If you happen to come across a woman mixing a foamy beverage by hand in a huge clay pot, you have found Oaxaca’s best-loved drink: tejate. Made from dried mamey seeds (a tropical fruit best described as a cross between avocado and melon), the refreshing drink has a rich, one-of-a-kind flavor with a slightly sweet finish. Pinpointing the city’s best tejate is almost impossible — recipes are passed down from generation to generation, and each tejate maker (almost exclusively women) has her own personal touch. You can find stellar versions at just about any local market, and one of the best is run by Lucrecia Ruíz. Working out of the Benito Juarez market, she offers a special version of tejate prepared with cocoa. [$]

Chef Rene Saynes runs a lively, hip space for his innovative menu of seafood dishes, starring ingredients from his parents’ hometown of Juchitan in the Isthmus Region of Oaxaca. Ceviches, fish tacos, towering aguachiles, and oysters on the half shell show off the bounty of Mexico’s waters. To drink, try the La Chula, a popsicle made with mezcal and seasonal fruits that’s served inside a michelada mixed with your favorite beer. [$$]

This cart has been a staple for more than 25 years on the corner of Jardin Conzatti, where it prepares puffy, loaded tortas in every combination you can imagine: quesillo, picadillo, pork milanese, tasajo, ham and pineapple, plus breakfast versions with egg and chorizo. The pickled peppers and fresh vegetables put each sandwich over the top. Grab an agua fresca and find a spot at the nearby park to enjoy it. [$]

Flor Heras is a third-generation chocolatier and co-owner of Rito Chocolateria, the shop and chocolate company her family founded years ago. Today, Heras is pushing her art even further with Reina Negra, a new sub-brand of obsessively sourced bean-to-bar chocolate that you can sample and purchase at the Rito storefront. Situated across from one of the busiest markets in town, the shop sells packaged chocolate as well as agua de chocolate, fruit-filled pastries, and other ready-to-eat treats. It’s also where Heras holds small workshops where visitors can learn everything about chocolate, from the raw ingredients to the process to its history and cultural significance to the Oaxacan people. [$]

This is one of the most famous street stands in all of Oaxaca City and a perennial favorite among local chefs and cooks. The family-run operation cooks up unparalleled versions of empanadas de amarillo (big corn quesadillas filled with tomato and chicken stew) and tacos de chile relleno, among other cooked-to-order bites. Start your morning with traditional tacos and empanadas prepared with fresh corn dough and cooked on the Oaxacan clay comal (large pan) while the chorizo cooks beneath. [$]

This place is a Oaxaca classic. Fresh salsa mixed tableside and warm Mexican hospitality are the trademarks of this critically acclaimed restaurant from chef Alejandro Ruiz, who celebrates the traditional flavors, recipes, and heritage of his home state with a menu that soars from start to finish. Find mole negro, coloradito, and manchamanteles (three of Oaxaca’s most iconic dishes) cooked from scratch with ingredients sourced from eight of Oaxaca’s own distinct culinary regions. Make sure you try their mezcal cocktails, also known as Mezcalinis. [$$$$]

Selva means jungle, and it’s a fitting name for this new cocktail bar on the second floor of Los Danzantes restaurant, where patrons are definitely transported into another world. The focus here is on local ingredients traditionally used in Oaxacan healing, with those aromas, flavors, and textures playing into the rotating menu of drinks — heavy on mezcal — by co-founder and beverage director Alexandra Purcaru. One Sunday each month, local chefs are invited to create a brunch menu to pair with cocktails designed specially for the occasion. [$$$]

Olga Cabrera of Tierra del Sol hails from the Mixteca region of Oaxaca, and her favorite dish to make is also her best: mole. She has over 30 moles on her menu — some traditional, some original creations. The restaurant has an amazing, comfy terrace, and the location in the center of town is ideal. She recently transformed the first floor into a bakery, Masea, Trigo, and Maîz, where she sells breads and other pastries baked fresh daily. [$$]

In a yellow facade just blocks from the Santo Domingo cathedral, chef Andy Sanchez prepares an effortless menu of simple but sophisticated dishes that put a modern spin on Oaxacan tradition. The octopus carnitas tacos are a constant hit, as is the rotating ceviche of the week. Micheladas are made with a mix from the beloved nearby La Giralda Bar, and a robust breakfast menu includes stacks of pancakes piled with tropical fruit. [$$$]

Thalia Barrios Garcia comes from a long line of cooks, starting with her grandmother and continuing on through her mom and aunts, all of whom live in the town of San Mateo Yucutindoô in Oaxaca’s Sierra Sur. After graduating from culinary school, she had one goal: to open a place where she could cook alongside her aunts and serve the food her family had been perfecting for generations. Today, that spectacular cuisine (delicious soups, otherworldly tamales) is available at Levadura de Olla, right in the heart of Oaxaca. Note: Levadura used to house Garcia’s private, chef’s table-like experience, but that business, La Cocina de Humo, now lives a few blocks away; see separate listing. [$$ - $$$$]

Just outside the city’s hectic downtown, Criollo is Enrique Olvera and Luis Arellano’s countryside Oaxacan food lab. Both chefs are big players in the Mexican culinary scene, and they’ve been working together for years, first at Enrique’s signature restaurant, Pujol, and now at Criollo, where Arellano’s Oaxacan background is on full, delicious display. Located in a colonial mansion with a spacious courtyard, the restaurant’s six-course tasting menu changes daily, but maintains a consistent emphasis on iconic regional Mexican flavors, and a particular focus on Oaxaca. Criollo’s outstanding traditional tamales, tostadas, moles, and stuffed chiles are prepared with a contemporary, produce-driven twist and paired with an enviable selection of Mexican wine, mezcal, and craft beer. [$$$$]

On the third floor of Hotel “Casa Abuela Maria” in downtown Oaxaca lies this hidden gem, dedicated to serving simple traditional food from Oaxaca’s Isthmus region, about six hours east of Oaxaca City. Sisters Candy and Miriam Abad opened this small family restaurant in 2019, and today you can find excellent versions of garnachas (small fried masa discs with various toppings), molotes (filled pockets of fried masa dough), and other traditional dishes from the region. A rooftop patio offers unbeatable views of the city. [$$]

Situated directly next to La Soledad church, the town square known as Jardin Socrates holds a special place in the heart of Oaxacans. This is where your parents would take you and your friends for birthdays, graduation, or any other celebration. It’s also the go-to stop after Sunday mass. There are several treat stands here, but La Oaxaqueña has been making nieve for more than five generations. All the flavors are delicious, but try the traditional leche quemada con tuna (burnt milk and prickly pear). [$]

There comes a time during any good night in Oaxaca when the mezcal catches up with you. It is exactly this time that you should wander over to the corner of Libres and Murguia and seek out the small cart known as El Lechoncito de Oro. The specialty here is lechon, or roasted suckling pig, and there are just three menu options, which is plenty: tortas, tostadas, and tacos. Pick any one, and choose from toppings or fillings like lechon with chicharrón (crispy fried pork belly) or lechon with pierna (tender pork leg). If you dare, ask for the salsa especial — nobody knows the secret recipe, but one ingredient is definitely fire. [$]

This Oaxacan coffee mini-chain started in 2006, with the goal of working exclusively and directly with small, local coffee producers around the region of Pluma Hidalgo near the coastal town of Puerto Escondido. So far, the founders have not only kept their promise, but their business has thrived while doing so, expanding to five locations throughout Oaxaca City. Aside from excellent coffee, Brújula carries what might be the city’s best sugar cookies. Or skip the coffee altogether and try the Pepe Limón, a fresh lime juice smoothie, or anything else from the large roster of drinks and pastries. [$]

Coronita is a true downtown Oaxaca landmark, founded in 1948 by Doña Carmen Valle, who to this day you’ll find sitting inside the restaurant, keeping an eye on things. This is one of the best places in town to enjoy the traditional seven moles from Oaxaca, with a special mole tasting flight that’s available every day. Don’t skip the caldo coronita, a chicken soup with the bonus of a whole chile pasilla. [$$]

Locals know best, which is why it’s always hard to find a spot at this beloved taco cart on the streets of downtown Oaxaca. Chefinita is the nickname for Josefina, the founder and chef behind the famous pozole, which you can order with pork, beef, or both, served with some fried tostadas topped with guacamole. There are also delicious pork tacos and tostadas, and be on the lookout for the purple plastic container that holds one of the most famous (and spiciest) salsas in all of Oaxacan cuisine. Chefinita opens as soon as it gets dark and stays open through the early morning, making it the perfect place to cap off a mezcal all-nighter. [$]

The vast mezcal library of Ulises Torrentera is the ultimate place to taste and learn about Oaxaca’s signature spirit. You’ll often find Ulises himself behind the bar, pouring samples from his collection of more than 180 different types of mezcal and teaching the intricacies of this Indigenous spirit. The tiny shop and tasting room are located on the bustling Morelos Street, walking distance from downtown’s main hotels. Purchase a tasting, a bottle, or order a glass a la carta. [$ - $$$]

Every market in Oaxaca has what’s known as a pasillo de humo, or smoke aisle — a smoke-filled alley where meat is sold and grilled by the kilo. The main pasillo de humo is located inside the 20 de Noviembre Market right next to the Zocalo, but the air here can be as thick with tourists as it is with the smell of cooked meat. Locals tend to prefer the one inside the sprawling Abastos Market. At either, the move is the same: purchase some meat from one of the stalls and they will provide a grill for you to cook your meat the way you like it. Wander the market and pick up a few garnishes and sides — avocados, green onions, a variety of salsas, fresh tortillas — and make it a meal. Here’s a tip: Purchase some drinks from one of the nearby nieve (ice cream) stalls and they’ll let you use their tables and chairs. [$]

Crisp meat-topped tlayudas are one of Oaxaca’s signature dishes, and while you can find them served in restaurants here, they’re traditionally a street food, and the best ones are sold from small carts around town. About two blocks from the Zocalo, near the corner of Bustamante and Mina streets, you’ll find a local favorite selling simple but excellent tlayudas starting at dawn, made with traditional toppings like tasajo (strips of dried beef) and pork chorizo. Help yourself to fresh molcajete salsa, and add a frothy chocolate atole or an agua fresca to finish off your street food feast. [$]

In the heart of Oaxaca’s Abastos Market sits a bright blue stand named Memelas Doña Vale. Here, you will meet Vale Pacheco, the esteemed Doña Vale, who makes a version of Oaxaca’s iconic memelas that are so renowned, they earned her a spot on Netflix’s Street Food. Memelas are a Oaxacan signature dish: a small corn tortilla that’s given a pinched rim while cooking to hold myriad toppings, whatever you choose. The stars of this place — besides Doña Vale herself — are the giant molcajetes where she prepares two very different and astoundingly nuanced salsas: one dark, smoky salsa made with chile morita and miltomate (green tomatillo), and another red tomato and green chile salsa. Order a couple of memelitas and ask for grilled tasajo, eggs cooked on the comal, or pork ribs on the side. For drinks, you have two options, delicious Oaxacan hot chocolate or cafe de olla. [$]

For fresh Mixteco-style lamb barbacoa, head to El Tejupense. The dirt-floor restaurant is about 30 minutes outside the center of Oaxaca, not far from the airport, but the prices and flavors can’t be beat. Along with the daily batch of fresh barbacoa, try the masita, a dish made with hard, ground corn topped with lamb meat and blood sausage. [$$ - $$$]

Almú is a hidden smoke kitchen near Cerro María Sánchez, the sacred mountain in the Ocotlán district of Oaxaca, about 40 mins away from the city center. Located inside a copal tree reservoir, Almú serves homemade food prepared daily by cooks from the region, including delicious tortillas, quesadillas, and empanadas from the comal; black mole with rice and chicken; grilled veggies with quesillo that are melted under the comal; and the most delicious salsa de carne frita (pork ribs fried with a lot of garlic, and served with tomatillo sauce and frijoles de la olla). [$$]

Beatriz Vazquez might just dress up like Frida Kahlo, but she’s a true artist when it comes to the kitchen — especially the mole estofado, which is among the most delicious in all of Oaxaca. Make your way out to Ocotlan de Morelos, a small town about 45 minutes from the city center, and visit the Morelos Market, where you’ll find her making chiles rellenos, her famous mole, and what she calls the “naked taco,” a grilled chile de agua stuffed with chicken picadillo, rolled in a tortilla and cooked on the coals. [$]