Almoraduz

The story

Almoraduz in Puerto Escondido – Mexican Fine Dining by Chef Quetzalcóatl Zurita

A Chef Shaped by Oaxaca

Almoraduz is the project of Chef Quetzalcóatl Zurita and his wife, Chef-anfitriona Shalxaly Macías. Zurita grew up moving between the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the Central Valleys, and the Oaxacan coast—landscapes whose flavours lodged deep in his memory. His first teacher was his nana, Doña Áurea Santiago, who used a wild herb called almoraduz in her cooking. He named his restaurant after that herb as a quiet homage.

At eight years old, Zurita began helping his grandmother in the kitchen, learning the smells of wood-fire comals, tamales, fresh cheese, and tomatoes crushed in the molcajete. Later he studied at the Instituto Culinario de México in Puebla and spent formative time at Pujol, where he absorbed a kitchen culture built on product love, rigorous process, and a modern approach to traditional ingredients.

In 2013, at twenty-five, he and Macías opened their first restaurant in Puerto Escondido—with more soul than budget, as Zurita puts it. Over the years, the restaurant grew alongside the town’s emergence as a food destination.

Cooking with the Land

The kitchen at Almoraduz describes itself as cocina de autor—author’s cuisine, always evolving. The menu changes with the seasons and privileges organically grown ingredients from local Oaxacan farmers. There are no fixed dishes; the offer is a vanguardist proposal that draws on both traditional and contemporary techniques to create fresh, memorable plates.

Zurita sees cooking as a living thing: sensitive, connecting people, identifying places. “Serving a plate goes beyond providing nourishment,” he says. “It is giving a piece of yourself to others.”

Recognition on the Coast

Almoraduz has been recommended by The New York Times and, most recently, earned a Michelin Recommended distinction in 2026—a nod to its role as a reference for high Mexican gastronomy in the coastal region. The restaurant balances deep Oaxacan roots with a forward-looking spirit, making it a compelling stop in Puerto Escondido for anyone seeking authentic, thoughtful cooking.