How to Eat Like a Local in San José del Cabo

Once you live full-time in Serena Residences, you may want to introduce yourself to the local lifestyle. After all, you´ll already be a resident of the community. You´ll may want to ditch the overpriced resorts to taste local southern Baja cuisine and look for new experiences in these organic-focused eateries, hotel cocktail bars, and a thriving local farmers market in San José del Cabo.

Villa Valentina

Abstract metal sculptures, dangling lanterns, and large rustic earthenware dominate the interior courtyard at Villa Valentina, a family-owned restaurant, cocktail bar, and home décor studio all rolled into one. The menu is just as creative as the design, which features adobo-marinated gorditas de conejo and a slow-cooked Baja lobster bisque thickened with brandy, brown rice flour, and a hint of red pepper.

San Jose del Cabo Mercado Organico

Enjoy an entire Saturday at the San Jose del Cabo Mercado Organico, where jugglers, face-painting booths, and live folk music guarantee entertainment for the whole family. Use it as a one-stop shop for local produce, handmade soaps, jewelry, and fresh Aguas Frescas. Don’t forget to sample the handful of food vendors selling Cotilla cheese-topped sopes or fresh-baked loaves of jalapeno-sprouted quinoa bread. It is only 2 minute’s distance from Serena Residences.

Casa Natalia

Walk past the lobby at Casa Natalia, a hacienda-style boutique hotel in downtown San Jose, until you reach the small, brightly colored bar in the back. Locals swear by bartender Arturo’s classic margarita, prepared with fresh lime, orange juice, white tequila, Cointreau, and a dash of Damiana (an herb-based spirit produced here in Baja).

Blue Fish

It’s all about the seafood at this unassuming spot, where you’ll pay half of what a luxurious hotel dining room charges for the same fare (octopus and mango ceviche, tuna sashimi, and the ever-popular battered fish tacos). Be warned: It’s not much for scenery, as it’s tucked inside a strip mall on the Transpeninsular Highway.

Flora Farm

Farm-to-table puritans will love the kitchen at Flora Farm, which serves only what is raised or grown on the property—thankfully, that leaves plenty to work with between the ten-acre organic farm, bakery, and butcher shop. A lively calendar of movie nights, pig roasts, and “Organic Fried Chicken Tuesdays” has transformed the farm into a hotspot for locals and A-list visitors alike (Jessica Alba even Instagrammed photos of her visit here last month).

El Marinero Borracho

Outside the downtown area, in the sub-neighborhood of Puerto Los Cabos, an informal seafood tavern called El Marinero Borracho (‘drunken sailor’) makes a perfect late afternoon lunch spot, with classic (and cheap) fish tacos served alongside more inventive variants like a shrimp-stuffed falafel taco.

Downstairs, at El Ganzo

With its long, elegant wooden tables, Downstairs, the main dining room at uber-hip El Ganzo Hotel offers an upscale setting for locals to mix and mingle with guests over spicy cucumber gazpacho and tapioca-crusted red snapper while gazing out at the marina. Ride the elevator to Gachoo, a Peruvian-inspired sushi bar on the hotel’s rooftop, for a more casual vibe.