Gaby’s Restaurant and Bar has been Serving Authentic Mexican Cuisine in Puerto Vallarta Since 1989
Julio Cesar Castellon Perez, Head Chef at Gaby’s Restaurant Gives Cooking Lessons From their Rooftop Kitchen Overlooking Vallarta’s Iconic Church
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Hello fellow travelers, welcome to this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler, and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours too and that’s Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
That music you were just listening to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta’s Oldest Restaurant on the famous Los Muertos Beach, and The El Dorado Restaurant and Beach Club
right next door so you can enjoy that fantastic view of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors, or during the day in its grand splendor for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. Or riverside at the
newest addition to the groupo, it’s The Le Bistro Jazz Café, overlooking the Rio Cuale on beautiful Isla Cuale. La Palapa, El Dorado and Le Bistro Jazz Café. They are all so romantic, they’re so, Puerto Vallarta my friends.
This week we are going to be going to Gaby’s Restaurant and Bar in Centro Vallarta where we will be talking with Chef Julio Cesar Castillon Perez, Gaby’s younger brother. It’s been 8 years since I interviewed Gaby and so much time has passed, we
needed to catch up on what’s going on at Gaby’s including Chef Julio’s cooking classes and more. We even had a chance to talk about a dispute they had with a neighbor that created international news. We’ll get to that. We have Vallarta news and more so let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta the 22nd of August, 2025.
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Contact Information for Gaby’s Restaurant and Bar Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Address: Calle Mina 252 48300 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Phone: 52 + 322 222 0480
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/gabysrestaurantpv
- Website: https://gabysrestaurant.com/
- Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/gabys.restaurant.pv/?hl=en
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabysrestaurant421
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefjuliocastillon
Record Rainfall Followed By Little Rain
June was a record month for rainfall in Puerto Vallarta, but July and August have been mostly busts. June, which only had 15 days because the rainy season starts the middle of the month had a had a ton of rain, but July and August have been relatively quiet. We don’t get a full-on drenching in town. For example, we live just above the Zona Romantica in Colonia Alta Vista. We had a big rainstorm two nights ago and I went to my range gauge and we got an inch. Whereas 5 miles away in Pitillal, our friends Deb and Ray got no rain. So, we are doing a rain dance in Vallarta. If you remember, we started out with a group of Pacific hurricanes early on but the tropical storm and hurricane action has been quiet.
September and October have been traditionally active months in Vallarta for hurricanes, so we will see what the future has in store for us. All I know is we can use more of the wet stuff.
Many restaurants in Vallarta have been announcing vacation closures as the tourist population has dwindled to a very few north of the border visitors. Cruise ship visits are far and few between right now as well, although I did see two come in on Tuesday. Currently in town we have a lot of Mexican national tourists in town. It’s summer break in Mexico so a lot of these people come to Vallarta from other parts of Mexico, but it’s not enough to pick up the slack at some of your favorite restaurants. So just keep that in mind if you plan to be in town between now and October 1st. Check before you head out to your planned dining destination. And just because it says they are open on their Facebook page, or on Google Maps doesn’t mean that they are. I’m speaking from experience here. Call or message first is the best plan.
Septi-Hambre in Puerto Vallarta
All of this is because we are heading into what the locals refer to as Septi-Hambre. Septi as in Septiembre, September in Spanish, and Hambre which means hunger in Spanish. Combined it means hungry September. And it can be a difficult time for food workers in town because the customers and tips are far and few between. Especially if your boss closes your workplace. If you know what I mean.
The fact of the matter is that it’s not just the employees who need some time off, but the restaurant owners need a break too. Not just to rest, but they use this slow period to do renovations, to clean and paint and make repairs to their restaurants and their properties. So, keep that in mind. You have been forewarned.
And Speaking of forewarned, it’s very hot and humid in paradise right now, so we’ve been putting together a list of air-conditioned restaurants all over town, and I’ll be sharing that next time we get together.
Look For More Taxes and Fees in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
We have bunch of new taxes and fees approved or being proposed to you if you are visiting Puerto Vallarta. Let me go over a few of them….
New Port Fee in Puerto Vallarta
First, the port fee. I talked about cruise ships earlier and we have finally gotten the scoop on the new port fees for passengers arriving in Puerto Vallarta by cruise ship. The fee began July 1st, 2025, it will cost you $5 per passenger to get off a cruise ship in Mexico, $10 next year and $15 in 2027 and $21 in 2028. This will be added to the total cost of your cruise. Originally the fee was due to be $42, but this was the final compromise between the Mexican Government and the cruise industry, ended in a deal. Industry analysts expect up to 10 million cruise passengers will visit Mexico, this year. And that translates to lots of pesos.
But that’s not all.
A New Tourist Fee of 141 Pesos in Vallarta
A new tourist fee of 141 pesos or about $15 US will be collected from foreign visitors in Puerto Vallarta starting in September. This fee, also known as the Nonresident Rights (DNR) fee, was approved by the Jalisco State Congress earlier in the year and later by the Vallarta City Council. It will be collected upon arrival, likely at payment modules installed at the airport and maritime terminal. Or often times it’s added to the price of your airline ticket. We’ll see. The funds are said to be intended to improve local infrastructure, such as beaches, streets, and the boardwalk. And that’s a good thing. We’ll get back to the boardwalk but there’s more fees coming your way. If you drive or have a car in Puerto Vallarta, Parking meters are on the way, again.
Parking Meters
The city council is once again considering plans to install parking meters in Puerto Vallarta, specifically in the Marina Vallarta and Versalles areas, as well as in certain parts of the downtown and the Zona Romantica. The city is also considering implementing a virtual parking meter system which would likely involve using a mobile app or QR codes to pay for parking.
The goal of the project of course is to collect funds for the city and to free up spaces in the tourist areas by making it too expensive or inconvenient to park your vehicle on the streets for days at a time. We’ll see how that goes. I remember talking with Gil Gevins years back from Lucy’s CuCu Cabana who told a story about when the city installed parking meters over night in the Zona Romantica. The kids thought they were gum ball machines and got pretty upset when they put in pesos and no gumball came rolling out. Lots of the locals used pesos slathered with crazy glue to feed the machines which quickly disappeared. Fun times, right?
Looks like the virtual meter is going to be the way to go, but what a hassle. Hey, I don’t have a car. Haven’t for a year now and I have to say, it’s really nice. No insurance, no gas station stops, no looking for a parking spot, no worrying about your car being on the street. No worrying about some kid on a motorcycle crashing into you and blaming you for an accident. It’s freeing. It really is.
1–3% Sanitation Fee on Platform Stays in the Coming Year, 2026 in Puerto Vallarta
And finishing up with the new fees and taxes, the city council is looking into Mobil platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo Puerto Vallarta is moving to add another tax to tourists through digital bookings.
Puerto Vallarta’s newest tourist tax would add a 1–3% sanitation fee on platform stays in the coming year, 2026. The tax is said to be going towards funding clean water, green spaces, and local environmental work. Plans are in the works, and if I hear any more about it, I’ll let you know.
So, at least for now, that rounds out the new fee segment of the show.
Getting back to the having no car thing, it’s funny living here, when you don’t have a car and take taxis a lot, after a couple of months, the cab drivers get to know you. We try to go to the same sitios around the Zona Romantica. After trying many around
the Zona, we found one we liked best and use that one most of the time when we are ready to head up hill after an evening out, or when we are too lazy to walk up the hill. Remember, we live up near Casa Isabel in Colonia Alta Vista, or high view, in Spanish. And we and have a great view, but the great view comes at a cost. It’s straight up hill, so yeah, we take a cab at least once a day. And I’d say that right now, about 70 percent of the taxistas know us. It’s pretty cool. Now we are pretty easy to pick out. My wife and I are both over 6 feet tall. But they know where we live, they ask how we’re doing, they tell us about their day. They honk and wave at us when we are walking down the street. Most of the time the conversation is in Spanish, so that helps, but we are really enjoying taking cabs. We’ve had our issues, I mean it’s not all fun and games. I mean with taxis that is. But just make sure you discuss the fee before you get in the cab, cuanto cobra, cuanto cuesta ir a wherever you are going should be the first thing you do when you stop a taxi or walk up to a sitio. Agree on a price before you get into a cab and most of the time they will treat you right.
We did have an issue with Uber. A driver didn’t turn off the ride when we reached my interview at Gaby’s and we were overcharged a lot. But after a couple of emails, the matter was solved. Just a reminder for all of you to ask your Uber driver to end the ride on the app before you get out of the car. And check your charges. Just to be sure.
They are Revitalizing Parts of the Vallarta Malecon
Right now, if you walk on the Malecon. I’m talking about the Malecon Extension from The amphitheater where the Navel
Museum is, heading towards the bridge over the Rio Cuale there is a ton of work being done. It’s loud and noisy right now. Here’s an article from AZNoticias which I find very interesting.
from AZNoticias…
The City of Puerto Vallarta Revitalizing Parts of The Malecon.
Formal merchants on the boardwalk demand the relocation or removal of informal and street vendors.
Written by AZNoticias Editorial Team on August 14, 2025. Posted in Puerto Vallarta
Business owners, restaurants, and bars located on the Puerto Vallarta boardwalk are asking that the remodeling serve to clean up the area and prioritize businesses that comply with the law and municipal regulations.
By Osvaldo Granados
Business owners, restaurants, and bars located along the Puerto Vallarta boardwalk held a meeting with municipal authorities to learn about the renovations to the stretch from the Naval Museum to the Cuale River. Work has already begun and will continue through December.
In addition to learning about the project, members of the Malecón Business, Bar, and Restaurant Association took advantage of the meeting to call for the removal, or at least relocation, of the informal businesses that arrive each morning or afternoon and leave at night.
THEY CALL FOR REGULATING AND RELOCATING STREET VENDORS
Businessman Mario Mejía, a member of the association, warned that the presence of unlicensed vendors directly affects established businesses. “As formal businesses, what we are asking for is regulation, because there are already many informal businesses that don’t pay taxes, licenses, electricity, or provide jobs, and these types of businesses are affecting us… If possible, we should also remove them from this area,” he said.
Mejía noted that the rents paid by businesses on the seafront are high and contrast with the informality of street vendors, who also do not generate jobs or real economic benefits.
THEY WANT A CLEAN, TARP-FREE BOARDWALK
The businessman proposed that informal vendors be relocated to areas like the Cuale River or parks, but not remain on the boardwalk. “Many of us on the boardwalk pay very high rents to have a view and a clean space, but what we have in front of us are tarps, informal commerce, street vendors… We ask that they be formalized, registered, and pay taxes, and if not, that they leave,” he emphasized.
And I have a link to that article from AZNoticias.mx in the show notes.
So very interesting. The merchants are correct. It seems every night I walk on the Malecon there are more venders selling stuff on the Malecon. And a lot of it isn’t even made in Mexico.
I have photos in the show notes of the merchants and the street vendors, in the show notes.
Speaking of the Malecon improvements, remember when I reported on plans to build a new Malecon and a new pier in Cinco de Diciembre by Jalisco Governor Lemus? Well that plan was scaled back due to lack of funds, and here’s the new plan…. From the Banderas News…
Puerto Vallarta to Expand Malecón for Greater Accessibility
July 30, 2025
By: Banderas News
Puerto Vallarta is moving forward with a major expansion of its iconic Malecón, reinforcing its commitment to improving public spaces for residents and tourists alike. The next phase of development will extend the boardwalk from 31 de Octubre Street to Venezuela Street, creating easier access to Hidalgo Park and improving foot traffic in the area.
The project includes leveling sidewalks to make them more accessible, adding planters and new seating, and preserving the existing bike path. These updates support active mobility while maintaining a clean, functional, and welcoming environment.
At the same time, renovation work is already underway on the stretch between 31 de Octubre Street and the Cuale River bridge. This section is receiving upgraded lighting, improved electrical systems, refurbished planters, and repairs to perimeter slabs. Additional benches and trash bins are also being installed to make the area more comfortable and user-friendly.
These improvements are part of a broader plan to fully modernize the Malecón. A key element of this initiative is Mi Malecón Renace, a public survey exploring the possibility of reopening a portion of the boardwalk to vehicle traffic.
With every upgrade, the Malecón continues to evolve, strengthening Vallarta’s reputation as a world-class destination known for its beauty, hospitality, and thoughtfully designed infrastructure.
Originally built in 1936, the Malecón underwent a major transformation in 2011, becoming a pedestrian-friendly space enriched with sculptures, cultural features, and improved facilities. Continued maintenance since then has helped preserve its appeal, making it one of the city’s most treasured landmarks.
And I have a link to that article from the Banderas News in the show notes.
So that’s the latest and the greatest of what’s happening on both sides of the Malecon.
One Year Living in Vallarta
September 1st marks the one year anniversary of my wife Debbie and my move from California to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and we are so very happy I must say. We do miss seeing our two sons in person. That’s hard sometimes. We both have brothers and sisters we miss. I really miss my twin brother Gary, who I used to see regularly when we lived in Cali, but we are on the phone with all of them every week and hey, we have a two bedroom place so they are always welcome.
By the way, I’ll fill you in on how Deb and I are keeping out of trouble living in a tourist town where drinking and carrying on and partying abounds. I’ll tell you how we fill our days in productive ways balancing fun with survival. Next week.
Let’s get to the interviews, shall we?
Gaby’s Restaurant and Bar in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
I did one of my first interviews at Gaby’s in May of 2017. The show was only 6 months old when Gabriella was kind enough to say yes when I sent her an email asking if she would take some time out of her busy day to talk to me on my new podcast and tell me the story of Gaby’s Restaurant and Bar. You can still listen to it, by the way. I’ll put a link to it in the show notes, or you can go all the way back to episode #21out of 256 of the show, and you can find it right there.
Now, fast forward to today and we are returning to Gaby’s and this time, we’ll be talking with Gaby’s younger brother Julio. Julio is the head chef at Gaby’s, and he is a dynamo. Chef Julio is as you will hear during the interview, a historian, a lover of Mexico, an unabashed promotor and lover of all things Puerto Vallarta. He’s a tour guide, a talented chef, and an equally talented cooking instructor.
Julio is going to tell us all about his classes and what you should expect to learn by taking one of his cooking classes. About the menu at Gaby’s and the history, including an incident that took place about 2 years ago, when a dispute between a newly arrived neighbor and the restaurant, made both National and international headlines. I got Julio to talk a little bit about the legal battle where Gaby’s ultimately prevailed.
So, let’s go now and revisit this iconic restaurant which has survived and withstood the test of time, serving delicious authentic Mexican cuisine, Vallarta style right in the heart of Puerto Vallarta. Just a few yards down the street from the Iconic Inglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. The famous crowned church you see in all the travel guides.
Let’s go to Calle Mina 252 in Centro Vallarta and meet Julio Cesar Castillon Perez, Chef Julio at Gaby’s Restaurant and Bar, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
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Thank you so much Julio. You are a one of a kind hombre. You have the Vallarta spirit my friend. If you want to learn to cook Mexican food, his classes are top notch. The facilities on the roof of the restaurant are clean and professional. The views from there are stunning and being surrounded by all that beauty and learning to cook and shop. A great experience.
Contact Information for Gaby’s Restaurant and Bar Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Address: Calle Mina 252 48300 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Phone: 52 + 322 222 0480
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/gabysrestaurantpv
- Website: https://gabysrestaurant.com/
- Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/gabys.restaurant.pv/?hl=en
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabysrestaurant421
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefjuliocastillon
And of course, the experience of letting them cook for you is what will keep you coming back to Gaby’s Restaurant and Bar. Top notch Vallarta service and the rich flavors of Mexico. Make sure to visit Gaby’s the next time you are in Puerto Vallarta. You will be happy you did.
I have pictures of the restaurant, the rooftop where the cooking class takes place, some food porn and links to Julio’s Tic Tok and YouTube channels where he goes and videos local Vallarta restaurants and shops. Also Facebook links and a map that will take you to the front door of Gaby’s Restaurant and Bar, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Ok, that should do it for this week, next week, stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and more. Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on
your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message.
And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. JR is experiencing a bit of the Septi Hambre hardship himself so if you are planning on taking a tour when you come to Vallarta, maybe buy your ticket now to help him out. Remember this is a value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. Don’t forget his maps, his DIY tours and I have links to all of those in the show notes.
And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and follow share with a lover of Puerto Vallarta or give me a good review wherever or however you happen to be listening. That way we can get the word out to more and more
people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven’t been to my website, you really need to have a look there. I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blogposts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven’t already all-right? All right.
Thanks so much to Julio Cesar Castillon Perez, Chef Julio from Gaby’s Restaurant and Bar. Take a cooking class with him, and or visit the whole family and have Lunch or dinner in a beautiful Vallarta Style setting with a lovely attentive staff right down the street from that famous church. I have all their information in the show notes at
www.puertovallartatravelshow.com.
And thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos.
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