We loved our trip to Mexico City so much, we were itching to get back. However, we decided for a slower, smaller speed for our next Mexico trip: Oaxaca City. Between the thriving art and craft culture, ideal mountain climate, and rich culinary traditions, it was an amazing trip for us. We did a Wednesday-to-Wednesday trip at the end of January and only ventured out of the city one day, when we took a day trip to Mount Alban. This gave us enough time to fully explore the city, and for Jason to become a regular at his favorite coffee shop.
The Food + Coffee
Oaxacan meal of mole, memelas, and tetelas, and aqua fresca.
Oaxaca is famous for its food scene, given its preservation and celebration of its pre-Hispanic roots. In fact, the best “guidebook” I found for our trip was a cookbook, Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico. Oaxaca is known for its mole (seven different kinds), mezcal, indigenous corn varieties, chocolate, and grasshoppers (chapulines). As a corn-raised farm girl, I can attest that the varieties from Oaxaca are distinct, healthier, and pack so much for flavor than any other corn-based dishes I’ve had.
A recap of some of our favorites:
Onnno: Our first meal. Great cafe, relaxed vibe, good coffee.
Sagrado Filemón: I still think about the fruit-filled breakfast bowl I had here. It was so good, we went back for breakfast the next day. Gorgeous rooftop space.
Levadura de Olla: Given this restaurant’s Michelin Star, it was one of the few places I got a reservation for. It was absolutely gorgeous. The food was good, although probably not the absolute best we had. However, the mezcal cocktail was the drink of my dreams, and I say that as someone who doesn’t typically even like mezcal.
Tierra del Sol: We had a beautiful rooftop breakfast here. However, I actually appreciated stopping by its bakery more for a sampling of corn-based baked goods.
Bodaega: Our second Airbnb was right across the street from this Nordic-Oaxacan bakery. It was small, but we could always get a spot and we definitely tried many of its pastries.
Nono Cafe: This is where Jason spent most of his morning coffee time.
Alfonsino: I really debated getting reservations at Alfonsino. It required a 30-minute cab ride outside of the city, which was part of the draw. The 5-course tasting menu was the most expensive meal we ate, and while it was unique, it was not necessarily better than other meals we had a far cheaper restaurants. If someone asked me, I’d probably tell them to skip it.
Tacos del Carmen: Case in point, these very cheap street tacos were incredible. After a few days of seeing the line, we finally joined it and were very happy with our decision.
Boulenc: A Oaxacan go-to, and for good reason. It was another beautiful courtyard building. Highly recommend for brunch.
Terno Cafe: Terno has the best third wave coffee in Oaxaca. The owner and roaster, Celestino, is very into coffee and knows what he’s doing.
Casa Oaxaca: Another Oaxacan classic for upscale dining. We had one of our last meals here, overlooking the walls of Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca and couples strolling the main drag.
Unforgettable breakfast from Sagrado Filemón
Onnno Cafe
Casa Oaxaca
Art, Architecture, & Culture
As we were first getting to know the city, it took us a bit to discover just what a courtyard city Oaxaca is. From the street, there are not really storefronts or a lot of windows, but as soon as you step inside an open door, you are transported — into an elegant restaurant, an art gallery, or, our favorite, a small museum.
We loved the textile museum, photography museum, the Graphic Arts Institute, and the museum of contemporary art and culture. There were also a ton of printmaking studios and galleries. I brought home some textiles, prints, and ceramics.
We were also lucky enough to catch a wedding ceremony in front of the Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán. A huge crowd formed to watch the puppet people dance and the couple emerge from the and immediately start dancing to a live band on the plaza.
We definitely had to check a bag coming home
Mount Alban
Besides Alfonsino, the only other time we left the city was to see Mount Alban, a UNESCO Heritage Site that served as the capital for the Zapotec civilization for centuries. It was a major political, economic, and religious center for the Zapotec and Mixtec populations. It was kind of unreal to be able to stroll the grand plazas, climb up the pyramids, and poke into the tombs. The view of the valley from the top was incredible.
Final Thoughts
Compared to Mexico City, Oaxaca City was calmer, cozier, and quite distinct. We could get by in both places on pretty limited Spanish, and folks in both cities were so warm and welcoming. The hospitality culture is truly unmatched. I expected the food to be quite different, and that was indeed the case. If I went back to Oaxaca, I’d want to get to the beach, but for a first trip, we were more than happy staying in the city.
A shout-out to our last Airbnb, one of the best we’ve ever stayed in.
