Casa Crespo

Taking a cooking class at Casa Crespo was one of the highlights of our time in Oaxaca. We first met Oscar and decided on the menu: tortilla soup, ceviche, chiles rellenos, tamales, mole negro, chocolate ice cream, and two salsas. We then walked to the local market, where Oscar gave quick, helpful explanations of ingredients and what they’re used for, before purchasing a few items we needed for the meal. It was a great way to experience what local markets are like. Back at the cooking school, Oscar did a fantastic job assigning tasks and coordinating the preparation of all the dishes. It felt collaborative and fun, even with so many components coming together at once. Finally, we sat down to enjoy the meal we had prepared, and it was excellent — especially the tortilla soup, the mole negro, and the chocolate ice cream. As a bonus, we were able to take leftover tamales and mole sauce home, which we happily ate for dinner the next day. The only thing that would have made the experience even better would be having stools to sit on while cooking, as standing the entire time can get a bit exhausting. The entire experience lasted about 3.5 hours - the first hour dedicated to deciding the meal and heading to the market, the next two hours for cooking, and the final 30 minutes for eating. That said, this was still a wonderful, engaging experience, and I’d absolutely recommend Casa Crespo to anyone looking for a hands-on, memorable cooking class in Oaxaca.

Unfortunately, the experience was very disappointing due to the guide’s behavior. He came across as rude, rushed, and overly scripted, which made the experience feel forced and unnatural. When questions were asked, he either ignored them or responded with visible frustration. At times, he spoke very quickly and with a strong accent, making it hard to follow, and he seemed irritated when asked to repeat himself. There was little to no engagement, no smiles, and no sense of enthusiasm for teaching. After the cooking was finished, he disappeared and never checked in with us or asked how the food turned out. For the price paid, this felt unacceptable. The only positives were the food itself, which turned out good, and the company in our group, which saved the experience somewhat.

Incredible cooking class. I have a gluten and dairy allergy which makes cooking classes difficult but this was perfect. The group sat down and we were able to choose from several options. Even still when the group chose something that had cheese, for example, the chef pulled out some for me and then added cheese for the rest of the group. Everyone was attentive to my allergies. And the food was delicious! I learned a lot about ingredients and meals in this region. Highly recommend.

One of the highlights if our trip to Oaxaca! Learned so much about local and indigenous food and technique! Made the best tamales, salsas, ceviche and mole! Oscar was a fantastic guide and teacher. Would do more classes if I had the time. Very much recommend!

I had a wonderful experience. Oscar was great. We went to the market back to the casa prepared a multi course meal and ate at our leisure. Highly recommended.

The food was delicious, I had a nice time and enjoyed the company of the other people in the class. However for me the point of a cooking class is to cook the food, we just helped with the preparation and often just watched other people doing the preparation. There were too many people and only one hob. I’ve done many cooking classes around the world and this one was the least involved I’ve done. For the price I think this was very disappointing.

Highly recommend this cooking class if you're looking for one in Oaxaca. One of the best tamale and mole I've had during my whole trip to Mexico.

Highly recommend hiring a private chef from Casa Crespo! It was THE BEST MEAL we ate in our whole time in Oaxaca. Filling and delicious. I wanted to lick the plate at each bite. Highly recommend!!! Willie was wonderful