Melissa McCann
Google
This was our second visit to Crudo, the first being in 2021. Though the incredible intimacy of the 6-seat original dining experience is gone, the expansion of their offerings with this large, sunny dining room is still the most unique & exciting dining experience in Oaxaca.
The omakase concept is very Japanese, but the ingredients are all truly Mexican & Oaxacan. The ability of these dishes to embrace Japanese umami through the addition of Oaxacan flavors like chapulines, corn & mezcal is truly phenomenal.
We were served 8 courses and found it a good value for the experience, but we weren't necessarily full after this meal, which was different from our 2021 visit. This definitely felt a bit more like a choreographed routine and less like the chef omakase intimacy of the private dining room. I also felt like the curated beverage list was really done a disservice, as the server was left lingering at the cooler and it was awkward to ask for drink pairing suggestions not knowing what was ahead with the menu. This concept worked well when you were sat close to the chef & sous chef to request drinks with the courses, but fizzles in the larger space. I would suggest that guests are presented with a menu for the omakase with drink pairing suggestions to get the full experience here.
Also, the pre-paid booking is clunky & complex. I absolutely don't mind providing a card to hold the reservation, but we lost 250 pesos simply because you cannot modify the number of guests on a booking and we had to cancel and rebook.