Are you making plans to visit Puerto Vallarta? Well, then you must enjoy the gourmet cuisine that Puerto Vallarta has to offer at some of the best gourmet restaurants in Mexico! Puerto Vallarta is a charming town located on Mexico’s Pacific coast in Jalisco. It is recognized for its sensational beaches, marine life, the water activities you can enjoy, the fantastic resorts, and its incredible gastronomic scene.
Puerto Vallarta is one of the best vacation destinations in the world ––and it will become one of your favorites, not only for the spectacular scenery, but also for the fine dining.
Here are the 10 gourmet restaurants in Puerto Vallarta that we absolutely recommend.
1. Café des Artistes by Thierry Blouet
The first on our list of the best gourmet restaurants in Puerto Vallarta has to be Café des Artistes. Anyone who loves gourmet food knows that Thierry Blouet is one of Mexico’s best celebrity chefs out there. Café des Artistes really broke new ground with its Mexican-inspired French cuisine.
It is an award-winning restaurant, and it is well worth making a reservation in advance if you are a fan of fine dining.
The cuisine served there is described as “Mexican dishes cooked with French techniques.” Here, you will get the best of both worlds ––plus, you can enjoy the spectacular dining room or the outdoor terrace with palm trees and twinkling lights.
It currently offers suckling lamb, short rib, and charcoal beef filet or fresh catch of the day. The creative spirit, emotion, and unique style of Thierry Blouet have placed Café des Artistes as an exceptional representative of the gastronomic pleasures that can be enjoyed. Simply, one of the best gourmet restaurants in Mexico.
2. La Palapa
There are many palapa spots, but to truly enjoy the best of the best, you must go to La Palapa, located in the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood close to the Los Muertos Pier, which is shaped like a sail in the wind.
Its tropical Mexican cuisine offers a variety of options to savor, such as the chicken quesadillas made with corn tortillas, mushrooms, huitlacoche, esquites, lettuce, and martajada sauce or the adobado pacific shrimp with crab enchiladas served with a black bean sauce and creamy rice with rajas. You’ll fall in love with the Mexican dishes served.
After your meal, you can enjoy their beach club and taste an ice-cold beer while relaxing in the warmth of Vallarta’s sun, enjoying the friendly service that La Palapa is so famous for.
3. Porfirio’s
Porfirio’s offers a fusion of contemporary Mexican cuisine, and the menu is immense. They say they celebrate the best of Mexican food, and they really do.
The service is pretty remarkable, and you will have a great time eating fine steaks, tacos, or seafood, plus enjoy serious mixology and great tasting cocktails.
We recommend you try the giant grilled prawns marinated in garlic, chile de arbol, and lemon; the Chamorro Cantinero, which is pork marinated in guajillo chili adobo with black beans and purslane; or the rib eye with marrow, grilled with mushrooms, onion and bell pepper.
You will have a wonderful experience. Don’t miss it!
4. Tacos De Mariscos Garlapago Tacolini
How do seafood tacos sound? The place is packed for a reason! You have to try the shrimp tacos, the fish tacos, or the octopus al pastor tacos, prepared in a marinade of chili peppers and other spices.
You can also try aguas frescas “fresh water” of various flavors, but if you are in a different mood, there are many cocktails you’ll love!
The prices are quite reasonable, and the seafood dishes are excellent! If by chance you find yourself near Isla Cuale, you must visit this restaurant.
Located in the street Jacarandas 325, Romantic Zone, in the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood.
5. Si Señor Mexican Restaurant & Beach Club
A restaurant that offers popular house specialties, the best-frozen margaritas, and cocktails ––it is also vegetarian-friendly, with gluten-free and vegan options.
You can stop by for breakfast or dinner and try any delicious Mexican dishes and taste how authentic food is supposed to be. They only use fresh ingredients to bring out the flavors of the many regions of Mexico.
Some of our favorites of the menu are egg frittata made of egg whites with mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, and panela cheese, served with salad or the shrimp crepes stuffed with shrimp sautéed with garlic and onion, bathed in a creamy chipotle and avocado sauce.
6. Bocados Steak House
If you feel like a fine steak, we recommend Bocados Steak House, located at Garza Blanca Preserve. The elegant restaurant presents a magical atmosphere and a remarkable view of Banderas Bay.
The restaurant offers the best dry-aged steaks in the world. You can try the rib eye with a side of sauteed mushrooms or spinach or the Surf & Turf with grilled asparagus or garlic mashed potatoes.
If you are looking for the perfect evening, you can enjoy the sunset while eating some fine steaks and savoring the wine of your choice. The place is simply magical.
7. Azafrán by Michel’s
Azafrán is a modern mix of innovative Mediterranean cuisine refined with European techniques. You will want to try many things, and each time you’ll want to try something different. The service is always superb. Like any gourmet restaurant, the presentation is a work of art, and the executive chef, Andreas Fischer, always brings something new to the table.
The restaurant is a hidden gem in the Romantic Zone. You have to try the Barcelona tapas, the black Angus rib eye with mixed mashed potatoes, herb butter and fried onions, or the cabbage roll filled with “Mexican style barbacoa” lamb with cauliflower puree and green beans.
8. Hiroshi
Hiroshi is a contemporary Asian cuisine restaurant at Hotel Mousai that promises to delight your taste buds. It has a minimalist, sensual, and colorful, yet elegant concept that tempts you to explore far beyond what you usually tend to choose.
The dishes are also a work of art, which you will want to observe before eating them. You need to dress up for the experience since you will want to look incredible in this stunning restaurant that offers the best views of Banderas Bay.
The Hiroshi menu offers sashimi, sushi rolls, soups, tempura, yakitori, lobster, shrimp, chicken, steak and even vegetables in various delicious ways. But we really recommend you to try the Yuzu special maki roll, the tempura lobster, or the grilled spicy catch of the day while appreciating tasty sake.
9. Le Kliff
Do you want to go to a place where fine dining is the standard? Then Le Kliff is for you. Located on a towering beachfront cliff, just 25 minutes south of Puerto Vallarta, Le Kliff is a must due to the variety of the menu and the spectacular views.
Le Kliff offers a uniquely romantic environment amid tropical gardens, located under one of the largest palapas in the world, making it one of the favorite wedding venues in Puerto Vallarta.
Some of their main dishes are the catch of the day au passion fruit with pistachio crust complemented by smoked mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, citrus supreme, and passion fruit sauce. One of the best gourmet restaurants in the world.
10. La Leche
And last on our list of the best gourmet restaurants in Puerto Vallarta that we highly recommend is La Leche.
The place is very unique. You don’t know if you are in a supermarket, an art gallery or what. The restaurant has an amazing, minimalist, and powerful style. The interior design proposes a monochromatic atmosphere ––almost everything is white–– that tries to awaken their customers’ senses by interacting with arousing meals in a space that looks like a piece of art.
La Leche reinvents the menu every day, making it a fun, delicious, and excellent space to be. Each day, they create a new special menu that offers an incredible dining experience with a different twist. You never know what you will get, but it will always be delicious.
La Leche also has La Nata, a secret bar with a private atmosphere that is very entertaining; it has personalized service for all those looking for an intimate venue without crowds.
An absolutely different experience you will treasure.
There you have it, the best gourmet restaurants in Puerto Vallarta. So, in your next trip to Vallarta, don’t miss any of them!
