Festival Gourmet International 2026: Who cooks where, night by night
12–22 November: eleven days, 26 host restaurants and 15 events on the programme, from the opening in the gardens of Garza Blanca to a picnic under the parota trees near Tepic. The 31st edition, night by night, with every guest chef named so far and how to book.
By Oliver Weickardt, founder of Villa Experience · Checked 28 October 2026 · 15-minute readThe 31st Festival Gourmet International runs from Thursday 12 to Sunday 22 November 2026 in Puerto Vallarta, the Riviera Nayarit and Tepic. For those eleven days, the kitchens of the bay take in guests. Twenty-six host restaurants pair their kitchens with visiting chefs, and the festival adds its own nights: a garden opening, chef’s tables, three restaurant safaris, a gala, nine tables at a beach club inside the Punta Mita gates and a barbecue on the sand in Marina Vallarta.
It began in 1995, when three restaurateurs, Heinz Reize, Thierry Blouet and Roland Menetrey, invited five chefs to cook in Vallarta. Below: the programme on a map, night by night; the gala; who cooks where, restaurant by restaurant; the nine tables of Mesas Marinas; and three of our houses, each with a cook or chef included, for the days in between.
Eleven days, one bay
Scroll through the nights and the map follows each one to its venues; the small dots are host restaurants and the diamonds are our three houses. Times and prices as the festival publishes them.
The opening: Grand Gourmet Village
The festival opens in TierraLuna Gardens at Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa, on the south shore of Puerto Vallarta: the organiser’s “signature opening celebration”.
- Venue
- TierraLuna Gardens, Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa
- Ticket
- MXN 2,200 · Tickets
The festival menus, and the first chef’s tables
From Friday 13 to Sunday 22 November the host restaurants serve their guest-chef menus; check the nights and book directly with each restaurant, as you would any dinner. The first Chef’s Table is on Friday at Amixtli, at Xalli Club on the south shore, where Xavier Pérez Stone of Axiote cooks with the local chef Yair Rodríguez. On Saturday, Joel Ornelas of Tintoque, in the Zona Romántica, hosts Klaus Mayr of Anónimo in Mexico City. Three more Chef’s Tables are on the programme with their venues still to be announced. On the map, the small dots are some of the host restaurants up the coast, from Bucerías to Punta de Mita.
- Menus
- Friday 13 to Sunday 22 November, at the host restaurants
- Chef’s Tables
- Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November, 7 pm
- Ticket
- Chef’s Tables MXN 2,900 · Tickets
South Coast Gourmet Safari
A progressive dinner along the coast south of town, one course at a time: Le Kliff, on the cliffs at Boca de Tomatlán; Amixtli at Xalli Club; and Karuma at Garza Blanca.
- Stops
- Le Kliff · Amixtli · Karuma
- Ticket
- MXN 2,900 · Tickets
La Noche de Estrellas, the gala
The gala night belongs to Café des Artistes, where Thierry Blouet cooks, in the Centro. He and Vanessa Blouet host three guest chefs in their kitchen: Miguel Bahena, Esteban Lluis and Andy Salazar. The ticket offers two seatings, at 6 pm and at 8:30 pm, and the dress code is elegant formal wear. That morning, the Chefs Talk Show brings chefs and the gastronomic community together at UTBB, the technological university of Bahía de Banderas.
- Venue
- Café des Artistes, Centro
- Dress
- Elegant formal wear
- Ticket
- MXN 3,900 · Tickets
Puerto Vallarta Gourmet Safari
Four restaurants in one evening: El Dorado on Los Muertos beach, Le Bistro, Raíces and Café des Artistes. It is a Wednesday, so the Vallarta Art Walk is on in the Centro the same evening, from 6 to 10 pm, in its thirtieth season.
- Stops
- El Dorado · Le Bistro · Raíces · Café des Artistes
- Same night
- Art Walk, 6–10 pm
- Ticket
- MXN 2,900 · Tickets
Punta de Mita Gourmet Safari
The festival comes up the coast to the village of Punta de Mita, outside the resort gates, where three kitchens stand on one street: Hoja Santa, where Héctor Leyva cooks; Zicatela; and Tuna Blanca, Thierry Blouet’s restaurant on the beach. All three are on Avenida El Anclote.
- Stops
- Hoja Santa · Zicatela · Tuna Blanca
- Where
- Avenida El Anclote, Punta de Mita village
- Ticket
- MXN 2,900 · Tickets
Mesas Marinas Baja–Mita at Kupuri
Nine tables at Kupuri Beach Club, inside the Punta Mita gates. Each one pairs a chef from Baja California with a chef from Nayarit and a Baja winery, for sixteen guests a table; the tasting menu, the wine pairing and a welcome cocktail are included. The nine tables are listed below. Kupuri is inside the gates, and the organiser does not say how ticket holders get in, so ask when you buy.
- Venue
- Kupuri Beach Club, Punta Mita
- Tables
- 9 tables of 16
- Ticket
- MXN 3,500 · Tickets
A drag brunch, then BBQ & Wine on the beach
Two parties close the Puerto Vallarta chapter. The Sky Drag Brunch fills The Top Sky Bar on the roof of the Almar Resort in the Zona Romántica, with a drag show, a buffet and cocktails; the time is still to be confirmed on the festival shop. From 6 pm, BBQ & Wine takes the beach at Velas Vallarta in Marina Vallarta: the pitmaster Víctor Howard at the grills and more than sixty wine labels poured by VIPARMEX.
- Brunch
- The Top Sky Bar, Almar Resort · MXN 1,900
- BBQ & Wine
- Velas Vallarta, 6 pm · MXN 2,800 · Tickets
The close: a picnic under the parotas, near Tepic
The thirty-first edition ends inland, in the countryside of Tepic, the state capital of Nayarit, under the parota trees. Loma 42 Tepic, Loma 42 Bahía and Emiliano Tepic serve grilled specialities and seafood, with wine, cocktails and tequila.
- Where
- The countryside of Tepic, Nayarit
- Ticket
- MXN 1,870 · Tickets
La Noche de Estrellas
- Thierry BlouetHost · Café des Artistes, Puerto VallartaCo-founder of the festival in 1995.
- Vanessa BlouetHost · Café des Artistes and La Casa, Bucerías
- Miguel BahenaGuest · Madre, EnsenadaMadre, in Ensenada, Baja California.
- Esteban LluisGuest · Damiana, Valle de GuadalupeThe organiser credits Damiana with a Michelin star in 2024 and again in 2025.
- Andy SalazarGuest · Tequexquite, TlaxcalaTequexquite is in Nanacamilpa, Tlaxcala; he is also Tuna Blanca’s guest chef.
The organiser’s own line for the evening: “An exceptional collaboration. Five chefs. One evening to savor and remember.” Tickets are MXN 3,900 on the festival shop, and the night asks for elegant formal wear.
Who cooks where
The 26 host restaurants, with their chefs and guests, as the festival’s restaurant pages list them. Seven had not named their guest when we checked; the festival menus run from 13 to 22 November, booked with each restaurant.
Centro and Zona Romántica
4 restaurants- Café des ArtistesCentroLocal chef: Thierry and Vanessa BlouetGuest chefEsteban Lluis, Damiana, Valle de Guadalupe
- Elena 1927Hotel Villa Premiere, by the malecónLocal chef: Rogelio Domínguez VargasGuest chefFreddy Monteros, Erizo de Mar, Guadalajara
- El DoradoLos Muertos beachLocal chef: Jesús García SuásteguiGuest chefNot yet named by the festival
- River CaféIsla Río CualeLocal chef: Ángel MoralesGuest chefNot yet named by the festival
Marina Vallarta
2 restaurants- La RiberaVelas VallartaLocal chef: Roberto VázquezGuest chefVíctor Howard, Pitmaster
- Tau Beach ClubMarina VallartaLocal chef: Sandra Macías CorderoGuest chefNahum Velasco, Executive chef, Grand Velas Riviera Maya
The south shore
7 restaurants- AmixtliXalli ClubLocal chef: Yair RodríguezGuest chefXavier Pérez Stone, Axiote, Playa del Carmen
- Le KliffBoca de TomatlánLocal chef: Hernán MontielGuest chefChris Marín, Cultivo, Puebla
- Bocados Steak HouseThe south shoreLocal chef: José Alfredo Bazán BelloGuest chefNot yet named by the festival
- HiroshiGarza Blanca PreserveLocal chef: Ernesto Olvera FloresGuest chefNot yet named by the festival
- KarumaGarza Blanca PreserveLocal chef: Daniel IbarraGuest chefNot yet named by the festival
- DaoHotel MousaiLocal chef: Bryan ChanGuest chefNot yet named by the festival
- MisikaHotel MousaiGuest chefLuis Miguel Flores, Listed by the festival as Misika’s guest chef
Bucerías and Nuevo Nayarit
4 restaurants- La Casa by Thierry BlouetBuceríasLocal chef: Vanessa BlouetGuest chefMiguel Bahena, Madre, Ensenada
- PiafGrand Velas Riviera NayaritLocal chef: Cristian CupulGuest chefAndrés Fernández León, Cascajal, Bogotá
- TaorminaNuevo NayaritLocal chef: Leonardo PeñaGuest chefIgnacio del Río, Benazuza and Hafu, Cancún
- Loma 42Nuevo NayaritGuest chefDavid Rafael Aldana Ortega
Punta de Mita, Punta Mita and the north
7 restaurants- Hoja SantaAvenida El Anclote, Punta de MitaLocal chef: Héctor LeyvaGuest chefAdria Marina
- Tuna Blanca by Thierry BlouetAvenida El Anclote, Punta de MitaLocal chef: Ramón ÁlvarezGuest chefAndy Salazar, Tequexquite, Nanacamilpa, Tlaxcala
- Mauka Mar & BrasasPunta Negra, on the road to Punta MitaLocal chef: Sebastián Renner and Josué MartínezGuest chefCarlos Espinosa, Tikuun Comedor, Guadalajara
- CodexConrad Punta de MitaLocal chef: Germán GhelfiGuest chefMario and Karla Papa, Teté Cocina de Barrio, Guadalajara
- Il MoloPunta Mita, inside the gatesGuest chefNot yet named by the festival
- La CocinaRosewood MandarinaLocal chef: Alejandra Arratia JiménezGuest chefEdgar Beas, Rosewood Miramar Beach, Montecito, California
- IkanSan PanchoLocal chef: Mario MendozaGuest chefIván Gamboa
Tepic
2 restaurants- EmilianoTepicLocal chef: Marco ValdiviaGuest chefFelipe Misael Meneses Pelayo, from Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo
- Loma 42 TepicTepicLocal chef: Brandon López BarrónGuest chefOswaldo Flores Laguna, Scarabajo, Tijuana
Names and pairings as published by the festival on 27 October 2026. The guests at Hoja Santa, Ikan, Loma 42 and Emiliano are named without their own restaurants; Misika lists its own chef as its guest.
The nine tables at Kupuri
Nine wineries from Baja California, nine Baja chefs and eight from Nayarit so far, the ninth to be confirmed; sixteen seats at each table, at Kupuri Beach Club inside the Punta Mita gates from 5 pm. The pairings, as the organiser lists them:
Retorno
Winery · Adrián García
- Baja California chef
- David Rocha · Comal, Ensenada
- Nayarit chef
- David Vidales · Punta Mita
Vena Cava
Winery · Phil Gregory
- Baja California chef
- Drew Deckman · Deckman’s en el Mogor
- Nayarit chef
- Mario Mendoza · Ikan, San Pancho
Epicentro
Winery · Jorge Noguez
- Baja California chef
- Tania Livier · Tanto Santo, Ensenada
- Nayarit chef
- Héctor Leyva · Hoja Santa, Punta de Mita
Norte 32
Winery · Óscar Obregón
- Baja California chef
- Esteban Lluis · Damiana, Valle de Guadalupe
- Nayarit chef
- Vanessa Blouet · La Casa, Bucerías
Emeve
Winery · Laura Villarreal
- Baja California chef
- Abraham Sepúlveda · Ariete
- Nayarit chef
- Tonatiuh Cuevas · Cosecha Farm to Table, Mezcales
Adobe Guadalupe
Winery · Anne Lacy
- Baja California chef
- Alex Torres · Envero
- Nayarit chef
- To be confirmed
Rondo del Valle
Winery · Albert Cruz
- Baja California chef
- Miguel Bahena · Madre, Ensenada
- Nayarit chef
- Josué Martínez · Mauka, Punta Negra
Bodegas Santo Tomás
Winery · David Nájera
- Baja California chef
- Sandra Vázquez · Once Pueblos
- Nayarit chef
- Germán Ghelfi · Conrad Punta de Mita
Fratelli Pasini
Winery · Emiliano Cabello
- Baja California chef
- Marcelo Hisaki · Amores, Tecate
- Nayarit chef
- Sergio Marín · Sabor Casa, Tepic
2025 against 2026
| Item | 2025, as the tourism board listed it | 2026, the 31st |
|---|---|---|
| Edition | The 30th | The 31st |
| Dates | 13–23 November | 12–22 November |
| Gala guests | Romain Dupeyre and Thalia Barrios | Miguel Bahena, Esteban Lluis and Andy Salazar |
| Town safari | El Dorado · Azafrán · Le Bistro · Café des Artistes | El Dorado · Le Bistro · Raíces · Café des Artistes |
| Not on the 2025 list | — | Mesas Marinas at Kupuri; the Sky Drag Brunch; the picnic near Tepic |
| Hosts not on the 2025 list | — | Codex, Il Molo, La Cocina, Elena 1927, El Dorado (a 2025 safari stop only), Ikan, Mauka, Misika and Dao |
Two MICHELIN addresses, off the programme
Two Vallarta addresses in the MICHELIN Guide Mexico 2026 are not part of the festival, which makes them the right answer for the nights between the big dinners. ICÚ, on Venustiano Carranza in the Zona Romántica, received a Bib Gourmand this year; Pancho’s Takos, on Basilio Badillo, is listed in the guide. No Puerto Vallarta restaurant holds a star.
For the rest of the town, our guide to fine dining in Puerto Vallarta.
Three houses for a festival week, each with a cook or chef
No festival ticket includes a bed. A festival week is when a house with its own chef makes most sense: the chef looks after the days, and the evenings belong to the festival. Two of ours in town, one up the coast.
Villa Tabachin
Above the clay-tiled roofs of Gringo Gulch, with the bay beyond: a heated pool and sun terrace at the centre of the house, three wet bars and an outdoor barbecue. The malecón, the Zona Romántica and Isla Río Cuale are each a five-minute walk, by the listing’s own count.
Café des Artistes, the gala, is 500 metres away, and the Wednesday safari’s El Dorado stop is a ten-minute walk down to Los Muertos beach. A cook is included for two meals a day, except Sundays; groceries are extra.
Hacienda de los Santos
Built in the hacienda style, with stone columns, vaulted ceilings and Alhambra tiles, around an infinity pool and Jacuzzi that the listing calls one of Puerto Vallarta’s finest places to watch whales in winter. Conchas Chinas beach is a two-minute walk; the Zona Romántica is five minutes by car.
The chef is included for up to three meals a day, with a concierge, and the staff work from 9 am to 7 pm except Sundays. That covers the days; the evenings belong to the festival, with the Almar and El Dorado under a kilometre away and the south-shore venues a short drive.
Casa Tres Reinas
An oceanfront house above the waves in the gated community of Paradise Coves, Pontoquito, with steps down to a private beach and sunsets over the Marietas Islands. The village of Punta de Mita is a five-minute drive.
Smaller, at four bedrooms: the chef is included for breakfast and lunch (the cost of food is extra), with a property manager and an on-site concierge. Thursday’s safari on El Anclote is six kilometres away, and Kupuri, for Friday’s Mesas Marinas, is nearby, inside the Punta Mita gates.
How far from the big nights
Swipe for more ›| House | Café des Artistes · gala, 17 Nov | El Dorado · town safari, 18 Nov | Velas Vallarta · BBQ & Wine, 21 Nov | Tuna Blanca · Punta de Mita safari, 19 Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villa Tabachin | 0.5 km | 1.2 km | 7.0 km | 34.9 km |
| Hacienda de los Santos | 2.4 km | 0.8 km | 8.6 km | 35.5 km |
| Casa Tres Reinas | 29.1 km | 29.3 km | 23.7 km | 5.9 km |
Straight lines on the map, from each house’s own coordinates. TierraLuna Gardens has no published position, so the opening night is not in the table; on the map, its pin marks the Garza Blanca resort.
Festival Gourmet International 2026: questions and answers
When is the Festival Gourmet International 2026 in Puerto Vallarta?
From Thursday 12 to Sunday 22 November 2026. It is the 31st edition, in Puerto Vallarta, the Riviera Nayarit and Tepic; the host restaurants serve their festival menus from Friday 13 November.
How do you buy tickets for the Festival Gourmet International?
Each event is sold separately on the festival’s own online shop at festivalgourmet.com.mx, and the organiser recommends buying ahead because most events sell out. The festival menus at the host restaurants are booked directly with each restaurant.
What are the main events in 2026?
The Grand Gourmet Village opening at TierraLuna Gardens, Garza Blanca, on 12 November; La Noche de Estrellas at Café des Artistes on 17 November; the three Gourmet Safaris on 16, 18 and 19 November; Mesas Marinas at Kupuri Beach Club on 20 November; BBQ & Wine at Velas Vallarta on 21 November; and the picnic near Tepic on 22 November.
Which chefs are cooking at the 2026 festival?
Most of the 26 host restaurants have named a guest chef; seven had not when we checked. Among them: Esteban Lluis of Damiana at Café des Artistes, Freddy Monteros of Erizo de Mar at Elena 1927, Xavier Pérez Stone of Axiote at Amixtli, Andy Salazar of Tequexquite at Tuna Blanca and Miguel Bahena of Madre at La Casa in Bucerías.
Is there anything in Punta de Mita or Punta Mita?
Yes, two evenings. The Punta de Mita Gourmet Safari on 19 November visits Hoja Santa, Zicatela and Tuna Blanca on Avenida El Anclote in the village, and Mesas Marinas on 20 November sets nine tables at Kupuri Beach Club, inside the Punta Mita gates.
How much are the tickets?
As the festival lists them: the opening MXN 2,200, each safari MXN 2,900, the Chef’s Tables MXN 2,900, the gala MXN 3,900, Mesas Marinas MXN 3,500, the Sky Drag Brunch MXN 1,900, BBQ & Wine MXN 2,800 and the Tepic picnic MXN 1,870. Restaurant festival menus are priced by each restaurant.
Is there a dress code, and is accommodation included?
La Noche de Estrellas requires elegant formal wear. No ticket includes accommodation; the festival works with partner hotels that offer preferred rates, and most host restaurants offer vegetarian options with notice.
Sources
Festival Gourmet International, the 2026 programme, read 28 October 2026
Festival Gourmet International, tickets and the Night of the Stars ticket page, read 28 October 2026
Festival Gourmet International, the participating restaurants’ pages, read 27 October 2026
Visit Puerto Vallarta, “31º Festival Gourmet International”, read 27 October 2026
Out & About PV, report on the festival’s press conference, 20 October 2026, read 27 October 2026
MICHELIN Guide Mexico 2026, ICÚ and Pancho’s Takos, read 27 October 2026
Vallarta Art Walk, the 2026–27 season, read 27 October 2026
Photos
Restaurant and venue photos: each restaurant’s or resort’s own website, credited under each photo. House photos: Villa Experience. Some photos are cropped.
A house with a chef for festival week
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