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Each market within the Haute Residence network is unique in its own special way. Here, Greg Gunter takes Haute Residence on a tour of the best of the best in the San Miguel de Allende Market.
Best Places to Eat
San Miguel de Allende boasts over 550 restaurants on TripAdvisor. For a town of only 150,000 residents, we are the culinary capital of Mexico! Here are only a few of the absolute best spots in town to indulge your taste buds:
- The long-time favorite here is The Restaurant, which has 15 years of history of being run by master Chef Donnie Masterton, who cut his teeth working at the Hay Adams and Tavern on the Green before opening this international cuisine mecca. He's the Anthony Bourdain of San Miguel.
- Another now-classic is called Quince; Robb Report rated it as the #1 Rooftop Restaurant in the World, apropos for our city, which was also ranked #1 in the world five times by Conde Nast Traveler. Quince has a young, hip vibe with reach-out-and-touch-it views of the adjacent, widely photographed Parroquia church.
- One of our newer authentically Spanish restaurants is Bulla. The menu is straight from Andalusia, amazingly authentic, and they also boast a fantastic roof terrace.
- Tunki Rooftop by Handshake at the Belmond Casa Sierra Nevada, an LVMH-owned hotel, brands itself as a speakeasy offering spectacular roof views and the most unique Peruvian mixology menu in Mexico. The Peruvian tapas are amazing, too!
- Bocaciega was packed from day one, an intimate little Mediterranean venue boasting crispy stuffed squash blossoms among their mouth-watering options.
Best Places to Stay
Pre-pandemic, our little town received three million visitors a year, enough to tempt the Waldorf Astoria to plan a hotel here for 2025, so we have an equally astounding array of hospitality offerings. Here are just a few of my client's favorites.
- Casa No Name, previously the personal residence of famed fashion photographer Deborah Turbeville, became a six-room boutique hotel with an astounding level of 18th-century Spanish Colonial architectural detail. My clients adore this place!
- The Rosewood Hotel here has been named the #1 hotel in Mexico many times, and it's easy to see why. The Luna Rooftop Terrace is the favorite of locals and visitors for sunset cocktails and tapas.
- Hotel Amparo was another private hacienda located on what was the Camino Real in Centro that became a 5-room boutique hotel awarded the best new small luxury hotel when it opened. It's charming, and it'll give you a feel of what it's like to own a home--albeit a mansion--in San Miguel.
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Best Things To Do
Unlike the beach destinations of Mexico, San Miguel de Allende boasts the broadest English-language social and cultural infrastructure to be found anywhere in Mexico, from live theater to nightly music to the broadest range of cultural festivals like the San Miguel Writer's Conference, the International Jazz & Blues Festival, or the La Calaca Festival focused on Day of the Dead activities. We say retirees move to Miami to die, but they move to San Miguel to live! Here are just a few things to look for:
- Pro Musica hosts a half-year season featuring the finest classical musicians from around the world and offers opera as well. You'll always find a performance you like for their packed calendar of events.
- If you're looking for a broader range of music, visit SanMiguelLive.com to see the nightly host of various music performances around town, from nightclub crooners and rock & roll to Latin bands and Flamenco entertainment.
- Walking tours are the best way to learn about our UNESCO World Heritage Site's 480 years of history. A nonprofit called Patronato Pro Ninos hosts the best group tour in town three times weekly, or order a custom tour--from cantinas to cathedrals--from Joseph Toone, the city's #1 tour guide.
- San Miguel de Allende is the heart of Mexico's second-largest wine route, so vineyard tours prove extremely popular. There are many to choose from, and Cuna de Tierra is one of the best.
- This is an artistic town, you can't miss visiting the art schools and galleries. Bellas Artes boasts amazing murals, one by David Siqueiros, and the Instituto Allende has been popular since the 1940s. There's a gallery opening nearly nightly in this town; be sure to visit the Fabrica Aurora for the largest gallery collection.
For more information, please contact Greg Gunter at 877-878-4141 or Greg@GregoryGunter.com.
Greg Gunter is the exclusive agent representing the San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, real estate market as a member of the Haute Residence Real Estate Network. View all of his listings here.
