Amazing Experience!! Excelente servicio y experiencia...Mario, Luis and both sommeliers...did amazing for our 20 yr anniversary...will be back soon!! Gracias!! read more

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Rude as hell! Had a lovely meal, but at the end our server told me what he thought his tip should be, and did I want to tip that much. His suggested tip was too high, I told him to round it down a couple pesos. Try to embarrass my in front of my date!? I'll never go back. Never in my life I had a waiter for me to tell him verbally what I was tipping. Shame! read more

Whoa, Valle has so much to offer. What a treat to come here! Do the 12-course tasting, worth it because in the states, this will cost you 3x the price. So many items to try. Favorites included oysters, grill catch of the day, lamb barbacoa, and desserts. 12-course tasting must do Easy parking Under an oak tree Good cocktails read more

Amazing experience from start to finish. When you go to a Michelin star restaurant you have certain lofty expectations and Animalon met them all. The ambiance is so creative and fun like eating in a romantic tree house. The service was timely, staff friendly and knowledgeable. Mario helped us navigate food preferences on the menu, the kitchen accommodating us with a slightly modified offering. Food was surprising and delicious. It was presented beautifully and tasted great. Plates Paired with local Baja wines made it a memorable night. read more

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This place gave my mom and I an amazing experience. Since we walked in we were treated with so much care. The server was so kind and detail oriented. None of them allowed my drink to go completely empty before refilling it again. And the food was really good, my mom doesn't like oysters but these are some of the one she raves about. The portions may seem small but there are plenty of courses to feel full. The place itself is so beautiful, when the weather is nice they seat their guests under this beautiful tree. They strung lanterns that light up as the sunsets. It's very beautiful. Can't wait to go back. The dessert was also really good. The servers were so kind to us that they gave us more. Truly great overall. read more

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Una explosión interminable de sabores y una velada inolvidable son muy estrictos en el horario hay que ser puntuales la atención excelente la comida inolvidable y el maridaje perfecto. Gracias a la somelie Glenda Villalobos por toda su atención y elevar nuestra comida a otro nivel read more

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Animalon. Not our first visit and will not be our last. The food, service and ambiance leave nothing to chance and all of those involved should be commended for their individual attention to detail while bringing the team to the fore. A special mention to Mario who has greeted us and looked after us so well. See you all soon! Continued success If you wonder why I have not given detailed notes on the food, well, you need to just go dip your toe in what they do! It's fantastic. read more

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Truly one of the most memorable meals I've ever had!!! Such a beautifully curated dining experience under a 300 y/o oak tree! If you have the opportunity to go, please do yourself a favor and book this TREAT! I think about this meal regularly and will probably never delete the 50+ videos I have. You can feel all the love & intention that goes into the menu. Staff is well trained, so accommodating (English & Spanish), and really knowledgeable. While expensive, every penny is WORTH IT. My meal 6/24/23 that I never ever want to forget: Snack 1: Potato puff w caviar Snack 2: Sea snail, machaca/dashi broth Course 1: Kampachi ceviche Course 2: Black cod in dashi Course 3: Scallop w tamarind butter Snack 3: Cube croissant Course 4: Crab tallarin Course 5: Beef barbacoa taco Snack 4: Shaved ice w tajin over fruit/chamoy w a mango lemon syrup (omg perfect palate cleanser) Course 6: Cacao tasting - sorbet, tamal, cacao cremeux Extra dessert: Strawberry shortcake crumble w olive oil / chamomile mousse Snack 5: Bonbons, wafers read more

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This was our first tasting menu experience and wow just wow. Every meal was so fresh and delicious and surprisingly the quantity was more than enough. We left over filled! lol every meal was so unique too and the waiter explicitly described each meal and even provided us with two additional snacks making the 6 course tasting menu basically 8 course. One star off for the price. Quite overpriced we paid $330 for two people. This is one Michelin star and I just don't think it warrants that kind of price albeit food quality and ambiance (huge tree seating under it) being great. Side note I love how Mexico restaurants has these cute purse holders.cute touch :) read more

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One of the best meals I've ever had. I highly recommend the wine pairings. With a couple of cocktails, we paid about $250USD/pp. in the states, it would be 4 times that in the US. read more

What an experience! Beautiful and trendy scenery. Fast paced top notch service. Exquisite and refined fare. Definitely a bucket list experience. My friend and I came with high hopes and were not let down. We split a tasting menu and were blown away. Each course was masterfully prepared to tell a story with every bite. It was truly unlike any experience I've had before. Just sheer perfection. We also shared an order of the arroz chicali and it was amazing - probably my favorite part of the meal! If I had an animalon near my home I'd be in trouble because I can see myself ordering that as takeout every weekend. . It was that good. The wine list is on point and the stout old fashioned I tried was OMG amazing. I also like that they have a wine shop on the premises where you can buy to-go wine without the restaurant markup. My onlyyyyyy comment is that I'd like to see more female staff. As progressive as this place seemed culinarily and trend-wise, i was surprised to find the vast majority of the staff to be male, and the few women I saw on staff were in lesser supporting roles. One of my favorite things about the valle is the progressive environment that allows women winemakers to be celebrated and I'd love to see that happening more in the culinary scene as well. All in all it was a wonderful experience and I can't wait to head back for the summer experience. read more

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Animalon was an amazing culinary experience. This restaurant is nestled under the most beautiful tree and creates such a nice vibe. Our server went above and beyond and made great recommendations. The multi course meal was amazing and just the perfect amount of food. I will always be back when I visit the valle as this is truly a can't miss spot. Tip- dress warm and make sure you have a reservation. read more

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Better than Deckmans in every way. Better service Better butter Coursed or a la carte Wine paired or cocktail Just butter read more

VDG is definitely the culinary food scene and is worthy of a visit (or many visits). We are determined to try all the incredible chefs tasting menu. There are many, so this trip we landed on Animalon because we are fans of Javier Placencia. We did chefs tasting menu of 12 course which was about $4100 ($215ish USD) pesos each, plus $1800 ($95 USD) for wine pairing. IMO a great deal especially that you get a lot more food than a chefs tasting in the US. It's expensive for Mexican standards but just know what you're getting into when you chose something like this. Tasting menus are meant to taste their best items. We certainly got full towards the end. I hate to say it but it was too much. Lol. I think go with the 8 course. We enjoyed their cocktails, my tamarind martini was meh but their Paloma sour was bomb. We got amuse bouche to start off. Tasting items included oysters, tuna tartare, poached seabass, grill catch of the day with curry, sweet corn in croute, crab tallarin, foie gras, smoked chicken breast, braised short ribs, lamb barbacoa, palate cleanser, dessert pavlova, coconut dessert and chocolate soufflé. Ended with some truffles. It was a lot of food, 3 desserts! Our favorites were the grill catch with curry, smoked chicken, sweet corn in croute and the lamb barbacoa. They were delightful. The desserts were great too. Overall, we enjoyed the tasting menu. It was great but we still thought Fauna was better. Worth a visit for foodies! read more

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This is where I spent my actual birthday this year! Hubby made reservations and we arrived early because we didn't want to take any chances crossing the border, etc. There was a cute little waiting area with a swing seat, so we decided to start off with some drinks before dinner! He ordered a cocktail and I had the mocktail version of it. The drinks were pretty and refreshing! They also gave us complimentary shots, so we each took one. I liked that it came with sliced oranges, salt, and a some kind of taijin. When it was time to head to our table, someone came to escort us in. Only outdoor seating is available, so I chose the table underneath the tree. We both did the 12 course Chef's Table, but he also added the wine pairing. Each dish was carefully crafted, beautiful, and so delicious. We had the tiradito de atun, bacalao negro pochado, lobina zarandeada, veloute en croute, tallarin de cangrejo, foie-gras, pichon, anejado, wagyu, barbacoa de borrego! I was so full!! For desserts, we had 3! the Flore de sauco and frambuesa, coco and mamey, and the souffle de chocolate. All were different and very unique. Since it was my birthday, they even brought out a special one with a candle on top. I had the best time here. The service was friendly and fast. Animalon was the perfect spot to celebrate my birthday and I couldn't have asked for more. read more

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This was the most amazing coursed experience that I've had in a very long time. From the moment we entered the restaurant I knew this was going to be a special occasion. The menu was innovative, every course was delicious and they accepted all of our dietary restrictions with open arms. The ambiance was great - the staff top notch- the decor with the perfectly curated , the garden, the pets - dogs and burros !! The beautiful garden. A few highlights The wine - the tequila - the ice cube The plates , the glassware Consommé amuse bouche Tempura Kampachi Grilled fish The tiny pasta with purée Potato perfectly steamed ? The square croissants The shaved ice palette cleanser - ammmmazing! The seeded menu, I'll leave that as a surprise Only one issue is that it was freezing so dress warm if you dine here. The staff gave us blankets and started a fire so that helped to warm us up. I can't wait to return during summer months. read more

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Very romantic location and you are literally eating underneath/inside the canopy of a big oak tree. Prepare to "fight" for their portable heaters because it was super cold. The staff hands out some think blankets for people to stay warm. The dogs guarding the vineyard also come join you for your meal and will keep you company while sleeping at your feet near the heaters. Service was very attentive. Water and drinks were constantly flowing. You will not go thirsty here. We chose the 9 course set menu which comes with everything on the menu as well as some extra dishes/tapas so in reality you are getting closer to 12 dishes. So much more worth it compared to the 6. Presentation of every dish was stunning and very noteworthy. The ceviche was refreshing and a perfect blend between the citrus flavors and the coconut crème. The blue corn tostada was no ordinary tostada either. The texture of it was like that of a puffed rice cake. The Bacalao was nice and flaky and when paired with the smoked dashi and tomato broth, it added a nice flavor profile with the acidity of the tomato and smokiness making you feel like the fish was cooked over an open fire. The Callo Margarita was nice and firm but I couldn't taste the hazelnut or even the tamarind flavor from the butter sauce. It was a decadent butter sauce but I felt like there was a bit too much salt. The Tallarín was good but didn't taste anything special. Was hoping the sherry they used had a bit more of a profile to it but it didn't add or subtract from the dish. The Foie-gras course was definitely one of the most unique. The croissant cube filled with foie gras ganache was soo good it should be sold internationally. If you're a lover of foie gras then this will be perfect for you. In the ganache form it was actually even more rich to the point it feels like you are drowning (in a good way) in foie gras. Even though then ganache is piped into the middle of the croissant square the croissant did not lose its flakiness and still maintained its laminations. Strawberry and rhubarb chutney was more like a fresh made peanut butter and strawberry jelly which helped cut the richness of the foie gras and added a nice crunch component to the dish. The alternate to the foie gras dish is a croissant cube made with I believe a black sesame infused dough. This is paired with a pork fat and and salt. The Perdue Madre & Hijo was perfectly cooked and the presentation was just as stunning. Squab leg and thigh was soo delicious it left you wanting more. The quail egg was elevated into a Scottish egg. The duck was cooked perfectly and the radish was in an apple tepache glaze which made it look like a golden strawberry. The Barbacoa was very juicy and flavorful. Wrapped in banana leaves and sealed in clay. This dish was a work of loved. This dish was prepared table side as they break open the clay present with an actual rock. They then put the ingredients together in front of each diner as they put together the taco for each diner. The cheese dish was a fresh cannoli filled with ricotta and lemon topped with chopped pistachios and a lemon jelly glaze. The Kakigori intermission, they use a clear large ice brick and shave it tableside and top it with some tajin-like seasoning and tamarind water. All this is on a bed of spheres cucumbers, jicama, and tamarind jelly. One of the most uniquely presented palette cleansers. Strawberry shortcake was unlike any I've ever had before. Freeze dries strawberries ground into a powder topped a very smooth and airy chamomile vanilla mousse. And finally the Degustacion de Cacao. How server explained this dish was "a journey of chocolate". The chocolate tamale was decadent and just the right amount of sweetness and bitterness from the added cacao nibs. The sorbet was made from the flowers of the cacao tree. And cacao cremeux is like a cold hot chocolate but made from the shell of the cacao fruit. read more

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What can I say? Probably the best meal of my life. Everything so amazing. Their attention to detail unparalleled. Service par excellence.

Hands down best restaurant we ate at during our trip! Definitely pricey we came not knowing only prix-fix of approximately $130 USD a person for lunch, so make sure ahead of time. During warmer months it's outdoor dining under the tree and during cooler months it's indoor. Best Passionfruit cocktail we had was here. Food was so amazing - literally one of the best restaurants I ever ate in my life! read more

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This post is definitely not based on the service. Which was exceptional. This post is based on price. This was our third time visiting Animalon. Our first time was in 2021. Which was exceptional. Our second was for my 40th. At their original location. With their 8 course meal. The stand out was the atun on the rice cake. I'll never forget it! This time. My husband and I decided on a whim to visit Animalon on their first night at Laja. We were very excited to try their new menu. We asked for their 8 course menu. Had a few glasses of wine. Their menu was great. Enjoyed their desert. Until we got our check, which was $600 dollars. It was great. But we had Fauna the next night, and our check was half the price? Needless to say, I'm not sure we can visit next time around. Maybe, this is the type of establishment they are trying to gain? Sadly disappointed. read more

Animalón - The menu - Signature Cuisine Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

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I was here last September and had the six course meal. There wasn't one single course that was bad. I can't tell you which one I loved the best. The food is wonderful. Service is great. The ambiance terrific. We even got to see Chef Javier Plascencia. This place is a must, but be ready to spend $$$$. Keep in mind that this is a once in year experience, that you should take. Enjoy!!!! read more

Gorgeous dining experience! I visited Animalon for a friend's birthday. We ordered the 6 course menu with wine pairing. Our server thoroughly explained each dish and the accompanying wine. Ingredients are all fresh and local. I especially enjoyed the poached seabass on a bed of tomatoes and fava beans. I'm still trying to find those huge fava beans at the specialty grocery store but no luck. The best part of the whole experience was the oak tree. The entire restaurant and open kitchen is nestled underneath this ginormous tree and decorated with flickering lanterns. It creates an intimate and magical experience at night. read more

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The food and service was amazing. Ambience was very nice. definitely a place you want to try.

We visited animalon recently at the winter take over location. Would definitely do it again once they're back under the tree outdoors. The food was quite good and the service impeccable. They even have a baker who can do most things gluten free. In comparison to other Michelin dining, I liked the food better than most NYC experiences, with the exception of the take over location. It is a bit lacking in ambiance, but hey, it's cold at night! read more

Animalón - Large courses - Signature Cuisine Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

if you're looking for a fun fine dining experience thats both unexpected and cozy, animalon is for you. the service was top notch and incredibly friendly. the ambiance of eating outside under the tree is gorgeous and inviting. just as beautiful is the food and its presentation. we did the 6-course tasting and everything hit the mark, especially the barbacoa. read more

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Food, service and ambiance, all here! I recommend to everyone. Attentive wait staff, service is excellent! And so is the food. Cheers!! read more

An amazing, memorable dining experience. Bar none. We took a group of 15 here for the six course tasting menu and couldn't have asked for more. First off, the setting is truly stunning, especially at night. Though the surrounding vineyards and rolling hills are gorgeous, there was something truly special and memorable about sitting underneath the 200+ year old tree. As you can see from the pics, lanterns hang from branches as you sit at a communal table. It felt very intimate. Service was outstanding as well - professional yet sincere. The server would explain each course and answer any questions, then his team would swiftly serve the dish. At no point did anyone have an empty glass during the meal. Onto the food. I almost don't want to describe it in depth because it's a visceral experience that I wouldn't want to spoil. That said, I will say it is very, very good. Pictured are two of our favorite courses from both this meal, but also our entire weekend in Valle. The aguachile embodied the freshness to be expected with this dish, yet the smoke salsa added an incredible contrast to the lime and acidity. The toastada which accompanied it was equally incredible - simple but perfectly executed. It was crunch and tasted like fresh corn. The lobster spaghetti course was artfully presented, which compelled me to enjoy it delicately. Each and every course felt special, and before we knew it, four hours had passed. Can't recommend Animalon enough and can't wait to return to try a new seasonal menu in the future. Hats off to kitchen and staff. read more

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Amazing food and incredible staff. This place is worth checking out! Course after course was amazing. I recommend the tasting menu. read more

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An expensive experience well worth having once. Sitting under a large oak during sunset with good friends is a five star experience. The care taken to present each dish; five stars as well. Even though we opted for the least number of edible arrangements and took two and a half hours to enjoy them there was simply too much to eat in one sitting! Most memorable of all was the Japanese shaved ice dessert. read more

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Where to start the experience was one the mist beautiful and delicious I have ever had we did the 6 course meal and it worth every penny. Take $$$$ it's expensive but worth it. Best dish was the ceviche 10/10!!! read more

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Truly the BEST culinary experience of my life. I love food, and Animalón takes the prize for my new favorite restaurant. First, the ambiance is incredible. It's in the middle of Valle among a massive tree. You get major jungle/treehouse vibes. The lighting and decor are magical. What a beautiful place for a romantic date. Onto the food. I did the 5 course option, with wine pairing. I was pleasantly surprised that I got more than 5 dishes--they brought out small dishes in between your main dishes! I started with the most incredible fresh catch of the day followed by an equally incredible aquachile dish. They then brought a chicken soup dish (good but not my favorite). Then I had a sort of puree chicken dish in green sauce. I don't usually love chicken but the sauce was delicious. We had a lovely been sirloin (probably made medium-rare)--super juicy. And best of all, we got THREE desserts. We had a fruit sorbet (not my favorite), ice cream with cocoa powder (yum), and a set of chocolates (also delicious). Ended with an espresso martini. 10/10, INCREDIBLE experience. This is a must-do on any visit to Valle de Guadalupe. read more

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4 people, 5 course meal and wine pairings= $600 USD. ‍.. I am huge fan of Javier Placencia and was shocked he charges This much for the amount of food we got. We ended up going to have tacos after this meal. The wine pouring are not even a full size serving. We were so disappointed. I am sure Javier Placencia is not struggling financially where he couldn't decrease costs or increase the amount of food served. The food was great and the wine as well that is not an issue and the vibe is gorgeous but OMG the cost. read more

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I went during the first weekend of November. It was already getting cold and if you get there at 2pm when it's still warm, it is recommended to take a jacket with you. The place is beautiful! We had been wanting to go here for a while. We heard such great things. And boy did they live up to the expectations. We had made reservations about two weeks in advance and luckily we did because they were completely booked. We wanted dinner but were only able to get late lunch. They were booked for that whole weekend. We got there right at 2pm and got seated fairly quickly. The place was is so beautiful (I have to say it again). You are basically under a tree. The place is all outdoors. They gave us water and we were asked if we wanted 4 or 6 entrees. We decided on 6 because we wanted to try everything. We could have asked for a menu but we wanted the full experience. We were then asked if we wanted wine to pair with our entrees. Of course we said yes! They also ask if you have an allergy to anything! I would recommend you telling them what you don't like because they will give you a bit of everything. Please see the picture for the entrees! They tell you what the dish is how it's made what the meat or fish or what they give you is from. It's fascinating to hear what you are eating actually! Shout out to the chef! The same with the wine! Okay, another shout out to the person introducing the wine, Gabby! She was amazing and super sweet. She explained the wine as well the origins and how it's made. We asked her a couple of questions and she was more than happy to answer them! There's also a bar outside. My sister-in-law and I went to the restaurant when we were waiting for our the check. The guys said that they were almost done, so we decided to have some drinks at the bar outside. They turned in the bonfire and we enjoyed our drinks. Honestly, recommend. Great service and great food! read more

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What a great experience we had here! I live in San Diego and love coming down to valle for the food, wine, and experience. We made this our last stop for dinner after a day trip to valle. This place is amazing, with amazing views and food to match. The vibes are so good here! We had a group of 9, I made a reservation for us a couple of months in advance. It was easy to call them and grab a reservation for our group. A few of us did the tasting menu and the rest ordered things of the menu. Every course was amazing, everyone loved their food. The wine recommendation was delicious. I also had an old fashioned that was good. I believe they change the menu all the time. You can't go wrong here! Try it out! So so good. The only thing I didn't like was the sponge cake dessert that came with the tasting menu. It was just completely flavorless. read more

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Exceeded all my expectations, the food was awesome!!! service was great! Deffinetely a must when traveling Valle de Guadalupe. Wine selection could use an upgrade, the food deserves better pairing read more

What a beautiful surprise an amazing restaurant under the tree, the location worth the trip. Young team driving by Chef Oscar Torres an amazing and talented Chef I was surprised this restaurant don't have (yet) a Michelin Star Award. On my simple opinion they deserve 2 Michelin Star. I was so lucky to meet the Owner Chef Javier Placencia what a charming man. Good job everyone from the BOH to the FOH. Also the Bartender allowed us to have the last drink of the night. GOOD JOB GUYS SEE YOU SOON. read more

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Everything from pre dinner cocktails, to the hostess to the service, food and sommelier was excellent. I was so impressed with the wait staff and every course that came out. The food was delicious, and they even added a couple extra dishes for us. Sitting under the oak tree was beautiful. This will definitely be one of the restaurants I visit again at Valle. read more

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This is a seasonal restaurant under a tree from chef Javier Placencia, which we met had the pleasure of meeting, most humble and sweetest man. The place is just amazing, the property is beautiful and the food was beyond delicious! Also very very good service. We did the 11 course tasting menu, and it was truly AMAZING. I will absolutely be back. Until next time. read more

Animalón - Thank you chef! - Signature Cuisine Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

Great place, with awesome staff, friendly and helpful. The food its delicious and the drinks are just perfect. We had chicken, octopus and some wines and soft drinks. They have depending of the season a menu or omakase service. Try the, you will no regret it! read more

One of the best meals we have ever had and easily our favorite while in Valle. The food, service and ambiance were all outstanding. So much thought and preparation goes into each dish. This is easily a Michelin star restaurant. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

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