Discover 10 Restaurants With the Best Mole in Puebla, Mexico

Many travelers visit Puebla on a day trip from Mexico City. Its Historic Centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its Baroque architecture and many impressive churches.

We love Puebla’s architecture but one of the biggest reasons why we decided to spend the most time here is the food. Together with cities like Oaxaca, Merida, Mexico City, and Guadalajara, Puebla is home to some of the best food in Mexico.

Delicious Mexican dishes like cemitas, chalupas, and tacos arabes await you on every corner but the one dish that you absolutely cannot miss is mole poblano.

Over the span of several months, we visited over a dozen highly-rated restaurants in an attempt to find the best mole in Puebla. Here are ten of our favorites.

WHAT IS MOLE POBLANO?

Mole poblano refers to one of Mexican cuisine’s most celebrated dishes. Together with chiles en nogada, it’s a signature dish of Puebla and considered by many to be a Mexican national dish.

The term mole stems from the Nahuatl word mōlli, meaning “sauce”. There are hundreds of known mole recipes in Mexico but mole poblano is the most famous. In fact, when someone says “mole”, they’re usually referring to mole poblano.

There are several theories that describe the origin of mole poblano but the most popular claims that it was invented by nuns at the Santa Rosa Convent during the early colonial period. Upon hearing that the archbishop was paying them a visit, they scrambled to prepare a meal using an old turkey and whatever ingredients they had – chocolate, different types of chili peppers, spices, nuts, and old bread. The archbishop enjoyed the dish and the rest is history.

Today, a traditional mole poblano recipe consists of around twenty different ingredients, some of the most important being cocoa, different types of Mexican chiles, and warm spices like cloves, allspice, and coriander seeds. Some people are under the impression that chocolate is the dominant ingredient but mole poblano actually gets much of its color and flavor from mulato peppers.

Traditionally, the thick dark sauce is poured over turkey meat but at restaurants in Puebla, it’s usually served with chicken or pork. The dish is sprinkled with sesame seeds and paired with a side of corn tortillas and rice.

If you’d like to make this iconic Mexican dish yourself, then be sure to check out our mole poblano recipe. It was created by a local chef who runs a popular cooking class in Puebla.

WHERE TO EAT THE BEST MOLE POBLANO IN PUEBLA

10. Clementina Cocina Poblana

Aside from mole poblano, Puebla is known for pipian as well. Pipian refers to any Mexican sauce made with pepitas (pumpkin seeds) as its main ingredient. In Puebla, you can find two types of pipian – pipian verde (green) and pipian rojo (red).

Not many restaurants in Puebla serve all three sauces in one dish so if you see it on a restaurant’s menu, then you should definitely try it.

At Clementina Cocina Poblana, they offer mole poblano for MXN 195. But for just MXN 139, I suggest going for the enchiladas with three moles instead. It’s considerably cheaper than mole poblano and you get to try all three sauces in one sitting.

Clementina Cocina Poblana is a hidden gem a couple blocks away from Mercado El Parian. Unlike most of the restaurants in Puebla – which skew towards the traditional – Clementina is much more contemporary in feel.

Clementina Cocina Poblana

Address: Av 6 Ote 411, Centro, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 9AM-7PM, daily
Expect to Pay: MXN 195 (mole poblano), MXN 139 (enchiladas tres moles)

9. La Casa del Mendrugo

La Casa del Mendrugo is one of the fancier restaurants on this list. It’s a proper sit-down restaurant with tablecloths and highly attentive service.

They offer full orders of mole poblano but for the same price (MXN 190), you can get a duo with both mole poblano and pipian verde. It’s served with a side of red rice and blue corn tortillas. The tortillas at La Casa del Mendrugo are some of the best I’ve had anywhere in Mexico.

After ordering mole, your waiter will ask if you’d like it served with chicken breast or leg. I chose the former, and the meat, while incredibly tender, was also a bit dry. I suggest getting it with chicken leg instead. Both sauces were outstanding.

La Casa del Mendrugo is in an historical building with an interesting museum on the second floor. It features intricately carved human skulls and seashells, along with skeletal remains that are estimated to be around 3,500 years old. They were excavated from a grave directly beneath the building itself.

Entrance to the museum is normally MXN 40 but diners at La Casa del Mendrugo can enter for free.

La Casa del Mendrugo

Address: C. 4 Sur 304 – C, Centro, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 9AM-9PM, Mon-Sat / 9AM-6PM, Sun
Expect to Pay: MXN 190

8. Comal

Restaurants close to the zocalo tend to be on the touristy side so we avoid them as much as possible. Comal, a more modern casual restaurant that faces the magnificent Catedral Basilica de Puebla, is an exception.

Every dish we’ve ordered at Comal has been excellent and that includes their mole poblano. Restaurants around the zocalo tend to be overpriced but you can enjoy mole poblano at Comal for a very reasonable MXN 159.

If you’d like to enjoy your meal with a view of the cathedral, then try asking for one of the tables by the balconies. Comal is a popular restaurant so you may have to wait for a table at peak times, especially on weekends.

Comal

Address: C. 16 de Septiembre 311-b, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 8AM-12MN, daily
Expect to Pay: MXN 159

7. Restaurante Casareyna

During our first stint in Puebla, our AirBnB host couldn’t recommend Restaurante Casareyna highly enough. El Mural de los Poblanos may hold the title for the best restaurant in Puebla but Casareyna isn’t far behind.

Like La Casa del Mendrugo and El Mural de los Poblanos, it’s a fancier restaurant and a great place to visit if you want to dine in a more formal setting.

Casareyna offers several types of mole. You can have a full order of mole poblano for MXN 205, but for MXN 245, you can get a mole degustation platter featuring four different sauces – mole poblano, pipian verde, pipian rojo, and mole blanco.

If you order appetizers, then this mole degustation platter can be good enough for two people. Two of the sauces are served with chicken while the other two are made with pork. The strips dividing the moles in the picture below are made with purple yam puree.

Restaurante Casareyna is located inside the Casareyna Hotel. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk from the zocalo but it’s absolutely worth it.

Restaurante Casareyna

Address: Privada 2 Ote. 1007, Centro, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 8AM-10:30PM, daily
Expect to Pay: MXN 245 (mole degustation), MXN 205 (mole poblano)

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6. El Mural de los Poblanos

Do a search for “best restaurant in puebla” and El Mural de los Poblanos will likely top every list. It’s a more upscale restaurant located just a couple of blocks from the zocalo. We had lunch at Quintonil in Mexico City and even our waitress there told us to eat here.

As expected, the mole poblano at El Mural did not disappoint. I ordered it with chicken but you can also have it with pork, duck breast, turkey, or enchiladas. Like Restaurante Casareyna, they offer mole degustation platters as well.

Considering its reputation, it isn’t surprising that the mole at El Mural is pricier than others. Chicken, pork, or turkey mole costs MXN 245 while the degustation platter will set you back MXN 295. Duck breast mole is considerably more expensive at MXN 395.

Inside my basket of tortillas was this tamal. Like the corn tortillas, you can use it to sop up the thick rich sauce.

If you’d like a truly special meal in Puebla, then look no further than El Mural de los Poblanos. A few articles online will tell you that you need to make reservations in advance but I just walked in to have lunch on a weekday. It may be busier on weekends or over holidays.

El Mural de los Poblanos

Address: C. 16 de Septiembre 506, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 8AM-12MN, daily
Expect to Pay: MXN 245

5. Cemitas y Tortas la Poblanita

Like Cemitas la Poblana, this restaurant specializes in sandwiches but they do serve good mole at reasonable prices. For MXN 158, you can get a good-sized portion of mole poblano with chicken, red rice, and corn tortillas. They decorate the plate with a few vegetables too for texture and aesthetics.

Cemitas y Tortas la Poblanita was one of my go-to restaurants for cemitas but I enjoyed their mole poblano very much as well.

Cemitas y Tortas la Poblanita

Address: Av 5 Ote 4 Sur, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 10AM-6:30PM, daily
Expect to Pay: MXN 158

4. La Ververa

I found this restaurant by accident. I was walking around the Zona Histórica de los Fuertes during the Cinco de Mayo celebrations when I stumbled upon this hidden gem.

At just MXN 89, La Ververa is the cheapest mole restaurant I’ve gone to in Puebla thus far. Their portions are noticeably smaller than the rest but with a dish as rich as mole poblano, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It gives you a taste of Puebla’s signature dish while leaving room for other things on the menu.

Aside from being delicious and reasonably priced, they also serve it with two preparations of chicken – whole and shredded. Instead of just dipping the tortillas in the sauce, you sometimes want to make tacos so having the shredded chicken makes it easier.

As much as I enjoyed La Ververa, it’s a long uphill walk from the zocalo so I only recommend going here if you plan on visiting the many museums at Zona Histórica de los Fuertes.

La Ververa

Address: Guayacan 52, Arboledas de Guadalupe, 72260 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 9AM-6PM, daily
Expect to Pay: MXN 89

3. Fonda Tipica la Poblana

If you plan on going souvenir shopping at Mercado El Parian, then Fonda Tipica la Poblana is a great place to eat. Located across the street from the market, they serve one of the best mole poblanos I’ve enjoyed thus far in Puebla. At MXN 150, it’s reasonably priced as well.

Aside from serving great mole, Fonda Tipica la Poblana also has some of the best chalupas I’ve tried so far in Puebla.

Fonda Tipica la Poblana

Address: C. 8 Nte. 402, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 8:30AM-8PM, daily
Expect to Pay: MXN 150

2. Augurio

Like El Mural de los Poblanos and Restaurante Casareyna, Augurio has a reputation for being one of the very best restaurants in Puebla. This fine dining restaurant located in the heart of the Historic Center is helmed by Chef Angel Vazquez, a Mexican chef who’s hailed for being one of the great promoters of Mexican cuisine in the world.

Chef Vazquez’s chile en nogada was out-of-this-world delicious and so was his mole poblano. At just MXN 200, it’s fairly priced as well.

Augurio is conveniently located just three blocks south of the zocalo. If you visit Puebla in August or September, then I highly recommend trying their chiles en nogada as well.

Augurio

Address: Av 9 Ote 16, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 8:30AM-11PM, Mon-Sat / 8:30AM-6PM, Sun
Expect to Pay: MXN 200

1. Antojitos Mellos

I lived in the Azcarate neighborhood for most of 2022 and Antojitos Mellos was my go-to restaurant whenever I didn’t feel like walking all the way to the downtown area. They’re open from 2-11PM everyday except Sunday but many dishes like mole poblano and pipian are available only on weekends.

It’s definitely worth going on the weekends because Antojitos Mellos makes some of the best mole I’ve had so far in Puebla. Unlike other restaurants that serve their mole on plates, Antojitos Mellos serves their food in these large rectangular or oval cazuelas. You’re literally given a pool of mole.

You’ll see just how big this cazuela is in the following pictures.

Antojitos Mellos doesn’t offer any other sides but they do give you four large corn tortillas. They’re for dunking into this deep, dark pool of mole goodness.

I can wipe off nearly every drop of mole at any other restaurant but never here! Not even close.

Here’s a picture from another angle. Take note, this is a normal-sized chicken leg.

They give you a ridiculous amount of mole at Antojitos Mellos, and all for just MXN 135! You could seriously bathe a chihuahua in this.

Again, mole poblano is only available on Saturdays and Sundays at Antojitos Mellos so please plan accordingly.

Antojitos Mellos is about a 20-minute walk from the zocalo but it’s definitely worth the effort, especially on weekends. Because it’s a bit far from the Historic Centre, you’ll see only locals at the restaurant which is never a bad thing.

Antojitos Mellos

Address: Av. Don Juan de Palafox y. Mendoza 2008, Barrio de los Remedios, 72377 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 1-10:30PM, daily
Expect to Pay: MXN 135 (Sat and Sun only)

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FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE BEST MOLE POBLANO IN PUEBLA

There are many delicious things to eat in Puebla but if you only had time for one dish, then it would have to be mole poblano. As described, it’s a signature dish of Puebla and something that you absolutely cannot miss when you visit this city.

Puebla’s proximity to Mexico City (just 2 hrs each way) makes it a popular day-trip destination from the capital. You can easily take a bus to Puebla on your own but if you’d rather go on a guided day tour, then you can book one through Get Your Guide.

Personally, I think Puebla is worth longer than just a day trip. Its Talavera tiles and Baroque architecture make it one of the most beautiful cities in the country.

If you can, then I suggest staying 2-3 days to get a better feel for the city. Mole poblano may be the most important but there are plenty of other dishes to look for in Puebla.

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