Tastavins — Restaurant in Oaxaca

Great wine, delicious food, and very impressive service! We had a few of the tapas to start out (aceitunas rellenas de anchoa, tortillas a la español, y bruschettas de jamón), which provided a wide range of tasty flavours that paired nicely with the wines we ordered (Tempranillo and Malbec/Cabernet). The bruschetta in particular was the largest either of us had ever seen, not to mention thoroughly delicious.

For our mains, we shared a Greek salad (ensalada griega) and grilled salmon (salmón a la plancha). I didn’t realise when ordering that the Greek salad didn’t include any greens, but happily the salmon included a small house salad (ensalada verde) of its own, so we combined the two and found it thoroughly refreshing. The salmon also came with a side of mashed potatoes (puré de papas), which paired beautifully with the salmon itself and became the highlight of an already-stellar meal.

There was one guy serving as mesero for the entire restaurant when we visited, and not only did he bring out food and drinks quickly every time, he also accommodated other requests like fixing an erroneous order and taking group photos for one of the other tables. Having received far inferior service from people serving far fewer tables at other restaurants, i was truly impressed with his combination of hustle and friendliness.

As for the space itself, the restaurant is intimate and cosy without feeling cramped. We did have to wait outside for a table to be ready (about 15-20 minutes), but after experiencing what awaited us inside — a space that was small while still being comfortable, and service that was fast while still encouraging patrons to relax and take their time — i found the wait completely understandable and absolutely worth it.

The prices were higher than the more traditional restaurants in Oaxaca, but still excellent by American standards: for three tapas, four glasses of wine, a salad, and a main course, we paid MXN 535 (about $26) plus tip.

All in all, we had a wonderful evening at Tastavins, and i would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and classy dinner spot in Oaxaca...

An interesting wine bar that serves Italian food. They have a small selection of beer from around the world as well. The spaghetti bolognese was pretty good! The sauce was light, but everything was cooked to perfection and the meat had a nice flavor. The Rey Oh! Baby pale ale was quite good as well. I liked the atmosphere—it was low-key, semi-lit, and felt very intimate.

For now, I’ll give this restaurant 4.2/5 stars since it just wasn’t anything to write home about. I’d like to go back to try some wine and something else on the menu soon, and provide an updated score and commentary.

Update: I returned and had the green salad and three cheese pasta. The salad was fairly standard, with tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, and sunflower seeds, but it was a good price. The pasta was quite tasty, with a good amount of blue cheese that wasn’t overpowering. I like this spot, it’s definitely a decent lunch/dinner place for an intimate meal. I update my score to...

This outwardly cute wine bar serves mediocre pasta and the service is poor. On the evening that I visited, the bartender/server was much more interested in what or who was on the other end of his cell phone than in serving me. I had a recommended glass of wine and a bolognese pasta dish. I think the pasta was slightly over cooked and the sauce was meh at best. I managed to pry my server away from his texting or web surfing to add a bottle of mineral water. He plopped a glass of ice and a bottle of water in front of me, without bothering to open and fill my glass as is done in most restaurants. He was then immediately sucked back into his cell phone. Not...