Los Cabos

Los Cabos is a resort area at the southernmost tip of the Baja California Peninsula.  Two towns make up the resort: San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas.  The two towns are about 30 minutes apart, and very different in ambiance and attractions.  San Jose del Cabo lies to the eastern part of the peninsula, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez, and maintains its traditional, small-town feel.  The center of town is focused around the white Misión de San Jose church, which looks out onto a square full of little children riding their bikes, using their rollerskates, or playing soccer.  The hotels and restaurants in town occupy the old houses and have integrated themselves into the existing architecture.  It is the quieter town, but with plenty of restaurants and entertainment nonetheless.

San Lucas has a totally different feel, with a big new mall and lots of bars catering to tourists, most of which face the marina.  The good restaurants are hard to find, as most cater to American tastes, rather than keeping an authentic feel.  But the main pull of this town is not its gastronomy, it is the nightlife, which attracts tourists and locals alike. 

Restaurants in and around San Jose del Cabo:Tacos Rossy started as a little food cart selling fish tacos.  It expanded into a small little courtyard hole-in-the-wall, and now, years later, has become a bustling restaurant where tables are quickly snapped up.  The reason for Rossy’s success is the fact that they are the best fish tacos in all of Baja.  The secret? It is the tasty batter in which the fish is dipped before it is fried.  Not only do they have amazing fish tacos (order them in flour tortillas, rather than corn), but also shrimp tacos, scallop tacos, ceviche, and other seafood cocktails.  It is cheap and cheerful, with a large condiment station in the middle that satisfies everyone’s likings. 

Tamales: If you love authentic Mexican food, you will be happy to find that every night in the main plaza of downtown San Jose, you will find a little kiosk with women selling tamales.  They make chicken with green sauce, beef in a red sauce, rajas with cheese, and corn (elote) tamales.  They also serve horchata, hibiscus water, rice pudding, and champurrado to drink along with their amazing corn dumplings.  All you need to do is take them home, wrap them in a napkin and microwave them.  Or you can just do as the locals do and eat them sitting on a banquette right there in the town square. 

Voila is a great choice for an elegant evening out.  It is set inside the Villa Paloma, a nice home furnishings store on Calle Morelos, corner with Comonfort.  They are famous for their lobster burrito, which combines fresh lobster, cabbage and avocado all wrapped inside a local flour tortilla. It comes with rice, beans, and a mango-habanero salsa that is addictive.  Other things to try are their sautéed prawns and sea bass encrusted in pistachios and macademia nuts.  The service is excellent, and the quiet secluded atmosphere provides for a really special evening out. 

Don Emiliano is another fancy restaurant right on the Boulevard Mijares in the center of San Jose.  The food is expensive, but this is real Mexican haute cuisine at its best.  Chef Margarita Carillo de Salinas presents traditional Mexican platters from all around Mexico in a romantic courtyard setting with great service.  She also serves dishes from fellow chefs around Mexico, spreading the word about Mexico's gastronomic traditions and all of the people behind its preservation.  Be sure to try the Mole Blanco de Novia; a white mole sauce of pinenuts that is served with seared scallops.

Cynthia Fresh: This is a delightful organic, healthy café located in the Villa Valentina facing the main highway, in the plaza right before the big Mega Supermarket.  The café is set in the patio of the nice antique store, and you eat surrounded by old wooden doors, armoirs and tables.  The guacamole is delightfully dotted with lots of black pepper and served with freshly made tortilla chips.  The salads are all freshly made, and can be served with their house-made tofu, grilled fish and chicken.  They also have fish burritos, burgers, and pastas.  The first time we went in, the aroma of the Roma Tomato sauce was enticing us to sit down.

Nick San is not only the best sushi restaurant in Los Cabos, but it is comparable to some of the best sushi in the world.  Maybe the fact that this is the top destination for Marlin fishing in the world helps!  There are two locations of the restaurant, one in the Palmilla shopping center on Highway 1, and another in San Lucas.  The tuna tostada is tuna sashimi atop a rice flour tostada with black sesame seeds is a great starter.  The tuna with cilantro dish is another show-stopper as are the specialty rolls.  Dessert is a no-brainer with one of the best tempura ice cream bowls I have ever had.

San Lucas Nightlife

If you are looking for a night out, head over to San Lucas.  Start with a drink at Barómetro, a fancy modern bar overlooking the water in the marina.  Although it is expensive by any standards, a nice margarita at sunset on the water is priceless.  The Nowhere Bar is a great people watching spot down the walkway that plays fun music.  The crowd is both Mexican and American, which makes for a more fun atmostphere.  The Zoo is great if you want to break it down to pop songs and have fun- although the crowd is quite a bit younger. Think 16 year olds in party dresses.  Squid Roe is another hot-spot where the party never stops and people go to experience the famous Cabo nightlife.  You will see all of the horrors of Spring-break style behaviour.

Contributors

Sophia Brittan

Sophia Brittan hosts the online cooking show Kitchen Caravan, http://www.kitchencaravan.com. She is a trained chef and holistic health counselor, and is dedicated to teaching people about food, health, and culture. She currently resides in New York City, but loves traveling as much as possible.

<< Back to City Guides