Ancestral Cocina Tradicional

Off the beaten path for us, we’re staying in Centro Oaxaca, crowds of people of the streets; doing business of all kinds. But after a mile & a quarter stroll observing all the going’s on we found Ancestral- so happy we did. We’ve been sharing a fruit plate everywhere, accompanied by greek yogurt & granola drizzled with honey. Presentation varies with each restaurant. Right now I’m totally hooked on Mole Coloradito - OMG! Must try in Oaxaca. Ancestral did a great job. Rich creamy mole covered my enchiladas with a generous amount of queso. I loved the raw onion garnish- I could have eaten a few more. Fresh juices as usual - Green and Gyuaba. Shared a chocolatey dessert finished off with mezcal whipped cream and these delicious crunchy soury pieces! Yum

Delicious. Can viscerally taste the love in the cooking. Great balance of authenticity and cooking with care. Amazing flavours. A must

The place is unpretentious and relaxed. Service is good, and the dishes are authentic: oaxacan with a personal touch. Nevertheless, flavors are a bit disappointing when compared to other restaurants in Oaxaca. The shrimp I ordered was somewhat undercooked. Not a bad place but would not necessarily recommend.

We came here for an introduction to Mexican food cooked to a high standard but were very disappointed. We ordered 7 starter and main dishes. The meats (chicken, beef ribs and pork rib) were all dry and tough and clinging to the bone. The dishes in general tasted quite bland which is quite unusual for dishes like mole, which usually have lots of ingredients, spices, nuts and fruits in their bases. One of the sides to the pork rib tasted very strange and was quite unpleasant to eat - a sort of baby sick rice pudding. Likewise the banana molitas was a combination of a sweet banana and a savoury cheese, which didn’t quite work. Service was attentive and the ambience was rustic which was nice. However we sadly left disappointed and underwhelmed given the hype of this place.

Ancestral Cocina Tradicional is a great spot for traditional Oaxacan food, and the molotes de plátano con coloradito were the absolute standout. They had the perfect balance of sweet and savory, especially with the cheese and cream. I’d go back just for those. The only downside was that the pork was pretty dry, which was a bit disappointing given the restaurant’s reputation and the extremely strong start with the molotes. The service was excellent, and the team was super responsive and made it easy to book a reservation through WhatsApp.

Make sure you book! The tasting menu gives you a good cross section of their cuisine. Accompanying drinks flight is ok but not essential.

We were wondering the neighborhood looking for a organic market that used to be here but couldn’t find one so the locals told us to check this delightful find out! It’s hidden away with lots of greenery and flora but the amazing smell will draw you in. Using traditional, cooking methods, the food is phenomenal, the flavors are amazing and you will leave quite satiated with all your senses tickled.

This is THE best restaurant to eat in Oaxaca. Open concept where you can see them preparing all the food. The appetizers, main courses and desserts are phenomenal. I highly recommend Aguachile Tasajo!

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 was really disappointed by the tasting menu. It was both very bad value and overall not a satisfying meal. My biggest complaint is that two side-by-side courses were comprised of the same fish. A soup course that consisted mostly of large chunks of a the meaty white fish (I think Dorade), was followed by a large filet of the same fish. This was followed by a dry, simply dressed center cut pork chop. Half the meal, in a large block, was comprised bland, super simple preparations of a timid white protein, and became a slog to get through. If you look at the menu, you find a large variety of meat, offal and seafood dishes, and the plates delivered to tables near us looked much more interesting and appetizing. Most of the items in the tasting are offered on the main menu, with prices in the 200-350 mxn range for a large portion. We were getting tasting size portions for a set price of $1500 each . I suspect we could have split six items off the menu for not much more than 1500mxn total and had a much more diverse selection, that would have been a little less artfully presented but a much more interesting meal. On the positive side, the staff was very professional, the beverage pairing was a generous and fun selection of wines, beers and mezcals, and the first and last courses were pretty good. But considering how great the food is in Oaxaca, this overall seemed like a big expensive fail.

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.

Professional service, great ambiance and location. We had drinks and dinner day one. Went back for breakfast day two. We agreed breakfast was delicious - chilaquiles

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.

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.

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 .

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.

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!

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

Magical place...the food is amazing, the service is outstanding, the atmosphere and look is beautiful .... And the live music on Saturdays rocks!

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 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

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?

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.