Super weird. As a solo traveler I was placed in a hallway like I was in solitary confinement. My waiter didn't seem knowledgeable at all. I really had high expectations but unfortunately my last meal in Oaxaca was a disappointment. read more

This is a great place. Not pretentious but excellent food and service at an acceptable price. The food is great and you get satisfaction with less food because the flavors are amazing. The house wine is good quality and the menu is concise but creative. You cant go wrong with any choice. No rush and very friendly. But make a reservation. read more

Awesome experience. One of the coolest atmospheres in any restaurant I have been to. I recommend the season chefs tasting experience. read more

Origen - Duck confit enchilada with mole - Oaxacan Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

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amazing place. went for a late lunch. loved it all.especially the duck and tongue ceviche read more

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This place was by far the best we had experienced in Oaxaca. The food takes the main focus. The staff is attentive polite, quiet and informative and the owners must be veterans of the food industry. It's done the way I wish all restaurants could be. My wife and I came here for lunch as a walk in. The restaurant is bright, beautiful with a bit nonchalant Spanish /Mexican blend. It feels rustic and high class. The cocktails were amazing, savory and sweet but boozy. I loved the tasting menu, 6 amazing courses done to perfection. Unique flavor combinations, tender octopus and lamb done to perfection, a hint of old school Oaxaca cuisine with a modern twist. It was high class complex and elevated. 5 solid stars and than some! Don't miss out on this experience. read more

Origen - Oaxacan Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

Duck confit enchiladas were fantastic but the fish entree I had was undercooked with soggy skin. Dessert was very good so food a mixed bag. Service was just average. read more

We ordered a tamal, it was hard and dry, we just tried a small bite, we told the waiter to please exchange for another dish (mole enchiladas), the waiter refused and told us we needed to pay for the tamal regardless. This is an expensive restaurant, so we asked for a manager, the manager told us she would see what she could do, after around 30 minutes of waiting the restaurant exchanged the plate for half an order of enchiladas, the enchiladas were literally cut in half. We suggest you better go to Casa Oaxaca or Catedral. read more

Amazing spot but be careful not to miss it. Just a narrow corridor to tastebud heaven. Ignacio is an amazing server and very gracious in demeanor. The second floor ambiance is wonderful as one dines, you can hear the street noise below... awesome experience. read more

Origen - Oaxacan Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

Restaurant aesthetics: 2/5 Nothing really exciting about the restaurant except that it's on the second floor and has large windows for natural lighting. Drink: 2/5 I asked the waiter for something fresh but not sweet and he recommended a drink called tropical70 a cocktail with Mezcal, peace and mint. The drink was way too sweet and unbalanced. I was expecting to taste some smoky from the Mezcal but all I could taste was SWEET syrup. Food: 4/5 I cane in for a drink and a small bite to eat because I was planning on having dinner at another location. So I ordered the Molotito de plátano macho with chilcostle sauce and crema istmeño on top. It had beautiful presentation and the flavor was well balanced. Surprisingly I even enjoyed the sour creamy cheese. If I find myself in Oaxaca again, i wouldn't mind coming back in to try more food. Next time I'm in Oaxaca I'll be sure to try some more food and possibly a different cocktail. Los Danzantes down the street is better overall. read more

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After many visits to Origen, this remains my favorite Oaxacan restaurant--- for ALL my favorite reasons! *Consistent, high quality foods with a beautiful, artful presentation. *Excellent wait staff that has been superbly trained to be available but not intrusive; helpful and alert, I love them. *Quiet and relaxing, very conducive for intimate dinners, or with friends, or a weekend lunch. *Cocktails are superb, and actually have alcohol! A reservation is helpful. read more

Ok so we had reservations at 8pm and made them 2 days prior. It's my fiancé's birthday and the hostess puts us at a table by the kitchen in a dark hot room / side of the restaurant where I was like "you've got to be kidding me!" I told her we are visiting & would like one of the 4 available tables I saw by the patio & balconies and she said they were reserved and I was like yes but we didn't reserve this awful table by a kitchen that's banging pots & pans!!! Unbelievable! I told her we would just go and she was like ok! Wow! She's awful! The restaurant can suck it! I've never had such a horrible first encounter! I will never recommend this place or ever go back!!! read more

The staff was super friendly and accommodating. I took my elderly mother who has some diet restrictions. Both of us enjoyed our meal and the relaxed environment. read more

Ok so I rarely complain but this place is way overpriced you are in the food capital of Mexico save some money and go elsewhere. In this price class of food you should get better flavors but here it's all presentation not performance. read more

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Service was top notch. Appetizers were a real highlight. Get the tomatoes as well as the ceviche. Some of the best food I had in Oaxaca.

I came here with my wife and a large party of family and ate a delicious lunch. I ordered a moscow mule, the confit with flying ant mole adorned with pineapple and peach slices and shared a ceviche with my wife. Everything we ate was delicious, stunningly plated made to look like a work of art and unforgettable. My wife and I will be back soon so we can eat our way through the city. read more

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Truly one of the worst fine dining experiences I've ever had. I really wanted to like this place. I was looking forward to this experience before I even planned my trip to Oaxaca from America. I live in Los Angeles to I have the fortune of trying and experiencing a lot of cultures and therefore their foods, especially at high levels of cooking and status. To me, food isn't about the price or location or name, but the experience and of course the flavors / skill of the cook. BUT that being said the experience includes service. I don't know if it's because my boyfriend and I are american or young or both but we were ignored for most of the night and overlooked. There were several times my boyfriend or I attempted to call a server over with no luck. Not only were we not given any attention but there were two separate times in which a server either looked at our table with empty glasses and finished plates and or lack of plates but still watched away. One time I even made eye contact with a server and she still walked away and ignored me. There was one server who seemed to be making up for her lack of work and ignorance but he is only able to clean up after her so much. Dishes were not explained or given the proper attention needed for the price and name this place has. We only ordered 2 dishes (as they were out of several dishes we wanted) and we were given no direction or help for alternatives. A lot looked good but there was no personal connection made to make the food more enticing. We ordered the potatoes to start since we were starving but they were so basic and too powerful in flavor, they needed something to balance them out. We then decided on the duckk breast which took forever to come out yet was cold and only had two slices. At this point my boyfriend and I were so disappointed in every aspect (service, taste, everything), we decided to ask for the bill instead of ordering more even though we were still hungry as it wasn't worth the wait, lack of quality and taste , as well as overpriced. The ambiance was just okay. Only the seats near the chairs were nice and everything is was in an awkward either very dim or extremely bright lighting. Some seats felt isolated while others felt packed and too tight. Nothing about this place screamed elegance but rather trying to fake it and covering up being average. To make this all worse it was my birthday and we didn't make a big deal out of it but each employee asked if we were celebrating anything and we told them yet they did nothing to go above and beyond or even do the bare minimum to make it special and show they understand I could celebrate but decided to go there. I will say they did give a free dessert which was very appreciated but we already asked for the bill before they could bring it out to show how much we wanted to leave. Don't go here but instead somewhere authentic or Casa Oaxaca read more

The food was excellent. Almost all of the dishes were outstanding. The problem was the service. It was VERY bad. One-star bad. Our waiter asked to take our order before we were ready and then disappeared. After almost half an hour, I asked what I thought was a bus boy (he hadn't taken any other tables orders, just removed plates) and then he ended up taking our order. They didn't change our plates between courses, didn't bring us water until we asked for a third time- and then brought bottled water even though I asked for filtered - and never checked on us. When I said we wanted dessert, our new waiter also disappeared. Finally I asked our first waiter who our waiter was, and then a new waiter came to our table. He apologized and told us they were "trying a new system of service tonight." Considering this is supposed to be fine dining, I expected a lot better. Other tables were being tended to a lot better than we are- perhaps because they ordered the tasting menu? I have no idea. But customers deserve better. read more

We are huge fans of all of Hugo Ortega's restaurants in Houston and frequent them often which is why we sought out a table at Origen. unfortunately it was a bit disappointing especially for such a high price tag as far as Oaxaca goes. Atmosphere/decor - 4.5 Food- 3.5 Hospitality/Staff- 2 The atmosphere was great and a welcome, moody change to most Oaxacan restaurants that are drenched in light and color. The mood is darker, more romantic, and cozy. Our starter of plantain dumplings, while inventive, was a bit bland. My boyfriends sous code pork was divine, but my main was just okay and in dire need of more salt. The staff started out strong. We were immediately greeted and offered drinks. Questions about the menu were explained and then ... we were kind of rushed through and neglected all at once. For example - aside from our first glasses of wine we were left to do our own refilling from the bottle, dirty dishes from our starter stayed at our table until halfway through our main, my comment that our starter was a bit cold and not "really to our liking" was ignored. If we were paying regular or even slightly high prices for Oaxaca these faults in service could be overlooked as cultural differences, but we have been to all of Hugo Ortega's restaurants and I know the expectations of service and food generally far exceed expectations. At Origen it really did not. Basic service skills were not displayed let alone those to be expected from a restaurant of this caliber. Hopefully this improves because there is definitely potential for greatness. read more

Origen - Oaxacan Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

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Amazing food, great service and friendly atmosphere. This was the best meal we had in Oaxaca and quite possibly the best meal I have ever had. read more

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Wonderful meal with lovely service in elegant surroundings. Delicious cocktails, shrimp tacos and the tasting menu which was great- ceviche, pulpo, goat and something else I can't remember- all creatively seasoned and prepared- read more

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I'm sorry to say that our group of four was singularly unimpressed with our meals at Origen, which surprised us all. We liked the menu and the food looked pretty beautiful, but with almost every dish something was just off. I wish I could say otherwise. I hope it was just an off night for this well-regarded restaurant. read more

Just off the Zocalo, Origen was my favorite dining experience in Oaxaca. Our large group of 14 was seated in the second floor dining room which had windows that looked out over the street. Despite our group's size, service was impeccable. The food here was inspiring. Like most restaurants that I ate at in Oaxaca, the food was locally sourced and of the utmost quality. Origen stood out for the lightness and freshness of the dishes. Leaves incorporated into the presentation of every dish helped to invoke that feeling or lightness and freshness. Everything was fresh. The flavors and presentation were spot on, and we all enjoyed a personal visit from Chef Rodolfo Castellanos. I only wish that I had discovered Origen earlier in my trip and been able to eat there more than once. read more

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Very high end, experimental Oaxacan cuisine. The dining room was absolutely beautiful situated on the second floor of a gorgeous, airy building that reminded me of Havana, Cuba. The food was quite gourmet, veering into the abstract. Lots of insects as is traditionally Oaxacan. At some points the food felt like it was trying too hard but overall a very sophisticated dining experience. read more

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Just came back from dinner at Origen. This was absolutely the worst (and most expensive) meal that we had in Oaxaca. It took 1.5 hours for our entrees to arrive. Three out of six of us ordered the shrimp with corn and potato dumplings. The shrimp were raw and we didn't see any dumplings. The server didn't seem to care much - just took back the food and asked if we wanted anything else. No one apologized or offered us a round of drinks, dessert or anything else. This is a tourist trap. The smaller local restaurants are much less expensive and have much better food and service. read more

Like other diners who have reviewed this restaurant and deemed it "racist," we made our reservation last month, responded affirmatively to their email requesting confirmation days before we were to dine there and to a phone call the day of the reservation, dressed appropriately and showed up on time, and were shown to a table past the lovely main dining room overlooking the street and floor below to a dismal, dark, (and not in a romantic way, more like a storeroom way,) spare room next to the kitchen. There was a table for us two all set and ready in the nicer area "but we have reservations," they said. But we have a reservation. We confirmed. "We are fully booked, I'm sorry. By the way, I may not look like a local and my blonde friend spoke in English first, but I speak fluent Spanish. The other reviewers who had the same experience noted they only put the gringos on that room despite space in the dining room remaining open all evening. We didn't wait to find out, having already been disappointed by this discourtesy and lack of welcome. read more

Really, really great food! Probably preferred it to Pitiona honestly. We ordered 2 appetizers 2 entrees and 1 dessert to share, it was all great and we were very satisfied at the end. Would absolutely reccomend if you're looking for a higher-end dining experience in Oaxaca. read more

I do not write this review easily but this place was not worth the money when compared to the other restaurants and food stalls in Oaxaca. I didn't have a single dish that offered a new flavor or experience worth writing about. Of course if you are on a cruise ship or want to check all the boxes you can come here and I'm sure you will have an amazing time. I did have an amazing drink though read more

Outstanding meal! Highly recommended! From the smoked tuna aguachile, to the confit of suckling pig, to the free range chicken mole and the pigs feet terrine! And to end the feast: Jamaica cannoli and chia pudding with white chocolate meringue! Very kind and knowledgeable service. If you are in Oaxaca don't miss this place! read more

Food was GREAT. Service sad. No one spoke even poor English and I couldn't understand them with my mediocre Spanish. 95 peso for plain water. With so many amazing places this will be low on my priority list. read more

There are a lot of fine restaurants in Oaxaca, and in the month we were there, we visited many of them. But the food at Origen was, by far, the best we had in the month we were in Oaxaca. This is fusion, Oaxaca version of contemporary food "a-la-Oaxaca". The flavors were a symphony, perfectly orchestrated and blended. My partner and I ordered two meals and shared them (as we usually do to sample as many dishes as possible). Her fish (boba fish) was a firm-fleshed meat, tender and extraordinary in flavor. I had the squid and homemade pasta with squid-ink, also divine. Our cocktails were perfect, the desserts were both over the top fabulous, and the service impeccable. I mean, what's not to like? Don't miss this place. Again, with all the fine eating in Oaxaca, it may be easy to overlook Origen, but you will be missing out. read more

Underwhelming is a understatement, food was bordering on bad with so many good restaurants nearby do yourself and everyone else a favor and skip this one. Apart from being expensive the food was almost tasteless. There are definitely way better options out there. read more

Best meal we had all week in Oaxaca. Service, impeccable. Food, outstanding. Ambience, great. A perfect place for a romantic meal. The menu is a gourmet twist on local fare. Very unique. The various "mole" options were well done. I'd recommend without any hesitation read more

The menu in the restaurant, handed to us by an English-speaking waiter, looked nothing like the one we had seen online. (The waiter confirmed it changes every 2 to 3 months to take advantage of seasonal ingredients and allow the chef ample room for creativity.) It was filled with fresh fish, octopus, duck, ceviche, tar tar, bone marrow and other ultra-fancy foodie-loved dishes. Having eaten our fill of steak and cheese the night before, we were looking for something a little lighter and greener. So we focused on starters, salads, and chicken. We ordered a mushroom tostada, grilled greens soft tacos, guacamole, and the arugula salad. Although the sous-vide chicken on the menu came with different sides, we really wanted to try the huitlacoche risotto (made with a local course textured corn), and the waiter was very flexible about a little mixing and matching, so that we could have both. While we waited, the waiter presented us with some crispy tostones, which looked and tasted like they had been cooked on a flaming grill. A little pot of yellow sauce accompanied them and, as we tasted a dab to measure the heat, we broke into a grin. This sauce was smooth as silk, and the flavor was so well rounded - sweet and mildly spicy (less spicy than a jalapeno), but there were other flavors that I cannot hope to describe. I can't think of anything to compare it to. It was so delicious. From that one mouthful on, there was no doubt the meal was going to be exceptional. Dish after dish, we smiled and purred and cooed and laughed at how incredibly delightful, surprising, innovative, and balanced every dish was. The unexpected amuse bouche, 3 little balls of sour cheese fried in a light tempura type batter and set on a little dollop of exceptional sauce was presented so beautifully and looked to appetizing that we completely forgot to photograph it, gobbling it down in one delicious bite. The sauce was so delicious that I scraped at the plate, trying to get every little bit of the bright, sweet, and complex sauce. Again, I couldn't even begin to imagine what was in it, but my kingdom for the recipe! The baby arugula salad paired the peppery greens with a bright lemon vinaigrette. But it was not just arugula - there were a mixture of delicious baby leaves that I was not familiar with, which tasted so good it made me wish I grew a garden. And on top of the pile of implausibly tasty greens was a lacey crunchy green confection to add salt and crunch to the mix. It was a dynamite salad. The delicious mushroom tostada and grilled greens tacos were a delight to the senses with at least a dozen colorful ingredients in each and felt completely guilt free. But finally the piece de resistance -- the sous vide chicken. I am not a chef and do not know how the chef prepared this wonder of wonders, but this is how I imagine it happened. De-bone a whole chicken. Take a piece of the breast and leg (and who knows what other good bits), wrap it together in a ball, and sous vide it, so that all the facts and juices from each of the chicken's parts meld together and are absorbed into all of the pieces of meat. Next, wrap the circle in skin and pan sear it, to give the exterior a beautiful golden sheen and crispy texture. The result is the most flavorful, succulent, moist chicken you will ever eat. No sauce or rub required, just the complete beauty of a humble chicken on display. The chicken was accompanied by a wonderful dish with corn, herbs, and mayonnaise. The waiter told us this was a special local Oaxacan dish eaten at Christmas time. it was delicious - sweet, savory, and mild, it tasted nutty and creamy and was the perfect accompaniment to the chicken. But since we could not leave without trying the risotto de huitlacoche, we also paired the chicken with a generous bowl of dark blue-grey, creamy risotto. The huitlacoche had its own texture, but worked as well in the risotto as rice, with a slightly larger chew. The sauce was fatty, creamy, and tasted as if it was possibly made with rich roasted bone marrow drippings. Everything about the huitlacoche lends itself to this medium, bleeding its color, flavor and texture into a dish so hearty and decadent that, as much as we wanted to, we could not finish the bowl. After such an incredible meal, with every bite pitch perfect, we couldn't imagine ordering dessert. But that didn't stop us from taking a peek at the menu. Although there were any number of things to tempt any palate, we all stopped after seeing the first item on the menu: candied figs with hand made ricotta, hazelnuts, ice cream, and honey. We didn't think we could eat another bite, but for this, we would find room in a hollow toe. Few things can compete with a perfectly ripe fig, but even my favorite chocolate doesn't stand a chance against one of these candied figs. I can die a happy woman. read more

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First off the food was delicious and probably the best we had during our stay in Oaxaca. The service, however, was quite disappointing. This is an upscale restaurant and one should expect the same from the service. We ate in several smaller restaurants with much better service. For a restaurant that has been open for as long as they have been, I would think they would have their act together. read more

This dining experience was one of the worst ones I've had to date. When we made our reservation, we were told that there was a 10-minute grace period otherwise we would lose our reservation. This is typical so we arrived 10 minutes prior. As we were seated and had ordered our drinks, the waitress spilled the watermelon water all over me. I felt bad for the waitress as she seemed really distressed and told her accidents happen, not to worry. I was with a large group so I excused myself and told the group I'd take a cab back to the Airbnb so I could change as the clothes I was in were soaked. The restaurant didn't offer to pay for my cab which I thought was weird but went along with it. After I returned to the restaurant, the group asked the head waitress to move forward with the tasting / fixed menu (with the wine pairings). The first course came out and we didn't get our wine paired to our course; by the time we finished our meal, they decided to bring out the wine that was supposed to pair with the first course. For our second course we waited at least 30 minutes, and had the same issue where we didn't get our wine pairing until after we finished our meal. As the waitress came to pick up my plate for my second course, she spilled it right next to me and proceeded to tell me that someone from our table had "bad energy" and needed to be cleansed in Sage and Palo Santo. Not only that but, at this point, another 45 minutes had gone by before we got our third course and we had to ask the waitress to bring our wine pairing with our third course before we began our meal. By the end of our dinner, when we asked for the bill, the restaurant didn't offer to comp for anything and expected us to pay full price for the terrible service. I would understand if the food had been fantastic, but it was extremely underwhelming and overpriced. I do not recommend this restaurant whatsoever. You're better off going to Criollo, Danzantes, or Casa Oaxaca. read more

Awesome food. Started with ant egg appetizer on a broth. I had the fish special for main. Amberjack in a light mole. I was concerned at first thought. But chef pulled it off. I'd come again and surrender to any it. Everything on our table was good. read more

Delicious! Get the pork tenderloin dish and any of the mezcal cocktails (esp. the mexcal sour) and you won't be disappointed! Lovely atmosphere, wonderful service. read more

Origen - Pork tenderloin dish - Oaxacan Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

Our favorite restaurant in oaxaca by far. Actually ended dining there twice. Incredibly tasting food and beautiful presentations. Hat off for the chef in this fenomenal executed menu they wonderfully combines the tastes of oaxaca. read more

Origen was quite a wonderful dining experience. First the decor and overall vibe = beautiful and relaxing. The staff is highly professional and attentive. The food? Just as good as everything else at Origen. My meal started with the sea bass ceviche. This ceviche was bold and superior and I couldn't get enough. The sea bass was perfectly cut to smaller pieces and lightly cured in a pineapple based citrus that was delectable. I noted the pieces of charred pineapple in the ceviche, they were delicious, and that kinda detail is what set the flavors at Origen apart. Up next I had the Beef Barbacoa with homemade noodles topped with a poached egg. This dish reminded me of a lot of bowl of ramen, but with a twist. Very very good. The attention to flavor profile is omnipresent at Origen and I highly recommend for a bold and adventurous meal in Oaxaca. read more

Origen - Sea Bass ceviche - Easily the best ceviche I've ever had . - Oaxacan Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

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Rating this restaurant against its reputation as one of the best in Oaxaca. Disappointed given the name behind it and the stellar reviews. The server never offered us water. The plantain dumplings were tepid. The potatoes were clearly re-heated (rubbery texture and 10min wait between ordering and getting the dish) and overly salted/spiced perhaps to distract you from the poor execution. The spaghetti squash was overly salted which over powered every other element of the dish. The sous vied pork tenderloin was good- however it is nearly impossible to mess up sous vied. The polenta was a poorly executed attempt at a traditional polenta and was more like a under cooked oatmeal. The grilled peaches were no where ripe and the harsh acidity did not compliment the dish. At least the Mezcal sour was decent, although too sweet for my taste. The chef can't even get basic potatoes or polenta right and serves tepid food- I'd say this place is in need of serious quality control. If you actually want a stellar meal go to El Destilado not here. read more