Sayulita Restaurants and Foods
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For your convenience, our Sayulita restaurant and food listings are classified by type of establishment making it easier for you to find exactly what you like.
One of the many delightful things about Sayulita is its eclectic character – and that includes its food. This diverse beach town is filled with restaurants, cafes, bars, snack shops, street vendors, and carnicerias that sell foods bursting with local flavor. That doesn’t mean it’s all Mexican food, although there are plenty of Mexican restaurants that serve delicious authentic foods and taquerias that sell fresh shrimp tacos and oyster sopes.
This popular vacation spot is a prime fishing town known not only for its fish and seafood specialties but also for its international food and fine dining with similar options at various price ranges, from $7 pesos a serving and up, so anyone can indulge in the culinary delights of Sayulita. Some of the locals’ favorites consist of regional recipes sold by the town’s street vendors and taco stands, such as ceviche tostadas and Jamaica flower quesadillas.
Another sweet indulgence of the Riviera Nayarit where Sayulita is located is its natural edible treats. Located in the Tropic of Cancer, this tropical paradise consists of lush rainforests, rolling hills, and fruit orchards – an ideal climate and terrain for growing tropical fruits of all kinds. It’s common to find street vendors selling fresh pineapple, coconuts, bananas, mangoes, guavas, plums, limes, guanabana (soursop), lychee berries, sugar cane, and more.
While the region’s tropical fruits and vegetables are among locals’ favorites, traditional Nayarit cuisine or “Cocina Estilo Nayarit” is spectacular in its own right and worthy of trying. The Nayar Mesa, part of the Sierra Madre mountain range in Nayarit, is known for growing many varieties of chiles, especially Chile Cascabel, an ingredient in the famous Salsa Huichol. Chiles are often one of a variety of ingredients added to sauces and marinades that contribute to the savory, spicy flavor of regional fish and meat dishes.
Although there are many delicacies in Nayarit cuisine, here are a few of the more common ones:
Empanadas de Camaron
This “shrimp empanadas” appetizer is prepared with a shrimp filling. A mixture of Manchego cheese, red chiles, tomatoes, onions, and spices are wrapped inside corn dough, deep fried to golden brown, and ready to serve.
Pescado Sarandeado
This customary fish dish is marinated in a blend of lime juice, soy sauce, and chiles. Pargo fish (Red Snapper) is smoked over fire containing manglar wood and palm fronds. It is served with tomato, sliced onion, cucumber, crisp tostadas, and a unique salsa.
Tamales de Elote
This “sweet tamales” dessert has two types although both are made from young corn. One is called colados made of sieved ground corn. The other is called oyejos made with crushed corn.
This small beach town is not small on variety. It features many restaurants and eateries serving fresh seafood, authentic Nayarit dishes, international cuisine, and all kinds of traditional Mexican food. We invite you to explore the many culinary delights served in Sayulita.
As we like to say in Mexico, “buen provecho!” (Bon appetit!)



