Randall was an unbelievably great tour guide, and made Oaxaca come alive for us. He took us to…read morethree local distillers chosen to compliment and contrast each other, and we tried over 60 mezcals throughout the day. His personal relationship with each distiller made it feel like we were visiting good friends, and the entire experience was deeply meaningful. Randall also filled the tour with amazing discussions on everything from history to chemistry to mythology stories, gave us surprise additional mezcal tastings to test our palates, and extended the tour because we were all enjoying it so much. He is overflowing with knowledge on mezcal and very generous in sharing it. Mezcal Educational Tours was fantastic, and you should specifically request Randall. The entire day was the highlight of our trip to Mexico - we walked away wanting to return to Oaxaca and drink mezcal with Randall again.

Randall was our guide and his experience and deep wealth of knowledge made this the most fun and…read moreeducational mezcal adventure you could ever dream of. Didn't know a lot about this spirit but now feel I can speak about the origins, distillation process, variations, and a little bit about the culture surrounding the mezcaleros. It's a crash course! Randall is a gem and a really great guy, honored to have had his presence for the day and the meszcal legends he introduced us to. He really knows how to read the room, encouraged me to try more (try the pulque!) and I'm glad he did. Highly recommend!

Amazing Oaxacan Michelin star restaurant. We had the tasting…read moreof different moles before we ordered our main dish. We loved the ambience and the friendly staff.

We went here because it has a michelin star. The service was excellent and the ambiance was lovely…read more We decided to go for lunch since it was easy to get a reservation. Hubby got the mackerel and the veggie terrine. He said the mackerel was the best he ever had. I got the tomato salad and the tacos. Both were very good. I can't find it five stars because i felt the menu was limited and my dishes did not blow me away. Had my expectations been lower i would give five stars.

Had an excellent dinner at ancestral. I was craving some mole and this place came recommend…read more There's several to choose from such a mole negro, yellow, and red. I asked my waiter which he recommend and ultimately went with the short rib with red mole. The red mole was delicious, I'm glad I got a side of tortillas to soak up the last of the mole. The short rib was cooked very well too. The roasted vegetables that came with the meat were delicious as well. It included carrots, corn, zucchini and cauliflower. The cauliflower was pretty bland but the rest of the vegetables were tasty. You must get the mole ice cream. Super unique and delicious. The dessert is served with a plantain and mole sauce as well as the ice cream. They serve complimentary tostadas, salsa and feta cheese. This was nothing special. The salsa was not very good and the feta cheese was an odd touch in my opinion. You can skip this is and save room for your entree and dessert. The inside of the restaurant is very elegant and nice. Mostly open air which I like.

Easily one of the best meals of my life. Absolutely the best Mole that I've ever tried. Actually, a…read morecouple of them. We accidentally stopped in here a few days prior to grab a quick cocktail and lunch and based off of that knew we had to come back for dinner before leaving. The atmosphere like a lot of places in Oaxaca is just stunning covered by plants and beautiful architecture. This place has a really nice variety of Mezcal and traditional yet, creative dishes of Oaxaca. Each of the dishes felt very well crafted and thoughtful. The depth of flavor and everything really was remarkable. We tried some chorizo and queso croquettes a ceviche and a pork shank that you could've used a soft spoon to cut. The service was also very hospitable. One of those type of places you need to stop in. One last thing. Both Yelp and Google have the location wrong but just slightly. As you are walking on the unassuming street/alley you'll see it dip in a little side street with a lil coffee shop and what looks like maybe a dead end. It's actually tucked back there haha!

Juan is not only an extraordinary tour guide but also an utterly delightful man. He has deep…read moreknowledge of Oaxaca which comes wrapped in a completely natural and comfortable manner. I wish we'd had another day or two with him. We had time to add on an additional couple stops and even had an earthquake during an excellent lunch!

Juan was an incredibly thorough tour guide. We used him for three days recently - one day at Monte…read moreAlban, one day at Mitla and one day to explore the artisan villages to the south of Oaxaca. His knowledge about the history of the area is incredibly deep. We learned so much and he was able to adjust his itinerary for us as he learned more about our interests. On an operational note, Juan was always really responsive via email, he arrived on time every morning and his car was really clean and comfortable. Strong recommend all the way around!

We stopped because the place was absolutely stunning and we decided to get some food…read more We had the tortilla soup and the memelitas (mushrooms, zucchini flower and octopus), absolutely delicious! We also tried several of their mezcales. Definitely a must try kind of place!!

I arrived here last night around 8pm or so without a reservation after getting turned away at Los…read moreDanzantee. It's a relatively large restaurant and they were able to seat me immediately which was great as I was starving upon arrival. The decor is simple but nice. It's definitely less flashy than similarly priced restaurants in the area, which wasn't an issue for me but take that as you will (ie not sure it's the best for a romantic date night). I ordered the tortilla soup which I didn't love, but it could just be a matter of personal preference. The avocado in it wasn't quite ripe enough. The pork tacos, however, were absolutely fantastic and it was a very generously sized portion. I loved the accoutrements it came with like the salsa and pickled onions. For a drink I ordered the chapulin cocktail mostly because I wanted to try chapulines, which I actually enjoyed more than I was expecting, but the drink itself was unexciting and didn't taste very boozy at all. Overall I would come back for the tacos and try some other menu items too, but I would skip the soup and cocktail next time.

Selva is a gorgeous little cocktail bar, cozy, stylish, and full of character. The bartenders…read morereally know their craft; they took time to explain each drink and even the garnish pairings, which made the whole experience feel elevated. I made the mistake of showing up on an empty stomach, and that's on me, but that's definitely not the move here. The food is designed as small bites to complement the cocktails, not full meals, but everything I tried paired beautifully. The tuna tostadas were a standout; super flavorful and perfectly balanced with my drink. This is the spot I'd come back to for a nightcap or date, beautiful ambiance, great music, and a refined but welcoming vibe.

Stay away- they don't deserve your money. The owner shushed our friend who was taking a picture of…read moreour group- and the owner snobby WHITE lady said rudely to her- "this is not a public place, Keep it down!" My friend quickly said okay not understanding what had just happened until it hit her that she had shushed her. We had reservations and were ready to drop a lot of money for drinks but we asked a server who that lady was and he explained that it was the owner so we got up and left! Many of us were Mexican, others American but we were not about to be support such a place and be treated like that. Super super rude! The servers were nice and respectful though. So- again- don't come here. We weren't even loud but apparently the owner wants a library type of place- lame.

I came here for the renowned drinks but also ended up loving their food! It's a super cute spot…read morewith tiles and open balcony doors. We were able to get a seat right away and the servers were super helpful. My friend wanted to try some mezcal and they let us taste a couple before choosing. We sat at the restaurant instead of the bar because it was cuter and I wanted food too. I tried two of their fruity mezcal drinks and loved both. I forget the names but one had watermelon, and the other had coconut and lime. I ordered cheese stuffed plantains with mole and this was soooo good. It was very filling too!

Sabina Sabe is a popular restaurant and bar located in the city center of Oaxaca. It was recently…read moreon the list of North America's 50 Best Bars. I thought it was funny when I got the menu and the food menu was only one page while the drink menu was five pages. The outside of the restaurant is blue-ish and the restaurant has multiple rooms. The ceviche del dia ($190 MXN) was a little sweet and not as tart or sour as others I've had. The tacos de sirloin ($170) were really good and were our group's favorite. The taquitos dorados de mole negro ($140) were okay; there was no meat just in case you were wondering. The aguachile rojo de camaron ($190) were good. The esquite con tuetano ($100) was not like a typical corn in a cup but it was closer to a corn soup. For drinks I had the pequeño gigante ($210) which was good. The paloma madura and paloma margarita were both favorites among our group. We went during the day and it wasn't that busy but supposedly it gets way busier and livelier at night.

This place is amazing, starting with the service. These people make feel so welcome right from the…read morestart. Food is simply amazing and very tasty! My octopus was perfectly cooked. The place is so beautiful and decorated that aligns very well with the food. I highly recommend this place!

So I found this restaurant just while driving around the town and it looks so cute and I looked it…read moreup and it looks so nice on the inside that I said yes we're definitely having Thanksgiving dinner here since we went to spend Thanksgiving here in this beautiful city. When we arrived, they had our reservation at the place was so nice. They even had live music at one point but not loud very nice music. They had a great selection of drinks and wine so you couldn't go wrong there. We got a variety of plates. I got the steak which was phenomenal. It literally was like butter. My aunt got the mole and I have to say that was delicious. We also actually started with a beat and goat fluff cheese, which was amazing. Definitely must have. We also got a shrimp taco, which was phenomenal. For a drink I got a carajillo which is one of my favorite things to drink when I'm in Mexico. Overall, great experience here everything was beautiful and great presentation and very well served. Definitely booked this restaurant when you are in the city.

View is a 10 out of 10…read more We came here specifically for the roof top! There are lots of tables and seating available. There is a stage for live music and there is a breathtaking view of the most beautiful Cathedral in Oaxaca, Santo Domingo Service was super slow as the employees are understaffed, there was only one waitress, she was very overwhelmed, we sympathized with her and remained patient Drinks were good, view is amazing, prices are reasonable

Excellent service. Amazing food. Great ambiance. Perfect views of Templo Santo Domingo. Flawless…read moredrinks. We had an amazing time here.

This is a rooftop restaurant by Plaza del Danza. It is located in a hotel. You would walk in and go…read moreup the stairs (keep walking as you pass by the seats and hotel amenities). Note: make sure you place a reservation ahead of time. We didn't but we decided to wait (the estimated wait time was 25 minutes, but we were seated within 5-10 mins). We ordered the cocktails (tasted good - the mezcal mule could have been stronger but the mezcal old fashioned was strong). Food tasted great! I loved being able to watch the kitchen work and send out food. It felt like one of those high end restaurants. There is an english and spanish menu. Staff was attentive and made sure we were good with our orders. You can also pay by credit card. The restrooms are by the kitchen.

Lovely unassuming spot in the center of Oaxaca. Service was good and great prices considering the…read morebeautiful rooftop experience + deliciously prepared food. Most memorable for me was the soup -- don't remember the name but the broth was delicious and has a piece of corn on the cob in it. They had the traditional Oaxacan staples but what I loved is that they rolled the Tlayuda. A good spot to add to the list while visiting Oaxaca.