San Miguel Restaurants
 

We will be there for a month. Would particularly like to try establishments frequented by locals. Also nice places to sit outside and have meals. We also love most all ethnic food. Can you give suggestions for your favourite breakfast, lunch and dinner places?
Can you BYOB to any of the restaurants in SMA?

Check www.tripadvisor.com (cl mexico/click SMdA).
M

Sorry, I meant the discussion forum on Trip advisor for SMdA. There are a few threads there.
Also, I never asked about BYOB as there is usually a wide range of beverage choices in most all price ranges.
We usually stick to the less expensive wines from Chile/Argentina/Spain and Italy, 'tho an occasional MX red is nice. Wines from USA, France and Australia are expensive.
M

there's a book by a guy named Archie Dean who wrote the Insider's Guide to San Miguel...the only place you can buy it is from his website (http://insidersma.tripod.com/) or I've heard that you can sometimes find him on the streets there & buy one straight from his backpack.

It has a really good list of restaurants & notes which ones are local favorites. (he even tells you what waiter to ask for!)

Archie is reliable, but like most print stuff, his recommendations are often out of date.
His book is widely available in town.
M

I second the recommendation that you get Dean's book! Well worth the money!

We went in October, 2003. Our favorite restaurants were:

Tio Lucas - ate dinner there twice. Great food and service; for what you get, it's very inexpensive. nice atmosphere too.

El Rinconcito - ate lunch here once, would have loved to gone back. a little difficult to find but well worth it. kind of a little hole-in-the-wall, but clean and in a nice neighborhood. the young owners live up over the restaurant. we sat in the open area at the front. their names are Mercedes and Miguel address is Refugio Nte. No. 7 Col. San Antonio As one local said "price is almost for free"! :)

El Pegaso - recommended in Dean's book, but we only had breakfast there once. it was "ok"

Mesone de San Jose - wonderful place to have lunch. good food and service, but location is the best part. if you sit on the far side, not by the kitchen, you have a view of the Bell Tower of the San Francisco Church.

Pueblo Viejo Restaurant/Bar - had breakfast there 3 times. Fantastic blueberry hotcakes (I took a picture!), eggs benedict, bacon and eggs - everything was great! Nice tableclothes, dinnerware, atmosphere was great too and it wasn't expensive.

El Harem - stopped in at lunchtime and had a drink, but didn't eat there (hubby has a finicky stomach). It's an Arabian restaurant. A young couple from San Francisco was there - they had some really interesting dishes and they said it was "fantastic"

El Campenario - hubby had sea bass and I had steak. highly recommended in Dean's guide: "Leo and his many relatives run a very efficient restaurant." (By the way, ran into Leo a day or so later and he remembered us - could be hubby's allergy to garlic and the pains they took in preparing his sea bass! :)

El Ten Pie - had lunch there. definitely one of our favorites. another "hole-in-the-wall" - very inexpensive and very popular. I had the most delicious (and different) pork taco there! Everything was great!
located at Cuna de Allende #21 (I think)

Torta Mondo - the BEST hamburger in San Miguel! When we were there a hamburger and fries was only $2.30
This is where we met Memo! aka William D. Thompson, a professional photographer with two PHD.'s He took us on a personal tour of San Miguel..knows everything about it and it's history! He lives there. some of his photos are in VISIONS OF SAN MIGUEL photo book that you can buy at the library. (he also has a webpage on san miguel - you could probably do a search on it and find it if interested)

One other tip, since you'll be there a month, I hope you'll take the bus over to Queretaro for a day! It's great! Don't go on a Monday tho since a lot of stuff downtown is closed.

Hope you have fun! eb from Texas

Thanks so much eb for taking the time to post these great reviews. I will take your recommendations with me. Since we won't have a car, what's the best way to get to Queretaro for a day?

We took the bus to Queretaro! The bus ride itself was worth it - took some really pretty photos on the return trip to San Miguel.
The buses and the bus stations are much cleaner than the ones here in the states - at least the ones I've seen, but never ridden on, in Texas. In fact, the bus station in Queretar reminded me of one of our smaller airport terminals. Very modern and very nice. (By the way, if you decide to go to the restroom at the airport in San Miquel, you have to pay to get inside, and don't forget to pick up your toilet tissue and paper towels ON THE WAY IN :) - discovered this on the way out.... lol
We took a day trip (via hired driver) to Guanajuato and really enjoyed it. We didn't know about Cueretaro until we met some folks at breakfast one morning and they recommended that we check it out. It's well worth the trip! The city, the landscaping, everything is just beautiful.
We had lunch at one of the outdoor restaurants in the downtown area - felt like we were in Paris - even had the tuxedoed piano players and the "stuffy" maitre' d' (hah hah) - it was great! I would love to go back!
Have fun, eb from Texas
P.S. - Re your question about BYOB, I agree with the previous poster. Most all restaurants have a good selection of liquor and wine - we like the Chilean wines. We did carry a bottle of sour mash with us for our room, but that's because we've found that in Mexico "whiskey" means strictly "scotch" to them.

There is a new book "The Best of San Miguel" by a retired international print journalist which I highly recommend (I post his name as I'm in a cafe).
M

The author is Joseph Harmes.
M

Yes, Archie's is OK, but the book by Joseph Harmes, The Best Of San Miguel, is great. I have lived in SMAdA for 3 years and still need a little help finding things/services and this book does help plus the humar is great. You will read the entire thing just for fun but also learn when, where and how.
Chuck

Joseph Harmes' book is like having an old friend with a wicked sense of humor being your guide to San Miguel. Whether it's food, shopping, sightseeing or finding a public restroom, The Best of San Miguel de Allende can get you there!

I have to add my 2 cents worth on San Miguel guidebooks... Although Archie Dean's book is sometimes useful, it is reather dry and often inaccurate. On the other hand, The Best of San Miguel de Allende (Lo Mejor de San Miguel de Allende), by Joseph Harmes is the newest, most accurate and entertaining book available on SMA. Not only is there an abundance of info on eating, drinking and shopping, the section on activities for Rug Rats is unique and the sections on history, fiestas and events and Pueblo Magico are wonderfully informative and often hysterically funny. Harmes really knows his town! His book is available all over SMA and from the website, www.thebestofsanmigueldeallende.com. I've lived in SMA for nearly seven years and have learned all kinds of new info about SMA. Buy it and be ready for lots of irreverant fun!

The book called "the Best of San Miguel de Allende" by Joseph Harmes definitely has the most current and detailed listings of Arts, Dining, Drink, History, Holidays, Kids' Activities, Recreation and Shopping ever published. A must have for everyone!!!

Based upon your statements, I ordered Harmes book. It's ok, but very poorly bound. I still think Deans' book is very worthwhile. I think anyone going to San Miguel should order both! By the way....note the recommendations re Tio Lucas and Ten Ten Pie!!!!! :)

The tacos al Pastor at Ten Ten Pie are def worth a visit. The Chateaubriand for two at Tio Lucas would feed four, but medium rare is barely cooked - it's great done medium.
Don't overlook Ole, Ole for great, inexpensive fajitas and brochettes.
M

mikemo, as you may have seen on tripadvisor, we are on our way back to San Miguel this October. In looking back over my postings in this thread, I would love it if you could update me on how you would rate the restaurants that we loved on our previous trip 2 years ago? And, are they still there?
Also, are you familiar with Memo, the photographer????
Thanks for your help! eb from Texas

Hola eb,
Most are, but I have updated the restaurant list on the TA forum.
Still think Rist. da Andrea at Hacienda de Landeta the best. The IT wine list is pricy.
Tio Lucas (too die for Chateaubriand for 2); Romanos; El Campanario (outstanding Robalo and Huachinanga) are close.
We finally went to L'Escargot on Tuesday - really nice Beef Wellington (have not had that in maybe 15 years).
Thank you Pfizer (for Lipitor from Canada).
M

Thank you mikemo!!!! eb

Por nada, mi amigo(a).
M