Travel with a Cocktail

El Farallon at the Waldorf Astoria in Cabo was an unforgettable experience. Now, I will warn you that we spent a “disgusting” amount of money on this meal – almost $600 for 2 people – but it was a once in a lifetime experience.

Upon arrival at the Waldorf, you can either walk or take a cart to the restaurant, built into the side of a cliff. If you have mobility issues, you’ll need them to bring a wheelchair to the golf cart because there is still 30+ yards to the restaurant and table. They do have a ramp though and a teeny tiny elevator at the main building to accommodate.

When you check in, they will take you to the Champagne Terrace. We chose not to order because we had brought our own bottles of wine. I used that time to speak with the Sommelier and the table was ready shortly after.

The view is magnificent with the waves crashing up on the rocks right by your table. It was a chilly night so they had propane heaters at every table and offered Mexican blankets for guest to wrap them in.

When you get to your table, they will take your drink order and then show you a chalk board with the evening’s entrée and side choices. Each person gets an entrée and 2 side to choose. Included is a set menu of soup, bread, 3 sharable appetizers, and dessert.

The reason our bill was so high was 1) my husband got the surf and turf, which was $170 and 2) we brought 3 bottles of wine to share with the table, which we were charged $65 per bottle corkage fee.

I did a lot of research before this trip and the entire menu was about 15-20%  higher per item, including the corkage fee, compared to the most recent photos I could find on the internet.

Service was phenomenal and exactly what you would expect for a restaurant of this caliber and price point. We had a server, a server assistant, a bus boy, and a sommelier waiting on us.

Food was very good. On our visit they were serving butternut squash soup with a large focaccia crouton, watermelon salad, octopus tostada, and sea bass tartar for the appetizer. All were phenomenal. I got the sea bass, which was very good, plus two shrimp on the side which were huge but also $18 A PIECE! My husband got the surf and turf and said the shrimp were the best he’s had in his life. My brother in law got the seared tuna, which was slightly spicy on the outside but cooked perfectly and super high quality.

They were able to accommodate my SIL’s gluten free dairy free needs with special bread, a dedicated appetizer plate, and guided her through her side options.

Dessert was filled dough balls with either chocolate or caramel. They were pretty good but we honestly were stuffed at that point.

They had a live singer and guitarist come out to play music about halfway through our meal. Looking out at the water and up the side of the mountain full of lights from the resort was magical.

Would recommend to anyone to try it….once 😊