‹ 25 small cities with big food › No. 23
Small city, big food · No. 23 of 25
Oaxaca, Mexico
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0Seven moles, mezcal, tlayudas, chocolate ground in the market, and a Michelin-starred kitchen a few blocks from a smoke-filled meat hall. The trip a lot of chefs take on their days off.
Mole negro and a tlayuda
Where to eat in Oaxaca
1
Levadura de Olla
Get: Barbacollita tamal, guava mole with shrimp, pork ribs; mezcal list.
Chef Thalía Barrios García won Mexico's first Michelin star outside the capital here in 2024 and kept it in 2025. Cooking is vegetable-forward and à la carte. (theinfatuation.com)
2
Casa Oaxaca El Restaurante
Get: Mole negro and caldo de grana.
Mexico Travel & Leisure calls its mole negro and caldo de grana among the best in the city. The zócalo-side terrace fills weeks ahead in peak season. (mexicotravelandleisure.com)
3
Criollo
Get: Chilaquiles with tasajo, enmoladas, concha at brunch; dinner tasting menu.
A patio brunch spot that also serves a dinner tasting menu. Ranked on OAD's 2025 casual list. (theinfatuation.com)
4
Pasillo de Humo
Get: Tasajo, cecina or chorizo grilled to order by weight, with quesillo and black beans from nearby stalls.
The smoky grill aisle inside the market. Roughly 100-150 pesos per 200 g; bring cash. (mexicotravelandleisure.com)
Plan the trip
- When to go
- October to early November for Día de Muertos; July for the Guelaguetza.
- Getting there
- Oaxaca airport (OAX), 20 minutes; nonstops from Houston and Dallas, or via Mexico City.
More for Oaxaca
Why it's on the list
Mexico's food capital in miniature; a Michelin star and Green Star.
Next small city
Places checked November 14, 2026; hours and menus change. "A photo like it" is the same kind of food, not from that place. Nobody pays to be on our lists.
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