For our dessert the chef constructed a plate of delicate Petits Fours, which included the most luscious flan I've ever had, a flan layered coffee-soaked cake, and a yellow cake layered with a delicate strawberry cream. Incredibly decorative sculptured and colored sugar garnishes -- some abstract and some shaped like butterflies -- gave the dish an elegant and whimsical appeal.

So impressed I was with the food and the atmosphere at Nikki Beach restaurant that I came back for dinner the following evening. The experience lived up to my expectations.

While the dinner menu also offers an abundance of sushi options, I decided to sample the restaurant's other revered fare. On this occasion my party started with the St. Tropez wild salmon and crab cake with sautéed vegetables and topped with a lobster bisque; and grilled scallops -- cooked to a perfect medium -- served with a mound of sautéed mushrooms, arugula and lemon. Other salacious starters on the menu include the shrimp Marabella sautéed in extra virgin olive oil and infused with chili, shaved garlic and parsley; and beef kabobs served with spicy peanut and sesame sauce.

Salad selections also abound on the Nikki Beach dinner menu. Among the more notable is the seafood salad -- a mix of vegetables, olives, calamari, shrimp, mussels, and scallops all marinated in a white wine and olive oil vinaigrette; and the salmon and scallops carpaccio, accompanied with garlic whipping cream, baby lettuce, guajillo chili pepper and basil oil. Our party opted for the classic Caesar salad with chicken. The romaine lettuce was crisp and firm, and was not overly dressed. The grilled marinated chicken diced and tossed therein was appropriately moist and flavorful.

Entrees offer a range of vegetarian, seafood and meat selections. I chose the grilled lobster that, although split down the middle, was propped and plated vertically for a dramatic presentation. The lobster meat was very sweet and succulent to the extent that I barely dipped into the drawn butter served alongside. The lobster was paired with an assortment of fresh grilled vegetables. The far richer Lobster Thermidore - grilled lobster topped with a browned creamy cheesy mixture of cooked lobster meat, egg yolks, and liquor -- is an alternate lobster entrée offered at the restaurant. Another in my party opted for the sea bass that was on special that evening, which was grilled to perfection such that the desired taste and texture of this delicate fish was duly maintained.



Other standouts of particular interest on Nikki Beach's dinner menu include the Pankoco shrimp served with risotto rice, shiitaki mushrooms, fresh coconut and a mango sauce with horse radish; New York strip steak in a roasted shiitake and garlic cabernet sauce served alongside an array of vegetables and au gratin potatoes; and the grilled veal chop with mashed sweet potatoes and asparagus.

Although a full and quite impressive dessert menu is offered, my party decided to keep it simple and ordered chocolate ice cream with a side of diced strawberries to mix in. To add flair and dramatic effect to even this simple dessert selection, the scoops were served in large, elegant martini style glassware with fudge drizzled around the plate used as a base.

In all, I found this restaurant to be a fantastic combination of relaxed outdoor beach resort atmosphere, fine dining-caliber service and gratifying global cuisine. If you're planning a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, do yourself a favor and book a reservation for lunch or dinner -- or both -- at Nikki Beach.

For more information, visit www.nikkibeach.com.

- Merilee Kern
JustLuxé.com's "The Luxe List" Executive Review Editor

The Luxe List product, service and travel review editor Merilee Kern scours the luxury marketplace for new and captivating "musts." Submissions are accepted via e-mail at Merilee@JustLuxe.com. View all of Merilee's Luxe List articles here (scroll to page bottom).