Gustavo Pinet

The Climb

At Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana, Gustavo Pinet built the technical ground for a career defined by discipline and measured progression. The kitchens that followed tightened that foundation. As Executive Chef at Guadalajara Country Club (2010–2012), he held responsibility for a serious operation and tested his leadership in a demanding role. At Las Ventanas al Paraiso (2012–2016), as Executive Sous Chef, he added scale and complexity to that experience, taking on broader responsibilities in large-format hospitality. Since 2016, Gustavo Pinet has served as Executive Chef of Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, where the work sits within one of the region’s most distinguished addresses. The setting is part of the brief: sea, light, and the textures of the Baja coast all shape the frame around the plate.

Today

At Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, he oversees Don Manuel’s, the signature Los Cabos Mexican restaurant whose eclectic menu changes seasonally to feature the freshest locally sourced ingredients. The room is built on immediacy and range, with the menu shifting to match the season and the region. He also oversees El Farallon, the cliffside, award-winning restaurant with a seafood-focused dining experience, where the location is the service and the edge-of-the-sea setting carries real weight. His cooking is anchored in the freshness and quality of local ingredients from the Baja California peninsula, and he sources the freshest ingredients from Baja California all the way to the Yucatán to build one-of-a-kind meals. The method is direct: let ingredient and place carry the discussion. As he has said, “Our restaurants all sit in one-of-a-kind locations.”

Signature

Gustavo Pinet’s signature dishes include Don Manuel’s, El Farallon, and Travesía. Taken together, they map the range of his work: a Mexican dining room with a seasonal cadence, a cliffside seafood destination, and a name that signals movement and passage.

In Their Words “His culinary philosophy centers on highlighting the freshness and quality of local ingredients from the Baja California peninsula.” “He believes that discovering a new dish brings more happiness to humanity than discovering a new star.”

Recognition

Recognition around Gustavo Pinet follows the dining rooms he runs. Don Manuel’s is built around a seasonal menu and local sourcing, while El Farallon is described as award-winning. The distinction sits in the work itself: the kitchen craft, the clarity of the ingredients, and the sense of place running through both rooms. His own view of the trade stays plain: “He believes that discovering a new dish brings more happiness to humanity than discovering a new star.”