What to eat in La Paz + The 4 Best Spots for Fish Tacos
A complete guide to the best bars and restaurants for Mexican food in La Paz, Baja California Sur, plus the 4 best fish taco joints.
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La Paz is the vibrant capital of Baja California Sur, the peninsula in the west of Mexico . It’s known for its seafront malecón (promenade), which is lined with beaches, parks and eateries, as well as the 19th century Nuestra Señora de La Paz Cathedral, which sits in the centre by the Velasco Garden and near the museums. La Paz is also one of the best food cites in Baja California Sur, if not in the whole of Mexico (some of the best food we had in Mexico was in La Paz)! From street-side taco stands to 5-star bars and upscale restaurants, La Paz has something for every craving and every budget. We ate our way around the city and have listed all the best restaurants in La Paz, Mexico, for you below. We’ve also ranked the four best fish taco joints in La Paz, as well as mentioning where to find all those other classic Mexican dishes you must try during your trip.
Time needed: 1 day.
When to go: La Paz has nice weather all year round, but winter can be less crowded with cooler water temperatures.
Weather: Highs of 25-33°C in the summer (June-August) and 18-25°C in winter (December-February). La Paz gets very little rain and can actually go a whole year without even a shower.
Language: Spanish.
Currency: Mexican Peso.
What to eat in Mexico
Let’s start with what you should eat in Mexico. We made a long list of Mexican foods to try during our visit and here are some of the local Mexican dishes you must try:
Mexican breakfast foods you need to try
- Chilaquiles – quartered corn tortillas covered in tomato sauce and cheese.
- Refried beans – beans mashed into the texture of a paste.
- Divorced eggs – 2 fried eggs, each with a different coloured hot sauce on top.
- Mexican potatoes – cubed and fried potatoes.
- Avocado – popular as guacamole, but served in slices at breakfast.
- Pancakes – light and fluffy breakfast pancakes.
Mexican lunch foods you need to try
- Tortas – although this literally means cake, tortas are hot or cold sandwiches served in bap-like bread buns.
- Pambazo – a sandwich, traditionally filled with potato and chorizo.
- Pescado Tacos – wheat flour or corn flour tortillas filled with battered or grilled fish, coleslaw, salad and taco sauce.
- Soup azteca – a tomato-based soup with tortilla and avocado.
- Ceviche – small pieces of cubed raw fish with onion, tomato and herbs.
Mexican meals you need to try
- Fajitas – strips of meat and grilled vegetables served with wheat flour or corn flour tortillas.
- Enchiladas – rolled corn flour tortillas, filled with meat or vegetables and covered in tomato or spicy sauce and cheese.
- Quesadillas – a wheat flour or corn flour tortilla with cheese or meat in the middle.
- Burritos – a rolled wheat flour tortilla, filled with refried beans and vegetables or meat.
- Mole – a traditional Mexican sauce.
- Aguachile – shrimp, slices of cucumber and red onion in a spicy sauce.
Mexican desserts you need to try
- Churros – sticks of fried dough, rolled in sugar and served with chocolate sauce.
- Tamales – can be sweet or savoury, a corn or rice dough filled with meat, vegetables and sauce or fruit, nuts and sugar.
Mexican snacks you need to try
- Tostadas – crispy circular corn tortillas, usually served with ceviche and dips.
- Totopos – crispy triangular corn tortillas, perfect for dipping in salsa and guacamole.
- Guacamole – smashed avocado, tomato and onion dip.
- Salsa – chopped tomato, onion and herbs.
- Empanadas – thin bread dough, shortcrust pastry or puff pastry filled with a salty or sweet filling and baked or fried.
Meexican drinks you need to try
- Mezcal – a distilled alcoholic beverage like tequila that is made from any type of maguey (agave).
- Tequila – a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila.
- Margarita – a cocktail consisting of tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice often served with salt on the rim of the glass.
- Fresh orange juice – juice made from oranges (obviously) but it just tastes better in Mexico.
The best 4 places to eat fish tacos in La Paz
And now, let’s look at where to eat. Being by the sea, La Paz has access to some of the freshest seafood sourced by local fishermen, meaning that fish tacos are abundant and delicious. We have listed below our top picks for fish tacos in La Paz, in order of preference. All four of these restaurants also offer a variety of other traditional and authentic Mexican foods, so we’d recommend showing up hungry and ordering an assortment of dishes to sample.
El Estadio
Let’s start with our favourite: El Estadio. This little locally-run eatery is located down the street from Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Paz. It took us a little while to find and another little while to figure out how it worked, but the food was so worth it! You order your food from the ladies out front, who give you a piece of paper with your order on. You give that piece of paper to the men behind the street-side cooking equipment, who provide you with your food. In our case, we ordered “dos tacos de pescado por favor” (2 x fish tacos). We got two tortillas with freshly battered fish each, for 25 pesos per person (about 90p)! These were the cheapest tacos we found in Baja California Sur, and they were delicious too. You can add toppings – ‘slaw, salsa and taco sauce or hot sauce – at the help-yourself-toppings-bar and then take a seat in the little indoor restaurant. We were the only gringos (tourists) in the whole place – we always say the best food is where the locals eat – and we highly recommend a visit here to try the best fish tacos in La Paz.
Mc-Fisher
Mc-Fisher is pretty much the antithesis of El Estadio – modern, hip and super popular with tourists – but it was still one of our favourite restaurants in La Paz. The vibe of the restaurant is really laid-back, with benches and graffiti art reminiscent of a street-food market. It’s pricier than El Estadio, at 30 pesos a fish taco (1 tortilla with crisply battered fish), but you similarly help yourself to toppings from the pre-portioned servings of salsa, slaw and sauces. We’d also recommend you try a cocktail while you’re at Mc-Fisher. Their signature margaritas are great and they serve piña coladas the size of your head!
Asadero Rancho Viejo
There’s actually two Rancho Viejos in La Paz – Asadero Rancho Viejo opposite La Paz Marina and Rancho Viejo 2, which is on the malecón. And we’d argue they’re the best authentic Mexican restaurants in La Paz. We visited Asadero Rancho Viejo, which was super popular with the locals. There wasn’t another tourist in sight! The fish tacos were delicious and we also got guacamole and chips, as well as fajitas – boy was that a mistake! The serving sizes are so big we couldn’t finish all the food, but it meant we had a nice packed lunch of leftovers for the next day. 3 fish tacos was 115 pesos, which is actually pricier than McFisher.
Claros Fish Jr.
Claros Fish Jr. is another more touristy spot, but delivers tasty food nonetheless. The staff is pretty 50/50 Spanish speaking and bilingual and the customers are generally a 50/50 split of locals and tourists too. 1 taco (1 tortilla with battered fish) costs 32 pesos and you help yourself to toppings from the toppings bar. They also serve really tasty cocktails. Claros Fish Jr. is a chain so you can find them in other cities throughout Mexico, like San José del Cabo.
Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants in La Paz
Many of the La Paz restaurants we came across offer vegetarian and vegan options on their menus. But there are also a few vegan specialist restaurants that are among the best restaurants in La Paz and we couldn’t not mention them.
Mango Blues
Mango Blues is a cute little restaurant which specialises in plant-based dishes. They offer a range of traditional Mexican dishes (with a vegan twist), as well as plant-based favourites. Be sure to try the vegan tacos, which come in a variety of flavours and are made with vegan proteins. The menu is very affordable and there’s a BYOB policy too.
Planeta Veggie
This small vegan restaurant features veggie classics, like falafel and houmous, at an affordable price point. If you’re missing the taste of home, or have simply eaten too much Mexican food recently, then Planeta Veggie is the place to go. There’s a cosy patio and free WiFi so you can take a break and enjoy a nutritious meal.
Vegan Groceries
There used to be a small vegan grocery store in La Paz, but unfortunately it has recently closed down. It can be really difficult to find vegan foods in small convenience stores like Oxxo and Six, so we’d recommend taking an Uber out to Walmart, which sits on the outskirts of La Paz. Walmart has a few vegan substitutes like cheese, burgers and yogurt, as well as classics such as plant milks, houmous and of course all your usual groceries like vegetables, pasta and bread.
The best cocktail bar in La Paz
Seis Uno Dos (612) is a roof-top bar and restaurant and offers some of the best views of La Paz. Situated right on the malecón, Seis Uno Dos serves delicious cocktails and a nice evening menu (although it’s not very vegetarian friendly). Pro-tip: Get a table an hour before sunset to enjoy the view in the best evening light. We’d also recommend any drink that comes with the classic chili-salt rim!
The best brunch restaurant in La Paz
Dulce Romero is a highly-rated restaurant in the centre of La Paz, serving brunch classics like croissants, omelettes and waffles. They also serve coffees, juices and smoothies so you can kick-start your day the right way. Everything on the menu is very reasonably priced too, so you can rest assured this brunch won’t break the bank.
The best ice cream shop in La Paz
La Paz can be really hot. In fact, La Paz can go an entire year without rain, and there’s no better way to cool down than with a refreshing ice cream. La Fuente, located on the malecón, has a great range of flavours, all of which are brightly coloured and match the colourful décor. We’d highly recommend getting a waffle-cone bowl with a scoop of taro, Mexican Vanilla or coconut.
The best La Paz Food Tour
If you’re looking for a way to combine food and sightseeing, you should strongly consider booking onto a La Paz Food Tour. You can book with Baja Foody who offer a variety of fun food tours around La Paz’s main sites. Choose the Baja cuisine tour and sample a variety of Mexican dishes. Or take the taco tour, which allows you to try the best tacos in La Paz, as we listed above. While those on a budget can choose to visit the spots with the best street food in La Paz. All tours meet at the Catedral de La Paz and come with an optional extra of local craft beer or traditional mezcal.
Interactive La Paz Map
Use this interactive map to see La Paz’s restaurant locations. You can filter the tab on the left to see where to eat in La Paz (marked by green pins), as well as things to do and more!
Read next:
The 18 Best Vegan & Veggie Spots in Downtown Tulum
The 26 Best Things to do in La Paz
What to eat in La Paz + The 4 Best Spots for Fish Tacos
Balandra Bay: Mexico’s Most Beautiful Beach
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