The Best Meals in Mexico / Fauna, experimental menus and good wine in Valle de Guadalupe.
Fauna has an advantage: it is located in Baja California, and Baja California is surrounded by the sea. There's another advantage: there is no millennia-old cuisine in Ensenada.
By Anna Lagos / Photos courtesy by Fauna
Nor are there very established rules around food. One more advantage: there are young chefs who want to innovate in the fertile fields of Valle de Guadalupe, the wine region gaining international recognition.
The restaurant, founded in 2017 by Chef David Castro Hussong and pastry chef Maribel Aldaco Silva, seeks to pay tribute to the ingredients of their homeland and its surroundings. All the seafood they offer, the fish, the shellfish, the lobsters, come from the nearby sea; when it comes to vegetables, Fauna has a garden, olive trees, and a vineyard. The pair of chefs create menus that change daily, using exclusively local and seasonal ingredients. "We go back to the basics, things as they are, without complications, the art is in the decisions," they state.
Since its opening, Fauna has undergone remarkable evolution. Currently, it is part of the Bruma project, which includes a vineyard, a dream winery, a hotel with 15 villas, and a bed and breakfast with eight rooms.
The dining room at Fauna is distinguished by its long communal wooden table, designed to foster a sense of community among diners, stretching from outside to inside the restaurant. The view from this space and the terrace is breathtaking, especially at sunset. Everything at Fauna is relaxed. The idea is to eat well, have a good time, and enjoy the good company of friends. "Our concept involves apologizing before showing the menu, since being experimental, we never know what we'll end up cooking; it's the moment we start to have fun, play with the ingredients, and bring out some that we have stored," says Chef David Castro on the restaurant's website.
The dishes are monochromatic and express very little visually, so that all the expression of the food is concentrated in the flavor. An example is the grilled octopus with pork rind and wagyu fat, a dish that embodies the fusion of flavors and textures defining the restaurant's cuisine.
Although the à la carte menu invites sharing dishes for a more enriching experience, Fauna also offers a tasting menu in which local ingredients play the starring role: charred lamb, scallop eaten cold, in flour tortilla tacos but also the luxurious local oysters. They have a cocktail bar serving house drinks. But, ideally, you should order (obviously) a wine from Bruma.
The effort and dedication of the entire Fauna team have been recognized internationally. In 2020, the restaurant was awarded the One To Watch prize, and in 2022 it made its debut on the list of the 50 Best Restaurants in Latin America, receiving the Best New Entry award, the highest for a new participant in that edition.
Fauna is a culinary destination that offers an authentic experience of Valle de Guadalupe. Through their cuisine, David and Maribel have managed to create a space where local ingredients are transformed into works of art, and where each visit is an opportunity to discover the flavors and textures that define this rich region of Mexico.
Food Police Advise
Make a reservation to enjoy the sunset here: towards the night, the fireplaces are lit, and you can enjoy the clear sky of Valle de Guadalupe even more.
- Address: México 3 km #73, 22760 Francisco Zarco, Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico
- Phone: +52 (646) 103 6403, +52 (646) 246 5063
- Hours: Sunday - Wednesday from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM / Thursday - Saturday from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- Ideal for: Lovers of experimental and sustainable gastronomy.
- Type of food: Local and seasonal ingredients, changing menus that offer an innovative and unique culinary experience on each visit.
- Payment: Credit cards, debit cards, cash
- Accessibility: Wheelchair access.
- Parking: Yes, free parking is available for guests.
- Reservations: Required.
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PJJ Manajemen
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