This is a very casual restaurant in a tranquil and shaded courtyard. It’s kind of like a Mexican version of a diner. They serve reliable traditional breakfast items (of both the American and Mexican variety), freshly squeezed juices and diner-quality coffee. This busy little restaurant is an expat favorite due to their extremely reasonable prices and reliable fare.
VC & Friends features fantastic live music (rock, Latin jazz & blues) from Wednesday through Saturday nights (and sometimes Sunday nights) by San Miguel’s most popular entertainers. The music usually starts around 9:30 (Wednesday and Saturday nights are usually our favorites, but their line-up changes from time to time). VC’s menu is primarily tacos, tostadas, salads and other tapa-style items. The kitchen is open until midnight. They have a large dance floor that is usually fun and festive. (Please note that although the music is great, it can be quite loud.)
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday noon – 1 a.m. (later on weekends),
Sunday noon – 6 p.m. (or later if they have a special show)
Tio Lucas has long been a favorite with both locals and tourists. They are known for their steaks and salads. They mix Caesar salads at your table, and make a show of flaming desserts and Irish coffees. We like all their food, and eating there is always fun. The restaurant has fun, upscale Mexican décor, with an open patio anchored by a large tree that is decorated with lovely hanging lanterns. The ever-present owner, Max, is a larger-than-life character of a host. Best of all, they have a great jazz trio that plays every night beginning at 9. The restaurant is almost always busy late night, especially during high seasons, so we recommend reservations.
We really like the food at The Food Factory and perhaps we should have listed it in our “Chef Inspired” category of Picks, but we’ve put it in the “Experience” category mostly because of its location at La Aurora (and also because the food there really isn’t what we think of as “chef-y” food – meaning that the dishes are not highly experimental, the plates are bountiful and the prices super reasonable). When we have out-of-town company, we enjoy taking them to La Aurora. We wander the 50+ galleries, shops, and working art studios, and we take a break for lunch at The Food Factory. Or we go to the monthly Friday night ArtWalk at La Aurora, and then have dinner at The Food Factory. The owner and chef is Allen Williams, who grew up in Mexico and did his formal culinary training in Switzerland. The menu, which changes seasonally and is brought to your table on a huge chalkboard, is diverse and always good. The decor is European bistro-y, and the waitstaff are great. We have never had a bad meal there. It’s a small restaurant so we recommend reservations on ArtWalk night, and anytime for large groups.
We really enjoy this quaint little restaurant with sophisticated but unpretentious cuisine that the chef calls “French” but is really more international. The restaurant is owned and run by chef Ana Lilia Galindo, who started the restaurant with the assistance of her nephew, Chef Allen Williams, who now owns and operates The Food Factory at Fabrica Aurora. You can choose to sit inside by the fireplace or in the interior patio garden, both of which are darling. We like the potato pancake, and the Swiss filet. The restaurant is very small, so be sure to make reservations to ensure a table.
La Garufa is an Argentinian-themed restaurant that serves delicious mezquite-grilled steaks. They also serve very good fish, chicken and veggie dishes. The decor is contemporary and elegant with accents of bright color and soft amber lighting and, as a bonus, La Garufa is the only restaurant in town with air conditioning, which is a huge plus in April and May.
This restaurant is one of the most beautiful restaurants in San Miguel, especially after dark. It is in the large courtyard of an old hacienda that is now a modern boutique hotel owned by the family of the current mayor of San Miguel. The décor is elegant and contemporary, with a beautiful embellished-glass mechanical roof that is opened or closed depending on the weather and the time of day. We also really like their food, which is Mexican haute cuisine (with a Yucatan influence). The clientele tend to be affluent and young-ish (30-50), and the atmosphere, especially on the weekends, is usually fun and celebratory. They occasionally have live music; otherwise they have a great play list on the house sound system. Reservations recommended. (Note: Go on Thursday nights at your own risk! It’s salsa night, which is very popular with retired, single gringas who love to dance and are always looking for partners!)
We always take our visiting friends and family to La Posadita. It’s a casual but pretty (especially at night) rooftop restaurant downtown, across the street from the Parroquia. They serve consistently good traditional Mexican fare, and great margaritas. When asked, we usually recommend that guests eat at La Posadita on their first night in San Miguel, just to get a feel for the landscape of the city. We recommend reservations on weekends and on any night during high seasons.
Hotel Matilda has a lovely indoor/outdoor restaurant run by Chef Enrique Olvera, a graduate of New York’s Culinary Institute of America and winner of countless culinary awards. Their breakfast menu is limited, but interesting and very good. We eat there often on weekday mornings, when the hotel is less crowded. (We eat there for lunch often too – it’s probably our favorite restaurant in town.)
This small, casual courtyard café offers what some might call California-style breakfast items. (The young, bilingual Mexican owner went to school in the States.) Their menu is not extensive, but the food is good, and they serve pretty good coffee. (They also sell their whole-bean coffee by the pound.) We like their lunch menu too (mostly sandwiches, wraps and salads).
This is a very casual restaurant in a tranquil and shaded courtyard. It’s kind of like a Mexican version of a diner. They serve reliable traditional breakfast items (of both the American and Mexican variety), freshly squeezed juices and diner-quality coffee. This busy little restaurant is an expat favorite due to their extremely reasonable prices and reliable fare.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Sundays they close at 2)
See all of our Restaurant Reviews here.
http://www.sandefersanmiguel.com/
VC & Friends features fantastic live music (rock, Latin jazz & blues) from Wednesday through Saturday nights (and sometimes Sunday nights) by San Miguel’s most popular entertainers. The music usually starts around 9:30 (Wednesday and Saturday nights are usually our favorites, but their line-up changes from time to time). VC’s menu is primarily tacos, tostadas, salads and other tapa-style items. The kitchen is open until midnight. They have a large dance floor that is usually fun and festive. (Please note that although the music is great, it can be quite loud.)
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday noon – 1 a.m. (later on weekends),
Sunday noon – 6 p.m. (or later if they have a special show)
See all of our Restaurant Reviews here.
http://www.sandefersanmiguel.com/
Tio Lucas has long been a favorite with both locals and tourists. They are known for their steaks and salads. They mix Caesar salads at your table, and make a show of flaming desserts and Irish coffees. We like all their food, and eating there is always fun. The restaurant has fun, upscale Mexican décor, with an open patio anchored by a large tree that is decorated with lovely hanging lanterns. The ever-present owner, Max, is a larger-than-life character of a host. Best of all, they have a great jazz trio that plays every night beginning at 9. The restaurant is almost always busy late night, especially during high seasons, so we recommend reservations.
Hours: Noon – midnight
See all of our Restaurant Reviews here.
http://www.sandefersanmiguel.com/
We really like the food at The Food Factory and perhaps we should have listed it in our “Chef Inspired” category of Picks, but we’ve put it in the “Experience” category mostly because of its location at La Aurora (and also because the food there really isn’t what we think of as “chef-y” food – meaning that the dishes are not highly experimental, the plates are bountiful and the prices super reasonable). When we have out-of-town company, we enjoy taking them to La Aurora. We wander the 50+ galleries, shops, and working art studios, and we take a break for lunch at The Food Factory. Or we go to the monthly Friday night ArtWalk at La Aurora, and then have dinner at The Food Factory. The owner and chef is Allen Williams, who grew up in Mexico and did his formal culinary training in Switzerland. The menu, which changes seasonally and is brought to your table on a huge chalkboard, is diverse and always good. The decor is European bistro-y, and the waitstaff are great. We have never had a bad meal there. It’s a small restaurant so we recommend reservations on ArtWalk night, and anytime for large groups.
Hours: Mon-Sat noon to 10 p.m.
See all of our Restaurant Reviews here.
http://www.sandefersanmiguel.com/
We really enjoy this quaint little restaurant with sophisticated but unpretentious cuisine that the chef calls “French” but is really more international. The restaurant is owned and run by chef Ana Lilia Galindo, who started the restaurant with the assistance of her nephew, Chef Allen Williams, who now owns and operates The Food Factory at Fabrica Aurora. You can choose to sit inside by the fireplace or in the interior patio garden, both of which are darling. We like the potato pancake, and the Swiss filet. The restaurant is very small, so be sure to make reservations to ensure a table.
Hours: 1 to 10 p.m. (Closed Sunday & Monday)
Address: Sollano 17
See all of our Restaurant Reviews here.
http://www.sandefersanmiguel.com/
La Garufa is an Argentinian-themed restaurant that serves delicious mezquite-grilled steaks. They also serve very good fish, chicken and veggie dishes. The decor is contemporary and elegant with accents of bright color and soft amber lighting and, as a bonus, La Garufa is the only restaurant in town with air conditioning, which is a huge plus in April and May.
See all of our Restaurant Reviews here.
http://www.sandefersanmiguel.com/
This restaurant is one of the most beautiful restaurants in San Miguel, especially after dark. It is in the large courtyard of an old hacienda that is now a modern boutique hotel owned by the family of the current mayor of San Miguel. The décor is elegant and contemporary, with a beautiful embellished-glass mechanical roof that is opened or closed depending on the weather and the time of day. We also really like their food, which is Mexican haute cuisine (with a Yucatan influence). The clientele tend to be affluent and young-ish (30-50), and the atmosphere, especially on the weekends, is usually fun and celebratory. They occasionally have live music; otherwise they have a great play list on the house sound system. Reservations recommended. (Note: Go on Thursday nights at your own risk! It’s salsa night, which is very popular with retired, single gringas who love to dance and are always looking for partners!)
Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday, 1 to 10 p.m.
See all of our Restaurant Reviews here.
http://www.sandefersanmiguel.com/
We always take our visiting friends and family to La Posadita. It’s a casual but pretty (especially at night) rooftop restaurant downtown, across the street from the Parroquia. They serve consistently good traditional Mexican fare, and great margaritas. When asked, we usually recommend that guests eat at La Posadita on their first night in San Miguel, just to get a feel for the landscape of the city. We recommend reservations on weekends and on any night during high seasons.
Hotel Matilda has a lovely indoor/outdoor restaurant run by Chef Enrique Olvera, a graduate of New York’s Culinary Institute of America and winner of countless culinary awards. Their breakfast menu is limited, but interesting and very good. We eat there often on weekday mornings, when the hotel is less crowded. (We eat there for lunch often too – it’s probably our favorite restaurant in town.)
See all of our Restaurant Reviews here.
http://www.sandefersanmiguel.com/
This small, casual courtyard café offers what some might call California-style breakfast items. (The young, bilingual Mexican owner went to school in the States.) Their menu is not extensive, but the food is good, and they serve pretty good coffee. (They also sell their whole-bean coffee by the pound.) We like their lunch menu too (mostly sandwiches, wraps and salads).