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.
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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.
Confession: my newsletter is where the good stuff lives. Not the polished, edited-for-the-grid stuff, the “here’s the hole-in-the-wall I almost skipped” stuff, the packing lists I actually use, the “don’t book this hotel” warnings before you waste your money on them.
The newsletter is basically me texting you before a trip instead of after one. Sign up and you’ll be the first to know where I’m headed next, plus a few things I’ll never post here.
Link in bio if you want in. ✈️
Yes, it’s only July. Start planning anyway. Fall books faster than people expect, and a few of these destinations are worth getting ahead of. Here are five places worth putting on your radar right now.
Ireland: Cooler temps, moody skies, dramatic coastline fall was made for it. Tourist crowds drop, the green stays, and the whole country feels a little more like itself.
Great Smoky Mountains, TN/NC: Fall foliage in the Smokies is the real thing. The color peaks mid-October and the views from the ridgelines are hard to argue with. It’s also one of the most visited national parks in the country, so going on a weekday makes a real difference.
New York City: Fall is NYC at its best comfortable temps, the energy of the city shifting into a new season, and every neighborhood doing something worth showing up for. It’s also just a great walking city when it’s not brutally hot.
Japan: Fall foliage season is as good as spring cherry blossoms and somehow less talked about. The colors are dramatic, the temples and gardens are stunning, and it’s worth planning around peak dates by region.
Mystic, Connecticut: Small, walkable, genuinely charming Mystic in fall feels like exactly what a New England autumn is supposed to look like. Easy to pair with a broader New England road trip if you want to extend it.
Full guides linked in bio 🍂
There are two kinds of travelers: people who plan a trip and then figure out where to eat, and people who book a restaurant and then build the rest of the itinerary around it.I am the second kind. I will not apologize for this.
The reservation gets locked in first. The hotel search happens within the same 24 hours. The flights get compared around the restaurant’s hours of operation. The rest of the trip exists to fill the days before and after the table I actually came for.
If this sounds unhinged, I completely understand. It has also resulted in some of the best meals of my life, so I’m going to keep doing it.
Drop a 🍽️ if you plan your trips around food too.
Let’s talk about when to actually book that Dubai trip you’ve been pinning for two years. I get asked this constantly, so here’s the honest breakdown: October through April is your window. Anything outside that and you’re basically touring in a sauna!
October and November give you warm days and cooler nights, which is basically the sweet spot for wandering around without melting. December through February is peak season: gorgeous weather. March and April are the quiet insider pick, right before summer heat shows up and ruins everyone’s plans.
Saving this for later? That’s what it’s here for. Full breakdown linked in bio.
If you’re chasing energy, beaches, nightlife, and nonstop luxury, Dubai takes the crown. If you’re craving culture, iconic architecture, and meaningful landmarks at a slower pace, Abu Dhabi shines.🤍
My advice? Base yourself in Dubai and do Abu Dhabi as a day trip! The perfect balance of excitement and culture in the UAE.
Want the full breakdown? Check out my Dubai and Abu Dhabi guide for tips, itineraries, and must-sees!
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