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Restaurants

You'll find all the old Mexican (and American pub) standbys, naturally. But you really should make a point of trying truly authentic fare such as birria (goat stew), tacos de cabeza (cow's brain and tongue), menudo (tripe soup), and machaca (dried shredded beef or fish). The cosmopolitan area embraces a smorgasbord of gastronomic traditions, from Italian to Thai, and you'll find seafood so fresh it leaps off the plate – sushi is predictably sublime as are the simplest fish tacos (preferably served beachside). Ambience ranges from ultra-upscale to dress-downhome, and some of the best bets offer sweeping water views.

Expensive options in Cabo include the refined Casa Rafael's (Calle Médano & Camino Pescador; 624/143-0739), a boutique hotel with three colorful dining rooms and a folk-art-filled courtyard with splendid Land's End views; add strolling Mexican quartets, walk-in humidor/cigar lounge, piano bar, stellar service, and superior continental cuisine. Edith Jiménez-Smith of Edith's (Médano Beach; 624/143-0801; www.edithscabo.com) wrote "Cuisine of the Baja Peninsula," and her lovely palapa restaurant strung with starry lights offers authentic cuisine and superlative surf 'n' turf. La Golondrina (Paseo del Pescador; 624/143-0542; www.lagolondrinarestaurant.com) means "trailer park," but there's nothing dusty or disreputable at this classic mariachi and margarita spot that serves leviathan lobster combo dinners in an exquisite garden patio and vaulted, arcaded interior of Cabo's oldest renovated landmark building.

The Corridor chimes in with French Riviera Restaurant & Bakery (Plaza del Rey, Km. 6.5 Transp. Hwy.; 624/104-3125; www.frenchrivieraloscabos.com), whose owner/chef, Jacques Chretien opened Maxim's of Paris in Mexico City and essentially catered the entire production of the Pitt pic Troy; as you might expect, this gala Gallic affair is très sumptuous from the Second Empire décor to such dishes as pan-seared loupon (a flaky white fish) in mint tea-hazelnut vinaigrette. The mega-award-winning Canto del Mar in the Marquis Los Cabos (21.5KM Transp. Hwy.; 624/144-2000; www.marquisloscabos.com) has only 21 seats – all the better to appreciate the exquisite décor (lots of Murano masks, sconces, and glass art) and Thierry Dufour's splendid cuisine, including a twice-weekly "surprise" six-course menu with no changes or substitutions. The Restaurant at Las Ventanas (Cabo Real, Km. 19.5, Transp. Hwy.; 624/144-2800; www.lasventanas.com) is another spot for outstanding wine-pairing menus, sea views, innovative and traditional cuisine utilizing organic ingredients whenever possible. There's even a "water cart" dispensing an international selection. Charlie Trotter’s "C" in One&Only Palmilla (624/146-7000; www.oneandonlypalmilla.com) is ultra-contemporary (glowing frosted glass, stainless steel, all curves and angles) but not cold; Trotter's signature multi-course tasting menu paired with wines, often brilliantly counterpoints unorthodox tastes and textures.

In San José, Mi Cocina at Casa Natalia (Blvd. Mijares 4; 612/142-5100) continues that cosmopolitan hotel's creativity and style, from romantic setting and decor to exciting nouvelle Mexican/Pacific Rim/French cuisine utilizing the freshest ingredients. Tequila (Doblado between Mijares & Hidalgo; 612/142-1155; www.tequilarestaurant.com) enchants with inventive Pacific Rim-Mediterranean fare culled from its own certified-organic farm (a purveyor for Cabo's top resorts); afterward smoke a Cubano with a fine tequila (ask for a tasting tour) in the Agave Lounge.

Moderate Cabo recommendations include La Casa del Pozo (El Pescador, Médano Beach; 612/143-6569; www.lacasadelpozo.com), whose warm brick garden courtyard with a 150-year-old water well is a sweet setting to enjoy regional fare like cazuela Guadalajara (beef, bacon, bean, green chiles, and more in a clay pot) or fresh fish, perhaps prepared with mango salsa, lime juice and butter, mesquite-grilled with tamarind sauce, or borracho (drunk) simmered in beer of your choice. Nick-San (Plaza de la Danza, Blvd. Marina; 624/143-4484; www.nicksan.com) is Zen for sushi lovers (try the sashimi in coriander sauce); owners Masayuk Niikura and Angel Carbajal just opened a new, equally striking if spare branch at Las Tiendas de Palmilla.

Along the Corridor, laidback Latitude 22+ (KM4.5 Transp. Hwy.; 624/143-1516; www.lat22nobaddays.com) is garlanded with nutty nautical memorabilia; locals and regulars exchange fish tales, tall or otherwise, and cheer favorite teams on the TVs at the long plank bar, while savoring killer views and glorified pub grub at terrific prices. Villa Serena (Km. 7.5, Transp. Hwy; 145-8244) features equally sweeping panoramas from its palapa and pool, mellow vibe, live music most nights, and heaping helpings of fine Mexican fare (the $9.95 lobster special is amazing).

In San José, Damiana (Blvd. Mijares 8; 612/142-0499; www.damiana.com.mx) occupies an 18th-century hacienda with a romantic bougainvillea-draped patio overlooking the cathedral. Damiana, a liqueur distilled from a shrub that's reputed to cure everything from impotence to impetigo, features strongly in several entrees. La Panga Antigua (Zaragoza 20; 612/142-4041; www.lapanga.com) is set in another restored colonial mansion where chef/co-owner Jacobo Turquie, a Culinary Institute of America grad, prepares wildly creative dishes like double-rib pork chops with date compote and wild mushroom ragout or grilled tamarind-glazed sea scallops over risotto and ratatouille. Morgan MacLeod, a respected interior designer originally from Vancouver, is the driving force (abetted by partner Peter McGeown) behind Morgan's Restaurant & Cellar (Doblado & Hidalgo; 612/143-3825) and Morgan's Encore (Morelos & Obregón; 612/142-4737), two gorgeous restaurants crafted from the ground up including antique wood accents, open fireplaces, and provocative artworks. Both offer live bands and sunny Provençal/Tuscan cuisine.

Adventuresome diners should sample the budget taquerias found all over the region. Each stand operates on a different schedule (most open for breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner) and specialize in just a few types, but Cabo's El Palacio del Taco (16 de Septiembre between Morelos & Vicario; 624/147-6894) is open nearly 24/7, dispensing a wide variety of homemade tacos, tortas, and quesadillas. If you prefer more conventional seating, nearby El Méson de Zapata (16 de Septiembre & Mendoza; 624/144-3982) fills you up with tacos, chips, six different salsas, frosty cervezas, yummy guacamole, burritos, and even steak for well under $20; there's often a live band on weekends. The boisterous beachfront Zipper's (Costa Azul, KM28.5, Transp. Hwy.; 624/172-6162), along the Corridor, is a thatch hut draped with fishing nets; expect Gringo-Mex comfort food like mesquite-grilled steaks, ribs, burgers, beer-battered shrimp, as well as sports on large screen TVs, and live salsa, C&W, or "baby boomer rock" on weekends.

See Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide