IL GIARDINO DB — Restaurant in Baja California Sur

Il Giardino is a special restaurant, one of the best in Todos Santos by far. It's more than just the wonderful view and amazing ocean vistas at sunset. The first time we went chef-owner, Daniela, came by our table and recommended the daily special. She cooked in Florence and Monte Carlo but is local. Focaccia - a super thin crust pizza topped with Marlin sashimi, and thin-sliced tomatoes and red onions plus basil, mixed greens and capers. Love capers! Dreamily unique. Words don’t do justice to freshness of this Marlin salad dancing on a super-thin, crisp crust. Even the leftovers we had the day after were better than most focaccia you’ll find. The wood-fired oven adds such special flavor! My meat lasagna was also top notch. My gf’s fettuccine gamberi pasta was off the charts - the white wine sauce was heavenly. She was delighted to order it again when we came back the 4th time! Other visits included polilito de leches - a baby chicken roasted perfectly, a delicious pizza appetizer, and an eggplant lasagna, which was a divine special I hope to encounter again. The one time we had room for dessert, we had the creme brûlée de lavanda. It was also divine.

Il Giardino offers drinks and fantastic wines - always inquire about the specials. Great Mexican wines especially. We had a red the first time and I should have captured the name. Last time we had the Lagrimas Chardonnay and it went so well with the food! Much better than your overly buttery oaky chardonnays in "Alta California."

Il Giardino is not cheap, bring cash. But it is off the chart good. Farm and ocean fresh ingredients well prepared. The staff always makes you feel welcome. The tables are all outdoors and most offer the celebrated vistas. Make a reservation and treat yourself to a...

My experience with the food was ok but what I want to make people aware of, is the blatant fraud this restaurant commits against their customers. After I finished my meal, I received the check with all the food I had, listed with the same prices shown in the menu. However, the check had an additional line at the bottom that read “Sales Tax” the percentage of the charge is around 13.8%.

In Mexico the concept of Sales Tax doesn’t exist. The country has VAT which is 16% in Baja California Sur. The commercial establishments law establishes that any taxes should be included in the selling price shown on the menu. It is illegal to offer a price in the menu and add an extra in the check.

Since “Sales Tax” doesn’t exist in Mexico this is clearly a ruse to get an extra 13.8% out of customers. When I questioned the waitress about that charge, she mentioned that it was a tax like those in the US. This shows to me that that they want to take advantage of the fact that most customers are Americans and they don’t complain about that charge because they think is normal.

I am in the process of submitting a formal complaint to the local authorities, but I thought it was important for other people to know about the illegality...

What a delightful evening we four friends enjoyed at Il giardino. Their pizza is nothing short of amazing, the crust and sauce, the fresh topping combinations, delightful! But, I can be a little picky and last night I disliked one of the ingredient on my pizza. It was remedied right away. The staff are attentive and accommodating. Next time, I will have their pasta with lemon. It also looked delish. Open air seating under a palapa make a perfect atmosphere for intimate dinning and groups of friends and family. Finally, for a place located in town, the unexpected view of the western sky? You will just have to experience it for yourselves when you go for a sunset dinner there. I give Il giardino five stars because in my opinion they've created a complete package, a menu that offers beautifully designed succulent choices, an atmosphere with a special feeling of intimacy, staff who are helpful and attentive and a view to...