19 Best Restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas (2024)

During my nearly two weeks in San Cristobal, one of the most surprising finds was the variety of restaurants. San Cristobal de las Casas has attracted a wide culinary range that includes a remarkable number of Asian and vegan restaurants.

It’s amazing to find two places serving Korean food in a Mexican town of this size, much less three! Plus, the restaurants in San Cristobal include options for every budget.

However, there are so many good places to eat that it became difficult to decide where to go. So, I scoured the streets, read lots of reviews, and ate my way through the city—all in the name of research.

This list is divided into categories for easy reading, but it is important to keep in mind that some restaurants could fall into two categories. For instance, many of the mid-range choices as well as Asian restaurants offer exciting vegetarian or vegan options.

Use this guide to discover some of the best restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas, the cultural hub of Chiapas. 

At a restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas, a variety of natural and metal light fixtures hang from a decorative honeycomb platform hung from the ceiling. Tropical plants line the back wall and others fill in from the floor.

Best Mid Range San Cristobal Restaurants

I’ve started this list with the best mid-range restaurants because it’s simply where I had some of the best food in San Cristobal de las Casas. I also find that they typically offer an option to get more veggies in your diet than usual when you’re traveling.

1. La Cocina

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Tucked away slightly northeast of Centro, this San Cristobal restaurant is a true gem. My friend and I were greeted by the young female owner while randomly passing by one afternoon.

She told us about the menu del día which includes soup, an entree with a small salad, and fruit water for a great price. And believe me when I tell you, this is where I had the best meal in San Cristobal. It took everything in me not to eat here every day. But I knew I had more research to do.

At one San Cristobal restaurant, simple wooden tables and chairs line the brightly painted yellow walls with adorning plants and window open to the outside.
A plate of chicken crepes topped with sliced poblano peppers and smothered in a creamy poblano sauce at La Cocina, one of many great San Cristobal restaurants. Accompanied by white rice and a small side salad.

The meal started with a creamy vegetarian squash soup followed by a plate of crepes stuffed with pulled chicken and smothered in an incredibly flavorful poblano sauce.

The menu choices included a second entree option as well as the option to make the crepes vegetarian. The space was airy and bright, plus the owner was a delight to speak to.

2. Sarajevo Café Jardin

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I’m not sure I’ve seen a more captivating restaurant in my life, and certainly not in this price range. As you walk through the entrance, tropical plants encompass the entire wall and spill into the cafe style seating on the left.

A dramatic floor to ceiling portrait of an indigenous woman weaving hangs from Sarajevo Cafe in San Cristobal. The room is also filled with several tables and a couch.

And the grandmotherly portrait hanging on the back wall draws your attention past all of it to an inviting room with a fireplace and cozy blue velvet couch. The restaurant is vast yet intimate. Nearly every space appears to thoughtfully carve out individual hideaways for customers to escape.

The breakfast menu (8 am-12 pm) includes traditional and Mexican breakfast items as well as several versions of avocado toast.

On weekdays from 1-5 pm, they offer an economical menu del día which includes soup, an entree, agua, plus coffee or tea for 95 pesos. The rest of the menu is a little less exciting, though some items stand out, such as mushroom ceviche, salmon tartar, and paella.

3. La Casa de Las Lolas

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This cute cafe and restaurant in San Cristobal serves breakfast and lunch daily. The breakfast plates include coffee or tea, juice, and bread with jam for a very affordable price, around 100 pesos.

The lunch menu includes an extensive build your own salad selection and a variety of sandwiches. And throughout both menus are options for vegetarians.

If you’re looking for an affordable places to eat in San Cristobal de las Casas, make sure you add La Casa de Las Lolas to your list.

4. Restaurante Taniperla

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Taniperla restaurant offers a varied menu with specialties inspired by ingredients from the Lacandona jungle. And in fact, that’s what I recommend you order here.

These dishes feature tortillas made of sweet potato or plantain and their moles are a different style than those of Oaxaca (although they have those too).

My co-work group frequents their Oaxaca location often and everyone is also obsessed with their chocolate with cardamom and their homemade donuts.

5. Cocoliche

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The eclectic decorations create a fun atmosphere in this popular San Cristobal restaurant. The menu includes several salads, paninis served with a small side salad, and pasta dishes. It’s a solid option if you aren’t looking for traditional food. However, I almost excluded Cocoliche from this list.

My panini was lacking in flavor. It greatly improved by adding a bit of the chili oil they serve with bread to every table as a starter. I believe where they shine is in their pasta dishes as that is what everyone was ordering. And to be fair, the sandwich was good, just not rave worthy. There is a fireplace as well which makes for cozy evening dinners when it’s cold.

Eclectic decorations and a string of decorative lights hang behind the bar at Cocoliche Restaurant, San Cristobal de las Casas.

Bonus Restaurant: I wanted to eat at La Casa de Las Lolas whose menu boasts artisanal bread and salads. But after I discovered this restaurant, I never found myself on the southern edge of town looking for food.

However, I did pop my head in one day to check out the menu. While they don’t offer a menu del dia, all eight toasted sandwiches come with your choice of salad or french fries for a really inexpensive price. The breakfast menu and regional specialties are also a great value.

Best High End Restaurants in San Cristobal

6. Peruano Cevicheria at Esquina San Agustin

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La Esquina San Agustin is a modern food hall that encompasses a variety of restaurants as well as a cafe, bakery, and shops. It’s a beautiful space with an atmosphere that is modern and chic, yet subtle.

I was torn between eating sushi at the Japanese restaurant or ordering some sort of Peruvian ceviche. Though I love sushi, I was quite pleased with my choice.

A bowl of Peruvian ceviche, smothered in a leche de tigre sauce and topped with slivers of raw red onion. Plated with a small crispy calamari and thin slice of corn on the cob.

At Peruano, I ordered the Ceviche Carretillero, a seasonal white fish in a leche de tigre sauce. The acidity was in perfect harmony with the sweetness of the milky liquid.

The elegant plating included a rather small but perfectly crispy fried squid. It was served with thick fried tortilla chips that I found more similar to pita bread. Located on the upper level, the long balcony is the perfect place to take in the view and people watch.

7. Restaurante Lum

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At Lum Restaurant in San Cristobal, an appetizer plate of marinated portabella mushrooms topped with fresh baby green, goat cheese, and sunflower seeds are accompanied by triangles of toasted focaccia bread.

As part of Hotel BO, San Cristobal’s most chic hotel, Lum Restaurant embodies the same vibe. Large wooden doors twist open to the patio which is surrounded by a shallow water pool that flows towards the outside garden. 

The dining room is an intimate space to enjoy a meal, while the bar and lounge area provides a cozy yet modern atmosphere. The menu is creative. The platings are beautiful. It is the type of menu where I’m more satisfied ordering an array of appetizers as an entree. And so that’s just what I did.

8. El Secreto

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I discovered El Secreto when I wandered into their beautiful hotel courtyard next door. I was promptly escorted to the restaurant where I enjoyed an appetizer of duck confit tostadas accompanied by a friendly conversation with the bartender. 

Reviews rave about the creative dishes and accommodating staff. If you’re looking to have a nice evening out or you crave a change of pace from Mexican food, El Secreto may be your spot.

Cheap Eats in San Cristobal de las Casas

Economical food in Mexico can be so much more than tacos! And the budget friendly restaurants in San Cristobal deliver a variety of cheap eats. I even found that the first two had some vegetarian options.

9. Dely Quesadilla

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You’ll know you’ve arrived when you spot a woman cooking freshly pressed tortillas on the hot comal just inside the doorway.

Take a seat at one of the few tables inside and watch her fill the tortilla with your chosen ingredients. I highly recommend the chorizo-mushroom combination. She will then add a little quesillo and place it back on the comal. 

The result is a toasty quesadilla with a hint of salty cheese that helps to pull it all together while still allowing the other flavors to burst through. This unassuming spot is a quick, inexpensive, and yet incredibly tasty place to eat in San Cristobal.

10. Las Tortas

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This is another quick, economical restaurant in San Cristobal that is also incredibly satisfying. In the style of Mexico City tortas, each sandwich starts with a base of fresh bread with mayonnaise, pureed beans, lettuce, tomato, avocado, grilled onions, and cheese. 

The fun, colorful menu includes tortas named after various Mexican figures and is sectioned based on the type of filling – vegetarian, beef, chicken, pork, or pre-created combinations. All of the tortas come in two sizes. Chow down on a full size if you’re hungry, grab a chica torta for a quick snack, or use that size to try two different tortas.

11. El Mesón del Taco

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In a search of the best tacos in San Cristobal (after a few disappointing ones), I stumbled upon El Mesón del Taco located on the southern edge of town. Reviews led me to believe it was visited by a lot of locals.

While I arrived too early to determine if that is true, I was encouraged by the slowly rotating spit of seasoned pork with the typical pineapple speared on top (tacos al pastor).

A pile of chorizo sits atop six tortillas which are layered on a traditional clay plate. Also on the table are a trio of salsas, which rounded out some of the best tacos in San Cristobal.

As my friend and I sat down, I noticed two women pressing tortillas by hand, which further gave us confidence in our choice. Service was prompt and my friend was excited to order a glass of horchata, which proved elusive in other San Cristobal restaurants. 

My only complaint is that the only taco available to order as a single is tacos al pastor. Otherwise, the option is a plate of six of just one type of taco. Luckily my friend is easygoing. We each ordered a single pastor taco and shared a plate of chorizo tacos. The salsas were spicy and delicious.

12. El Taco Veloz

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Some of the best tacos in San Cristobal can be found at this street cart which is white and colorfully painted Taqueria El Taco Veloz. An orange sign with hand-painted lettering advertising seven peso tacos hangs on the right.

The rich aromas emanating from this taco cart were enough for my friend and me to stop and take the time for a quick bite to eat on the way to our destination.

And that’s the beauty of a taco cart in Mexico – cheap, fast, and convenient. They serve tacos with your choice of al pastor, bistec, tripa, chorizo, or longaniza for seven pesos each.

Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants in San Cristobal

There is no shortage of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas. A couple of places offer vegan tacos while others stand out with an amazing vegan menu del dia.

13. Restaurante Falafel 100% Vegetariano

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This small restaurant features falafel, hummus, homemade pita bread, and other fresh ingredients in different combinations to create a handful menu options.

The most popular is the falafel pita with hummus which layers the perfect proportion of hummus to bright green falafel and crisp veggies in a rustic warm pita.

There’s not much more to say. It was some of the best falafel I’ve ever had, and reviewers echo my opinion. The prices are quite reasonable, around 100 pesos.

Bonus Restaurant: Another vegan restaurant in San Cristobal that I wish I would have been able to try is Loving Hut. They offer vegan sushi, rice bowls, and other menu items with a clear indication of which items are gluten-free.

14. Casa Jasmine – Indonesian Vegan Food

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Casa Jasmine serves healthy, flavorful plates of vegan food in San Cristobal de las Casas, with an Indonesian twist.

Each day they offer a menu del día that includes a small bowl of soup, protein (usually tempeh), and some veggies. It’s a great value if you’re vegan in San Cristobal (or not) and looking for a different flavor profile.

Asian Restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas

It’s quite surprising how many Asian restaurants are in San Cristobal. I counted at least three Korean restaurants, several Thai, and at least two Indian restaurants. For reviews of the latter, sorry but Indian is not my favorite food. If you try one, please let me know how they are. Both Cardamomo and Masala Raff have great reviews!

15. Saporo & Tokio San Cristobal

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A blue bowl of Ramen noodles with dumplings topped with sliced radish, shredded beets, and squash blossoms. A bright yellow poached egg sits open face on the edge of the bowl.

If you like ramen, this is a good choice as they have several variations on the menu. Since I actually like dumplings more than ramen, I ordered the option with shrimp dumplings.

The broth was flavorful, the dumplings were delicate, and the egg on top was cooked to perfection. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal here and would highly recommend it if you’re looking for ramen in San Cristobal.

16. Casa de Ahn

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This is the most highly-rated Korean restaurant in San Cristobal. I didn’t get the chance to eat here, but my friend did and reported back to me. 

The first piece of advice she gave: Arrive when they open. The restaurant has only a few tables which fill quickly. Second, plan on being there for a while. Bring a book to read or something to work on.

Not only may you need to wait for a table, but it seems as though each dish is made to order, one by one. My friend got one of the last tables available for lunch and spent an hour and a half there in total.

She ordered #3, one of several rice dishes on the menu, and said the flavors were incredible. The menu indicates which dishes are spicy as well as the house specialties. There are also several vegetarian options and unique teas to drink. 

Double Restaurant Bonus: This has to be my favorite type of cuisine, so I’m not certain why I didn’t eat at more Asian restaurants in San Cristobal. But I certainly scoped them out. Two places I wanted to try were Teddy’s Comida Coreana (map) and Tok Tok Wok Thai (map).

Best Bakeries in San Cristobal de las Casas

17. Kukulpan Bakery

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At an outdoor table overlooking a picturesque street in San Cristobal, sits a croissant and cappuccino from Kulkulpan Cafe. On a wall in the background is a colorful bird mural.

This French cafe has perhaps one of the cutest locations at the top of the hill near the start of the Cerillo neighborhood. The trained baristas create well-balanced coffee drinks and espresso while the bakery items expand beyond the usual panaderia fare. 

I ordered a croissant of goat cheese and caramelized onion with almonds to enjoy with a cappuccino at one of their shaded patio tables. Their kitchen also produces a few breakfast plates, of which I was told the chilaquiles are delicious.

18. Panadería Artesanal Roots

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With no tables inside, this is a great bakery to grab something on the go. The baked goods include your typical Mexican bakery items, some not so typical (I picked up a delicious bread stuffed with mushrooms), and also slices of pizza. There is also a place to buy fruits and vegetables on either side to balance out your meal.

19. Los Sueños Bakery

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This bakery only has a few options with limited morning hours each day. But I’m including it because of its uniqueness. Los Sueños is a bakery school for young kids to learn the ins and outs of baking and running a cafe. 

Two baked goods sits on a clay plate at Suenos Bakery in San Cristobal. A savory one of ham and cheese is in the shape of a triangle, next to a circular cheese bread.

I was attended by a confident young girl with a warm spirit and contagious smile. She did everything from preparing my cup of tea to take payment. She also helped me decipher each of the five bakery items. The pastries are traditional and the seating is basic, but this sort of endeavor deserves more of our attention. Try the cubiletes de queso. They melt in your mouth!

I hope this list helps your narrow down the overwhelming variety of restaurants. San Cristobal de las Casas is a magical town with a lot to offer outdoor enthusiasts. Bonus that you can eat well too! If you discovered any other San Cristobal restaurant gems during your travels, be sure to let me know in the comments below.