La Dolce Vita Malecon

Had an incredible dinner with my husband and cousin on March 22, 2025. We visit Puerto Vallarta every year and this restaurant is consistently amazing! We made reservations on a very busy night on the Malecon, and very glad we did. The food as always is great, the service is always excellent and watching the sun set at Dolce Vita is the place to be.

Delicious pasta with shrimp and mushrooms. Very Italian atmosphere and service. My only issue was with the staff. They all seemed so unhappy. I didn’t feel at all like a guest. I didn’t feel welcomed. I’ll try the Romantic Zone location next week. Update April 30, 2025 The restaurant was probably only half full tonight so we decided to try again. The food was amazing as usual. We immediately noticed the entire staff smiling and being very welcoming to everyone. It was a complete 180° from our first visit. I’m so happy to make this post because the food is absolutely delicious and many people didn’t experience it because of past reviews. We will definitely return and update again.

A true classic in Vallarta, great trattoria with high quality ingredients, Mexican hospitality and a beautiful view from the second floor of Bahia de banderas. The carpaccio was the best of the things we had

If you're looking for local Italian options in Puerto Vallarta, highly recommend La Dolce Vita!

The food was okay—our favorite was the gnocchi, which was definitely homemade. The calamari was average, but the restaurant itself is a beautiful spot for happy hour and a light bite!

Great food and service. Can get pretty busy, seating can get tight and hard to hear when a full house and services is slower due to having a lot going on, but worth it. Like they say patience is a virtue. Great seafood pasta, spaghetti and penne dishes. Small wine list, however enough to satisfy any wine lover. Great bruschetta and yummy salads.

This is a fabulous spot for a family lunch or dinner. It is right on the Malecon. It offers a cool break with a gorgeous view. The restaurant does not have a kids menu, but it is very easy for kids to order from the main menu. The dishes offer a back to basic Italian focus with exceptional seafood options. The drinks are basic and served at a great price point. It's a perfect break during a visit to the malecon.

Service was exceptional. Food....mediocre. The calamari was overcooked and tasteless. Very rubbery. We shared fettuccine Alfredo and shrimp with white wine and lemon. The rice served with the shrimp tasted old, not good at all. Shrimp itself was very good. The pasta was cooked well, Alfredo sauce was a bit sweeter than we are used to having. We didn't try the pizza but it looked really good. IF we come back, it will be for pizza only. Our server was attentive and very polite.

This place is a typical tourist restaurant located on the Malecon. We would never eat Italian food while in Mexico, but we stopped here for a drink while our friends were shopping. We got two margaritas, which had zero alcohol. It tasted liked a melted jolly rancher. Hands down the worst drink of the trip.

Hi-ya! This Italian restaurant in downtown puerto Vallarta was one of the best Italian places I've eaten at. The wine list was cool, but the fettuccine Alfredo. I always order this everywhere that serves Italian. It was hot, tasty and just solid solid solid. Loved it.

My cousins & I came to this restaurant while we were on vacation & it was so good. Some got a ribeye steak while others got pizza & pasta. I was able to try a little of everyone's dish, but my favorite plate was the bruschetta appetizer. The waiters were all very nice & attentive to our party of 12. I would also very recommend their drinks. We ordered the raspberry & passionfruit lemon drops & they were both strong and tasty.

One of our favorite restaurants in PV. Great food. Reasonable prices. Friendly service. Lovely view. Highly recommend.

Been about 6 years since our last visit to PV and La Dolce Vita is always on our dinner list. Happy to say it was as good as ever. They added outdoor seating since our last visit. Pesto is great there and one of my favorite salads.

Such a great place good value and not over priced very happy with this place. This has been our second time in two years coming to this restaurant often many restaurants in PV are over price and full of hot air. Not this place it's reasonable prices and tasty food and good location makes this a must.

La Dolci Vida Vallarta is exactly what is in the Name! The homemade pasta's and sauces, pizza and fresh fish makes you feel your on the Italian Riviera. The service was spot on the food was very good and amazing imported wine list to choose from. When you're ready to change it up from the excellent Mexican food and want Very good Italian don't pass up La Dolci Vida

Food service and atmosphere were great! Very accommodating! They were able to do separate checks easily and took credit cards! Very reasonable price and good quality food!!

September 26/2022: Dinner with Heather/Tony/Red & of course my Al. This was a solid meal. I'm not normally an Italian fan but this was very tasty. Our server "Mario" was very polite & patient. He worked with us for our best outcome. As a note, the restaurant was not busy. I started with just a salad, good but nothing to write home about. Also had the Chicken Parmigiana. It was very tasty but I was thinking a different dish, already in tomato sauce. This was sauce on the side. I found the portion size to be a little small but otherwise very tasty. I tried other dishes at the table. The pizza, the lasagna & pasta. All good but not great. This is a do over for a tourist place.

Stopped by to try the pizza, and it was delicious. I was told by a friend who owns Paradise Burgers in Puerto Vallarta that the food is awesome as well. We noticed a gentleman (Vincent) enjoying a refreshing beverage and asked him what it was, next thing I know is the waiter is bringing us the same drink an Aperol Spritz which Vincent explained is very popular in Italy. Thank you Vincent for the cocktail. The restaurant is located on the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta. A hidden jewel.

Excellent place to go for a solid friendly attentive delicious experience. We sat at the bar. Tonex was great. He was super friendly and suggested good food. Wood fired pizza selection was great. Bolognese was quite good too.

Unfortunately this great restaurant is ran by amateur service and management with very poor skill. We took the time to notify the owners, but they keep avoiding all our phone calls. They keep providing fake names, etc. Do NOT waste your time and money and go to Sonora Grill Prime, that is a great restaurant instead!! Un restaurant con muy mal servicio al cliente por parte de sus empleados prepotentes. El encargado y el cocinero se ponen del tu al tu con la clientela y a los dueños no les importa ya que fueron notificados del incidente pero ellos solo dan nombre falsos y dicen que estan de viaje, y al otro dia se les ve en el restaurant jajajaj unos payasos !!

Came here because of the reviews so we decided to try it....it was pretty empty which was good no wait time we sat in the patio area nice breeze. margherita pizza was good they give complimentary bread it was ok a lil burnt the butter had a black hair on the side my fork was dirty with dried food on it we also ordered the tortellini with bolognese sauce it wasn't good at all the pasta tasted like it wasn't cooked fully and the sauce tasted like it was from a can...the waitress came to pick up our plates noticed the pasta looked untouched asked it we wanted it to go we said no we didn't like it all they said was ok took the plate it took about 15 mins until they brought the check.. they didn't seem concerned at all. Unfortunately we won't be coming back

Located on the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta. Given that it's a very high tourist zone, the food and service are remarkably good. Started with a salmon salad appetizer which was absolutely delicious. Fresh tomatoes, crisp lettuce and tasty salmon in an Italian salad dressing . I decided on simple order of gnocchi in a tomato sauce as the main. The gnocchi was cooked at a perfect Al dente, not too hard or soft and the sauce was good. There were a lot of people and we got a table for two on the open air second floor. Efficient and professional service, reasonably priced and above average food. Go for it!

One of my most favorite restaurants anywhere Have been going off and on for 30 plus years and spaghetti arrabbiata and spinach pizza are always my go to items. The pizza I never seem to finish and it is one pizza that is so good when reheated Wonderful staff service and location in upper deck always the best Hopefully I will be able to make return trips in years to come Jim at Maplelag in Minnesota

HORRIBLE! The bread was stale first off. We ordered veal piccata and it was beef with no capers very tough. Chicken Parmesan with no cheese! We refused to eat or pay. The waiter was extremely rude! I don't know if the locals know what good Italian food is, but this definitely wasn't. It reminded me of an Olive Garden.

This is by far my favorite Italian restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. Great prices, massive portions, fresh and delicious food.

I am SO beyond grateful for the amazing service here! I forgot my LV purse on one of the chairs at our table and I didn't realize it until I was in an Uber on the way back to my hotel. We called the restaurant and were immediately able to speak to someone in English about the issue and they recovered my purse. I was able to turn back around and pick-up my purse without hassle, although the restaurant had already closed for the night. It was an absolute blessing that we ate here. Overall, I highly recommend this place for Italian food right on the beach. Their tagliatelle is made fresh and the atmosphere is lively!

I gave this place a second chance because the memories were so great from the past! Came in November and it was sadly but average, and visited two days ago and asked for a dish that was quite memorable a few years back the mushroom tagliatele and the waiter seemed so certain that they could make it off menu. Ordered that and the special which came highly recommended, food really was a 1 out of 10 a desgusting mess, undercooked pasta, smelly clams, to say the least we grabbed tacos after "dinner', not eatable. I told the waiter but he blew me off and was not a care in the world...to say the least adios dolce vita! from a customer of over 20 years, sad.

The location was great for people-watching. So fun to eat by the beach. Delicious food. We loved the pizza and the fettuccine alfredo. The flan was the perfect way to end our wonderful meal.

The positives: our waiter was wonderful. It was a gorgeous evening to dine al fresco. The negatives: clearly this chef has never been to Italy. but

If you want some of the best Italian food since I was in Tuscany in a packed house on a Saturday night, Hector and Jorge made us feel like we were the only ones in the entire restaurant! First class meal with first class service! The best Italian food in Puerto Vallarta .

Wonderful romantic alfresco dinner for my partner and I. Food was better than most of the Italian food we have at home. Started with a salad and some wine and I had the fresh tagliatelle and bolognese and my partner Alfredo. We both agreed to put this on our list when we come back.

Honestly this restaurant was really disappointing. Tourist trap. So loud, food was not as expected. Margarita Pizza was lack luster with no basil it was just a flat cheese pizza, chicken parm had no Parmesan or regular presentation of what chicken parmigiana actually is. The Misto appetizer had shrimp not deveined (gross) and barely any scallops and the batter was dry. I know you don't go to Mexico for Italian food but I'd skip this one. We left unsatisfied as we barely ate.

Delicious Italian food. Great customer service. Would definitely recommend this place.

Great service with a nice variety of choices. We have been several times and it is very consistent. Located in downtown Puerto Vallarta. The fresh pastas are delicious and the bruschetta was wonderful.

Franco was the best! Food was delicious, the salmon was delicious , the mists salad was great! Definitely will return!

A wonderful location and excellent waitstaff made my dining experience a pleasure. Unfortunately the pizza left much to be desired. As other reviewer's have stated they use some unique kind of cheese. I can't quite put my finger on it. It doesn't taste bad, it just doesn't taste right for a pizza. Perhaps I should've ordered a pasta dish instead. I really wanted seafood pasta. But they only offered it with the red sauce and not with white wine. The quality of the prosciutto on the pizza was solid. And the crust was crispy, thin, and not heavy. Location of this restaurant is absolutely excellent. And you can see a wonderful sunset as you dine for an evening dinner. All in all I don't regret the experience of going there. I just wish they used a more traditional cheese on the pizza. It really would've made it so much better

Went to La Dolce Vita in Nuevo twice while we were here. Service is excellent. Pasta sauce is perfect . The only issue I have is there is too much food. Share a meal. Dessert was great.

Birthday dinner for my wife and it was amazing. I ordered the special of salmon. The pizza was nice and thin

Having to be in close proximity of the nightclub in Malecon, La Dolce Vita is one of the better options for dinner prior to having some drinks and dancing the night away. We wanted to be seated on the outside patio but seating was limited. We ended up inside. Not a big deal. Minimal decors but not like being under the twinkling lights illuminating the trees and hearing the waves crash as you enjoy your food. Food was decent my seafood linguine may not be the best but still pretty decent. My sister enjoyed her Carbonara and my friend enjoyed her marinara chicken. Overall the vibe of the restaurant is fun especially when they started banging their pots in celebration of someone's birthday. Would definitely consider coming back to try other menu options.

The Worst Pizza I've EVER had!!! We came to Visit Vallarta with high hopes for this highly recommended place to Visit. Mind you, we come from a Country that has awesome Pizza's. Friends said yeah! I know your in Mexico....... But you have to try this place as a Favorite if there's. Pass....Pass...pass... the cheese was Cheddar or something with that same taste Yuck. Sorry guys I really wanted to Like this but NOT Happening

Our party enjoyed a fine Italian meal at La Dolce Vita (malecón). Again, been a few years since I've eaten here but the food, atmosphere and location didn't disappoint. We all shared the Grilled Shiitake Mushroom with prosciutto appetizer and for dinner, Shelly and i split the delicious Antipasto Italiano and Spaghetti al'arrabiata (unfortunately pics didn't come out).

This is a fabulous spot for a family lunch or dinner. It is right on the Malecon. It offers a cool break with a gorgeous view. The restaurant does not have a kids menu, but it is very easy for kids to order from the main menu. The dishes offer a back to basic Italian focus with exceptional seafood options. The drinks are basic and served at a great price point. It's a perfect break during a visit to the malecon.

Good inexpensive Italian fare right in the heat of the Romantic Zone. In the few weeks that I've been in Puerto Vallarta I've dined here 4 times. The service is good but very rushed, you get everything you need most of the time without having to ask. Both the pasta and pizza are winners, and my favorite salad has hearts of palm, corn, tomatoes cheese and greens with a great vinaigrette.

We just had the best meal in our 10 days stay in Puerto Vallarta. The lasagna was possibly the best I've ever had. Tomato soup with shrimp was definitely the best tomato soup I've ever had. The chicken Panini was fantastic. fantastic. Service was excellent, and the view is marvelous. Eating here is a must in Puerto Vallarta.

This location has some of the best pizza I've had outside of Argentina. Service is excellent and they have gorgeous views of the malecon and water. The antipasti selections are sharing size. I've had calamari frito, bruschetta, carpaccio de pulpo, and a mixed green salad . I never eat enough fruits and vegetables while on vacation. So I extra appreciate the freshness of the tomatoes. I adore the tartar sauce. The bread is delicious. One of the antipasti above with a pizza two share and an Aperol spritz or two would be an amazing late lunch early dinner.

Good service, can't say the same about the food. Chicken parm without mozzarella? Margarita pizza that's just plain cheese pizza?

We love this place, wonderful food and top service! We highly recommend you coming to Puerto Vallarta to enjoy a good wine and a good Italian pasta.

Excellent wood fired pizza - great value, great ambiance. Would definitely visit again

Really good food the pizza was super delicious as well as the pasta. Service was good as well. Would definitely recommend as good as an Olive Garden. Definitely would come again.

Love this spot. Right on the malecon with excellent sunsets. A bottle from Casa Madera and the evening is set. We have been going for 15 years and will continue to frequent

Being a solo traveler in PV it's not always easy to find a place with great food that you can sit at the bar and not feel awkward. Food is incredible and the staff are super welcoming. Right on the malecón, which made me wonder how the food would be but no need to worry. Had the ribeye special last night (amazing) and tonight had one of their wood fired pizzas. Definitely recommend this place. Great tables outside and plenty with views of the ocean. But if you're traveling alone, ask to sit at the bar and strike up a conversation with the bartender or your fellow diners!

Ok, This was a really nice experience! Right down town old PV with a nice but obstructed view of the ocean. The service was tip top and wine selection very good but pricey lol. The waiter suggested a great bottle at a reasonable price $38 us (I think is reasonable) and it was excellent! The food was very good and the Brick oven pizza is as good as it gets! Caesar salad, amazing! Full leaf style and fresh dressing. Give this a try...,

We were brought here by a long time Puerto Vallarta resident who said this was her favorite Italian restaurant in all of PV. Now it is my favorite too. Right on the Malecon, great views, easy to get to, great prices, big portions, and very DELICIOUS Italian food. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. The place was packed, being Halloween night, but the food and service was awesome. I plan on returning again and again.

Pro's: Geez...everything! Con's: None Go back? Yes! Our last night in Puerto Vallarta and I wanted some kind of yummy afredo pasta with vegetbles in it. I picked the breaded veal cutlet with a side of an alfredo that they totally let me pick what I wanted in it. I picked spinich, mushrooms and zucchini....all ingredients that were listed with other dishes. And the servers were so nice and accommodating. This restaurant is a great pick and in a great location for other bars and nightlife. Definately would return.

Great Italian food. Excellent service, staff was on it and food was ready really fast. Recommend this place if you're staying in Puerto Vallarta.

Delicious food! Apparently there are two locations in Puerto Vallarta. I had a hearty abundant salad with hearts of palm. My friend ordered cannellonis and she asked if she could get the pink sauce. She did. They were creamy and the pasta was al dente. We shared a house made tiramisu. Delectable! The liqueur flavor was strong. When I return to Vallarta, La Dolce Vita will be a must stop for dinner.

For my visit i had the spaghetti pesto, a mojito and a Amoretto sour. Both my meal and the drinks were fantastic at a great price. For a group of college kids on a trip this was a fantastic restaurant to relax and recharge. Our server was very polite and timely.