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Animalón

Mexican restaurant in Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico

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1358002871 · 2026-06-05T23:53:48Z
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restaurant9 uses in this article Mexican5 uses in this article opening4 uses in this article serving3 uses in this article opened3 uses in this article Guide3 uses in this article establishment2 uses in this article received2 uses in this article year-old2 uses in this article between2 uses in this article seafood2 uses in this article pop-up2 uses in this article region2 uses in this article first2 uses in this article Oscar2 uses in this article under2 uses in this article farm-to-table1 uses in this article contemporary1 uses in this article high-quality1 uses in this article Municipality1 uses in this article

Overview

Animalón is a Mexican fine dining restaurant in the Valle de Guadalupe region of Ensenada Municipality, in Baja California, Mexico, serving contemporary Mexican cuisine. It is owned by the chef Javier Plascencia, who opened it in 2017, and its head chef is Oscar Torres. The establishment offers diners the opportunity to eat under a 200-year-old oak tree. Animalón operates as a pop-up restaurant, opening between April and November. Animalón offers a seasonal farm-to-table tasting menu, comprising a six-to nine-course menu centered on seafood and vegetables. Critics have given Animalón favorable reviews, and in 2024, the restaurant received one Michelin star in the first Michelin Guide covering restaurants in Mexico.

Description

Animalón serves Mexican food. It offers monthly The eatery also offers wine pairing featuring drinks produced in the state. Other drinking options include a craft beers and cocktails. The establishment is a pop-up restaurant, opening between April and November. Animalón serves customers under a 200-year-old oak tree, serving around a dozen of tables. According to the Michelin Guide, diners are seated in a different restaurant during cold months, when Animalón is closed.

History

Animalón is the second restaurant opened by the chef Javier Plascencia at the Finca Altonzano in the Valle de Guadalupe region. previously serving as a venue for social events. After opening his first restaurant, he conceived the idea of opening another restaurant beneath the tree. Oscar Torres is Animalón's head chef. He was born in Los Angeles, California, and has Mexican heritage; his parents opened a seafood restaurant there. He studied culinary arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and trained in Michelin-starred French restaurants in Los Angeles. and has capacity for 40 people.

Reception

Bill Esparza named Animalón one of the best restaurants in Valle de Guadalupe for the websites Alta Online and Eater. When the Michelin Guide debuted in 2024 in Mexico, it awarded 18 restaurants with Michelin stars. Animalón received one star, meaning "high-quality cooking, worth a stop", earning praise for its atmosphere.

See also

* List of Mexican restaurants * List of Michelin-starred restaurants in Mexico

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