Benito Juárez Mercado
Market Tour & Hall of Smoke Lunch
Benito Juárez Mercado & 20 de Noviembre Mercado
11am-1pm
Shopping in mercados (markets) means finding everything under the sun from freshly-feathered chickens to handmade textiles to more types of chilis than you can imagine. Oh, yes, grasshoppers too.
One of the best in town is the Benito Juárez Mercado, a bustling hub of commerce that hits all your senses.
A guided walking tour will get you up to speed on local produce, meats, textiles, and the many reiterations of the tortilla. Chat with vendors as you sample the infamous Oaxacan cheese and sample tejate, a pre-Hispanic, fermented beverage. You'll leave with a gift bag of an ancient herbal remedy guaranteed to help with hangovers. After all, it's a wine and mezcal extravaganza!.
We'll cross the street and enter the Pasillo de Humo, the Hall of Smoke that serves up lunch with fiery theatre unlike anything else you've seen. Women fan the flames, grilling all sorts of meats, as you're ushered down the aisle headed to a gut-busting lunch.
$50.00 per person
For a more in-depth market/street vendor private tour, see the
Oaxaca Ancestral Food Experience
* Cash (PESO) only if you wish to do some shopping
Mezcal the Spirit of Oaxaca
The Cultural Center of Mezcal
Miguel Hidalgo 912, Oaxaca de Juarez
3:00pm - 5:00pm
No trip to Oaxaca is complete without a mezcal immersion!
Though this spirit may be new to you, it has a very long and important history in Oaxacan culture.
The newly opened Cultural Center of Mezcal is a beautiful courtyard-like property that's part museum, part restaurant, and a whole lot of mezcal tasting going on!
You'll learn about the different types of agave, various distillation methods, and the wide range of artisinal and ancestral
mezcals being produced in the region.
Get your Mezcal Passport during the guided tasting, accompanied by Oaxacan snacks, will leave you wanting to make a trip to a nearby agave farm and distillery.
$99.00 per person
Mezcal is available for purchase, with more than 300 labels, including mezcals from large houses and small producers in Oaxaca, the Mezcal Cultural Center becomes the largest archive in the world
focused on this distillate.
For a more in-depth, private tour see the Agave Farm & Mezcal Experience
Read more about mezcal HERE
Ancestral Cocina Tradicional ~ Holy Mole Dinner!
ANCESTRAL TRADITIONAL CUISINE
C. José López Alavez 1347, Barrio de Xochimilco, 68040 Oaxaca de Juárez
7:00pm
Walking to Ancestral is part of the fun, as you'll be meandering down the cobblestone streets of the adorable Xochimilco (pronounced zo-che-mil-co) neighborhood. Known for its fabulous outdoor murals, you'll get a good sense of the abundant art that exists in this city.
Ancestral is one of those restaurants that immediately transports you out of the city and into a "high-end rustic" vibe. As you pass their outdoor kitchen upon entering the property, you know you're in for a treat.
The restaurant, headed up by Chef Miguel Mijangos, has for the past 4-years running been included in the Mexico Gastronomic Guide of Culinary Mexicana, noted as one of the top 250 restaurants in Mexico, and snagged a spot in the 2024 Michelin Guide. These people know what they're doing!
Your dinner will be a 6-course tasting menu of traditional Oaxacan dishes, including several moles, perfectly paired with Mexican wines, a Mezcal Cocktail & a Mexican Artisinal beer.
Between the food and drink, the restaurant ambiance,and music in the background, it will, for sure, be a magical evening.
$180.00 per person
Read More About Mole HERE
Ancestral Cocina Tradicional ~ Holy Mole Dinner!MENU
MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View
ANCESTRAL TRADITIONAL CUISINE
Nestled in a grove of trees under a thatched roof, this spacious, outdoor restaurant in the Barrio de Xochimilco neighborhood has been something of a hidden oasis since 2017. The flavors are fairly classical, as Chef Miguel Mijangos takes inspiration from his grandmother, his childhood, and beyond.
An opening volley of local cheese compressed with tomato and herbs, a jar of pickled vegetables, and warm, crispy tostadas is a treat all on its own. The cooking gets creative in dishes like plantains stuffed and garnished with queso and crema and finished with mole coloradito. With a flair for attractive presentations, the restaurant serves a more classic breakfast with the likes of memelas, quesadillas, and tetelas made on the comal by the entrance.
