Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit have long been giving other top beach destinations in Mexico like Cabo San Lucas and Riviera Maya a run for their money in terms of culinary experiences. Few can argue that Puerto Vallarta’s restaurants do not compete with the best in the world, and most certainly they are among the best in Mexico. There are many reasons why Puerto Vallarta is Mexico’s No.1 Beach destination for Gastronomy and topped only on a national scale for sheer volume by the country’s capital, Mexico City. Reasons include Puerto Vallarta’s wide variety of international and Mexican fine dining restaurants, gastronomy and wine festivals, high quality hotel restaurants and local chef celebrities.
Mexican Restaurants
Mexican cuisine is renowned throughout the world for its distinctive flavors and sumptuous dishes, including tacos, burritos and enchiladas. However, the fine dining Mexican restaurants in Puerto Vallarta take your taste buds on a more authentic journey. Some of the top restaurants in Puerto Vallarta that help make this destination Mexico’s No.1 Beach Destination for Gastronomy include the Arrayan, Si Señor and La Palapa, amongst other restaurants. The Arrayan is one of the most faithful Mexican restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, concentrating on a slow food concept using local ingredients where possible, while Si Señor offers a typical Mexican atmosphere with top quality products and service. La Palapa is a favorite in Vallarta for romantics; one of the first gourmet restaurants in the city, its location on the beach makes for a totally magical candlelit dinner.
International Restaurants
Another reason that Puerto Vallarta is considered Mexico’s No.1 Beach Destination for Gastronomy is for the wide selection of fine dining restaurants that offer international cuisine. Cafe des Artistes is easily one of the most iconic French-Mexican gourmet restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, with the Cigal Restaurant providing a chic alternative with its French menu. El Trio is another favorite for elegant Mediterranean dining while Kaiser Maximilian offers an Austrian inspired menu. There are a number of great Italian restaurants too that include the Dolce Vita, Boccon di Vino, Florios and Portobello. For Asian food and sushi, you can choose from the brand new cutting edge Hiroshi Japanese fusion restaurant located at Hotel Mousai, Nicksan in Nuevo Vallarta and Kensao Sushi bar amongst other smaller sushi restaurants.
Steakhouses
A city that is famed for being Mexico’s No.1 Beach destination for gastronomy would not be complete without a selection of steakhouses. You can choose from Sonoras Steakhouse in the Marina, La Vaca Argentina in the mini plaza near the hotel zone, BocaDos STK at Garza Blanca Preserve on Puerto Vallarta’s south shore or La Casona steakhouse in Nuevo Vallarta at the hotel Villa la Estancia, amongst others.
Festivals
Not only do visitors love Puerto Vallarta for its array of delicious award-winning restaurants, but there are a number of culinary festivals that take place throughout the year. The most famous culinary festival in Puerto Vallarta is the International Gourmet Festival that happens around Thanksgiving each November. This weeklong festival has been running for almost 25 years and invites international chefs and restaurateurs to Puerto Vallarta to take part in a spectacular gourmet frenzy. Restaurant Week is another festival that takes place in May each year. This event involves many of Puerto Vallarta’s restaurants that prepare a special set menu to promote over the two weeks of the festival. There are usually two tiers of prices depending on the level of the restaurant. At varying dates in the year, Puerto Vallarta is host to a wine festival while top hotels will host regular wine tastings.
Chef Celebrities
Puerto Vallarta has also been put on the map as Mexico’s No.1 Beach destination for gastronomy thanks to the high profile of its chefs. The most notable of its chefs are Frenchman Thierry Blouet and Mexican Nacho Cadena. Thierry Blouet is the owner and founder of the iconic Cafe des Artistes restaurant and one of the organizers of Puerto Vallarta’s International Gourmet Festival as well as the Gourmet & Golf festival in Punta Mita. He is a popular celebrity in Puerto Vallarta and has written for local newspapers and appeared on radio programs. Chef Nacho Cadena is another familiar face within Puerto Vallarta’s fooderati. The owner of the gourmet restaurant La Leche, Cadena has his own radio show where he talks about food, cooking, wine and other culinary topics.