Puerto Vallerta is a charming seaside town on Mexico’s pacific coast that’s known for it’s beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife, and charming old town. Many snowbirds call “PV” home during the winter and it’s famously LBGTQ+ friendly, meaning no shortage of visitors. But unlike other Mexican tourism hotspots (Cabo and Cancun, I’m looking at you…), Puerto Vallarta has retained an authentic charm and a strong local community still exists.
(Get my Cabo eats recommendation HERE!)
Puerto Vallarta is a popular destination for cruise ships. And yours truly just so happens to be working on a ship that hits PV a handful of times.
Last week we had a late sail, which meant the chance to catch one of those famous Puerto Vallarta sunsets. But as we were moseying down the malecón, the Spanish word for beach front esplanade, we faced a major dilemma: “Where do we go?!”
Ocean front dining tends to be overpriced and under flavored. Not to mention, every place somehow looks exactly the same. We made it all the way to the northern tip and settled on Oceano Azul. Partly because of the 2 x 1 margaritas, and partly because we just couldn’t be fussed walking anymore.
It turned out to be the perfect spot for a ocean front dinner in Puerto Vallerta that didn’t break the bank.
The Ambiance
Any ocean front dinner in Puerto Vallarta is set up for success. Who doesn’t love a Pacific Ocean sunset?! We took a table that was on the beach in the sand, and the view was stellar. There was a young man singing Mexican power ballads to set the mood. And we even got a view of the Voladores de Papantla— who are flying dancers that perform a classic mesoamerican ceremony.
You can spy them swinging on the pole in the photo below.
The Drinks
We were lured in by the goblet sized 2 x 1 margaritas. They were perfectly drinkable, but clearly made with a mix. But hey, what can you expect when you’re paying less than $3usd for a margarita on the beach? For round 2 I tried a mezcalita, which I preferred. Even though I could’t figure out why it was blue.
The Food
We started with fish tacos, which were exactly what you want from a fish taco. The fish was perfectly fried, and the plate was loaded with all types of accompaniments including guac, salsa, greens, and lime. They were so good that we ended up getting another order.
We also ordered the shrimp ceviche, which was just as tasty. It consisted of shrimp, tomato, cucumber, cilantro, mango, and plenty of lime. And I was quite pleased with the fact that they didn’t skimp on the shrimp. Plus, it tasted undeniably fresh. (Upon reading other Yelp reviews, not everyone seems to feel the same. But our experience was excellent.) My one qualm is that the tostados to go with the ceviche were in plastic bags that you’d buy at the grocery store.
The Bill
The two orders of fish tacos, 1 huge plate of ceviche, 4 mixed drinks, and 2 beers came to $55.62usd total. Given the location and experience, I think that’s a very reasonably priced ocean front dinner in Puerto Vallarta.
With that being said, Puerto Vallarta has no shortage of alledgedly delicious restaurants….
Stay tuned for more Puerta Vallarta foodie adventures to come!
