This gem is located just outside the main tourist area in downtown Ensenada behind the La Contra wine shop. The outdoor setting with lights strung among the trees is quite charming. The menu offers fresh local seafood, lamb, duck and beef. The tiradito (thinly sliced fresh fish similar to sashimi with soy, olive oil and a bit of spice), grilled pulpo (octopus) and the risotto with duck are a few of my favorites. Actually, the RISOTTO IS OUT OF THIS WORLD! The owner, Javi, is very friendly and will be happy to offer menu suggestions if you ask. They offer local wines by the glass, have a variety of beers by the bottle and some liquor options. I highly recommend the "Pierre special" -- a refreshing version of a gin and tonic created by the bartender, Pierre, which includes cucumber, oranges, lemons and lime. You can also select your own bottle of local wine from the adjoining shop and enjoy it with your meal at Boules. Because of the outdoor setting, it can sometimes get chilly, so be prepared -- but the ambiance and food are worth it! I am a frequent diner at Boules! read more

Boules - Come for the good ... stay for the pétanque! - Mexican Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

What an amazing place, food and service. This place is incredible. It really worths the trip from the US to experience trully tasty flavors. My friends and I drove here from Newport Beach and we were not disappointed. read more

we went there yesterday night! Super! Food is high standard, the wine is really good and the atmosphere if more than comfortable. This hidden treasure in Ensenada will be for sure listed for our future trips in Baja! read more

Amazing food, great service, fun atmosphere, and a caring and friendly staff make Boules our favorite place to bring guests when they're visiting Ensenada. And their wine list is basically unlimited since there is an adjacent wine retailer (though even the house red went perfectly enough with our multitude of shared dishes among five people that we went through three bottles.) The risottos are especially great, but we love everything we've tried. read more

The place is not bad the food is pretty decent and has a nice atmosphere. The owner and staff are super friendly

Excelente servicio! El mejor lugar para comer de Ensenada! La comida esta deliciosa asi como los tragos y toda la cerveza artesanal.

Nice, modern restaurant with fresh, local ingredients for a delicious meal! Wonderful service. The heat laps we're not working but they had warm blankets. Bocci ball court too! read more

See all

Terrible service and we got sick!!!, we have had great dinners before, downhill it went!

Ambience was lovely, the staff is welcoming and fun. I can see why this place is so popular, as the owner takes the time to talk to guests. He sat down with us to converse about our meal and other restaurants we would enjoy in the area. We arrived at 3:00 and they didn't have oysters nor oxtail. We found that a little odd. The octopus salad was perfectly seasoned and prepared. I was very content with that selection. I also had the fish of the day, I enjoyed that as well. The risotto was very hearty, although not one of my favorite dishes. Nothing personal, I'm just not a rice person. read more

This place is amazing- small plates to share, all of which were amazing, but the seafood was the real standout. Octopus was tender and wonderfully flavored. Servers were charming and helpful, service was great and we weren't rushed at all. Ambiance was wonderful. Will definitely be back. read more

This place is legit... I have been meaning to try it out during our last few trips but couldn't find the time. The Ribeye and risotto combo is off the charts. Very diverse menu - something for everyone. Cant wait to go back. read more

Place is beautiful! I don't believe there is indoor seating. The owner is super friendly as well as the staff. Very quiet lovely place. I had the duck risotto, and it was hands down the best risotto I have ever had!! There was a raw tuna appetizer plate, I don't remember the exact name, but I highly recommend it! I will be sure to come here again next time I am in town. Oh, and there is smoking allowed. read more

Really? This is the #3 yelp-rated restaurant in Ensenada? Normally I love the restaurants in Mexico. Ok yes, the outdoor atmosphere is cool. The service is ok. The clientele is definitely hipster but........ The red wine has a flaw and tastes like burnt plastic. They serve beer in wine glasses. The sangria tasted like bubbly lemonade with a little red wine. The margarita tasted of tequila and salt but much more cucumber than lime. I did like that it wasn't overly sweet, but it really didn't taste like a margarita. The poblano risotto was really good. The mushroom risotto is just strange even for me and I love unusual flavor/texture combinations. The lamb (borrego) taste like propane. The queso fundido vegetales had a lot of water floating on top from the carrots and green beans but the flavor was still ok. The tortillas were homemade, I think, but greasy. The check for 2 wine glasses full of beer, 1 sangria, 1 "margarita", queso, risotto con res and risotto con borrego was $1200 mx with tip ($1050 before). So by San Diego standards this wasn't an expensive meal but just not up to all the hype it was given. And unfortunately, since all of the restaurant is outdoors, you can't avoid having someone at the next table blowing their cigarette smoke over your meal the entire time. I made reservations for the next few days in Valle de Guadalupe at a few restaurants much more expensive than this, based on Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews, but after this meal, I think I'll be cancelling and sticking with the traditional Mexican places. read more

We read about this restaurant in a guide book and were so happy to find it. We never would have stumbled across this gem on our own. The small plates were exquisite and delicious. The house margarita was one of the best we enjoyed in Ensenada. It's big and clean tasting thanks to the cucumber, a far cry from the typical sugary sweet model. The owner Javi was incredibly welcoming and kind as was as our waiter Matt who gave us some great menu advise as well as some local touristy pointers. This is a restaurant not to be missed. read more

Amazing food! I had portobello risotto with grilled duck, ridiculously God. Every bite was followed by me saying, " mmmmmmmm". appetizers were amazing as well! read more

Boules - Jicama - Mexican Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

See all

Delicious ceviche! Delicious fried fish tacos! Went on a rainy night but it was still a fun night. Will definitely be back again!

Awful place! The entire place is a big smoking section. The service and food are terrible. Save yourself the agony and go anywhere else in Ensenada that doesn't allow smoking throughout the entire restaurant and the managers don't spend all their time drinking in every table. read more

Such an amazing restaurant! Great food, great service. This is a must visit while in Ensenada.

deliciois food and definitely worth a visit! My sister got the duck mushroom risotto and I thought it was among the best dishes at the table. The oyster were amazing! read more

The ambiance was really good. The food is great. I went with my husband and 2 kids and they really liked it. We're definitely coming for more! read more

The most amazing experience from the time we walked in the door. Ambience is very inviting, modern and groovy all in the same presence. Full dinna y lil bites are awesome and vino shop next door doesn't hurt our game at all. Choose from $15-180 bottles!!!! Come hang out if you're in Ensenada read more

Boules - Such a lovely dinner!!!! Gracias Javi - Mexican Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

Place was very nice, super hipster and aesthetic although the service was horrible, I was told by the owner of the restaurant that the plates were big and its recommended to share but they weren't, super small plates plus we waited about 45mins to an hour to wait for our food. read more

Came here on yelp reviews and was not disappointed. Small outdoor seating. Like your backyard patio. Close to the main strip. Had risotto with yellow tail and veggies. Veggies off the hook. Risiotto was very good and hot!! Will come back for the food. read more

The food is good, the service is excellent, but the hygiene is poor. They need to clean the only bathroom they have. Smells very strong to old dried urine. Difficult for their staff to ignore. Even thought the tables are outside, owner and staff completely ignore social distancing (hugging and shaking customer's hand. Wearing masks does not exist there. What a shame. read more

An outdoor restaurant in a nice setting with absolutely delicious food at reasonable prices.Javier,the owner is a great host and makes everybody feel welcome.Dining there makes one feel you are in Europe! We will be back many times. It is located downtown with parking in front of the restaurant. In the winter months it can get chilly,so dress warm. read more

The atmosphere is amazing; an outdoor dining room lit with string lights created the perfect ambiance for dinner. The drinks were well poured and delicious, and the portion sizes for the food were huge. Steak was tender and cooked perfectly and the staff was very attentive, even given the language barrier as we don't speak very good Spanish. They were also very helpful and helped us get a taxi back to our Airbnb. We will definitely return next time we're in Ensenada. read more

Boules - Mexican Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

See all

One of the best restaurants in Baja for sure. Everytime I come here it feels like coming over to dinner at a friends house. Javier is an amazing host and the atmosphere is very welcoming. Every dish is superb but the steak CANNOT be missed. The sashimi appetizer he makes is also out of this world. The new location is really charming with a lovely outdoor patio - and a Boules court of course. read more

A beautiful and excellent restaurant hosted by the chef and gracious proprietor, Javier Martinez. Come enjoy one of the most fabulous margaritas you'll ever have, indulge in French influenced cuisine, play a few games of Pétanque, and enjoy a reprieve from the bustle of Ensenada in Boules' gardens shared with an art studio. You can't do better here. read more

Awesome atmosphere on outside patio. Great music and great service. Loved the food. Simple ingredients but it tastes elegant. Adding pesto to the ceviche was genius. From San Diego and might be best restaurant we went to in Ensenada. Would love to see more local craft beer and wine if I could make one suggestion. Definitely 5 stars. read more

The atmosphere was very relaxing and welcoming environment. Open air dining experience, casual, classy super chill vibes. They're food is super delicious, my boyfriend and I had a great time it's very romantic. Easy to find, good parking, nice neighborhood. Definitely a go to when visiting ensenada. The lamb chops are to die for. read more

This our first night in Mexico ever and we decided to jump around between bars and restaurants and I can vouch for this place to be one of he best experience I've had at a restaurant. The owner(Javier) of the restaurant was very kind and giving and we spoke for a while. He was very entertaining and friendly and very young at heart. The food was AMAZING even compared to high end places in LA. The environment was chill and festive and cultured. There was live entertainment at one point with fire ball dancers. The prices were really afortable and straight. If you go there you have to try the duck or lamb as well. 100 percent recommended must try! read more

Fun patio seating with twinkle light. Service was awesome. We got a variety of appetizers including the shrimp ceviche it was very fresh and good. The Risotto was fabulous. Would definitely go back to try other items. read more

This place is AMAZING! Javier, the owner was so awesome to work with. My husband planned a private birthday lunch for me at Boules. Javier opened up early for us, created a special menu, I felt like a princess. We sat outside on the patio...which is gorgeous. The food...to die for! So fresh and creative. It was THE best meal on my trip. And the service...every waiter was soooo kind and on it! We always had a full drink in our hand. I will never forget this luncheon, one of the best days in my life. And Javier made it so great, I don't even have the words to express how appreciative I am. read more

See all

Needs some work. I was disappointed. The menus look like they are from the 1980s, and by that I mean they were last replaced in the 1980s. Mine had stains. I was frankly wondering if we'd reached the wrong restaurant by mistake given the reviews. It's outside, so bring a sweater and then some. I ordered a margarita (my mistake, given my food order), which was served in a wine glass which condensed water all over the place - no napkin or coaster to prevent that from hitting me. It was underwhelming. I ordered the mushroom risotto with duck. Duck was tough and just so-so; the risotto was of course really rich, and I could only eat about 1/4. Husband's seafood risotto was similar. They put enticing salsas on the table with nothing to eat it with. Service was indifferent. At least the prices were reasonable for that kind of restaurant. read more

Great menu with unique combinations in a neighborhood more known for its loud bars full of cruise ship folks. The food was above average, not quite valle worthy yet but I am sure it is getting there. Where they are lacking is in their wine choices. They only offer a house wine...even though they are near the biggest stretch of wineries in all of Mexico. The ambiance is beautiful and super relaxing. Really hides well in the neighborhood so be sure to keep your eye out for it. Parking is easy out front too but with the low cost of Uber, why bother driving. read more

I visited this place over the holiday weekend with 11 other people and it was great. Our waiter Matt was extremely helpful and friendly and gave us suggestions for dinner and also for wineries in Valle de Guadalupe. The duck risotto had such great flavor (but the risotto was alright) and so did the octopus al pastor, oysters and seared tuna. Dessert was delicious too! My only concern was with the owner - se pasó de lanza con mis amigas, always touching them on the shoulder and made an inappropriate remark to one of them in front of her boyfriend who was not very pleased. We did not want to make a scene because we are naturally courteous. I will return for the food and ambiance as it is an open space with trees. There is also bocce ball on the front. Note that the entrance is to the right side because the restaurant rents the back space of another store but luckily, there was a woman in the front who let us in. read more

Had dinner here on a Saturday night while on vacation in Ensenada. This little place had a great atmosphere during night time. It is located in a large patio with the indoor/outdoor set up and twinkle lights above the tables. It was chilly the night that I went however there were space heaters located near tables. We were expecting this place to wow us based on the ratings however it left much to be desired...the best dish was my sister's which was the risotto with steak. The risotto was made with cheese and had an outstanding flavor. The steak was perfectly cooked and we all wish we had gotten that dish instead. The problem was that my sister received her dish a good 15-20 minutes after the rest of us were done eating! We had to try to get the manager and waiter for a while to get a status on her dish. We weren't the only ones with this issue and it appeared that the poor waiters had way too many tables that they could handle. Tables around us had people and families that were done with their dinner and had one person waiting for a dish to be served. Perhaps this was a one time thing but it left a bad impression on us especially since we weren't the only ones with this issue. The rest of us got steak tacos, soup of the day which was delicious. While the flavors were good the presentation left much to be desired. They also had ask there playing Turkish music I believe and a bocce field down the stairs from the main eating area. It appears this place turns into a high end bar after a certain tome because there were a lot of young locals that showed up to drink and hang out. read more

Excellent food and service. Had the sangria and fish dish. Chips and guacamole were awesome.

Fantastic!!!! Service and food were impecable! Beautiful outdoor seating, queso fundido, a ribeye, delicious bottle of wine...and a cab back to the hotel....would drive down from San Diego just for dinner at Boules., it was that great! Ensenada has a hidden gem! Can't wait to go back! read more

I'm so surprised reading all the reviews. I've been there twice and both times service has been horrible. I had to leave both times because nobody was in the front seating people. Several people were standing waiting after we got there for like 10-15 mins. Never coming back. read more