Zandunga Sabor Istmeño

What an amazing restaurant. This place is a wonderful example of something that I love to experienc in different places. They take Oaxacan food, a cuisine that is rich with flavor, texture and aroma but born of humble origins, and they elevate it in the context of fine dining. The result is a spectacular experience that presents all the best aspects of traditional dishes with care and respect. The embellishments are minimal and only serve to frame the food of Oaxaca and lavish upon it the same love and attention that any good food deserves. Don't miss a chance to eat here.

My wife and I went here on our honeymoon. The food was delicious and I especially recommend the sweet elote tamale! We did however have a horrible service experience. Our server was very sweet and “recommended” a glass of the house wine since it was our honeymoon. We had already ordered cocktails but she insisted on having us try the wine and when we said it was nice poured us glasses. Given the context it seemed the house wine was a gift from the restaurant for our honeymoon. Although we honestly didn’t want wine, we forced ourselves to finish it to show gratitude for the kind gesture. When the bill came we were shocked to see the wine on it for 390 pesos! I alerted the restaurant of the error but they said we had accepted the wine and refused to take it off. So basically we were forced to pay for wine we didn’t even want on our honeymoon! This is not the type of service you expect at a fine dining experience. It was obviously a communication error, but seeing as both my wife and I had the impression that the wine was complimentary they should have taken at least one glass off the bill. It really tainted the entire experience of dining here.

Loved the vibe at Zandunga, relaxed, welcoming, and full of Oaxacan charm. I had the ceviche and the corn tamal, and both were incredible. The ceviche was super fresh and well-balanced, and the tamal was soft, slightly sweet, and full of flavor. Definitely a place I’d come back to.

We had lovely dinner in Zanduga. We tried for entradas 5 tacos with 16 different taste, definitely the best tacos we tried in Mexico so far in 7 days. We give 10/10 for this very rich with meat tacos. For main meal we ordered pork ribs marinated in chilli with ananas and mashed potato. There is no words i can describe how this pork ribs were tender, real delicacy. I am giving 100/100 for this meal. Another meal was tongue in mole sauce. Tongue was tender and great, mole is something you need to try while in Oaxaca but for our european (croatian taste) it was too much. But everyhing was good, we are just not used to this type of taste. We know about goulash and this looked like it. Craft beer is fantastic, very drinkable. If you ask me would I return here my answer is definitely YES!

The food itself was enjoyable, no complaints there. However, the service was disappointing. The waiter with glasses didn’t seem to care much about cleanliness or customer service. My table was visibly dusty, and when I pointed out that the plate was also dusty and asked for a new one, there was no apology—just indifference. I ended up wiping the table down myself with a napkin. What really sealed it was being asked for a tip after all that. Sorry, but good service earns gratitude, not demands. Not impressed.

This restaurant has a top tier vibe, menu options, and flavors. The menu is a true blend of traditional food and deluxe dining. The mezcalita was wonderful, and the mojito with mezcal was memorable - one of the best drinks I had in Oaxaca with plenty of mint to complement the mezcal. I ordered Veggie Alambres and a Soup. The Alambres is hearty, and I kept some for leftovers with my own tortillas at home since there was more filling than the tortillas provided. The soup was healing, and I squeezed some limes into it to enhance the flavor. It wasn’t necessarily strong flavored, but it was healthy and simple. It was the type of thing that makes your body feel very cared for. I appreciated that there are chips and three types of salsa provided when you order, which allowed my friends and I to have something to hold us over until the meal came. I will say, I have eaten at many restaurants in Mexico, and this was some of the oddest service I’ve had. The server took everyone’s drink order but mine and two others (we were a party of 13) and I ended up asking her to put in my drink and food order because my friends had all already received their food and drink. This set off the timing of the meal, and we were at the location for a good three hours total. In Mexico, always allocate 30-40 minutes for the bill. I don’t expect fast service, but being skipped and unable to get the server’s attention until everyone else had been served was beyond a unique experience. Overall, it was a good experience - but one of my pricier meals in Oaxaca and for the food and experience provided, I wouldn’t say it’s a “must visit” but does have some unique options worth trying.

We had the most delicious food from Isthmus region, and our waiter on the night couldn't have been more helpful in giving us recommendations - we loved everything. Definitely a must visit in Oaxaca

Delicious food, excellent service and very nice environment. The mole negro is exceptional, really tasty and we had the Botana Zandunga which was super tasty.