The kitchen of this family-run country restaurant sits atop what was once grandpa Chelo’s former metal workshop. Today Chelo’s daughter Reyna Isabel Reyes Jimenez works here preparing handmade tortillas, pumpkin tamales with beans, and her special caldo de gallina, the farmhouse chicken soup (only Saturdays and Sundays), along with other traditional dishes of the region like costilla de puerco en salsa de chicatana, pork rib with a sauce made with chicatana ants sauce. [$-$$]

Just outside the International Airport of Huatulco sits this family-run restaurant specializing in typical specialties of the state of Guerrero and the Costa Chica, where the family Santos Quiroz have their roots. The green pozole here is the best in the area (available Sundays from 11 a.m. till it’s sold out), as are the ribs, which come in a variety of presentations including encacahuatadas, entomatadas, en mole, en adobo, en amarillo, en salsa verde, en salsa de chile de arbol, and en salsa de chile morita. These, plus seafood dishes like shrimp in salsa and caldo de pescado, are not to be missed. [$-$$]

Beneath a worn palapa on the tiny tourist cove of Bahía Maguey, Ay Caray stands apart from the other tourist restaurants thanks to its traditional wood oven and the seafood masterwork of chef-owner Sandra Cardenas. Enjoy traditional Costa delicacies like seafood-stuffed pineapples blanketed in blistered cheese, whole roasted spiny lobsters, seafood moles, and whole-roasted parrotfish alongside a cool michelada with your feet in the sand.  — Lesley Suter

The restaurant opened as ¡Ay Caray! in 2005, later became Hemingway’s, and finally changed to Alfredo’s in 2013, but the owner has always been the same: chef Alfredo Patiño Ramirez. Come  here for tacos, pastas, the catch of the day, or the camarones de la jefa, the specialty of Alfredo’s late mother, Doña Alfreda, prepared with a spicy sauce made with tusta chiles, tomatoes, and white wine. In high season there is live music almost daily, and it’s just as common to come here for a round of drinks as a full meal. Note: The restaurant closes each September and October. [$$-$$$]

Luis Estavillo and Elva Medina, the owners of Los Portales, came to Huatulco from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua in 1987, and brought with them their traditional menudo de panza de res con maíz pozolero, tripe with a large-grain variety of corn served in a pungent broth made from dried red chiles. The restaurant sits in the heart of La Crucecita, just in front of the main park, and offers a beautiful view to match the menu mixed with traditional regional and unique dishes. Tacos al pastor star alongside a pizza al pastor, or alambre — which usually consists of grilled beef topped with chopped bacon, bell peppers, onions, and melted cheese, but the menu offers a variety of them, including a vegetarian one, to accompany a mezcal served in a traditional clay jug. [$-$$]

Opened in November 1991 by Francisco “Grillo” Ríos and his wife Doña Pola, this local seafood landmark is now run by the couple’s three children, Francisco (the cook), Gabriel, and Reyna Ríos. The menu never changes here, and that’s the point: For decades it’s been a reliable locals’ spot for serving simple fresh fish at affordable prices — think grilled catch of the day, ceviches, seafood cocktails, and soups, accompanied by the coldest beer in town, in a casual, family-friendly atmosphere. [$$]

Founded in 1993 by Eduardo “Lalo” Burgos, La Crema is one of Huatulco’s most iconic bars and the oldest in town. Recently relocated from its original address to Flamboyan, just a couple of blocks away, La Crema is a timeless, casual kind of place to gather with friends for margaritas or a round of pizza and beers. Try the wood-fired pies, burgers, or La Crema’s Bolognese nachos, washed down with, of course, mezcal. [$$]

Located in La Crucecita, the heart of Huatulco, Rocoto is the work of chef Claudia Jordán. Jordán was living in Chile, missing the heat of Mexican cooking, when she found rocoto, a traditional Chilean chile that scratched the itch. Now, in her beach town kitchen, she utilizes rocoto as well as other Chilean ingredients in a variety of Mexican dishes with South American touches. Try the spicy ceviche Lima with fresh dorade or the surf & turf, featuring a slow-cooked beef rib and buttery shrimp. [$$-$$$]

Eduardo Santiago, known as Lalo, started this mobile project in the middle of the pandemic, first as a meal delivery service on his motorcycle, then as a fully-fledged food truck. Today, you can find Marea Alta parked at the entrance of the Marina Chahué with the unmatched views of the marina. Come for a variety of mariscos, including fresh empanadas, fish tiraditos, seafood salads, and aguachiles. Delivery is available for those who’d rather not leave the sand. [$]

Doña Azucena and her family have turned El Padrino into a Huatulqueño classic. This beloved taqueria features a wide variety of stewed tacos made with handmade tortillas, but also sopes, tortas, and tlayudas, as well as juices made with fresh fruit from the region. At breakfast or lunch, choose to have your tacos stuffed with a selection of guisados (stews), including cochinita pibil, chicken tinga, rice and egg, chicken with cream, and others. It can be hard to get a table, but the food is worth the wait. [$]

The iconic Kiosko of Santa Cruz has been the home of Café Huatulco for 26 years. Locals and visitors mix together over the aroma of coffee made with local Pluma beans, enjoying the view of the nearby marina in the peaceful atmosphere of the park. The Café has a simple menu featuring good coffee and tasty dishes like gratin chilaquiles served in a clay bowl and banana leaf-wrapped tamales stuffed with mole, spinach, picadillo, and sweet beans. At night Café Huatulco hosts cultural events like trova concerts, art exhibitions, or fashion shows, and reliably features a great selection of mezcals. [$-$$]

Started in 2013 as a small market with just 11 local producers, MOH (short for Mercado Orgánico de Huatulco) has grown over the years to become a bona fide destination for regional produce, and the beating heart of the Bahía de Santa Cruz park. Open every Saturday during the high season, and every first and third Saturday in the low season, it features producers from across the area showcasing their harvest: organic fruits and vegetables, marmalades, spicy salsas, honey, coffee, chocolate, free-range eggs, mezcal, and a host of spices and tropical plants. Recently the market debuted a prepared foods aisle with vendors selling dobladas, tamales, and much more. [$]

The menu at Doña Leti’s Tlayudas la Escondida offers tostadas and sandwiches, but you’re here for the crisp tlayudas. Try one with tasajo, chorizo, chicken, or mixed meats, with a Jamaica water or a sweet horchata. This is primarily a locals’ spot, but savvy tourists often stumble in by word of mouth. [$]

At Santa Clara, Carolina Gómez Gallego serves traditional family recipes honed over generations. Among the most iconic plates are chile en nogada — a typical Poblano delicacy featuring a stuffed chile smothered in a creamy walnut-based sauce, garnished with pomegranate seeds — and pollo al barro, or a whole chicken baked in a clay pot (order this one at least five hours in advance). Come early for classic breakfasts like huevos a la hierba santa and huevos al albañil. [$$]

Ve el Mar translates to “see the sea,” and indeed for 34 years the restaurant’s perch on Santa Cruz beach has provided an unbeatable view of the bay and the cruise ships as they pull into port. Ingredients are the focus here — breakfast offers typical regional dishes like enmoladas, chilaquiles, and entomatadas, while lunch and dinner showcase less classic preparations like Hawaiian shrimp, seafood-stuffed pineapple, the lobster Ve el Mar, grilled octopus, and all manner of whole fish prepared in the restaurant’s traditional wood oven. [$$-$$$]

Ten years after launching an Argentine empanada business in a tiny little building, Diego Profético and Karimme Sanen now run one of the city’s most reliable destinations for Argentine-inspired food and wine, Che Dieguito. The meat-heavy menu is a fusion of Argentine, Mexican, and Arabic traditions, and lately the menu also features hearty breakfasts with excellent coffee and a variety of handmade breads and pastries. [$$-$$$]

7 Tavoli offers traditional Italian cooking to the community of Huatulco. It’s a family affair, and chef Alessandro Volpi comes up with the rotating menu of special dishes featuring a mix of fresh local products — specialties like handmade pastas, chicken cacciatore, lasagna, and an occasional decadent entree starring wild boar or pheasant. The wine list is equally excellent, with a view of the marina.  [$$-$$$]

Just a few steps from the pristine beach of Chahué, Bladu’Yú is a culinary experience highlighting the cuisine of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region of Oaxaca. Garnachas, small corn tortillas, fried with shredded meat and topped with pickled cabbage, dried cheese and salsa; tamales de elote, sweet corn tamales; pollo garnachero, a tasty fried chicken with onions and potatoes; adobo de res, a delicious beef stew; or estofado, a silky pastelike beef stew, long-cooked with chopped fruits and vegetables which make it at once sweet and tart, spicy and mellow, are all on offer and worth a try. The look of the restaurant matches the theme of the menu, with a colorful fruit bar and the traditional papel picado, the pecked paper that’s typical of Isthmus of Tehuantepec. [$$]

You’re here for the amazing view of Arrocito Beach from beneath the restaurant’s majestic palapa, and a fusiony but solid menu of chef Eugenio Santillana. Come with a group and linger over the tlayuda de camarón, tacos tropicales with jicama tortillas, and crispy fried shrimp as you watch the sun set. [$$-$$$]

One of the only places in Huatulco to enjoy a mezcal with some nibbles (charcuterie, guacamole, and the like) right on the beach, Quiéreme Mucho is a colorful sandy outpost of the historic mezcal brand of the same name, known for its hand painted bottles. Despite the mezcal’s age (it’s been around since 1913), the mezcalería is a relative newcomer, but it’s already famous for its simple cocktails, craft beers, and whimsical alebrije-inspired design. [$$]