San Cristobal de las Casas is unlike any other place we’ve been digital nomads in. We were swept away by the colorful houses, narrow streets and authentic Mexican charm we’ve been looking for. Little did we know…
…we would be pleasantly surprised by the quality of restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas had to offer!
You’ll be met with an array of cuisines from authentic Chiapas food to your comfort favorites like Thai and that’s what makes the variety of restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas so amazing!
While we were living in Playa del Carmen, we were looking for our next digital nomad destination. We wanted a place where we could focus on work, eat great food and enjoy Mexican culture. All we heard was praise for this ‘Pueblo Magico’ (magical town) and we decided to book our flights then and there!
The 28x Best Restaurants In San Cristobal de las Casas
We spent nearly 2.5 months in San Cristobal de la Casas and so when I say we tried and tested the restaurants in San Cristobal de la Casas, I mean it! Matthew and I absolutely love to try the foods of wherever we find ourselves digital nomading in.
Searching and scouring Google and reading all the reviews, I set out on a mission to find the best San Cristobal de la Casas restaurants. While I have divided the restaurants based on the costs, you should know that San Cristobal restaurants are very affordable. We paid around $20 USD per meal for 2 people. There’s something for everyone here!
We wanted to make sure this blog covered all the grounds – in this blog you’ll find:
- budget, cheap eat restaurants
- mid-range restaurants
- high-range, pricey restaurants
- Asian restaurants
- drinks and bars
- cafes and bakeries
We never ran out of options of San Cristobal restaurants and we often found it hard to pick a place. The best way to find our faves? Try as many restaurants in San Cristobal de la Casas as we can and eat our way through this beautiful, mountain town!
In this complete restaurants San Cristobal de la Casas guide, we hope you enjoy all of the foods the town has to offer as much as we did!
Cheap Eats Restaurants In San Cristobal de las Casas
They are many wonderful places to eat in San Cristobal de las Casas if you’re on a tight budget. It’s one of the reasons it’s so attractive here. I’ve created a separate section below called Asian restaurants which would also fit into this category of cheap eats!
The meals in this section are priced anywhere between $14-$250 pesos ($1-$12 USD). Super affordable and still tasty? We love this combo and there are lots in San Cristobal de las Casas.
1. El Meson Del Taco
Matthew and I both love tacos so much especially after we tried the 4 best tacos in Playa del Carmen. But how does taco restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas size up?
We were surprised to arrive in San Cris and realized there were not that many restaurants to get tacos. But alas, we found one (and it’s probably the best too) El Meson Del Taco. This San Cristobal restaurant isn’t fancy at all so it’s great if you want a quick and cheap bite! They have the best al pastor tacos in San Cristobal de las Casas considering you’ll usually find this kind of taco in the Yucatan Peninsula. Vegetarian options are available here.
Open 6pm-1am, Closed Tuesdays; tacos start at $14 pesos.
2. Restaurante Las Pinchanchas
Our friends’ hosts recommended this restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas. They said it was a great restaurant to experience the traditional Chiapas food and culture.
And boy, we were in for a treat! The restaurant is super spacious with lots of colorful accents everywhere – you’re immediately transported. They have a traditional dance most days around 8pm-9pm or so and it lasts about an hour. The dancers put on a show and it’s beautiful to see the local dances and stories of Chiapas.
Open 9am-10pm Thurs-Sun, Open 2pm-10pm Mon-Wed; meals start at $100 pesos.
3. Dely Quesadilla
A small, no-frills restaurant with very few tables that serve up some tasty quesadillas. If you want to have a quick and cheap bite – this is a popular choice of restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas. The filling is generous and hits the spot every time. You can’t go wrong with the chorizo, mushroom and vegetarian options here.
Open 3:30pm-10:30pm, Closed Sundays; meals start at $10 pesos.
Best Mid-Range Restaurants In San Cristobal de las Casas
The list is long for the mid-range San Cristobal de las Casas restaurants. They are seriously so many options in San Cris – I found it very hard to narrow down the list. We enjoyed these restaurants many times over and would happily go back!
Typically, the restaurants have really nice seating for lunch and dinner plus they all have a good atmosphere. The meals in this category cost anywhere between $80-$200 pesos depending on what you order.
4. Cocoliche
Cocoliche’s interior and exterior remind me of the movie ‘Coco’ for some reason. They have a quirky combination of Italian and Mexican food.
The pasta dishes and sandwiches are a popular choice at this San Cristobal restaurant especially with everyone at our coworking space, Centralita Coworking. The portions here are quite sizeable and some have said it’s good to work from here too (complete with plugs)!
Open 11:30pm-11:30pm Mon-Sun, meals start at $60 pesos.
5. Sarajevo Cafe Jardin
Another lunch favorite from us! We frequented this restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas because it was a 5-minute walk from our coworking space and it’s decorated so well!
Go early and come to Sarajevo Cafe Jardin for lunch – they had the best lunch deal while we were there. It was like $100 pesos for an appetizer, an entree and a coffee/juice. Such great value for money! The service was great but we can’t recommend the coffee at all.
Open 8:00am-12:00am Mon-Sun, meals start at $99 pesos.
6. XUT – El Restaurante
XUT was an extremely charming restaurant in San Cristobal. We had a tradition with our friends to have dinner out every Friday – Bri and Paul suggested this place and it did not disappoint. The menu had some interesting twists on traditional foods and a good mix of international food.
The drinks and food presentation were immaculate. The attention to detail and attentive staff were a great addition to the whole experience here. Oh the dessert was great too – definitely try any of them!
Open 1pm-9pm , Closed Thursdays, Open 10am-9pm Sundays; meals start at $150 pesos.
7. Trattoria Catanzaro
Hidden Gem Alert: Trattoria Catanzaro is the perfect date night option! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves here and indulged ourselves in authentic Italian food. Who knew you could find that in San Cristobal?!
With much research, I found this spot and it seemed to be a hidden gem! There aren’t many tables but it’s perfect for a more intimate dinner setting. The owner is an Italian guy and he’s super friendly. The pasta is homemade and fresh so the menu changes day-to-day. Amazing right?! We ordered the lasagna and carbonara – just melts in your mouth! You must visit this hidden gem of a restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas.
Open 2:30pm-9pm Mon-Sun, Closed Wednesdays; meals start at $140 pesos.
8. Pizzeria El Punto
Feeling like some pizza? Pizzeria El Punto is your spot! While it’s not the best pizza we’ve ever had – it definitely satisfies the craving.
There are 2 locations around San Cristobal de las Casas and the Real de Guadalupe location has a balcony looking onto the walking street.
Open 9:00am-11:30pm Mon-Sun, pizzas start at $90 pesos.
9. Nostalgia
This seemed to be a local favorite. When we got there on a Friday, there was live music and they had to put a couple of tables and chairs together for us to get seated.
A truly great atmosphere with incredible Oaxacan food. Try any of their cocktails too, they have your classic ones and some with a twist!
Open 1:00pm-10:00pm Mon-Sun, Closed Tuesdays; meals start at $60 pesos.
Best High-Range Restaurants In San Cristobal de las Casas
For a small town in the hills of Chiapas, San Cristobal de las Casas offers a lengthy list of high-end fancy restaurants. They have their own unique charm here and the service is incredible.
While these are on the high-range restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas list, they are not as expensive as you might think. Matthew and I spent our Valentine’s dinner at Lum by Hotel Bo and the entire bill came out to $80 USD. We had an entree, cocktails, dessert and coffee each!
We definitely recommend trying at least a couple on the list because the value for money is unlike anywhere else.
10. Cafe Bar 500 Noches
Located in the famous Plaza San Augustin, Cafe Bar 500 Noches is a cozy restaurant that offers Swiss meals like fondue, tapas and more. We went here on one of our first weekends and it was pure magic! If you’re craving cold cuts and cheese – this is the best restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas for it!
The climate in San Cristobal de las Casas is much cooler (as it’s a mountain town obviously) so they can create a cozy, warm atmosphere. The indoor dining is more classic bistro-style while if you sit outside they have the heaters available. Our friends and we kept saying it reminded us of being in Europe! You’ve got to try this place.
Open 9:00am-2:00am Mon-Sun; meals start at $60 pesos.
11. Lum by Hotel Bo
This was our choice for Valentine’s Day! We lived nearby so we always passed by Lum and it looked incredible on the inside. We decided to save it for a special date night and it was everything we hoped!
Note: This isn’t *Casa Lum Restaurante*. This is a totally different one by Hotel Bo.
Quality food. Impressive dining experience. Friendly staff. What more could you want?! The cozy atmosphere made it feel very intimate with the firepits and romantic lighting. It’s odd but they don’t have a Google listing – if you do go just head to Hotel Bo and the restaurant is right near the entrance. You can go for lunch but we recommend dinner time because it’s so beautiful!
Open for lunch and dinner Mon-Sun; meals start at $150 pesos.
12. El Secreto
Our friend, Andrea, found this San Cristobal restaurant near the center of town for his birthday. We sat inside because the weather was playing games (if I remember correctly). The restaurant is connected to a 4-star hotel and it’s just been beautifully designed with proud showcases of the Chiapan culture.
The meals were definitely on the pricey side and the portions were decent. I guess what you would expect for a high-end restaurant but it was still delicious. They focused on offering quality Mexican food and delivered!
Open 7:00am-11:00pm Mon-Sun; meals start at $130 pesos.
13. Tierra y Cielo
If you want a top-notch dining experience – visit Tierra y Cielo Restaurante! You won’t be disappointed by the terrace dining setting, impeccable attention to detail and just gorgeous food.
The mole is a must-try. This San Cristobal de las Casas restaurant does a great job at putting contemporary twists to classic Mexican dishes. They also have vegetarian or vegan options and you can bring your pets. Try to book in advance, it is popular!
Open 8:00am-6:00pm Tues-Sun, Closed Mondays; meals start at $60 pesos.
14. Mercado de Carne Parrilla
Another date restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas for us! We love our occasional steak meal and this seemed to be the obvious choice. Located inside the Plaza San Augustin, you’ll be met with modern design and meat-heavy dishes like burgers and steak.
Obviously, with steak, it’s going to cost a bit more than usual but not anything crazy. We enjoyed our time there and while it wasn’t the best steak in the world – it satisfied our craving. The service wasn’t the nicest, they were just a tad cold but fine overall!
Open 1:00pm-11:00pm Mon-Sun; meals start at $180 pesos.
15. Hotel Sombra del Agua
This hotel + restaurant is so beautifully designed I couldn’t stop taking pictures. The arches sweep you away back into the colonial times. We actually stayed overnight here when we first landed in San Cristobal de las Casas. The room was a tad small but we had a king-size bed which made for a comfortable night’s sleep.
And the restaurant? The atmosphere here is unmatched! We went here for my birthday dinner and they have outdoor seating with 4 fire pits and it makes for such a cozy and intimate ambiance. The food was pretty good, more on the pricey side but decent for the international food scene. A great place to also have a glass of wine or cocktail – it’s amazing to just sit there and soak it up!
Open for lunch and dinner Mon-Sun; meals start at $100 pesos.
Best Asian Restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas
The Asian dishes in San Cristobal de las Casas were some of the best we had in Mexico! We found it hard to find good Asian food while we were living in Playa del Carmen and San Cris blew it out of the park. You’ll definitely get your Asian cravings satisfied here!
You have a wide range of Asian cuisines from Thai food, Vietnamese food, Korean food and Indian food. Told ya – you were spoilt for choice here! Believe me when I say, we ate at all these spots many, many times!
The meals in the restaurant San Cristobal de las Casas section cost anywhere between $50-$200 pesos. A lot of them are very cost-effective!
16. Tok Tok Wok
An absolute hidden gem! No one seemed to really know about this place and one day when I was looking for Asian food near our coworking space, Tok Tok Wok popped up.
One lunch day, we decided to try it and we were addicted. The ingredients taste fresh, it’s very quick to come out and it just tastes delicious! This San Cristobal restaurant is very small and only has a few seats but worth the try.
Open 1:00pm-9:00pm Mon-Sat, Closed Sundays; meals start at $55 pesos.
17. Casa de Ahn
Hidden Gem Alert: Casa de Ahn is another small but mighty Asian restaurant nestled in the town center. They are popular (amongst locals) for Korean food. In our opinion, it was the best Korean restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas.
They only have 4-5 tables that seat 2-4 people and whenever we passed by – they were usually full for dine-in! If you wanted to sit inside, make sure to go early for dinner or lunch. Order the ‘arroz con pollo/cerdo/marisco and make it ‘dol-sot’ for an extra $20 pesos they will put it on a hot plate and it’s amazing!
18. Cardamomo Restaurante Hindu
Craving Indian food? Cardamomo Cocina Hindu is the spot to satisfy your cravings. They have the usual favorites – butter chicken, korma, palak paneer and more. The dining area is tastefully designed, clean and modern.
It’s not the cheapest place but then again we have found it hard to find cheap Indian food anywhere we’ve been digital nomads in. The meals start anywhere from $125 pesos and they have a “menu del dia” (menu of the day) which is only $95 pesos.
Open 12:30pm-10:00pm Mon-Sun; meals start at $100 pesos.
19. Bangcook
Green Curry. Pad Thai. Fried Rice. We can never go too long without having Thai food. And Bangcook? It hits the spot! We ordered the green and yellow curry – and while they were not the best Thai we had (biased since we lived in Thailand for 5 months), it was really decent given it’s a small restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas.
This San Cristobal restaurant is located inside Plaza San Augustin along the Real de Guadalupe walking street. They have comfy dine-in tables and chairs. They got really busy around 8pm so it’s best to arrive 7pm if you wanted a seat.
Open 1:00pm-11:00pm Mon-Sun; meals start at $150 pesos.
20. Just PHO You Restaurant
We went to Just PHO You on a rainy, San Cristobal day and it was exactly what you want on a cold and gloomy day. The only thing is…
…Don’t come hungry! The wait times are extremely long – I think we waited nearly 90 minutes and there was only one other couple ahead of us. Thankfully, the bowls of pho are absolutely gigantic – I could barely finish it.
Open 12:30pm-8:00pm Tues-Sat; meals start at $80 pesos.
21. Arirang Korean Restaurant (formerly Teddy’s Comida Coreana)
If you can’t already tell – Matthew and I love Asian food! We could eat it almost every day…almost. Arirang is another great Korean restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas. It’s was an awesome surprise to find that there are 2 Korean restaurants in a small, Mexican mountain town.
Their portions here are pretty big – enough to fill you up for sure. Their fried rice is a popular choice with beef, chicken or shrimp. They also have tons of vegetarian and/or vegan options available. The cozy ambiance and delicious Korean food was so nice we came here quite a few times!
Open 12:00pm-10:00pm Tues-Sun, Closed Mondays; meals start at $90 pesos.
Best Drinks in San Cristobal de las Casas
There are so many bars to choose from in San Cristobal de las Casas it got hard to pick one! It’s are relatively cheap for a glass of wine or cocktail and sometimes they come with a little tapas to get you started.
On a cold San Cristobal night, it’s nice to stroll down the Real de Guadalupe and have a drink. Here are some of the best places to sit, relax and drink in San Cristobal de las Casas.
22. La Vina de Bacco
This is the most popular spot to drink a glass of wine in San Cristobal de las Casas. Is it the vibrant atmosphere? The cheap drinks? Or the yummy tapas that attracts people to La Vina de Bacco? I’d say it’s all of the above!
We heard about this place before we even arrived in San Cristobal de las Casas and we wanted to make sure we visited while we were there. The glass of wine starts at only $25 pesos ($1.21 USD).
Open 1:00pm-12:00am Mon-Sun, wine and beers start at $25 pesos.
23. La Maldita (Best Sunset View)
Want the best sunset view in San Cristobal de las Casas? La Maldita is the best one we found! The location is a little bit tricky to find and the entrance is pretty much no-frills so it’s hard to spot.
Once you find it though – you’ll be rewarded with the most beautiful view of mountains, the lovely San Cristobal houses and a sunset if you go around 6ish pm. The food wasn’t anything special but the drinks were pretty good – order a Michelada!
Open 2:00pm-10:00pm Mon-Sun; meals start at $160 pesos.
Best Bakeries & Coffee in San Cristobal de las Casas
Chiapas is known all over the world for its famous coffee beans. This was one of our main reasons for visiting San Cristobal de las Casas. As serious coffee lovers ourselves, we had to give it a try!
You’ll never run out of coffee shops here in San Cristobal de las Casas. For this list, we’ve chosen our top spots to grab a coffee and/or eat some pastries. These places did not disappoint!
24. Cafeolgia
The best cup of coffee we had was at Cafelogioa. We were sad we didn’t discover it sooner – well we did find it on Google Maps but when we tried to go it was more difficult to locate in the end. So I’ve put a pin exactly where it was located.
Cafeologoia also had fresh pastries every single day – the cinnamon roll was recommended by our favorite barista and it was so good it almost always sold out! Another thing we loved (when we weren’t feeling in a coffee mood) was the kombucha! I believe they made it themselves every week and it tastes amazing. Try the natural one or the mango-flavored kombucha – you won’t regret it!
Digital nomads: This is a nice spot to get some work done – however, they technically only allow you to sit for 1 hour. Relaxing spot to do some emails at least.
Open 8:00am-9:00pm Mon-Sun; coffees start at $40 pesos.
25. Frontera Artisan Food and Coffee
We have fond memories at this cafe. It was where we first met our friends, Bri and Paul who we traveled with through San Cristobal and Guatemala!
Their outdoor garden is so peaceful – it’s great to just sit, relax and enjoy a coffee with friends. This San Cristobal cafe also offered yummy bagel sandwiches. It’s a popular place amongst locals, tourists and everyone in between – a must-visit in San Cristobal de las Casas.
Open 8:00am-9:00pm Mon-Sun; meals start at $60 pesos.
26. Carajillo Cafe
We went to Carajillo cafe on our last weekend in San Cristobal de las Casas and we wish we tried it sooner!
We just wanted a quick coffee before we had to do some errands and I had the americano – it was really tasty! Unfortunately, the service is a little bit pretentious and not so friendly.
This might be permanently closed. If you’ve gone by been recently, we’d love to know if it is!
27. Amor Negro Cafe
When we were looking for cafes to work from in San Cristobal de las Casas, we had our eyes on Amor Negro Cafe. This cafe is also located in the center of town inside Plaza San Augustin on the second floor. The coffee was pretty good and they had nice food choices for brunch.
The only thing is…we later learned they weren’t very friendly towards digital nomads. A person behind us pulled out his laptop and they told him they wouldn’t serve him anything. So…there’s that.
Open 8:00am-10:30pm Mon-Sun; coffees start at $40-$50 pesos.
28. Oh la la! Pasteleria
Oh la la Pasteleria is a French bakery known for its delicate pastries. They have all kinds of dessert and pastries you can imagine – lemon tarts, pan a chocolate, eclairs and more!
The coffee here isn’t the best in San Cris but make sure to try their $99 pesos deal that gives you a main dish, juice/coffee and a pastry.
Open 8:30am-10:00pm Mon-Sun; pastries start at $18 pesos.
Restaurants In San Cristobal de las Casas Are Amazing!
The restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas are next-level! We enjoyed eating so many different varieties of food, with different dining options like outdoor gardens, balconies and more.
We hope you enjoy any one of these restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas as much as we did!
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We want to hear from you…
Which was your favorite spot? There’s so many restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas so it’s hard to pick. My favorite has to be Casa de Ahn because I love Korean food and this tasted really authentic.
