61 Best Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Los Conos Restaurant and Bar serves Latin and Mexican dishes and drinks and specializes in seafood. Their tasty lemonade or cold beer will save your life if you decided to hike to Las Ánimas from Boca de Tomatlán. Their fresh sierra ceviche is highly recommended, and shrimp come in very decent sizes (try the coconut ones). The waiters are attentive but not imposing, and the place is really neat and clean.

The original Mariscos 8 Tostadas establishment (nowadays there are a few others in the bay) is widely considered the best seafood restaurant in PV. It's not a flashy place, but it’s clean, offers good service, and serves up simply delicious dishes.

The best fish and shrimp tacos in town are served at Marisma. It started in a little stall away from the big restaurants of the Marina seawalk but has now overtaken most of them, at least in reputation among the locals. 

Located in La Manzanilla, Martin's is one of the best restaurants by the beach in all the Tenacatita area. You can tell that the chef goes the extra mile to serve more sophisticated seafood dishes than the other restaurants in town.

For a fancy lunch with panoramic views of the bay and beach, visit Mismaloya Grill inside the La Jolla de Mismaloya condo complex. Formerly known as María Bonita Restaurant, this place has a long history in the area and arguably is the best restaurant in town. As a starter, calamari fritti is one of the best options, and among the main dishes try the orange-glazed salmon, which is simply delicious. 

Chilaquiles, pancakes, waffles, baked goods, omelets … whatever you want for breakfast, they have it. This Nuevo Vallarta newcomer has been a total success and a great excuse to leave your nearby hotel to eat good food any given morning. It tends to be full on Sunday, so reservations are a good idea.

The cavernous space, lined in red brick, makes the restaurant look rather generic, but it's actually family-owned and run and oh-so-personable. Try the regional dishes like goat stew and enchiladas, pizza, or a daily special such as beef tongue or jocoque (strained yogurt). It's named for the small town 14 km (9 miles) from Mascota, not the Christmas holiday, which is the only day this restaurant closes. 

With 12 kinds of pancakes—including the "Oh Henry," with chocolate bits and peanut butter—and eight kinds of waffles, your child (or inner child) will certainly find something to like. The large dining room is filled with local families on weekends and homesick travelers. The draped back patio is pretty, but it's like a greenhouse when the day heats up. 

Come for the excellent coffee as well as the most scrumptious pies, cookies, and cakes.

Come hungry to Piña Loca; all portions in this simple restaurant are huge but without the huge bill to match. Try the fajitas in lava bowls, the burrito norteño, or the shrimp salad. Tip: most plates are large enough for two people!

Those who stumble upon this hogless heaven can pig out on tasty, meatless carne asada and a selection of main dishes that changes daily. Choose from at least three healthful main dishes, plus beans, several types of rice, and a soup at this casual buffet-only place. A fruit drink, coffee, or tea and dessert are included in the reasonable price.

For coffee and desserts there is nothing more vallartense than Repostería Los Chatos.

Open to the ocean air, the wood-and-palm exterior of this restaurant looks right at home on Conchas Chinas Beach. The menu is a mixed bag of Mexican specialties such as chile relleno, international cuisine add-ons like chicken masala, and seafood dishes like the delicious crab enchiladas with chipotle sauce. There are wonderful views of waves crashing on or lapping at the shore at its bar El Set. If you're driving, look for the sign for Hotel Lindo Mar on the coast highway.

Set right on Boca de Iguanas Beach, this restaurant serves the typical seafood dishes of the region. Breakfast and burgers are also available. The restaurant is part of a camping compound with cabins and swimming pool included, so many come for the food and stay for the pool.

This quaint restaurant is small but cozy, and serves traditional homemade dishes and wood-oven pizzas. Sit at the outside tables and get a good view of the quiet life in the main square.

El Coral serves generous portions of seafood in a relaxed environment facing the beach. It's a favorite among those heading out on a tour of the Marietas Islands and for surfers who come to ride the waves at El Anclote.

Patrons come to Restaurante Pineda for the generous portions of delicious seafood, though the beautiful ocean view is also a draw. Locals rave about the grilled octopus, oysters, and scallops, but the coconut-breaded shrimp aren't too shabby either. You'll leave the place with a full stomach and a somewhat emptier than expected wallet, but it's well worth the experience.

It's very pleasant to dine at night on the back patio of this local favorite amid dozens of candles and tiny lights. The menu includes pizza, salads, pasta dishes, and Mediterranean fare like chicken souvlaki and Greek chicken. Order a liqueur-laced coffee or dessert from the bakery counter. The café at the front has great espresso but is open in high season only, usually December through Easter.

If you need a break from seafood, this small, sophisticated café serves outstanding coffee, Mexican breakfasts, and classic burgers for lunch. They have live music during the week.

The Yacht Club is a restaurant and bar on the town beach—it's not a yacht club at all. Their breaded fish fillet is famous among the villagers and tourists, as are their chicken dishes. The place is always full. At 10 pm the disco starts and it lasts until 2 am.

North of Banderas Bay, in little San Pancho (aka San Francisco), the multitudes rave about the fish and shrimp tacos at Baja Takeria.

This is the best place in town for seafood; the ocean view from under the tall, peaked palapa roof isn't bad either. In addition to the garlic-and-oil fish fillets and breaded shrimp, there's grilled chicken with baked potato, beef tips with rice and beans, soups, quesadillas, steak, great guacamole, and fries. It's open all day (8 am until 10 pm) and serves everyone from white-collar business types to families and friends meeting for lunch to tourists cleaned up for an evening out. Popular with local families, business people, and travelers, it's a simple and unadorned but large restaurant facing Christmas Bay. After your meal, kick your shoes off and take a walk on the beach.

The locally owned bakery Los Chatos sells cakes, tarts, and house-made gelato. They have expanded to new areas, too, in Bucerías, the Marina, and more.

In El Centro at Paris Café, a gruff and eccentric Frenchman who bakes bare-chested is PV's version of Seinfeld's "soup Nazi."

Grab a mini-cheesecake, crunchy chocolate cookie, or an infamous mango pie at Pie in the Sky. The store has expanded to Puerto Vallarta and its marina as well.

Healthy and nutritious food with lots of flavor is what has crowds coming here every morning for breakast. There is no guarantee that there will be space for you to sit at any time in particular, but there's always takeaway to be eaten at the boardwalk. Don't miss the smoothies!

Bucerías's Tacos Linda occupies a small patio surrounded by hurricane fencing. Watch a telenovela on the overhead TV as you wait for savory meat tacos and other snacks served on huge, just-made tortillas.