One of the things I love most about living in a new place is getting to discover the culture via its food scene. And let me tell you, there are some amazing restaurants in San Cristobal de Las Casas – more than we expected!

In San Cristobal, you can have anything from traditional and regional Chiapaneco cuisine to soul-satisfying Asian, thin-crust pizza, and the best of Mexican-International fusion.

There are even 5-star hotels and restaurants that serve up creative cuisine in an inspiring setting and all for less than what you’d pay for a simple meal in Europe. Yep! You can eat at some of the best restaurants in San Cristobal de Las Casas on a budget. Paul and I have very rarely ever paid more than $15-20 USD per person, per meal.

So if you’re wondering where to eat in San Cristobal de Las Casas, look no further!

Here are the best restaurants and cafes in San Cristobal de Las Casas – all tested and approved (several times over).

15 Best Cafes & Restaurants in San Cristóbal de Las Casas

1. Xut

• Prices: $$ | $150-200+ pesos pp
• Menu: Artisanal Mexican Fusion
• Location: Calle Dr. José Felipe Flores 17A, Centro
• Hours: Friday-Wednesday 1–9 PM, closed Thursdays

Xut quickly became one of our favorite restaurants in San Cristobal de Las Casas after one evening full of splendid food and drink. The atmosphere in its little inner courtyard is cozy and cute and perfect for going out with your significant other or with friends.

As for the food, you can expect chef-inspired dishes fused with artisanally-sourced, regional ingredients with that of international cuisine.

The highlight of the meal for me was the lasagna-style cream of chicken with poblanos and corn paired with a delicious and slightly spicy chelada reyes (beer mixed with Ancho Reyes chile poblano pepper liquor). I can’t wait to go back and try more of their plates and appetizers (get the fried cheese!).

2. Nostalgia

• Prices: $$ | $150+ pesos pp
• Menu: Oaxacan, Mexican
• Location: Calle Belisario Domínguez 13
• Hours: 1–10 PM, closed Tuesdays

Nostalgia Sabor Istmeño is one of the best restaurants in San Cristobal de Las Casas if you love really good Oaxacan-inspired Mexican dishes and drinks. Nostalgia is one of the only restaurants where you can find a really good mezcal-based cocktail in San Cris (trust me, I’ve tried others and they’re not as worthy).

But even more than the tasty tlayudas, sopes, or mole dishes, what I really love about Nostalgia is its atmosphere! You are truly tucked away off the street as the tables are hidden in a warm and inviting courtyard decorated in earthly oranges and greens. We love going there for lunch for the solitude and for dinner for the ambiance with cozy lighting and live music (some nights).

A must-visit while in San Cristobal!

3. Sarajevo Café Jardin

• Prices: $-$$ | $95-150+ pesos pp
• Menu: Mexican, International, Breakfast/Brunch, Menu del Día
• Location: Calle Flavio A. Paniagua 32
• Hours: 8 AM–11:30 PM

Sarajevo Garden Café is one of the best restaurants in San Cristóbal… period! It honestly has one of the most inspiring atmospheres to dine in. 

Everything from the food to the service is excellent. I can’t remember how many times we went to eat at Sarajevo for their affordable and delicious lunch special ($95 pesos). 

If you go for breakfast, make sure to order the eggs benedict with crushed chile! It is so good!

4. La Frontera / La Espirituosa

• Prices: $-$$ | $100+ pesos pp
• Menu: Coffee, Breakfast/Brunch, Snacks, Bar, Spirit Tasting
• Location: Calle Belisario Domínguez 35
• Hours: Frontera Tue-Sat 8–10 PM, Sun 8–6 PM | Espirituosa 12–8 PM

La Frontera Cafe and La Espirituosa are set within the same sunny inner courtyard in the charming Barrio del Cerrillo neighborhood in San Cristobal de Las Casas. La Frontera is a traveler’s hub, a must-stop on any backpackers’ or travelers’ itinerary. Both it and La Espirituosa, where you can have a free pox tasting – the local corn liquor – are featured stops on San Cristobal’s free walking tour.

Since both places share the same tables, you can plop down on any one of them and order from either the breakfast-brunch menu from La Frontera or the healthy aperitifs, snacks and plates from La Espirituosa. The coffee at Frontera is top-notch (and so are their chai lattes). If you are a digital nomad in San Cristobal, you will definitely become familiar with this hotspot.

5. LUM by Hotel Bo

• Prices: $$++ | $250-350+ pesos pp
• Menu: Mexican International Fusion
• Location: Avenida 5 de Mayo #38, Barrio de Mexicanos
• Hours: 7 AM–11 PM

At Restaurante LUM, housed inside the five-star Hotel Bo, you can eat a “Michellin-quality” meal. We ate here around Valentine’s Day, as a gift from our friends who just wanted to treat us to a meal and we were completely blown away by the food, service, and atmosphere.

LUM is easily one of the best restaurants in San Cristobal de Las Casas for romantic lunches, dinners, or whenever you just want great food that won’t break the bank.

That’s right – eating at Lum sounds like it would be costly but it really isn’t when you compare it to the same-quality meal you would find abroad. Paul and I had 2 cocktails, 2 appetizers, a main dish each, and 2 desserts (haha can you say food lovers, much?) all for less than $50 USD total!

According to the hotel, Lum in the Tzotzil Maya language means Earth, and everything from the restaurant’s decor to the food is inspired by nature’s four elements. Go see and taste for yourself!

RELATED: How to Visit the Tzotzil Maya Indigenous Villages of San Juan Chamula and San Lorenzo Zinacantán

6. Just PHO You Vietnamese Restaurant

• Prices: $ | $100 pesos pp
• Menu: Vietnamese | Pho, Ramen, Dumplings, Noodles, Rice
• Location: Avenida Diego Dugelay 20
• Hours: 12–8 PM, closed Sunday

Just PHO You is a sweet little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in San Cristobal de Las Casas perfect for lovers of Vietnamese cuisine. We stopped in here after a couple of nights wandering Diego Dugelay when we were craving something brothy to warm us up. Since then, we’ve eaten here numerous times and have also gotten delivery to our house.

The Pho and Ramen soups are delicious and hearty – you’ll likely be taking the other half home with you! I loved that they also had a “soy meat” option for vegetarians, although the broth itself tasted quite salty and meaty. If you are craving Vietnamese and Asian flavors, don’t miss out on Just PHO You! The inside is small and intimate, with no fancy decorations, and that’s just what we like.

7. Kukulpan

• Prices: $ | $100+ pesos pp
• Menu: Vegan/Vegetarian, Bakery
• Location: Calle Dr. Navarro 10, Barrio del Cerrillo
• Hours: 8 AM–10:30 PM

Kukulpan, named after the Mayan god “Kukulcan” with an emphasis on bread (pan), is one of the top places to eat in San Cristobal de Las Casas for vegans and vegetarians (and fans of homebaked bread). This little spot is seriously cute and people love to eat outside on its almost-Europeanesque terrace shaded with one or trees and table umbrellas.

The service is fairly slow at Kulkulpan, but if you don’t mind waiting then you will get to enjoy a simple but yummy vegan or vegetarian meal. The menu of the day (menu del día) is one of the cheapest in town at around $85 pesos and comes with the juice of the day, soup, the main entree, and dessert of the day.

You can find Kukulpan just across the street from La Frontera. While you’re at it, don’t miss out on the nearby Santo Domingo church in front of which takes place the indigenous artisanal and textiles market – one of the best things to do in San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

8. El Punto Pizzeria

• Prices: $ | $100+ pesos pp
• Menu: Pizzeria, Wine Bar
• Location: Real de Guadalupe 47
• Hours: 9 AM–11:30 PM

El Punto Pizzeria is one of the best restaurants in San Cristobal de Las Casas for wood-fired pizza, salads, and wine! Right now there are three locations in town – one nearby Iglesia Santo Domingo, one on the Andador Guadelupe, and the other inside the trendy Plaza San Agustin on Andador Eclesiástico.

I am a big fan of thin-crust pizza and these guys get it pretty close! They have a large pizza and drinks menu, although I never took advantage of it since I always got the quattro formaggi pizza. 

9. 500 Noches

• Prices: $$ | $200+ pesos pp
• Menu: Cafe/Bar, Live Jazz Music
• Location: Calle Miguel Hidalgo 6D, Zona Centro (San Agustin Plaza)
• Hours: 9 AM–1 AM

500 Noches (500 Nights) is a café and tapas bar set in the heart of downtown, right on the pedestrian-friendly Andador Eclesiástico and tucked inside the corner of Plaza San Agustin. It is decorated in an old-timey way, making it feel authentic and romantic.

You can eat a variety of foods here, mainly tapas, but the highlight is definitely their cheese fondue dishes served with crusty bread and meats (optional) on the side.

Go early to snag a seat inside!

10. Cafeología

• Prices: $ | $100+ pesos pp
• Menu: Coffee Bar, Hotel
• Location: Real de Guadalupe 13
• Hours: 8 AM–10 PM

Cafeología is one of the best cafés in San Cristobal if you love and appreciate true coffee. I love these guys’ commitment which you can feel and experience as soon as you walk through their doors. The owner actually is from Chiapas and came back to participate in the development and education surrounding coffee!

Cafeología is a great place to go for homebaked treats like their cinnamon rolls (which sell out very fast) and pastries. You can sit inside or out in their private inner courtyard while enjoying some peace and quiet away from the main hustle and bustle out on Real de Guadelupe. Cafeologia also doubles as a hotel, so you can stay here and wake up to the aroma of coffee each morning!

RELATED: 10 Amazing Hotels in San Cristóbal de Las Casas

11. Cocoliche

• Prices: $ | $100+ pesos pp
• Menu: Restaurant/Bar & Cabaret, International Fusion, Vegetarian
• Location: Avenida Cristóbal Colón, Real de Guadalupe 3A
• Hours: 12–11:30 PM

Cocoliche is a smorgasbord of flavors, textures, and colors. I love the decoration inside this restaurant which gives off this almost vintage 50’s bar that could also be the inside of your grandmother’s kitchen.

As for the food, it’s amazingly portioned (if you’re like me you’ll need a box to go) and budget-friendly! Not to mention they have plenty of different options to suit every craving – curries, rice bowls, gourmet salads, sandwiches, and more.

12. BangCook

• Prices: $$ | $150-200+ pesos pp
• Menu: Street Thai Food
• Location: Calle Cuauhtémoc 6, Centro (Plaza San Agustin)
• Hours: 1–11 PM

BangCook is a street Thai food restaurant in San Cristobal that is set within an upscale setting. You can find it on the ground floor of the sprawling Plaza San Agustin, right next to El Punto Pizzeria and 500 Noches.

This restaurant has pretty decent Thai curry, noodles, and rice bowls but most people come here for their renowned passion fruit white chocolate truffle. It’s as good as it sounds! We have always enjoyed the ambiance and service here at BangCook.

13. Bek Semilla de Vida Vegan Restaurant

• Prices: $ | $75-100+ pesos pp
• Menu: Vegan, Mexican/International
• Location: Calle Belisario Domínguez 7A
• Hours: 10 AM–8 PM

Bek Semilla de Vida is an unassuming but popular vegan restaurant hidden in the wall. We stopped by here one evening when we were fancying just quick and healthy vegan food and we don’t regret our decision!

This cozy and intimate restaurant doubles as a vegan goods shop and uses only the best, plant-based ingredients in its meals.

All of the food looks delicious but we went for two curries that were fresh and filling. The best part about eating here is that it’s seriously cheap! I think we ate for less than $7 USD for two.

14. Teddy’s Comida Coreana

• Prices: $-$$ | $100-$200 pesos pp
• Menu: Korean, Asian
• Location: Calle Belisario Domínguez 1a
• Hours: Fri-Wed 12–10 PM, closed Thursdays

Teddy’s Comida Coreana is an Asian fusion restaurant in San Cristobal de Las Casas that is cozy, delicious, and budget-friendly. We came here one night with friends and had great service, great food, and great drinks!

Their current menu features an array of Asian dishes, mainly Korean, such as Kimchi, Duruchigi, Kimbap, Ramen, and more.

You can find Teddy’s if you continue down Calle Belisario Domínguez past the Kinoki restaurant, another OK place to eat, but that’s more popular for its cultural cinema and tea room.

15. Las Pichanchas Restaurant

• Prices: $ | $100+ pesos pp
• Menu: Mexican, Traditional Chiapaneco (with a show)
• Location: Crescencio Rosas 4, Zona Centro
• Hours: 1–10 PM

Last but not least on this list of best restaurants in San Cristobal de Las Casas is Las Pichanchas! To some, this restaurant may feel like a “tourist trap” because they put on a show.

But everything from the dance, music, food, dress, and decor is traditional of Chiapas and I think the restaurant does a great job at sharing a bit of its unique Chiapaneco culture.

The menu is affordable and loaded with traditional specialties like sopa de chipilin or cochito horneado.

Moreover, I particularly enjoyed the Parachico Dancers show at Las Pichanchas because, as our time living in San Cristobal de Las Casas came and went, I heard more and more about this typical dance which originates in the pueblo mágico of Chiapa de Corzo, nearby the state capital of Tuxtla.

San Cristobal de Las Casas has dozens of restaurants we didn’t get to try, but from what we did get to experience, these are our favorites! I hope you enjoy this restaurant guide to San Cris in Chiapas! Please drop your comments, questions, or suggestions down below. Thanks for reading!

Before you go, make sure to check out my other guides to San Cristobal and Chiapas!

• The Most Epic Chiapas, Mexico Road Trip Itinerary
• 15 Adventurous Things to Do in Chiapas, Mexico
• Inside Casa Na Bolom: The House Museum of Lacandon Culture
• How to Visit the Majestic Cañón del Sumidero in Chiapas
• How to Visit Cascada El Aguacero: The Wildest Waterfall in Chiapas, Mexico

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