Food was good, not amazing, but good. We expected more of a "foodie" experience but both the service and food were just OK. We did the 4 course tasting menu so that both of us got to taste all of the menu items, and we did the wine paring. The restaurant was mostly empty, and the décor was simplistic minimalist (aka boring with nothing hanging on the walls). The restaurant is in the heart of the Valley and very easy to find, though I'd pass.. read more

Food was good, wine pairings were short pours. We had a beautiful dinner that was completely spoiled by the fact that they were trying to scam us out of not using amex. The lead server came over with a credit card scanner not plugged into a phone/Ethernet cable and made a big scene as to how the Wi-Fi wasn't working so he couldn't run our amex but he could run visa or mc. We asked how is it that he could run visa or mc if it's a Wi-Fi issue, as he showed me the missing Wi-Fi signal icon on the credit card swiper, which was the old school kind that I'm pretty certain doesn't have Wi-Fi. I asked if he could just scan our card and process when the Wi-Fi was back up and he mumbled something and walked away. After 20 min of asking me to hold on and wait while they tried to get the system to work, it magically processed and he came back with a dramatic swipe of the brow and said he was able to make it work. In all of my years of working in the industry have I never had anything like this occur. Mind you he did the exact same thing to another couple right before us but at the time it didn't quite register to us. After hearing the same story of how the Wi-Fi wasn't working it all clicked and both my husband and I realized it's a scam and that the restaurant just didn't want to process amex. Well word of advice...don't present your checks in an amex check holder and don't print your credit card signature slips on amex paper. Definitely not the service of French laundry. read more

I don't get it. Is there some new lenient Yelp star rating system that is different from regular Yelp ratings. Sub par food, service, wine. I mean.. I wanted to love this place. Picked it for my birthday based on all these 5* ratings. How could I go wrong? The bread was the best part of the meal. They do have amazing bread. Seriously underwhelmed overall. Average at best. Pleasant service though forgetful. Had the four course each so we tried all 8 dishes. Nothing stood out as a WOW! Oh, and how about a little light background music so I don't feel like I'm visiting my Grandma's cafeteria at the old folk's home. I could hear every diner's every knife scrape. read more

I have been to Laja many times through the years & absolutely loved it, the food & the service were amazing, that is why I was willing to wait months till we came down to Baja to celebrate my birthday at Laja. We usually like to go in the afternoon, when the restaurant is somewhat empty, the inside is mostly hard surfaces so the result is bad acoustics & noisy restaurant. Generally, we would have a waiter or two serving us & very attentive to our needs. Today something went wrong...there were 3 or 4 servers all huddled inside the bar area bringing the wine glasses down cleaning them & putting them back on the shelves, with all the constant noise of the ringing glass (this was going on inside the dining area while we were eating - in this first class restaurant), after a while I got tired of the noise so used the wifi & set my phone to an internet station playing classical music, that still did not work when a server started taking the bottles & dumping them in a box with thumping loud noises. I finally waived to the manager to come & asked him if it is customary to clean the dishes in the dining room while the customers are dining, he seems to take a hint. The waiters were not the usual attentive service as well, first they were busy cleaning wine glasses in the bar area, then they were behind the doors somewhere, I had to clean the table from the bread crumbs my self (something they did before) before the desert course, I guess that is not on their list anymore! Chef Rafael seems off the beat today as well, I had to turn back the soup since it was too salty, the dishes were average & skimpy, & the desert was a bla...what is going on chef??? At $75/p without the wine pairing, it was not worth the wait or the money! read more

I must say i heard a lot of good things and from a lot of people who recommend this place that "this is the spot to have a romantic dinner" I agree, it's a beautiful restaurant with excellent service and modern ambience, a little bit of music in background is the last piece of puzzle that was missing in my opinion. I choose the 4 course menu which is about $40 pP for a special occasion with my wife. We had a bottle of the rose, which was awesome I can totally recommend that but besides that I gotta say the food was "just ok". I see that the reason for so many tourists to come here is the hype on social media, where Rene Redzepi (NOMA) visited once this restaurant to collaborate or what it looked like to me on the pictures just like when Andrew Zimmern visits a restaurant everybody goes there just because of that fact even tho the restaurants aren't special at all, but Rene Redzepi definitely wasn't here long enough to teach em the exquisite way of making food. I know what I'm talking about, not just because myself worked for almost 15 Years in Michelin Star rated restaurants all over the world as a Chef and because I like to food travel with my wife to check out what's out there. So let's bring it all to a point. The location is awesome, the service is excellent but the food "just ok" there's really nothing to add to that and I really suggest everyone who comes down here to the beautiful valle to stop by at other restaurants, maybe not as famous or hyped up just simple homemade delicious and traditional Mexican cuisine. read more

We had their 4 course meal for thanksgiving, the food was just ok, it was $920 pesos per person. The corkage fee was pricey, just for opening a bottle was $350 pesos. I would say this place it's a little pricey for the quality of the food. read more

The restaurant is beautiful. It is a true modern, minimalist farmhouse. The grounds are also gorgeous. The service was prompt and the staff was helpful. They offer a limited fixed menu. So your options are limited. They were able to modify the dishes to accommodate my dairy sensitivities. I enjoyed my food and the ambiance. I didn't know it was a limited menu going into the experience. I would definitely visit Laja if you are visiting the area. read more

Had the 8 course tasting. Each dish was better than the next. Goat cheese ice cream was fantastic for dessert. Will go back read more

Very mediocre food for the price you are paying. I did the four courses and my husband did eight courses - the food was so bland that we can't even remember post the second course. Not sure how this place keeps getting 5 star reviews. read more

Hidden gem! Excellent chef and food. Gourmet food with great wine pairings. We enjoyed it all. We'll be back!

One of the best meals we have ever eaten. Eight courses for only $50, plus eight matching wines for only $25 more. Every course was ambitious and wonderful. Quiet and relaxing after all the wine tasting out in the valley. read more

Our food was okay but not as good as we were expecting given the rave reviews, but what really let us down was the wine pairing. It was terrible! The first two wines were from Spain, and were fine, but the last three were really rough wines from Tecate. It was extremely disappointing as we'd been having delicious wines from Valle de Guadalupe all day and the wine pairing at Laja was not up to par. read more

Stopped by here for lunch last Wednesday. We stayed in the valley Sunday eve through to lunch on Wednesday. Had to make sure to try this place before we left and they are closed Mondays and Tuesdays. They offer a four or eight course tasting menu. We decided to have a four course each in order to try all of the dishes. All of the food was put together in the most delightful manner, both visually and in regards to the flavors. It might not resemble Mexican food by the least, but the natural ingredients clearly shine. The service was great and very efficient. Also love the space, again a very original, natural design. While there is, of course, a dirt road that leads to the restaurant, once you get inside, you might as well be in a food oasis worthy of a spot on the Malibu coastline. I hope you get a chance to stop in some time... the entire Valle de Guadalupe valley is a gem just 1 1/2 hours south of the border. Entirely different than the old and tried Napa Valley, this is a place where exploring the local wineries and restaurants still is a thrilling adventure. read more

For anyone that says the portions are too small ??? I went for my bday with a friend and got the 8 course wine pairing. She got the 4 course wine pairing. Regardless, they give larger portions with the 4 course so you have the same amount of food. It's fantastic but ohhhhh so filling!! We were so full at the end we could barely touch dessert. Our server Gabriel was the best. So knowledgeable of the area and culture. He has a true passion for the food and wine culture of the valley. We really enjoyed each tasting. It's true farm to table as the staff would grab herbs from the garden for the meals we were eating. Highly recommend and hope you meet Gabriel! read more

Wonderful restaurant. Food is very simple - more like traditional Italian food in style. Very good service. A great value.

This is my first Yelp review and have to say this is one of the best dining experience ever. Location is beautiful, the restaurant itself was elegant and modern. The food was simply amazing. My friends, fiancee, and I look forward to eating there again. read more

This place is incredibly good! My wife and I came here for our anniversary and it did not disappoint, in fact one of the better meals I have ever had. It's a set menu with two options for each dish, we got one of each and all were amazing. Make a reservation, they only sit a few tables at a time throughout the day. So good! I can't wait to come back read more

Laja - Set menu options - Modern European Near Me - Valle De Guadalupe, BCN

Laja came highly recommended, so we booked a Sunday lunch there to celebrate my parents' anniversary. It was an overall pleasant but underwhelming gastronomic experience. We each ordered the 4-course meal with wine pairings and were not very impressed. The service was lovely, the food was tasty but unimaginative, and only one of the four wines were worth the price. The meal was very expensive and the atmosphere, although pretty, was extremely cold. We visited in late December and temperatures were down into the upper 40s. Nonetheless, the restaurant did not appear to be heated that day. They even had a beautiful fireplace that was not in use sadly. Good visit but would not go back. read more

We went to Llaja on a Saturday night at 7:00. At first it was a little awkward as we were the only people in the whole restaurant. Gradually a few other couples filtered in. The service was very good, and we each did the four course meal option. I had the spring salad, salsify tortellini, duck, and sorbet. My wife had the gazpacho, smoked tuna sashimi, sea bass, and fig and Yerba matte ice cream. Overall I would say the food was very good. My only note would be that both desserts were heavy on the vegetable taste. Our total meal with drinks was $95 so very reasonable by US standards. read more

Amazing, presentation service and quality of food. Highly recommended against my own selfish need to not tell anyone about the Valle in general. read more

Absolutely beautiful place with organic vegetable and herb garden. Food was amazing like a work of art. Chef puts great care in combining explosion of flavors that all work well together. Service was impeccable! Best restaurant in the valley! read more

Amazing experience! My husband and I came here for lunch Friday and were completely blown away by the interior, service, quality of the food and incredible wine pairings. The grounds are also gorgeous with an array of organic plants and fruit trees. The vegetables are so fresh, you can taste the difference with every bite. Laja is a must if you're going to spend time in the Valley. This restaurant came recommended from friends and totally exceeded my expectations. read more

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I love this place! The restaurant is a wonderful mix of rustic and modern in its design. It was a cool day when we arrived and we sat next to this beautiful fireplace. We were greeted at the door by our server who was warm and pleasant... we don't speak much Spanish and he didn't speak much English but we made it work! We ordered the 4 course pre-fixe menu with wine sampling and every thing I ate here was absolutely delicious and elegantly presented. The wines were complex and paired perfectly with the courses. We ended up taking a bottle of our favorite wine home! I would highly recommend and will definitely come back. Well worth the drive. read more

This restaurant is an absolute must! The visit was a culinary experience that my family will not forget. We got to see vegetables being picked and later come out as part of our meal. Can't wait to go back. read more

We ended up here after not being able to secure reservations at Dekman's down the road. The staff was incredibly accommodating and let us sit at the bar but warned us that service would be slow because of the amount of large parties present (3 big tables, one huge and rowdy birthday party of about 15 adults). We opted for the four course tasting menu with the wine pairing. They immediately brought out a big basket of crusty bread accompanied with local olive oil. The courses were slow coming out but the bartenders and sommelier kept us entertained and engaged us in friendly conversation even though they were incredibly busy. The wine pairings were thoughtful and the dishes were all exceptionally well executed. I chose a squash soup, tiradito, fish, and pine nut cake. My partner selected the salad, tiradito, duck, and sorbet. Everything was fantastic! And, even though we were at the bar, we didn't feel as if we were treated any less than the other diners. Service was as prompt as it possibly could be and the staff was incredibly generous and congenial. Prices are a little higher than other restaurants in the area but we felt it was well worth it. We would definitely return. read more

There is a reason why this place has top ratings. Its one of the best experiences we have ever had (we have eaten in some of the top worlds restaurants spending mucho $$$$) for $92 a person you feel like you got the deal of the century. The food and wine parings they offer would cost hundreds of dollars anywhere els. A Must! All farm to table all DELISH. I will cut/copy this review for Corazon del Tierra as we feel the same way about that place, only difference is it doesn't come with wine ($70 per person) How lucky are we to have 2 insane restaurants in one Valley?! read more

We drive down from Los Angeles then up from Punta Banda with my mother every summer for a special occasion anniversary. It's a beautiful place, a very special meal. read more

We had reservations for 6pm, just one other table was present. As more people arrived, the service, attention, got worse. They seemed severely understaffed for the status of this restaurant. Toward the end of the meal, in order to bring attention to our table, we are to had waive our hands in the air and even walk up to the staff for attention. On our last course, to order coffee, we had to again, get the attention of the waiter. They seemed overwhelmed with the amount of people that arrived at the end. Management should have more waiters available to deal with the amount of people that come in at the end. I had high expectations and was looking forward to the excellent food and service as some of the other fine dinning places in the area. For our tourist in the area, I recommend you visit some of the other great local food options available. For 1400 or 900 pesos, you can get better service and possibly better food. read more

Amazing mid day meal. Fixed menu that's an adventure with every course. Anniversary lunch with my better half and we shared savored a vegetable soup, sea urchin rice, fresh fish was Yellow Tail that was to die for and my wife's ravioli was mouth watering. The 2 ice cream dessert choices rounded out a fantastic meal. The most friendly and attentive service personnel. Highly recommend and located very close to the Hacienda Guadelupe Hotel read more

I brought my boyfriend here on a dinner date. The food was delicious and the customer service was even better. My boyfriend fell in love with their ice cream and asked the chef if he could buy extra lol. They were really accommodating and now every time we are in the area he calls and asks for more :) read more