The new location is no longer in downtown Tecate; it is now situated in a residential area (see the photo for reference). We thoroughly enjoyed both the service and the delicious food during our vacation. The restaurant emphasizes locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, and each dish was thoughtfully explained to us, which enhanced the overall experience. Expect to pay around $100 USD per person for the eight-course meal. For us, dining here was a special treat while on vacation, and we left feeling completely satisfied. In fact, we were glad we chose the eight-course option, as the ten-course meal would have been more food than we could comfortably enjoy. Enjoy your Top Chef dinning experience! read more

Restaurante Amores - Exterior view of the restaurant. - Mexican Near Me - Tecate, BCN

Online info is incorrect - it cost three times as much as listed - nearly $100, vs. an expected $34. (This can only minimally be explained by the exchange rate. The real issue is that there was no 4-or 5-course selection, only 8- or 10- -- and the prices for those were much higher than listed online. Google also had incorrect location.) Also (and I cannot say this strongly enough), do NOT go if you are vegan. They say they can accommodate vegans, but they 100% cannot. The server didn't seem to know what a vegan is (he asked if I could eat cheese or honey - he also seemed unclear about which restrictions were mine, which were my guest's.) More to the point, at least three of my courses were avocado, two were lettuce. They sometimes just removed items, with no substitute - and the substitutions were a cruel joke. The soup came with a couple of croutons in place of my friend's seafood mousse. Main dish was a piece of grilled lettuce (my friend had a very carefully prepared salmon). Dessert was a couple of sliced strawberries in place of cheesecake. (And included a gelatin item which I'm pretty sure was not vegan.) Again, this all cost nearly $100. For one course they inexplicably split my dish into two parts to accommodate my friend's diet. (There was no reason to split mine, & it was not made clear I should put it back together until my friend asked about it, only AFTER I'd eaten it. Again I felt like my restrictions were not really considered and planned for.) As to ambiance, the place is way too warm because it's open to the kitchen. The sauces were tasty, and my friend did enjoy his meal - but really, if someone makes a reservation & says they're vegan, they need to write back "im sorry, we cannot accommodate you." They also need to correct their online info (maybe establish a website), including offerings, price, and location. (They appear not to have a website. I see that their instagram page has the correct location, but there is no info about offerings or prices.) read more

Great experience. A lot of pickles. I would return for a great quality and price point on a 5 course meal. read more

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The food was delicious, beautifully presented and so creative! We are very sorry that more people don't realize how great the food is and are willing to make the trip to Tecate. It was a nice 10 minute walk from the US parking in Tecate CA. The restaurant feels like a drive Ning room in a nice home. Very comfortable and wonderful staff! read more

We were a party of 3, the place was for us as we arrive at 5. And that was great. We all picked the 8 course, Everything was great but the soup at least for me was the star of the evening. The kitchen uses non traditional methods and I have to thank them for it. Being NO expert by any means I believe that their food is moving the local cuisine forward. Its 4 stars because I would appreciate if the menu had a 8 course pairing to increase my food experience. read more

Restaurante Amores - Carrot - Mexican Near Me - Tecate, BCN

Unfortunate. I really liked a lot about this restaurant. The appetizers were amazing, especially for the price. The fish and the dessert were great. However, the main course, the pichana, was lacking. The quality of the beef was low and was a terrible way to end the meal. Also, the fire alarm was low on battery and beeped every few minutes. No one lets this keep happening in their home so I don't know why it seemed okay to let this happen in the restaurant I was paying to spend time in. I told the waiter it's bothersome and he just said yup, the battery is low so it beeps. It's sad though because I do really like this restaurant otherwise. read more

Restaurante Amores - Mexican Near Me - Tecate, BCN

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No exaggeration this was one of the best gourmet meals I have ever had. I live in San Diego and a day trip to Tecate is so worth it to experience this restaurant. We are vegetarian and Jesus accommodated our request and we were able to have an amazing 4 course meal with a dessert to die for. Jesus made me a delicious martini while my husband enjoyed his wine. The service was impeccable. Thank you Jesus! The presentation elevated the food to art. The pairing of unique and creative flavors was inspiring. The risotto course was honestly the best risotto I have had. I am dying to come back out to this restaurant. If you are in Tecate do not miss this place. And consider coming to Tecate for a fun day trip or weekend, the border crossing by foot is so easy and it's a walkable city. read more

Absolutely phenomenal experience. One of the best course menus I have had. Very affordable, the wine selection was local and carefully picked. Each course ( 8 in total) was brilliantly put together! The service was exceptional, our waiter was one of the chefs so he was extremely knowledgeable about each dish. The staff takes pride in there service and the food. I loved that the restaurant was not jammed packed with tables so it doesn't feel crowded. The music selections set a wonderful ambiance. read more

OMG!!! The atmosphere is chill very quiet yet it feels like home or at a dinner party with your own personal chef! So it is a fusion restaurant, the owner/ Chef is Japanese this his creations were superb! Everything was excellent! From beginning to end! Complements to the Chef and the Crew that made our meal the best I've had in a very long time!! Super delicious!! read more

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Fabulous from start to finish - Jesus was the perfect amount of attentive and spoke terrific English. The food was as delicious as it was beautiful. A lovely evening - we cannot wait to return. read more

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Awesome! An experience not to be missed! I dined with my wife for Valentine's Day. What a treat. Jose the chef/ waiter was an experienced man of the world, explaining each dish as if he nurtured it from conception. We will return often . Barron Peterson read more

IF I COULD GIVE THIS PLACE 10 stars I would! The food was amazing!!! And chef jhonathan was wonderful!!! As well as the waitress, really great service and wonderful people. We will be back!!! Gracias !! read more

Restaurante Amores - Mexican Near Me - Tecate, BCN

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We had attempted to visit this place once before, but we had someone who wasn't open to a 'surprise' menu. Finally had a chance to visit and we're glad that we did. Pleasantly surprised with the Chef's choices for our 4 course meal, which started with small bites of very tasty appetizers. The tomato soup was very good, and the main course included short ribs. All was very tasty and the wait staff does an excellent job in explaining the ingredients. There were four of us and it turned out to be a 2 hour experience that didn't feel like 2 hours at all. So, if you have an open mind and palate, highly recommend that you try this place. read more

Amazing food, incredible service. 3, 4, 5, & 8 course menus offered. Unquestionably the best restaurant in 50 miles. Note: this is a gourmet "tasting menu" French restaurant - not Mexican food. English spoken. Allow 2 hours for the 5 course menu. read more

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100 % recommended. The flavors are so delicious and the imagination of the chef Bravo.. read more

Escaped from Rancho La Puerta for dinner and it was WONDERFUL! Food was excellent and beautifully plated! Great service by the team. Would definitely go again! Pictures tell it all!! read more

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Best Tecate restaurant by far...maybe beats some San Diego restaurants as well! The price is steep for what one is used to paying in Mexico, but way worth the money...definitely worth making the trip to cross the border. Exquisite dining is putting it simply. read more

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Went for lunch with my son for his bday and the hostess said "this is not a cheap place" Only staid cause my son wanted to try it ... not going back Food wasn't worth it read more

These people love what they do and it shows. Could be named Secreto since you really don't know what you're getting into when you go past their tiny front kitchen and walk into a rustic, bricked walled bodega feeling space, but nicely set up with very comfy chairs and good soothing music. As others have said, the décor could use a professional touch but I hope they wouldn't change too much. We were served mostly by the sommelier, a lovely, very knowledgeable young man. Loved the food and presentation, excellent regional wines, excellent timing. Everything very clean. We will definitely go back, even though my husband was a little put-off by the setting and feels they should refine the space just a bit more. But it's all about the food here, so I will not take a star off for decoration! read more

Excellent food, service and atmosphere, chef Marcelo is rally doing magic with his menu and his restauran. Must go... read more

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So we were camping at Lake Moreno and decided to go to Tecate for lunch. Thought we'd get a little authentic Mexican food. Found Amores onYelp. From the outside, it looks like a taco stand. I've never been so wrong. Paris, London, Rome, Beverly Hills....Tecate? Move over, there is a new five star in town! Joshua, the manager, guided us through all five courses of the most artistically presented meal I have ever experienced. The chef chooses the daily menu from what is fresh, organic and in season. There is a slight nod to traditional Mexican dishes but the menu tilts firmly toward European roots. This place is a foodies dream but I don't want to oversell. Just go there. Now. read more

Amazing! Amores. Best meal we (all 11 of us!) have had in10 years. Well worth the lovely trip down from San Diego. read more

Restaurante Amores - Mexican Near Me - Tecate, BCN

The food was simply wonderful! The head chef, Jonathan, came to our table and discussed the menu concept. There is no set menu - they (he) decides what to serve based on what is available locally. The result was a 5 course meal that was unbelievable - from the salad (hot & cold items), to the soup (an experience all by itself), to the main dishes (you pick 2 in the 5 course meal), and to top it off the desert. You have to try to fully understand how exquisite the food is and how artful the presentations are. Truly a magical night! read more

This is our favorite spot in Tecate. Not only is the food amazing, but you can't beat the service and overall dining experience.

Going south of the border for something other than Mexican food was a great adventure. This unique restaurant, created by a Japanese-Mexican chef and his partner, a Mexican, both trained in Europe and enlivened by current trends in food, gave us a wonderful customized meal in five courses over two and a half hours. I highly recommend it. read more

This is absolutely the best restaurant in Tecate, and in my opinion one of the best in Baja! This is not a place for a quick meal, so you should plan accordingly read more

Quite the interesting place. The front door opens right into the kitchen, then it's a small step down into the dinning room. It's a bit on the small side, I remember about 8 table total, but half of them would hold 6-8 people each. It was hot the day we went, 93 outside and the A/C did not come close to keeping up. Halfway through the meal the waitress turned it off!? The food was mostly wonderful. Combinations that I had not had before and several of them were just amazing. Two pastries and some fruit bread came first with an olive tapenade, superb. The oyster soup with cheese and grapes was excellent. My whitefish with mashed potatoes, squash and broccolini was good, not great. The ribeye with mushroom sauce my girlfriend got was was very good but she did not care for the broccolini and garlic flowers. Desert was Kiwi and cactus sorbet, not wonderful. The sangria I had was made in-house and was heavenly. To summarize; the layout is off-putting, the A/C is inadequate but most of the dishes were very good. Also the decor could use a professionals touch. I will go back, but not on hot day. read more

Outstanding. Great, attentive service and they dealt with our food needs (vegetarian and gluten free) without issue. A gem in Tecate that was worth driving from San Diego for. Beyond taste the presentation was nothing short of exceptional. Better haute cuisine than many fine dining establishments noth of the border. Out of the way - but worth the time investment. read more

Just back from my first time in Tecate. Went there on the spur of the moment with a friend, decided to try Restaurante Amores, and woo hoo, quite an experience. We were there for about two and a half hours. I had the four-course prix fixe menu, though one does get lots of choices within that prix fixe. I had a salad, a soup, a fish dish, and dessert; my friend had just the soup and the fish, as he was not as hungry as I. The first arrivals were two delicate little pickles with several little pastes on them, quite delicious. Also fresh foccacia with a very tasty olive tapenade - we were offered as much of that as we liked and did indeed order a refill, and then Adrian, our wonderful engineer cum waiter, shared the recipe. The salad and the soup were the most phenomenal - so many unique little touches, like the "tierra" - ground popcorn with some spices that added both texture and taste. The soup arrived as a kind of rainbow garland of edible flowers and little "pastes" on a small centerless round of tostada, sitting in the bottom of a bowl. Over that, Adrian poured a tomato bisque (I requested mine sans pulpo, as I would rather admire octopus than eat them) over this garland, which then began proffering its sabor to and rising toward the top of the soup. Delicious! The fish (whose name I have forgotten) was a little too strong-flavored for both of us and a little dry, though it rested on a bed of freshly-picked micro-greens, each of which was unique. Its accompanying mole sauce was wonderful. The only item whose composition I questioned was the dessert, described as "cheesecake". After some excavating, I did discover several tiny little slices of over-sweet cheesecake buried under a melange of fruits, tiny basil leaves, ground toasted grains, and an astounding strawberry sorbet that really stole the show. I found the dessert a little too busy and heading in too many directions, in part following the complexity of the meal. But that sorbet...yummm... So even though there were a couple items that in my experience just missed the mark, overall it was a fantastic meal, Adrian was as attentive as one could wish and introduced each dish in great detail, and the price, though very high by south of the border standards, was about $25 U.S. total for my four-course extravaganza. A delightful, artful experience. Bien hecho! read more