Such a hidden gem. One of the best restaurants I've tried on my trip while in oaxaca. The owner…read moremixes local herbs into traditional cuisine

They just moved from a small side of the road location to a breezy, well lit restaurant (on the…read moreroad to San Agustin Etla, you can't miss it). The food is the same excellent quality, always fresh and locally sourced. The staff is attentive and kind.

I was interested in getting a little pre-dinner drink somewhere and El Destilado came highly…read morerecommended to me. Upon arriving I asked to be seated on the rooftop which they obliged with no issue. The upstairs ambiance is upscale without being stuffy. They played contemporary music but it wasn't too loud. The drinks menu is interesting and there are a lot of creative options for cocktails. I ordered a drink called the GOAT margaritas and it was STRONG but balanced. Cocktails run around $180-230 pesos. The main menus are 6 and 9 course tastings but they also have somewhat reasonably priced a la carte bar snacks. I debated ordering something but didn't want to spoil my appetite which was already happening as they brought out complimentary chips and (excellent) salsa with my drink. Service was a tad on the slow side but I wasn't in a hurry. Would absolutely return!

We ate our last dinner in Oaxaca at El Destilado, and I'm glad we did. It was a great way to end…read moreour trip. El Destilado offers a few options: a 6-course meal and a 9-course meal. (They also offer a bar menu with snacks and drinks on their rooftop if you're not up for a whole tasting menu situation.) We did the nine-course menu, and we couldn't resist adding on the drink pairing. I can usually pass on a drink pairing, since they can be really expensive and I feel pressure to keep up. But El Destilado's drink pairing was too varied and unique to pass up! Each of our nine courses came with very different beverages - two cocktails, two glasses of wine (the wines were great natural wines, but I kind of wished they offered Mexican wines; I think there are some really incredible natural Mexican wines being made now!), one craft beer (brewed in Mexico), one sake (brewed in Mexico, the first Mexican sake company), one pulque (made in house; it was fantastic), and one port (with dessert). (I think I'm missing one! I believe there were 9 - one for each course. Maybe the last one is the little bottles of mezcal they gave us with the little dessert snacks as our last course?!) I often worry that the portions of a tasting menu will be too large, and I won't be able to enjoy the meal. But I really enjoyed El Destilado's portion sizes and progression. Our first course was a plate of three small snacks (tiny versions of Oaxacan dishes), and many other courses were very light (a tomato/vegetarian dish, a single ravioli in a bowl, a raw fish course, a cooked fish course, a shared main)... It was a smart way to serve a lot of great dishes without your guests filling up too fast! I think my favorites were the quail main, the foie course, the seafood courses, and the snack course! Overall, the food was all really good - modern takes on Oaxacan dishes and flavors. Fun and beautiful without losing focus on the flavor. The service was top notch (felt so welcome and comfortable and our server went out of her way to explain every course and beverage pairing) to us while still giving us time to enjoy. They can do service in Spanish or in English. The restaurant is beautiful and yet still understated for a tasting menu restaurant. It's on the pricey side. But it was my favorite of the pricey side meals we had. It was interesting and delicious and exciting, and I'd absolutely return to eat there again.

I ordered a ice tea and pad Thai. Pad Thai noodles is not as good as traditional one. Taste is ok…read more Environment and service are good.

After a week of Mexican cuisine, it was a delight to stumble onto this Chinese eatery in the heart…read moreof historic Oaxaca City. We had Kung Pao chicken and Chicken chow mein--relatively mild dishes by choice as mi esposa and I had just recovered from mild stomach flu. The food was well prepared and quickly served. Nice decor, good service. I would like to try more challenging dishes before giving a fifth star,but so far so good.

A group of 10 of our closest friends were on our way to Oaxaca to celebrate my wife's 40th birthday…read morefor a four day Mexican adventure, a once in a lifetime bucket list item for a once in a lifetime moment. We were all planning on staying at Quinta Real. We had booked transportation, restaurants, tours, tastings, a full four day itinerary that we had spent months crafting to try and make perfect for this very special occassion in a very special city. This was all upended when bad weather rerouted our flight, missing our connection, with no viable options to rebook an entire group of 10 people in time to enjoy the trip. My wife was devastated, in tears, the trip she had been looking forward to all year completely ruined at no fault of her own. I called to see what Quinta Real could honor our reservation by booking a different date, a credit, a discount, or ANYTHING to ease the pain. We wanted to come back (and we will be, just not with this hotel), and we wanted to continue working with Quinta Real to make this mutually beneficial for both parties. Instead, they could not care less and are keeping the entire thing, four nights to the tune of thousands of dollars in exchange for not having to lift a finger to do anything for 10 guests now. Most important of all, however, is the lack of any professionalism, sympathy, politeness, or kind words under these special circumstances--they simply don't care. The human element of compassion is what I care about when I consider or recommend a place. I do not recommend Quinta Real--they have shown that they lack this element when it matters most.

We had our wedding here, the staff was so kind, they did an incredible job with our reception and…read moredinner. Our family and friends were blown away by the service, the rooms were beautiful and everyone was so accommodating. It was a dream to stay at Quinta Real, it costs significantly more than other places in town, but it's a luxurious and beautiful experience. Yadira did our wedding and she is the very best!