Vela — Restaurant in Baja California Sur

Our favorite restaurant here at La Pacifica. Tonight we dined here to celebrate my wife's birthday. The staff was incredibly gracious and everyone wished my wife a happy birthday, from the hostess to the server, to the busboys.

The atmou is beautiful. This time we sat outdoors with our table right next to the infinity pool and beautiful views of the ocean.

Our server Gregorio promptly took our drink orders, brought us bread and dipping oils, and checked on us throughout our meal. Service is definitely five star.

To drink we each ordered a Santorini, a cocktail made with mezcal, jamaica, lemon syrup, and other ingredients. While not "official," we tend to think of it as La Pacifica's signature cocktail. Shortly after we received our drinks they brought out a selection of fresh baked breads and olive oil and balsamic and also a dipping sauce made with basil.

Our meal started with the Mediterranean salad, a small salad made with feta, sun dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, babagsnoush, all served on cucumber slices. We shared it.

For our main course Stacy ordered shrimp ravioli and I ordered caccio y pepe which was served with assorted mushrooms. Both main courses were excellent.

Because it was Stacy's birthday the staff brought out our first dessert, a tartufo which was a milk chocolate mousse coated with a chocolate ganache. It was served with a sparkler and the staff serenaded Stacy with "Happy Birthday." We also order the tiramisu which was delicious although an unusual take on a traditional dessert.

The whole dinner, from the atmosphere, to the service, to the food itself...

Very disappointed with the restaurant and experience. Decided to celebrate our anniversary dinner at Vela. I don’t understand the point of stating on the reservation that we were celebrating it, since they didn’t acknowledge it during the dinner, not even writing it on the dessert plate. When we arrived there were many tables available for 2, but we were seated right next to the entrance and check-in area, so everyone was standing there when they checked in and the door kept being opened. At one point I had to close the door because someone left it open, and the staff was just standing around. Don’t think we will eat at Vela again if we visit Cabo.

Ambience: 2 stars

Service: 4 stars, servers were very attentive and prompt.

Food presentation: 5 stars, everything we ordered (Bruschetta, Prime Rib Tenderloin, and Frutti DI Marre) looked great when brought to the table.

Food Taste: 1 star, other then the Bruschetta, the meals were unappetizing. The scallops in the Frutti De Marre were basically raw, they had a slight sear on both sides but the middle was gelatinous. The pasta was also undercooked. The prime rib tenderloin was cooked to the requested temperature, but was very bland. The roasted cauliflower was just seared on one side and raw, like eating an uncooked floret. The scalloped potato bake was not cooked. The waiter brought out a second serving which was also not cooked. The manager came out and said the cook made a mistake with potatoes, and was very sorry. He offered us a free dessert for...

While the staff was the best that I have encountered in Cabo yet, the food left much to be desired. Preparations were quite nice, but the pasta was just not up to par. My sauce was so salty I could barely consume it, and the meatballs were the tiny little ones that looked - and tasted- like they came out of the $10 Costco bag. I would also note that due to pictures and other reviews I expected this to be somewhat of a romantic and quiet place but it was situated in the middle of the giant Hilton Resort where there were another restaurant playing music right in your view. Do not expect to have a romantic evening here, it is in the middle of a resort without its own setting, there is no ambiance! With 1 appetizer, 2 pasta entrees, 2 glasses of champagne, our bill was around 150 USD. I felt the cost basis was extremely high for pasta, but I as I said, the staff was exceptional. There were some dishes at other tables that looked worth trying, such as lasagna, so maybe I'd give it another shot, but I think that this is more like your classic resort restaurant than the boutique it is making itself out to be with marketing. We drover over. I would not recommend driving more than 10 minutes...