10 Best Restaurants in Los Cabos, Mexico

Argentinean chef Guillermo Gomez delivers an elevated culinary experience at Cocina del Mar, the elegant restaurant in the exquisite Esperanza Resort. Using daily market ingredients and focusing on simple seafood, Gomez presents inventive dishes such as lobster macaroni, grilled Kumiai oysters, or the impressive seared totuaba. Grilled Angus is accompanied with a charred chili meat sauce. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, the waiter delivers a banana soufflé in a cast-iron skillet, topped with homemade ice cream. Opt for a table on the cliffs where waves crash so close, you can feel the spray.

Atop a bluff at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, El Farallon provides one of the most breathtaking vantage points in Cabo San Lucas. Chef Gustavo Pinet presents a seafood-heavy menu with a "fresh fish market" displaying the catch of the day. Customize your dish from an array of fish and meats—from yellowtail, parrotfish, spiny lobster, rib-eye steak, and sea bass to the irresistible local chocolate clams. All dishes come with a tasting of the day's three appetizers, which can include anything from tuna ceviche to crab-and-chipotle soup, as well as two sides that range from asparagus to grilled corn to cilantro-infused rice. Fish and meats are simply prepared on a flat grill with fine herbs and a drop of butter, and are so well executed that you may forego the accompanying sauces. It's challenging, but save room for desserts like apple and banana cobbler, then digest over an after-dinner drink at The Champagne Terrace while you ogle the view.

This alfresco dining experience is built right in the center of the self-sustaining Flora Farms. It's a charming oasis featuring a farm-to-table restaurant, spa, gift shop, cooking school, organic market, and culinary cottages (private homes), all under the Flora Farms brand. Meals are homemade including produce and meat (chicken and pork) grown on the property and bread baked on-site. Wholly organic meals include favorites like fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, massive pork chops fired in the wood-burning oven, butternut squash ravioli, and a selection of pizzas and seasonal salads. Even the sausages served with sweet potato chips are homemade. The adjacent Farm Bar serves unique takes on classic cocktails delivered in Mason jars, like the ginger and beet margarita or the Farm Julep (watermelon juice with basil, mint, and rum). Flora's is a wonderful learning experience for families by day and a romantic spot for couples by night. There's live music nightly at 7:30 and cooking classes Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:30 to 2 pm (cost $115 includes lunch).

Set in Cabo San Lucas's boutique Bahia Hotel, Bar Esquina is making a name for itself as one of Médano Beach's best restaurants. Whether you're craving eggs Benedict in the morning to help you absorb last night's party, a wood-fired pizza, or a burger on a pretzel bun, Bar Esquina is the neighborhood's top option for expertly prepared American-style comfort food. For dinner try the highly recommended tuna tartare, short rib, or beef fillet. With tall cocktail tables in the bar, an open-air dining room, chalkboard menus written on columns that front an open kitchen, and frequent live music, this place offers a cool atmosphere and great dining just off the beach. For a quick refuel, there's Esquina Coffee Shop right next door. Open at 7 am, it sells juices, coffee, and smoothies for takeaway.

One of the more upscale choices near hectic Médano Beach, Edith's is the sister restaurant to popular The Office on the Beach. The Caesar salad and flambéed banana crepes are prepared table-side at this colorful and popular restaurant. Wally's Special, which includes lobster, shrimp, and fish, is also a popular menu item. The focus here is on Mexican ingredients—quesadillas feature Oaxacan cheese and are filled with seasonal zucchini flowers; meat and fish dishes are doused in local chili or tropical fruit sauces. Edith's air-conditioned wine room offers a large selection of domestic and imported wines and is ideal for hosting small intimate dinner parties of up to 10 people. Families dine in early evening, so come in later if you're looking for a less crowded experience.

It's well known that Las Ventanas is one of the best hotels in Mexico, and the on-site dining likewise does not disappoint. A diverse Mexican menu pays homage to the country's culinary traditions, with a focus on family recipes. Highlights include seared octopus with mole chichilo, poblano chili stuffed with seafood, and kurobuta pork with puréed corn. For a social appetizer, start with the "Taco Experience," a customized taco bar for two served on a rotating turntable. If you haven't already blown through your dinner budget, order the tiramisu, eclair, or mango crumble. There's live music nightly, and private cooking demonstrations in the Rosewood herb garden (by reservation).

Gleaming hardwood floors and polished brass give a nautical flair to this second-floor dining room, where fresh lobster is king. Lorenzillo's has long been a fixture in Cancún, where lobster is raised on the company's farm. That Caribbean lobster is shipped to Los Cabos and served in nearly a dozen styles (the simpler preparations—steamed or grilled with lots of melted butter—are best). Menu items are named after pirates and Caribbean marine history: Jean Lafitte is grilled filet mignon; Henry Morgan is broiled yellowfin tuna served with cognac and pink pepper sauce; and El Comodoro is a fillet of Angus beef and lobster tail. The dessert list is lengthy and mouthwatering, and if you're in the mood for a less formal meal, an oyster bar with a limited selection of the same menu sits on the pier near the entrance. Flaming coffee cocktails are another specialty of the house. Try the Xtabentun, which showcases a Mayan liqueur made from rum, anise, and fermented honey.

If you need a break from tacos and have a hankering for a steak like they cook 'em back home, Ruth's Chris at the Puerto Paraíso mall facing the marina is your best bet. It's known for its wide range of meaty cuts from fillets to porterhouse, and also serves veal, chicken, fish, and lamb. For dessert there's crème brûlée and Key lime pie, both freshly baked, and specialty cocktails from martinis to Manhattans.

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. If the breeze is still, stay outside and enjoy dining alfresco; if not, move into the candlelit dining room under a palapa. Chef Jacob Ramos' menu offers seafood lime risotto or shrimp wrapped in a phyllo dough stuffed with mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes. The beef tenderloin is delivered on a hot stone and grilled table-side. Portions are on the smaller side, so it's worth splurging for the Mona Lisa tasting menu, which includes five or seven courses, respectively. If you arrive without a reservation, you can always head upstairs to the more casual Sunset Point, a wine and pizza lounge with daily tapas specials from 5 to 6 pm.

At least once during your visit to Los Cabos, you should visit The Office, the original breakfast spot on Médano Beach's sandy shore. The Office screams "tourist-trap," bedecked with tiki torches and colorful tablecloths, but it's all in good fun, and it's always packed with revelers enjoying the near-perfect views of El Arco. Start your morning with a shrimp and cheese omelet, fresh-fruit smoothie, and powerful cup of Mexican coffee. The French toast is another favorite. Service is super-friendly but the menu is a bit expensive. Later in the day, decent, if not stellar, ceviche, nachos, fish tacos, seafood, and burgers are served in large portions that justify the high prices. Dinners of grilled shrimp or fish with garlic, and steaks are popular, especially when paired alongside cold beers and goblet-sized margaritas.