Restaurant in Los Cabos, Mexico
Resort flagship that earns its reservation.
Don Manuel's is the flagship dining room of the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, and it earns its position with a serious nine-course Travesía tasting menu, a 1,050-selection wine list, and a guest chef program that includes Val Cantú and Mitsuharu Tsumura. Food pricing sits at $$ for a standard two-course meal. Book for a special occasion or a tasting-menu evening with Pacific views.
If you're comparing Don Manuel's to a standalone fine-dining restaurant in Los Cabos, the framing shifts once you know this is the flagship dining room of the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal. That context matters: the setting, service infrastructure, and wine program all reflect a luxury hotel operation, but the kitchen punches well above resort-restaurant expectations. For a first-timer looking for a serious Mexican meal in Cabo San Lucas with the option of Pacific views and a tasting menu format, this is the right call. If you want a scrappier, more urban dining experience, consider Humo instead.
Don Manuel's is built for in-person dining. The hacienda-style room, with its natural stucco walls and wall of windows that open onto a sprawling patio, is designed around atmosphere and place. At night, the building glows from within, and the alfresco tables offer Pacific views that are a genuine part of the value proposition here. Noise levels are manageable — this is a resort dining room, not a packed urban taco bar, so conversation is easy. The energy skews toward occasion dining rather than casual drop-ins, which sets expectations correctly for what you're paying for.
The food is grounded in Mexican cuisine under Chef Gustavo Pinet, and the kitchen has hosted a roster of guest chefs including Val Cantú, Enrique Casarrubias, Olivier Couvin, Jerome Bocuse, and Mitsuharu Tsumura. That guest program signals serious culinary intent, not just resort-grade execution. The standout offering for a first visit is the Travesía tasting menu — nine courses built around the taco as a format, running through regional Mexican ingredients and technique. It takes place at the colorfully tiled Su Cocina, at a long live-edge table, and includes cocktail pairings worth ordering. If you're not in the mood for a full tasting format, the evening taco menu runs from 6 to 11pm alongside the main dining service.
The wine list is serious: 1,050 selections and 7,000 bottles of inventory, with particular depth in California, Champagne, Bordeaux, and Mexico. Wine pricing is in the $$$ tier, meaning plenty of bottles above $100. Corkage is $65 if you bring your own. Wine Director Jhonatan Adame oversees a Private Pedregal Collection featuring bespoke blends made with Mexican wineries Roganto and Don Leo , worth exploring if you want something the room does that a standalone restaurant cannot replicate. For context on Mexico's broader fine-dining wine culture, Animalón in Valle de Guadalupe is the reference point for wine-forward Mexican dining if that's a priority on a longer trip.
On the food pricing side, a typical two-course meal lands in the $$ tier ($40–$65 before drinks and tip), which is reasonable positioning for a Waldorf Astoria property. The Travesía tasting menu will push that number higher, but for a full nine-course experience with cocktail pairings in this setting, the value holds.
Don Manuel's is not a takeout or delivery venue. The experience is inseparable from the room: the open-air patio, the hacienda atmosphere, and the tableside elements of the Travesía menu don't translate off-premise. If you're looking for Mexican food that travels well in Los Cabos, this is not where to look. Don Manuel's is worth booking specifically for the sit-down experience.
Dress code is resort casual , sun dresses for women, collared short-sleeved shirts and pants for men. Reservations are required; booking is rated Easy, so advance planning of a few days should be sufficient outside peak holiday periods. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner, with the taco menu running specifically from 6 to 11pm. Valet parking is available. The venue accommodates private dining, vegetarian options, gluten-free options, and is kid-friendly, making it workable for families staying at the resort. The bar at Don Manuel's operates as a destination in its own right , the guava margarita and the Pedregal Reyes are the two signature cocktails to try. For more options across the city, see our full Los Cabos restaurants guide, our full Los Cabos bars guide, and our full Los Cabos hotels guide.
Google rating: 4.7 from 294 reviews.
Quick reference: Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, Cam. del Mar 1, Cabo San Lucas. Lunch and dinner. Resort casual. Reservations required. Booking: Easy.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don Manuel's | Mexican Cuisine | Don Manuel’s restaurant radiates warmth in the center of Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal.; WINE: Wine Strengths: California, Champagne, Bordeaux, France, Mexico Pricing: $$$ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Corkage Fee: $65 Selections: 1,050 Inventory: 7,000 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: Mexican Pricing: $$ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Lunch and Dinner STAFF: People Wine Director: Jhonatan Adame Chef: Gustavo Pinet General Manager: Fernando Flores; Don Manuel’s restaurant radiates warmth in the center of Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal. At night, light flows from the hacienda-style building with natural stucco walls and spills onto a sprawling patio, where diners ... **Our Inspector's Highlights The special Travesía (which means “traverse”) experience brings you on a culinary journey through Mexico via the taco. The street food gets the gourmet treatment in a nine-course tasting menu that could include blue prawn with chintextle, a rich Oaxacan smoked chili paste, or a scallop tostada topped with uni pate and crumbled chorizo. The private taco tasting takes place at the restaurant’s colorfully tiled Su Cocina at the long live-edge table. Be sure to order the excellent cocktail pairings, too.Led by the property’s esteemed wine director, the Private Pedregal Collection features its own bespoke blends crafted in collaboration with renowned Mexican wineries, Roganto and Don Leo. The curated wine collection focuses on the richness and variety of labels, showcasing an exclusive, one-of-a-kind collection.While the menu changes often, don’t miss the flavorful smoked pibil lobster tail with a confit garlic sauce if you see it among the entrées and the sweet cured amberjack and hibiscus sauce with cucumber, avocado and chamoy-hibiscus gel among the appetizers.Save room for dessert. Go classic with the cinnamon-sugar-dusted churros with cajeta (Mexican caramel) and chocolate sauce for dipping, or opt for something decadent like the Chocolate Craving with chocolate fudge, buttermilk-cocoa cake, cacao nibs, mezcal ice cream and sesame tuile.Don Manuel’s opens its wall of windows to transform into an indoor-outdoor venue. Snag an alfresco table to soak up Pacific views during your meal.** **Things to Know Don Manuel’s takes pride in presenting a culinary journey orchestrated by world-class chefs. Guests can delight their palates with creations from award-winning culinary virtuosos such as Val Cantú and Enrique Casarrubias. Distinguished guest chefs have included Olivier Couvin, Jerome Bocuse and Mitsuharu Tsumura.Guests can also enjoy specialty cocktails at Don Manuel’s Bar, where meticulously crafted drinks showcase a symphony of flavors that resonate with the spirit of the region. Two standouts are the guava margarita, a twist on the classic margarita, and the Pedregal Reyes, a true embodiment of the Pedregal experience. Additionally, from 6 to 11pm, guests can also enjoy a special menu of tacos that perfectly complement the drinks.The dress code at Don Manuel’s is resort casual. Women will fit in nicely with sun dresses and men with short-sleeved shirts with collars and pants.** **Treatments:** Amenities Bar Breakfast Dinner Gluten-free options Kid friendly Lunch Outdoor seating Private dining Reservations required Resort casual Valet parking Vegetarian options **Amenities:** Calle Camino del Mar 1, Cabo San Lucas, BCS 23455, Mexico | Easy | — | |
| Pujol | Mexican | $$$$ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Quintonil | Modern Mexican, Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Rosetta | Italian, Creative | $$ | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Em | Mexican | $$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Le Chique | Mexican, Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Yes. Don Manuel's Bar operates from 6 to 11pm and serves a dedicated taco menu alongside specialty cocktails, including the guava margarita and the Pedregal Reyes. It's a practical option if you want to eat without committing to the full dining room experience. The bar also offers full cocktail service, so it works as a standalone stop.
It's one of the stronger special-occasion options in Los Cabos, partly because of the format. The Travesía nine-course taco tasting menu, held in the private Su Cocina room at a tiled live-edge table, gives the meal a defined arc that suits a celebration. Add cocktail pairings and the curated Private Pedregal wine collection and the evening has enough structure to feel considered, not just expensive. Cuisine pricing sits at $$, with wine running $$$.
The bar is the practical choice for solo diners — it runs a taco menu from 6 to 11pm and has enough atmosphere to make eating alone feel intentional rather than awkward. The main dining room is table-service focused and better suited to pairs or groups. If the Travesía tasting experience is your reason for going, check whether a single seat at the Su Cocina table can be arranged when booking.
Yes. The Su Cocina private dining room, with its long live-edge table, is set up specifically for group experiences — the Travesía tasting menu runs there. For larger parties, check the venue's official channels through Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal to confirm capacity and format. Valet parking and reserved seating are both available, which reduces the logistical friction of arriving as a group.
Don Manuel's is a hotel flagship with a tasting-menu focus and Pacific views. If you want destination Mexican fine dining outside a resort context, the comparison shifts to Mexico City heavy-hitters like Pujol or Quintonil — different format, different city, but the benchmark for contemporary Mexican cooking. Within Los Cabos, the main alternative depends on whether you want resort convenience or a standalone restaurant: Don Manuel's wins on atmosphere and setting, while other Cabo options may offer more flexibility on price and booking.
Resort casual is the stated dress code: sun dresses or similar for women, collared short-sleeved shirts with pants for men. Shorts and beachwear won't work for the dining room. It's a step above poolside but well below formal — you won't need a jacket.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
