We had the most amazingly fresh oysters here and very much enjoyed our whole lunch. We were there around 15 minutes after the website said they opened, but the gate was closed and we were super confused about how to enter. This being México, I just rolled with it and ended up seeing a guy through the fence who was happy to open for us - he was taking care of their garden and hadn't realized it was past 1:00! We were the only ones in the entire restaurant until some wine vendors came by and sat down to eat what looked like some abalone. The owner came over and chatted with us a little bit too which was lovely. Our server had some good suggestions, explained what the heck "uña de gato" (cat's fingernail) was, and helped us choose some great wine. The price was less than we were expecting for such quality and a welcome change from the touristy muck Ensenada is known for. My only complaint was the flies that seemed to bother only us. read more

Manzanilla - Best oysters I've ever had - Mexican Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

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Excellent food and a fun atmosphere. It's all about taking time to enjoy your food. The lava cake was fantastic. If you get the risotto, get a salad with it or it's a lot of rice to eat alone. read more

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This is a Sublimely Chic Bar & Restaurant hidden next to the Ensenada Port & Shipyard ... Everything we tried was fabulous except for the Fried Abalone Appetizer which was a disappointment , as this was one of the reasons we went there ! The Service was Excellent and the Waiter's English was Fluent. They had a Nice Selection of Mexican Wines and one that was exported and reimported to and from France was what we chose - Divine ! read more

The service was so bad we didn't even stay to eat. We got up and left immediately. The wait staff were rude and had no respect for us as the customer. Complete failure for customer service. If we could we wouldn't give them any stars, but... read more

This little gem is hidden away, but the food and service are excellent and we couldn't have been happier with our choice . The waiters guided us through the menu and we enjoyed a great selection of local food and wine read more

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This is a gem. Hard to find but well worth the effort.Wonderful beet salad and yellow tail sashimi. We had ox tail risotto, yellow tail and pasta with a great chard. Service is excellent. read more

Manzanilla - Mexican Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

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Phenomenal! Amazing wine list and the risotto options were delicious. We had oysters, abalone and 2 mains, plus a bottle of wine, plus tip 100.00 read more

Thanks to Yelp, I would have never known this place existed. Upon arriving the location is a bit of a mystery behind a tall fence covered with ivy. Walking onto the grounds feels like a maze. Locating the entrance is quite exhilarating. Once inside the restaurant you are greeted by a large gorgeous vintaged bar. The tile on the floor reminded me of the old mansion still standing in Guadalajara. The food is delicious. I started out with a seafood soup with noodles, followed by rice with seafood. The rice was creamy and flavorful. It reminded me of a mix between Mexican rice and paella. I finished of with there version of a cinnamon roll. It was heavenly. I loved my dining experience. read more

Ensenada is more than fish taco stands. There is a vibrant restaurant scene that can compare head-to-head with any American city twice its size. I was excited to try this place, voted one of the top 50 restaurants in Latin America; it's not. The restaurant is a converted tuna warehouse, located just before the entrance to the commercial wharf. Decor is amazing, massive wooden bar is the centerpiece with small tables stretched around it. Staff is numerous but have no discernable uniform or dress code; you think there's a party of young hispters at the end of the bar, laughing and talking - but that's the pool of staff. They're reasonably attentive but you feel as if you're spoiling their party every time you want something. The food is plated perfectly, and looks great. But, it tastes ok. Just ok. I see much technical skill going into serving and creating these dishes but I just don't taste it. It's all very impressive, and a very inexpensive way to introduce someone to really fine dining, but I think a restaurant should be about food first and then the experience. read more

One of my new favorite spots for dinner and drinks... I chose the 8 course meal paired with adult beverages. The sequence of the pairings was perfect, the portion sizes were right on. The Restaurant is a bit hidden but I think that adds to its character. Go, eat, drink and enjoy! read more

Honestly. The food was bland, no flavor. The only thing that's worth mentioning is the ceviche and even the chips were stale.

I have been coming to Ensenada since the late 80s. The restaurant scene has evolved dramatically over the years into a gastronomical paradise. Manzanilla is one of its shining stars. What a cool place! We were greeted warmly by the staff; Solange, co-owner and chef personally chose our dining selections-several types of oyster, yellowtail sashimi and an outstanding loosely-constructed ravioli. All were excellent; portions were more than adequate and served with aplomb! As I look back on this experience, I will remember the food, the service, the personal attention afforded by Solange and the excellent atmosphere. Get. In. Here! read more

This place is fantastic! I had dinner here with my brother last night. For starters we shared a great beat salad with very fresh lettuce and a unique tangy dressing. For the main I had quail which had fantastic seasoning. I think the real star of the meal was the flank steak my brother ordered. It was topped with bacon and must have been marinated in some special potion containing soy sauce! One of the best steaks I've ever tasted. Next, we shared dessert which was ice cream with sweet potato. A fantastic desert just the way I like it without too much sugar. At the end of the meal the house gave us each an unique digestif containing espresso and frangelico. read more

The food was just OK. Honestly my favorite dish were the oysters which all they did to prepare them was to open them. Ordered the tiradito, the fish, risotto, and the ravioli. All tasted fine but sadly nothing really stood out. You go to a place like this expecting at least one dish to make an impression, well that wasn't the case. The service was also sub par which was definitely not expected. One thing I hope for the place is that they can get a bit more inspired with their menu. You don't want customers to visit once and not have a reason to want to come back. read more

Very good. The quail dish alone is worth a trip. Best quail I've ever eaten by a wide margin. The yellowtail was overwhelmed by the with ginger and soy. Steak is terrific. Loved the abalone dish. Great service and vibe. read more

Our first time here and we decided to take a chance on dinner here. Such an excellent choice!! Not only is the service great but the food is one of the best Mexican we've had!! Completely Authentic and fresh, the chicken is flavorful and tender. I had the Pipian sauce with mine and m addicted!! We had Strawberry Margaritas and they were also the best, made with real strawberries and they're not stingy with the liquor. I rarely give a review but this place deserves it!!! It will definitely be on top of our list to come back when we visit again!! read more

I think it's silly to give a bad review if you didn't actually eat at an establishment, but then again I'm also a girl after ambiance/experience of restaurants. I did a lot of research on where to eat in Ensenada and was disappointed in the short experience we had here. We had a hard time finding the entrance of this restaurant, but we had our hopes up thinking if it was possibly intentional, like a speak easy. There was no door knob on the front door for goodness sakes. We enter the restaurant, and everyone stops to stare at us. It's completely silent. We thought we crashed a private party, but no this was just the un-welcoming experience. We ask for a table for 2 and the gentleman explained that they did not have any availability, but there were 2 spots at the bar. No problem, we were happy to have our experience from there! The patrons on either side of us seemed very put out by our presence and the bartender commented that she didn't think we would want to sit there when there wasn't much room. Again there was no music, it was a very silent and AWKWARD exchange. We got up and left, and unfortunately we have no desire to go back. read more

Simple and honest dishes (not too complicated /pretentious), amazing product selection (best oysters I had for a long time), fine cocktails and beautiful place (the old wooden bar, the little patio...). Don't hesitate. read more

The place looks old and servicie is not as you expect in a place like their market themselves . The real problem are the FLIES all over the place. Less flies outside than inside. read more

This place was great. We had such an amazing time. The ambiance was exactly what we wanted, nice but not touristy. We were attended to by the manager, who was such a fantastic host and really made us feel at home. The food was delicious and not over the top. We loved it. read more

The food we ordered was terrible. The clams in white wine sauce are way too salty and the oysters were definitely not fresh. The exterior of the restaurant is odd and makes it difficult to find. There are plenty of other better restaurants around. read more

Wonderful restaurant, delicious & creative good. Fun bar. Good prices & lovely staff. A "must" in Ensenada! read more

Was excited to come to the eat here upon see the place on a top upcoming restaurant list. Upon arrival no one really acknowledged us and finally the hostess came and sat us down. Took the waitress a good 10-15 mins to come over and the restaurant was not busy. She finally came and I had asked for a fruity cocktail suggestion. She couldn't suggested one so went to the bartender and came back with one. Drink turned out to be good. Finally we ordered food and asked for water as well. She seemed reluctant to bring us tap water. She finally did and we also asked for hot sauce. About 20 had passed and she still didn't bring hot sauce or water. We finally asked the hostess for water because no one had come by at all to see if we needed anything since we ordered. When the waitress finally brought our hot sauce she didn't even care that we were waiting the whole time. Overall the price was not worth it due to food being mediocre. Service was horrible and we felt completely ignored and mistreat for speaking Spanish. Don't waste your time coming here. read more

Unfortunately this was a disappointment. The food was good but nothing really stood up. The service was horrible. Food and drinks took so long. I ordered a classic margarita and I got a Mezcal drink with tamarind and chili. The server insisted that the was their classic margarita. Than I decided to order the Oaxaca style margarita that's when he said "the bar made a mistake " just bad service overall. read more

Had the best experience sitting at the bar last night. Our bartender, Angel, really was a master at making drinks and pairing them with our plates. His openness, kindness, and knowledge was even better than the food- and that's saying a lot because the food was amazing. Def get the raw oysters and the sashimi appetizers- we ended up ordering a couple plates of raw oysters because they were so good. Also, the sweet potato filling and cheese ice cream made me so happy paired with an espresso dessert cocktail. We didn't have room for entrees, but everything we tasted was above par. Thank you for such a great introduction to Ensenada and the cuisine. read more

This restaurant is fantastic! Wow! I was impressed with every dish and every drink. This place feels like a local spot, not a tourist trap. It is worth the walk or short ride from the Cruise port. read more

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Wow! Amazingly delicious food. Staff very friendly. The owner even greeted us and offered some cheese and mezcal after our meal. Wonderful local wines and beers. Beautiful, artsy decor. Looking forward to another visit. read more

If I could give more than 5 stars I would. Our dinner was amazing, the ambiance and artistic flare was haunting and beautiful. The service staff was kind and attentive. Will always come back here for a meal when we're in town. read more

Dinner was incredible in every way. But most importantly was being able to order a Tomahawk steak. Which was the most amazing sight I've ever seen. Perfectly cooked!!!! read more

This place has great potential, but the prices don't always meet quality. The steak was over cooked and not very tasty. Everything else was ok read more

Ceviche and Quail was the best I have had . The US definitely doesn't have quality like this . Best Ceviche in Ensenada !!!!

Great flavor! Tried abalone for the first time. Really enjoyed the sauce with the fried abalone and the seared abalone was really well seasoned. Also enjoyed a manzanilla taco. Great food and service. read more

I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. The food was wonderful. All around really thoughtful dishes. My reservations are with the wait staff and how business was conducted. We had a reservation, showed up on time and the table wasn't ready. It wasn't a problem until another couple came in with a reservation and their table wasn't ready either. Half of the wait staff was nice about us waiting at the bar. The other half of the staff acted as if it was an inconvenience arguing over which couple should get sat first. We waited about 20 minutes before being sat. The bar tender did not offer to serve us drinks while we waited. After we were sat the service it was efficiency bordering on unfriendliness on having another table. Food 5 stars Great wine local wine list! Staff 3 stars. read more

We headed down to Ensenada and found Manzanilla. AMAZING. We loved each and every dish we tried. Everything was flavoured to perfection and the ambiance was perfect. When we head back to Baja you know we'll hit up Manzanilla again. Also...fresh cheese ice cream with pureed sweet potato and caramelized oats....YES PLEASE. read more

Food is Ok, staff is courteous, friendly, and welcoming, food is Ok, more of a drink place, small course and appetizer selection, HUGE!! Drink selection.....overal I would go back for a dring.....good ambience read more

The dumpling bros brought me to this restaurant for the first time and I just loved it every thing was outstanding the service was beers on point the aged steaks where extremely juicy and each bite of steak would just melt in your mouth and the seafood resoto was so yummy and the yellow tale was delicious read more

Simply amazing. Probably on the best of Ensenada list, but if not, should be! Lovely staff, fish, wine list. It's also well decorated!

Good food, fresh ingredients, high quality steaks and a nice building to go with it. I would recommend this place to everyone.

walked into this place blind and without a reservation and was lucky to get seated on a busy saturday night. should have known by the comped tuna appetizer we were given to try that this was going to be one of the best meals i have ever had. dinner was also amazing. the bacon covered hanger steak was beyond amazing (how did they keep that bacon on the steak without falling off?) but really... the star of the night was the quail. damnnn!!!! i tried a little bite from my brother's plate with no expectations and was floored. it was one of the most intense and flavorful bites i have ever had. once i caught my breath i tried it again and realized that quail is basically a smaller and fattier version of chicken that changes my whole world view. after contemplating what i had eaten i realized that as an owner of many birds (mostly parakeets) that if had been told that i had just eaten one i would have definitely asked for more probably cooked the rest of those tasty critters for dinner when i got home. also to end out the meai i really enjoyed the pureed sweat potatoes with ice cream along with the coffee aperitif concoction. overall i suggest you go with chef's choice, because we wouldn't have experienced our most amazing meal without it. read more

I am in Ensenada on business about twice a month and always eat at Manzanilla if they are open. It is one of my favorite restaurants in the western hemisphere; cool room, friendly staff and inventive delicious food. What to try? Everything, anything. The oysters, raw or cooked are always delish. The tiraditos, the risottos, the baby pig if they have it, winners one and all. There is one special dish you cannot miss and that is the quail. Deboned, cooked on the plancha seasoned with [possibly] vadouvan and served with cauliflower puree, house made kimchee, a chile compote and golfball-sized rolls to mop it all up, it is one of the great plates of food, worth a drive from LA [or beyond]. Oh and with the current exchange rate, the quail is $8. Great local wine list, delicious deserts, the total package. read more