Best local bars in Oaxaca

Local bars, dive bars, traditional bars. Pubs, tabernas, cantinas. Whatever you want to call them, these are the places that should still exist if you took tourism and the nomad population away. These are the places that are authentically tied to a region or city or neighbourhood or culture.

A local sits at a wooden table on Corona branded chairs in a local bar in Oaxaca.

When Sam and I travel these are the places we want to visit. We drink Campari in Italy, vermut in Spain, and mezcal in Mexico. Oh, and beers everywhere. We have become very good at finding local bars, and these are our favourites from the month we spent in Oaxaca city. If you want to see all our favourite bars in Oaxaca head to our article here.

A man pours a shot of spirits into a mixer at a local bar in Oaxaca.

Oaxaca local bars can be identified by some or all of these traits: wooden saloon doors, or some other obstacle to prevent you seeing inside; inquisitive stares from locals as you enter; respectful nods from locals when you leave after spending much more time there than they expected; very cheap large format lagers branded as ‘Mega’ and referred to as ‘Caguama’; free snacks with every order – usually peanuts and fresh citrus fruit; and a limited to no tourist presence.

Bottles of Corona Mega beer with yellow labels displayed on a shelf in a refrigerator.

We stayed centrally enough in Oaxaca city that we could easily walk to all of the bars on this post. First, we stayed at a Booking.com apartment in the Centro neighbourhood. For our last couple of nights, we treated ourselves to an upgrade at Suites de la Parra. For our two nights at Suites de la Parra, we also got to enjoy rooftop loungers in the sun in between our many, many beers.

To test your comfort levels with truly traditional Mexican bars gradually, visit these recommended Oaxaca bars in the following order…

Cantina Salon de la Fama – best of the local bars for tourists in Oaxaca

This was the first local bar we visited on our Oaxaca trip. It is the bar we returned to the most times, as well as the one with the most consistent experience (probably due to the fact that it’s in the epicentre of the city, and therefore often frequented by docile tourists). It was on our first day, we saw our first set of Corona branded saloon doors. Yes, saloon doors. Like two moths to a flame…

A striking blue bar with wooden saloon doors stands out on a sunny day in Oaxaca.

We had many a 35 peso, ice cold Corona at this bar. By 9pm, there would always be live music. A press located on the bartop squeezed fresh lime juice for their margaritas and mezcalitas. I so, so wanted these margaritas to be good… but after trying more times than I care to admit I gave up and stuck to the beers. They were so inconsistent. Play it safe and drink Corona, Modelo, Victoria, or one of their extensive range of mezcals straight and neat.

A bottle of Corona, half drunk, sits on a table in a bar in Oaxaca.

Cantina Salon de la Fama is probably the best of the local bars in Oaxaca to ease yourself into the local drinking scene, with a good mix of tourists, expats, and locals alike.

Bar Superior – best gateway bar

As with many of the best truly local bars that we visited in Oaxaca, we discovered Bar Superior by chance.

Entrance to a bar with a Bar Superior sign, chalkboards with promotions, and an open wooden door.

Unlike many of the dives we wound up frequenting, this one had windows and daylight within. Along with a wide selection of drinks and a bar you could actually sit at, this is the best gateway bar into the realm of truly local Oaxacan dive bars. We ordered Corona Megas for maximum value – 100 pesos for 1.2L vs 40 pesos for a standard 330ml bottle. Basically a free bottle and then some. Carry this tip with you throughout all of Mexico. You’re welcome.

Sofia enjoying a drink at a sunlit table near a patterned wall and window with a potted plant.

With its central location and friendly staff, Bar Superior is one of the best bars in Oaxaca to get a taste of the large format Caguama beers amongst a nearly all-local clientele.

Cantina Fito’s – best next generation local bar

Similar to Bar Superior, this local bar has both daylight and an actual bar you can sit at. Unfortunately we only discovered this bar towards the end of our Oaxaca trip. When we first sat down, a local man who didn’t speak English served us. I love when this happens because it ~~allows~~ forces me to practice my broken Spanish.

A wooden back bar filled with spirits next to a sign with an image of a skeleton drinking beer at Cantina Fitos

Naturally we ordered a Corona Mega with two glasses. A few minutes later, a couple of younger, English speaking bartenders started talking to us about their cocktail menu. A huge range of premium spirits made up their back bar. This was a deviation from the standard dive bar in Oaxaca. The people next to us ordered a boulevardier or similar, and it came with about five ounces of spirits (perfect for afternoon drinking).

Clear shot glass on a bar counter, labeled Fitos Cantina, with bottles blurred in the background.

It dawned on us that the next generation were taking classic Cantina Fito’s and working on making it more modern. This transition to a premium bar was somewhat thwarted by that same younger generation’s quest for work/life balance… we came back at 9pm and barely made it for last call. Even still we did really enjoy this bar with its colourful entrance, bright interior, and central location.

Cantina 20 de November ‘El 20’ – best for market visits and after eating at Chefinita

Contrary to the chance discoveries above, we specifically sought out El 20 after a trip to the Oaxaca central markets. We had returned from a morning at Monte Alban, where we explored the ruins in the not-too-blazing sun. We were dropped off outside Mercado 20 de Noviembre, so of course we went in for a browse. After finding a delicious fruit & juice section where I got myself a baby mango on a stick, I took a wrong turn down some very narrow raw fish and meat aisles. Long story short I needed to get out of the market post-haste and lower my heart rate. Naturally I searched Google maps for the nearest bar.

I was originally intimidated by the exterior. You have to circumvent a big wall blocking all light into the bar. The interior had no real daylight and no physical bar. All the locals had buckets of 6 bottled beers to themselves. We sat down at the only empty table, and a very surly server took our order. Dos Coronas for 35 pesos each. He asked me a question in Spanish very quickly. Having to urgently use the bathroom – which had been locked since we entered – I just assumed he was offering me a secret key, so I enthusiastically agreed! It turned out he was offering us a hot meat soup. Sam was unable to turn this away while I was in the bathroom.

Bowl of soup with meat and corn, alongside a plate of sliced oranges and lime, and a bottle of beer on a white table.

Two Corona beers on a table, with a plate of lime, orange slices, and peanuts.

We came back to this bar several times over the weeks we were in Oaxaca. After the first trip, we stuck to the salty peanuts and orange slices. On our last visit, the owner and the once surly server said goodbye to us over a round of mezcal shots on the house. This bar may take some warming up from both sides, but it became a favourite.

Corona Bar* – best of the local bars for locals in Oaxaca

Now that we have transitioned into the genuine local bar realm, it’s time to talk about Corona Bar. Was it called Corona Bar? That we do not know. It was not discoverable on Google maps. This is the next level of local/dive – does not seem to have any record of existence*.

But I’m sure you can see why we called it Corona Bar…

Sofia standing in front of a yellow and white building with Corona branding and colorful street in the background.

We first stumbled upon this gem on the first day we were trying to be responsible rather than on vacation mode. We had just had lunch at an asado outside Mercado IV Centenario. It was Sunday, and the following day would be our “first day back at work.” The plan was to go grocery shopping and take it easy. A mere two blocks into our trip to a market specialising in produce for our upcoming detox kick, we walked past Corona Bar. It was a bright yellow beacon calling to us amid the feeble attempt to be healthy and responsible. On top of the outrageous exterior branding, it had saloon doors. We couldn’t not go in.

Two beer mugs next to a big Corona Mega beer on a wooden table.

Wooden plate with peanuts, lime, and orange wedges on a table near a beer mug.

The bar was a true Oaxaca local’s bar. Slightly out of the way, blasting unnecessarily loud 90’s pop, playing two different movies on two different TV’s in the background. Inexplicable. There was a large fridge full of beers, including Megas. They served peanuts and orange wedges. Another sign of a classico local bar.

We came back here a few times throughout our trip and had mixed experiences. The first time was a Sunday afternoon, so it was quiet (blaring music aside). The second time, there was a soccer game playing, and the bar was heaving with people having a blast and cheering. The third time was a Saturday night that was just as quiet as the Sunday afternoon.

Beer bottle and glass on a bar counter with lemon slices and condiments; a hand reaches for a glass.

Corona bar is almost as local a bar as you will find in Oaxaca. It is certainly the best of the truly local bars that we recommend.

*Corona Bar is actually Bar La Alianza, as written on the front of the premises and on it’s definitely existing Google maps entry. But we will forever know it as ‘Corona Bar’.

El Dos De Oros – the bar that was too local even for us diehards

Walking back from a Sunday market visit we spotted this closed Oaxaca dive bar. Due to having saloon doors and wooden signage, we earmarked it as a place to return.

A single-story locals bar in Oaxaca, closed with saloon doors.

When we did return one Saturday evening, gentlemen were eating and spitting sunflower seeds all over the floor, while ladies of the night held onto their arms. I became very nervous when Sam went to the bathroom. This fell under the ‘would not return’ column (even for the free sunflower seeds, which one bartender kindly tried to explain to me how to eat. I opted to continue eating them whole). Google reviews had pre-warned us of this experience but we had to test our limits and learn exactly where we draw the line.

A group of men sitting at a table in a bar, one reading a paper, others talking, with seed strewn across the floor. Black and white photo.

There were other local bars we visited in Oaxaca that truly had no presence on Google maps. These were experiences for sure but maybe not for everyone! Probably best to test your tolerance with the bars above before walking through those doors…