THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN SAYULITA, MEXICO
Check out all of my favorite places that I ate at during my two-week trip to Sayulita, Mexico.
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COFFEE & BREAKFAST
Miscelenea Cafe
Miscelenea Cafe is hands-down the best brunch spot in Sayulita (I mean, just look at the picture below). With modern takes on classic Mexican dishes, like the chilaquiles below, as well as standard American brunch dishes like the French toast, as well as unbeatable juices and smoothies, Miscelenea is not one to miss on your trip to Sayulita.
La Tierra Viva
La Tierra Viva is an open restaurant with great Mexican-style breakfast and brunch dishes as well as fantastic cocktails if you want to start your day off strong. I opted for the Bloody Mary and split the Chilaquiles with both red and green salsa as well as the Machaca Tierra Viva and recommend both.
Orangy
Orangy has hands-down the best smoothies in Sayulita! I’m not even a big smoothie girl but I kept coming back here morning-after-morning. My favorites were the Surfer’s Brunch and the Berry Good smoothie – a whole 16 oz for only about $4 USD.
Organi-K Café
Located across the bridge from the heart of downtown, Organi-K Café belongs both in the Coffee & Breakfast as well as the Lunch lists, because they offer coffee, acai bowls, and poke bowls, as well as a few other menu items. I came here multiple times for the acai and poke, which I highly recommend. I’d probably skip out on the coffee because it was a bit underwhelming. It also has a really great outdoor eating and working space, if you’re going to be a digital nomad like I was during your time there.
Pakeke
One block further past the bridge than Organi-K Café is Pakeke, a small coffee shop with the best latte I had in Sayulita. Honestly, I’m not sure what else they have on the menu but the coffee was 10/10 and I wish I went back for it again.
LUNCH & DINNER
Mary’s Tacos
Mary’s Tacos is known as the best taco restaurant in Sayulita, and it did not disappoint. Their tacos are stuffed to the brim full of juicy and tender meat and local vegetables, such as peppers, beans, and other local favorites. I’d recommend checking out the taco specials – my favorites were the Mary, the Emilio, and the Oleo.
Barracuda
Barracuda, located at the end of the famous flag-lined street just off the main square, was one of the nicer restaurants we went to and well worth the price tag (and let’s be real, the prices are still very reasonable in comparison to anything you might find in the U.S.) My favorites were the tostadas and the ceviche and I’d also recommend divulging into the cocktail list before a night on the town. Additional note: They have a Barracuda restaurant on the beach itself – I didn’t go here for dinner because the beach tends to die down by nightfall, but it’s a good place to grab lunch during the day.
El Itacate
If you talk to any locals about where to eat in Sayulita, they’ll probably recommend El Itacate. El Itacate is a laid-back lunch & dinner restaurant with seating spilling into the street on the east side of town. They have a pretty straightforward menu: pick your meat, fish, or vegetable and either put it into a taco or their famous, you guessed it, El Itacate burrito, which is a massive burrito with fried cheese instead of tortillas as its wrap. I’ll warn you, though, the Itacate is massive and that much cheese might upset your stomach, but it’s worth it.
Alas Blancas
Alas Blancas, located right on Playa de Sayulita, is perfect for that quintessential sunset dinner that you’re probably hoping to get while in Mexico. The cocktails are all fantastic here and we especially loved the ceviche appetizer. Be sure to book your reservation so you’re sitting during sunset, since Sayulita has some of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen.
Don Pedro’s
If you’re looking to steer away from Mexican cuisine for a night, opt for Don Pedro’s, an Italian restaurant with an amazing vibe and décor right on Playa de Sayulita. From burrata to pizzas to grilled artichokes, there’s something for everyone at Don Pedro’s.
El Tiburon
Located in an alleyway downtown, El Tiburon had a wide variety of really great food to choose from and fantastic cocktails as well. I had walked by it a few times before stepping foot inside, and the cuisine surpassed my expectations. The Wachos (waffle-fry-nachos) were out of this world and the burger was so juicy that I couldn’t put it down.
El Break Café
Located on Playa de Sayulita, this was the most chill and laid-back atmosphere of all of the dinner places, as well as an extensive menu beyond Mexican food. We came here when we were exhausted one evening and just in the mood for an easy dinner with a view of the sunset and it met our needs perfectly.
STREET FOOD
Churro Stands
You can’t go to Mexico without getting a churro and these churros were to die for. There’s one at both ends of the main flag-lined street downtown and for only 35 pesos (or about $1.75 USD), you can get a plain churro or one filled with a handful of yummy fillings like chocolate, Nutella, dulce de leche, and a few other options. Safe to say, we went here every night after dinner.
Street Tacos
On the southeast corner of the main square are two street taco stands – Tacos Al Pastor and Tacos Talivan. I avoided them both for the first few days because I was set on trying as many restaurants as possible and I’m proud to admit that was a terrible mistake. Dare I say that these were some of my favorite tacos in town?! Come here for a small one-taco snack in the afternoon or for an easy lunch or dinner, you can’t go wrong here.
Drink Carts
On a lot of streets outside of the main square, you’ll find brown wooden carts with a full bar serving almost any drink you can think of. I came here multiple times for the palomas, not only for the great drinks but because they also came in these massive souvenir mugs that made the experience that much better.
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ABOUT ME
Welcome! I’m Natasha, a 27-year-old living in Manhattan and constantly itching to get out. I created Exploring Elsewhere to inspire those like me, 20-something women with shallow pockets and too few vacation days, to take adventurous solo trips in far-off lands.