A Tasty and Authentic Treat in Puerto Vallarta

In Puerto Vallarta for the International Living Live and Prosper in Mexico seminar recently, we tried a variety of great restaurants—there’s an endless number to choose from. In fact, there are close to 1,000 restaurants that feature nearly every cuisine of the world.

But why try something you can get at home? Enough of the endless Italian pastas, humdrum steakhouses, and imitation Tex-Mex dishes—while dining in Puerto Vallarta, go to a restaurant that has the authentic Mexican cuisines and drinks you desire. Luckily for us—and you—we found that place.

If you are seeking the real thing and a genuine Mexican restaurant experience you won’t forget, try El Arrayán, and find out why readers at www.virtualvallarta.com have voted it the “Best Mexican restaurant in Puerto Vallarta.” The food is savory, the staff is friendly, and the location is ideal—just four blocks east from the popular malecón (boardwalk or sidewalk). El Arrayán is at Allende #344 in El Centro—just close enough to all the action along the Pacific coast, but far enough from the malecón that you can eat in peace and quiet. With seminar attendees, we were fortunate enough to dine there during a brisk rain. In between conversations with my new friends, I could peer out the open wrought-iron windows and watch the rain fall into the cobblestone streets...very soothing.

But enough about ambience, let’s talk food. El Arrayán has a premier, authentic, and unique menu to satisfy your Mexican cravings...and a list of wine and Mexican spirits to wash it all down. The chefs at El Arrayán have put together regional Jalisco dishes, such as shrimp pozole (a type of hominy-based stew), camarones (shrimp) with fruit juice flambéed in raicilla, a local mezcal, and of course, empanadas...numerous ingredients packed into a small turnover. The food is rich and hand prepared, and much features exotic flavors like nopal (cactus paddle), achiote, avocado, and chile that will make your taste buds dance for a second round.

El Arrayán (Carmen Porras E.), Allende #344 esq. Miramar Col. El Centro C.P. 48351, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico; tel. 52(322)222-7195; e-mail: Elarrayanpvr@gmail.com.

Best regards,
Suzan Haskins
Latin America Editorial Director, International Living

P.S. If Puerto Vallarta isn’t your cup of café, there’s probably another city in Mexico—or two or three—that fits the bill perfectly…if you knew how to find them. We do that for you every month in Mexico Insider. Find out more here.