A Oaxacan restaurant with a focus on Mixtec cuisine is the top restaurant in Mexico, according to the Mexico Gastronomic Guide.

This year, Restaurant of the Year went to Tierra del Sol, a restaurant serving traditional food under the direction of chef Olga Cabrera in the capital of the southern state of Oaxaca.

The 2026 Special Awards recognize outstanding chefs, cooks and industry figures for their talent, career achievements and contributions to Mexico’s culinary scene.

“This goes out to Oaxaca, to the Mixteca region, and to Mexico,” Cabrera said after receiving the award, adding that the cuisine served at Tierra del Sol is not born solely in the restaurant, but in the land and in the collective effort to care for native seeds.

When handing over the award, judges said the restaurant not only offers a culinary experience, but also upholds an ethical and cultural vision of gastronomy. They recognized that Tierra del Sol has significantly contributed to the research, promotion and education of Oaxacan gastronomy.

Tierra del Sol’s cuisine focuses on traditional Oaxacan flavors and techniques, with particular emphasis on the Mixteca region: its land, native corn, atole and other dishes linked to family and community memory.

 

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The judges praised Cabrera’s work blending tradition and innovation, and her direct collaboration with local producers, especially women guardians of corn, cacao and other crops.

Cabrera’s restaurant also appears as a new entry in the Michelin Guide Mexico 2025, complementing the recognition from the Mexico Gastronomic Guide and strengthening its position in the national scene.

Overall, in the 12th edition of the Mexico Gastronomic Guide, 26 special awards were given out. Some of these include:

• Best chef: Ángel Vázquez, founder of Intro and Augurio (Puebla)
• Gastronomic phenomenon of the year: Taquería La Once Mil (Mexico City)
• Best dessert menu: Bruna (Guadalajara)
• Bakers of the year: Julio and Ariana González of Buñuelo (Mexico City)
• Best gastronomic experience: La Aldea Avándaro (Valle de Bravo, México state)
• Best Mexican restaurant abroad: Kol (London)
• Best gastronomic hotel of the year: Nizuc (Cancún)
• Best wine bar: Brutal (Mexico City)

With reports from Culinaria Mexicana and Diario Marca