Only four cuisines are inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Mexican food was not only among them; it was the first cuisine to receive this honor.

Furthermore, Baja California has become one of Mexico’s premier gastronomic destinations. Talented chefs use a variety of flavors and techniques to delight all patrons, making each meal an unforgettable experience.

Baja California’s cuisine is famous for its focus on seafood and fish. However, constant experiments and the use of high-quality local ingredients have made the dishes created here exceptional and a reflection of the region's cultural identity.

Several Baja Californian restaurants have earned recognition and awards from the Mexico Michelin Guide 2024, highlighting the region's dedication to culinary excellence and sustainable practices.

The Michelin Guide awards Michelin Stars when food at an establishment reaches high-level quality cooking; Michelin Green Stars are given to establishments with sustainable practices; and the Bib Gourmand Award highlights restaurants with a reasonable price-quality ratio.

Here is a list of the 11 best restaurants in Baja California, as ranked by the Michelin Guide. This selection showcases the state's diverse and exquisite gastronomy, inviting atmospheres, fine dining experiences, and dishes to suit every taste and budget.

Note: many of these restaurants require reservations to be made online or by phone. Take this into account before starting your Baja Californian gastronomic journey!

Conchas de Piedra - Valle de Guadalupe (1 Michelin Star and 1 Michelin Green Star)

Conchas de Piedra, located in Valle de Guadalupe and led by Chef Drew Deckman, has been awarded 1 Michelin Star for its haute cuisine and 1 Michelin Green Star for its focus on sustainability.

This rustic restaurant features memorable dishes, including clam shells balanced on small pebbles and the crispy oyster taco.

Deckman, a Georgia native, has lived in Mexico for over two decades. He was among the first to offer a 100% Mexican wine list at his restaurants, promoting local talent and celebrating the region’s winemaking industry.

Focusing primarily on serving the best seafood and sparkling wines, Conchas de Piedra provides a perfect combination that will delight all visitors.

Location: Carretera Ensenada-Tecate Kilómetro 93.5, San Antonio de las Minas, 22761 Francisco Zarco, Ensenada.
Hours: Thursday through Monday from 11 AM to 6 PM
Website: /www.conchasdepiedra.com/
Instagram: @casamarcelorest
Reservations are required. Haute cuisine restaurant.

Animalón - Valle de Guadalupe (1 Michelin Star and 2024 Mexico MICHELIN Sommelier Award)

Located under a majestic oak tree in Valle de Guadalupe, Animalón has been awarded 1 Michelin Star and is renowned as one of Mexico’s best restaurants.

Led by Chef Javier Plascencia and Executive Chef Oscar Torres, the restaurant has been recognized for its focus on ever-revolving culinary excellence. Its menu constantly renews itself with dishes that combine tradition and innovation. Some of its best dishes include the flat iron steak barbacoa, a cowboy recipe from 1920, and the pulp Marrano, octopus meat in a traditional corn soup.

Animlaón’s wine selection is one of its most significant features. Lauren Plasencia, the restaurant’s wine director, was awarded the 2024 Mexico MICHELIN Sommelier Award, sponsored by Casa Madero winery. Her knowledge and passion for local wines perfectly complement this restaurant’s culinary experience.

Location: Carretera Tecate - Ensenada Km 83, Ejido Francisco Zarco, Valle De Guadalupe, Ensenada.
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday from 2 PM to 8 PM
Website: https://www.animalonbaja.com/
Instagram: @animalonbaja
Reservations are required. Haute cuisine restaurant.

Damiana - Valle de Guadalupe (1 Michelin Star)

Located in Valle de Guadalupe, Damiana, led by Chef Esteban Lluis, was awarded 1 Michelin Star.

His culinary proposal pays tribute to local products through a tasting menu that combines the essence of Mexico with a contemporary approach. One of Damiana’s creations, the Callo Margarita, has become a must-try dish.

Following the creed "from the farm to the table," Chef Lluis offers a new menu daily with fresh and seasonal ingredients. His dishes include a variety of proteins such as fish, seafood, duck, quail, and lamb, guaranteeing a diverse and flavorful experience.

Damiana is part of the Viñedos de la Reina property, a venue that perfectly complements the gastronomic experience with first-rate local wines.

Location: Viñedos de la Reina, México 3 Supermanzana KM. 71, 22034 Ensenada
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday from 1 PM to 7 PM
Website: www.damianarestaurant.com/
Reservations are required. Haute cuisine restaurant.

Villa Torél - Valle de Guadalupe (Bib Gourmand: Quality-Price)

Located in the Bodegas Santo Tomás property, Villa Torél has become a must-visit destination in Valle de Guadalupe. The Michelin Guide even awarded it the Bib Gourmand for serving good food at moderate prices.

Led by Chef Alfredo Villanueva, this outdoor restaurant features a delightful ambiance surrounded by lavender bushes and citrus trees.

This establishment combines Mexican culinary proposals with contemporary European –especially French– cuisine. Don’t miss some of its best dishes, including the crudo of horse mackerel served with blue corn tostadas and the innovative rice with tongue pastrami.

For those looking for more intense flavors, the roasted eggplant with shredded smoked bluefin tuna is an option that will not disappoint you.

Sharing is the foundation of this restaurant’s philosophy, meaning dishes are designed to be enjoyed with company. This is especially true for desserts such as the crispy-crinkled layers of phyllo with jocoque, chopped pistachios, and local honey.

Location: Bodegas de Santo Tomás Km 94.7 Carretera Federal No. 3, 22766, Villa de Juárez, Valle de Guadalupe, 22766.
Hours: Thursday through Monday from 1 PM to 7 PM
Website: https://villatorel.com/
Instagram: @villatorelmx
Reservations are required. Haute cuisine restaurant.

La Cocina de Doña Esthela - Valle de Guadalupe (Bib Gourmand: Quality-Price)

La Cocina de Doña Esthela, established in 2008 by Blanca Esthela Martínez, began as a modest business that made burritos for the region's workers. As time went on, this small restaurant grew to become one of the most famous establishments in Valle de Guadalupe. It has been recognized for its excellent price-quality ratio with the Bib Gourmand Award and has been branded by the Michelin Guide as having “the best breakfast in all of Mexico.”

Patrons can enjoy breakfast at any time of the day. No reservations are required, but one should arrive early as waits are long due to high demand.

This menu offers a variety of irresistible options, including chilaquiles, corn hot cakes, barbacoa, charred lamb, and machaca-style dry beef served with scrambled eggs, refried beans, and handmade corn/flour tortillas.

Doña Esthela’s unique ambiance offers a space where tradition and coziness combine to provide an authentic culinary experience. Each visit to this restaurant is an opportunity to try the region's gastronomic heritage in a place that reflects the heart of Valle de Guadalupe.

Location: Carretera El Tigre, El Porvenir, between Kilómetro 13 and 14, Rancho San Marcos, Valle De Guadalupe, Ensenada.
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday from 8 AM to 5 PM
Instagram: @lacocinade_esthela_oficial
No reservations are required.

Restaurante Sabina - Ensenada (Bib Gourmand: Quality-Price)

Located in Ensenada, Restaurant Sabina is an expanded version of Sabina Bandera's famous seafood cart, La Guerrerense. Founded in 1960, this iconic establishment has become one of local gastronomy’s most renowned restaurants.

This restaurant has received a Bib Gourmand Award due to its excellent price-quality ratio. It is a must-visit restaurant where you can enjoy a delicious cod ceviche heaped with tender, chopped octopus. A seafood pozole, a dish featuring a Colorado broth stocked with an abundance of seafood, hominy, and diced avocado, is also a standout.

Sabina’s gastronomic experience is not limited to its dishes: the quality of its products and ingredients is exceptional, including everything from tortilla chips to homemade salsas.

Location: Av. Adolfo López Mateos 917, Zona Centro, Ensenada.
Hours: Monday-Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM
Website: https://laguerrerense.com/
Instagram: @laguerrerensemx
No reservations are required.

Casa Marcelo - Ensenada (Bib Gourmand: Quality-Price)

Casa Marcelo, a beautiful restaurant in Ensenada, stands out due to its gorgeous facade decorated with bougainvillea and its cozy dining area on a patio shaded by a wooden roof and lush trees.

Led by Marcelo Castro, part of the 4th generation of Ramonetti cheesemakers, this restaurant is famous for its breakfast offerings, including the delicious chilaquiles with homemade cheese, an incomparable combination of flavor and texture.

For lunch, Casa Marcelo offers other delicacies, such as the shrimp tostada, which has the perfect balance and combination of spicy chili pepper and aromatic herbs.

Awarded a Bib Gourmand, it is a must-visit destination for those who want to try local cuisine in a cozy ambiance.

Location: Av. Riveroll 771, Zona Centro, 22800 Ensenada.
Hours: Wednesday through Monday from 8 AM to 6 PM
Instagram: @casamarcelorest
No reservations are required.

Humo y Sal - Ensenada (Bib Gourmand: Quality-Price)

Ensenada’s Humo y Sal stands out for being a restaurant focusing on elegance and seafood culinary offerings.

Led by the Hussong family –famous for grill house Sano's–this restaurant features an open kitchen and a drink menu on a board with carefully selected local craft beers and innovative cocktails, including the refreshing "sour mezcal."

Humo y Sal’s culinary proposal focuses on the freshness of fish and seafood through an impeccable execution that highlights the flavors of each ingredient. Some of the delicacies you’ll find here are sashimi, tiradito, and oysters.

Then, you can try their fresh pasta with shrimp, octopus pizza, and al pastor tuna tacos, which combine pieces of adobada fish with pickled onion slivers and a smooth avocado puree.

Location: Km 108, Zona Playitas, Ensenada, 22860
Hours: Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 1:30 PM to 10:30 PM
Saturday: 1:30 PM to 12 AM
Sunday: 12 PM to 9:30 PM
Website: https://www.humoysalrestaurante.com/
Instagram: @humoysalrestaurante
No reservations are required.

Merak - Ensenada (Bib Gourmand: Quality-Price)

Merak awarded a Bib Gourmand, is located in the Vitivinícola Tres Valles property and is led by Chef Joel Quintana.

Merak's primary focus is the grill, which consists of wholesome and unpretentious dishes with flavors and techniques that reveal a refined technique and deep knowledge of French and Asian cuisines.

The restaurant’s central star is the famous seafood wings: yellowtail collar grilled to perfection, dressed with a delicious salsa featuring guajillo pepper oil, ginger, and roasted garlic.

If you're looking for a more personalized experience, Chef Quintana himself will be delighted to create an improvised tasting menu that allows you to explore a variety of flavors and showcase his creativity and cooking skills.

Location: Lerdo de Tejada & Ignacio Comonfort, Villa de Juárez, 22766, Ensenada.
Hours: Thursday to Sunday from 1 PM to 7 PM
Instagram: @restaurantemerak
No reservations are required.

La Concheria - Ensenada (Bib Gourmand: Quality-Price)

Located in Plaza Santo Tomás, La Concheria combines the best of tradition and modernity.

Its open kitchen allows patrons to see how their dishes are made. The menu features oysters, ceviche, agua chile, and dry noodles in poblano pepper salsa.

One of their main dish highlights is the baked pasta served on a cast iron skillet. This delicious creation enhances the green chili-spiced cream and is topped with clams and mussels.

Location: Av. Miramar 637-9, Zona Centro, Ensenada, 22800.
Hours: Thursday through Monday from 12 PM to 7 PM.
Instagram: @la_concheria
No reservations are required.

Carmelita Molino y Cocina - Tijuana (Bib Gourmand: Quality-Price)

For the grand finale, a restaurant in Tijuana, Carmelita Molina y Cocina, was awarded a prestigious Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide.

This restaurant is led by Chef José Figueroa, who presents an excellent gastronomic proposal based on traditional Mexican cuisine through his deep devotion to maize.

At Carmelita, maize is nixtamalized and ground in situ from grains purchased from small family farms in Mexico. This dedication to their craft is reflected in the freshness of their tortillas, prepared directly in the comal and used in tacos, tostadas, and tamales.

Don’t miss two of their best dishes: chilaquiles with borracha salsa and tamales made on banana leaves, filled with braised beef rib and roasted local cherry tomatoes.

Location: Jiménez 7771, Independencia, Tijuana, 22055.
Hours: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 AM to 3 PM and 4 PM to 10 PM
Sundays from 9 AM to 3 PM
Instagram: @lacarmelitatj
No reservations are required.

The Michelin Guide awards highlight Baja California's diverse culinary scene, offering experiences from haute cuisine to affordable, delectable meals. Explore these regional culinary gems and savor the best of Baja Californian cuisine!