Top 5 Restaurants
Near Sayulita
Where we eat when we are in town
Our top five restaurants in Sayulita, Nayarit are Mazo Cocina del Pacífico, La Rústica, Alto Alto Rooftop, Mary's Traditional Mexican Cuisine and Barracuda Sayulita. Our own picks also include Papus, a beach shack with fried shrimp tacos, free chips and green salsa, and La Camion for burgers. Each is an easy trip from our North Side condos.
We stay in Sayulita all year, so these are the tables we send friends to. They cover sunset seafood, wood-fired pizza, a rooftop, honest tacos and a big seafood dinner.
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Mazo Cocina del Pacífico
Chef Lacho Ruiz runs this beachfront kitchen at La Puesta, built around the day's catch and Mexican coastal classics. The terrace sits right above the surf, so tables fill early for sunset dinner. Order the fresh seafood plates and a mezcal cocktail while the light goes orange over the bay. It also serves breakfast and lunch, which makes it an easy low-key start to a beach day.
Book the sunset table on OpenTable a day ahead and arrive 30 minutes before sundown to get a seat at the terrace rail.
La Rústica
A few steps off the main plaza on the way to the beach, La Rústica cooks wood-fired pizzas that locals and visitors both rank among the best in town. The menu also covers pasta, mussels, fish tacos and a full mezcal cocktail list, plated more carefully than most places in Sayulita. The room is relaxed and a little romantic, with candlelit tables. Reservations help on weekend evenings in high season.
Order a pizza to share and add the mussels as a starter; message them on WhatsApp (+52 322 100 7379) to reserve or arrange pickup.
Alto Alto Rooftop
A two-level Mediterranean rooftop in the middle of town, Alto Alto pairs shareable plates with artisan cocktails and one of the better elevated views over the plaza streets and hills. It serves brunch and dinner, so it works for a slow morning or a golden-hour drink that turns into dinner. Expect hummus-style starters, grilled fish and creative cocktails rather than tacos. Dinner is the busiest service.
Reserve through OpenTable for a table at the roof edge, and arrive around 5 PM for sunset before the dinner rush.
Mary's Traditional Mexican Cuisine
A small, brightly painted family-style place a few steps from the plaza, Mary's is where locals send people for fish and shrimp tacos. The house taco especial comes with shrimp and roasted green peppers under melted cheese on a handmade corn tortilla, and two tacos make a full meal. Poblano peppers stuffed with chicken and cheese, marlin empanadas and flan round out the traditional menu. Prices stay modest for the town centre.
Order the taco especial and one marlin empanada to share before deciding on seconds; portions are bigger than they look.
Barracuda Sayulita
Started as a small taco shop and grew into the town's go-to nicer seafood dinner, on Calle Delfines a block from the beach. The signature seafood molcajete arrives bubbling with prawns, octopus, arrachera, bacon-wrapped peppers and queso, and the aguachile and ceviche are strong starters. Cocktails are good and weekend evenings sometimes bring live music. Fish is the daily catch, so ask what came in.
The molcajete easily feeds two; pair it with an aguachile to share instead of ordering separate entrees.
Questions about restaurants near Sayulita
Where can I get the best sunset dinner in Sayulita?
Mazo Cocina del Pacífico has a beachfront terrace above the surf, and Alto Alto Rooftop offers elevated views over town. Book either a day ahead and arrive about 30 minutes before sundown.
Where do we go in Sayulita for classic fish and shrimp tacos?
Mary's Traditional Mexican Cuisine is a small family-style spot near the plaza known for its shrimp taco especial. It is also the most budget-friendly stop on this list at the $ price tier.
Which Sayulita restaurant is best for pizza or date night?
La Rústica serves wood-fired pizza, pasta and mussels in a candlelit room just off the plaza. Reservations help on weekend evenings in high season, and you can message them on WhatsApp.
Do you recommend anywhere casual besides these five?
Yes. We also love Papus, a beach shack with fried shrimp tacos, free chips and green salsa, and La Camion for burgers. We left them off the cards, but they are regular stops for us.