Monte Cardón: the exclusive corner of Mexican cuisine in Los Cabos, where the menu changes daily

At Monte Cardón, the menu changes every day. The menu is written with the day's offerings: what the artisanal fishermen caught that morning in the Sea of ​​Cortez and what is harvested in the nearby valleys on small, organic farms.

This restaurant, which reflects the high-end gastronomy of Los Cabos (Mexico), is based on the "farm-to-the-table" philosophy, which is simply purchasing its ingredients from farms or crops located within a 20-mile radius.

Just 18 minutes from San José de Los Cabos, atop a 20-acre hill, Monte Cardón emerges as an exclusive experience, open only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, serving just 12 diners per night.

“This place was born out of stubbornness,” says Ubaldo Martínez, chef and the soul behind the project, as he walks among stone terraces and paths that respect the property's original trees. “We wanted to go against what mass production, fast-paced, and industrial standards represent.”

Considering the desert horizon seen upon landing in Los Cabos, one might think it's barren land. But Ubaldo dispels this prejudice: "A rare climatic phenomenon occurs here: we have warm, humid breezes from the sea, and cold, dry winds from the Sierra de la Laguna. They meet and create condensation, clouds, and rain. It's a fertile desert," he explains.

The soil is nourished by alluvial soil—organic matter that comes down from the mountains—making it one of the areas with the highest organic production in Mexico. This natural miracle allows the ingredients to grow with minimal human intervention. “We don't have to use pesticides. Agriculture here is still rustic, almost artisanal,” the chef proudly states.

The restaurant's pinnacle experience is its "Chef's Table": a six-course dinner served only three nights a week, for no more than 12 guests. The evening begins with a Mexican wine at sunset on the viewing platform, overlooking the sea, the desert, and the mountains. Then, the banquet.

Each dish comes with a story: the parrotfish ceviche, the horse mackerel fillet with green mole, the chocolate clams smothered in damiana butter—a native wild herb with a flavor somewhere between sweet oregano and mint. Everything is narrated, explained, and told. Eating at Monte Cardón is like reading a six-part chronicle, where the flavors of Baja California Sur take center stage.

"Why serve salmon flown in from Alaska if you have fresh red snapper 10 kilometers away? It doesn't make sense," Ubaldo argues. Because, at Monte Cardón, eating is also about learning to look at what's within reach.

Monte Cardón officially opened in February 2024, although it quietly began rolling out a year earlier. And he's already dreaming big. On a hillside adjacent to the site where events are also currently held, Ubaldo plans to build a boutique hotel with 16 capsule-style rooms, suspended on floating platforms, all with panoramic views and private pools. An underground winery and an edible flower greenhouse are also in the works.

“We want people to stay here, to experience it fully. No fuss, no rush,” he says, pointing to the land where the winery will soon be located, connected by a secret tunnel.

Ubaldo isn't a chef by training, but by vocation. His story began at the age of five, when he was helping out at a neighborhood pizzeria. “The owner let me use the oven; I would burn the pizzas. But from then on, I knew this was my thing,” he recalls, laughing. He studied international business, worked in all areas of the restaurant industry—from washing dishes to waiting tables—and today he's the head of one of the most striking projects in the Los Cabos food corridor.

Monte Cardón isn't looking to be trendy. Rather, it's a haven of authenticity, an ode to the Southern Californian landscape and its discreet abundance. "We built everything with what we had: stone from here, sand from there, handmade bricks. We respected the trees, carefully moved the cacti. We didn't want to impose a structure; we wanted the restaurant to grow from the land itself," Ubaldo concludes.

There, in the middle of the desert, Monte Cardón has become a unique, must-see spot for visitors to Los Cabos. It's not just a restaurant, but an experience that allows you to appreciate and take advantage of what you have.

Environment and Health Journalist