The Best Sushi in Cabo San Lucas: Six Spots We Keep Going Back To

The fish here does not travel far. Tuna, yellowtail and the day's catch come off boats you can see from the Marina, and the best sushi counters in Cabo San Lucas build their menus around that. Add a little Baja heat, some Peruvian ideas, and a chef who treats a knife like a paintbrush, and you get a sushi scene that surprises people who came for tacos and margaritas.

We have eaten at all of these more than once. Here is where we send friends, and why.

Nicksan Cabo: the one everybody argues about first

Nicksan sits in Plaza de la Danza on Blvd. Paseo de la Marina, right in the middle of town. The style is Japanese technique with Mexican ingredients, and it has been the reference point for sushi in Cabo for years. It is a $$$ room, quiet and a bit dressy, and it holds a 4.5 rating from around 450 reviews. The tea list and the cocktail list are both worth a look. Doors are open 11:30am to 10:30pm every day, so you can do a long lunch here as easily as dinner. Book ahead in high season.

Daikoku: the Marina regular with a fireplace

Also on Paseo de la Marina, inside Plaza Nautica, Daikoku is the place locals default to when they want sushi without a production. It is open 1pm to 11pm daily, sits at $$$, and has over a thousand reviews averaging 4.5. There is outdoor seating, a fireplace for the two weeks a year you want one, a proper wine list and delivery if you would rather eat at home. Popular for lunch and dinner both.

Cayao: the special-occasion pick

Cayao is the highest rated of the $$$ sushi rooms in town, a 4.8 from roughly 310 reviews. This is the one for an anniversary or a night when you want the omakase treatment.

Sora: the best value

Sora runs a 4.9 across about 310 reviews at a $$ price level, which makes it the best rating-to-price ratio on this list. Casual, fast, and the rolls are as fresh as anywhere.

Nao Cabo: sushi with a rooftop in San José

If you are staying on the San José del Cabo side, Nao Cabo on Miguel Hidalgo is the answer. It is a $$ Japanese room with rooftop seating, a 4.8 rating from a smaller crowd of about 85 reviews, and unusual hours: 7am to 2pm and then 5pm to 10pm most days, Sunday 9am to 4pm. Yes, that means a Japanese breakfast is on the table. Pair it with a walk through the art district after.

Funky Geisha: the late one

Funky Geisha is pan-Asian rather than pure sushi, with Thai and Chinese plates alongside the rolls, and it stays open 1pm to 1am. That makes it the sushi option after 10:30pm when the others have closed. Reviews are mixed, a 3.8 from about 150, so go for the hour and the cocktails, not for a purist's nigiri.

Before you go

• Price levels. Nicksan, Daikoku and Cayao are $$$. Sora, Nao and Funky Geisha are $$. Expect the $$$ rooms to add up fast once sake and cocktails are involved.
• Reservations. Book 7 to 14 days out for Nicksan and Cayao in high season (December through March is the busiest stretch). Same day usually works at Daikoku and Sora.
• Tipping. 15 to 20 percent, in pesos or dollars, both are fine.
• Ask about the catch. Every one of these places has something off the boat that morning that is not on the printed menu. Ask, then order it.

Six spots, two sides of Los Cabos, one rule: order what came in today. See more of where we eat on our Cabo restaurants page.