Incredible traditional mexican food without pretension. The best mexican food restaurant in PV. The dishes are delicious, surprising and prepared with serious care. This is a woman owned business that is committed to heritage recipes and perfect execution. Don't let the somewhat humble appearance fool you, this is real food for people that know the difference. Probably the best value for food of this quality in PV. read more

We went here in 2006 and 2007 and hadn't been back. Our meals at that time were spectacular and unforgettable. It is just as attractive as we remembered, with a cool traditional Mexican vibe. And the staff couldn't have been more professional, even though they were working around a fairly large film crew shooting a show for the Travel Channel. The food, though, was not quite spectacular, although it was good. Chicken with Two Moles was tasty but a little dry and Barbacoa was okay but no better than you can find at lots of taco stands. It's still an interesting, pleasant and fun place to go (there was excellent music too), just not one of our best meals. read more

This is a nice cozy Mexican restaurant with great service that is a lot more tourist friendly than a lot of other less reviewed nice cozy Mexican restaurants with great service that are 50%+ less expensive. I'm glad I came and enjoyed the visit, but nothing was particularly memorable about the meal aside from their sauces and mole which came out with the chips which were soooo delicious. We ordered Oaxacan cricket tacos, duck carnitas and pork loin, all of which were good. For what we paid, we could have eaten multiple Mexican meals of comparable quality or better around town or spent the same amount of money eating at a comparable Mexican restaurant in the USA. This place is very clean and is a good spot if you're concerned about hygiene or how your gut will react eating street food or simply want a relaxing, unrushed more upscale meal with good company. Overall, 3.5 stars. If the price came down a bit to be more in line with comparable food at other area restaurants, I'd give it 4. A-ok. read more

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Our family of ten went here last night and it was one of the highlights of our trip. Service was excellent, food was beyond excellent and the restaurant was quaint and comfortable. We are everything from duck carnitas to sopes to cricket tacos ( this was for the shear experience, but they were actually delicious). We will definitely include El Arrayan in all of our future visits to Puerto Vallarta. read more

Great upscale Mexican food. Duck cornitas were delicious. Lamb birria was also excellent and melted in your mouth. On top of that, they give those delicious dipping sauces for nachos which I never saw in any other restaurants. One even was some mole sauce based on chocolate. Great creative menu remembering the tradition. Way to go! read more

For me, this place is Ok, nice, but NOT a WOW!! Do you enjoy eating on top of printed VINYL tablecloths? The walls are decorated with large beautiful art from the same artist. The chairs are uncomfortable simple little wooden and straw seats and back. The staff is very polite and offers attentive and good service. All the patrons are North American, not one Mexican local. Being in Mexico at a Mexican restaurant, I was wanting something authentic and traditional. The server suggested that I try the duck since that is something not always on the menu. So I got the duck -it is plain and not very Mexican: a fried duck leg, cherry sauce on the side and roasted potatoes. Big deal! I was not impressed. I've seen as good from a food truck. The only thing I really liked was the complimentary chips and various salsas which they always kindly replenished. Of 5 nights and with all the substantial variety of restaurants in PV, this was our least favorite and least expensive for dinner. (US$99 inc a bottle of wine). In my opinion, all in all, the place is not bad, it is ok, good, but I wouldn't rave about it as other reviewers do. Incomprehensible! read more

Most amazing meal we had in Puerto Vallarta! Maybe ever! The service was top notch- the owner of the restaurant even checked on us throughout & suggested fun places for us to go out on the town afterward! They were so accommodating! One of us is vegan and although their menu does not initially look like it has much to offer in this regard, they worked with us (quite competently I might add) to modify existing dishes to offer more options! We were so happy & it was so freakin delicious!!!!! Thank you Carmen! We will never forget you, your beautiful restaurant, it's delicious food, and our wonderful experience there! read more

My first 5 star mexican restaurant. The shrimp ceviche and duck tostadas were superb. The pork cochinita piibil and beef barabacoa were also to die for. Service was attentive. Overall great value and will be returning again. read more

Went for Christmas Eve dinner and even though there were many large groups there, the service was friendly and attentive. Like many reviewers, I got the Duck "Carnitas" and enjoyed it a lot. We also ordered the cactus salad to share as an appetizer, which was also delicious. They also have a creative drink menu. You can tell they take a lot of pride in their food. I was too full to get dessert unfortunately. Even if you aren't staying close by, take a taxi to get here -- it's worth it! read more

Our fishing group has been going to El Arrayan for years. We keep coming back for the great service, interesting/flavorful food and solid selection of drinks. Would agree with a few other reviews that the Mole is one of my favorites year after year. I finally tried the soup this year and can't believe I've waited this long. Excellent all around and a hidden gem in PV town. BTW, the cactus garden up front is in the honor of the owner's Huichol culture. They traditionally used the peyote (hikuri) cactus in religious rituals. One year a member of our party thought it was an ash tray! He apologized profusely and after consuming the peyote was welcome back. :-) read more

First time visit to PV, and grabbed dinner here per the recommendation of our concierge. And it was DELICIOUS. Everything is fresh, housemade, and clean, caters to tourists but homemade flavors. Delicious drinks, amazing salsas, and you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Make a reservation if you go after 7pm. read more

My partner introduced me to the proprietors, Carmen & Claudia, who are long time friends. It always feels super special to dine in a restaurant when the owners sit down with you, but even if that was not the case, I would recommend this restaurant as a "Best of PV" and we have chosen to trade turkey for tacos and eat here for the past two thanksgivings. This year we had a table of 13, including 3 little ones. We kicked off the holiday toasting Boom Boom's. These martinis are so smooth and a great way to celebrate being in Mexico (also a good diversion from all the margaritas!). You cannot go wrong with anything on the menu and my personal favorites are Plantain Empanadas, Vegetarian Tostada's, Poblano Peppers, Fish Casa Pedro, Beef Barbocoa and Duck Carnitas! read more

Simple, rustic, yet refined. So much care and attention to detail. That's just the atmosphere. The food was beyond expectations and wonderful. The service was personable and welcoming. Then this delightful experience was topped with the best dessert! read more

Wonderful ambiance! Indoor outdoor dining. Delicious food!! The duck carnitas were to die for. Great service. Lovely colorful artwork. Will definitely go back. Good for a romantic dinner or large group celebration. read more

We had the chips & queso, the duck carnitas, the beef barbacoa, and it was all delicious! Both meals were served authentically with homemade corn tortillas. A great local restaurant with a chill vibe. Definitely a place to come back to! Also ordered the ice cream sampler, very good! It comes with coffee, vanilla, Mexican chocolate, and Carmel and cookies. If you love the taste of espresso, you will love the coffee ice cream. The Carmel and cookies was our favorite! read more

Such a cool place for classic Mexican cuisine. If you want to try something new, get the chapulines tacos (crickets). It was definitely an interesting experience, but a fun one. Yummy cochinita pibil too. It's located in the beginning of the new malecon, and up a few streets. Great ambiance as well! read more

Love the artwork. Nice building. Clean. Open air kitchen a plus. But the menu disappointed. The sauces while good didn't bowl me over. Service very good. Hostess friendly and helpful. But something was left in the cuisine to be desired. read more

This place was the most fantastic part of our entire trip to PV! The most amazing food, great drinks, friendly staff, all in the most beautiful setting. We will be sure to recommend this to friends and family! Not to mention this will be a MUST next time we visit. read more

We absolutely love this restaurant, and will stop in once or twice per visit to PV. Delicious and inventive food, and high quality service in a very nice setting. Another plus, this restaurant does not attract the obnoxious crowd you'll see at Señor Frogs. Then again, why would you eat at Señor Frogs? El Arrayan certainly knows how to appease your taste buds, read more

This restaurant is the best restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. I have eaten here at least half a dozen times, and every time I have had an extraordinary meal. El Arrayan really does have special food and a great atmosphere. This place is one of the precious few where they really care for you and make the effort create a very memorable dinner. read more

This restaurant is overrated by most reviewers. I ordered the duck which was recommended in Fodor's. It was OK but nothing special. My wife ordered the shrimp which were very small and again, nothing special given the higher than average prices for PV. The salsas at the table were good and one blackish salsa reminded me of coffee and cigarette ash mixed together...strange but surprisingly intriguing on a chip! The ambience was boring, all tourists and no locals eating there at all. The wait staff were friendly and attentive however. I advise skipping this place and finding more authentic Mexican food in PV. read more

Cute and unassuming spot. Beautiful decor and very happening. While I had very high expectations of the food, it just wasn't very good. Sorry folks, it was slightly disappointing. Husband had the duck, which is the house specialty, but is had no flavor whatsoever. I had the pulled pork dish, which was tasty, but certainly nothing overly special. Empanadas were good. Very busy spot, and service was a bit slow. read more

Both gluten and dairy free, the flavors combined in the cricket tacos (a must-try), barbacoa beef, and duck were all sumptuous. The wine selection was also nicely curated by our waitress who knew her Baja California reds. This is what makes a truly special restaurant experience. read more

Really interesting choices. Not your every day Mexican food. The pulled pork was delicious. Service was great and the margaritas were fresh lime and delicious. read more

We had the BEST meal here tonight. Do not miss the poblano pepper appetizer, the barbacoa, the chicken mole....and the absolute best thing on the menu -- chocolate cinnamon cake. We have dined at some of the finest restaurants in the US and Europe and thought this was one of the best meals we have ever had. Go to El Arrayan. Fabulous service and incredible meal. read more

We love El Arrayan. We had the pleasure of speaking with Regina who was an absolutely great server and such a nice person. We loved talking with her. And on top of that - the food was to die for. We had the pork, the duck, mole and the lamb. The quesadillas with the hibiscus were unique and unforgettable. All were fantastic and we were swapping forks back and forth all night. A lovely atmosphere and great service and food. A must if you're in Vallarta. Don't forget to try the raicilla! read more

El Arrayan is a diamond in the rough. It has an outdoor / indoor feel, VERY friendly and helpful staff and food that would make you question reality. Now, I'm not a food critic and I wasnt that hungry when my friends and I walked in, but from the reservation down to walking out after dinner, everything was a pleasant experience. I will highly recommend this to anyone. Planning on going back spring of 2015 and this restaurant is on the top of my list for dinners. read more

Ask them what to order. I had lamb and loved it. This is my third time and I would never miss it. Please visit, you'll tell everyone.

My experience was just fair. It seems this restaurant has some faithful followers and some good ratings, which draw a crowd. I waited about a half hour on a Monday night, due to this, my expectation was that it would live up to the hype. Perhaps my perspective is skewed by being a New Yorker, but all of the dishes we ordered were lackluster. The most exciting thing was the cricket taco. But beyond this novelty it was just crickets on a tortilla, not a fully considered dish. When you consider that PV has some of the best traditional street food meals at 20 Pesos, then this 400 Pesos meal at a highly rated restaurant should have been spectacular, and it wasn't. read more

We went for dinner last night and really enjoyed it. The drinks, food and service all were excellent. I am a total purist so had to be talked into the mojito made with vodka, grape juice (white) & basil. It was refreshing and wonderful. I ordered the lamb birria and loved it. We were very full, but decided to order the chocolate, cinnamon cake with coffee ice cream, it was also amazing. I asked the waitress if they were open for breakfast since I have been craving chillaquilles. Sadly they only serve dinner. But she recommended a place near where we are staying in the Marina & that was also wonderful read more

Have no intentions on returning. Too many good choices for restaurants in PV to spend another peso here. Too expensive for what they are serving. Service was fine just no tasty dishes out of the 4 different ones our party chose. Disappointed because this place gets such great reviews, makes me rethink yelp and trip advisor for others advice! read more

This was my second trip to this restaurant and I have been thrilled both times. Lovely open garden/patio setting, very friendly knowledgeable staff, great food. The appetizers were excellent. I had the duck entree and it was fantastic. The owner came over to chat towards the end of the meal. She gave us some interesting background about the building. Overall a great night. We'll be back! read more

The two stars are solely for ambiance. The restaurant is quaint and pretends to be a hip, gourmet spot. But it fails pretty miserably. For example, they have a taco made with crickets, which I've tried before. It's distinctive, but that doesn't mean it tastes good. It doesn't. I went again more recently and came away with the following: servers who didn't want to be there, watered-down drinks, and food that was mostly warmed-over fare you could get on a plane. Do NOT waste your time here. If you're looking for really good food, try Joe Jack's Fish Shack. For upscale, try Barcelona Tapas. El Arrayan has jumped the shark. read more

Ok so this what happened, I went there today and ordered some aracheras and chicken Mole, when I passed by the kitchen I saw that the waiter actually sneezed in the plates, also in his hands and began to bring the food. I immediately left the restaurant. Plus, us being from Hispanic heritage, my dad went to the restaurant and when the waiter saw him she thought that he and his friend were white, she offered them table for 2, but when he began to talk in Spanish, she on the spot changed her mind and said that the tables are reserved. I wanted to go there and punch that lady. read more

Always make a point to have dinner at El Arrayan when I'm in Puerto Vallarta. A little bit of a schlep up the hill if you're walking but easily accessible by taxi. Great atmosphere, friendly staff and a varied menu. Try the El Arrayan Margarita! read more

Excellent value and food- much better experience than Cafe des Artistes- save your money and have a better meal here.

Outstanding restaurant. I ate here twice last week with large parties including young children and the staff could not have been more accommodating. Open air courtyard with nice art on the walls. Excellent drink menu - the mexcalitas were quite good. Three salsas are all delicious. Recommend the sopas (both vegetarian and chorizo), guacamole, ceviche and duck tostadas as appetizers. Entrees of note were the cochinita pibil, enchiladas with mole and duck carnitas. And extremely reasonably priced for a restaurant of this caliber. read more

Contemporary Mexican. Charming garden restaurant. Flavorful dishes like "beefy" Duck Carnitas (but would have added a more sophisticated preparation - like a carmelized chili-honey glaze - to be on par with other interesting flavor profiles on the menu), Refreshing margarita (I would have added an extra splash of Tequila) and warm, friendly service. read more

This was a fabulous restaurant. The wait staff was excellent and the food exceptional. The duck carnitas and enchiladas in particular were wonderful. There were interesting salsas, pleasant atmosphere - we highly recommend. read more

This place was sweet. The menu was a bunch of dishes from all over Mexico. I ate yummy posole. It's off the main drag in a real neighborhood where people live. read more