Alfonsina — Restaurant in Oaxaca

The meal at Alfonsina was a let down. Since only 2 out of 5 dishes were good, I felt a rating of 2 out of 5 stars would be appropriate.

The decor and service at Alfonsina were both nice, but the most important part of the experience is the food which was a failure. Also out of the 4 tasting menus we had in Oaxaca, this had the least dishes 5, compared to 6 or 7 at the others.

The first dish was a terrific squash blossom tamale with a great combination of flavors and textures. I was one of the best tamales I've ever tasted.

The second dish was a bland one-dimensional fish taco completely bereft of flavor. I would be ashamed to serve this dish to my friends or family. Seriously what were they thinking? The chef should apologize on his knees for serving this.

The third dish was a delicious bean soup, hearty and flavorful.

The fourth dish was fish with mole colaradito. The mole was good, but the dish was boring. It lacked even a hint of creativity. I expect more at this price point.

The final dish was peaches with guanabana purée and a few other things. It was intense in a bad way. The flavors did not come together to form a pleasing composition, instead they clashed leaving your palate confused and disinterested.

In a city with such culinary and artistic talent, I would not recommend wasting your time here.

(It is also out of the way and inconvenient to get...

We recently dined at Alfonsina, a restaurant located 30 minutes from downtown Oaxaca. Despite its sketchy location, the place is nicely decorated. However, seating in the open area was full of mosquitos, making it uncomfortable despite the provided mosquito repellent and burning copal.

The service was excellent, provided by several attentive ladies who acted as both waitresses and guides. Unfortunately, the food was disappointing. The first dish, fish wrapped in a cabbage leaf with sesame seeds on a tortilla, was too hot and difficult to eat due to the toughness of the cabbage. It burned the roof of my mouth leaving it sore the next day. The second dish, an eggplant tamal with yucca, was interesting but not great. The third dish, a white bean creamy soup with mushrooms, was the highlight of the meal. The fourth dish, a small piece of fish on top of mole almendrado, did not compare to the mole served at Mercado 20 de Noviembre. The dessert, mamey puree with small plums and grapiñado peanuts, was fine.

Overall, I found Alfonsina to be pretentious and overpriced. I believe I would have had a better experience elsewhere. Additionally, the chef did not come out to greet patrons, which would have shown pride...

Alfonsina was, without a doubt, one of the best dining experiences I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying.

Not only was the food carefully and beautifully prepared with an array of local flavors and high quality ingredients, but every aspect of the presentation, ambiance, and sensory experience was fully considered and beautifully executed.

The courtyard for dining is more expansive than I expected from the outside, but kept very intimate with small trees and soft candlelight. Rosemary and sage incense between courses kept all bugs away and left the most wonderful aromas hanging near the table.

The staff was very attentive, knowledgeable, and warm throughout the dinner. After the beautiful 5-course meal was done, a plate of the ingredients was brought around to explain how each dish was crafted and where the ingredients were from.

I can't say enough good things about Alfonsina and our experience there. It's difficult to accomplish what they've done without being contrived, but they've managed just that.

Do NOT miss a meal at Alfonsina when you...