Cocina de Autor

Ask what the best fine-dining
restaurant in Puerto Vallarta is
and most will cite Café des Artistes
by Chef Thierry Blouet.  But housed in the same location, on the
second floor, you will find the spectacular Cocina de Autor, the Thierry
Blouet experience for those in the know.

The room of Cocina de
Autor is sleek, elegant and sexy, opening up to an open air patio with a
large water feature which creates an appealing indoor/outdoor feel to the
dining area.  With only room for 60
diners, Cocina de Autor is much more
intimate feeling than Café des Artistes
and tends to have less celebrations occurring, meaning that you will not be
subjected to hearing the refrains of “Happy Birthday” being played multiple
times during your visit.

The menu, while upscale, is not outrageously priced
especially considering the excellent quality of the cuisine.  The prices are fixed based on category:  appetizers, 95 pesos, main courses, 185
pesos, desserts, 85 pesos, wine pairings 60 pesos.  You may also add truffles or foie gras to
your meal for 250 pesos or choose the Chef’s Grand Menu for 699 pesos.

The meal starts with a delicious amuse bouche from the chef,
on my last visit it was an excellent gazpacho, followed by a carb-addict’s
dream of a bread basket.  While the
portions are delicate in size, an appetizer and a main course is more than
enough to satisfy, particularly considering the richness and the flavors served
on each dish.  I have yet to make it to
dessert; however, dessert always seems to make it to me with the chef sending a
little sweet to the table, like miniature chocolate brownies, to end the meal.

For a truly impressive, haute cuisine restaurant experience in Puerto
Vallarta, Cocina de Autor excels
with  service, style and substance served
up at a reasonable price tag.