Often, the best way to seek restaurants is simply to walk the streets and see what looks good. New places open, old places close, so choices change year to year, and certainly by the time you read this at least one of these will have closed and there will be a new restaurant not on this list.
El Thai: One block from Los Delfines, at corner opposite Diamonte. Bar and restaurant specializing in Thai oriented seafood and meats, with fantastic green curry!
Bicyclette: Outstanding (and reasonably priced) French food, one block from our complexes.
El Costeño (also known as Ruperto’s): On the beach, great seafood, traditional Mexican dishes & breakfasts, beer, margaritas & softdrinks. Great for hanging out watching the beach action!
Don Pedro’s: On the beach, only Sayulita restaurant taking credit cards, fancy (good) food upstairs, bar fare downstairs, full bar.
La Terrazola: On the beach about 200 yards south of our complexes. Great food any time of day, breakfast lunch or dinner. Open six days per week, and the day off changes every once and awhile, so check when you visit. The favorite of many of our guests.
Cielito Lindo: Just up the road 1 1/2 blocks from Hotel Diamonte, only a couple of blocks from Los Delfines, up a stairway. Very good seafood, full bar. Dinners only.
Rollie’s: Was breakfast only, showman Rollie dishing out American style and size breakfasts along with conversation and occasional song. One block past the town square. Added dinners with a surprisingly large menu in winter 2004.
Compadre: About a block past Rollie’s on the right, an outside courtyard where the local owners prepare all the seafood over the BBQ grill.
Margarita’s and El Capitan Pablo’s: Fairly new on the beach (a block this side of Ruperto’s) serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks.
Choco Banana: Adjacent to town square, coffee, muffins, breakfasts, shakes & burgers at lunch, along with newspapers.
La Ola Rica (in neighboring San Pancho): serves excellent seafood, steak and BBQ dinners, full bar, takes credit cards. Worth the trip! Drive north on Highway 200 about 4 miles, take the San Francisco turn to the left, then straight ahead, 2 blocks from beach.
Sí Hay Olitas: New, brightly colored and open looking cafe along the main street, between the bridge and town square. Dependable, reasonable breakfasts, seafood and traditional lunch & dinner.
Sayulita Cafe: Very popular, with good quality dinners, Mexican accented international. On main street between river and town square.
Argentine Restaurant: Opposite town square, new location and menu in 2004, and the reports have been positive.
El Dragon Rojo: Chinese and bar in town. Great tastes whenever I’ve eaten there.
Villa Amor: Depending upon the chef each year, the hotel restaurant serves dinners running from delicious to so so, with seafood, salads, traditional fare, fancy pizzas and pastas. Reviews from those dining during winter 2004-5 were unanimous awful!
Fish Tacos: Opposite the town square, on the uphill side. This is a favorite of many visitors, at least those who love fish tacos. In 2004 they opened a dinner only branch two blocks north of the river on the main street into town.
Ron’s Pizza: A long-time presence, with eat-in or take-out pizza. On the road next to the river, just over the bridge then turn right.
Macando: Pasta and salads, a couple of blocks from Los Delfines, opposite the baseball field, and one block closer to Los Delfines.
Calypso: Upstairs across from the town square, primarily a bar but with reasonable bar food as well.
El Tigre: Behind Choco Banana, good Mexican fare. An upstairs bar was added in 2004.
Street Vendors: Visitors love eating taco/burrito concoctions of chicken, beef or pork at very reasonable prices, open most evenings at the town square, right beside Choco Banana.
Breakfasts are available at many of the above, but also at two very close cafes, one where the trailer court meets the beach, one up the street from Hotel Diamonte. Inexpensive breakfasts usually consist of a choice of omelets or mexican style eggs, served with sides of beans and salsa, juice and coffee. Most also have hotcakes on the menu.
Another breakfast option is to buy from the Muffin Lady or Man, who bake at night and often walk through the complex mid-morning (anytime between 8:00 and 10:30) selling from a tray their tasty variety of cheese, corn, coconut, orange or berry muffins. If you buy once, they will be sure to stop at your door each morning they are selling. The same family comes frequently (but not daily) in the late afternoon, selling tamales of cheese, bean, chicken or pork.
If you like, a dinner can be prepared and served at your house a couple of nights. This is best arranged in person when you get to Sayulita. Be sure to agree on menu, number of people and total cost. Normally the women cooking will stay and clean up completely as well.
Sayulita has three paleterías serving wonderful ice cream, popsicles and other sweets, all made with purified water!
In Puerto Vallarta are many, many good restaurants, particularly at the Marina (turn right at the Neptune statue, then take the first left and park anywhere in it’s two blocks, the Marina is just ahead) and in the Centro or Old Town district. Teens prefer the action at the “hot restaurants/bars” in the Malecon district, near Old Town.