Puerto Vallarta’s international dining options: eclectic and unforgettable

There was a clip — not that agelong agone — erstwhile Puerto Vallarta’s eating country was champion known for ceviche and shrimp tacos. And that’s not a atrocious happening — PV does some of those things precise well.

But implicit the past fewer years, thing beauteous has been bubbling beneath the surface. This once-sleepy formation municipality has transformed into a cosmopolitan hub, wherever cultures person converged and brought with them their eclectic, planetary cuisine. 

Puerto Vallarta is rapidly becoming a apical nutrient destination. (Tripadvisor)

Vallarta inactive has its beachy charm, but present it’s paired with a planetary eating country that has made it 1 of the apical destinations for foodies successful Mexico. Walk a fewer blocks and you tin question from Tokyo to Tuscany, from Athens to Barcelona, without leaving the cobblestone streets.

No cuisine is off-limits here, and the chefs are bringing endowment to the table. Whether you’re craving a due French bistro moment, handmade pastas, Thai curry oregon an elegant omakase evening, Vallarta delivers.

Here are immoderate of the champion spots for planetary eats successful Puerto Vallarta:

Best Sushi successful Puerto Vallarta

Finding decent sushi successful Puerto Vallarta — or, astatine least, 1 not stuffed with pick food — was erstwhile rather the struggle. But today, PV has 3 standout sushi restaurants that person you feeling similar you’ve stumbled disconnected the cobblestone streets and into a tiny Tokyo restaurant.

Torio Handroll Bar is the existent darling of my PV sushi obsession. It’s minimal, modern, and a spot of a hidden gem unless you’ve spent clip walking astir the Versalles neighborhood. This tiny sushi antagonistic specializes successful manus rolls (temaki). Sit astatine the antagonistic and fto the cook usher you (omakase menus are offered connected the weekends), oregon bid a fewer manus rolls and spot what you similar best. 

Meanwhile, Kenta delivers with a funky industrial-chic-meets-Japanese decor. Chef’s specialty rolls are exceptional, arsenic are the takoyaki and the nigiri. With a determination close connected Basilio Badillo, it doesn’t get much convenient. Note that Kenta is cash-only.

Sendo, connected the different hand, is each astir superior omakase energy. This soft-spoken, upscale sushi edifice is simply a much accepted eating experience. Surrender your evening to the cook (and beryllium prepared to walk a beauteous peso) and look successful an umami-induced authorities of bliss. 

Top Pan-Asian Restaurants successful Puerto Vallarta

Thai thoroughfare nutrient whitethorn not beryllium what comes to caput erstwhile you deliberation of Mexico, but Tuk Tuk volition surely alteration your opinion. Think crispy outpouring rolls, greenish curry, pad Thai, and chickenhearted satay. It’s casual, cozy, and downright addictive.

And if you haven’t fulfilled your Thai fix, Siam Cocina Thai is wherever you spell for cleanable papaya salad, tangy Pad Thai, and a spicy tom yum soup.

Bonito Kitchen is what happens erstwhile a chic plan aesthetic meets pan-Asian comfortableness food. Their ramen bowls, bao buns and Vietnamese rolls are what you’re ordering here. The edifice has 2 locations: 1 successful Zona Romantica and 1 successful Fluvial. 

And past there’s the OG: Archie’s Wok, which is often ranked arsenic 1 of the champion Asian fusion restaurants successful the city. The paper offers everything from Thai thoroughfare nutrient to Chinese noodle dishes and Vietnamese snacks.

Fantastic Italian Restaurants successful Puerto Vallarta

Italian cuisine has staked a large assertion connected Vallarta, and the selections person lone improved implicit the years. One of the mainstays among PV Italian restaurants is La Dolce Vita (which has 4 locations). Opt for the 1 connected the malecon waterway truthful you tin person a spectacular sunset view. It’s aged schoolhouse with hefty portions, affable work and an octopus carpaccio that is simply a must.

La Traviata pairs pasta with 1 of the champion seats successful the house. The restaurant, perched atop the Paloma Del Mar hotel, has panoramic views implicit the rooftops of Puerto Vallarta’s Cinco de Diciembre vicinity and retired implicit the Bay of Banderas. 

My go-to for candlelit evenings is Trattoria Ciento Once, tucked into an open-air courtyard successful Versalles. The pasta enactment is cleanable (I ever bid the bolognese), the vino database is coagulated and the unrecorded euphony sends the acquisition implicit the top.

Best Pizza successful Puerto Vallarta

Speaking of Italy, the pizza country successful Puerto Vallarta deserves its ain category. Errante Pizza is simply a trendy newcomer to PV — a roving, nomadic pizza acquisition that pops up astatine antithetic bars each week. Check their Instagram leafage to spot wherever they are popping up next.

La Notte is eden for its gooey, cheesy, wood-fired pizzas. You can’t spell incorrect with the classical Margherita pizza, and don’t slumber connected the tiramisu.

For a truly fantabulous sourdough crust pizza, I emotion to urge Masa Madre. Their thin-crust pizza — topped with arugula, prosciutto and fig — is sublime.

Top Greek Restaurants successful Puerto Vallarta

 Yes! Puerto Vallarta adjacent has Greek restaurants now. They hap to beryllium side-by-side, truthful you could easy comparison and contrast. OPA Greek Bistro is splashed successful classical Grecian bluish and white. The paper has the classics, from spanakopita to tzatziki, Greek crockery and moussaka. 

Not to beryllium outdone, the next-door Mykonos Greek Restaurant has succulent skewers, grilled octopus, and lemon-drenched seafood. The upstairs terrace is breezy with beauteous views of the Versalles streets.

French and Spanish Restaurants successful Puerto Vallarta

Europe is well-represented connected Puerto Vallarta’s plates. La Cigale is simply a cozy French bistro successful Versalles. Think exposed brick, leather banquettes and vintage photos. If you’re craving French bulb soup, large bowls of mussels oregon a juicy filet mignon, this is the spot to hit. You tin commencement the evening astatine the next-door Antidote bar, owned by a French couple, which serves fantastic French wines and a legendary food plate.

For Spanish tapas, Barcelona Tapas is simply a PV institution. One of the champion restaurants successful town, the rooftop edifice successful Centro has stunning views of the bay. Order the seafood paella, the croquettes stuffed with Jamon Serrano, oregon the spicy patatas bravas.

Meagan Drillinger is a New York autochthonal who has spent the past 15 years traveling astir and penning astir Mexico. While she’s connected the roadworthy for assignments astir of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her location base. Follow her travels connected Instagram at @drillinjourneys or done her blog at drillinjourneys.com