DINE AROUND IN LOS CABOS

The Baja Cantina Beach Grill restaurant, located on Médano Beach offers an elegant ambience, with a sophisticated menu and, fine dining in harmony with Baja’s beautiful sea, beach, sun and moon. During the day, Médano Beach is usually filled with 20-somethings enjoying Spring Break - year around. At night, however, Baja Cantina Beach transforms into a sea of tranquility, with the restaurant and bar on the sand offering plush lounge chairs, and the terrace dining area aglow with soft lighting and beautifully set tables.

The extensive menu includes a sushi bar, pastas, prime filets of beef and seafood – spiced, sauced and sizzled in a wide variety of mouth-watering styles. The crab cakes with mango salsa, and lobster stuffed enchiladas are truly what make Cabo memories. Enjoy a spectacular banana flambé prepared tableside. The bar’s “mixologist” creates your favorite drinks, with fresh fruit margaritas a specialty, while the wine cellar features quality Mexican and international wines. Dinner entrée’s are priced from $17 US for pastas to $38 US for surf and turf. Baja Cantina Beach Grill features live music nightly, including a Mexican Fiesta show on Wednesdays and live jazz on Thursday. Call ahead for schedules.

Casa Rafael's offers a wonderful dining experience in their elegant and romantic restaurant. Two dining areas feature: The Ocean Room, where you will experience the tranquil ambiance of one of the largest salt water aquariums in Mexico (not to mention the magnificent muraled ceiling) or Poolside where you can stargaze between courses. For those of you with special requirements the chef will be happy to accommodate the most rigorous diets with prior notice. Enjoy Cabo's largest wine selection featuring Imported and Domestic fine wines.

Adjourn after dinner to the Cigar Room where you may purchase and enjoy a fine Cuban cigar to complement your choice of an extensive selection of fine cognacs, brandies, sherries or ports. Later still, The Piano Bar is waiting to soothe your ears and entertain you with your favorite piano tunes.

Renowned chef Casiano Reyes celebrates his third year in his “Spontaneous Cuisine” restaurant. In a tucked away street close to the heart of San Jose del Cabo is a restaurant that is causing quite a stir within the dinning community as well as in the ranks of Mexican gastronomy. Casiano Reyes has created the ultimate culinary trip throughout the varied regions of Mexico in what he calls his “Spontaneous Cuisine.”

This is a great place to throw back a margarita (or two) and watch tourists and local characters roaming to and fro, made easy because of the large, outward-opening windows that line the entire building.

A casual restaurant feel is created with many wood tables and comfortable dining chairs, with the cantina vibe coming from the tall tables and matching bar stools situated sporadically around the premises. Sports enthusiasts will feel at home here, where no fewer than five plasma televisions are placed throughout the cantina, the largest as the centerpiece to the fully-stocked bar. Desperados Restaurant and Cantina is an ideal place to hold a private party or event, since the top floor of this dining spot can be opened up, allowing for a total capacity of around 250, and a small stage and DJ booth downstairs are adjacent to the dance floor in the center of the restaurant.

The two-story, air-conditioned facility is decorated in a potpourri of Hollywood memorabilia, old musical instruments, and classic prints of artwork by Monet and other international artists. Desperados´ menu is as eclectic as the cantina itself, serving many soups and salads, plus classic Mexican snacks and dishes, like Desperados Ultimate Nachos. There are BBQ combinations such as the spare ribs and roasted chicken, with burgers ranging from the standard with cheese to even gourmet burgers like the one with blue cheese. Additionally, there is an astounding selection of surf and turf items.

Carnivores will salivate at the 12-ounce filet mignon and seafood fans will surely be tempted by the seafood skewers with three distinct sauces. All entrees range $12 US-$28 US. Accepting Master Card/Visa and serving lunch and dinner daily, 4 p.m.-11 p.m. Enjoy live rock music Friday and Saturday nights until 3 a.m. (624) 143-4313. by Kirstin Frieze

Consistently rated one of the best restaurants in Cabo San Lucas, the French Riviera Restaurant Cabo is considered by many as the number one choice for fine dining in Cabo.

It is a global phenomenon, with unparalleled memorabilia. The Cabo location opened in 1995. While usually thought of as a night spot, the HRC caters to families with children during the day with a special menu that includes Jimi Tenders (chicken tenders) and pint-sized shakes for kids.

Adults can enjoy classic American-style starters like Santa Fe Spring Rolls, or the Haystack Chicken Salad, BIG sandwiches enough to share, and of course, burgers. The smokehouse items are yummy like pig sandwiches, BBQ ribs, and chicken, and not to be forgotten are the desserts. The hot fudge brownie sundae is gigantic, enough for four people to share, and names like Hunka, Hunka Chocolate-Banana Love or Down Home Cobbler beckon to be tried. They even have Root Beer floats, certain to bring back memories of the be-bop 50’s.

Lunches and dinners run from $10 to $20 U.S., with a NY steak the only item over $20. There’s live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and some special events with rock ‘n’ roll bands from out of town taking the stage.

HRC is a cultural force to be reckoned with for all ages and the Cabo San Lucas location is a must for all.

Contemporary Mexican Cuisine with a passion for seafood, set in the most artful Colonial ambience in all of San Jose. Five star regional seafood cuisine prepared by award winning chef/co-owner Jacobo Turquie, a graduate from “The Culinary Institute of America” in New York and Keisha & Gunther Richter.

The menu is based on daily choices of the freshest seafood and fish available locally and from abroad. If it’s fresh, it’s La Panga Antigua. The chef and his sous chefs work magic in the kitchen to bring the best experience at La Panga Antigua. There are no compromises, there is only quality. There is an outdoor courtyard and terraces with lounge bar and an air conditioned private wine cellar.

Boulevard Lázaro Cárdenas & Boulevard Marina, Cabo San Lucas, BCS. The year following its opening, Lorenzillo’s received the Five Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences for exceptional service, ambiance, and décor. Sit on the deck overlooking the marina and you’ll know you’re in Cabo San Lucas; dine inside and you could be anywhere in the world. The authentic nautical surroundings feature abundant brass and beautiful woods.

Be careful not to fill up on the hot bread, made on the premises and served with herbed butter; you must save room for one of the chef’s outstanding specialties. These might include crab cakes with cranberry sauce as a starter, or for entrees the Chilean sea bass which will melt in your mouth. Fresh king crab legs and jumbo shrimp are always available for starters or entrees.

Difficult to find elsewhere except at Lorenzillo’s are soft shell crabs, stone crab claws, and crayfish. The international menu offers dishes prepared expertly in the kitchen that opens to the dining area. Choose your own live lobster from the dinghy tank and decide how you want it prepared: grilled, roasted, in coconut sauce, poblano sauce, pepper sauce, thermidor, steamed, or numerous other ways. Combos are offered with seafood and meats.

It would be a sin not to save room for one of the decadent desserts, such as Isla de Sacrificios (Island of Sacrifices), a dessert of dark chocolate brownie over Chantilly crème with caramel sauce topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate bits.

Entrees from $17 to $40 U.S. Located on the Cabo San Lucas Marina above UltraFemme, near Plaza Bonita.

Located at the marine Boulevard Marina at Plaza Bonita Mall,Cabo SanLucas overlooking the harbor.

One of the most popular traditional Mexican restaurants, Mi Casa has been a must for visitors of Cabo San Lucas for the last 15 years.

The multilevel restaurant seats more than 500 people, with an atmosphere as vibrant as the decor. The open-air and covered palapa seating areas are inviting and airy, perfect for taking advantage of the incredible weather in Los Cabos.

Mi Casa offers traditional Mexican cuisine made from scratch daily. Start with a basket of handmade tortillas served fresh to every table. For the main course, enjoy an array of fresh fish, chicken, and meat dishes starting as low as $13 U.S. Don’t forget to try one of Mi Casa’s famous house margaritas.

Mi Casa is open daily from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. for dinner. Visa and MasterCard are accepted as well as Travelers checks with a minimum of $50. L.G.