A brief 15 minute ride from downtown Puerto Vallarta will take you several thousand feet up into the hills to an eagles perch in the clouds over looking the bay and the old town. The name of the place is Las Carmelitas and it is a palapa (palm thatched roof) restaurant with no electricity (only generators here) and a killer view. 
The road up is straight up, well not exactly straight, but it's a tough climb in any car. At the entrance at the bottom of the hill were you turn off the main road, they hit you up for 50 pesos a head and give you a receipt which you can apply to your bill at the end of the night. This keeps people from coming up who just want to go for the view and skip the restaurant. A two wheel drive car will make it up, but more than a few loose their nerve on the numerous high climb angle switch-backs. Some sections of the road are paved in concrete because of the problems with erosion in the rainy season. But perseverance is rewarded.
Meet some the local residents of Las Carmelitas. They could even be your dinner! The cooking here is pure campesino style. That's farm style in the US. They have a big wood grill out behind the restaurant and the arrichera (marinated skirt steak) is one of the specialties with hand made tortillas and several fresh home made salsas. Their "charos", beans cooked over the fire in a big earthenware pot, are also a necessary part of every meal. I always order several sides of charos for the table and there are never enough. Often they run out so it is necessary to get your order in early. They also have a full menu of seafood after all this is Puerto Valarta and seafood is plentiful and fresh here. The food is plain country food, but it is good, add in the view and you have a really special experience. 
They also make killer Margaritas so that also seems to enhance the view. Often when you arrive early, the tables out front with the best views are in the sun and it's too hot to sit out there. So it's possible to arrange with the waiters to reserve a table out front with the view and sit under the palapa where it is cooler and then move out to the front tables when the sunset is beginning to happen. Of course this depends on the number of customers and in the busy season that might not be possible.
There is another event that happens nightly and that is the nightly fireworks display on a old sailing ship the Marigalante that sails in the bay off the coast of Puerto Vallarta. It's just one of those things that at the end of an evening of good food, and hopefully a great sunset, the fireworks are the climax.
Directions: From Puerto Vallarta: Get in a cab if you don't have your own transportation. 
Tell the cabbie to take you to "Las Carmelitas" if he says "where's that?", get out and try another cab. Repeat until you get one who knows. Don't use one who doesn't know. Also there is this tendency to not admit that they don't know so if you detect any hesitancy, get another cab, there are lots of them. If you are driving from Puerto Vallarta, take the Libremiento (a 4 lane road that circles around Vallarta) from the Old Town. In the old town find the street Basilio Badillo. 
It runs from the water into the hills and is the southern most full length street in the Old Town. Go toward the hills and pass through the first tunnel. Cross the Rio Cualle (Cuale River) and go up the hill. Take the last left before the second tunnel. Then bear right (no other choice) to the traffic circle, then right off the traffic circle which takes you over the Libremiento. Take the very next right. There will probably be a chain across the road with someone there to take your 50 pesos per person. If you are coming from the North, Take the Libremiento off the main highway. Go through the first tunnel and take your next right. Bear right (no choice) to the traffic circle and take a right at the traffic circle. Go over the Libremiento and take the next right which has the chain across the road...etc.
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