The Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos has a nine restaurants and seven bars. The dress code at most places is casual, though the dinner restaurants will require you to wear long pants/dress and closed-toed shoes. They didn’t seem to enforce this rule, but I’d go along with it anyway.
When it came to dining at an all-inclusive resort like the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, I had very low expectations. There were some exceptions, but even if everything else about our stay sucked, the restaurants alone would draw us back.
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- Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos Pools, Activities and Transportation
The menus at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos restaurants are fairly small but they definitely emphasize quality over quantity. You can order appetizers, an entree and dessert without feeling like you’re overeating. I always felt like I got to sample everything I wanted without popping a button at the end of the meal.
If you’re a Hyatt Diamond or Platinum member, you can make reservations at the restaurants, something I did pretty much every time.
There were hardly ever lines at the restaurants, but it’s still good to reserve a table in case a particularly large group invades the place. For the sake of a completely review, I visited every restaurant at the resort and made an effort to take photos of all the food our table ordered:
Coco Loco Snack Bar at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos
The Coco Loco Snack Bar is right next to the main pool, a short walk from the beach. The restaurant serves mostly snack type foods: Tacos, burritos, hot dogs, ceviche, and there’s a walk-up bar.
You walk in, place your order on a piece of paper, hand it to the chef and pick it up minutes later. If you’re lounging by the pool or in a cabana, the attendants will bring you the order sheet and deliver the food to you.
Coco Loco is a great place for lunch and the food was always fresh and delicious. I could not get enough of the tuna tostadas! If I could have just eaten those for breakfast, lunch and dinner I would have been very happy.
The shrimp ceviche was also good and my sister’s favorite. Throughout my stay, I also had their fish tacos, grilled octopus tostada (delicious but not as great as the tuna), and the chicken burrito.
La Hacienda Steak House at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos
La Hacienda really made things difficult for me because they had the most delicious lunch selection, which interfered with my Coco Loco tuna tostada addiction.
We went to La Hacienda three times: Twice for lunch and once for dinner. I wouldn’t recommend coming here for dinner. Why? Because there are more unique places you could go to that are otherwise closed for lunch.
La Hacienda is an ideal lunch spot because it offers open air seating with an ocean view, perfect for a sunny day. At lunch, you can also walk down the steps to the beach and help yourself to a plate of paella from the massive pot they cook up every day.
There’s also a very nice selection of fresh salads and side dishes. The octopus ceviche is insanely good here, so don’t skip it!
At the grill, the attendant will cook up meats of your choice to your liking. I had some of the most delicious flank steak for lunch at La Hacienda and if it wasn’t for the side dishes that pretty much filled me up, I would have gone back for seconds.
La Hacienda Dinner Buffet
At dinner, the buffet is still available but they give you a menu to order your meats, accompanying sauces, some side dishes and dessert. The buffet selection, however, is pretty much identical.
I had the lamb chops for dinner and wasn’t as crazy about them as I was about the flank steak at lunch. It wasn’t terrible, just a bit dry and bland. Though in fairness, we are comparing apples and oranges (or lamb chops and flank steaks).
La Hacienda Steakhouse is great for lunch and while it did at times get crowded, there was never more than a five minute wait even when we didn’t have a reservation.
That was a general theme at this resort. Every restaurant had tons of seating but the staff was great about managing it so that guests didn’t spend too long waiting in line.
Bon Vivant French Restaurant at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos
We had dinner at Bon Vivant on our first night and I was glad I made a reservation because this place seemed in demand. While the restaurant had lots of seating, they weren’t filling them all.
Which is how a Japanese couple that got there at the same time we did ended up at the empty table across from ours 30 minutes after we were seated. The speed at Bon Vivant was excruciatingly slow – each course took forever to serve.
That being said, the food at Bon Vivant was really high quality and well prepared. For appetizers, we ordered the scallops, mussels and salads. The scallops get rave review, but I wasn’t crazy about them.
I loved the mussels and would highly recommend them as an appetizer. My sister had the goat cheese & foie gras appetizer, to my chagrin. I can’t in good conscience eat an animal that’s essentially been tortured throughout its life for my enjoyment.
Appetizers
The foie gras portion was small but she seemed to enjoy it. We weren’t speaking to each other at this point in the trip, so I’m basing this on observations.
Filet Mignon
For the main course, I had the filet mignon, which I was worried about because I’d read that when it comes to cooking up steaks, the restaurants at this resort couldn’t seem to get it right. My filet mignon was perfectly cooked.
Lamb and Fish
My parents had the lamb and catch of the day (can’t remember what kind of fish) and both enjoyed their entrees.
Dessert
Next up was dessert, with the menu displaying five choices:
I went with the chocolate cake while my parents split an almond cake. I thought the chocolate cake was delicious – perfectly moist and rich.
My dad didn’t like the almond cake but my mom, who is the dessert expert in the family (she makes the best baklava), loved it.
El Cortijo Spanish Restaurant at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos
We ate at El Cortijo, the Spanish restaurant, on our third night and I thought it was a great dining spot, with a nice atmosphere and the most polished staff.
Our server, Enrique, was funny, courteous and professional. He constantly came by to check on us, replace silverware, move things in place, without invading our space.
At this restaurant more than anywhere else, I felt like the staff really wanted to take care of guests, with the same sense of hospitality you’d extend to someone visiting your home.
At one point the hostess placed a coat hanger by our table and hanging my mom’s shawl over it. Overall, we were very well taken care of.
We ordered some tapas, which were good all around.
Meatball appetizers
The meatball appetizer, which I’d heard great things about, were the worst thing I’ve ever eaten. They had a strange, unusually rough and dry texture. The bread and cheese it came with was delicious though!
Seafood Paella
The seafood paella, on the other hand was delicious. Very flavorful and the portion was perfect.
Lamb Chops and Fish
We also ordered the lamb chops and the catch of the day (I believe it was Salmon).My parents loved both dishes.
The pace at El Cortijo is a bit faster than at Bon Vivante, which was a good thing because I like to get dinner done and over with in less than two hours.
Since things were moving at a reasonable pace this time around, we ordered dessert without worrying about falling asleep before it arrived.
Dessert
The Pijami, which is a caramel custard, was pretty good but I personally liked the Santiago almond tart better.
DoZo Japanese Restaurant at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos
Dozo, the Japanese restaurant at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, was our favorite. If everything else about our stay had sucked, the hibachi experience at Dozo would have made up for it.
If you’re making a reservation at Dozo, it’s important to specify whether you want to sit at the hibachi grill, the sushi bar, or the main dining room. There’s obviously more of a wait for the hibachi grill, so it’s worth calling ahead for.
I’ve been to tons of hibachi places and while the performances are fun to watch, the food always turns out dry and flavorless. Not the case at Dozo!
When we sat down, two waiters showed up and took our orders for drinks, soups, and sushi – they tell you what the options are rather than giving you a menu.
Next, the hibachi guy shows up and if you’re lucky, it will be Jose. He asked if anyone had any food allergies and pointed to specific ingredients he’d be using, asking if anyone objected to them.
Then the show started, spatulas were tossed, food thrown around (don’t worry, Teresa Guidice wasn’t around). In between the utensil throwing, we were served food.
Sushi
I enjoyed the miso soup and thought the sushi roll was fresh and a notch above grocery store sushi.
The rice was served up first and it was delicious.
Steak
The steak ruined all steaks for me. In fact, I went to Ruth Chris a few weeks later and felt like I was eating off the McDonald’s $1 menu in comparison.
The steak at Dozo was the most succulent, juicy and delicious steak I’ve ever had.
Seafood and Chicken
The seafood and chicken were also good but nothing was as good as the steak. Dessert was served up next, a great end to a delicious meal.
I had the custard while my dad had the almond cake and my mom and sister split a deep fried ice cream (which they raved about).
Zaffiro Italian Restaurant at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos
Zaffiro, the beachfront Italian restaurant at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, was probably our least favorite. While the ambiance and service were great, the food was a letdown.
We ordered a variety of dishes and there just wasn’t anything special (or Italian) about it. I’m someone who loves Italian food and I was disappointed at Zafiro.
We came here for dinner after making a reservation and while I knew it was going to be more Olive Garden than authentic Italian, my low standards weren’t met.
Margherita Pizza
We started off with a margherita pizza to share, which I personally thought was the best part of the meal. Everyone else at the table didn’t, mainly because they all like their pizza burned to a crisp.
Seafood Frittata
I chose the seafood frittata for my appetizer and liked it – as someone who loves cheese, it really fulfilled that criteria for me.
Main Course
For the main course, I was torn between the risotto, gnocchi, and ravioli. I ultimately decided on the ravioli, which I found to be a bit bland. My sister had the chicken cacciatore, which I thought was better.
My mom once again went with the catch of the day while my dad had the cannelloni with lamb ragout. He’s not supposed to be eating dairy these days, so he picked at the ragout which we both thought was delicious. The fish dish was lacking flavor.
Dessert
Most of us didn’t finish our food so there was plenty of room for dessert. I ordered the panna cotta while my mom and sister split the tiramisu.
The desserts didn’t disappoint and helped fill us up.
The great thing about an all-inclusive resort like the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is that if the sit-down restaurants isn’t to your liking, you can always walk over to the buffet where you’re sure to find something that tastes better. Plus, you won’t have to wait for your food to arrive…
La Plaza & El Molino (Buffet Restaurants at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos)
The Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos has two buffet restaurants: La Plaza and El Molino, which are connected. You can easily walk between the two spaces.
I have to give it to Hyatt Ziva on this one: Their buffet is one of the best I’ve ever been to and easily knocks every Vegas buffet I’ve been to out of the park.
Not only was there a huge variety of food to choose from (seriously, the photos in this post don’t properly convey how massive the buffet really is), but it was also high quality.
Breakfast Buffet
We had breakfast at La Plaza every morning and there was something for everyone: Multiple omelette stations, a huge selection of fruits, yogurts, and juices, and endless bread.
My favorite breakfast item was their french toast. After the attendant brought it out, she proceeded to dip each piece in enough brown sugar to put you into a sugar coma. I had at least one piece every morning.
Lunch Buffet
As someone who expected to be eating bland food throughout my stay at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, I was totally surprised by the endless variety of flavorful dishes. Especially at lunch.
I was pretty annoyed at myself for having a big breakfast, a tuna tostada “snack” and for making an early dinner reservation. Otherwise I would have gone to town on that spicy shrimp.
This is one of the major dilemmas you’ll encounter during your stay at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos: Which restaurant to go to and which delicious food to gorge on.
Coffee House at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos
The Coffee House at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos was well stocked with sandwiches, pastries, and snacks throughout the day. Guests could also order smoothies and various coffee drinks off the menu.
I came here daily for a coffee fix and the cappuccino frappes easily put Starbucks’ frappuccinos to shame (or my second favorite, the Annihilator at Dutch Bros Coffee).
The coffee shop was decorated in a rustic style, with comfortable couches and seating strewn about. This is the type of place where you want to hang out and read on days you call in sick.
I wouldn’t mind drinking terrible coffee at Starbucks every day if the place looked like this.
The food selection is pretty extensive. During our stay, there were always plenty of sandwiches available (though really, you should be saving your appetite for one of the other great restaurants on site).
There was always a pile of cupcakes at the counter and lots of cakes and other desserts to choose from.
The Coffee House also has two computers and a printer for guests to use. This is ideal if you need to check in for your flight or print something and the computer station at the 24-hour deli is occupied.
Despite being such a great place to relax or grab a snack, The Coffee House was fairly deserted most of the time. In the morning you’d see a few people pick up smoothies on their way to (or from?) the gym and in the evenings, kids would rush in for a sugary snack. Other than this, it was pretty quiet.
24-Hour Deli Cactus Lounge at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos
The 24 Hour Deli Cactus is located on the lobby level, around the corner from the Piano Bar. It’s sort of a club lounge, open 24 hours a day, serving up sandwiches and snacks from the Coffee house, which closes at 10 PM.
Deli Cactus has several semi-private seating areas and a computer station. People just used the computers and left, leaving the food untouched.
That’s probably because guests at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos can order room service through 6 AM, which is much more preferable because the food is fresher than the sandwiches that may have been sitting out all day.
Complimentary Room Service at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos
Room service at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is available pretty much all day and night, completely free. Like the free minibar, we didn’t make much use of this benefit. On occasion, we’d order a fruit platter, which would arrive in 20 minutes or less.
I ordered the chicken tortilla soup one evening and got it in under 20 minutes. The presentation was great, but the soup itself wasn’t. It was a bit too heavy on the tomato, which ruined the flavor.
I would highly recommend the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos to anyone who wants a nice relaxing all-inclusive vacation without giving up food quality.
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