Often overshadowed by its sexiest neighbor Los Cabos, La Paz and its surrounding small towns are just as beautiful, less crowded, and filled with local flavor. Set in a secluded bay on the Sea of Cortez, the capital city of Baja California Sur abounds with things to see and do, from adventure sports to hiking, whale watching, and sport fishing. And recently, it has become a rising culinary destination complete with its own regional culinary festival.
The cuisine in La Paz and nearby Todos Santos represents the fusion between regional elements and international haute cuisine techniques, with chefs focusing on farm-to-table and sea-to-table concepts. Here, visitors can enjoy everything from traditional street snacks beloved by locals to world class dining experiences.
Aside from the famous fish tacos, stuffed local chocolata clams, and street carts serving hates (hot dogs wrapped in bacon, topped with chiles, tomatoes, and a mayonnaise dressing) into the wee hours, a group of creative chefs are bringing paceña cuisine to the next level. Here are few not to be missed on your next visit – which should be soon.
La Paz
Restaurant Nemi
Mexico City native chef Alejandro Villagómez opened this quaint, elegant restaurant in October 2019. Since then, Nemi has been recognized as one of the 120 best restaurants in Mexico by Culinaria Mexicana, as well as in Food & Wine. The kitchen uses regional products in a personal interpretation that translates into a 15-course menu that changes almost weekly, according to the availability of ingredients. The wine list includes many selections from Mexico’s excellent vineyards.
Before opening Nemi, Villagómez worked at acclaimed Pujol restaurant for nine years, where he served for five years as chef de cuisine, as well as at three-Michelin starred El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain. His cuisine is adventurous but not intimidating, and beautifully presented, focusing on seasonal ingredients from local farms and sustainable seafood sourced locally. Staff is knowledgeable and passionate, ready to offer suggestions and help pick wine or cocktail pairings.
Toto Frito
A small but charming oceanfront restaurant that hides some seriously good food behind its casual counter service. Chef Maho Hakoshima crafted a menu with an Asian slant, using seafood from certified sustainable sources like Earth Ocean Farms, a pioneer in farming the local totoaba fish, and oysters grown by Sol Azul.
Aside from the incredible totoviche – winner of the best ceviche in La Paz in 2022- the kitchen also serves the best fish and chips this side of Cornwall, also using totoaba. Sip a craft cocktail or local beer to wash it down while overlooking the bay of La Paz.
Hambrusia
This gastrobar in the heart of the La Paz boardwalk is a hub for craft beers and cocktails alongside creative Mexican-Asian fusion cuisine from chef Eduardo Pino. Hambrusia is Mexican slang for hunger, but Pino says this is not just any kind of hunger. “Hambrusia is a special hunger, it is a hunger for craving, a hunger that goes far beyond the need to perform an act to keep yourself alive. Hambrusia is an act to make you feel that living is a pleasure,” says the chef.
“We consider our cuisine to be anarchic Mexican that does not respect borders or flags. We try to have as much culinary freedom as possible by cooking without rules; That’s how we learned, on the street, seeing, smelling and eating when the munchies hit us. It is not a pretentious cuisine, we consider it simple, like a good Joe Strummer song, not very sophisticated but lovely to listen to.”
The playful menu focuses on snacky antojitos like tacos, tostadas, and more, reliying heavily but not exclusively on seafood. Grab a sidewalk table, a cold drink, and watch the colorful parade of locals stroll the malecón as the sun goes down.
Casamarte Oyster Bar & Grill
Located in an emblematic house on the boardwalk, surrounded by a gorgeous front porch, this local favorite offers a varied menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Chef Héctor Palacios crafts his delightful dishes using fresh, local and seasonal products, with a focus on seafood.
This is the place to enjoy the famed chocolata clams and local oysters, served raw with a variety of sauces, or grilled and filled with various toppings and melted cheese. Try the lobster croquettes with truffled mayo, a catch of the day sashimi, or a fried whole fish complete with rice, beans, and fresh tortillas. Casamarte prides itself on its craft cocktail menu, but nothing wrong with grabbing a bucket of ice cold Mexican lagers to share a meal with friends.
La Tuna
On the beautiful, secluded beach of El Sargento, La Tuna sits on the sands of the Sea of Cortez, where chef owner Oliver Murillo Sepúlveda prepares local seafood with an Asian touch, accompanied by signature cocktails, ice cold beer, and ad hoc music to give it a beach club vibe.
Menu standouts include the signature curricanes – thin slices of fresh tuna rolled around julien kanikama, mango, cucumber, carrot and avocado, drizzled with olive oil and spicy mayo – but don’t overlook the ponzu marinated ceviche or the catch of the day, which is sauteed with lemon butter and served Almondine style with green beans and mashed potatoes.
Murillo and his cousin Rubén Sepúlveda, owner of Baja Molinito Experience, also offer a very special treat. Rubén partners with local fishermen to take people out to sea for a sustainable fishing experience, during which they will spot marine and bird life as visitors cast their lines. Afterwards, they will transport you to La Tuna where Olivier will cook your catch of the day to your liking.
Todos Santos
Hotel San Cristobal
The first international property from the acclaimed Bunkhouse brand, Hotel San Cristóbal Baja is a 32-room beachfront, boutique hotel on the coast of Todos Santos, designated as a Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town) by the Mexican govenrment.
The hotel’s oceanfront restaurant, Benno, is inspired by the flavors of Baja with a Mediterranean sensibility. The menu incorporates locally caught fish and a bounty of produce from the area, seasoned with spices and flavors of traditional Mexican, Mediterranean and Asian cuisines.
Cosecha, the forthcoming outdoor restaurant, is set to open in late October 2023 in the hotel’s front garden. Spanish for “harvest,” Cosecha will offer a true farm-to-table dining experience with a menu inspired by the seasonal harvest and ingredients found directly in the garden. Dishes will be served family-style in a convivial, al fresco atmosphere.
Paradero Todos Santos
The restaurant at this luxury hotel is helmed by chef Eduardo Rios, whose culinary artistry is a reflection of his travels to Hong Kong, and his time at Enrique Olvera’s Pujol. Here, he serves dishes inspired by Mexican, Japanese and French cuisines through farm-to-table cooking using locally-sourced, Baja Californian ingredients into each dish.
Menus incorporate fish and seafood from the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, as well as sustainably sourced protein from local farmers. Just steps from the open-air restaurant is the on-site garden that supplies fresh herbs and vegetables to the kitchen, as well as 160 acres of farming fields growing everything from chiles to strawberries and dozens of herbs that are used in cooking and spa therapies.
The open kitchen, which features a wood fired josper grill, allows diners to experience the culinary team in action as they prepare extraordinary dishes.
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