Primitivo Restaurante

Primitivo Restaurant is an absolute gem in Valle de Guadalupe! From the moment we arrived, the service was impeccable—warm, attentive, and knowledgeable. The staff went out of their way to ensure every detail of our dining experience was perfect. Now, let’s talk about the food—simply outstanding. Every dish was a masterpiece, showcasing the best of local ingredients with creative flair. The flavors were perfectly balanced, with every bite telling a story of the region. The seafood was incredibly fresh, the meats tender and flavorful, and the vegetarian options were equally impressive. We also indulged in their wine pairing, which highlighted the incredible wines of Valle de Guadalupe and elevated the meal to another level. The presentation of each dish was stunning, and you could tell the chefs put their heart and soul into every plate. It’s rare to find a place where food not only tastes amazing but also feels like an art form. Overall, Primitivo delivers an unforgettable dining experience, blending exceptional food, outstanding service, and the beautiful ambiance of Valle. This is a must-visit for anyone exploring the region. We can’t wait to return!

This restaurant is an absolute gem! Nestled under majestic 300-year-old oak trees, the rustic setup feels like a step back in time—so unique and serene. We had the 4-course beef menu, featuring 20-hour smoked ribs and NY strips, and it was unbelievable. The flavors were incredible, and they manage to make everything taste so good yet so simple. Their commitment to minimizing waste by creatively using every part of each animal is truly admirable. The open outdoor kitchen adds to the charm, and the live flame fire pit next to each table creates a warm and cozy atmosphere. This is more than just dining—it’s an unforgettable experience.

Arrived early on a Sunday for lunch and had the whole space to ourselves (no reservations needed). The kitchen is excellent, the catch of the day 5-course meal was ample food for two, plus oysters and dessert, a bottle of wine during the course, water and a pale ale to return back to the ground. About 1.5 hours of love and beauty in the most complex decor thinkable: the divinity of nature and the celebration of life.

This was my second time dining at Primitivo and once again, the service and cuisine was absolutely excellent. The care, attention, and details they put into both their seafood, meat, and vegetarian courses is exquisite and every bite is delicious. The ambience is really perfect for both dinner parties as well as lunch for two. Seated underneath a tree hundreds of years old, and the food cooking over the fire creates an unforgettable experience. Also the staff are very courteous, observant, and kind. Looking forward to returning again and again.

Beautiful setting with amazing service. Reservation only. Takes about 2 hours for all 5 courses based around your protein of choice, we chose beef. It was delicious and the portions were very generous and more than enough for 2 people. Getting there was a little tricky but worth the chase. Definitely planning on coming back.

Just an amazing experience - incredible food in a beautiful setting. We were lucky enough to visit with the talented chef who does such amazing things with local ingredients. We can’t wait to come back. Highly recommend!!

This place is so magical! Eating under a 300 year old tree with beautiful lights is such a great experience. The food was amazing and the chef/owner is so nice. The staff is super accommodating and made our dinner special. Will definitely be back!

Extraordinary, even compared to all the great places in the valle! For me, within the top 2 or 3 places to eat. We had the three course tasting menu of yellowtail tuna. Each dish was perfect, incredibly flavorful, maybe more simply prepared than other places and better for it. Quality of the ingredients was unparalleled. Plenty of food in the three courses tho we want to come back for the five. Cocktails were also fantastic! Bread was made in the fire and so delicious too! Menu was a little unclear/confusing with limited descriptions but everything was so good, I wouldn’t worry about the details, just trust them!

Great place to visit in valle. Would def return. We got the full course meat option which was more than enough food for two people. Cocktails were great. They served me one of the best carajillos I've ever had! Staff is attentive equaling to great service. Atmosphere and ambiance is super relaxed too!

What a disappointment! How this place has a Michelin star?! Horrible service, food and painful cold. I'm a chef in LA and we were so excited to try Primitivo. Open arriving they couldn't find our reservation in their system. The front desk lady said this happens a lot. She set us down and no one came to the table for about 10 minutes. The menu had 3 options Duck, Octopus and Beef. Online it was fish, octopus and beef. I guess they don't update the menu. We wanted fish of octopus since is Ensenada. None was available. Odd for a Michelin star. Lady came explained the menu and the restaurant concept but didn't take an order. Another 10 minutes (the restaurant only had 3 more tables to service) and she finally gets our order. She mentioned the beef corse comes with bread so unless we want extra breed no need to order. Another 10 minutes no breed no drinks no food another gentlemen comes to take our order again! Thats 6:30 already! We arrived for reservation at 6pm. 6:40 finally 1st course. Potatoes chips that were saggy and soft not crunchy like chips. I can make better at home.The tripas were lightly breaded but definitely refried and over fried. No favor no salt. Bread finally arrive at the table (it's suppose to be starter) 2 course bone marrow just simple some salsa on the side and blue corn tortillas super thick and undercooked. Luckily they can overcook bone marrow it just fat it would just melt away disappear. I've added salt and it was good. Not Michelin star for sure. 3 course inedible carrots so charred burnt you don't see the color of te carrot just pitch black. I wish I would taken pictures but I was so cold and hungry and chocked I forgot. Finally 7 people start to arrive (the website says last reservation 7 pm) all of the sudden the restaurant is packed. Still 3rd course dry short ribs not one single juice coming out of it. How can you overlook a cut of meat that's very fatty and juicy? Comes with bread I don't know why. At this point is about 7:50 and they are still sitting people. We order 4 course and decided to not eat the 4th one. I filled up on bread and butter the best part of the dinner. The lady went to ask the kitchen if it was ok to just cancel the 4th course it took another 10 minutes. It was ok, we asked for the check it came charging us extra bread and 4th course meal. They adjusted after complaint. They are still sitting prole is pass 8pm. The server came to apologize for not expecting that many costumers and being short staff. Why seat that many people if you don't have the staff?? Com'on is a 2024 Michelin star?! The staff also consist in very young people I don't think there was one person including the kitchen that was older than 30. You looked at the open kitchen and they are moving like sloths. Only 3 cooks and one of the cooks also working as a server. One cook labeling and preping in the middle of busy unexpected service! The gentleman next to us his cheap chair broke while he was eating (I'm not making this up) he left and his girlfriend came back saying he hit his head! They set us right at the exit for the bathroom where the wind was coming thru cold wind. They bring portable fire pits but don't keep on adding wood to it so no fire not heat and none next to us! What a mess what a nightmare.

The Mrs. and I had lunch at Primitivo yesterday during our Valle de Guadalupe wine country adventure. I'm thankful our driver, Miguel, knew where Primitivo was located. Getting there is an adventure. You get off the main highway, turn down a dirt road, past a house that has a bunch of junk in the yard, until you see the rust colored sign for Primitivo. I didn't do a lot of research on Primitivo. I knew that it had made it onto the Michelin guide under "recommended". Once we arrived at Primitivo we walked down a short dirt path towards a small opening in a giant oak tree that was draping the ground. The hostess magically appeared from within to greet us. As she walked us to our table, she let us know that the oak tree was over 300 years old. Folks, the oak tree IS the dining room. We were seated at a rustic table facing the kitchen. Yes, it is outdoors as well and to call it anything less than a kitchen would be a disservice to those who work in that space. Before us sat a wall of firewood. White oak to be exact. Beyond that wall were talented chefs creating culinary masterpieces born of fire. A grill that was designed by head chef Carolina Jiménez is the centerpiece of this outdoor art exhibition. The concept of Primitivo is...primitive. Cooking over an open flame, using locally sourced ingredients, and utilizing every part of the animal. The food is served courses. Three or four courses depending on your preference and appetite. The courses are designed for two people to share and range from 1600 to 2100 Pesos(Approximately $80 to $105) depending on your selection of protein. Your choices are Fishing, Octopus, or Beef. We chose the three course beef menu. There is a four course version available.FYI, the menu online doesn't necessarily reflect the protein available that day. The menu for yesterday, October 19, 2024 was: Potato chips with rosemary and garlic, golden tripe. Roasted sweetbread tacos. Roasted short rib and glazed carrots with New York crackling. The potato chips with rosemary and garlic, golden tripe were served in a cast iron skillet. The potatoes were slightly fried and the garlic melted at the touch of my fork. The tripe was fried perfectly. Tiny crisp nuggets of perfection that when eaten with the potatoes and garlic made for an incredible dish. The roasted sweetbread tacos were wonderful. Served with handmade blue corn tortillas and a spicy brown sauce. The sweetbreads were perfectly seasoned and unless you were told what you were eating you'd think you were eating carnitas. The short rib was smoked over an open flame for 20 hours. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It was served with a grilled homemade focaccia and glazed carrots with New York crackling. I'm not a fan of carrots but I could become one if they were cooked like Primitivo's. Primitivo offers oysters as an appetizer. Desserts are also offered along with an extensive selection of drinks and wine. I ordered the Manhattan which was really good and the Mrs. had the mint julep which was really good as well. If you're going to dine at Primitivo, be patient and allow yourself some time. We were in a bit of a time crunch just because we were only in Ensenada for a few hours. We arrived via cruise ship. Primitivo and the Valle de Guadalupe is only 30 minutes from downtown Ensenada. The only downside is Primitivo doesn't open until 1 so plan accordingly if you have time constraints. The staff were very friendly and welcoming and the service was excellent.

This has become a must stop every time we visit! The food was exquisite the last time we were here and looked forward to returning. Concept is simple, select a protein and the table enjoys 3 to 5 courses comprised using different parts. We had the beef selection the last time and had the octopus during this visit. We started with the octopus head transformed into chicharron- the next course was the torso lightly grilled into tacos- the tentacles were nicely charred on a bed of califlower purée. The atmosphere is serene with tables under an oak tree with the smell of the wood fire permeating throughout! Customer service is superb, explaining each course and nuggets of info to keep you interested in the next course . Looking forward to returning and trying the duck or fish

5 stars nice place and good food. We had the octopus selection and the clam appetizer. 2 drinks and coffee it came out to around $70USD pp. real reasonable. Would recommend. EDIT: My wife brought up a point that she didn't like.... Although its called Primitivo, she feels that some basic landscaping (native plants to the region maybe) and better marking of the entrance is needed. To get there, you pass some guy's house with a bunch of crap and a mattress outside. Find a way to make that very first visual impression not as crappy.

Fantastic place and fantastic setting. The food and attention to detail was amazing. My girl and I went on a quiet wednesday and had entire restaurant to ourselves. I ordered a Martini and was informed they ran out of ice. They then went and fetched ice from a nearby store. The only down side was that it got a little cold. However, the servers brought over a fire pit and that kept us warm. Just phenomenal service, phenomenal setting under 300+ year old oak tree. Must try!

We went here for an early dinner on a Tuesday night. The vibe is romantic. Outdoor seating, only, like most restaurants in Valle de Guadalupe. This also means the kitchen, by default, is open air. Everything hanging over the grill looked delicious. Because of how complicated it is to operate a restaurant in the Valle, the menus tend to be very limited. This place offered three sharing options: beef, fish, or vegetarian. We opted for the beef. The server explained their whole philosophy of not believing in wasting any part of the animal, so this meant before we were finally served the final ribeye cut, we got tripe and sweetbreads, followed by flat iron or hanger steak (I can't recall which). Although everything tasted okay, none of the dishes left me leaving with a "wow" factor. We started with the oysters, which were very tasty. Decent-sized wine menu. Bring lot of layers. Valle gets cold, especially at night.

Had an absolutely epic late lunch where our party of 5 ordered everything they had on the menu. When I heard the restaurant's concept, I was excited. Open fire cooking, whole animal menus, family style serving under an oak tree in a magical, natural setting? Sign me up. But an idea is one thing, and execution is another. And Primitivo delivered top tier execution. The food is rustic but elevated. Really fun and really delicious. I'll be back soon!

Just WOW -- a definite highlight from our recent trip to Valle. Off the main road you'll see a sign for Primitivo. Upon turning onto a dirt road, you'll encounter a gate with a security guard. Reservations highly recommended. After proceeding forward for a few minutes, you'll be greeted with a large oak tree. This is where the magic begins. As others have mentioned, the ambiance is incredible. The dining area is all outdoors underneath the tree and you can see your food + drinks being prepared with care. The weather was simply perfect and the outdoor dining room was simply incredible. The service was kind and attentive. Everyone we encountered was bi-lingual. The hostess/server Att thoughtfully explained the concept of Primitivo: minimize waste through honoring every part of the animal. This takes the form of multi-course menus portioned for two people featuring different proteins averaging $40/person. (Note: we had a party of 3 and one tasting menu turned out to be more than enough food for us.) The server recommended duck, since they don't always have this option available. Here was the lineup: 1. Duck skin chicharrones with squash (5/5): our favorite course. Rich, crunch, and flavorful perfectly complimented by vegetables. 2. Honey glazed wings with carrots (4.5/5): extremely flavorful - great mix of sweet and tangy. 3. Stewed thigh and legs (4/5): Hearty and filling 4. Seared breast and butternut squash topped with arugula (4/5): the breast was well seasoned and prepared but the butternut squash was AMAZING. Two hours later we were extremely satisfied. There's a nice collection of beverages to accompany your meal as well - we opted for wines and craft beers. A wonderful, memorable experience for sure. Looking forward to returning to try the steak and other menus!

BEWARE! UNAUTHORIZED CHARGE ON MY CREDIT CARD! Given the high reviews and beautiful pictures of this restaurant, I was excited to visit. I made a reservation. A credit card number was required to do so. Unfortunately our plans changed so I had to cancel the reservation. After returning home I was shocked to find a charge for $350 on my credit card. I called the restaurant numerous times requesting they refund the charge. They were always friendly and told me it would be taken care of, but it wasn't ever done. Now I am left filing a claim with my credit card company. This is very disappointing! A travelers worst nightmare. Your credit card information is not safe with this establishment!

We had the most incredible dinner last night at Primitivo in the Valle. It's smaller, outdoors under a 300 year old oak tree, and just excellent. You pick what meat you want- last night the choices were beef or sea bass but it varies a lot based on what's fresh- and if you want 3 courses or 5. Everything was incredible and cooked to perfection. There are some more adventurous items on the menu so be sure to ask what the courses are if you're not adventurous- but I'd encourage you to try it all because it will be delicious. The service was was also outstanding- attentive and friendly. We also ordered 2 cocktails- a peach mezcal drink and a vodka martini with lemon and rosemary- both outstanding. You need a reservation but it was pretty empty so I think they'd be easy to get. If you're looking for a cool experience with really good food I highly recommend it!

Very nice and interesting experience. It's really out there. It's really on the middle of nowhere and with very little moderen apparatus. But the food was great and the atmosphere was amazing. The seating is Under a huge tree, and the kitchen is right there next to you so you see how they're making the food. Most of what we had was beef one way or another and it was all great.

I'm amazed there are any reviews for this restaurant because finding it is near impossible. There are zero signs for it on the highway nor any leading you o the side roads. After several attempts to call, they finally picked up. The young lady could not provide directions. She simply said to look for a stone wall. So we went down a side road to a stone wall approximately to where GPS put them. Still no signs. We drove down a dirt road but only saw a sign for a different restaurant and winery. Then we reached an extremely steep hill that we didn't feel comfortable driving down in our sedan. Maybe if we had a large SUV but even then, extremely steep. And since we still hadn't seen a sign for the restaurant, we didn't want to chance it. We actually were stopped by other drivers in the same predicament. Trying to locate the restaurant. Locals in the area couldn't tell us where it was. We saw nice reviews but can only guess if the restaurant even exists. They don't seem to care if they have business or not. I recommend Salvia Blanca instead.

I went to this place last Sunday. What an amazing experience!! The setting is beautiful as the whole restaurant is outdoors under a tree. The menu is not like anything I have tried before. The chef prepares different set menus every day and we decided to try 3 different ones and share. I can truly say all 3 were excellent!! Out of all the restaurants I have tried in Valle, this is now by far my favorite!! The staff is very friendly and makes for a very enjoyable experience. This is definitely a must when you are in Valle!! I can't wait to go again and try different dishes. Well done Primitivo!!

Everything was amazing! This place is such a gem. We go here every 3 months from LA.? The food and staff were beyond.

Primitivo didn't disappoint! Their philosophy of using the whole animal/fish means you'll get some unconventional cuts or parts. We had the yellowtail tuna 3 course dinner. So you pick 3 ways to have yellowtail. We chose ceviche as 1st, the head 2nd and the belly as 3rd. All we're very good, cooked right outside by the tables. Their chefs cooked the head & belly perfectly. We enjoyed all 3 courses. The ceviche had a Smokey balsamic flavor. Two drawbacks: they close at 8 and wouldn't seat us later than 6 PM, so we still had. A lot of sun despite being under a huge oak tree. The only other problem, our table became overrun with Yellowjackets & flies. They tried plates of smoking embers, it helped for a few minutes. We wrapped up early & moved ourselves to an empty table nearby to finish.

We went today to Primitivo. To say it was a unique experience is an understatement. All the food is prepared fresh in front of you. We ordered the Octopus, the Fish and the Beef menus. Every one of the courses was delicious. My favorite were de Jurel Ceviche and the Ribeye. The staff is very attentive and super nice. We got there around 3 pm and we left at 8! Go to Primitivo, take your time, enjoy the amazing food and incredible ambiance! A MUST-GO experience in Valle de Guadalupe.

Amazing concept. Delicious food!!! Came here on Saturday night for dinner. It is absolutely gorgeous. Al fresco dining under a giant old tree. The chef cooks right there next to you on an open fire. The food was incredible. Everything had that delicious flame broiled quality. We need to come back because we had a concert to attend and we were rushing a bit so we couldn't finish our tasting menu. Next time we need to dedicate several hours to sitting down and enjoying the amazing food and ambiance. Being a jacket. It gets cold :)

Delectable. This place is so special and you should visit them and give them your money. You pick a protein and they serve it to you different ways. I went with a group of three and we chose beef and octopus. Everything was absolutely delicious. Service is amazing and the staff is friendly and attentive. Gracias a Valentina y Pablo y a los chefs por una experiencia inolvidable.

Very good! Besides the ambiance (under an oak tree) the steak plate is amazing. The beef tacos were great. The potatoes were really good. Be prepared to pay a premium. I would come back for sure. Great service. We were here for 2 hours drinking a bottle of red wine.

Omg everything was great ! Staff was awesome they explain how much food and what to order their recommendations where on point.

Ambiance nice but food terrible (burned and no flavor) in combination with hefty price tag.

Highly recommend this outdoor and unique dining experience! Staff, bartender and grill master were gracious and attentive. The food was exceptional- we ordered the fish courses. The concept is based on tasting four courses from the protein you select. The fish meal is enough for 2-3 people to share. The dining experience under a giant tree is very comfortable and unique. The flavors of the dishes were amazing. A sashimi appetizer, vegetable and fish, fish head and fish filet dishes were brought to our table one at a time. Don't be shy, take a nibble at the meat on the fish head. Enjoy!

One star because the vibe was nice but the food was wack and the drinks weren't good either. Forced myself to finish the food because it was pricey so might as finish the food. Would not recommend.

Amazing dinner, a totally unique experience. The chef, Carolina, explained the menu and restaurant with great detail. We had the 2 course oyster menu, and 5 course yellowtail menu. Everything was pretty incredible and the presentation was really cool. As fine dining as 100% outdoor, all natural can be. Two of us were stuffed and waited on for 3 hours for less than $100 USD before tip but we only had N/A drink.

The location and setting was beautiful! Unfortunately that is the only thing they had going for them. The staff was a little to quiet and not so friendly. The food was definitely not worth the price. They had no appetizers to offer either. With our beef platter We got four pieces of tuetano (bone marrow) and 2 had absolutely nothing. When we told the waitress, she said "yeah unfortunately that happens sometimes)...uhhh? Eventually they replaced the ones that had nothing and their attitudes seemed to change after. If you're looking for a nice dinner spot for pictures this is a good spot but if you wanting and outdoor dinner similar to this one with delicious food, I highly recommend Sierra Blanca Asador.

The location and concept are great. But the food was just not good. They have 4 courses and I didn't even let them waste there time with the 4th course. We didn't even really touch the third course. They had maybe 5 table when I went and they took forever to bring us the course and I'm talking about a 20+ minute wait once I was done with the course just to get the next one. And what a disappointment. One was just completely burnt not even chared just burnt. The drink were empty on the table and no one came to ask if we wanted another. Overall I would not and am not recommend this place. Go at your own risk. But definitely over priced for what you get. I even paid the full cost of dinner and left them a tip as well.

A party of 6 of us tried out Primitivo last weekend. We found this place just by chance and I'm so glad we did. We were told the menu changes weekly and sometimes daily. The night we were there they had 4 options with each option having 4-6 courses. We did them all. Unbelievable experience! All of us couldn't remember having a better all around culinary experience. We can't wait to go back.

just had dinner at Primitivo. this place is so beautiful. the waiters are so nice and the food is so good. i had never tried Rustic Bread made on the grill. it was amazing! everything is made from scratch and it's all natural and locally sourced. they even adopted local cats and a dog! I definitely recommend Primitivo to anyone visiting Valle de Guadalupe.

The atmosphere was very unique, loved the rustic vibe with the beautiful oak tree to dine under. Just perfect. We got the yellowtail entree, made three different ways. The sashimi was amazing, as well as the other two prepared ways. It was truly an all around superb experience!!! Loved the wine and mixed drinks we tried. Our waiter was super friendly and open to all the questions we had. Have already told friends about this place when they asked about our favorite restaurants in the valley. Can't wait to come back and try something new!

Everything was amazing- the ambiance, seated under a 300 year old oak tree, the service, the cocktails, every single 5 course dish was better than the last and we LOVED the concept of using the entire animal. The dogs on the property were also so sweet, well taken care of and were not intrusive. Cannot recommend this place enough. It's a hidden treasure.

Magic place with awesome food and vibes! Totally worthy. The food is grilled and they serve everything fresh! The pumpkin cake is a must! They cooked it for more than 6 hours. The music, Wines and energy of the place makes you feel in a relaxing and fine spot that you wouldn't leave in hours

Pretty location, outdoors under a tree with lanterns. Freezing cold. Their fix is fires next to each table, we had to ask for this and it created a ton of smoke. We went home smelling of smoke. The food wasn't great at all. We had the duck, it was very dry. Every course was over salted. We found none of the vegetables edible they were so salty and always heavily marinated in things like duck fat or citrus, it was way too much. We were so happy to leave. Service was very very slow.

OVER PRICED PRECIO MUY ELEVADO para comer debajo de un arbol Food is really Greasy drenched in oil i felt like i needed hot tea t wash down the grease from the beef on my throat the seating under the tree is nice but the price is over priced i got screewed with what i bough ine order of beef $120 dlrs with that pice i could of ate at a fancy place close by I would NOT RECOMEND IT

A great, unique experience! Eating great tasting food under a 100+ year old oak tree is a must for everyone.

The place was amazing and so was the food. With that said, if we go back I would do it differently. We ordered two five-course meals to share amongst four people. That took four hours. We didn't even finish the last two dishes of the second course because we were so tired. I wish they would have advised us that it was going to take that long. We made the assumption both meals were going to be cooked at the same time. But they cooked one course at a time. Which is completely understandable, but I do wish they would have told us. Or maybe they forgot about the second course? I'm not sure. Lastly, our car was broken into in their parking lot. They cut the alarm wire and took what we had in the car. It was very surprising because we've been to Valle multiple times, and we have never had issues. But I did notice other restaurants like Fauna had security in their parking lot. With that said, the food was delicious, but it was an expensive meal since we had to get the alarm in the vehicle fixed and we had to replace our stolen items.

Outstanding quality and unique dining experience. As someone who doesn't leave reviews, I had to for Primitivo