La Niña – Calle Pelícanos, Av. Revolución, Sayulita, Nayarit
Country: Mexico, Sayulita
Seating: There’s a roof but it’s open air with tables and charming decor. 
Must-try dish: Gobernador Taco
Dinner guests: Pornstar Sam
The high: A couple of the dishes on the lunch and dinner menus were the best that we had in Sayulita. 
The low: The breakfast menu is lacking traditional Mexican dishes. 

On a recent trip to a surf town in Mexico’s west coast called Sayulita, Mandrea Bike embarked on a modest culinary adventure, and among the plethora of restaurants lining the streets and the beach, La Niña seemed to keep coming up as a favourite, despite not serving margaritas! 

The location is atop the river bed that runs right into the sea, just outside of the town’s chaotic main square. The restaurant’s decor is eye-catching with its bohemian vibes of colourful wooden tables, fairy lights hanging from the ceiling, and eclectic Mexican music. There’s a draw to it, and it helps that the food is delicious. 

There are infinite choices of places to eat across Sayulita, some touristy and others cater more towards the locals. La Niña does a good job of merging those two worlds together by offering the classics but also a number of Mexican dishes that are lesser known to the outside world. 

The Pulpo taco, made with grilled octopus was highly anticipated, and although it was terrific in both taste and quantity, it paled in comparison to the hit of the night: the Gobernador taco. This epic marriage of flavours had us all at the first bite. It’s expertly made with shrimp and cheese, then grilled, creating a crispy shell stuffed with cheesy shrimp. If your mouth isn’t already watering, it will be when you take your first bite of the Gobernador taco at Seven Lives in Toronto’s Kensington Market. Unless you fancy a trip to Mexico?

To accompany the tacos, we ordered a Molcajete Mariscos, which is a stone bowl used to cook stews and soups. Ours was filled with seafood (shrimp, fish, octopus, mussels and snail) in a tomato broth. The portion is large, so it was shared among the group. Despite being a well-known dish in the country’s culinary repertoire, this seemed to be the only restaurant in town serving it. 

The finale was a common dish that you see in most parts of the world located on the sea – grilled local fish with butter and garlic. It’s a crowd pleaser, and the freshly caught Mahi Mahi was certainly worth tagging on to the order when we got the bad news that the Chicken Mole was out for the evening. 

The drinks were straight forward – pops, juices, fresh coconuts, beers. It’s not a spot that you spend hours drinking, it’s more of a food destination with drinks that accompany the plates. You don’t have to go far in Sayulita to find a party if you want one, yet finding good quality food like what is on offer at La Niña is a little tougher. 

Eat with you soon, 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)