| Puerto Vallarta Restaurant Reviews |
| La Piazzetta Italian 143 Rodolfo Gomez, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 222-0650 |
Puerto Vallarta Restaurant Review:
If you're looking for Italian cuisine in Puerto Vallarta, La Piazzetta has been a favorite of
the locals since 1995 (and unfortunately, is open only for dinner).
SETTING - A rambling, white-painted brick building in "old town", very pretty. La Piazzetta
is larger than it appears, with various rooms and seating areas, and probably has even more
patio tables than inside tables, which in Vallarta is nice.
FOOD - The restaurant has an extensive menu, roughly 20 pastas, 20 pizzas, 20 beef/
chicken/seafood entrees, etc. This is not pure northern Italian like you might find in a major
U.S. city, but it's pretty darn good. Dinner is served with fresh-baked onion bread (after I
top it off with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, I'm in heaven). Same with the
bruschetta. They have some authentic Italian sauces here that you don't see too often, like
the Spaghetti Puttanesca (literally translated as "the Whore's Sauce", the reasons for which
go beyond the scope of this review, haha). The wine list is extensive, predominantly Chilean
and Italian, reasonably priced and very drinkable.
AMBIANCE - La Piazzetta is always bustling, but the service is among the best you'll find.
They seem to have a lot of regulars, judging by the greetings exchanged. Everybody seems to
want to sit outside on the see-and-be-seen patios, but the inside is never crowded and is
beautiful in its own right. The artwork is contemporary (goes nicely on the white walls), and
the bar is both contemporary in style and well-stocked.
BOTTOM LINE - After your first visit, you'll see why La Piazzetta is a popular place with
the large American ex-patriot community in Puerto Vallarta, as well as with knowledgeable
visitors.
If you're looking for Italian cuisine in Puerto Vallarta, La Piazzetta has been a favorite of
the locals since 1995 (and unfortunately, is open only for dinner).
SETTING - A rambling, white-painted brick building in "old town", very pretty. La Piazzetta
is larger than it appears, with various rooms and seating areas, and probably has even more
patio tables than inside tables, which in Vallarta is nice.
FOOD - The restaurant has an extensive menu, roughly 20 pastas, 20 pizzas, 20 beef/
chicken/seafood entrees, etc. This is not pure northern Italian like you might find in a major
U.S. city, but it's pretty darn good. Dinner is served with fresh-baked onion bread (after I
top it off with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, I'm in heaven). Same with the
bruschetta. They have some authentic Italian sauces here that you don't see too often, like
the Spaghetti Puttanesca (literally translated as "the Whore's Sauce", the reasons for which
go beyond the scope of this review, haha). The wine list is extensive, predominantly Chilean
and Italian, reasonably priced and very drinkable.
AMBIANCE - La Piazzetta is always bustling, but the service is among the best you'll find.
They seem to have a lot of regulars, judging by the greetings exchanged. Everybody seems to
want to sit outside on the see-and-be-seen patios, but the inside is never crowded and is
beautiful in its own right. The artwork is contemporary (goes nicely on the white walls), and
the bar is both contemporary in style and well-stocked.
BOTTOM LINE - After your first visit, you'll see why La Piazzetta is a popular place with
the large American ex-patriot community in Puerto Vallarta, as well as with knowledgeable
visitors.
