Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill is one of Sedona’s most popular fine dining restaurants, known for its red rock views, modern dining room, and Latin-inspired menu created by award-winning Chef Lisa Dahl.
This Mariposa Sedona review covers what we ordered, portion sizes, prices, reservations, the dress code, sunset views, and whether I think the experience is worth the price.
Mariposa is a good choice for an anniversary, birthday, date night, or one memorable dinner during a Sedona trip. It is more expensive than many other restaurants in town, but the experience includes much more than the food. The views, service, atmosphere, and overall setting are a major part of what you are paying for.
After dining here, I understand why reservations can be difficult to get. The portions were also more generous than I expected, and the Tres Leches alone gave me a very good reason to return.
If you are comparing restaurants for your trip, my Best Restaurants in Sedona: Where to Eat for Every Budget includes casual meals, special occasion restaurants, and several other places we tried.
Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill was created by Chef Lisa Dahl, who drew inspiration from her travels through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. She trained with local chefs and immersed herself in the food, wine, and culture of the region.
The menu focuses on premium meats and seafood, Arizona-grown organic produce, herbs from the restaurant’s garden, and bold Latin flavors. Chef Dahl’s philosophy is, “When you cook with love, you feed the soul.”
The restaurant was designed around Sedona’s scenery, with floor-to-ceiling windows and outdoor patios overlooking the surrounding red rocks.
Mariposa is a fine dining restaurant with a dress code, and reservations are highly recommended. The restaurant advises guests to check the menu during their visit because its online menu may not always reflect the most current options.
I loved the natural stone and classy design elements they used throughout the restaurant. It felt upscale and elegant without being overly formal.
The dining room is modern and elegant, and nearly every seat has some type of red rock view. It clearly feels designed for a slower dinner where you can sit, enjoy the scenery, and make the meal part of the evening instead of rushing through it.
We included Mariposa as one of our nicer dinners during a much larger trip. My 5 Days in Sedona: The Ultimate First-Time Itinerary shows how we worked restaurants, hikes, viewpoints, and nearby day trips into the same visit.
We ordered the Handmade Empanadas and Grilled Rosemary Focaccia to start. For my entrée, I chose the Filet Mignon with Mushroom Gorgonzola Chipotle Sauce and shared an order of Mom’s Favorite Au Gratin Potatoes.
Then came the Tres Leches because I am, apparently, always going to rank dessert first.
We chose the filet of beef Handmade Empanadas.
They arrived with fresh chimichurri and a sweet pineapple criolla that balanced the richness of the beef perfectly. The pastry was flaky and buttery, while the filling was tender and packed with flavor.
This was one of my favorite appetizers of the meal and something I would order again.
The Grilled Rosemary Focaccia was simple but excellent.
It was served warm and soft with a lightly crisp exterior and plenty of fresh rosemary flavor. It was also easy to share while we waited for our entrées.
For my entrée, I ordered the seven-ounce Filet Mignon with the Mushroom Gorgonzola Chipotle Sauce.
The filet was cooked beautifully and was incredibly tender. The sauce combined earthy mushrooms, creamy gorgonzola, and a subtle smoky kick from the chipotle.
It added plenty of richness without overpowering the steak.
If I had to recommend one side dish, it would be Mom’s Favorite Au Gratin Potatoes.
These were easily one of the highlights of the meal. They were rich, creamy, and loaded with white cheddar, with the slightest hint of truffle flavor. The truffle was not overpowering. It simply added another layer of richness that made them incredibly hard to stop eating.
For dessert, we ordered the Tres Leches. The sponge cake is soaked in three milks and infused with Bruxo mezcal, then finished with a bright strawberry-rhubarb sauce.
Despite containing alcohol, the mezcal was not overwhelming. It added depth to the incredibly moist cake, while the fruit sauce kept the dessert from feeling too heavy. It is still a rich dessert, but it was perfect for sharing after dinner.
This was my favorite part of the meal because I am a dessert girly, ha.
If I had to rank everything we ordered, my order would be:
Nothing we ordered was bad. Dessert just won.
Save this for later on Pinterest so you don’t forget it.
The portions at Mariposa were more generous than I expected for a fine dining restaurant.
The appetizers are easily shareable, and the side dishes are large enough for two people. We shared an appetizer, side, and dessert and left comfortably full.
You do not need to order an appetizer, entrée, side, and dessert for each person to have enough food.
The views are every bit as impressive as everyone says.
Outdoor patios overlook Sedona’s red rocks, creating one of the best dining backdrops we experienced during our trip.
I would reserve a table around sunset if the views are an important part of your visit. Sunset times change throughout the year, so check the time for your travel date before choosing your reservation.
Requesting a certain time or table does not guarantee the exact seat you want, but booking early gives you a better chance.
Mariposa is only one option for watching the changing colors over the red rocks. My Best Sunset Spots in Sedona includes several outdoor viewpoints you can visit on other nights of your trip.
Reservations are easy to make online and are highly recommended.
Mariposa is one of Sedona’s most sought-after dinner reservations, and prime dining times can book well in advance. I would reserve it as soon as you know your Sedona travel dates instead of waiting until you arrive.
This is especially important if you want to dine around sunset.
Mariposa is definitely one of Sedona’s more expensive restaurants.
Based on the menu during our visit, you can generally expect:
Dinner for two can easily exceed $100–$150 depending on what you order, whether you add drinks, and how many courses you share.
Menus and prices can change, so check the current Mariposa menu before your reservation.
Mariposa has a dress code, so I would plan on wearing something nicer than your daytime hiking clothes.
You do not need to dress for a formal event, but I would not show up directly from a dusty trail in hiking boots and workout clothes.
A dress, jumpsuit, skirt, blouse, button-down shirt, or polished pants would all work well. Depending on the month Sedona can cool down quickly after sunset, so bring layers if you plan to sit outside or visit during a cooler month.
I wore dresses frequently during our Sedona trip, and Thigh Society shorts are an easy option underneath when you want to stay comfortable during warm weather.
I think so, especially if you want one special dinner during your Sedona trip.
There are less expensive places to eat in town, but Mariposa delivers great service, high-quality food, generous portions, and some of the best restaurant views in Sedona. I would recommend it most for couples, celebrations, or anyone wanting one upscale meal.
It may not be the best fit if you are on a tight budget or want something quick and casual.
I would absolutely return. The empanadas, au gratin potatoes, and Tres Leches would all make it back onto my table, although dessert would probably still rank first.
My Sky Ranch Lodge Review: Is It Worth Staying on Airport Mesa? covers where we stayed nearby.
If you end up booking anything for your trip, using my affiliate links helps support my blog at no extra cost to you. I spend a lot of time researching and writing these guides, so I really appreciate the support.
Sedona is much easier to explore with a car, especially if you plan to visit trailheads, viewpoints, Cottonwood, or the surrounding Verde Valley. You can compare rental car rates through Discover Cars.
For a shorter trip, use my 3-Day Sedona Itinerary for First-Time Visitors to organize your meals, hikes, and sightseeing without spending the entire visit driving back and forth.
You can compare Sedona hotel prices and availability through Booking.com, especially if you want to stay near West Sedona, Uptown, or Airport Mesa.
My Best Things to Do in Sedona for First-Time Visitors (14 Can't-Miss Experiences) covers the major hikes, viewpoints, historic attractions, and scenic experiences I would prioritize.
For a guided experience, compare Sedona tours through Viator. You can also read my Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour Review: Is It Worth the Money or Overrated? before deciding whether to add the tour to your itinerary.
My What to Wear in Sedona in June explains what I actually wore for hiking, sightseeing, casual meals, and nicer restaurants such as Mariposa.
A Clutch Powerbank is also useful for long sightseeing days when you are using your phone for maps, photos, reservations, and sunset times.
Booked this Bryson City yurt for the ‘ber months and it’s already my top fall pick this year. 🍂
The Junaluska Yurt sleeps six but feels more like a stylish cabin than a yurt, two real queen bedrooms with actual doors, a full kitchen, and a private bathroom with a walk-in shower. Check-in is just a door code texted to your phone, no lobby, no waiting.
The real win is outside: wraparound porch, private fire pit, free firewood, a gas grill, and Smoky Mountain sunsets that stop you mid-sentence, picture all of that with October color on the ridgeline. Heads up, the last stretch in is a gravel road, so skip the low-profile rental, and there’s no restaurant onsite, you’re minutes from Bryson City, Dillsboro, and Sylva for dinner.
Two to three nights is the sweet spot. (We actually stayed in the dead of winter and it was still stunning, fall just takes it up a notch.) Full review linked in bio.
Italian food felt like the last thing I expected to find in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains... until I sat down at Ilda in Sylva.🍝
They call it Italian-Appalachian, and that’s not just a tagline. Homemade pasta, craft cocktails, local ingredients pulled straight from the mountains around it, this is the kind of meal that makes you forget you’re two hours from the nearest city. It’s cozy, it’s a little upscale, and it is not a walk-in kind of place, call ahead, because tables go fast on weekends.
It’s not cheap, and it’s not trying to be. But if you’re already making the trip out to Sylva, this is the one reservation worth planning your day around.
Full write-up, including what to order, link in bio.
Booked my fall cabin before September even started, and I’m not sorry about it. 🍂
These are the stays that make you actually want the cold to hurry up fireplaces, mountain views, the kind of porch you don’t leave. Not every one of these is going to fit every trip, but if a cozy fall getaway is on your radar, this is the roundup to start with.
One of my favorite travel seasons is almost here, and I have zero chill about it. 🍁✈️
There’s just something about fall trips cooler air, apple orchards, that first flannel of the season, food that actually makes sense with the weather again. I’m already mentally packing for it before September even starts.
If fall is your favorite time to travel too, tell me where you’re headed... I’m taking notes for the list.
Pack your bags... ✈️🧳My hiking and road trip gear shop just got a refresh, and this is everything that actually earns a spot in my bag. The dry bag pulls double duty for beach days and trail days, the Osprey backpack is the one I grab for anything motorcycle or day-hike related, and the GoPro comes with me literally everywhere at this point.
Nothing on this list is filler it’s all stuff I’ve used, packed, and repacked more times than I can count. Full shop linked in my bio if you want to build out your own kit before your next trip.
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
