Check out this gay-owned, award-winning gem of a café in Puerto Vallarta
Trovasi Café owner Greg Moesser talks to GayCities about moving to Puerto Vallarta to open his own business.
Mark
Heading to Puerto Vallarta? The Mexican resort is approaching its peak season, with guaranteed sunshine and less chance of rain during the late-fall and winter months.
If you have a trip planned, add the gay-owned Trovasi Café to your itinerary.
This cute little establishment opened in February 2025. It’s since gained over 120 5-star TripAdvisor reviews and picked up a couple of awards. This includes the Gold “E” Award of Excellence from Entrée and a “Culinary Excellence Award 2026 – Mexico” (Bake & Brew Awards 2026 in LuxLife magazine).
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The café specializes in European bistro-style dishes. It also has a liquor license and is known for its Prosecco Spritz cocktail menu.
Americans Greg Moesser and his husband, Dwight Broadneax, own Trovasi.
However, on a day-to-day basis, it’s very much Greg’s operation.
“To be honest, when I opened it, [Dwight] made it clear it was my baby and he wanted to enjoy being retired,” Greg tells GayCities. “So he’s not involved in the operation, other than coming to dinner sometimes!
Trovasi Café is located at 265 Aquiles Serdan, in Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone. It is open from 7.30 am to 9 pm from Monday to Saturday.
When Greg took over the venue, it was a small space that had previously been a retail wine store. Its outdoor courtyard, complete with a fountain, caught his eye.
From horses to real estate to café owner
As for his background, Greg tells us that when younger, he was a professional equestrian competitor in the categories of hunter/jumper and dressage.
“For the last 30 years, I did residential real estate in Beverly Hills, California until I retired two years ago. My husband Dwight is a retired architect. We also have a vacation villa together in Puerto Vallarta.
The men previously lived in West Hollywood, California, and purchased their first Puerto Vallarta property, a condo, eight years ago. They then purchased Villa Vallardin five years ago.
“This is my first restaurant business. It started as a small coffee house that was only open in the mornings, but then it grew into brunch and lunch. We then added a liquor license, and now we offer dinner and cocktails too.”
What sort of challenges are involved with opening up a business in Mexico?
“The biggest challenge is learning the government policies and understanding the culture of your employees. But I can also say that the Mexican culture of our employees is the biggest benefit too! Our employees are enthusiastic and dedicated to making our café a success and enjoy providing excellent service to our customers.”
Truffles and caviar
Trovasi’s best-selling items include its avocado toast with poached egg for breakfast. The dinner menu offers a variety of pastas and classics, such as chicken piccata. For special occasions, it offers an Osetra Caviar brunch.
“My personal favorites are the smoked salmon bagel with capers and poached egg, the classic tuna melt sandwich on sourdough, our famous vichyssoise soup and the truffles & Parmesan chicken dinner,” says Greg.
He believes the best time to visit Puerto Vallarta is November to April. That said, “the low season is also nice, with fewer crowds, but it is also more humid and often has afternoon showers.”
Besides his own business, he recommends visitors check out Puerto Vallarta’s botanical garden, check out some world-class drag at one of the bars, enjoy a mariachi performance, or hire a private yacht for a few hours to explore the wider Bahía de Banderas and its beautiful beaches.
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