Brío Cocina Local — Restaurant in Oaxaca

This is a strange instance where we liked the food but did not like the restaurant, and it greatly impacted the experience.

The brand that is conveyed on the website does not match the experience. We ate on the terrace which comes across as way more romantic and high-end than it actually is. The romantic lighting and comfortable chairs were clearly just used for the photos.

And there were other details that fell short of a finer dining experience: Standard paper napkins when guests are spending around 900mxn per person are tacky Servers were wearing blue jeans and white running sneakers Both upper and lower level bathrooms were outdated with cheap fixtures, loose door handles, and a vibe that didn't match the aesthetic of the rest of the restaurant

But the biggest red flag that was something I noticed with both the servers and the management: all the leaning and huddled conversations among themselves. Having worked in the service industry many years, there is a saying that will forever be true, "If you can lean, you can clean." Meaning there's always something you can find to do to serve the business or the customer, and chatting together at the corner of the bar or at the service station does neither (especially when bathroom door handles and faucets are ready to fall off)

And it's really a shame, because the food was quite enjoyable. Overpriced for the experience, but the menu's concept was clearly considered and had focus, but with all of the competition in Oaxaca, you need more than a concept, you need...

5 course meal; each course delivered at an average time of 30 min. 2 1/2 hours !!! 4th course was duck, burned and crispy on the outside and completely raw in the inside. Duck blood all over the plate. Out of 7 diners: 3 only took a bite, 1 asked to skip the course, 2 returned it to recook it and 1 ate it out of hunger.

Out of handcraft beer… and most of the regular beers. Actually they only had ONE type of beer.

Mezcal drinks were served half shot, where at any other place they are served 3/4. Had to request waiter to serve it as regular only to have an inconformity face back at us. My friend asked for a tequila shot, which was served lower than half. I told him to request the waiter to properly serve it and his response was: there are places I just won’t go back. We did not order further drinks.

Restaurant had a DJ and the speaker was right next to our table, we could not hear each other. Requested waiter to lower the volume and said it was a special night and could not do it. Then requested DJ to do so, and he was kind to do it for an hour or so.

Reserved 30 days in anticipation and requested a table with a view,...

Skip the vino del casa... Bottle was already opened, tasted flat. Should have sent it back. Nice view from the terrace, but music is a tad too loud and the chairs a bit uncomfortable. Tomato salad had red, green and tomatoes. Service good! Update, thank you for your response to my review. I think you'll agree that opinions about wine are based on the individual. Perhaps the server could have offered a small taste of the wine first, then let me decide. Since we were there for an early lunch and not many other people were in the restaurant, I must have assumed the bottle was opened the previous day. This red wine was room temperature and it was a warm day. If this how the wine was supposed to taste then it was not to my liking. Next time I'll choose something else on the list but ask for a sample first. That way everyone wins. As far as comfort goes, I felt like the table was too tall compared to the height of the chairs. Not a big deal, but it's like the table and chairs did not match. Again, just my opinion. Best...