2 Best Restaurants in Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, Mexico

Eat at the horseshoe-shaped bar—especially if you happen to be by yourself—or out under the sky. Beautifully restored, Zihua's oldest house has a gorgeous patio open to the stars and surrounded by zillions of tiny white lights. Try the grilled pork chop, the sweet and zesty lobster, or the shrimp-stuffed chiles rellenos. In the evening a keyboarder or romantic duo playing bossa nova or jazz is sure to entertain.

When was the last time you enjoyed a plate of stingray in black butter sauce? This unimposing restaurant encases the heart of Zihuatanejo's most deliciously inventive cuisine. Owner-chef Ricardo Rodriguez, who worked in Paris before returning to Mexico, applies deft Mexican and Mediterranean touches to seafood dishes in a beachcomber aura overlooking the bay. The melt-in-your-mouth abalone and exquisite grilled mahimahi under a sweet, spicy pineapple sauce are popular choices, but the house specialty remains patata rellena—potatoes stuffed with shrimp and lobster in a fresh basil-and-garlic sauce.