Daiquiri Dick’s

Few restaurants are as closely connected to the evolution of Puerto Vallarta’s beachfront dining scene as Daiquiri Dick’s. Established on Los Muertos Beach in 1972, the restaurant has spent more than five decades welcoming locals and travelers to a remarkable setting where the streets of Zona Romántica meet the sand and sea.

Its story began with original owners John Csajko and Frederick “Dick” Simmonds, who purchased the former Club Kalimay after another Puerto Vallarta property they hoped to acquire became unavailable. Simmonds had fallen for the city’s cobblestone streets, red-tiled roofs, bougainvillea, lively bay, and relaxed coastal character. The restaurant that followed was intended to share some of that happiness with others—and took its memorable name from Dick’s signature daiquiri.

For the following four decades, Tari and Peter Bowman helped transform Daiquiri Dick’s into a Puerto Vallarta landmark, building a loyal following among residents and generations of returning visitors.

Today, another chapter is underway. Restaurateurs and caterers Chris Diamond and Chef Wayne Elias, whose careers span more than three decades in Hollywood, have reinvented the restaurant while respecting the history that made it distinctive. They are joined by Creative Director Javier Jimenez and longtime Chef de Cuisine Martin Gonzalez.

The current culinary direction is best described as a meeting of California and Latin flavors. Fresh ingredients anchor an eclectic menu that moves easily between Mexican influences, seafood, globally inspired preparations, contemporary comfort food, and playful interpretations of familiar favorites.

Daiquiri Dick’s is also a restaurant that changes character throughout the day. Morning brings breakfast beside the water, followed by leisurely lunches and weekend brunch. As afternoon fades, cocktails and the shifting colors over Banderas Bay turn the beachfront dining room into a particularly memorable place to watch Puerto Vallarta move toward evening.

The restaurant’s renewed beach-chic design complements rather than competes with the setting. Natural materials and coastal tones create a polished but relaxed environment, while the ocean and Los Muertos Beach remain the unmistakable stars of the experience.

Its location also makes Daiquiri Dick’s an easy addition to a day in Zona Romántica. The Los Muertos Pier, galleries, boutiques, nightlife, and cobblestone streets of the neighborhood are nearby, while the beach provides a natural connection to the boat trips and coastal experiences of Banderas Bay.

More than fifty years after its beginning, Daiquiri Dick’s continues to evolve without losing the simple idea at the heart of its original story: good food, good drinks, good company, and the particular pleasure of being somewhere the city meets the sea.