A Neighborhood Guide to San José del Cabo, Mexico
Where to go for coffee, breakfast, dinner or Happy Hour in San José del Cabo.
Planning a trip to San Jose del Cabo? Check out our local's guide for info on the best coffee in San José del Cabo, where to go for breakfast, dinner, and Happy Hour.
The Best Places to Eat in San José del Cabo
Where to go for Breakfast and Coffee in San José del Cabo
Coffee Shops with WiFi:
Coffee Lab
Serving specialty coffee, celebrating local art and culture, and hosting cultural events for both locals and tourists - Coffee Lab is not to be missed. Seemingly straight out of Brooklyn with its modern interior, it also features outdoor seating on their patio, perfect for enjoying coffee and a snack. Many options for vegans and vegetarians, a strong sense of community, and the smoothies are out-of-this-world good.
PezGallo
A cute little coffee house with a menu that has something for everyone. There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options available.
Chula Vegan Cafe
Conveniently located downtown, Chula Vegan Cafe serves a wide variety of healthy, locally sourced, seasonal, and organic vegan foods in a super cute space. Menu includes sweet and savory options, veggie burgers, fresh juices, coffee, and desserts.
Coffee Shops for Breakfast:
Jazmin’s Restaurant
A lovely traditional Mexican restaurant with great food served in generous portions, a fun atmosphere, and Mexican breakfast standards. Be sure to try the huevos rancheros.
Cafe de Lolita
Cafe de Lolita offers a fun and wide range of menu items. The atmosphere is hard to beat with its courtyard nestled under mango trees. Breakfast is served in a relaxing and lovely outdoor setting. The atmosphere is reason alone to stop by.
Cream Cafe & Pizza Bar
Whether you’re looking for something healthy, sweet, savory, or traditional Mexican breakfast, Cream will have something for you. Casual and laid back, their breakfast menu is highly rated.
Yumana Kitchen
A creative kitchen using local ingredients to bring a mindful approach to comfort food. The Yumanos are a millinery indigenous group, and Yumana Kitchen serves as a homage to their food and culture. Located at the main plaza of San Jose del Cabo, it brings a contemporary and modern twist to the cultural tradition of this ethnic group. Their menu features vegan and vegetarian options, unlimited breakfast Monday through Saturday, and brunch on Sunday.
El Merkado
A modern and innovative marketplace located inside the Koral Shopping center. El Merkado is a food lover’s dream with 3,500 square meters of delicious options. Expect Italian Specialities, American classics, and a fun vibe.
Mama Mia
Perfectly situated on the coast, Mama Mia offers great views and an extensive menu featuring some of the best Italian - but also American and traditional Mexican food around.
De Mañana
If you’re looking for an authentic Mexican breakfast joint, this is it. The food is tasty, traditional, and fresh, menu prices are low, and the space is cute and cozy.
La Panadería - Great food, innovative dishes served in a quiet courtyard nestled in the heart of the city. As you might be able to guess from the name, their breads are amazing and not to be missed.
Where to go for Lunch in San José del Cabo
Downtown
La Dolce
Serving Italian favorites, homemade pastas, woodfired pizzas, and more. La Dolce offers the most classic Italian meals in town. Food is crafted from quality ingredients and rated highly among locals and visitors alike.
Tacos Rossy
A no-frills taco joint located right off of the highway, Tacos Rossy, as unassuming as it may be, serves some of the best tacos in the city. They have a variety of fish tacos, each one as delicious, namely the shrimp, scallop, and flounder tacos.
City Sushi
Everything about this sushi restaurant is impressive. From the rolls to the service, City Sushi is a great place to satisfy a sushi craving.
Mariscos el Chino
Traditional Mexican cuisine with an emphasis on seafood. Marisocs El Chino’s local fare is delicious and affordable. Don’t miss their ceviche.
Retro Burger Bar
Located downtown San Jose del Cabo, you’ll be welcomed at the door with nostalgia in this old fashioned jive burger dive. The burger menu is long, but the Lamborghini shouldn’t be overlooked.
Las Guacamayas
Adorned by locals and tourists alike, it’s safe to say that to know Las Guacamayas is to love it. Serving authentic, delicious, and affordable Mexican cuisine. Try the tacos stuffed with chorizo pork and the pumpkin flower quesadillas.
Toro Guero
To all the seafood lovers out there, don’t visit San Jose del Cabo without a visit to Toro Guero. You’ll find the setting relaxed, the service friendly, and the seafood dishes hard to beat. Try the marlin empanadas.
Aguamala Cevicheria
Come for the ceviche, stay for the friendly and fun atmosphere. A newer addition to San Jose del Cabo, it’s making a name for itself quickly. The ceviche, among their other dishes - namely their seafood menu items (think: grilled octopus, whole fish of the day, etc.) standout as some of the best around.
Zona Hotelera
La Marea
Located on the outskirts of San Jose de Cabo and serving some of the freshest food around, La Marea is a great spot to grab lunch with their eclectic menu at good prices. Try the octopus with pineapple.
Latino 8
Offering a blend of Latin American cuisines, Latin 8 has a variety of menu items belonging to Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Cuba and more.
Koi
Tucked away in an unassuming strip mall location, Koi, by no doubt, stands out amongst its sushi restaurant competitors in Cabo, and after one visit, we’re sure you’ll see why. Their sushi bar, teriyaki dishes, and tempura are some of the best around and absolutely worth a visit.
La Querencia
7 Seas
Boasting beautiful views of the Sea of Cortés, 7 Seas belongs to the boutique Cabo Surf Hotel on Acapulquito Beach and serves (as you might have guessed) fresh seafood dishes. Their menu also features some traditional Mexican fare and a pretty robust selection of desserts. Be sure to try the chocolate clams, and keep an eye out for their regularly scheduled events such as their full moon dinners where you can expect specially designed menus paired with live jazz.
Agua
For a fine dining experience, visit Agua, where the food is always impeccable, and the location is hard to beat. Part of One & Only Palmilla, a luxury resort nestled on the coast, Agua offers a Baja-inspired menu in a spectacular ocean-side setting. The menu changes seasonally (sometimes daily), and always reflects the best available ingredients. Many of their specialties are prepared tableside, including their handmade tortillas, guacamole, ceviches, and moles. Their wine selection shouldn’t be overlooked with many coming from Vale de Guadalupe, Mexico’s premier wine producing region.
Blue Fish
Some of the area’s most iconic dishes are prepared expertly at Blue Fish. Specialities include the scallop sashimi and the ceviche. Their dishes are thoughtful yet straightforward, and the attention to detail and impeccable customer service makes Blue Fish one of the finest seafood restaurants in Los Cabos.
Ánimas Bajas
Flora’s Field Kitchen
In the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains, you’ll find a beautiful 25 acre organic working farm. Flora’s Field Kitchen, the on-site restaurant, serves only food that has been grown on property, or at their larger farm just a few miles away. Truly an oasis within Cabo, Flora’s Field Kitchen is just as much of an experience as it is a restaurant. Their menu is of course seasonal, and changes often, but you’ll find some permanent classics, woodfired pizzas, and an ice cream cart. Reservations are highly encouraged, especially on Tuesdays and Saturdays when they feature live music.
Tamarindos
Sourcing produce fresh from their farm, Tamarindos offers a lovely farm to table dining experience. Their menu is diverse, and ever changing to accurately showcase their seasonal offerings. Great selection of vegetarian specialties, local meats, ceviche, and more served among a peaceful setting nestled into the desert.
Acre
Each and every visit to San Jose del Cabo, as far as we’re concerned, deserves a trip to Acre. Belonging to the boutique tree house hotel by the same name, this restaurant offers a farm to table experience on their twenty-five acres of farmland, lying adjacent to Flora Farms. Their cocktails are award-winning, and the food is worth a trip to San Jose del Cabo all on its own. Enjoy dinner here and after take a stroll throughout the grounds to explore everything else Acre has to offer.
La Playa
The Drunken Sailor
El Marinero Borracho, aka, The Drunken Sailor is the spot to go to for ceviche (try the green). The rest of the menu reads slightly unexpected, but, in a good way, with their shrimp stuffed falafel with beet hummus or the shrimp baked potato. Dinner and drinks are served on their rooftop deck overlooking the marina.
Bars with Happy Hour in San José del Cabo
Coffee Lab
Coffee lab also makes our list for happy hour recommendations with their weekly themed event nights. On Wednesday evenings from 8-10 they host movie nights, Thursdays from 7-11pm are dedicated to #chilojueves, and on Friday’s they feature happy hour 2 for 1 specials from 4-7.
Nómada Bar de Origin
Features a selection of impressively crafted cocktails, both classic and house. Served outdoors in the center of the art district of Old Town. Enjoy a cocktail or one of their selected varieties of mezcal or other distills, and maybe a couple of their pinchos while the live DJ spinning mellow tunes. Happy hour is served from 6 to 9pm where you can order tum cocktails 2x1Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
12 Onzas Tap Room
A not to be missed bar serving both quality food and craft beer right in the heart of San Jose del Cabo’s art district. Enjoy a craft beer on their balcony seating. A 2x1 cocktail special is available during their 4-7pm happy hour.
Baja Brewing
Is popular among locals and tourists alike, and it's easy to see why. Baja Brewing, situated in the center of the historic district, serves finely crafted beers and pub fare in an elegant-but-still-fun setting. Artisan beers, mesquite-fired pizzas, designer burgers, and more are served outside in the open air beer garden where they’ll often have live music performing. Local artwork is incorporated into the scene to reflect the spirit of Mexico. A great spot to spend the evening, happy hour is served from 4-6pm.
Where to go for Dinner in San José del Cabo
Downtown
Ginza Street
Whether you stop by this upscale Japanese restaurant, or order from their food truck, Ginza will not disappoint. Offering typical Japanese dishes (think: sushi, ramen, rice dishes, and more) as well as some more fusion based dishes, Ginza is an impressive addition to the area.
Barrio del Tango
Visit this Argentinian style grill’s beautiful terrace downtown on a weekday for live music. Visit any other day for their great selection of wine, warm and friendly service, and their menu of tasty southern dishes with a Mexican flair.
La Lupita
A rustic, yet chic restaurant conveniently located in the center of the city, with a menu that is small, but packs a punch. You’ll find taco items galore, all delicious, and all to be washed down by a local craft beer - or their other specialty, artisanal mezcal. At sunset, you’ll welcome the band to the stage and that’s when things really come alive. Reservations are highly suggested.
Casa Natalia/Mi Cocina
Tucked away in the courtyard of boutique hotel, Casa Natalia, Mi Cocina is a must visit for dinner. Serving Mexican-Euro fusion cuisine, the food is mostly all local and organic. You’ll find menu items Med-Mex fajitas, roasted chicken with chocolate, and an impressive selection of cocktails. Try the chef’s tacos with blue corn tortillas.
La Revolución Comedor de Baja California
Located close to the center, La Revolución serves Mexican fusion cuisine in a trendy and welcoming environment. The food is wonderful, but their cocktails are also worth noting.
5 de Febrero
El Ahorcado
A thoughtful blend of traditional and modern Mexican Cuisine, El Ahorcado is not to be missed. Their speciality lies in their faces with a Different Taste.
Hotelera
Macca Pasta Bar
Make your own Pasta or Pizza. For the DIY-er inside us all, not to mention the pizza and pasta lovers, Macca Pasta Bar is a fun little joint that allows you to create your own pasta or pizza using their expansive selection of toppings. Keto options, as well as a few other Italian plates are available as well.
La Forchetta
You might not visit Cabo expecting to have the best Italian food of your life, but visit La Forchetta and that may very well be what happens. La Forchetta offers Italian classics such as risotto, pasta, pizza, and more.
La Osteria
An outdoor restaurant and bar featuring a lovely atmosphere, made even better with their live music. It’s great for a late night visit where you can share tapas and enjoy a few drinks.
Costa Azul
Fabric Sushi
For being in Mexico, San Jose del Cabo has an impressive array of great sushi restaurants. One of them being Fabric. Try the edamame kazuco and ask about the specials.
