33 Best Restaurants in Los Cabos, Mexico

What began as an underground supper club in the home of Dennis and Bo Bendana is now the leading restaurant in Rosarito. Inspired by the founders' international travels, the decor reflects their love for Morocco and Bali while the menu from chef Guillermo Trexo celebrates the Mediterranean and Mexico. The menu changes regularly, but you might find dishes incorporating local fish, such as yellowfin tuna with almond mojo. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the coastline, making it a popular brunch spot on weekends. Grab a table in the formal dining room or on the rooftop terrace where dishes like slow-cooked lamb with Oaxacan mole coloradito are served. Locals often drop by for live music and fresh-baked pastries served with a cup of sweet Moroccan tea.

This elegant restaurant, with its white linens, open trusses, and soft candlelight is the best steak house in Baja California. Prepared on mesquite wood, the steak is divine and tender, almost as if it's been marinated in butter (though the chef swears salt and a little love are the secret). Aged for 21 days, the rib eye is the star of the show—juicy, flavorful, and served with a side of asparagus and baked potato. Preempt the experience with local oysters, a Baja beer tasting, and the romaine wedge doused in blue cheese. They also serve homemade pastas, grilled lamb, and a lovely chicken in plum sauce. Service is impeccable and the wine list extensive. The chocolate truffle cake will leave you asking, “Did I really just eat that whole thing?”

Baja's popular brewery is right in the middle of San José del Cabo's Art District. Fun and upbeat, this brewpub has great music and serves filling pub meals. Craft burgers, mixed greens, and mesquite-fired pizzas—and more elegant entrées such as tuna tartare and ceviche tostadas—should be accompanied with a pint of any of eight special San José cervezas, along with seasonal offerings, all brewed within sight of the bar and restaurant. Another branch of the brewery is located on the rooftop of the Cabovillas Resort in Cabo San Lucas.

This large, casual, sportfishing-oriented cantina, just around the corner from the Tesoro Los Cabos Resort, draws crowds with its all-day drink specials. Boasting a top marina location near L-M-N Dock, an excellent view of the sportfishing and mega yachts, $2 cervezas all day, affordable eats, and American sports on multiple TVs, it's a favorite of the sportfishing deckhands and boat captains. You can enjoy a Captain's breakfast special for under $8, a budget-friendly afternoon appetizer menu, or splurge a bit more for daily seafood and steak specials. Most meals can be had for under $20. Saturday night is Ladies' Night—ladies drink free from 8 to 10 pm—and if you stay late, you'll catch the live DJ and dancing. Free Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the restaurant.

Omelets, bagels, granola, and whole-grain breads delight the breakfast crowd at this casual small eatery; deli sandwiches, fresh salads, and an array of burritos, tamales, and flautas (fried tortillas rolled around savory fillings) are lunch and dinner highlights. Check for fresh seafood on the daily specials board. Gourmet pizzas, pasta, and steak are also available.

Lobster's the thing here, but daily specials like surf-and-turf combos round out the list. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this typical Mexican sit-down locale has a happy hour that runs from 8 am to 6 pm—and prices are super cheap. You can get a lobster tail with rice and beans for 14 bucks; El Charro tequila shots are a mere 20¢; and Don Julio tequila shots are less than $3. As you sit under the open-air palapa enjoying this feast fit for a king, strolling mariachis will pass by, providing your dining soundtrack.

The original Bismark is a bit out of the way, but it attracts families who settle down for hours at long wooden tables, while telenovelas (Latin American soap operas) play on the TV above the bar. Tuck into seafood cocktails, enormous grilled lobsters, or carne asada served with beans, guacamole, and homemade tortillas. Seafood tacos and micheladas are specialties at the malecón location, called Bismark-cito.

For those fortunate enough to stay at the sumptuous Posada La Poza just outside town, lunch at its equally lovely restaurant will be one of the highlights of your Los Cabos vacation. Owners Juerg and Libusche Wiesendanger call their offerings "Swiss-Mex"—Mexican food with European touches and careful attention to detail. Start with the vegetarian-based tortilla soup with three different types of dried chilies to give it just enough kick. Then sample the smoked-tuna flautas, quesadillas with chicken or shrimp, or marinated arrachera (flank steak) strips. You'll find dishes such as lamb shoulder in winter. Believe it or not, there is enough of an evening chill in the air that time of year that dining next to the fireplace feels cozy. Top your meal off with a sorbet, flan, or mousse, and possibly the best selection of wines in the region (all Mexican from northern Baja's Guadalupe Valley).The restaurant is open to hotel guests for breakfast (included in the room rate) and lunch; with dinner available by request from Sunday to Thursday. The restaurant is no longer open to the public, save for groups of six or more who reserve at least 48 hours in advance.

From its chateaubriand bouquetière to the savory chicken chipotle cooked with brandy, port wine, and cream, this classy French restaurant has been family-owned since 1947. Louis XIV–style furnishings and an attentive staff make it both comfortable and elegant. In addition, the restaurant pays tribute to its heritage with family photographs that line the hallways, starting with a portrait of founder Doña Pepita. As the oldest French restaurant in Mexico, it's also considered one of the top of the pack with more than 10 Five Diamond Awards. Impressive preparations of Caesar salad, crêpes Suzette, and café flambé create a show at your table. For larger parties, request one of the three private rooms modeled after Paris and the Palace of Versailles. The sidewalk tables are a perfect place to dine and people-watch. The small café in the front sells pastries that are made on the premises.

Celebrity chef Tadd Chapman and partner Miguel Guerrero joined forces to re-launch this traditional Mexican restaurant in its new location and with fresh new culinary techniques. Opt for lunch specialties of octopus tacos and black scallop ceviche, and for dinner, try the seafood risotto, or the grilled NY strip with habanero chimichurri. Exceptional breakfasts—ranging from stuffed French toast to eggs Benedict prepared five ways—are served from 8 to noon for about $10.

Seafood soup and grilled fish are options at the "House of Lobster," but clearly the lobster, fried Puerto-Nuevo style, is the star. This is one of the best spots in town to try the deep-fried recipe created by Susana Diaz Plascencia in 1956; otherwise, try their fresh lobster steamed or stewed with seafood and salsa inside a traditional molcajete stone. Most wooden tables in the large dining room are covered with platters of fried or grilled lobster and all the standard accompaniments like rice, beans and paper-thin flour tortillas. Start with the clam chowder or jumbo shrimp wrapped in bacon. The medium-sized lobsters tend to be a bit more flavorful than the larger ones. There's an actual wine list here, and it has several Baja wines. On a hot day opt for the tart margaritas.

This popular Italian restaurant right in the center of San José on the town's zócalo (square) is known for authentic and affordable Italian fare. Locals and visitors alike flock to this reasonably priced perennial favorite for antipasti and wood-fired-oven pizzas, a never-ending selection of pastas, and steaks and seafood dishes. The homemade beef ravioli with four-cheese sauce is to die for. Reservations are necessary on Thursdays after the Art Walk. Another outpost can be found in Cabo San Lucas.

Locals swear by the mole poblano and chiles en nogada at this pleasant outdoor restaurant. The menu is ambitious and includes several organic, vegetarian options—rare in these parts. At night the place sparkles with star-shaped lights. Take a stroll through the adjoining landscaped desert garden while you wait for your food.

A former sugarcane mill dating back to 1888, this quaint restaurant is surrounded by farmland that provides organic fruits and vegetables to many of Cabo’s top eateries. Wildflowers in Mason jars and hand-painted clay dishes set the scene at this rustic spot where the menu is based on the season’s harvest. Start with heirloom-tomato soup and a microgreen salad with tamarind vinaigrette. For something fresh and innovative, try the shrimp tacos on thinly sliced jicama (instead of tortillas) topped with a pineapple salsa. A selection of pizzas, and slow-roasted meats like the pork shank with green mole and baked eggplant, are cooked in a wood-fired oven. One of the secrets to the fine flavors is the homemade herbal oil that is dribbled on breads and meats. A cooking class takes place at 10 and 5, by reservation only.

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 fish tostada with salsa macha and the grilled oyster mushrooms. Fresh fish is adorned with edible flowers, like the catch of the day with black jícama dyed in squid ink. Ten-course tastings are available for $75, which is reasonable considering the quality of the food. The date tart with grappa ice cream is not overly sweet, allowing you to taste the flavors rather than just the sugar.

Two of the most exciting chef-owners in Baja Norte, Benito Molina and Solange Muris, have taken a truly modern approach to Mexican cuisine at Manzanilla, integrating the freshest catches from the local waters—oysters, mussels, abalone, and clams, for instance—and using ingredients like ginger, saffron, smoked tomato marmalade, and huitlacoche (corn truffle). The ahi with ginger strawberry vinaigrette melts in your mouth, and the white clam with Gorgonzola is delicious. A local ranch sources their beef, grilled and served on a cutting board with warm tortillas. Next to the port, this hip joint is popular for its pleasant atmosphere and eclectic style of concrete floors, pink chandeliers, and an intricately carved wooden bar from the 1930s brought over from Los Angeles.

The freshest, tastiest seafood cocktails, ceviches, and clam tacos imaginable are served in this nautical restaurant crowded with locals. If you come with friends, go for the mariscada, a huge platter of shellfish and fish for four. The shrimp albondigas (meatballs) soup has a hearty fish stock seasoned with cilantro, and the crab ranchero is a savory mix of crabmeat, onions, tomatoes, and capers. Portions are huge.

A small stand that looks as if it might have been rolled along the street by a vendor is just the entryway decoration for this well-established restaurant. Whether you eat at a bench at the stand outside or dine within in the air-conditioning, if you like seafood, you will enjoy Los Laureles. It offers all sorts of fruits de mer served in many different ways, but the seafood cocktails are notable for their freshness (you can even try the shrimp raw) and variety (abalone is an option). A second location can be found at Altamirano and Reforma.

Ask a local where they go for dinner, and they inevitably mention Mariscos Mazatlán. The crowds of Mexicans lunching at this simple seafood restaurant lend credibility to the claim, as do the huge stuffed fish mounted on the colorfully painted walls. You can dine inexpensively and quickly on wonderful seafood soup, or spend a bit more for tender pulpo ajillo (marinated octopus with garlic, chilies, onion, and celery) and enjoy some great people-watching as you eat.

One of Cabo San Lucas's top restaurants is in a cobalt-blue adobe building painted with murals. Interior decorations range from Day of the Dead statues and silver crosses and hearts, to T-shirts and tequilas. The place seats up to 550 and is often full of tourists, but the menu is muy auténtico and filled with regional Mexican specialty dishes. Standouts include the molepoblano with chicken topped in a sauce made from dried peppers, seeds, spices, and chocolate; and chiles en nogada, poblano chilies stuffed with a meat-and-fruit mixture and covered with white-walnut sauce and sherry cream sauce. The tortilla soup is also recommended, as is the oven-roasted spare rib in chili and tamarind adobo. Mi Casa offers a variety of different fruit-flavored margaritas, and a wine list focused on Mexican, California, and South American wines. The large back courtyard glows with candlelight at night, and mariachis provide entertainment.

Everybody who dines here seems to know one another, but visitors are always welcome. The attraction at Michael's—not to be confused with Miguel's, the equally recommended Mexican place as you come into town—is an Asian menu combining Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisines. Share an order of Mu Shu chicken or Vietnamese crab cakes as an appetizer. You'll dine on the patio behind the Galería de Todos Santos; you can browse while you wait for your food. Michael's keeps very limited hours, open just three evenings per week.

You may feel like you discovered a well-kept secret when you find this palapa-roof house with adobe walls, just a few blocks off the main strip and around the corner from the Mar de Cortez Hotel. Sit on the front patio or in a backyard hut strung with weathered lanterns and photographs of the Mexican Revolution. Menu highlights include camarón coco (coconut shrimp with mango sauce), and catch of the day "Veracruz" style, meaning wrapped and steamed in its own juices with olives, capers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, and herbs. Close to a dozen pasta dishes are also available, including sautéed shrimp and sausage diablo.

For fresh, inventive sushi, there's no question that the Nick-San franchise corners the market, and this outpost in the Tiendas de Palmilla shopping mall wins the prize. Pair wine or sake with each of your selections, perhaps the lobster roll (with cilantro, mango, mustard, and curry oil), lobster sambal (marinated in sake with soy, ginger, and garlic), or tuna tostadas served on rice crackers with avocado.

For a garden escape along Highway 1, check out Ophelia, opened by Rosendo Ramos. It's a favorite among the Ensenada foodie crowd. Shiitake mushrooms, pork, and ginger glazes make somewhat unexpected but welcome appearances for this seaside town. At the root of all that's good about Ophelia is a blending of European, American, and Asian cuisines and a handful of dependable flavors and ingredients: fresh fish, tomatoes, chilies, and cilantro. Top sellers include the seared bluefin tuna, the fried wontons, and the grilled pork chops with a balsamic glaze. Daily specials usually come with regional vegetables and rosemary potatoes. A good stop on the way home after a long day touring Valle de Guadalupe's wineries, this spot highlights many of the region's wines.

Everything is delicious, and prices are reasonable at this cheerful little restaurant painted in bright yellow and orange. Meats are the specialty here, but just about everything on the menu is good and choices are abundant. The tacos de arrachera, a kind of beef taco, are particularly tasty. You can pop in anytime, day or night, since this restaurant is open 24 hours.

The local gringo cadre has nothing but bueno things to say about this affordable and dependable little Italian spot, located by the pool at the Siesta Suites Hotel in downtown Cabo San Lucas. Baked rigatoni, osso buco, chicken Parmigiana, lasagna, and lamb ravioli are just some of the many Italian staples offered at this funky little spot. Portions are large and prices are reasonable. Finish dinner off with tiramisu before hitting the main drag for some serious nightlife.