Andale's Restaurant & Bar: Where to Eat in Puerto Vallarta

One address, three different places

Andale’s changes its personality as the day goes on. It opens at 7am every day of the week and doesn’t close until 2am. Over those nineteen hours the same rooms on Calle Olas Altas serve as a breakfast stop, a lunch counter and, late in the evening, a loud bar.

Google’s own summary calls it a “cozy, longtime hangout with rustic decor & a festive atmosphere.” That’s a fair description of what you’re signing up for. It’s a well-known name in the Zona Romántica, so don’t expect a quiet discovery. Expect a place that has done the same job for years and does it well, judging by its consistently strong reviews.

What to order here

The kitchen sticks to comfort food, and the bar is built around margaritas. Order for that and you’ll be happy. You won’t find a tasting menu or regional cooking you can’t get anywhere else, and that isn’t why people come.

How to order depending on when you arrive:

• Morning (from 7am): a big breakfast before the beach, while Olas Altas is still waking up.
• Midday: something filling and uncomplicated after a few hours at Los Muertos.
• Evening: margaritas first, food to keep you going, and a late finish if you want one.

Price level is mid-range. Check the menu at the table for current prices before you order a round for the group.

Getting to Olas Altas 425

The full address is Olas Altas 425, Zona Romántica, Emiliano Zapata. Calle Olas Altas runs parallel to the shore through the south side of old Puerto Vallarta. That puts Andale’s a block or two inland from the sand at Playa Los Muertos.

From the Malecón, it’s a flat walk south. Cross the Río Cuale on one of the bridges and keep heading into the Zona Romántica. If you’re coming from the hotel zone or Marina Vallarta, taxis and ride-hailing apps both reach the area. Ask the driver for “Olas Altas, Zona Romántica” and use the street number from there.

Leave the car behind if you can. Streets in this part of town are narrow and often cobbled, and parking is hard to find.

Ordering, paying and tipping on Olas Altas

A few habits will make your visit go more smoothly.

• Ask for the bill. In Mexico, servers usually don’t bring the check until you ask. Catch someone’s eye and say “la cuenta, por favor.”
• Tip on top. Tips are expected in Puerto Vallarta’s restaurants and bars, and 10 to 15 percent is the usual range. Look at the bill before adding anything, in case a service charge is already on it.
• Carry some pesos. Cards are widely accepted in this part of town, but cash makes tipping and splitting the bill easier. Pay in pesos rather than dollars to avoid a poor exchange rate.
• Drink bottled water. Tap water isn’t for drinking here. Ice in established restaurants is usually made from purified water, so your margarita is fine.

You can usually walk in for breakfast. At night, groups have a harder time getting seated together, so turn up early in the evening rather than late.

Picking your hour

The schedule allows a lot of different visits, so choose the one that suits you. Morning is the quietest time for a simple reason: few people want a party at 7am. If you want to read or talk, come for breakfast.

The bar crowd arrives after sunset. People in the Zona Romántica tend to watch the sunset over the water at Los Muertos or the pier and then head inland to eat and drink. If you want the noise and the margaritas, follow them.

Before and after on the south side

Andale’s sits among the best places for walking in Puerto Vallarta, so make it part of a longer route.

• Playa Los Muertos: the town’s busiest beach, a block or two toward the water.
• Los Muertos Pier: the pier with the sail-shaped spire. Water taxis leave here for the southern coves.
• Lázaro Cárdenas Park: a small plaza near the beach, often busy with families in the evening.
• Isla Cuale: the island in the river, with shaded paths, craft stalls and the bridges back to Centro.
• The Malecón: the seafront promenade north of the river, with its bronze sculptures, an easy walk after dinner.

You need about an hour for a meal and longer if you stay for drinks. Basic Spanish helps, but staff in this area are used to English-speaking visitors.