Thalía Barrios García is the chef and cocinera (traditional cook) behind two of Oaxaca’s most exciting restaurants. Hailing from the southern mountains, Sierra Sur, of Oaxaca, Barrios has been a fixture on the Oaxaca restaurant scene since opening her first restaurant, MICHELIN One Star Levadura de Olla in 2019. Her institutions are known for their superb food and service as much as their commitment to fair wages and healthcare and benefits for employees.
For a great pastry
“Before I go to the Sierra [mountains], I always stop by Bodaega for one of their danishes. It’s a can’t-miss spot to visit, and I really love their communal there where you can meet new people and chat with others. Bodaega has excellent pan dulce as well as well as a great vibe.”
After living in Denmark for three years, Rafael Andrés Villalobos returned home to Oaxaca to start his own bakery alongside his partner. Exclusively working with wheat grown in Oaxaca, Bodaega serves up a selection of laminated pastries to be enjoyed around a single shared table in this cozy downtown space.
For specialty Oaxacan coffee
“David [the owner] is an expert in coffee. He really cares about the coffee plant and has been a trailblazer for specialty coffee here in Oaxaca city. They buy small lots from producers they have close relationships with, and there is always something new, something interesting, or something that will make you want to learn more about coffee.”
Sagrado Filemon is one of the best in a selection of third-wave coffee shops across the city. Housed in a two-story colonial home in the heart of el Centro, the terrace offers breezy views of Oaxaca's famed landmarks. Opt for a pour-over from their always-changing selection and try the coffee cream and cocoa nib pan dulce.
For guisados
“Doña Ceci prepares lots of different guisados [stews] for her tacos. There’s everything from squash blossoms to skirt steak. In Oaxaca, tacos de guisado are very traditional to eat in the morning, and Doña Ceci has a great selection. They’re big, really delicious, and I love them.”
For fresh seafood when it’s hot
“The seafood at La Cevichería is always very fresh. Especially when it’s hot outside, it’s one of those places I love to go to enjoy something fresh, a ceviche, or a fish taco. Chef Irving Zúñiga is very creative and does a great job.”
La Cevicheria is in the Colonia Reforma, just steps north of the city center. Chef Irving Zúñiga’s menu hopscotches around coastal Mexican favorites, like aguachiles and ceviches, but also offers something new.
For Sundays
“I love the way they make their beans, and the tetala de barbacoa is delicious, so is their consommé and all their beverages, like micheladas. The answer is always ‘yes’ when friends ask if I’m going to Obispo for barbacoa on Sundays.”
In Oaxaca, barbacoa, slow-cooked goat and the accompanying stock for dipping, is a religion. Barbacoa spots are easy to find on the highways leading in and out of the city, but Barbacoa Obispo, is one of the few spots nearby the city center. Stop by on a Sunday and you’ll find big groups of families and friends gathering for Sunday lunch and sobremesa, the leisurely after-eating convivial hour that’s a staple in Spanish-speaking countries.
For an intimate dinner
“Xaok is one of those places that you don’t want to share because you want it to stay small and a secret. It has just a few tables and the kitchen is open, so you can see what they’re cooking. It feels intimate, very personal. On top of that the food is delicious.”
At this matchbox-sized restaurant on the corner of Oaxaca’s Conzatti Park, guests will find a small menu that takes inspiration from Oaxacan classics. Dinner leans more international.
For late night tacos
“This taquería on the skirts of the city isn’t like your average spot where they prepare more because they know they have a busy night ahead. Señora Vargas doesn’t have a closing hour because she closes when the meat is gone. She takes her time, but she has the best tacos de suadero and tasajo, and her clients will follow her anywhere.”
Just outside of Oaxaca City in colonia Llano Verde, Taquería Betito draws a crowd from across the metro area. Señora Merced Vargas started Taquería Betito 15 years ago, and today makes every taco by hand herself—at her own rhythm.
For a visit to a museum
“My forever favorite museum is the stamp museum. I’m a big fan of hand-written letters. They’re a very intimate way to connect; to dedicate time to write a letter is to open yourself completely. Today, when we’re so quick to grab our cell phones, this place always inspires me and reminds me with a sheet of paper and a pen we can always write letters, maybe even letters to ourselves.”
Oaxaca’s stamp museum, Museo de la Filatelia (MUFI), houses an impressive collection of stamps and letters, like one of the first-ever adhesive issued postal stamps and original letters from Frida Kahlo to her physician, detailing her symptoms.
For a mezcal experience and education
“I really admire all the years they’ve spent researching and documenting the mezcal production process, beginning with the seeds, the soil, and the pollinators. They really take care of every step of the process. This is a project I greatly admire, and Graciela is a true expert who is doing right by her family and family’s history."
Produced by the Ángeles Carreño family, Real Minero has been producing mezcal for five generations. A visit to their palenque, or distillery, is a lesson not only in mezcal production, but sustainability, workers’ rights, and the challenges the industry faces today.
Address Book:
Bodaega
Miguel Hidalgo 1203, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
Sagrado Filemón I Pan y Café
Ignacio Allende 218, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
Doña Ceci
C. Porfirio Díaz 808, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Luis Jimenez Figueroa, 68070 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
La Cevicheria Oaxaca.
Eucaliptos #108, Reforma, 68050 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
Barbacoa Obispo Cocina Rural
Calz. San Felipe del Agua 327, San FELIPE, Agencia Municipal de San Felipe del Agua, 68020 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
Xaok
Gómez Farias 222, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
Taqueria "Betito"
Zaragoza 15, Barrio san miguel, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
Museo De La Filatelia MUFI
C/ de la Constitución 201, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
Real Minero LAM
Iturbide 53, 71534 Santa Catarina Minas, Oax., Mexico
Hero image: Thalía Barrios García
