Los Cabos has been described as a foodie’s paradise. There are a lot of fine dining locations in the region ranging from restaurants in the Edith’s Group and the RosaNegra Group to restaurants in the five-star hotels and the restaurants recommended with Michelin Bibs status in 2024. Fine dining is a combination of location, atmosphere, food and exceptional service. Unfortunately, this combination often comes with prices ranging from $150 to $400 US per person. We want visitors and residents to have a fine dining experience but on a budget. Here are some great alternatives.
San Jose del Cabo – Osteria 107. In the well-known location on the corner of Manuel Doblado, one block from Antonio Mijares Blvd in downtown San Jose del Cabo, Osteria 107 is an authentic Italian restaurant with a very pleasant atmosphere, great food and service. Cristiano, the owner and manager, is Italian and has launched restaurants in Playa del Carmen and Tulum. He brings his experience to this new San Jose del Cabo restaurant.
We entered the restaurant and were greeted by Cristiano, who introduced himself and asked if we would like to sit outside in their open-air courtyard or inside. We chose an inside seat near the beautiful bar. We were brought menus and asked what we would like to drink. I chose my regular Chardonnay and Beth asked for a sparkling water with lime. The menu has a wide range of traditional Italian dishes including pastas and pizza as well as seafood and meat selections.
For an appetizer, we chose the Caesar Salad (fresh parmesan on the side). The dressing was perfect, and it was easy to taste the hint of anchovy in it. For our main courses, Beth selected the grilled shrimp with a cauliflower purée and some grilled zucchini. There were nine shrimp on skewers, which had been marinated, and the flavor was amazing. I decided on the parmesan risotto with black truffles. The creamy risotto was delicious with the flavor of the truffles coming through clearly in the creamy sauce.
We had a nice conversation with Cristiano about our common experiences in Playa del Carmen. The food was excellent in both presentation and flavor. The service was friendly and very attentive. We had a great dinner. This is a great addition to the restaurant scene in San Jose del Cabo, having won awards on Trip Advisor, Open Table, and five-star reviews on Google. www.facebook.com/Osteria107
Cabo San Lucas – Casa Martin. If you are looking for terrific food in a great atmosphere, Casa Martin in Cabo San Lucas is a place to consider. Guests enter through a door in a large gate. A set of stairs leads down into the main dining room with three separate areas under cover, trees and a large stone chimney.
We were taken to our table against the side wall near the large stone fireplace. Our server gave us the menus and wine list and asked if we would like still or sparkling water. We chose our water and I asked for a glass of Chardonnay. The traditional amuse-bouche at Casa Martin is a single four-cheese ravioli, which is very creamy. The server also offered us freshly baked rolls with butter. For an appetizer, Beth ordered the Caesar Salad with the cheese on the side and I ordered the Tuna Tartare. The tower of Tuna Tartare with avocados, onions, cucumbers, and jalapenos was served and then a special soy-based sauce was poured over it. It was offered with a bowl of freshly made tortilla chips. The Caesar Salad had a creamy dressing that Beth liked a lot. Chef Roger came out to say hello and ask how our dinner was going so far.
For our main course, Beth ordered the Catch of the Day which was Sea Bass served with farro, organic vegetables, garlic butter, and a sikil sauce on the side. Moist, flaky and delicious. I chose the Breaded Chicken Breast with angel hair pasta in a white wine and garlic sauce and served with sun-dried tomatoes and broccoli in a lemon pesto. Throughout our dinner, we were entertained by a guitarist singing classic songs at the right level to both enjoy the music and the dinner.
We decided to try the dessert. I ordered the chimichangas de platano and Beth ordered sorbet. I accented the dessert with a limoncello. The final stage of the dinner were two small cookies.
The atmosphere, food and service at Casa Martin are impeccably delivered. www.casamartin.com.mx | www.facebook.com/CasaMartinRestaurante
Todos Santos – Tre Galline. One of our favorite restaurants for dinner in Todos Santos is Tre Galline. The new location opened in November 2023 on the main street (Benito Juarez) and maintains the same excellent menu as the old location, still open as Caffe Todos Santos. There are several salads as well as carpaccio from which to choose as appetizers. Chicken, rib eye and fish selections are included on the main course list as well as a long list of homemade pasta selections. The restaurant also offers pizza. As we entered the new location, we were greeted by Constantino, the manager and son of Chef Angelo and Magda, all members of a long-time family of Italian restaurant owners. Constantino gave me a tour and talked about the process of renovating the new space. There are four dining areas – one on each side under cover, the front courtyard, and an interior space. Photographs and artwork complement the design of the dining areas.
Once seated, I ordered some chardonnay. Fresh rolls, olive oil and balsamic vinegar were set on the table as we reviewed our choices from the menu. We were offered a fish coquette as an amuse-bouche by the chef. Beth decided to have the almond-crusted sea bass with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. There were three huge pieces of fish (two went home for our dinner the next night). I selected the spaghetti with anchovies and cherry tomatoes. It was the first time that I had finished my whole entrée at Tre Galline. It was so good. Chef Angelo and Magda dropped by to see how we enjoyed our meal. As always, the food (flavor, presentation, portion size) was excellent, matched by the service and the atmosphere. www.instagram.com/tregallinets/