Jelena Pasic

This is the best food place in Oaxaca as far as I’m concerned! Of course, I have not tried all of them, but whatever we had here was completely extraordinary. Service was very good , and the atmosphere was relaxing and pleasant. Highly recommended for flavors that will blow your mind! To walk off all that deliciousness , check the nearby murals in the neighborhood after dinner.

+2

Charlotte Gund

I had the most incredible dining experience at this restaurant in Oaxaca. The tomato salad with quesillo was outstanding — fresh, full of flavor, and beautifully balanced with the creamy richness of the local cheese. Even more unforgettable was the mole with octopus. The mole was deep, complex, and perfectly seasoned, while the tender octopus made it truly unique and extraordinary. The atmosphere was authentic and welcoming, and the service attentive yet relaxed, making the entire evening feel special. This restaurant captures the very essence of Oaxacan cuisine — bold flavors, fresh ingredients, and dishes prepared with heart. If you’re looking for an authentic and memorable culinary experience in Oaxaca, this place is an absolute must 🙂

Mako3

Spectacular! Loved the BLACK MOLE Thank you to all the staff for being so nice and helpful (we had special needs) and Omar runned the extra mile for us ❤️

+5

Nada Heuring

Simply fabulous. The ambience was so lovely, beautiful garden setting. Wonderful gentleman playing the saxophone. Such a nice touch. Service was outstanding! A good explanation of the menus items. The foot was over the top. We ordered 3 different entrees and they were all delicious. The short ribs and molè sauce won!

+3

Jason Lopez

Lunch here was wonderful. We met a friend who had been here before, and so we shared two main dishes, the pork with an almond sauce and a short rib with a red mole…both were outstanding. As an appetizer, we shared the guacamole and cheese plate, which was super tasty. We also had the tomato salad and it was beautiful and delicious. It was not crowded for a midweek late lunch, which is a great secret since it is nearly impossible to get a dinner reservation.

Holy Mole delicious! Tucked away in a neighborhood this cozy little restaurant is a must especially for a nice romantic evening. The food presentation and explanation was excellent. First time I le…

Holy Mole delicious! Tucked away in a neighborhood this cozy little restaurant is a must especially for a nice romantic evening. The food presentation and explanation was excellent. First time I …

Holy Mole delicious! Tucked away in a neighborhood this cozy little restaurant is a must especially for a nice romantic evening. The food presentation and explanation was excellent. First time I …

Best regional Oaxaca exquisite cousine. Unpretentious yet incredible well done. The friendly staff makes you feel at home.

Best regional Oaxaca exquisite cousine. Unpretentious yet incredible well done. The friendly staff makes you feel at home.

I always start my reviews with service and it was terrific from the first greeting to the animated and warm goodbyes. The shaded and very welcoming patio is the basis of the seating. Very nice. The…

This restaurant manages to be cozy and sophisticated at the same time Friendly staff with good english speakers so they help you with the local options if you need explanation. The food was deli…

Everything about Ancestral is amazing. The food is fabulous and the ambiance is absolutely gorgeous. We consider it a MUST DO when visiting Oaxaca!

Beautiful shaded courtyard, delicious breakfast, perfect coffee. And great service. This has become our “local” during our stay in Oaxaca.

Mojo Karlsson

We have been to three Michelin-starred restaurants here in Oaxaca. None of them have stars but are mentioned. In two of them we didn't understand how they ended up there. I have eaten there three times and I will go there again. The first time I had shrimp in mole. It was good but there were some shrimp shells in the mole that were difficult to sort out, other than that it was delicious. After that I had cutlet with almond mole. HA‼️ Tender meat and a mole that was delicious, both times. Next time it will be ribs. You sit wonderfully there, go in and keep left, sit by the fence. If I have to complain about anything it will be the staff. I / we may not look like Michelin fans but not everyone looks like they are. First there was a waiter who took the order, some small problems with English, which we solved and laughed about, then he had to come back with the head waiter with a stern look, he repeated the order, I replied that the first waiter was perfect, he laughed and got a sharp look from the head waiter. Abuse of power is not something you want to experience wherever you eat. The first waiter was absolutely with us, nice, funny, safe and service-minded.

Sanel Selimovic

We had a good experience here. The service was excellent and friendly. Drinks were good too. The food was good, though it wasn’t to my liking. I felt the mole lacked a bit of depth of flavor to it. Their famous tacos of shrimp and tripa are good but I really don’t like tripa so we didn’t enjoy that at all. We left it at that and didn’t want to try other dishes. If you’re not deeply familiar with Mexican cuisine these details will probably not bother you and you’ll probably have a good time and a great meal. I wouldn’t go back based on the two dishes we ate.

+2

Lauren Crenshaw

Had an excellent dinner at ancestral. I was craving some mole and this place came recommend. There’s several to choose from such a mole negro, yellow, and red. I asked my waiter which he recommend and ultimately went with the short rib with red mole. The red mole was delicious, I’m glad I got a side of tortillas to soak up the last of the mole. The short rib was cooked very well too. The roasted vegetables that came with the meat were delicious as well. It included carrots, corn, zucchini and cauliflower. The cauliflower was pretty bland but the rest of the vegetables were tasty. You must get the mole ice cream. Super unique and delicious. The dessert is served with a plantain and mole sauce as well as the ice cream. They serve complimentary tostadas, salsa and feta cheese. This was nothing special. The salsa was not very good and the feta cheese was an odd touch in my opinion. You can skip this is and save room for your entree and dessert.

+2

Super cute garden style outdoor restaurant, great service and food is delicious. We ordered lots of stuff as we were couple of people and we shared the dishes.

I went for breakfast. Excellent chilaquiles verdes. Excellent friendly service. I have not have lunch or dinner there but menu looks good.

It is a beautiful location. Unfortunately, it is way overpriced for what you get. I had a very sorry cheese plate, and my friend, a simple salad. It is in a neighborhood full of restaurants. I sugg…

Up market food but small portions vs price. Some difficultly with a range of options on the menu. They do like to create some meals table side which was fun to watch. Meals in the group not enjoyed…

We were disappointed. Expecting something extraordinary and getting mediocre. The rice/ risotto was drowned in butter, the stone soup was flavorless and the arroz con leche was soggy. It was our l…

Raidan Al-Eryani

Where do I start…I went with my wife last night, on July 27, 2025 and from the moment we entered, it was just a bad experience and nowhere near what a Michelin star restaurant. Nobody spoke a lick of English, the internet nor the wifi worked and their menus are digital, so the waiter had to use their phone for the drinks menu which they don’t have physically. We order cocktails and my wife orders water, and they only bring 1 glass for her?? We then look at a menu and nobody could explain what a Tasejo is. The guy said “beef”, I then proceeded to google translate what kind/how it is cooked, and they really gave no information — almost like they had 0 pride about their food. I can generally see beyond the service and focus on the food, then we start by ordering a couple of dishes, and when they bring they put on the table prison style and walk away, first time we receive NO explanation of what the dish is, not even in Spanish which we can handle a little. Ok…maybe the ancestral way don’t explain the dish? Then the Octopus came, same thing, I ask what the dish is. His response “Pulpo y mole”, for which he poured the mole sloppily. Ok…again no elaboration of the dish. The octopus was tender, but the vegetables were RAW! Once again we wonder whether the ancestral way of eating potatoes is raw? I make sure to leave 3 of 4-5 quartered what appear to be fingerling potatoes on the side, so we can show the Chef that the knife hardly goes through (I do this motion). The guy says “si si”, goes away, and nada. We were flabbergasted that this was a Michelin starred restaurant, just couldn’t believe it — from service to food. PEOPLE, your research may tell you to go to this heavily toursit-focused resto (0 spice in sauces), if you’re visiting Oaxaca city, your friends may have been there and tell you the same, it is NOT worth it. Maybe it used to be good back then, it is NOT now — beyond the 0 english and service, they have no pride in the food they serve as evidently demonstrated when SHOWING them the potato and veg were raw.

I had read some really encouraging & good reviews of this place, so we wer excited to give it a shot. After a 25 minute walk, we arrived to a pleasant scene at the entrance, of women making fresh tor…

This is one of those places where you better go out for dinner at a local spot 1st. You know, those True Gems that the food is fire, the flavors are on point. Then afterwards you can head out to An…

Juliana Cruz

The food is edible, but for the price and the hype, I expected much more. Overall, it was mediocre, nothing you couldn’t get at a simple “fonda”, the market, or even make at home. My dish arrived cold in the middle. The octopus was cooked properly, but everything else fell short. The mole was ok and the rice was dry and tasteless, and the vegetables were cold and under-seasoned. The ceviche had good flavor, but it was mostly onion with very little fish. The service was fine, though not for what they charge. Nice concept, disappointing execution. I wouldn’t recommend it.