Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - When it comes to fine dining, Vallarta-Nayarit restaurants do it 'con gusto'. The Banderas Bay area's reputation as a 'Must Visit' destination for gourmet cuisine is growing, due to the quality of our restaurants and the talent of their chefs, who take full advantage of the abundance of Pacific seafood and quality fruits and vegetables in our region.

With four out of the eight restaurants listed by USA Today as "Top Beachside Restaurants on Mexico's Pacific Coast," located in Vallarta-Nayarit, the Banderas Bay region's status as a gourmet destination has once again been confirmed.

The article's author, Mark Rogers, praises the culinary quality of our destination, saying, "Travelers will find it hard to find a truly bad dining experience along Mexico's Pacific coast, since the view is usually superb and the fish fresh-caught."

The following Vallarta-Nayarit establishments are among the restaurants on Mexico's Pacific Coast that the author deems noteworthy:

La Palapa Restaurant, Puerto Vallarta

La Palapa is on the main beach, Playa Los Muertos, right in the middle of Puerto Vallarta's Romantic Zone. The restaurant has been in business for over 50 years and bills itself as the first beachside restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. The chefs blend fresh seafood with regional fruits and spices to create innovative and imaginative dishes that have earned the restaurant international recognition and awards. La Palapa is also a great place to catch a sunset over Banderas Bay, accompanied by a live Latin jazz combo. A special touch is the candlelit tables on the beach, which is further lit with tiki torches.

El Barracuda, Puerto Vallarta

El Barracuda is informal but hip, offering dining right on Playa Camarones (Shrimp Beach) only a few blocks from downtown. Fresh seafood is the main ticket, although they also serve barbequed ribs and steaks for the meat lovers in a group. While the menu is top-heavy with seafood mainstays like fish tacos and ceviche, they also provide dishes that are more unusual, such as garlic octopus, tostadas with smoked marlin, and shrimp burgers. Jettison the cerveza and go for a Jalapeño Mezcalita, a cocktail prepared with mezcal, cucumber, and jalapeño.

El Dorado Restaurant and Bar, Punta de Mita

A standout eatery on Punta de Mita's Anclote Beach is El Dorado Restaurant and Bar. For the best view, opt for one of the tables on the ocean-view balcony, especially in the evening, when the sunset puts on a show. If looking for a Nayarit regional dish, try the fish grilled Sarandeado-style, usually red snapper or bream cooked over a smoky wood fire while slathered with chili, limes, mustard, and butter. Bring a bathing suit for a pre-prandial dip; the restaurant has its own outdoor shower right on the beach.

Don Pedro's Restaurant & Bar, Sayulita

The surfing town of Sayulita in Riviera Nayarit has often been described as laidback, although presently a more apt description would be "lively." Sayulita has grown in popularity and now contains an assortment of restaurants. One of the oldest and most popular in town is the beachfront Don Pedro's Restaurant. It's grown over the years, keeping pace with the town's development, and now has a beach patio and bar for those who want to dine with their toes in the sand. The best views can be had from the second floor, although they only open the second floor during peak season or when the first floor is packed. I dined on the first floor and the views of the scene on the beach were fine — everything from surfers catching waves, kids playing along the shoreline, and musicians strumming guitars. The Mexican-style seafood is great, but if a diner is interested in changing things up, Don Pedro's also serves wood-fired oven pizzas and mesquite-grilled filet mignon.

The other Mexican Pacific Coast restaurants featured in Mark's article were: Pancho's Restaurant, Mazatlan; Cerritos Beach Club & Surf, Los Cabos; La Perla, Zihuatenejo; and Tabasco Beach Restaurant & Bar, Cabo San Lucas.

Mr. Rogers also listed the seaside town of Puerto Nuevo, Baja California, where "Hungry travelers will find more than 35 family-style lobster restaurants clustered within four blocks..." and recommended visiting the Public Beach in Acapulco on a Sunday, where "You'll spend only a handful of pesos for an unforgettable deep-immersion experience..."