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Almost every meal in Los Cabos is special — not only in the sense that you’re in one of the world’s most beautiful locations but also in that the municipality’s best restaurants almost invariably offer striking coastal settings with ocean views, delicious dishes from talented chefs featuring locally sourced ingredients and superb service.
But, of course, some meals are a little more special than others, either because they’re for one night only, feature special guest chefs or offer access to spaces not usually open to the public. Remarkably, during the next few weeks, one-of-a-kind lunches and dinners showcasing all of these characteristics will take place in or near Los Cabos.
A mind and palate-expanding dinner at Etéreo
The clarifier “near” is added for psychedelic retreat and sanctuary Etéreo Baja, which is set on 24 acres in Elías Calles, just outside Los Cabos in the La Paz municipality. However, it’s certainly accessible by those in Los Cabos, since it’s only about 40 minutes by car from Cabo San Lucas.
Founded by Paije Alexandra West and Fletcher Welsh Burdick, the retreat specializes in iboga, huachuma, and 5-MeO-DMT ceremonies and rituals, which not only are mind-expanding but also have therapeutic benefits for depression, substance abuse and other issues.
Iboga, for instance, is a Central African shrub long used in Bwiti spiritual practices in Gabon. More recently, it has been used in the West in clinical settings to treat addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder. The signature Iboga retreat at Etéreo is eight days long, costs US $7,000 and combines plant medicine with boutique hospitality through a partnership with Proyecto Palmita in El Pescadero.
Pop-up dinners at Etereo are rare, since access to the property is typically exclusive to retreats, for which Executive Chef Paul Barbosa crafts culinary experiences built entirely around guests’ emotional and physical journeys. But on Saturday, March 7, the chef will prepare a small pop-up dinner for an intimate gathering of attendees.
No psychedelic medicines are on the menu, but the evening is expected to be a one-of-a-kind culinary experience (call Etéreo at +52 (612) 111-0382 for more details).
Formerly a personal chef for celebrity couple Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, Barbosa has family roots in Mulegé in Baja California Sur and took up his present role after his own transformative psychedelic experience. He’s looking forward to the upcoming pop-up dinner, but don’t ask him what he’s going to be serving yet.
“Normally I don’t make menus like this,” Barbosa explains. “I just bought or found a bunch of stuff. I have a general idea, but I just take it day by day, wake up and decide, you know what, I’m gonna do this.
“For me, it’s more fun that way. I don’t know how to plan a menu and then cook that menu. It feels boring when I have to.”
One night only: Michelin-starred Koli takes over Humo restaurant at Zadún Los Cabos
There exists but one Michelin-starred restaurant locally: Cocina de Autor at the luxury all-inclusive resort, Grand Velas Los Cabos. But for one-night-only on Feb. 28, at Zadún, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve in San José del Cabo, there will be two. That’s because the staff from KOLI, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Monterrey, is taking over Humo, Zadún’s signature restaurant.
KOLI, intriguingly, is led by a trio of brothers: Chef Rodrigo Rivera Rio; Patricio Rivera Rio, who is the head sommelier and in charge of the cocktail program; and Daniel Rivera Rio, the restaurant’s pastry chef. The family-oriented team will bring their skills to Los Cabos for an eight-course tasting menu, and, yes, reservations are open to the public for the dinner, priced at 3,500 pesos per person (about US $200).
Regional flavors new to Los Cabos will undoubtedly be spotlighted since, as Rodrigo told me after KOLI earned its Michelin star in 2024, “We are a tasting menu project focused on the traditions and stories of our state,” meaning Nuevo León. So local foodies take note: Dinner starts at 6 p.m.
Boutique Drift San José del Cabo begins Sunday all-you-can-eat brunch buffet
Drift San José del Cabo, the 29-room boutique hotel that opened in the heart of the city’s downtown Gallery District in 2021, is a hospitality gem. But its status as one of San José del Cabo’s best-kept secrets is in jeopardy due to its new weekly Sunday Mexican brunch buffet — sure to be a popular feature.
Starting Feb. 1, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., for 400 pesos apiece, guests can embark on a culinary journey through Mexico’s tastiest pleasures, from slow-simmered red pork pozole and classic tamales to Oaxacan tlayudas, enmoladas and al pastor sopes. Yes, there are cocktails too, although these cost extra.
“Our intention as a team is always focused on creating memorable experiences,” notes Cristina Soto, Drift’s general manager. “This brunch is an invitation for both locals and visitors to discover a bit more about Mexico’s different regions through their aromas, flavors and the music that represents us. Our goal is for guests to take home a special memory that stays with them after they leave.”
The operative word, naturally, is “special.” As it is also for Jueves de Drift the hotel’s lively weekly backyard parties that coincide with San José del Cabo’s seasonal Art Walk on Thursday evenings and feature taco trucks, mezcal and DJs — and the hotel’s new FORM program partnership, with in-room movement kits and guided workout regimens.
Chris Sands is a writer and editor for Mexico News Daily, and the former Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best and writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook. He’s a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including The San Diego Union-Tribune, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise and Travel, and Cabo Living.
