Located in Palmilla Dunes, Il Splendido is one of the new Italian restaurants in Los Cabos. Arriving at the hostess stand at the front door, there is a great view of the bar and the indoor and outdoor dining spaces of the restaurant. We were there for Valentine’s Day and the restaurant offered a choice of a four-course special Valentine’s Day dinner, or an a la carte reduced menu from their regular menu. Asked where we would like to sit, we choice a table out on the deck. The deck is surrounded by cacti and plants and can be covered with fabric against the heat during the day. The whole area had very interesting lighting, both on the table, in the planter and above the tables.

We were offered the menu and decided to go with the reduced version of the regular menu. I ordered a half bottle of Louis Latour Cablis, which was opened by the sommelier of the restaurant. Beth chose sparkling water. Our meal started with a basket of bread and butter, which included a brioche roll, toasted sourdough, and bread sticks (for $160 pesos). Beth selected the Shrimp Bisque as an appetizer, and I chose the Caesar Salad. The Caesar Salad was very good and served with thin strips of parmesan Reggiano and crumbled croutons over the whole top. The portion size was definitely large enough to share between two people (and we did). Beth said that the Shrimp Bisque was excellent.

For the main course, Beth ordered the Fettuccine with Wagyu meatballs. She said the flavor of the small meatballs was very good although they were a little dry. I selected the Crispy Lasagna. It was excellent with several layers of pasta, with the top layer being crispy. The pomodoro sauce was a little sweet and delicious. Again, the portion size was large, and I took more than half of it home to have for lunch the next day.

Ernesto, our server asked if we would like dessert. We looked at the menu and Beth selected the three scoops of Passion Fruit Sorbet and I chose the Passion Fruit Panna Cotta. Both were very good.

During our meal, a three-piece combo played excellent instrumental music to set the mood for the evening. Overall, we were impressed with the food presentation and flavors, the services, and the atmosphere of Il Splendido. It is a fine dining restaurant with prices to match.