Amazing Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta

This is a thorough guide of the Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, mainly from my experience when I was living there for 4 months and I have tried them (almost) all, besides some input and updates from my friends in Puerto Vallarta. I hope you will find it useful!

Puerto Vallarta has been a sweet surprise in so many ways, one of which was the culinary offer the city boasts. I didn’t imagine I could find so many vegan restaurants and many others with vegan and vegetarian options. I will tell you all about it in this post.

MAP OF THE VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS IN PUERTO VALLARTA

PUERTO VALLARTA VEGAN RESTAURANTS AND VEGETARIAN OPTIONS

THE GREEN PLACE (VEGETARIAN)

A beautiful spacious room with huge tables and comfortable chairs, looking like a working space. It’s actually a delight for all your senses. While eating your healthy meal, you can admire works of art hanging on the walls. You might like it or not, but it certainly gives a cozy feeling to the open space. The exposition changes every couple of months.

The menu doesn’t offer elaborate dishes, but it has a good variety of salads and sandwiches made with different kinds of the bread of your choice and is served in lovely wooden trays. The sandwiches come with a lentil or vegetable soup of your choice. We had the portobello burger but in a sandwich multigrain bread, and it came with 3 different types of sauce for us to try. Delicious. They offer a vegan cheese option as well, which is nice.

They also have a huge variety of smoothies made with superfoods, nuts, veggies, and fruits with a lot of creative combinations. Their dessert menu is also very inviting. It’s almost all vegan. We have tried the key lime pie ( also raw) and the ice cream. I loved them both, but the ice cream was to die for. I tried to get the recipe but with no success. 😉

The place has excellent vibes, and the owner Sahara is a great host and loves to come to your table, promote her culinary specialties, and speak English. Everybody, there has a welcoming smile a kind word for you. It’s definitely one place where I will want to go back and try different desserts or smoothies. They open from 8 am to 4 pm and take only cash payment (or PayPal).

PLAYA DETOX

Playa Detox is absolutely among the few authentic Vegan restaurants that I know. And to gain extra points, they even have many RAW Vegan dishes. I have found Playa detox much more focused on health besides taste, which I always appreciate very much. The only less positive element is that it is a bit further from the normally frequented area and. If you don’t have a car, you might have to walk a little in the sun to get there or grab a taxi. It’s totally worth it anyway.

The delicious and delicate plates make you want to come back over and over to try everything. Since I was almost sure that I wouldn’t have the time to go back I believe I have exaggerated ordering.

But I wanted to try as much as I can, and everything seemed so inviting. I had a coconut “ceviche,” some tacos (made with cabbage), and the dessert. I left the place that I thought I was about to explode, but as always happens when you eat well (vegan), you feel fine and full of energy with your palate fully satisfied after half an hour.

VEGAN RAMEN MAI TEN TO TEN

People are raving about this Asian Restaurant that is completely vegan, a rare find! a small menu but well put together. I will definitely try it when I’ll go back to Puerto Vallarta.

Vegetarian restaurants Puerto Vallarta: PLANETA VEGETARIANO

I absolutely loved it but make sure when you go there you are super hungry. In fact, it’s a buffet-only restaurants, and they have such a variety of plates that you need to really be hungry to try them all.

And they are all delicious. It’s the demonstration that you can really be creative and eat vegan without missing great flavors. The combinations of vegetables with so many different dressings make it an outburst of colors and flavors too.

The buffet is a joy to look at but also to eat. They call themselves vegetarian because sometimes they use cream or yogurt for the dressing, but they are 90 % vegan, if not more.

If you are vegan, to make sure, always ask before creating your plate. The personnel is very kind and friendly, and the place, although not pretentious, is really colorful and cozy with nature-themed paintings all over the walls.

VEGGITALIA – Vegetarian Restaurant Puerto Vallarta

Unfortunately, it was closed for the summer break. I was curious to know how my fellow citizens can do with vegan cuisine, and I heard only praise about this restaurant. Let me know if you check it out.

Here I will report the comment of one of my local friends, though:

“Veggitalia is an excellent restaurant. It is mainly vegetarian but there are vegan options also. I often have a pizza, all of which are really good (stone oven) and the lasagne is probably the best I have tasted just about anywhere. Good artisanal beers, quality wine and infused water at the table. Tiramisu is really light (vegetarian only). The chef is Italian from Bologna and he also makes his own Limoncello which he often gives free at the end of your meal.”

REGULAR RESTAURANTS WITH VEGGIE OPTIONS IN PUERTO VALLARTA

BARRA LIGHT 

The place is really cozy and fresh, and the service very attentive. I went with my lovely doggie girl to whom I was housesitting, and they welcomed her with lots of love, which was really nice. However, I wasn’t really impressed with the food, unfortunately.

In fact, the menu for a vegan is reduced to a salad or a potato with some vegetables and tofu. I was full but not wowed by choice.

There was no other option. If you are vegetarian, I guess you would be happier as you could add cheese, and I presume for breakfast you would have a varied choice of pancakes, eggs, and other vegetarian options.

If you are up for a simple salad, though you will be happy. However, I didn’t see any kinds of seeds or nuts to add on and enrich your healthy meal.

Barra Light is closed on Sunday, while the rest of the week opens from 8.30 to 19.00. They do have wi-fi.

JERUSALEM EXPRESS

I loved my vegan pita kebab. This is a little place run by a very nice and friendly gentleman from Israel, named Alon, who loves to talk a lot. Therefore I really enjoyed my delicious pita there while talking with him about life and Mexico and vegan food.

He is vegan, too, and the majority of the food he sells is vegan. However, he says, with a reason, that to serve a bigger portion of the population, he needs to have a couple of dishes with meat for those who want the original kebab.

Other than that, it’s all totally vegan, and he keeps separated dishes and cutleries. Oh! The tamarind water that he makes is special too.

The place is simple but cozy. You can eat there or take away, and they also offer a delivery service.

Open from 8 to 20 every day and have wifi.

SALUD SUPERFOOD

A pleasant place in the Zona Romantica at a few steps from the beach with outside and indoor sitting ( no air conditioning). The menu offers a variety of dishes based on rice and quinoa. All of them can be prepared in vegan and vegetarian options.

I had a vegan Thai bowl with brown rice, and they offered me the options of Tofu or more veggie instead. I chose the second one. It was delicious and so it was the “Agua de la Casa” which was  Pineapple and mint water.

Salud superfood is also a popular place for its breakfast bowls and smoothies or juices. They have wifi and are pet-friendly. I enter with my doggie girl, and she was more than welcome with a pot of water to keep her cool in such hot weather. Both staff and owners very attentive and super nice.

Open from 9 to 5 every day except Sunday. They have WIFI.

ORGANIC SELECT 

It’s a tiny lovely place located in a non-touristic area but still walking distance from the main road in the Hotel Zone.

It’s actually an organic and superfood shop, most of all offering organic vegetables, eggs, and well, yes, chicken, plus all sorts of seeds, herbs, and corporal products. They also have a little cafe’ where they do sandwiches and salads and other simple dishes.

They do have vegan options also for dessert. I  have actually tried a mini muffin, which was great, and I took home a huge portion of vegan brownie, which didn’t make it to the following day.

It was absolutely amazing. You can take away, but there is a lovely patio where you can enjoy your meal in the shade if you have time.

The staff is lovely. Oh! they make also a great “focaccia“.

LAMARA

I haven’t personally tried it but I went to check out the menu.

The place is nothing special, but apparently, they have great food as it was hectic. While reading the menu, I couldn’t understand why it had been suggested to me as a plant-based restaurant as the menu was totally based on fish, the majority being ceviches and tostadas.

I asked the kind waiter, and he told me that all the dishes could be prepared as vegan substituting the fish with different kinds of vegetables depending on the texture they want to create.

That sounds very interesting and definitely something different to try.

NATUREZA – Coworking space

The name is quite deceiving. The place is great, nicely decorated with comfortable tables and chairs and a co-working area where you can purchase your membership and spend your day working in an air-conditioned tranquil space.

However, the huge menu was quite disappointing when I visited, if you like to eat healthily. You would read cheese, cream, and chicken everywhere, and there is no hint of vegan options. I am sure if you ask, they can make you a salad with no meat or cheese. 

There are smoothies (with yogurt) and juices, though. I had lemon and mint juice on the rock, which was great, though.

More vegetarian and vegan restaurants and shops in Puerto Vallarta

Here is a list of places where you can order delicious vegan bakery and dishes

• ABOCADO – Great and original Vegan Menu – Read more
• BAKED GOODS BY LU – Delicious Vegan pastries – Read more
• COCAHUATHL – mouthwatering chocolate desserts and snacks all vegan – Read more
• GODDESS GOODIES – delicious snack completely vegan and healthy – Read More
• REVOLUTION HEALTHY BAKERY – vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free bakery – Healthier impossible!! – Read more
• VALLARTA VEGAN ART – Amazing traditional local dishes and desserts made vegan and gourmet! – Read more

Read more Vegan and Vegetarian delivery service in Puerto Vallarta Facebook group and find their Vegan Restaurants and Shops Directory