Restaurants of San Miguel de Allende

Traveling to Mexico? to San Miguel de Allende? Here’s a blog that brings together information about restaurants there which is scattered across the internet, information about this lovely city for you to view in one place. We’re just getting rolling, so please check back for expanded articles and PHOTOS!

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People (part 2)

Growing since the coming of foreigners in the 1940s, population has risen 43% from 77,624 to 110,692, between 1980 and 2000. It has slowed since with most of the drop due to the falling birthrates. 40% of the population is under the age of 15. 54% is between the ages of 15 and 64. As of the 2005 census the population was 139,297 about 46% or 59,691 people living in the town of San Miguel proper. Most of the municipality's population lives in rural areas in communities of less than 2,500 people. Indigenous groups, mostly Otomi and Nahuas, who account for 38% of the municipal population, live in these smaller communities. Other indigenous groups include the Mazahua, Huasteca and P'urhepecha. Visit San Miguel de Allende Amor San Miguel de Allende For more tourist information about San Miguel de Allende see a great visitor, vacation guide including Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, Shopping, Places, Health/Beauty, Art Galleries, Culture, Classes, Tours, Services, Real Estate and more San Miguel de Allende Guide

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People

The number of foreign residents is estimated to range from 8,000 to 12,000. Of these 7,000 are from the United States alone; enough to warrant their own US consulate as well as chapters of the Lion's Club, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Mexico's only Audubon Society. Cultural opportunities, mild climate and low crime, along with a reasonable, ten-hour drive to the US border, make San Miguel de Allende very attractive. Canadian residents are next most numerous foreigners. Foreign residents have considerable economic and cultural influence, despite being less than ten percent of the total municipal population. Many cultural and civic institutions, including the Institute Allende, the Botanical Gardens and the public library (the second largest English language book collection in Mexico) were started by foreigners. Foreigners have had a constructive influence regarding social programs and governance.

Visit San Miguel de Allende Amor San Miguel de Allende For more tourist information about San Miguel de Allende see a great visitor, vacation guide including Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, Shopping, Places, Health/Beauty, Art Galleries, Culture, Classes, Tours, Services, Real Estate and more San Miguel de Allende Guide

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Historic Center (part 2)

Commercial and residential properties are well-blended. About about one half of the colonial buildings have been fully or partially converted into businesses. Classifying San Miguel de Allende is hard; either it is a small city or a large town. Even though it is rural and small, it has a wide variety of ethnic and upscale restaurants, stores, art galleries, specialty shops, workshops and hotels. Of course, all around the historic center there are bars and cantinas as well as various nightclubs, over 80 of them. There is no street crime during the day and even at night one may many wander the narrow streets with safety, except in the desolate wee hours. Its people are a mix of Mexicans, foreigners and indigenous. Its artistic and cultural reputation, as well as its relatively cheap prices, have brought many people to live here from Mexico and abroad. Various publications have named it one of the top 10 places to retire

Visit San Miguel de Allende Amor San Miguel de Allende For more tourist information about San Miguel de Allende, the biggest little city, see a great visitor, vacation guide including Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, Shopping, Places, Health/Beauty, Art Galleries, Culture, Classes, Tours, Services, Real Estate and more San Miguel de Allende Guide

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The Historic Center

Even as the municipality and the outlying areas of the town have over time changed, the historic center has stayed largely as it was 250 years ago. Since the 1920s, measures have been taken to preserve the center's charm. These include restrictions on construction, signage and also the color of paint which can be used on exteriors, only four are allowed. The historic center is known for its narrow cobblestone lanes, falling and rising over the hill that it crowns. These scenic roads are lined with narrow sidewalks and high walls enclosing colonial era homes with marvelous courtyards. Flowering vines cascade down the imposing walls, which are often topped with potted plants and/or broken glass. Occasionally there is an iron-grated window framed by hewn wood. Many larger structures have large front doors, gates which were used by horses and carriages. Front yards are rare. Private outdoor space is behind the main facade in courtyards. These courtyards are usually gardens, protected from dust, prying eyes and crime San Miguel Allende Visitor Guide

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20th Century On (part 2)

Led by bohemians, foreign, cultural and cosmopolitan influences have continued. In the 1960s, along with folks from Mexican film industry, the counterculture arrived from the US with Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. Neal Cassaday, drunk on the railroad tracks one night outside of town, died here from exposure. In the '70s, hippies drank in La Cucaracha bar, formerly Jack Kerouac's favorite local watering-hole. The city and nearby sanctuary were declared a World Heritage Site in July 2008 by UNESCO. Ten thousand foreigners, mostly from the Canada and the US, today call San Miguel home, making up about ten percent of the population. San Miguel de Allende's vibrant housing market dropped in 2010. Mexican drug related violence (not present in San Miguel) and global economic problems effecting foreign residents seem to be the cause. San Miguel Allende Vacation Guide

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20th Century On

The city of San Miguel de Allende experienced a renaissance late in the 1930s. A ruin, full of magnificent churches and empty mansions, after discovering San Miguel, Mexican opera singer and movie star, Jose Mojica told friends about the town. This attracted celebrities, artists and writers, including future Nobel laureates, Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda. The lovely Escuela de Bellas Artes, an art and cultural school, was created in 1938 by Felipe Cossio del Pomar, a Peruvian writer. Cossio del Pomar, along with American director, Stirling Dickenson and Nell Fernandez established another prominent art school, the Instituto Allende in 1950. Both of these schools attracted former soldiers as students as U.S. veterans studying under the G.I. Bill were permitted to study abroad, where their checks stretched farther. In 1948, Life magazine declared the town a "GI paradise." The town's cultural reputation rose along with enrollment at the schools, in turn attracting more artists and writers. This, in turn, spurred the opening of hotels, shops and restaurants to cater to the new visitors and residents. Americans have been credited with saving the city as many of the veterans who came to study in San Miguel would later come back to retire. San Miguel Allende Vacation Guide

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Independence (part 2)

San Miguel's economic decline, along with decline in agriculture and population continued throughout the Mexican War of Independence and the 1800s. Unstable government hurt the country as a whole. Some recovery economic occurred near the end of the 1800s during which time aqueducts, dams and railroads were built. Due to the introduction of fruit orchards agriculture also made a comeback. However, the decline returned. What with the end of mining in almost all of Guanajuato, especially during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1917,) San Miguel nearly became a ghost town. Still San Miguel was known as both a quiet, beautiful place to live and an attraction for the wealthy with its natural hot springs. In 1926 the government, designated the town a "Historic and Protected Town". It was declared a national monument establishing guidelines and restrictions aimed at keeping its colonial appearance (no neon signs or modern construction in the Center.) San Miguel Allende Tourist Guide

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Independence

From its zenith, during the early 1800s the economic fortunes of San Miguel declined due largely to the upset of the Mexican War of Independence. Its political destiny rose, however, due to the importance or its role early in the conflict, given is the birthplace of two significant heros of the Independence, Juan Aldama and Ignacio Allende. Both men were conspirators against the colonial government in Mexico City. Assembled at the nearby town of Dolores (Hidalgo) in September 1810, an insurgent army first came to San Miguel, where it entered the city to name officers and to free jailed captives. Therefore, San Miguel is considered to be the first municipality to be freed from Spanish rule. San Miguel calls itself the "Forge of National Independence." Just to the north, Dolores Hidalgo is known as the "Cradle of National Independence." Here General Ignacio Allende joined the army as Miguel Hidalgo's chief lieutenant and led the army to several victories. Captured during battle and summarily executed, Allende was not able to enjoy a Mexico independent from Spanish oppression. His head, along with those of Padre Hidalgo, Aldama and Jimenez, hung in cages on each the four corners of a building in Guanajuato from about 1811 until 1824 when Mexico finally gained its independence. Following the war, the town was renamed San Miguel de Allende in honor of Ignacio Allende. San Miguel Allende Tourist Guide

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Colonial Times 2

The bulk of its large mansions, religious buildings and palaces were constructed when the city had its wealthiest period in the middle of the 18th century . Wealthy hacienda owners of the region kept homes here. A large cosmopolitan city with a population reaching 30,000 (at that time New York's population was 25,000 and Boston's was 16,000) it was one of the wealthiest and most important settlements in New Spain. Those mansions were much larger than normal for a settlement of its size, partaking, as do churches, of both baroque and neoclassical architecture. Luckily most still remain for us to admire today. San Miguel Allende Guide

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Colonial Times

The discovery of silver in Zacatecas in the middle of the 16th centruy brought a major road between that area and Mexico City. San Miguel which sits along the way. Indian caravan attacks made San Miguel an important military as well as commercial site. The region around the Laja River turned out to be excellent cattle country. The viceroy in Mexico City granted cattle and lands to a number of Spanish families to settle the area, to help quell these attacks as well as rebellions against Spain. To this end he also gave the local tribes an exclusion from taxes as well as limited self rule. The town was a melting pot as Spanish, indigenous peoples and later Criollos (locally born people of pure or mostly Spanish ancestry,) rich with various cultural influences. Major roads would come to connect the town with various mining communities and the rest of the state and supplying travelers' needs and along with those of the mining camps made the town prosperous. San Miguel Allende Guide

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Establishing the Colonial City 2

Led to the site of today's Chorro spring by dogs, on higher ground, the settlement was refounded in 1555 by the successor of Juan de San Miguel, Bernardo Cossin, and by Fernando de Tapiaan, indigenous leader, In keeping with the Spanish colonial design, it was re-established as both a military outpost and a mission. The topography of its new location was better suited for defense. Also, it was a place with ample water supply, with two springs of water springs. The output of these abundant springs supplied all the water for the town until the 1970s. The site of the original mission is today occupied by the Santa Escuela Church, "old parish" as it is known. The name "San Miguel" derives from the founder of the city, Fray Juan de San Miguel. Originally called San Miguel el Grande or sometimes San Miguel de los Chichimecas (after an original indian tribe,) in 1826 the name of the town was changed to San Miguel de Allende in order to honor Ignacio Allende, a hero of the Mexican War of Independence, who was born here. San Miguel de Allende Guide

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Establishing the Colonial City, San Miguel Allende

 Before the conquest by Spain, in the early 1500s, before an indigenous settlement called Izcuinapan, literally "place of dogs," existed just southeast of the present site of San Miguel de Allende. With the arrival of the Spanish a Franciscan missionary priest Juan de San Miguel built a small chapel and started a village near the indigenous settlement, dedicating the Spanish town to the Archangel Michael. Spanish colonization was met with hostility by the local indigenous population. Taking issue with this invasion of their territory, the Chichimecas Indians raided mule caravans streaming south heavily loaded with silver from newly discovered mines and the tribe attacked the village itself in 1551, 15 people were killed and the village burned to the ground. This, along with ongoing problems with water supply resulted in the abandonment of the original site of the Spanish settlement and its relocation. For more information on San Miguel Allende and other Mexican destinations please visit San Miguel Allende Guide

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History Prehispanic

History

Prehispanic Period The Toltecs. had a ceremonial center, Panoayan, where the town of Comonfort is today, a 30 minute drive from San Miguel de Allende. Archaeological remains there include a ball court. The Toltecs, who left behind many stone tools, grew crops and lived along the Rio Laja, taking advantage of the rich soil. By 1200, moving south they had abandoned their ceremonial centers. For the next 300 years, nomadic tribes passing through the area Then Chichimeca indians began to settle, again along the river. San Miguel de Allende Guide

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Vivoli is an Italian Café & Trattoria

Ours is a mission of creating the finest collection of Italian food in a variety of authentic flavors, originating from the northern to southern regions of Italy, all while providing extraordinary service in true Italian fashion. We have a diverse and regularly changing menu, highlighting culturally-specific Italian cuisine as it has evolved from years past to present, using traditional techniques and cooking methods, as well as flavors and ingredients.

Visit San Miguel de Allende Amor San Miguel de Allende For more tourist information about San Miguel de Allende, the biggest little city, see a great visitor, vacation guide including Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, Shopping, Places, Health/Beauty, Art Galleries, Culture, Classes, Tours, Services, Real Estate and more San Miguel de Allende Guide

Founded in 2003, by Mr. Nunzio Donato Ciaraulo and his wife Cristina, based on both a love of Italian culture and cuisine and the desire to share the Italian traditions and history with his guests, Vivoli is a full-service Café and Trattoria.  We pride ourselves on the homey, neighborhood restaurant feel, without sacrificing the level of service and preparation required to stand out above other Italian eateries. This gives our guests the feeling of stepping out of the big city, and into an intimate, culturally significant, comfortable and welcoming environment. We invite you to experience Vivoli for yourself, as we promise it will be the best Italian meal you’ve ever had! VIVOLI CAFÉ & TRATTORIA OF SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE Hernandez Macias #66
Centro, C.p. 37700
San Miguel de Allende, Gto, Mexico
 Ph. ([phone]                                                        
 [email protected]
cristina@  vivolicafe.com
 www.  vivolicafe.com

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Hacienda de Guadalupe Restaurant & Bar -International

Restaurant To eat in Hacienda Guadalupe is an experience that goes beyond using just your senses. Our restaurant offers the best food in the whole city. You can find specially selected national dishes as well as international delicacies, all made with the freshest and highest quality ingredients, both national and imported. You are invited to enjoy the food at the bar or in the dining area while also enjoying the music and ambience of the restaurant. There is also the option of eating your meal while watching the sunset from your suite’s balcony with a special bottle of wine. You can grab a drink and an appetizer while relaxing out by the pool. If you choice is to just enjoy a drink, the hotel bar offers a relaxed and cosmopolitan ambiance. We offer a large variety of tequilas and Mezcales, an extensive cocktail menu, all prepared by our expert bartender and an ample selection of wines, both national and imported.

Visit San Miguel de Allende Amor San Miguel de Allende For more tourist information about San Miguel de Allende, the biggest little city, see a great visitor, vacation guide including Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, Shopping, Places, Health/Beauty, Art Galleries, Culture, Classes, Tours, Services, Real Estate and more San Miguel de Allende Guide

Hacienda de Guadalupe Restaurant & Bar -International Centro, Hidalgo No. 4, San Miguel de Allende, 415 1210700 ,

www.  hotelhaciendadeguadalupe.com

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Another San Miguel blog to check out

There is a lifetime of things to experience in Mexico, many lifetimes. For more great information on traveling to Mexico and especially San Miguel de Allende art galleries please visit San Miguel de Allende Art Galleries

Visit San Miguel de Allende Amor San Miguel de Allende For more tourist information about San Miguel de Allende, the biggest little city, see a great visitor, vacation guide including Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, Shopping, Places, Health/Beauty, Art Galleries, Culture, Classes, Tours, Services, Real Estate and more San Miguel de Allende Guide

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Patsy’s Place

Each and every Sunday, I turn my kitchen into Patsy’s Place, creating for my guests a sumptuous buffet feast which they can enjoy in either my sun-filled kitchen or under the cool veranda.The event is like having a private party with everyone enjoying each other’s company dining on great food and meeting new people. A very delightful way to spend a carefree Sunday afternoon. I change my menu weekly depending on what’s fresh and available. Possibilities include: Appetizers of little sopes with various toppings or miniature tortilla cups filled with guacamole or choriqueso. Then I present the feast. It could be poached chicken in a cilantro cream sauce or Toluca style Chile Rellanos, who knows? I always serve this with plenty of Mexican Rice, Mesquite grilled veggies, fresh green salad, Frijoles charros and Homemade Tortillas. Desert might include double cream cheese brownies or homemade cookies. Authentic Mexican style coffee is served with desert. I’ve always enjoyed lazy Sunday afternoons with great people and wonderful conversation. Come see for yourself!

Visit San Miguel de Allende Amor San Miguel de Allende For more tourist information about San Miguel de Allende, the biggest little city, see a great visitor, vacation guide including Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, Shopping, Places, Health/Beauty, Art Galleries, Culture, Classes, Tours, Services, Real Estate and more San Miguel de Allende Guide

My name is Patsy and incredibly great food is my passion! I love the colors, the textures… these warm and exciting flavors are the name of my game. I open my home to anyone that would love to come for a special sunday afternoon or to take authentic Mexican cooking classes in San Miguel de Allende. I offer both 1 day and 3 day classes. I share my wonderful creations and meet new people while catering in San Miguel. I am so fortunate to live here and have the availability of such beautiful fruits and vegetables. I take great pride in my gardens and flowers and allow people to use my home as an event center here in San Miguel. Imagine…. great food, good friends and magical memories. I invite you to browse my site and dream of the possibilities. When I was 19, I began my love affair with Mexico. Thirty nine years ago, I arrived in what was then, a small, colonial village located in the central highlands of Mexico. Two years later, I returned to get my Masters of Fine Arts degree and ended up staying. I fell in love with all that is Mexican and my love affair continues with the colors, flavors and magic that is Mexico. Working in various jobs here led me to my love… “food”. I now devote my life, heart and creativity to Sunday lunches, cooking classes and catering. Atotonilco, -off highway to Dolores Hidalgo, 415 185 2151, www. patsydubois.com