very "foodie"!! Just know it's a fixed menu with 8-9 courses. We are a very late lunch. We thought we'd share a meal but it was only fixed menu per person. But beautiful Resturant. Amazing service. read more

One star because this is supposed to be one of the best restaurants in Oaxaca. The "cocktail" menu was a bunch of pre-mixed drinks that's were tasting like kool-aid not cocktails. When I asked for a mezcal margarita they informed me that they only had the pre-made cocktails. What kind of upscale restaurant can't accommodate a basic cocktail? The salsa was bland. The salad was decent. The pork dish was decent but the portions were so massive I was full after the third course. The dessert was disgusting and the lack of understanding of flavor pairings was almost amusing. Sadly I would never recommend or return to this restaurant. read more

Pre fix menu. 7 courses. Tapas / small plates. Very creative and delicious. The venue, however, may have even been better than the food! I highly recommend! read more