Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection unveils Cabo’s most dramatic culinary stage

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO (September 2018) – Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection will unveil the most dramatic dining destination in Cabo San Lucas, with the November 2018 opening of the fully reimagined Cocina del Mar restaurant, bar and lounge. Perched atop striking cliffs overlooking the resort’s two private beaches, the new Cocina del Mar will take guests on a culinary journey through the Sea of Cortez and Cabo’s verdant farms. A new menu by Executive Chef Guillermo Gomez will weave together the region’s freshest seafood with creative twists on traditional Baja flavors. Guests will enter a buzzing lantern-lit bar and lounge that will invite them to linger over hand-crafted cocktails before sauntering down to dinner above a cascade of oceanfront terraces kissed by white-capped waves. An outdoor exhibition kitchen will be alive with energy as guests engage with chefs and explore bites of coastal Baja cuisine and regionally inspired cocktails beside a glowing wood fired oven.

“There is a natural vitality that comes from being surrounded by the sea and combined with our dramatic clifftop location the setting emanates an unmistakable energy that we have captured in the redesign of Cocina del Mar,” said Marc Rodriguez, General Manager, Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection. “From the sounds of waves crashing against the rocks and lively music flowing throughout the bar and lounge, to spirited conversations and bold dishes bursting with regional Baja flavors, Cocina del Mar is a truly magical seaside experience.”

Executive Chef Guillermo Gomez designed the new menu with a focus on sustainably-sourced ingredients and a passion for sharing the freshest seafood from the Sea of Cortez and the bounty of diverse produce available from local farms such as Tiki Cabo Organic Farm in Miraflores, Family Verdugo, Baja Farm Fresh in Pescadero and Granja El Carrizal. Signature dishes include Salt Crusted Totoaba Fish prepared in the restaurant’s wood fired oven with confit tomato, onion, corn and kale and Stone Steamed Lobster Tail with preserved lemon mojo and local herbs. Fresh sea-fare will be complemented by Baja-inspired cocktails including The Beach Drink, a sweet and refreshing libation with mezcal, fresh watermelon juice, basil leaves and cucumber and Café de las, a traditional Mexican cocktail with spiced coffee, mezcal and marzipan cream.

“Jacques Cousteau called the Sea of Cortez ‘the world’s aquarium’,” said Guillermo Gomez, Executive Chef, Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection. “I am excited to take guests on an ocean voyage with creative twists on traditional Baja dishes set in our stunning oceanside setting. Our new Cocina del Mar will nourish guests’ body and spirit with the bounty of the sea and local farms.”

The Sea of Cortez influence will flow from the new menu to the restaurant’s design concept, created by Milo Garcia of Los Angeles-based Studio Mai. Drawing inspiration from the ocean and seaside culture of Los Cabos, the earthy palette of the décor, furnishings and table settings will be in harmony with the natural hues of Cabo from the rocky cliffs to the sand. Garcia and his team traveled extensively within a 500-mile radius of the resort to source regional materials including stone quarried from a nearby mountain top, natural woods such as Parota and Jatoba, and handmade textiles. Original tableware pieces were created by local designer Lorna Hankins of La Candelaria, a studio in a small mountain ranch village between Cabo San Lucas and Todos Santos.
“Our vision was to create a central gathering place where the surrounding ocean is a natural extension of the restaurant and bar, and where private terraces seem to flow right into the Sea of Cortez,” said Milo Garcia, Founder, Studio Mai. “The new design invokes the energy of the ocean tide, ebbing and flowing with bustling activity and memorable connections.”

Guests can continue to immerse themselves in land and sea adventures through new culinary events and experiences at Esperanza including digging for chocolata clams, diving for sea urchins, seaside clambakes with local artisan breweries and pop-up winemaker dinners in the resort’s agave garden.

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