
By Tahona Society Editorial Team
9 Cocktails Bars (& Mezcal Spots) in Oaxaca
Written by
The Tahona Society Editorial Team
Published on
Jul 09, 2024
For the first time in Mexico’s history, the prestigious MICHELIN Guide recently released the list of restaurants in the country that impressed their inspectors in places like Mexico City, Oaxaca, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Quintana Roo, and Nuevo León.
In their first selection, 157 restaurants were included. Of these, 42 have received the Bib Gourmand Award, which recognizes restaurants that offer excellent food at reasonable prices. Additionally, 16 restaurants were awarded one MICHELIN star, two received two MICHELIN stars, and six were awarded the MICHELIN Green Star for their commitment to sustainable practices.
The selected locations, ranging from sophisticated fine-dining restaurants to lively, street-side taquerías, were recognized for offering a “culinary effervescence that is both authentic and indulgent” to locals and tourists. This asserts Mexico’s position as one of the most important gastronomic destinations in the world, standing side by side with the likes of Italy, France, or Spain.
The culinary diversity and authenticity of Mexican cuisine, as well as the uniqueness of each region and what they bring to the gastronomic scene of the country, were taken into consideration for the guide, in addition to the five main pillars that MICHELIN’s inspectors use to assess restaurants all around the world: quality of products, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, harmony of the flavors, personality of the chef represented in the dining experience, and consistency between inspectors’ visits.
While we would love to share details about all 157 winners, it would make the article endless. Therefore, for this occasion, we will focus on the selected restaurants in Mexico City and Oaxaca.
It’s no secret that the already famous Chef Olvera and his team in Pujol have a knack for preserving tradition and reinvention since the year 2000, with their homages to Mexican cuisine in an elegant and sophisticated manner. This has turned Pujol into a place of cult for epicures and gourmands visiting the city. Pujol is considered a global representative of the New Mexican Cuisine.
Their Omakase taco menu is a Japanese-inspired experience. Attendants are led through a 10-course menu with dishes that change daily, all based on native corn. They also offer a traditional tasting menu that includes “mole madre” with Mexican pepperleaf tortillas and smoked baby corn. These experiences have become renowned for their aesthetics and mix of traditional and avant-garde techniques applied to regional dishes.
It is important to note that Chef Olvera was honored with the Mentor Chef Award for his impact on global gastronomy. He has inspired numerous chefs worldwide to explore and understand Mexican heritage, techniques, flavors, and ingredients.
Pujol has become a renowned destination for professional chefs and food enthusiasts worldwide, offering them the chance to experience innovative Mexican cuisine while appreciating its deep-rooted traditions.
Besides being the name of this restaurant, Quintonil is the name of a typical herb found in Oaxaca. Here, you’ll find elegant and creative dishes that amaze you in an unpretentious, modern, and beautiful place. Quintonil offers an attractive and innovative combination of local products of the highest quality. Its tasting menu evolves daily, with famous creations such as crab with blue corn tostadas and green pipián, with an international touch of Thai basil and kaffir lime. Chef Vallejo has become known for achieving incredible balance on every plate and crafting meaningful culinary works of art.
Named after Chef Martínez’s daughter, Emilia, this cozy restaurant filled with warm, indirect light is a truly intimate place. You’ll experience a contemporary kitchen with Mexican ingredients focused on seafood. The tastes are refined, and the assembly is audacious, showcasing complexity at its finest.
Immersed in a calm, pleasant atmosphere with abundant greenery, this restaurant invites you to experience a unique culinary proposal. It is known for its great technique and the exceptional quality of its ingredients. The tasting menu and the short selection of share-plate dishes will leave a lasting impression with their homemade, adventurous, and lively spirit.
At Rosetta’s heart lies seasonal and sustainable Mexican ingredients that harmonize with global flavors from Italian cuisine. Chef Reygadas’ creations will immerse you in an intimate conversation with traditional dishes and products that celebrate simplicity and incredible value, strongly emphasizing vegetables.
Since 2008, a spacious and modern area designed by prominent urban planners and architects has been hosting Chef Nuñez’s proposal centered around Mexican vegetable cuisine. The tasting menu changes with the best ingredients of every season, most of which are grown in the restaurant’s own garden.
In a city filled with thousands of taquerías, El Califa de León surprised MICHELIN’s inspectors with its expertly cooked steak, fresh tortillas, and a wide selection of tacos, including steak, rib, and pork chop. These tacos are exquisite on their own, even without the side sauces. It’s no surprise that this combination has been described as “elemental and pure.”
Oaxaca is well known for the richness of its indigenous culture, in particular when it comes to the exquisite gastronomy and the authenticity of its ingredients, such as Oaxaca’s seven moles, considered a crowning jewel of the region, and captivating products like quesillo, tamales, tlayudas, and the rare pasilla mixe chile, among others.
Oaxaca’s gastronomy can be defined as deep and complex but subtle, and it is one of the best in Mexico and the world.
Here, two incredible restaurants were awarded one MICHELIN Star: Los Danzantes and Levadura de Olla.
Chef Barrios’ cuisine is colorful and creative. It showcases traditional recipes from Oaxaca in tandem with flavors from her hometown, San Mateo Yucutindoo. Vegetables, particularly a signature selection of native tomatoes such as ribbed tomatoes (called riñón in Spanish), are prioritized over meats. The meatless tamales, a recipe from Chef Barrios’s grandmother, are incomparable. The cuisine in Levadura de Olla is sincere and filled with childhood memories.
At just 28 years old, Chef Barrios was given the 2024 MICHELIN Young Chef Award. Her mother and grandmother taught her how to cook. Her trajectory and personal history bring a unique personality to her cuisine that transforms traditions.
One of Oaxaca’s favorite restaurants for over twenty years hasn’t stopped evolving and refining itself despite its long history. The ingredients rooted in ancestral cuisine from Oaxaca are present but combined in innovative ways thanks to research and the use of avant-garde techniques. Los Danzantes even has its own brand of mezcal.
The restaurant has been awarded a MICHELIN Green Star for its commitment to sustainable gastronomy. It has its own organic garden, only uses seasonal ingredients, and implements “zero-waste” strategies. For instance, it gives glass bottles and kitchen oil to a glass factory that uses the oil as an alternative fuel. It also reuses coffee grounds in compost and collects rainwater for its crops. The restaurant’s team has also partnered with small, local producers, artisans, and other social organizations.
This is but a mere portion of the first selection for the MICHELIN Mexico Guide 2024! We’re sure this will bring experts, gourmets, and travelers like you to Mexico, turning it into a world-renowned gastronomic destination!