Manta by Chef Enrique Olvera

MANTA is an oceanfront culinary experience created by celebrated chef Enrique Olvera at the heart of Los Cabos. Drawing inspiration from the intersection of Mexico, Peru, and Japan, the restaurant pairs the freshest Baja California ingredients with contemporary technique and a sophisticated Pacific-driven vision.

With iconic views of the Arch of Cabo San Lucas, MANTA offers an elegant, minimalist atmosphere deeply connected to the desert and ocean landscape.

Set inside The Cape, a Thompson Hotel on Playa Monumentos, MANTA's cliffside dining room frames panoramic views of El Arco and Land's End. The space was designed by JSa Arquitectura around a dramatic exhibition kitchen, where chef de cuisine Abisai Sánchez runs a brigade trained in Olvera's exacting standards. The atmosphere is intimate and richly textured — low lighting, the sound of waves below, a dress code described by OpenTable as casual elegant. The room favors couples and parties of two to four; reservations sit at the heart of the experience.

What to order. The menu is structured around three regions — Mexico, Peru, Japan — and the kitchen's most-cited plates are the tuna sashimi with ají amarillo and yuzu, the Peruvian cebiche, and the sea urchin pâté tostada with pico de gallo. Hot starters lean theatrical: an octopus anticucho finished with pasilla mixe and chorizo mayo, A5 wagyu sumibiyaki with pineapple-saffron purée, and fish tempura tacos wrapped in flour tortillas. Mains include a grilled fish "a la Talla" for the table and a chile-crusted ribeye. A multi-course Chef's Menu is offered at $133 USD per person, and the Handroll Omakase experience — where nori replaces tortilla around local Baja seafood — runs nightly with limited seating.

Best for. Anniversaries, proposals, milestone celebrations. The sunset seating is the most-requested booking; the room faces west over the Pacific, with whale breaches visible offshore in winter. Industry critics frequently note that MANTA delivers Pujol-tier cuisine at less than half the Mexico City wait — the chef behind it (Olvera) runs Pujol, ranked among the World's 50 Best Restaurants and a two-Michelin-star establishment.

Getting there. Carretera Transpeninsular Km. 5, Misiones del Cabo. The restaurant sits roughly ten minutes from downtown Cabo San Lucas and twenty-five from San José del Cabo. Valet parking is offered at the hotel entrance. Reservations open daily via OpenTable, by phone (+52 624 163 0010), or email (mantareservations@thompsonhotels.com); sunset slots in high season should be booked several weeks in advance. Dinner service runs 5:30 PM – 11:00 PM, seven days a week.

Recognition. MANTA is MICHELIN Guide-recommended (Mexico edition, 2024). Chef-owner Enrique Olvera holds the Latin America 50 Best Lifetime Achievement Award and the Global Gastronomy Award, and his portfolio includes Pujol, Cosme (NYC), Atla (NYC), Criollo (Oaxaca), and Eno cafés across Mexico. MANTA opened in 2016.

Reviewed by the What's in Cabo editorial team.