Puerto Vallarta Hotels and Vacation Packages

Puerto Vallarta Restaurants

Forget everything you think you know about beach food. Puerto Vallarta's more than 250 restaurants run the gamut from small, family-owned Mexican joints to better-than-Paris French bistros. The perennial favorite has to be Archie's Wok, which has been serving fresh and delicious Chinese, Thai and Filipino dishes -- plus exotic house drinks like Szechuan Margaritas and something called Mint Rain -- for over 30 years.

Locals and tourists flock to El Arrayán for excellent, inventive Mexican food in an eclectic, casual setting. Favorite dishes are the sinfully succulent duck carnitas and a hearty bowl of shrimp pozole. For superb interpretations of classic Mexican regional cuisine, squeeze into the tiny, hard-to-find El Repollo Rojo (Red Cabbage Café) and enjoy chiles en nogada, various regional moles and an unexpectedly wide selection of vegetarian dishes. 

Leaping to the other end of the spectrum, the finest dining experience in Puerto Vallarta has to be the Café des Artistes Bistro Gourmet, one of five Vallarta-area eateries owned by chef and restaurateur Thierry Blouet. The menu is high French, gourmet Mexican and Mediterranean, with an emphasis on creativity and mind-blowing flavor. Take the appetizer of fried soft shell crab over Oaxaca tamale with smoked tomato sauce and green tomato jelly, or the craziest of the signature "Martini Glass" concoctions: cabbage stew, melon ice cream, bacon and smoked duck.

Since its opening in 1994, Trío has been getting raves from critics and tourists for its fabulous Mexican-Mediterranean menu in a hip, sophisticated setting. Try the savory oven-braised veal with homemade mushroom ravioli or the delicate artichoke soup with toasted pine nuts and basil. The same chef/owners recently opened up Vitrea, a colorful beachfront bistro serving lunch and dinner with a focus on gourmet seafood, pasta, salads and ridiculously good sandwiches like the Angus roast beef with sautéed mushrooms and cheese.

For excellent international comfort food at super reasonable prices (plus live Cuban music and salsa dancing on Tuesdays), everybody loves La Olla Rica.

Archie's Wok
Address: Calle Francisca Rodrigez, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: 52-322-223-0363
Cuisine: Thai, Chinese, Filipino
Price: $$$

Specializing in a variety of Asian cuisine, Archie's Wok is a popular restaurant for Chinese, Filipino and Thai cuisine.

Barcelona Tapas Bar
Address: Matamoros at 31 de Octubre Centro, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: 52-322-222-0510
Cuisine: Spanish, Tapas
Cost: $$$

With a view of the bay, Barcelona Tapas Bar offers guests traditional small plates like paella, patatas aioli and spicy garlic shrimp. There is a dining room on the floor level and an often crowded upstairs patio. Half the journey to the patio is walking up the long staircase. Reservations required.

Boca Bento
Address: Calle Basilio Badillo 180 Col. E. Zapata, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: 52-322-222-9108
Cuisine: Latin, Mediterranean, Caribbean
Cost: $$$

With both a small plate and full entrée menu, Boca Bento offers guests the perfect serving of Mediterranean and Caribbean flavors. The restaurant features contemporary music and inspiring art in the heart of the Romantic Zone and is open for dinner daily.

Café des Artistes Bistro Gourmet
Address: Ave. Guadalupe Sánchez 740 Centro, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: 52-322-222-3229
Cuisine: Contemporary
Cost: $$$$

Live music, a wine bar and a garden-like courtyard are just some of the unique charms Café de Artistes offers to guests. The main dining area is an elegant place to dine on four-, five- or six-course tasting menus with matching wine tastings.

El Arrayán
Address: Calle Allende 344 at Calle Miramar Centro, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: 52-322-222-7195
Cuisine: Mexican
Cost: $$$

Serving Mexican comfort foods like chipotle-chili shrimp and caramel flan, El Arrayán is a quaint restaurant that serves delicious cuisine in a casual atmosphere.

El Repollo Rojo
Address: Calle Rivera del Rio 204-A, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: 52-322-223-0411
Cuisine: Mexican, International
Price: $$    

El Repollo Rojo, which means the Red Cabbage in English, is a hard-to-find restaurant offering a variety of tequilas and comfort foods with both Mexican and international influences.

Fidensio's
Address: Pilitas 90, Los Muerto Beach, Col. E. Zapata, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: 52-322-222-5457
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Cost: $

Located right on the beach, you can sit under a palapa at Fidensio's. Serving lunch and dinner daily, this restaurant features burgers, nachos, sandwiches, salads and enchiladas. No credit cards accepted.

La Ola Rica
Address: Ave. Tercer Mundo s/n, San Francisco, Nayarit, Mexico
Phone: 52-311-258-4123
Cuisine: Mexican, American, Continental
Price: $$

With delicious cuisine like their popular pizzas, La Ola Rica offers guests a casual dinner spot with great atmosphere and live music. La Ola Rica is closed on Sundays.

Le Bistro Jazz Café
Address: Riu Cuale 16-A, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: 52-322-222-0283
Cuisine: Modern, contemporary
Cost: $$

The Le Bistro Jazz Café offers soups, salads, chicken, seafood and pastas in an elegant setting. Reservations recommended.

Mariscos 8 Tostadas
Address: Calle Quilla at Calle Proa, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: 52-322-221-3124
Cuisine: Seafood
Cost: $$

Mariscos 8 Tostadas always has a fresh catch of the day and serves it in creative ways like sashimi style, ceviche and more. The restaurant is located in the Hotel Zone, is closed on Sundays and serves lunch Monday through Saturday. No credit cards are accepted.

Pie in the Sky
Address: Héroes de Nacozari 202 Bucerías, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: 52-322-298-0838
Cuisine: Bakery, Pizza, Pastries
Cost: $

The smell of both savory and sweet pastries lure you into Pie in the Sky, a bakery serving pies, cakes, cookies and more. There are also meal options like chicken potpie, spinach empanadas and pizzas.

Planeta Vegetariana
Address: Iturbide 270 Centro, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: 52-322-222-3073
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Cost: $

Serving fresh, healthy vegetarian dishes, Planeta Vegetariana offers a meatless option for guests. The restaurant serves soups and salads daily.

Porto Bello
Address: Marina del Sol Local 7 Marina Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: 52-322-221-0003
Cuisine: Italian
Cost: $$$$

Located on the marina, Porto Bella offers a great view from either the outdoor patio or air-conditioned dining room.