Puerto Vallard Beyond the Beach

It may be known as a beachfront town with a hopping nightlife, but the resort city also boasts an unexpectedly diverse culinary scene.

by Jessica Huras

When you think of Puerto Vallarta, you think beaches, resorts, marine life and water sports. All true—but that list ought to also include its diverse culinary scene. Pride in its own distinctive regional cuisine, influenced from the expat chefs who’ve come to live here, has turned this beachfront town into an unexpected gastronomic hot spot that rewards those who venture beyond its beautiful beaches.

Head to Puerto Vallarta's food stalls for a taste of authentic Mexican delicacies

Word on the street

I’m standing on an oceanfront boardwalk surrounded by a picturesque beachscape. Yet my attention is solely on the man in front of me, who’s pouring me a cup of agua de tuba. Popular along the Pacific coast of Mexico, including here in Puerto Vallarta, it’s one of the many drinks and snacks sold by the vendors who set up their stands every evening toward the southern end of the Malecón, a roughly half-mile boardwalk stretching along the curve of Banderas Bay.

Sip a drink as you walk along Los Muertos pier.

As my group continues our stroll along the Malecón, cups of agua de tuba still in hand, we see vendors hawking esquites—a charred corn salad dressed in mayonnaise and chili powder—and colorful scoops of a light Mexican-style sorbet called nieve de garrafa Vendors are selling juicy slices of fresh mango, or international foods like hot dogs, crepes and hamburgers. Cold coconut juice and tejuino, a fermented corn based drink, help us handle the heat.

Getting in the spirit

Our next stop takes us in search of another local drink: raicilla. As chef Guillermo Wulff sets down small glasses of this clear spirit on our table at his homey, open-air restaurant, Barrio Bistro, he describes it as “the grandfather of tequila and mezcal.”

Every dish at Barrio Bistro is a work of art

Unlike cheap bar-rail tequila, raicilla is meant to be sipped slowly. Produced only in Puerto Vallarta’s home state of Jalisco, raicilla has been enjoyed by farmers for centuries as a moonshine. Innovators like Wulff, who produces his own small-batch raicilla, are beginning to see its value as an artisanal spirit. Like tequila and mezcal, raicilla is made from the agave plant, which is distilled to yield a spirit with an earthy, slightly vegetal profile. Wulff presents these various raicilla expressions alongside dishes filled with such regional ingredients as cactus and huitlacoche, a mushroom that grows on corn.

close-up with an agave plant

Local Luxury

One of our last stops takes us to Tintoque, which is among the top spots in Puerto Vallarta to experience the blending of local and global influences that defines its culinary scene. Here, chef Joel Ornelas uses homegrown ingredients to create a menu inspired by a range of international cuisines. Tonight, we’re choosing from options like locally raised quail served with yuzu beurre blanc and a Taiwanese bao-style dish featuring blue organic corn dough filled with duck and pork birria.

Tintoque’s elegant interior dining room, with its lofty, wood-beamed ceiling, is undeniably magical, but I’m in what’s arguably the best seat in the house, out on the leafy patio overlooking the Río Cuale. Sipping a rich red—this one comes from Hilo Negro winery in Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe—while admiring river views might not be what most travelers would expect from a town known for its beaches and nightlife. As we’ve discovered through its cuisine, however, Puerto Vallarta knows how to show travelers the best of its many surprising dimensions.

If You Go

Restaurants and accommodations in Puerto Vallarta that travelers should know about.

Where to eat

At Tacos La Mucca, Tintoque chef Joel Ornelas riffs on the arriero—a local style of taco made with carne asada and cabbage—using highquality Angus beef. Meanwhile, the consistent lineup out the door at Café de Olla is your first clue that this restaurant is worth the wait. Head here for some of the best enchiladas in town and margaritas made with raicilla.

Beef tacos on corn tortillas are traditional Mexican fare

Where to stay

Posh hillside resort Grand Miramar is blissfully removed from the hustle and bustle. Its spacious rooms and rooftop pool are among the most dramatic bay views in the city. Be sure to grab a cocktail at The Gin Joint Bar in the early evening for spectacular sunset views.

Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit has revolutionized the all-inclusive dining concept with impressive restaurants that offer diverse global flavors with a creative spirit. Stroll along breezy corridors with colorful plants and koi ponds to beautifully designed restaurants where the flavors of Mexico, Asia, Italy and France come to life.