Paseo de los Heroes, at the Abraham Lincoln statue. Don't be surprised if you find many fine restaurants, and even taco stands, nearly deserted during American dining hours. Smoking is permitted throughout Mexican restaurants. Reservations are usually not necessary in border-area and Baja establishments. Be prepared for a daring menu that includes chili rellenos stuffed with shrimp in lobster sauce, garlicky ant eggs, buttery cactus worms and delicate squash blossom soup.
Portions are generous.
Cien Anos is one of the few Tijuana restaurants where reservations are a must. La Costa is classy, quiet escape for weary visitors in the heart of the city's shopping district. The menu boasts eight kinds of lobster, 20-plus shrimp dishes, crab, scallops, escargot, mussels, oysters, octopus, squid and even abalone, when available. Hot hors d'oeuvres are complimentary, and La Costa's special Mexican after-dinner drinks are on the house. The colorful, multi-level restaurant looks like a Mexican village, with balconies, street lamps and the bold, bright decor of central Mexico.