Loreto Live TV: La Palapa Restaurant from Stark Insider on Vimeo.

True to its name, a giant palapa roof towers over the patrons of La Palapa Restaurant & Bar in Loreto Baja California Sur. Large beams and woodwork provide structural support like an umbrella. Mariachi music, laughter, and the bustle of the kitchen and waiters really brings this place to life. The energy level is high as the gentle Baja breeze blows in from across the Sea of Cortez just down the road.

All wasn’t so well just last year when the whole restaurant went up in flames and burnt to the ground. Good old fashioned perseverance that seems so abundant in Loreto has brought it back to life and as you can see in this video, it remains a popular eating destination.

I’d say this is the perfect place to go when you’re in the mood for traditional Mexican fare served in simple fashion together with a fun atmosphere, ice cold drinks and friendly staff. Unlike the leisurely pace of some of the finer restaurants down the road such as 1697 and Mita Gourmet, at La Palapa you don’t need to book off 3-4 hours to get through a dinner. For folks with kids, this can be a thankful bonus.

On this evening we were also fortunate to run into the Kaz gang. Kaz, his wife Sandi, kids and grandchildren were all enjoying themselves nearby. The next day, we enjoyed a tour of Kaz’s Nueva Chica FN550. His grandson Colin was sprinkling small gravel on his food, a great source of fibre!

Have you been to La Palapa? You can write your own review and even add a photo in the Stark Insider Loreto Guide. Also, go ahead and give it a star rating so we can discover the best Loreto restaurants.

Clinton shoots videos for Stark Insider. San Francisco Bay Area arts, Ingmar Bergman and French New Wave, and chasing the perfect home espresso shot 25 seconds at a time (and failing). Peloton: ClintTheMint. Camera: Video Gear