arbol, a spicy, smoky slick of roasted red chilli, garlic and oil.
The soulful sounds of Chavela Vargas – Frida Kahlo’s lover and
Pedro Almodovar’s muse – dance around you in the flickering
candlelight, rounding out the magic of the evening.
As he puts down a date and bacon tart, Malva chef Roberto
Alcocer reveals: “Baja is a big producer of dates. No-one
knows that, but that’s what we are doing here, showcasing local
ingredients.” There are also carob and olive trees growing in the
valley, he says, which I find on the tasting menu in the form of
edible twigs. The wooden deck and open kitchen make this joint
feel like a low-key affair, but Alcocer reminds me: “The people
here are relaxed, but not the techniques.” Choyote (choko)
aguachile is a clever play on this traditionally raw marinated
seafood starter. Smoked fish salpicon tacos, the fish minced
with coriander, onion and chilli like a cooked tartare, elevate the
ubiquitous street food. The chef has his own farm and Malbec
label, which includes a reserve down to a rosé, plus experimental
wine label Mina Penélope with restaurant sommelier Veronica
Corona, who happened to train in the Barossa.
WHERE TO STAY
- Encuentro Guadalupe defines
barefoot luxury. The newly opened
hotel is a series of modernist wood,
steel and glass pods that tumble down
the side of a rocky hill. At the peak,
there’s an outdoor bar and swimming
pool with contours melting into the
terrain. Earthy colours and textures
immerse you in this sensual location,
and, if you can tear yourself away from
your private cabin, it’s a central
location to explore the valley.
grupoencuentro.com.mx - Casa Ocho is the stand-out
residence at Bruma, the designer digs
for the wild at heart situated on the
same property as Fauna restaurant.
The eight rooms (of which casa ocho,
‘house eight’, is the ultimate) feature
contemporary Mexican design and
splinter off a central living room,
kitchen and swimming pool.
Deliciously secluded and effortlessly
sleek. bruma.mx - Glampers can check in to one of the
19 tents at Cuatro Cuatros on the
Pacific Ocean. There’s sailing, mountain
biking, vineyard walking tours and
horseback riding – and I challenge you
to find a more romantic way to arrive at
Bar Bura, the clifftop eyrie with its
pumping house music and crowd of
beautiful people sipping cocktails at
sunset, than on horseback. If you have
a car, 20 minutes down the coast lies
Mexico’s most-revered tostada topped
with fresh seafood and homemade
salsas (even Anthony Bourdain queued
for it) at La Guerrerense street food
cart in Ensenda.
CLOCKWISE: Encuentro
Guadalupe’s hillside pods
and minimalist rooms;
Fauna’s petrified tree; dine
outdoors at Animalón;
(inset) the restaurant’s
lamb barbecoa is cooked in
clay over an open fire.