Ancestral Cocina Tradicional

This was an amazing experience from beginning to end. We had the 6 course tasting menu with pairings...beer, wine, mazcal. Our server Uriel took special care and explained everything we were tasting. The chef even allowed us to have two different tastings of everything. Highlights were the ceviche, octopus, beef with Mole Roja, and dessert.

Really great food and service. Very relaxed ambiance. Worth the hike into Xochimilco. I had the fish and lentils and it was superb. Huge selection of Mezcal and a solid wine list. I will be coming back to try the breakfast.

Had an excellent meal here overall. Worth a stop, especially when you’re visiting the murals and the architecturally interesting children’s library in the Xochimilco neighborhood. Food was thoughtfully prepared. The turkey with peanut mole was really delicious. Not much for vegetarians.

I would give this place five stars, but it is really lacking dairy free and vegetarian options. The things we were able to order absolutely fabulous, but there are no mains that are vegetarian.🤷🏼‍♀️ the service is fantastic, the atmosphere is beautiful and it is in the lovely neighborhood of Xochimilco . We loved the cocktails that we got also. It just needs to expand its menu to accommodate peoples food allergies a little more. Highly recommended.

Outstanding restaurant. The food was amazing - you have to have the short rib with red mole and the turkey with peanut mole. 10/10. Also, try the insects tostada. Go on, give it a go. It's really good.

For anyone looking for a vegetarian-friendly tasting menu in Oaxaca, look no further! On a whim, I called the restaurant to enquire about veg options, and Anna, the host, followed up with me via WhatsApp to clarify any further dietary restrictions. They took the time to speak to the chef and developed a gorgeous 6-course tasting menu! The server, Avi, was attentive and thoughtfully timed my courses with my partner’s (who did not get the tasting menu) appetizer and main. He offered an explanation on each dish as well as a serving suggestion, and each course was presented beautifully. They have a wide selection of a variety of mezcals of different origins, and we were offered a complimentary sample at the end of our meal. It’s a little tucked away and off the beaten path, but well worth a visit if you’re looking to experience good food in Oaxaca. Highly recommend!

Great food and wonderful setting. We were lucky to be able to try local food cooked and prepared perfectly.

Delicious chicken mole. Mezcal margarita was very weak. Overall, food was great and I would return. Be sure to wear citronella, there were many mosquitos in the evening.

This was an amazing experience from beginning to end. We had the 6 course tasting menu with pairings...beer, wine, mazcal. Our server Uriel took special care and explained everything we were tasting. The chef even allowed us to have two different tastings of everything. Highlights were the ceviche, octopus, beef with Mole Roja, and dessert.

Really great food and service. Very relaxed ambiance. Worth the hike into Xochimilco. I had the fish and lentils and it was superb. Huge selection of Mezcal and a solid wine list. I will be coming back to try the breakfast.

Had an excellent meal here overall. Worth a stop, especially when you’re visiting the murals and the architecturally interesting children’s library in the Xochimilco neighborhood. Food was thoughtfully prepared. The turkey with peanut mole was really delicious. Not much for vegetarians.

I would give this place five stars, but it is really lacking dairy free and vegetarian options. The things we were able to order absolutely fabulous, but there are no mains that are vegetarian.🤷🏼‍♀️ the service is fantastic, the atmosphere is beautiful and it is in the lovely neighborhood of Xochimilco . We loved the cocktails that we got also. It just needs to expand its menu to accommodate peoples food allergies a little more. Highly recommended.

Outstanding restaurant. The food was amazing - you have to have the short rib with red mole and the turkey with peanut mole. 10/10. Also, try the insects tostada. Go on, give it a go. It's really good.

For anyone looking for a vegetarian-friendly tasting menu in Oaxaca, look no further! On a whim, I called the restaurant to enquire about veg options, and Anna, the host, followed up with me via WhatsApp to clarify any further dietary restrictions. They took the time to speak to the chef and developed a gorgeous 6-course tasting menu! The server, Avi, was attentive and thoughtfully timed my courses with my partner’s (who did not get the tasting menu) appetizer and main. He offered an explanation on each dish as well as a serving suggestion, and each course was presented beautifully. They have a wide selection of a variety of mezcals of different origins, and we were offered a complimentary sample at the end of our meal. It’s a little tucked away and off the beaten path, but well worth a visit if you’re looking to experience good food in Oaxaca. Highly recommend!

Great food and wonderful setting. We were lucky to be able to try local food cooked and prepared perfectly.

Delicious chicken mole. Mezcal margarita was very weak. Overall, food was great and I would return. Be sure to wear citronella, there were many mosquitos in the evening.

My wife and I found our way here after a quick Google search. Way worth it. We both got the tasting menu which was incredibly generous. I'm not sure if and when they change their menu so I won't go into details about dishes. But this was not what I expected but was completely wonderful. The first was a wonderful ceviche, a rock soup with fish and prawns and my favorite dessert I think I have ever had with amaranth a bit of ice cream and an ice cream cone filled with nut paste, and apples. This was not what I thought so my expectations were completely subverted.

We tried a few higher end restaurants here and Ancestral was the best all around experience . Really unique traditional food in a lovely interior setting, with live music and relaxed but attentive service and very reasonable prices. The table side prepared fish soup was a fantastic show and tasty too. Be sure to try the moles! Many to choose from and great desserts too. I'd go back if I had more time .

I'm going 5 stars, though Jim G. and I enjoyed other restaurants more in Oaxaca.The ambience, the service, and the live music definitely take it up to 5. Be forewarned, most of the online-based map services will take you in the wrong direction! Luckily, we started going to the restaurant early (as we had a late reservation). After walking about 20+minutes in the wrong direction (taking us to a dead end street ABOVE the restaurant, where we'd need to scale down some embankment to actually reach the place), and having some lovely locals attempt to tell us how to get there, we arrived on time for our reservation. Quite large and beautiful restaurant. Everything is mostly outside, though you're protected from the elements by some of the walls. It was nice to see the sky and feel the breeze while listening to great music and enjoying some drinks. Of course we had some mezcal and I had to try the Coctel Del Dia, which in this case was mezcal, jamaica, and limon. It was tart and refreshing. For dinner we shared the Molotes de Platano, Aguachile de Tasajo, Pork Belly, and the Mole Negro Pollo. All the dishes had unique spins and were tasty, with the Aguachile and the Mole being our favorites. Rene was a great server and we enjoyed our meal, after we finally chilled out from our adventures walking through the farther reaches of Xochimilco, that is!

Maybe they were having an off day - but everything was lacking from the food to the service during dinner. The waiter kept tapping the menu on the back of our chair to rush us and was impatient in explaining the menu. The flavors for the dishes were also off and some lacked flavor. The drinks were also meh. Wouldn't be back.

I can't believe this amazing restaurant was only a few minutes walk from out AirBnB in Xochimilco. We were lucky to squeeze in without a reservation thanks to the wonderful hostess who took pity on us. We started off with amazing Mezcal Margaritas (no more tequila for me) accompanied by crispy, thin breads, spicy salsa, marinated vegetables (kinda like giardiniera) and some marinated fresh local cheese. My wife had the dorado with shrimp mole verde which was amazing! I was bold and went with the tasting menu with bar pairing. The pairing consisted of two house mezcal, pours of local beer, and 2 wines and they brought us both a chilled drink made from coffee liquor and mezcal for dessert. Service was very attentive and the music was excellent. Course 1 - A bean empanada with mole verde chicharrones and octopus 10/10 Course 2 - Steak chilaquiles in a lime driven broth and a crispy tortilla on top 10/10 Course 3 - Tableside seafood soup boiled with hot stones. A first for me, super cool and delicious, just a tad salty for my taste. 8/10 Course 4 - Dorado with bone marrow and Mole verde. Never would have put these things together but it was amazing! 10/10 Course 5 - Pork belly with fruit mole, so crispy and not fatty beautifully complemented by the fruity/complex mole 10/10 Course 6 - dessert. It was a chocolate/mole football that was not a touchdown. No fans of this 2/10 This is definitely a spot not to miss in Oaxaca. I recommend reservations during high season.

This charming restaurant in the Barrio Xochimilco (Oaxaca's oldest neighborhood, which is just north of the centro historico - a 10/15 minute walk from Santo Domingo) ended up being one of my favorite meals from our vacation in Oaxaca. The restaurant is stunning. It's all outdoors, but there is a shaded/covered section, where we sat. The garden is lush and green, with tons of trees and plants. They have two menus; they serve their breakfast menu from 8:30am to 12:30pm and their lunch/dinner menu from 2 until they close. We were there around 11:30, so we enjoyed food from their breakfast menu. We shared a tetela with chorizo, which was fantastic. My husband enjoyed his enfrijoladas with eggs, while I thoroughly enjoyed my quesadilla with huitlacoche. The quality of the food was great; I would order anything on their menu, and I'm sure it would be great. They offer great beverages also (I wish it had been the weekend so I could have tried one of their atoles, but I enjoyed a fresh agua fresca. The service was also wonderful - everyone was friendly. Overall, just a lovely restaurant for lunch. Definitely make a point to visit Xochimilco and check out this delicious restaurant serving traditional Oaxacan cuisine!

What a gem, after an early tour of Monte Albán we wanted a late lunch. This was with in walking distance of our VBRO. They worked us in if we could be finished in an hour and a half. The restaurant has Wi-Fi accessed from the QR code on the bottom of a plate then the menu is on top. Once you open it you have a choice of English or Spanish. We began with Mezcal Margaritas and beer. For starters we shared the grapefruit salad and fish ceviche. The salad had beets, pea shoots, lettuce and grapefruit with a mild citrus dressing. The ceviche was beautifully prepared with finely minced vegetables and a fermented pineapple dressing added at the table. The main dishes were grilled octopus with a mild mole, a turkey croquette with mole over rice with a surprise turkey liver pate that was amazing. Additionally we had grilled shrimp over quinoa and beef barbacoa with mole. The restaurant is open air with roof and plantings. There are two bars and the cooking is done in an open kitchen to one side. Very upscale and reservations recommended.

Everything about this restaurant is perfect. The food is truly as exquisite and fresh as the pictures show. The service is impeccable and kind and the ambiance is lovely with the greenery and ancient stone. They are very conscientious and knowledgable about food allergies. Amazing restaurant!

Amazing experience! This is definitely a place to hit when you were in Oaxaca. The food is incredible and the atmosphere is so cool. They also had a guitar player. We were on a date and it was very romantic, but they were also a couple of families enjoying, the atmosphere as well. This is definitely a bucket list place to hit when you are in town.

Delicioso y me llevé un mezcal orgánico. Lo recomiendo muchísimo a cualquier turista .

Food was amazing & authentically cooked in open view kitchen to cater for a wide range of tastes. Great service for breakfast. Hidden away so it is tricky to find but worth the walk!

Rad, delicious and welcoming, try the cameron y trips tacos, fantastic! The food in Oaxaca has been amazing in general but we we're pointed here for dinner and it was a nice end point to the day. All the dishes were delicious but the Cameron y Tripa tacos were the winner.

Located in a dead end street. Real nice restaurant in the city of Oaxaca. Great service and delicious food. Everyone was so nice and polite and had really good knowledge of the menu.

Beautiful place I loved it! The food is delicious and the service was great, everyone so friendly

I can think of nothing to say but WOW! From the first moment - the natural rustic setting, a break from the bustle of the city- to the stuffed squash blossoms, a knockout! To the pork belly, which makes me weep with pleasure, to the little girl dancing in the aisles, every moment here was memorable. I also enjoyed the smile on the chef's face when he saw our delight. I cannot wait to return!

This was one of my favorite places to eat in Oaxaca. I was lucky enough to share a few things with friends so I got to try a lot of their menu and it was all amazing. The different flavored tortillas at the start of the meal are phenomenal. The mole negro was incredible. The tlayuda with tasajo was amazing. The tetela was great. And the caldo de piedra was an experience - they cook it with hot stones in front of you. In general, I care more about the food than the ambiance at a restaurant but this place has both! Nestled in amongst the plants, we watched hummingbirds go by while stuffing our faces. And it's in a beautiful little barrio that's worth exploring. Street art outside the door, traditional food inside, the occasional hummingbird. What more could you want?

This is my favorite high end restaurant in Oaxaca They have super high end food and play music in right in front of you I especially recommend the shrimp and tripe tacos which are probably my favorite tacos in Oaxaca and possibly Mexico I also had

Nice quaint hole in the wall. The menu is limited but it has all the favorites for Oaxaca. It's great for lunch (limited crowds) or dinner, lights and outdoor space is beautiful. Try the chapulines, you can't leave Oaxaca without doing so.

Not sure how this place has so few ratings! I just discovered it on recommendation from a tour guide. The food is EXCELLENT! I tried the tasting menu and it was amazing with only one or 2 misses. Beautiful presentation and nice staff who tolerated my bad Spanish.

Amazing food and ambiance! Beautiful, peaceful garden restaurant just a short walk north of the Centro in the neighborhood of Xochimilco, recommended by a lifelong Oaxaquena! Spent over 3 hours enjoying this lovely, uncrowded respite from city noises for a leisurely mid-afternoon meal, and was treated to delights I can't even name. I ordered the Garnachas Istmenas entree (quite good), but was also given a lovely morsel (gorgeously presented) as an appetizer as well as a tortilla with queso/pepper and a salsa picante. Dessert was the Mousse de Chocolate con Poleo which was so artfully plated that I had to take several photos, with its gorgeous nasturtium, strawberry, and sugar-coated mint leaves garnish! The setting is perfect, the food is so beautifully presented, it all felt like a huge treat for a very reasonable price. I'll be back!

Best mellow atmosphere and pretty garden. Great food and drinks. A relief after the Centro hyped and crowded restaurants. So relaxing.