Start Your Day at Some of Oaxaca’s Best Breakfast Spots
Oaxaca has breakfast on lock. While popular breakfast spots like Boulenc and PanAm pull a crowd (and I would recommend both), there are other brunch and breakfast gems further afield in neighborhoods like Reforma, Xochimilco, and San Felipe del Agua. This list of the best breakfast spots in Oaxaca will make sure you’re aware of all of them.
Monday to Saturday 8am - 9:30pm; Sunday 8:30am - 7:30pm
Like being invited into a local’s home, A.M. Siempre Cafe exudes the warmth and cozy interiors you crave from a family-run restaurant cafe. Their extensive breakfast menu is filled with dishes like poached eggs swimming in a sauce of chapulines or huitaloche y hoja santa, avocado toast made with homemade whole wheat bread, mouthwatering eggs benedict, goat cheese-filled omelets and bagels served six different ways.
José López Alavez 1355, Xochimilco - View on Map
Open Daily 9am - 12pm
Ancestral’s menu is a tempting line-up of local fare only, including the harder-to-find tetelas, triangle-shaped tortilla pockets made from corn masa and stuffed with black beans, quesillo, and meat or veggies. The setting at this charming Xochimilco brunch spot is both picturesque and atmospheric with its rustic adobe brick walls, lush and flower-filled patio dining room, and occasional swirl or whiff of smoke from the kitchen’s always hot comal.
José López Alavez 1347, Xochimilco - View on Map
Open Daily 8:30am - 10:30pm
Boulenc is a European-style bakery and restaurant in Centro notorious for turning first-time visitors into repeat customers. Their fresh-baked sourdough bread and drool-worthy pastries are definitely a lure, but it’s Boulenc’s breakfast menu of French, Italian, and international favorites like egg sandwiches on homemade english muffins, spicy poached egg shakshuka, and perfectly cheesy croque-monsieurs that truly explain the line of eager diners spilling onto Calle Porfirio Diaz at all hours of the day.
Calle Porfirio Díaz 207, Centro - View on Map
Open Daily 8:30am - 2pm
Chepiche Cafe is on everyone’s lips these days, a cross-town rival to Centro’s popular Boulenc. Mexican breakfast staples like chilaquiles del frijol, huevos rancheros, and grilled nopal share the menu alongside American favorites like french toast, eggs benedict, and buttermilk pancakes, as the couple behind it all happens to be one half Oaxacan and one half American.
Genaro Vasquez 6A, Xochimilco - View on Map
Monday to Saturday 9am - 8:30pm (Closed Sundays)
If you’re after a more intimate breakfast experience in a very cozy, more local spot, look no further than Coquina Hua Xha. Order a side of conchas (that shell-like bread pictured) with your coffee and Oaxaca breakfast fare to really round out your local breakfast in Oaxaca.
C. Macedonio Alcalá 902-C, Centro - View on Map
Monday, Wednesday to Friday 8am - 2pm; Saturday & Sunday 9am - 3pm (Closed Tuesdays)
Filemón stands out in Xochimilco’s “breakfast triangle” with its menu of homegrown coffee, slow food fare, and rooftop-only dining. Their sourdough-prominent all-day brunch menu of pancakes, waffles, french toast, and breakfast sandwiches lures locals and travelers alike and their coffee is to die for!
C. de Ignacio Allende 218, Centro - View on Map
Monday to Saturday 7am - 4pm; Sunday 7am - 2pm
Don’t let Itanoni’s Reforma location keep you from heading beyond Centro for a delicious maize-centric breakfast. Locals love this spot for its unparalleled reverence for native Mexican corn and the various ways in which they prepare it into everything from tetelas (tortillas stuffed with cheese and meat and folded into a triangle shape) to de ese (a tortilla with a whole hoja santa leaf pressed inside) and tascalate (a beverage prepared with roasted corn, cacao, cinnamon, and achiote).
Av Belisario Domínguez 513, Reforma - View on Map
Monday to Saturday 9am to 9pm (Closed Sundays)
Levadura de Olla is an absolute can’t-miss no matter what meal you swing by for. Every dish on the menu is representative of the culinary traditions that put Oaxaca on the foodie map and prepared with such love, style, and respect. If you have the chance, make a reservation at their table in the back for a private dining experience where every tamale, tortilla, and tlayudita is prepared and explained right in front of you on the comal.
Calle Murguia 304, Centro - View on Map
Wednesday to Sunday 9am - 4:45pm (Closed Mondays & Tuesdays)
Mercado Organica La Cosecha is a great option for a casual morning meal in a fun and festive setting. Take your pick from its ten or so food stalls or order a different plate from each and turn it into a tapas-style breakfast with friends. You’ll find most, if not all, of the local Oaxacan breakfast cuisine, including chilaquiles, tamales, memelas, and chocolates.
C. Macedonio Alcalá 806, Centro - View on Map
Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm; Sunday 9am - 4pm (Closed Saturdays)
Tucked away on the eastern edges of Centro, Onnno Loncheria is a laid back and off-the-beaten-track breakfast and brunch option if American breakfast classics like french toast, scrambled eggs on brioche, and yogurt parfaits get your stomach grumbling. Pair it with a cardamom latte or cold brew coffee and a seat around their communal table, an idea the owner’s pulled from a cafe they visited in Denmark.
Mártires de Tacubaya 308, Centro - View on Map
Tuesday to Sunday 8am - 9:30pm (Closed Mondays)
Whenever I get a craving for waffles and a good cup of joe, Pan:Am is where I go. The rest of their breakfast menu also tempts with various egg scramble and omelette options as well as Mexican classics like chilaquiles and heuvos salseados. More recently, I also discovered that they’re chocolate de leche is one of the best in town. This is a Oaxaca breakfast so popular that all four of their locations (one in Centro, two in Reforma, and one in San Felipe) tend to be tables-full by late morning.
Calle de M. Abasalo 103B, Centro - View on Map
Av. Belisario Domínguez 809, Reforma - View on Map
Heroica Escuela Naval Militar 204, Reforma - View on Map
Blvrd la Paz 104, San Felipe - View on Map
Wednesday to Monday 8:30am - 8:30pm (Closed Tuesdays)
Rupestre Pan y Cafe harbors one of the most inviting patios in all of Xochimilco. Find a seat under their massive and shade-giving ciruela tree and order their hotcakes of the day or go for something more traditional like salsa de huevos with a side of tostadas for dipping or chilaquiles.
José López Alavez 140, Xochimilco - View on Map
For a few more breakfast ideas, check out this article I wrote for Oaxaca Eats Food Tours featuring the best brunch and breakfast spots of Oaxaca’s Xochimilco neighborhood.
Travel Resources
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Tours: While I personally prefer do-it-yourself travel most of the time, sometimes it’s just better with a guide. In those cases, I typically use Viator, GetYourGuide, EatWith, and Airbnb Experiences. For self-guided audio tours, I recommend WeGoTrip.
Flights: My favorite flight aggregator tool is WayAway and my favorite tool for finding out about the best flight deals is FareDrop, while Hopper’s great for keeping track of when to book at the best price. .
Shuttle Services: My go-to is Bookaway. They operate in more than 90 countries and work with only the top, traveler-reviewed suppliers in each country.
Rental Cars: While I more often take public transport when I travel, there have been destinations that are better explored by renting a car (like Costa Rica and Europe/UK for example). In these instances, I recommend starting your car rental search on Discover Cars. They compare car rental deals across more than 500 suppliers, including Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, and more.
Travel Insurance: If you’re a full-time nomad like me, I recommend SafetyWing. Look into their Nomad Travel Medical Insurance and Nomad Health Insurance (a full-fledged health insurance that covers your emergency and non-emergency medical needs worldwide, including in your country of residence). If you’re not a full-time traveler, I’d recommend Squaremouth. It aggregates your insurance options across more than 22 providers and offers what I’ve found to be the best rates.
Travel ATM & Credit Cards: If you travel often and like perks like airport lounge access and annual travel credit, I recommend the Capital One Venture X credit card that includes Priority Pass, a $300 annual travel credit, and covers your Global Entry or TSA Precheck fee. For a fee-free ATM card that reimburses you at the end of every month for any incurred ATM fees, I recommend opening a Schwab Bank Investor Checking Account.
VPN: I recommend Surfshark. It’s one of the best and most budget-friendly VPN services out there.
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