After a wonderful trip to Chiapas where I ate lots of amazing food, I’m here to tell you about the many fantastic restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas from upscale eateries to food markets and coffee shops.
For everything to see and do in San Cristobal de las Casas, read this guide
Dinner restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico
Here are the best places I found for enjoying a delicious dinner after a day sightseeing. Most of them serve authentic Mexican food which I’m sure you’ll want to try while visiting! I’ll suggest a few international restaurants later.
Click (tacos)
Click is a great place to eat in San Cristobal de las Casas serving affordable tacos with a huge variety of fillings. Between 5 of us, we ordered the whole menu (15 tacos) and there weren’t any bad ones! They also do tortas.
The other highlight is the huge range of serve-yourself salsas made with various types of Mexican chilis. I tried one of each, although I would recommend assessing the spice level before dousing your whole meal with anything!
There are a few tasty desserts (no prizes for guessing we ordered them all), plus beers and soft drinks. The restaurant is nothing fancy but it’s a great cheap eat in San Cris for authentic Mexican food.
Nostalgia (Oaxacan food)
All my research prior to arriving in Chiapas pointed to Nostalgia being one of the best restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas but ALAS, it was closed when I visited! So sad.
From what I’ve heard, Nostalgia serves Oaxacan cuisine rather than traditional Chiapas dishes but who could complain? Oaxacan food is the bomb! Try tlayudas (crispy fried corn masa topped with ingredients, sometimes dubbed Oaxacan pizza), mole sauce, and more! It looks to be a lovely, ambient restaurant for a nice dinner or special occasion.
They also have vegetarian options like the María Sabina tlayuda with mushrooms (if you’ve visited Oaxaca, you may know about Maria Sabina and her links with mushrooms!), plus a wide range of drinks with plenty of mezcal (what self-respecting Oaxacan restaurant wouldn’t?) served straight and in mezcal cocktails.
Xut (Mexican-Italian)
We loved our meal here. Xut is a beautiful restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. In January, we sat inside because it was chilly but this wasn’t a bad thing, because the interior is atmospheric with decor like fried corn cobs, chiles, and garlic cloves attached to the walls.
They serve both Mexican and Italian food – and do both well! My friend and I shared the pistachio pesto pasta and an unusual dish comprising Mexican ingredients like tortillas, cheese, and beans layered like lasagne. It was delicious but very rich.
There’s also a good selection of wines and teas should you wish to warm yourself up on a winter San Cristobal evening.
Taniperla
Taniperla is a San Cristobal restaurant that marries Mexican and international food well.
The highlight is the restaurant interior which is atmospheric with a big tree in the middle, artwork, giant jaguar heads, LGBT flags, and exhibits about the history of Chiapas.
Between us, we tried the burgers, pasta, and pizza (made in a real pizza ơven). They were all tasty if not particularly stand out. Still, it’s a cool, affordable venue in Zona Centro offering an atmospheric dining experience in San Cristobal.
The cocktails are super cheap at 75 pesos although not amazing.
Breakfast & lunch restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas
lf there’s one thing I love, it’s finding brunch AKA the best meal of the day! Luckily, San Cris did not disappoint…
Sarajevo Café Jardin
This is, without doubt, the most beautiful restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas (at least that I found!). With lots of natural light and indoor plants and trees, it’s a lovely place to spend a morning.
Luckily, Sarajevo Café Jardin is not style over substance; they serve some of the best food in San Cristobal. For brunch, there are egg dishes like omelets and eggs Benedict, plus Mexican classics like chilaquiles, and all your classic avo toast dishes.
Brunch finishes at 12pm and I chose to visit in time for this, because the lunch menu didn’t appeal quite so much.
Prices are a little high: I paid 250 for breakfast before tip but I’d happily pay it again for such tasty food in beautiful surroundings. I loved the little details, for example, the free bread with marmalade and salsas at the start.
Amor Negro Café
Amor Negro Café is a cute little place upstairs in the stylish Esquina San Augustin food court. Here you can find all your modern brunch staples including egg dishes, topped toasts, smoothie bowls and, of course, quality coffee!
Jardín del Jaguar
Jardín del Jaguar is a gorgeous little garden cafe, part of the Na Bolom complex next door. The beautiful historic casa is worth a visit, originally a church building that was later inhabited by archeologist Frans Blom and photographer, journalist, and environmental pioneer, Gertrude Duby Blom. It’s now a museum and gallery.
After visiting, stop in this gorgeous garden cafe (museum ticket not necessary; you can visit the cafe whether or not you visit the Na Bolom residence) for a drink or lunch. There’s coffee, tea, juices, smoothies, and beers alongside simple, tasty dishes like eggs, pancakes, fruit, sandwiches, and chilaquiles.
Tipica Restaurant
This place was such a find! While exploring, I stumbled across this peaceful courtyard cafe serving some of the best food in San Cristobal. The courtyard shares space with Tipica restaurant, Raiz33, and Cielo Negro coffee shop. I hear good things about the others but I can only personally vouch for Tipica.
Here I had the most delicious peanut mole enchiladas stuffed with a mushroom mix and topped with salsa roja, frijoles, cheese, and cream.
I also had a sublime cocktail with rum, mint, coconut water, lemon juice, and cold brew coffee. I wasn’t sure how coffee would work with the other flavors but I can confirm it was very tasty and refreshing… And energizing! Better yet, it’s affordable: my enchiladas were just 80 pesos!
Cafe Sweetbeats
This is another gorgeous San Cristobal restaurant / cafe in a quiet courtyard with a huge range of drinks like Chiapas coffee, superfood lattes (chai, turmeric, beetroot), smoothies and teas (fruit, herbal, and black), and yerba mate.
Apart from molletes, guac, and quesadillas, the food at Cafe Sweetbeats isn’t particularly Mexican; there’s more in the way of crepes and paninis.
Frontera Cafe
One of the cutest cafes in San Cris with some of the best coffee and casual eats is Frontera, tucked away in Jardin el Cerrillo, a peaceful courtyard home to local shops and cafes. It’s a popular spot for digital nomads to eat and do some work.
The veggie bagel was tasty and there are so many varieties of specialty coffee to choose from.
Don’t miss Posheria next door serving pox, a typical drink from Chiapas state.
Cafe Mooa
Cafe Mooa is one of the highest-rated cafes in San Cristobal with 5 stars on Google. Apparently, they spent 20 years perfecting the perfect bagel recipe using sourdough (this kind of dedication to food is a bit of me!) and there are other tasty, healthy staples on the menu like salads, smoothies, and more.
They have some lovely refreshing beverages like the chai-hibiscus-corn drink. In addition, the staff are friendly and helpful. Just the perfect cafe!
Esquina San Agustin
Esquina San Agustin is a fantastic place to eat in San Cristobal de las Casas, if not a particularly cheap or authentic one. If you want to eat like a local, then there are places I would suggest over this one. However, if you feel like treating yourself to delicious, indulgent food in cool settings, get yourself over to this boujee multi-level food court!
There are stands in Esquina San Agustin serving international food such as different types of Asian cuisine like Thai food (pad Thai!), plus some cool coffee vendors and this AMAZING cake shop at the front on the ground floor. The lemon meringue pie is what dreams are made of, and not bad for 55 pesos.
International restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas
Once you’ve had your fill of indulgent Mexican food, there’s no shame in getting stuck into some tasty international food. I can vouch for…
Just ‘Pho’ You
I wasn’t expecting to find authentic Vietnamese food in this quaint Mexican city but, as a huge Vietnamese food fan, I was naturally thrilled when I did! I had a huge steaming bowl of pho which warmed me up on a cold evening in January.
Pho, ramen, fried noodle dishes, banh xeo, banh mi sandwiches, and summer rolls are all on the menu at this unassuming little San Cristobal restaurant with just a couple of tables.
Pho closes at 8pm so it’s good for lunch or an early dinner.
Casa de Ahn
Calling Korean food lovers! Casa de Ahn is an authentic Korean restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas serving rice and noodle dishes like bibimbap and japchae. It doesn’t seem to be strictly Korean (more East Asian fusion) because there are also Japanese dishes on the menu like ramen and katsu curry.
Don’t miss kimchi as a side dish, or boba tea to wash it all down with!
Psst – there are so many good Korean restaurants in Mexico City’s Pequeño Seúl (Little Seoul) in the Juarez neighborhood. Don’t miss it if you visit the capital!
Coffee & bakeries in San Cristobal
Did you know that 40% of Mexican coffee is harvested in the state of Chiapas? With that in mind, it’s hardly surprising there’s so many great coffee shops in San Cris.
A few places for sweet treats and quality coffee include…
Roots
Surely the best bakery in San Cristobal is Roots. As well as freshly baked bread, they serve pizza slices and pastries with ingredients like blueberry, fig, and peaches and cream.
Nothing costs more than 50 pesos! It’s the perfect cheap breakfast or lunch on the run. These goodies would also make great travel snacks if you’ve got a long bus ride coming up.
Cafe Ka
Cafe Ka is one of the best places to buy coffee beans in San Cris. Although it’s more of a shop than a cafe, the owner made me a cup of coffee which I enjoyed in the ambient venue full of plants and natural light.
The owner was friendly and happy to offer San Cristobal food and travel tips. Definitely stop by especially if you want to buy freshly ground coffee or roasted coffee beans!
Frontera
Another mention for Frontera because it has some of the best coffee in town, served in a peaceful patio area away from the hustle and bustle. They have espresso-based coffee as well as Aeropress and other preparation styles.
Amor Negro
For specialty coffee in San Cris, you can’t beat Amor Negro upstairs in Esquina San Agustin. From V60 to frappes and espresso cocktails, even the biggest coffee snobs will be impressed (and I would know for that is me). If you can’t decide, get a coffee-tasting flight.
Chocolateria – Cacao Nativa San Francisco
After visiting Mercado de Dulces y Artesanias Ambar (Sweets and Amber Market), I stumbled across this gorgeous cafe next door specializing in gourmet chocolate. They have so many flavors of drinking chocolate and solid chocolates. The tequila truffle choc was mind-blowing!
Cacao Nativa is a cute cafe with an outdoor patio and a jaguar theme.
Xocol-Na Chocolate & Churros Cafeteria
Just around the corner from Cacao Nativa is another amazing chocolate cafe, Xocol-Na with a similar vibe. Try quality drinking chocolate in a range of percentages depending how sweet or bitter you want it. Pair it with handcrafted solid chocolates in a range of flavors.
Vegetarian restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas
No meat, no problem! I had some great vegan meals during my visit. Here’s where to eat in San Cristobal for vegans and veggies…
Veganos Restaurante
Why should carnivores have all the tacos? At Veganos Restaurante, you can try all the yummy classics like al pastor, bistec, and longaniza (similar to chorizo) but with faux meat rather than the real deal!
Not only are the ‘meaty’ tacos very tasty and moreish but they’re extremely well presented. There are also burritos and traditional Mexican drinks like horchata.
Casa Jasmin
For an entirely vegan restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas, you can’t do better than Casa Jasmin. Everything is lovingly homemade with three special dishes that change each day. It’s the luck of the draw what they’re serving when you’re there but it’s bound to be good.
The focus is on Asian dishes such as Vietnamese bowls and Indonesian curries, somehow recreating flavors like fish sauce and oyster sauce so authentically! Don’t sleep on this cute place.
Kukulpan
Kukulpan is one of the best restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas, named after the Mayan god, Kukulcan. Inexpensive, homemade vegan dishes are served on the outside patio.
With dishes costing around 50 pesos, I ordered two thinking they’d be small but they were actually very generous. The sopes with mushroom, bell pepper, and avocado were delicious! I also ordered the sopa Azteca (one of my favorite Mexican dishes) but didn’t love it because it was quite sour and had the consistency of tomato purée. However, the juices were great.
It’s a cute cafe with colorful murals and locally produced goods for sale like Chiapas chocolate. I paid 140 pesos for two dishes and a drink.
Art Libreria
Art Libreria is another one of the best veggie restaurants in San Cristobal. Not only is everything plant-based but it’s also organic and locally sourced. Plus, it doubles up as a cute bookstore where you can settle down with a good book and enjoy a tasty breakfast or lunch.
Aguacarte Veggie Bar
With a sister cafe in Oaxaca, a city widely known as the foodie capital of Mexico, it’s little wonder Aguacarte Veggie Bar is a high-quality spot. All the dishes come with avocado, but the avocado toast is THE dish for avo fans. Sometimes I resent paying highly in a restaurant for such a simple meal but they do it SO well here; there are 4 varieties to choose from.
At weekends, they do a fantastic brunch for indecisive types with a little bit of everything including a mini poke bowl, smoothie bowl, and topped toast.
Bek, Semilla De Vida
Whether you’re vegan or just looking for healthy food in San Cristobal, I would recommend Bek, Semilla De Vida. Unlike places such as Casa Jasmin that serve international vegan food, this is a lovely place to try vegan Mexican dishes like chilaquiles, enchiladas, and burritos, plus a few general brunch like pancakes and smoothie bowls.
None of the dishes cost more than 100 pesos, and there are vegan pastries and popsicles for dessert.
Bars in San Cristobal
Once you’re finished with all the best San Cristobal de las Casas restaurants, there’s a lively bar scene where you can try regional drinks from Mexican wines from Valle de Guadalupe wine region to pox, a typical spirit from the state of Chiapas. And, of course, tequila and mezcal!
La Viña de Basco
For a fantastic place to drink and eat in San Cristobal, it doesn’t get much more atmospheric than this cozy wine bar where you dine off old wine barrels.
La Viña de Basco is centrally located on Real de Guadalupe with live music playing outside the bar, so grab an outdoor table if you can. There’s usually a wait at night so the afternoon may be your best bet for trying wines from Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Italy (from 28 pesos a glass or 295 pesos a bottle).
You get a free appetizer per glass but I got the same bread with not particularly flavorsome cheese both times so I’d recommend ordering a proper dish from the food menu if you’re hungry. The tapas dishes, quesadillas, sandwiches, and focaccia coming out of the kitchen all looked tasty!
Café Bar Revolución
For a fun and lively bar frequented by locals as well as tourists, don’t miss Café Bar Revolución because it’s easily one of the best places for an evening out. I had a crazy cocktail called the Sacrifico Maya with coffee, tequila, and cinnamon that was set on fire before being served!
There’s live music most nights so bring comfy dancing shoes!
Monkydonas
This isn’t a fancy or well-known bar but my hostel friends and I thought it was a great hidden gem with better views than Guadalapue Church (known as a nice sunset viewpoint) beside it.
Cocktails start from 85 pesos which is a bargain!
There are only a few seats on the roof terrace at Monkydonas (and even less facing sunset) so get there early.
Kinoki
Unlikke Monkydonas, this is no hidden gem. Kinoki is one of the most popular viewpoints in town but you can’t blame everyone for wanting to be here. The views of Calle Real de Guadalupe are unobstructed for people-watching, plus you get a great view of sunset (if you arrive early enough to get a good seat). They have a nice range of drinks and food, plus they often host movie nights.
El Paliacate
El Paliacate is one of the most popular places in San Cristobal for a night out. They have bands from all over Mexico and the world playing salsa, cumbia, and jazz. It’s always a great vibe especially on weekends!
I didn’t visit myself but our guide on the free walking tour vouched for it. Next time!
Thanks for reading my San Cristobal food guide!
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