Authentic food and drink experiences in a new destination are wonderful, helping you get to know the region from a local’s perspective. Getting to know the people behind that authentic food is even better. Writer Elizabeth Rose got to spend time with Hector of Hector’s Kitchen, one of the contemporary, hip restaurants featuring innovative locavore cuisine in Punta Mita Nayarit, Mexico.

Punta de Mita is very colorful.

Experiencing Fine Cuisine at Hector’s Kitchen in Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico

We were ready to relax and enjoy a good meal after a morning of exploring Lo de Perla, a jungle garden and orchid sanctuary in the wilds of Nayarit, Mexico. As we made our way past classy condos and hotels toward the fishing village of Punta de Mita, we saw the beautiful blue water and flocks of pelicans diving for fish. We parked in front of a new building and flanked by potted palms was the small contemporary restaurant – Hector’s Kitchen.

Hector’s Kitchen is small but elegantly casual.

Meet Chef Héctor Leyva of Hector’s Kitchen

Hector’s is usually open for dinners, but for our group exploration of Chef Héctor Leyva’s sea-to-table cuisine, he opened for a group lunch.

We were welcomed by a smiling Chef Héctor and his culinary team and relaxed with passion fruit margaritas rimmed with a smoky chili salt.

Craft margaritas, featuring passion fruit, were ideal after our jungle hike.

We were soon to learn that the chef had broad international experience and before opening his own restaurant, served as managing chef of the Punta Mita Four Seasons Resort. With a culinary degree from Instituto Culinario de México, Leyva brought his creative flair and artful cooking to the beautiful coastal village of Punta de Mita.

Chef Héctor Leyva Flores is enjoying creating culinary art in his own kitchen. 

Hector’s Kitchen Offerings in Punta de Mita, Nayarit

Leyva told us about the meal we would be enjoying featuring fish caught just that morning paired with local produce. Hector’s Kitchen is all about fresh and local – but with an international, contemporary twist. The chef also made sure that those who were vegetarian or who preferred another dish were well taken care of with equally creative and delicious options.

Hector’s restaurant features a lively, industrial-chic bar with an excellent selection of Mexican beers, wines, spirits, and craft cocktails. As we sipped on our margarita, we were served a delightful avocado and beet salad with over-the-top fresh greens and surprising tastes secreted between the leaves. I enjoyed a taste of my neighbor’s grilled pork belly confit with a plátano puré, with a salsa de chile and cacao. He had opted out of the fish main dish and his choice was delicious. Across from me, one of our writers had opted for vegetarian dishes and her meal looked great as well.

The beet and avocado salad was freshly made just before serving.

My plata fuerte, as main dishes are called in Mexico, was the fresh-caught mahi-mahi over a delicious sauce and flanked by grilled seasonal vegetables. The fish was perfectly cooked which, for me, is moist (but thoroughly cooked) inside and crisp on the top. By then we were very relaxed and comfortable in the casual-elegant, contemporary styled dining room despite being dressed in hiking gear.

Fresh Mahi Mahi served over an emulsion made with butter, basil, and parsley.

Desserts consisted of small, delicately plated traditional deserts, again with an artistic flair. We all agreed that Hector’s Kitchen was quite a find and since they change their menus at least three times a year, a place where you’ll want to return again and again.

In-Depth Experiences at Hector’s Kitchen

Chef Leyva is willing to share some of his secrets and give visitors a sense of the culinary side of Punta Mita. You can sign up to take with him to Mercado del Mar (the nearby fish market) at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle where he will share information about the different local fish and seafood and the best ways to cook them. Pick your catch and when you return to the restaurant, you can learn from him as he prepares the fish for lunch paired with a local beer tasting.

Chef Leyva will walk through the fish market with you and share tips for choosing the best fish for your meal.

Visitors can also reserve a cooking class with Chef Leyva where he shares the secrets of authentic Mexican cuisine from various regions. After the class, participants enjoy tasting all the dishes paired with mezcal or Mexican wines.

Exploring Punta de Mita Nayarit, Mexico

Before or after your meal, stroll the little waterfront street, shop for jewelry and beachwear, peek into traditional thatched beachfront restaurants, and watch the pelicans dive for fish.

It’s a relaxed part of town where you’ll see people walking along toting their surf boards on streets decorated with colorful murals covering adobe walls. Just north is an exclusive residential development—Punta Mita where you’ll find the Four Seasons and St. Regis resorts as well as two championship 18-hole golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus.

The fresh produce stacked on the artful stone stairs was waiting to be used by a beachside restaurant.

When You Go to Hector’s Kitchen

Hector’s Kitchen is located across the street from the beach at:

Local 7, Avenida El Anclote 202

Punta de Mita, Nyarit

Phone: 329.688.1579 or 322.888.3388 (reservations are recommended)

— Story and photos by Elizabeth Rose

Hungry for more? Spend more time exploring the food scene in Mexico: Follow the baker around in Guanajuato, Mexico; eat your way around Villa de Bravo, and attend a cooking class and get a guacamole recipe in El Pueblito.

BONUS: Make plans to get to Punta de Mita with the help of TripAdvisor. Sign up for Chef’s market tour and cooking class with this Cookly.Me link. And shop for a hanging chair like you see in Hector’s Kitchen, here. Or white plates like the ones used to serve Mahi Mahi.

Pin this story to Pinterest so you don’t forget how to find Hector’s Kitchen. 

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