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Fauna

Valle de Guadalupe

• The Best Restaurant in Mexico 2023

Boundary-breaking cooking from Mexico’s most exciting culinary duo

On the Pass

David Castro Hussong (left)

Pastry Chef

Maribel Aldaco Silva (right)

What’s the story? Chef David Castro Hussong and pastry chef Maribel Aldaco Silva opened Fauna in 2017 after working and traveling around the world. Castro was born and raised in Ensenada and had always dreamed that one day he’d pay homage to the ingredients of his hometown and its surrounding region. Today, the couple creates daily-changing experimental menus using exclusively seasonal and local ingredients.

What’s the setting? Fauna has evolved a lot since 2017. It is now part of the Bruma project, featuring a vineyard, a beautiful cellar, a hotel with 15 villas and a B&B with eight rooms. The dining room holds a big, communal wooden table that was constructed to create a sense of community among diners. The view from this room and the terrace is stunning, especially at sunset.

What will I eat? Chefs Castro and Aldaco mix ingredients in creative ways with incredibly tasty results. The grilled lettuce with mackerel is the perfect example. The best way to enjoy the dishes on the à la carte is by sharing, but there is also a tasting menu with the happy ending of Aldaco’s desserts, which bring local ingredients to the table with a spectacular technique, as seen in honey semifreddo served with milk ice cream and salted caramel – a creation worthy of the Latin America’s Best Pastry Chef 2023, sponsored by República del Cacao.

Worthy of note: Fauna won the One To Watch Award in 2020 and debuted on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 with the highest ranking of any new venues, earning it the Highest New Entry Award. In 2023, as the highest-ranking eatery in its country, Fauna is crowned The Best Restaurant in Mexico.

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