Considered by Todos Santos locals to make the best coffee in town, Taller 17 is a small outfit that offers a surprisingly large number of drinks and fresh-out-of-the-oven pastries. The coffee and espresso are strong, the Mexican hot chocolate perfectly cinnamony, and the homemade kombucha just right. They also have a variety of milk alternatives, like soy and almond milk. It’s impossible to leave without also indulging in one of the buttery blueberry scones, rich brownies (gluten-free option available), fruit pies, or buttery soft cookies. 

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An under-the-radar favorite of local chefs in the Pescadero/Todos Santos area, Noah offers Japanese cuisine rooted in the ultra-fresh seafood you’d expect from this part of the world. They specialize in fish, which is handpicked by the head chef and brought in every day from Punta Lobos, a beach in the neighboring town of Todos Santos. You’ll find all the standard sushi favorites here, and the roll menu marries traditional Japanese sushi and sashimi with Mexican undertones. Of note is the Emma roll, made with tempura shrimp, avocado, fish, ginger, and slices of serrano, and the Noah roll, with fish, avocado, cucumber, and grilled jalapeno. ($$)

With a dirt floor and straw roof, El Compa Chava is a makeshift roadside cafe that feeds locals and domestic tourists, who take its ceviche seriously. Choose from a variety, including octopus, raw shrimp, and fish ceviche, as well as ceviche served inside large chocolate clams (a Baja specialty) or a molcajete. Bueno, bonito, and barato — a classic expression meaning good, pretty, and cheap — everything at Compa Chava is worth a try, and its shrimp tacos, plates of lightly battered bass, and baby scallop aguachiles are just as good as its ceviche. 

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Although technically a resort, Paradero’s completely outdoor restaurant, situated next to its own mint and lavender garden that perfumes the air, is worth the hotel-crashing. Paradero’s artisanal philosophy extends to the menu, which consists of Mexican classics infused with Chinese, Japanese, and Southeast Asian flavors, made with locally sourced ingredients. Head chef Eduardo Rios drew inspiration for his menu from his time working in the kitchen of Mexico City’s Pujol and from his travels through Hong Kong. The results are marvelous, each dish more special than the next. Highlights include zarandea-style shrimp tacos, cooked over an open flame and served with togarashi and chile mayo; warm flour tortillas, pressed and heated onsite; and a roasted head of cauliflower cooked on a hibachi grill. Just as good is breakfast, where lightly fried eggs are wrapped in Mexican pepper leaves and French toast gets a side of homemade ice cream. ($$$)

The strawberries at Agricole, a farm and grocery store with a small selection of prepared food items, are worth the trip to Baja alone. All the produce is organically grown by owner Lis Ibarra on a plot of land behind the shop, and her passion for agriculture is obvious in the ripeness, redness, and juiciness of the berries. Specialty items include strawberry water, strawberry pie, strawberries with cream and chia seeds, and of course cartons of plain, fresh strawberries. ($)

The Waldorf Astoria’s El Farallon has a postcard setting, tucked into a rocky beachfront that allows guests to enjoy tangerine sunsets. Because the fish comes in fresh every morning, the menu changes daily, but you can still count on a tony “Baja bounty,” a mixed grill selection that may include sea bass, red snapper, yellowfin tuna, and jumbo shrimp for a hearty price tag. You can add lobster if you’re feeling flush, and sides are served family style. ($$$$)

Los 3 Gallos is the place to go for mainstay Mexican cuisine. Unlike many of Cabo’s other Mexican restaurants, which are putting out more fusion-style food, Los 3 Gallos focuses on local classics like traditional pozole, Caesar salad (invented up north in Tijuana), mole enchiladas, and stuffed green peppers. The patio is shrouded in greenery, making it a nice spot to enjoy at least one dessert, whether it’s flan, churros, or the tres leches cake made with tequila. ($$)

Because when you go to Mexico, you eat tacos. Family-run for more than 30 years, Tacos Gardenias serves all the Baja classics, like fish tacos, shrimp cocktails, ceviche, and seafood soup, while also offering tacos stuffed with cochinita pibil (juicy marinated pork), nopales, and fried shrimp. The taqueria opens at 8 a.m., for those who want to grab some tacos post-surf. ($)

For those looking to enjoy iconic flavors from across Mexico, like tacos al pastor, carne asada, and cecina, but without any gourmet frills, El Fogon is the place. Considered by some to have the best tacos in San Jose, El Fogon’s prices are cheap, its menu large, and its wedges of lime enormous. Grab one of the streetside plastic tables and enjoy Mexico City-style tacos with sides of sliced cucumber, and quesadillas made with flour tortillas a la northern Mexico. On the weekends, they serve pozole, with your choice of red or white broth. Ideal for lunch, dinner, or late-night snacks. ($)

Named after the shop’s longtime Labrador mascot, Coffee Lab is more than just a coffee shop — it’s a community space, bringing together locals and visitors through cultural events like Wednesday movie nights, live music, DJ sets, and a rotating gallery featuring artists from throughout Baja. But when it comes to the nitty-gritty stuff, the specialty coffee roasters do a pretty good job, too. Established in 2015, they roast Mexico’s four main coffee types, sourced from Chiapas, Veracruz, Guerrero, and Oaxaca, in addition to serving up snacks like avocado toast and chia pudding with fresh fruit. ($)

When you need a palate cleanser from all the seafood, La Panaderia SJD makes its own palmiers, mille crepe cakes, and hibiscus-flavored donuts. (If you go in January, you can find three kings bread, which is traditionally eaten to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany.) They also offer a selection of traditional Mexican breakfasts, like machaca and potato tacos, a chicharron omelet, and an incredible French toast made from concha sweet bread. ($)

As its name suggests, El Marinero Borracho (or, the Drunken Sailor) is a laid-back, nautical-themed shack made for enjoying the pleasures of Baja’s food and weather. It’s an ideal place to grab a clamato — Baja’s well-known cocktail made from tomato and clams — and pretend Sunday is forever. The tostadas are piled on the heavy side, and the kitchen isn’t shy about serving their items with huge slices of avocado. Non-seafood eaters can replace any fish on their menu with hearts of palm. ($$)