Baja California Specialty

El Merkado was a new (and very welcome) discovery for us on a recent trip to Cabo. The large, warehouse-style building just off the Transpeninsular Highway looked so rustic, so out of place amidst all the resorts, we had to pull in for a closer peek. Inside, we found an assortment of restaurants, including Italian (the pizza and pasta dough is made fresh daily) and Mexican, plus a salad bar, burger joint, and everything in between. Toward the end of the building is a little shop selling beautiful stemware, enamel dinnerware (we couldn't resist a set of red-rimmed ceramic espresso cups), and cocktail-making accoutrements. For a casual meal, El Merkado nails it.

Taller 17 is the last thing you’d expect in an artsy Mexican town but the first thing you’ll want. This delightful spot, which is reminiscent of a West Village cafe, serves strong cold brew and pour-overs. The pastries—buttery scones, flaky fruit pies, chewy-crispy cookies—are as fresh as can be, and the housemade kombucha is the most refreshing (and healthy) way to offset last night’s mezcal.

Cafelix is the spot for an iced coffee. They use their own Mexican beans, which are beautifully packaged and available to buy, and are somehow both smooth and complex. The space is small (and easy to miss, despite being on Todos Santos’s main drag, Calle Benito Juarez), but thanks to reliable Wi-Fi, posting up for a morning with your laptop and working through a few cups of their velvety brew is entirely acceptable.

This little coffee spot in downtown San Jose looks like it might be more at home in Brooklyn than Mexico—the modern interior features minimal wooden stools and a gleaming white espresso machine. The patio is set up with scattered tables that are great for chatting with locals while snacking on a panini or breakfast sandwich (which are always made fresh). Ask about the smoothies.

Geographically speaking, this now famous cafe is actually in the desert near Pescasdero, about 45 minutes from Cabo, making it a great spot to pull over for an iced latte on the way to Todos Santos—just know that the incredibly chill outdoor patio is kind of hard to leave. As good as the ambiance is, it's the beans, which the Canadian expat owners source from a family farm in Puebla and roast in a massive Probat, that make a simple cup of coffee here into an experience. Make sure to grab a bag of beans for the road.

This amazing grocery store offers organic, vegan, and even kosher groceries in a surprisingly wide variety, making it an essential resource if you’re cooking or staying in town for a while. You can use their website to order grocery delivery straight to your door.

When you’ve spent a few too many meals indulging in tequila and refried beans, head to Cynthia’s for fresh, vegetable-heavy salads and light fish dishes. It’s also an especially good choice for vegetarians and vegans, who sometimes have a hard time finding dishes they can eat on Mexican menus. The seabass and guacamole are both must-orders, and there’s a lovely market on the side if you’d like to do some cooking of your own.