Cocina de Autor

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Restaurant Shaped by Two Michelin Stars and One Remarkable Setting

Cocina de Autor sits within Grand Velas Los Cabos on the Baja California Sur coastline, where the terrace opens directly to the Sea of Cortez. Forbes Travel Guide, which awarded the restaurant Four Stars, singles out that terrace as the place to be — close enough to hear the ocean and feel the salt-air breeze. It is a setting that earns its reputation without needing to oversell itself.

The restaurant is a Grand Velas concept built around the philosophy of Dutch chef Sidney Schutte, a two-Michelin-Star recipient whose career spans some of Europe and Asia's most decorated kitchens. He trained at De Librije in Zwolle under Jonnie Boer — a kitchen where Schutte helped secure its third Michelin star — and later opened a second De Librije location in Amsterdam that earned two stars within seven months under his direction. Time at Amber in Hong Kong and De Scholteshof in Belgium further shaped a palate drawn to layered taste sensations within a single dish. Schutte holds the SVH Meesterkok title, the highest culinary honour in the Netherlands, and visits Los Cabos several times a year to refine the menu.

The Kitchen Today

Day-to-day, the restaurant is led by Executive Chef Francisco Sixtos, a native of Jalisco whose own career took him through Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe before returning him to Mexico. He led Lumière in Cancun, held senior roles in Playa del Carmen and New York's The Carlyle, and arrived at Grand Velas Los Cabos to head a kitchen that now carries both a Michelin star and five AAA Diamonds. His approach follows Schutte's philosophy closely: simplicity, the finest ingredients, and cooking with precision.

The Experience

Dinner at Cocina de Autor begins at the bar, where mixologists pour cocktails — or, given the setting, a tequila or mezcal flight. Guests are then guided through an eight-to-ten course tasting menu built around fresh local produce, regional meats, and seafood. The creative fine dining format is attentive to sustainability, with locally sourced, organic ingredients reducing the kitchen's environmental footprint. For those wanting a closer look, the chef's table offers an intimate, front-row seat to the evening's work.

The restaurant is adults-only (18 and over), dress code is elegant, and reservations are required. The Forbes inspectors noted the staff's deep knowledge of both the menu and wine pairings as a particular strength — a detail that holds up in a room where each course is designed to carry its own story.