Finca Altozano sits along a stretch of road dotted with wineries, and the whole place opens up into…read morethis big, breezy patio overlooking the valley. We booked a 6pm reservation and rolled in after the sun was already gone, which was a bit of a miss. This is definitely a place where you want that golden-hour moment on the patio. Mental note for next time.
What immediately won me over were the restaurant dogs. Not "stray dogs," but actual chill, friendly, professional table-side charmers. They wander around like they're on their evening rounds, checking in on guests. They're incredibly well-behaved, very polite, and absolutely down for head scratches. Cutting up pieces of our beef tenderloin for them was honestly the highlight: 4 dogs camped out by our table like a tiny canine fan club. Made the whole night.
Food-wise, we ordered a little spread: chocolata clam, Reina clam, shrimp zarandeado, beef tenderloin, Brussels sprouts, half dozen gigas oysters, and a salad (can't remember name). Wrapped it all up with tres leches and a couple cocktails and glasses of wine.
The only real letdown was the beef tenderloin. Overcooked, and the jus didn't help matters. I felt the food was ok. The clams were my favorite, and it was nice being able to order them one by one. Tried to get the wood-fired mushrooms, but they were out.
Overall, the vibe is the star here. Great atmosphere, great animals, pretty scenery, just try to get there before sunset to actually see it. The food sits around a 7.5/10 for me, mostly dragged down by that tenderloin situation. Maybe more of a good spot to get drinks, tres leches cake & an appetizer while enjoying a nice sunset.
