The best restaurants in Puerto Vallarta range from award-winning fine dining to laidback taquerias. With options for delicious homemade pasta at cozy Italian joints, Spanish tapas, and killer Taiwanese food, there’s something for all foodies here.
Ready to plan your trip to Puerto Vallarta? Let Troupe make it easy for you. Travel members can vote on their favorite places to stay, their preferred travel dates, and more.
The best restaurants in Puerto Vallarta include:
- Tre Piatti
- Tintoque
- Barcelona Tapas
- Loma 42 Bahia
- Bonito Kitchen
- Bravos
- Kosta Taco
- El Patron de Vallarta
- Budaixi Taiwanese
The best restaurants in Puerto Vallarta
High-end
These restaurants are all on the pricier side by typical Mexican standards. However, if you appreciate fine dining, the bang for your buck can’t be beaten.
Tre Piatta
Tre Piatti is located in the heart of the Zona Romantica neighborhood, Puerto Vallarta’s most beloved neighborhood for bars, restaurants, and nightlife. While the food and service at Tre Piatti are certainly high-end, the restaurant itself has a welcoming, laidback atmosphere. The tables inside are strategically placed around the restaurant’s two, 120-year-old mango trees.
Equally perfect for a romantic date night or a group dinner with friends, Tre Piatti has an ever-changing menu of Italian-inspired dishes where fresh pasta, craft cocktails, and delicious desserts always have a place.
Expect to spend: $15-$20 per starter and around $20 for each entree
Tintoque
Nestled right next to the river in the heart of Puerto Vallarta, Tintoque impresses not only with an upscale setting but also offers one of the city’s most intriguing menus. Offering high-end Mexican dishes with a twist, chef Joel Ornelas provides a unique culinary experience. With beautifully presented dishes using fresh and local products and a frequently changing menu, this is the ultimate spot for a romantic night out. Indulge in the 6-course tasting menu or take a pick from the selected menu that frequently changes with the seasons. Featuring a wine list that would make any sommelier’s heart skip a beat, impeccable service as well as mouth-watering cuisine, Tintoque makes the top list for foodies from all over the world.
Expect to spend: $70 for the tasting menu or $15 – $50 for the main dish. Worth every peso!
Barcelona Tapas
Good luck getting a reservation at Barcelona Tapas starting about an hour before sunset. That’s because this high-end Spanish restaurant is located on a hillside, just on the far edge of the Cinco de Diciembre neighborhood in Puerto Vallarta. And the views from their terrace overlooking the city and the bay are well-known to sunset lovers.
Their tapas include staples like Tortilla Española and Patatas Bravas along with six different types of paella. They also offer significantly more options for vegetarians than your typical tapas bar.
Expect to spend: $6-$15 per tapas. $30-$60 per paella (serves 2-5 people).
Middle of the road
These restaurants are top of their class for a more casual dinner with incredible food and drinks.
Loma 42 Bahia
The only restaurant on this list not actually located in Puerto Vallarta, Loma 42 Bahia can be found about twenty minutes north of the PV airport in neighboring Nuevo Vallarta. Not much to see from the outside, the inside of this restaurant is modern, comfortable, and spacious, making it great for big groups.
You can’t go wrong with the menu here whether you want to keep it casual with housemade pizzas and pastas or indulge in entrees like fresh fish with lobster ravioli or smoked pork belly tacos.
Most importantly, you can’t skip the freshly prepared brownie in a cast-iron skillet for dessert.
Expect to spend: Around $18 for an entree or $10-$15 for pizza/pasta. 5-course tasting menu is only $33.
Bonito Kitchen
Bonito Kitchen lures you into its beautiful jungle courtyard with upscale Asian fusion and craft cocktails. Located in the Zona Romantica, it is the ideal dinner spot for a night out with friends or a romantic dinner sitting under the evergreen branches of one of Puerto Vallarta’s most impressive trees.
Enjoy the mouth-watering flavors of their carefully selected menu such as pork bao buns, Biang Biang noodles, grilled octopus, and homemade ramen while having a smoking cocktail made right at your table. Offering weekly specials and too much deliciousness to try in one visit, Bonito Kitchen is a tastebud satisfying hotspot to return to again and again.
Expect to spend: $7 for an appetizer and $15 for a main dish.
Bravos
A huge favorite of expats in Puerto Vallarta, Bravos is centrally located in Zona Romantica. While Bravos is middle-of-the-road when it comes to prices, the interior and experience feel more upscale.
Bravos is worth a visit exclusively for its french onion soup. But if you’re hungrier than that, you’ll have your choice of meat dishes like braised short ribs, red curry salmon, and plenty of different pasta options.
Expect to spend: $8-10 per appetizer, $10-$20 per entree
Cheap and casual
These places are perfect for a quick, wallet-friendly bite to eat in Puerto Vallarta.
Kosta Taco
Kosta Taco is one of the best spots in Puerto Vallarta for enjoying the typical Mexican cuisine with a modern twist. Specializing in seafood dishes, Kosta has some of the best coconut fish tacos in all of Puerto Vallarta.
Start with some freshly made guacamole and a passion fruit margarita before indulging in some of Mexico’s best coconut fish tacos. Even though not high-end, Kosta is not your typical Taco joint and impresses with consistently delicious dishes, friendly service, and leaving you wanting to come back for more.
Expect to spend: $2 per taco and $6 for a cocktail.
El Patron de Vallarta
One of Puerto Vallarta’s most beloved seafood restaurants for locals and tourists alike is el Patron de Vallarta. And you know it’s the spot when you’ve got both locals and tourists frequenting the establishment and coming back for more.
Located just north of the Malecon, Puerto Vallarta’s beloved seaside walkway, you can dine in a typical Mexican ambiance and indulge in some of the best seafood and fish dishes in the city. Try the Seared Tuna over Risotto, the homemade ceviche, or the to-die-for fish tacos.
Hector and his team will take good care of you, probably make you laugh a few times, and frequently offer tequila or Kahlua on ice on the house to complete your visit.
Expect to spend: $10- 15 all in!
Budaixi
Budaixi is a small Taiwanese restaurant located in Versalles, Puerto Vallarta’s trendiest neighborhood. Serving fresh baos and noodles, this authentic Taiwanese place is a great option for grabbing a quick lunch or dinner when you don’t feel like Mexican food.
Order at the counter and have a seat inside the cozy restaurant with Taiwanese murals on the walls. Oh, and don’t forget to order the Bing Bao for dessert.
Expect to spend: $8 for ramen, $10 for 2 bao buns with a side, $6 fried wontons
Ready to explore more of Mexico? Check out the following:
- Check out the 10 best countries to visit in October
- These mindblowing hidden gems in Mexico
- The best places to stay in Cabo San Lucas
- Ideas for the best things to do in Isla Mujeres
- These luxurious swim-up rooms in Cancun
- A selection of the best beaches in Tulum