A Oaxacan restaurant with a focus on Mixtec cuisine is the best restaurant in Mexico, according to the Gastronomic Guide of Mexico.
This year, the Restaurant of the Year went to Tierra del Sol, a traditional food restaurant run by chef Olga Cabrera in the capital of the southern state of Oaxaca.
The 2026 Special Awards recognize chefs, cooks, and industry figures who stand out for their talent, professional achievements, and contributions to Mexico’s culinary scene.
“This goes to Oaxaca, to the Mixteca and to Mexico,” Cabrera said after receiving the award, adding that the cuisine served in Tierra del Sol is not only born in the restaurant, but in the land and in the collective effort to take care of native seeds.
In presenting the award, the jury stated that 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 contributed significantly to the research, promotion, and education of Oaxacan gastronomy.
Tierra del Sol’s cuisine focuses on traditional Oaxacan flavors and techniques, with special emphasis on the Mixtec region: its land, native corn, atole, and other dishes linked to family and community memory.
The judges praised Cabrera’s work in fusing tradition and innovation, and her direct collaboration with local producers, especially the women guardians of corn, cocoa and other crops.
Cabrera’s restaurant also appears as a new entry in the Michelin Guide Mexico 2025, complementing the recognition of the Gastronomic Guide of Mexico and strengthening its position on the national scene.
In total, in the 12th edition of the Gastronomic Guide of Mexico, 26 special prizes were awarded. Some of these include:
- Best Chef: Ángel Vázquez, founder of Intro and Augurio (Puebla)
- Food Phenomenon of the Year: Taqueria La Once Mil (Mexico City)
- Best dessert menu: Bruna (Guadalajara)
- Bakers of the Year: Julio and Ariana González de Buñuelo (Mexico City)
- Best Dining Experience: La Aldea Avándaro (Valle de Bravo, State of Mexico)
- Best Mexican Restaurant Abroad: Kol (London)
- Best Gastronomic Hotel of the Year: Nizuc (Cancun)
- Best Wine Bar: Brutal (Mexico City)
Source: Aconcagua
