Looking for the best coffee and most aesthetic cafés in Oaxaca? I’ve gotcha covered.

As a former barista and converted coffee enthusiast, I can promise you one thing: I know good coffee; its origins and notes. I can blindly identify the perfect 27 second pull of espresso. Which is why you can trust me to point you in the right direction when it comes to Oaxaca’s best coffee. And there is plenty of it!

Spending a week in Oaxaca (and having a ridiculous tolerance for caffeine) meant I got to indulge in a lot the colonial city’s exceptional coffee. Remote workers, coffee connoisseurs, and avid brunch-goers will all find their needs met by Oaxaca’s blossoming café scene (the result of a coffee-rich region and thriving food traditions).

Around every corner of this colorful town is a beautiful café expertly brewing coffee, perfecting manual pour-overs, and serving impeccable barista-style espresso. After spending a week probing Oaxaca’s cafés, I curated this list of its 13 very best coffee shops and cafés.

a brief history of coffee + food in Oaxaca ↴

Oaxaca has a rich tradition of food and coffee, both of which the city showcases beautifully. Known as the food capital of México, Oaxaca has become synonymous with street food and traditional Méxican cuisine. If aesthetic cafés aren’t your thing, don’t fret! Oaxaca serves mouthwatering local breakfast throughout the city and its many marketplaces.

Traditional must-try breakfast in Oaxaca:

Memelas Doña Vale | Valentina Pacheco, most commonly known as Doña Vale, owns a memelas stall hidden in the labyrinth of Mercado de Abastos. For three decades, Doña Vale has served handmade masa. In 2020, her food was spotlighted on Netflix’s Street Food series and her kitchen’s notoriety boomed. I visited in December 2023, and the line for her signature memelas was around the market, even in the early morning. Despite the wait, I promise you, Memelas Doña Vale is the best breakfast you’ll find in Oaxaca.
Fonda Rosita | La Merced lies on the eastern side of Oaxaca. The buzzing marketplace is home to Fonda Rosita with their chilaquiles verdes. Served in a clay pot, this classic breakfast is composed of crunchy tortilla chips smothered in onions, topped with fried eggs, and drenched in Oaxacan sour cream (crema).
Mercado Organico La Cosecha | This beautiful open air market has several food stalls selling local Oaxacan cuisine. It’s a great option for casual breakfast, especially if you’re visiting with a group since you can order from all the different stalls and try a bit of everything. I recommend tasting a little bit of everything, including the memelas, tamales, and tejate (a beverage made with corn, mamey sapote seed, and rosita de cacao).
Levadura de Olla | Levadura de Olla’s menu is a thoughtful representation of Oaxaca’s culinary tradition. Tamales, tortillas, and tlayuditas are all prepared fresh to order on a comal (a flat griddle typically used throughout Latin America). Levadura is on a mission to remain ungentrified, despite Oaxaca’s flourishing tourism industry. The eatery serves food made with fresh, seasonal ingredients using traditional cooking methods.
Super Jugos Angelita | Non-coffee drinkers should head to the western half of Oaxaca. Here, you’ll find Super Jugos Angelita ladling up every version of juice imaginable.

Chiapas, in the southeastern part of the country bordering Guatemala, produces more coffee than any other Méxican state. It’s estimated that Chiapas is responsible for 30% of Méxican coffee production. This region of México has the ideal altitude for coffee production. Coffee menus in México often mix local favorites, like café de olla, with European classics like cappuccinos.

devoured pan au chocolate and flat white from Pan Con Madre

best coffee + cafés in Oaxaca ↴

Boulenc

If there is one café you must visit in Oaxaca, it’s Boulenc. During my time in Oaxaca, I went to Boulenc three times. You read that right: three times. The French toast? Mouthwatering. The Shakshuka? Delectable. Every flat white I had here would have easily stood up to the barista coffee I’ve had in places like Melbourne. Whether you’re searching for scrumptious brunch in a stunning setting, or just looking for freshly baked bread to grab on the go, Boulenc is an unmissable addition to your Oaxaca itinerary.

Café Brújula

Café Brújula is a socially conscious coffee chain with five locations. The café’s ethos centers around sustainably sourced coffee beans from local coffee farmers who have been paid dignified wages. Café Brújula is a popular spot for remote workers since it has reliable WiFi and plenty of table space. To be honest, the coffee here wasn’t as stand-out as other places in Oaxaca, but the social mission of the café chain solidified it on this list.

Cafébre

Cafébre is a favorite amongst digital nomads and remote workers thanks to the café’s plentiful tables and reliable WiFi. In the early hours of the day, it’s a quiet place to enjoy a manual pour-over coffee and light breakfast. I recommend their bagel sandwiches, which are great value for money. Luke devoured his heaping portion of chilaquiles. The colorful murals that cover the café’s walls They offer alternative milk options for vegans.

Café El Volador

This hidden gem sits no more than four patrons at a time, but it’s well worth having on your radar. Café El Volador’s coffee comes straight from his family’s farm in Veracruz. There were a few homemade baked goods in the café’s small cabinet, but I wouldn’t come here strictly for food. I recommend their cold cappuccino on a hot day, or a classic Americano to let the superb espresso shine through.

Marito&Moglie

Coffee connoisseurs will love Martio&Moglie, widely regarded as one of Oaxaca’s best third-wave coffee shops. The space is oozes warmth with its decorative textiles and succulents. The warmth of the café reflects that of the owners; a friendly Mexican/Italian couple who are experts in all things espresso. The pour-overs here are artful, and the Turkish eggs and homemade granola are top-notch. Marito&Moglie offer vegan varieties of certain brunch dishes, like their avocado toast.

Muss Café

Muss Café’s coffee and its sleek interior made a lasting impression on me. All the coffee served at Muss comes from Finca Las Nieves’ “magic cloud forest.” I cannot stress how good the chia pudding bowl was, and Luke raved about the spicy shakshuka her ordered. Apart from the food and exceptional coffee, Muss’ aesthetic interiors cemented it in my brain. It’s warm toned entry leads to a stunning courtyard that is apparently frequented by remote workers, though there were no laptops out when I visited.

Kiyo Café

Kiyo Café is a boutique-meets-gallery-meets-café that combines the best of fashion, art, and coffee into one cohesive space. Kiyo is as innovative as cafés come. Here, you won’t find your typical cappuccinos. Instead, Kiyo takes a more creative approach to its menu by offering lavender lattes made with almond milk and cáscara mojitos that masterfully fuse mint, lemon, tonic water, and coffee peel. The breakfast menu is simple, but perfected: veggie and goat cheese quiche, overnight oats spattered with chia seeds, and several cabinet pastry options.

NONO CAFÉ

The white, minimalist café space of Nono stands in stark contrast to the colorful streets Oaxaca is known for. Housed inside a century-old building, Nono has mastered the art of a balanced pour-over, each made proudly with Oaxacan coffee beans. Nono is another café frequented by the city’s ever-growing digital nomad community, though everyone was much busier chatting than working when Luke and I visited. Their Chemex manual brew was exactly what my tastebuds yearned for after an especially hot afternoon exploring.

Pan Con Madre

Down an unsuspecting side street, Pan Con Madre’s yellow building beckons the hungry and un-caffeinated. Luke and I stumbled into Pan Con Madre on the second-to-last day in Oaxaca. The smell of wood-fired pizzas wafted in the air as we queued for coffee and pastries. It was well into the afternoon when we visited, but I simply had to try the espresso from Madre’s humming machine. The cabinet was entirely full of cakes, croissants, and danishes. We split a cinnamon roll and quickly found ourselves licking up the flaky pastry crumbs. My cortado was steamed as smooth as paint, and I savored every sip in the café’s courtyard.

The Oaxacan Coffee

Owned by a family of coffee producers, The Oaxacan Coffee Company is committed to serving organic coffee exclusively from the Oaxacan region. The smell of aromatic coffee wafts through the air the minute you walk through the door of the tiny café. Coffee is served in handmade pottery alongside fresh homemade pastries.

Sagrado Filemón

The café’s Instagram bio may read “bread and coffee”, but this café does so much more. Their fluffy pancake stack topped with a fried egg and sprinkled with cheese surprised even Luke, an adventurous eater to put it mildly. I downed my cortado alarmingly quick; a testament to the barista’s artistry. What both Luke and I liked more than the phenomenal coffee and the innovative food was the warmth of the café and its staff. We instantly felt welcomed like regular patrons. Filemón felt like a cozy, quiet corner of the city, filled with our favorite things: good coffee, great food, and friendly service.

Yegolé Café

Located mere steps from the entrance to the famous Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca sits Yegolé. The small, airy café serves some of Oaxaca’s best brunch and coffee. We found ourselves at Yegolé as it opened its doors. Sitting at the tiny two-seater table near the entrance, Luke ordered chilaquiles verdes while I opted for the overnight oats drizzled with honey and topped with a generous portion of fruit. I paired my morning meal with a flat white; the ideal balance of espresso and creamy, steamed milk. For barista-style coffee, a satisfying brunch, and a cheerful atmosphere, Yegolé is one of your best bets.

Café Lupita

There is a unique charm to Café Lupita. The café’s lure goes beyond its reasonably-priced coffee and giant dulce de leche croissants. It feels like a hidden gem, just far enough away from the tourists in Centro to maintain its intended charm. However, you’re likely to see people working away on their laptops, as the WiFi is quite strong and the café is in a relatively quiet corner of Oaxaca.