Is The Hype Around El Farallón Justified? Here’s what my dinner was really like…

You know of those restaurants that set in unbelievably scenic places with the most beautiful views? Where you wait to go to celebrate something big…because it’s fancy or because it’s a bit pricey – the type of place that is set in the cliffs near Cabo San Lucas with the Pacific ocean dramatically crashing table side – if you are lucky enough to get one of those tables? Yeah, this is that type of place – the one where the hype starts to build and it can be hard to snag one a desirable reservation…and made even more “interesting” being solo – here’s how my night went at El Farallón.

The restaurant’s setting seems dream or even movie like —perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean, with tables flanked by dimly lit lanterns, creating a magical and romantic atmosphere.

Where is El Farallón Located?

El Farallón, perched dramatically on a cliff at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas, offers a dining experience that many describe as unforgettable. With panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and a romantic, lantern-lit ambiance, it’s a top choice for special occasions and sunset dinners.

Reservation / Booking Info

One of the most common descriptors that I have seen for El Farallón is “romantic” and the fact that I was unable to book a reservation for one was not re-assuring that I would be treated well as a solo diner. And that even if I were to book a reservation, that there was a prepaid option to guarantee a table on the edge. I wanted to add the dinner to my hotel bill since I was staying at the Waldorf Astoria to make use of my Amex Hilton Aspire card benefits…

And this is when my amazing concierge, Rey, came through, not only with securing a reservation for just me and around sunset and at the edge (as seen in the YouTube short above!) Too bad nature didn’t get the memo and the clouds came rolling in – blocking what I am sure would have been an epic sunset!

Champagne Terrace

First up is a Champagne Terrace with a wide selection of bubbly to start your evening as you wait to be seated (photo on the left) and taking my poor injured knee out to a nice dinner.

You are then brought to your table – walking by the seafood area (showcasing the fresh catch) and the open air kitchen.

Dinner Experience

El Farallón specializes in fresh seafood, with a menu that changes daily based on the catch and is described as a ocean to table with everything caught locally restaurant (a play on the farm to table ideahat most of us are familiar with). Note that it is set up as a prix fixe menu that allows you to select from main options like sea bass, red snapper, yellowfin tuna, jumbo shrimp, and lobster but the rest of the meal is pre set (bread, soup, appetizers, sides and desserts). Part of the experience is that you will be presented with a large blackboard with the day’s menu and catch/special – I forgot to take a picture as I was concentrating really hard (ha! I was practicing my Spanish and everyone there was gracious enough to allow me to bumble through dinner by asking lots of clarifying questions to keep the conversation en espanol)

Remember how I said this was a restaurant that people typically save for special occasions? Yeah – it’s pricey! My non-alcoholic drink was a white lemonade that didn’t quite have the pronounced lychee flavor I was hoping for… but it was very tasty

First course (on left): they called it a garlic focaccia but definitely was not a focaccia – it was a roll. A pimento hummus with kalmata and black olives was very good. As with many fine dining places, there’s some show with dinner and that happened with the presentation of the soup course. The soup is poured at the table as you are given a description of the course

The appetizers ~ I don’t remember if it was a beef enchilada or burrito served with a jalapeno cream sauce / Sea bass, shrimp and octopus ceviche and what would be my favorite dish of the meal was this salad: roasted peach with feta, corn and this delectable basil dressing

Rocketfish (not my favorite and a tad over cooked which with fish is a cardinal sin) with asparagus (in season and absolutely delicious) with a seafood risotto (it was just okay) – funny that the vegetables were the highlight of the meal!

Profiteroles: honestly meh worst part of how much I bake now…it’s hard to impress me. And this dish perhaps sums up the experience very well for me. The presentation and execution are spot on for the dishes but flavor is just lacking. It’s okay. For this price point ~ food needs to be more…either being absolutely delicious or where there are elements that are stunning or revelatory or different – something that would make you think oh okay – this makes sense and money well spent.

Or I suppose that El Farallón is like many places that can rely on the stunning location and views – I mean look at it lit up! This is a place that just screams special occasions – like it was thought of just for anniversaries, proposals, or milestone celebrations.

The Damage

What Did I Really Spend/How Did I Save SO Much?

I spent $0. One of the reasons why I LOVE my Amex Hilton Aspire card is that it offers such great value – I was able to use the $200 bi-annual resort credit to pay for this meal! Read more about that card here

Last thoughts and would I come back?

It can sometimes be awkward dining alone especially when you are eating at a fine dining restaurant (hilariously woman of the couple seen in the “sunset” photo couldn’t fathom why I was alone and how I could afford the meal – eye roll) but the staff and the service was exceptional. It’s all of the little things – that I only had to tell one person that I wasn’t drinking and that I was trying to practice Spanish and everyone got the information – but even more importantly, they devoted as much time if not a bit more since we were chatting about families and life to me as they did to other diners, I was never made to feel like an afterthought.

And I was celebrating something important – I was starting to figure out how what I and my knee were capable of now…but also celebrating the strength and courage it took to get to this point – optimism and positivity somehow still intact!