HomeCulture
CultureSouthwest

A Mixtec eatery in Oaxaca city wins Best Restaurant of the Year

MND Staff
By MND Staff
0
A line of clay pots in Oaxacan restaurant Tierra del Sol
The Mexico Gastronomic Guide's restaurant of the year, Tierra del Sol, serves traditional Oaxacan cuisine in the Oaxaca city. (Tierra del Sol)

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.

Chef Olga Cabrera of Tierra del Sol in Oaxaca
Chef Olga Cabrera of Tierra del Sol. (Tierra del Sol)

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.

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

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
People evacuated from a building following an earthquake

5.6-magnitude earthquake shakes Oaxaca

MND Staff - 0
Oaxaca officials said no damage was reported despite the magnitude of the temblor, confirming that a review to analyze possible impacts on infrastructure and basic services had been carried out in all 570 municipalities of the state.
Talavera tiles

Before Náhuatl came Arabic: Spanish words of Arabic origin

Lydia Leija - 1
A shocking number of words in the Spanish language have Arabic origins: 4,000 in all. Lydia Leija examines the Arabic influence in Mexico, from language to food.
Playa Viva in Guerrero, hotel in remote Mexico

Off-grid and off-script: What it really takes to open a hotel in remote Mexico

Bethany Platanella - 3
Have you ever dreamed of opening a hotel in a remote part of Mexico? It's doable but brings challenges you might not have considered.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity

VIDEO OF THE WEEK