An unexpected and beloved Todos Santos institution, Café Santa Fe has served exquisite Italian and Mediterranean cuisine in a beautiful garden courtyard since 1993. The owners grow their own organic herbs and vegetables, and the food quality belies the remote location. The wood-oven pizza, fresh pasta, and bruschetta are legendary among repeat visitors.
Cafe Santa Fe has operated on Calle Centenario just off the main plaza in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, since 1991, and is the restaurant most responsible for the town's reputation as a place worth driving an hour from Cabo San Lucas to eat. It was opened by an Italian couple who settled in the then-remote town, and the kitchen has held to northern Italian and Mediterranean cooking ever since, using herbs and vegetables from the restaurant's own garden alongside seafood from the Pacific a few kilometres west. Fresh pasta is made in house: the pasta al pesto at roughly $22 uses garden basil, and seafood pastas built on local lobster, shrimp and clams change with the catch. The wood-oven margherita at about $18 is a genuine Neapolitan-style pizza rather than a compromise, and the bruschetta near $10 is the standard opening. Ravioli with local lobster is the dish returning visitors order first. The dining room is a walled garden courtyard behind a colonial facade: mature bougainvillea and palms, a fountain, terracotta and stone underfoot, widely spaced tables under umbrellas, and a low noise level that makes long lunches natural. The pace is deliberately unhurried and service can be slow by design. Dress is casual but tidy. The wine list is Italian-leaning with Valle de Guadalupe bottles from Baja California to the north, and there is a short but well-chosen selection by the glass. Service runs noon to 9PM Wednesday through Monday, closed Tuesday, so lunch in the garden is the signature experience and generally easier to secure than dinner. The courtyard holds a limited number of tables and the restaurant draws day-trippers from Los Cabos as well as Todos Santos residents, so reservations are advisable in the December to April season, ideally several days ahead, and essential for weekend lunches.
Signature dishes
- Wood-Oven Margherita Pizza — $18
- Fresh Pasta al Pesto — $22
- Bruschetta — $10
Good to know
- Known for
- Italian garden dining in Todos Santos
- Hours
- 12PM-9PM Wed-Mon (closed Tuesday)
Location
Calle Centenario 4, Todos Santos, BCS 23300
23.4519, -110.2244 View on map
Highlights
- Walled garden courtyard with bougainvillea, palms and a fountain, behind a colonial facade off the Todos Santos plaza.
- House-made fresh pasta including pasta al pesto at roughly $22 using basil from the restaurant's own garden.
- Wood-oven margherita pizza at about $18, made in a genuine Neapolitan style.
- Seafood pastas built on Pacific lobster, shrimp and clams landed a few kilometres west.
- Italian-leaning wine list with Valle de Guadalupe bottles from Baja California to the north.
Tips for visiting
- Lunch in the garden is the signature experience, easier to book than dinner and shown off best by daylight in the courtyard.
- Closed Tuesdays; service runs noon to 9PM the rest of the week.
- Reserve several days ahead from December to April, and treat weekend lunch bookings as essential rather than optional.
- Service is unhurried by design, so allow two hours rather than planning a tight schedule around it.
- Ask for a table near the fountain under the bougainvillea rather than along the wall.
- It is roughly an hour by car from Cabo San Lucas, which makes it a day-trip anchor rather than a casual stop.
When to visit
A weekday lunch in the courtyard is the best of the restaurant, with daylight on the garden and easier availability. Closed Tuesdays, and the December to April season fills the courtyard, particularly at weekends.
Accessibility
The courtyard is entered through the colonial facade from Calle Centenario with a shallow threshold, and the dining area is on a single level, so wheelchair users can be seated in the garden. The surface is terracotta and stone with some unevenness, and the restrooms in the old building are compact and not purpose-adapted, so mentioning a mobility need when reserving is helpful.
Frequently asked questions
Why is an Italian restaurant notable in Todos Santos?
It was opened in 1991 by an Italian couple who settled in what was then a remote town, and the standard of the fresh pasta and wood-oven pizza is well above what the location would suggest. It is a large part of why Todos Santos became a dining destination.
How far ahead should a table be booked?
Several days during the December to April season, and weekend lunches should be booked as early as possible since the courtyard holds few tables.
When is it closed?
Tuesdays. The rest of the week service runs from noon to 9PM.
How long does a meal take?
Allow around two hours. The kitchen and service are deliberately unhurried, which suits a long garden lunch rather than a quick meal.
How far is it from Cabo San Lucas?
Roughly an hour by car north along the Pacific route, which makes it a common anchor for a Todos Santos day trip.