14 Best Restaurants in Los Cabos and the Baja Peninsula, Mexico

Led by two-Michelin-starred chef Sidney Schutte, the signature restaurant at Grand Velas is turning heads for its 10-course tasting menu that’s as impressive on presentation as it is on taste. Each bite is a mini-explosion in your mouth—not to be confused with molecular gastronomy (according to the chef himself). You might try a tuna bubble with jalapeño, beef with dehydrated quinoa, or chicken crisps with rosemary sprigs. Courses are served on beds of rocks and sea salt or presented in a way that will leave you asking, “How did he do that?” Desserts are sinfully divine, like the chocolate flourless cake with banana served three ways. Reservations are required at this fine-dining restaurant. The tasting menu with wine pairing is available to all resort guests at no additional charge as part of the all-inclusive rate.

It’s San Diego that connected chefs Robert Ruiz and Drew Deckman, but it’s their commitment to sustainable seafood that turned it into a 15-course sushi collaboration like none other. More than a restaurant, it’s a total dining experience that starts with a welcome drink in the vineyard as chef Ruiz prepares the sushi bar for a maximum of eight guests. Choose from one of two seatings at 3 or 7 pm, and then sit back and taste the magic. No two visits are alike, nor is there a set menu, as the chef creates dishes based on what’s fresh and available that day. The zero-waste restaurant only purchases (or harvests) ingredients on the reservation count, so everything is consumed bite by bite. Courses are remarkably memorable, just like chef Ruiz’ past that started at age six while casting lines with his grandfather. From fishing to watching cooking shows, and eventually washing dishes in Kona, Ruiz hit a turning point when his mentor told him to live out his purpose. That purpose has taken him from Tokyo to San Diego, and now to Valle de Guadalupe where he works with local purveyors and fishermen to ensure that capture methods, species, at the right time of year are all top priorities.

Imagine a restaurant where communal tables sit among sunflowers, where rosemary sprigs burn like incense, and where chefs are free to create an experimental menu. That’s Fauna, tucked within the Bruma property and run by prodigy-chef David Castro Hussong, who consistently pours out culinary magic. He’s like a pilot that doesn’t know his destination but ends up taking you to a place you never dreamed existed. Let him take control by going straight to the "Fauna Feast" tasting menu ($110/$165 with wine pairing) that may include abalone with pumpkin seeds, chocolate clams, scallops with eggplant puree, crispy pork with sauerkraut, shredded lamb with chili sauce, charred cabbage bathed in butter, and honey semifreddo that will leave your taste buds dumbfounded. At first glance prices may seem high, but portions are substantial, presentation is impressive, and the contemporary Mexican cuisine will blow your mind.

With sprawling views of vineyards, this restaurant and open-air kitchen is shaded by a thatched palapa and surrounded by acres of farmland where chef Roberto Alcocer gathers ingredients. Beer, wine, vegetables, fruit, cheese, bread, meat, eggs, honey—nearly everything served is from the on-site farm, making this a true farm-to-table experience. Each plate is a work of art, including the deconstructed salad, the sweetbread tacos, the clam chowder mousse, and the catch of the day with edible flowers. The menu changes monthly, but expect to find a celebration of colors and textures from a kitchen that delivers dishes dribbled in squid ink, topped with egg yoke, or whipped into a foam. Three, six, and 10-course tastings are available ($70, $100, $150), which are reasonable considering the quality of the food. The desserts are not overly sweet, allowing you to taste the flavors rather than just the sugar.

If there's one thing for certain, Nobu knows food, and the hotel's newest restaurant, a Mediterranean masterpiece helmed by executive chef Paolo della Corte, is coming for the throne. Every bite from start to finish will melt in your mouth like warm butter, but be warned: this place is not inexpensive. Modest portions lend to ordering multiple dishes: a delight for your taste buds, albeit not your wallet. If you come prepared to splash out, you'll have a meal you'll remember for years to come.

The tasting menu at NEMI, whose name means "give life" in the Indigenous Mexican language, Nahuatl, is beyond exquisite. Choose five- or nine courses, plus an optional (but recommended) wine pairing, and prepare to be blown away by the modern Mexican cuisine that is created by chef Alejandro Villagomez and his team. The server's descriptions of each course will excite you even more than the presentation (which—shocker—is very well done). A darkly-lit corner restaurant with fewer than 10 tables, the space is moody and intimate.

Opened by three-Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, this signature restaurant at One&Only Palmilla is one of the priciest spots in Los Cabos, but it's also one of the best. Boasting hand-selected cuts of steak and freshly caught Pacific seafood, the menu showcases everything from caviar to Kobe beef. Their premier wines from around the world pair beautifully with such entrées as grilled lamb chops and steamed red snapper. Appetizers like black truffle pizza and roasted foie gras pastrami will make you swoon. For a sweet finish, try the strawberry pavlova or coconut custard. Live guitar takes this fine-dining restaurant to the next level in romance, but expect to pay heavily for the memorable evening. Feeling more casual? Adjacent to Seared is Suviche Bar, which offers fresh sushi and Mexican ceviches incorporating both local and Asian flavors, and chic cocktails.

Pull up an equipale barrel chair and savor lunch under the canopy of a 200-year-old oak tree at this open-air restaurant, chef Javier Plascencia's tribute to local producers and the Valle lifestyle. Featured dishes change almost weekly, but you might find duck confit, kanpachi tostadas, lobster tallarines, and rib eye with sweet corn. The intriguing menu has decor to match, starting with the lantern-strewn terrace and cowhide rugs across plank floors. Six- and nine-course tasting menus (available Wednesday–Sunday) have wine pairing options. Note that this outdoor restaurant is only open during summer and fall.

The initial draw of this rooftop restaurant may be its privileged overlook of Médano Beach (sunset, unsurprisingly, is the hottest hour for a reservation), but the strength of the menu would warrant a visit, regardless. Every item from this "Open Fire Kitchen" is grilled and smoked, bringing a creative technique and fresh flavor to an area mostly dominated by beach clubs. The wind can get somewhat fearsome come nightfall, but thick, cozy blankets are readily provided.

Perhaps the most revered reservation to score in Cabo San Lucas, cliffside El Farallon provides one of the most breathtaking vantage points in town. There's no typical menu here—rather, that day's selection of grilled entrées, featuring fish, shrimp, scallops, steak, and more, are presented on a large chalkboard, along with the available sides. Every meal also comes with a trio of appetizers, guaranteed to leave you stuffed by the end of the meal. An optional wine pairing for each course is a fine complement, as is a pre- or postdinner glass at the chic Champagne Terrace. Try to score a seating time before/during sunset, if you can; it gets quite dark afterward, diminishing the otherwise stellar view.

This jaw-dropping restaurant at Lomita winery is your chance to try a six- or eight-course tasting menu with a wine pairing. Grab a table overlooking the vineyards or head indoors, where a glass-roofed dining room allows the stars to shine over your table. At the helm is twentysomething chef Sheyla Alvarado, who changes the tasting menus weekly. Expect mouthwatering dishes like spider crab, suadero tacos, oyster mushrooms, firewood lamb, and, for a sweet and smooth finale, camomilla with honey. If you've fallen hard for one of the courses, simply ask for seconds at no additional cost.

Sitting pretty as one of the world's most famous high-end restaurant chains, Nobu exudes luxury and cool. The Los Cabos location features the classic menu by namesake chef Nobu Matsuhisa---traditional Japanese cuisine fused with Peruvian flavors---as well as specialty plates inspired by ingredients local to the region. Despite the hefty per-item price, most dishes are served as small plates and designed to share, so be prepared to order (and spend) quite a bit. Opt for an omakase experience where the waiter and chef hand-select the best compilation of bites based on your preferences.

If a restaurant could be an "It Girl," the queen bee of Todos Santos would be Oystera. The historic building that houses it---the town's oldest (former) sugar mill---is covered with lush, elegant ivy and the oysters here are some of the best you'll find in Baja. The greenery climbs inward, with a mountain of ferns topping the interior bar, and then outward, as patio seating overlooks the beautiful gardens and palm groves of the Todos Santos oasis. But she's more than just a pretty face: Michelin Guide agrees, having recently recommended Oystera in their first-ever Mexico Guide.

Stunning views of El Arco from cocktail tables along the cliffs make this restaurant just outside Cabo San Lucas the best place to toast the sunset. Chef Hector Morales' menu offers a variety of dishes including beef tenderloin delivered on a hot stone and grilled table-side, but portions are on the smaller side, so it's worth splurging for the Mona Lisa signature five-course menu, which includes truffle fettuccine and Australian Wagyu. If the breeze is still, stay outside and enjoy dining alfresco; if not, move into the candlelit dining room under a palapa. And, if you arrive without a reservation, you can always head upstairs to the more casual Sunset Point, a gastro pub offering a wide range of top-shelf cocktails and à la carte menu.