Location: San Miguel de Allende
Top Things to do in San Miguel de Allende
Top Restaurants in San Miguel de Allende
Countries
What to do and see in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato: The Best Budget-friendly Things to do
High in the cool hills, this colonial gem of cobblestone streets and picturesque churches inspires artists with its color, character and light. Baroque, neoclassical and neogothic mix in the city's buildings, notably at the pink stone 18th-century church on the Plaza Principal. Founded in 1542, the city is a mix of Hispanic and Mesoamerican influences.
Restaurants in San Miguel de Allende
1. Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3,227 reviews
Built in 1683, this pastel pink church is the city's most recognizable landmark.
Reviewed By Retired_teacher_56 - Dwight, Canada
The centerpiece and focal point and one of the best things to do in San Miguel Allende is the unmissable church. La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel or the Church of St. Michael the Archangel is as impressive as it is massive. This is arguably the most photogenic spot in the city inside and out. Enjoy the view from the well-manicured garden in the plaza directly in front of the church that looks almost like an ornate pinkish orange cake! On Sundays, the plaza out front is filled with families and their children enjoying the park. The Luna Rooftop Tapas Bar in the Rosewood Hotel is a great place to have a cocktail enjoying both the sunset and this amazing church
2. Sazon
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 246 reviews
Sazón is San Miguel de Allende’s premier cooking school, housed in a magnificent 18th century casa in the heart of this charming colonial town in the highlands of central Mexico. Sazón is the cooking school of Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada, and is open to everyone, not only guests of the hotel.
Reviewed By robear2622
We did a lot of research before deciding which cooking class to try in SMA. We had heard rave reviews about Chef Ruben from a friend, so that, coupled with the best price in town, made the decision easy. Chef Ruben was fun to work with and informative. The enchiladas we made together were our favorite meal in SMA (and we’ve had a lot). The open cooking space and use of masks made us feel very safe during Covid times. Please don’t miss out on this experience. Thanks Chef Ruben!
3. Mask Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 430 reviews
By appointment
Reviewed By CarolynH399 - Houston, United States
The mask curator has been collecting masks for 30 years and has hundreds installed in the museum. He is very knowledgeable about the masks and Mexican history. You must call for an appointment. There is also a nice native art shop included in this beautiful bed-and-breakfast attached to the museum.
4. Chapel of Jimmy Ray Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 243 reviews
We have created a 2.5 Acre Art installation.......You have to see it to appreciate it...The Gallery shows the work of Anado McLauchlin and guest artists.....The whole site is full of mosaic whimsy and delightful mirth!
Reviewed By jaelhakim
I’ve never seen anything like this place in my life. The whole house, and surrounding structures are completely covered in mosaics and other bizarre creations. Definitely worth the trip.
5. Taste of San Miguel
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 598 reviews
#1 rated Food experience on Trip Advisor and recommended by Loney planet and Forbes. Experience off-the-beaten path eateries and their colorful owners and staff, and regional delicacies. Walk away with an enriched understanding of San Miguel's people and culture, a satisfied stomach and new insight to continue on your discovery of authentic San Miguel de Allende!
6. Casa de la Cuesta, Museo de Mascaras
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 29 reviews
Reviewed By LarryHN - Osage Beach, United States
the owner loves masks and has personally collected them all from natives using them in local ceremonies. he has done research on each on and has documentation on them in the museum. Interesting and well worth seeing.
7. Museo de Astronomia Prehispanica
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 85 reviews
The Prehispanic Astronomical Museum addresses a 10 year archeoastronomical research made at Cañada de la Virgen archaeological site in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato. The exposition explains the importance of the moon cycle at the site and the use of the pyramid as a calendar device.
Reviewed By 883liz - Chicago, United States
It was so worth the visit.! We stopped for lunch and a tour of the cultural astronomy museum at the Comida Prehispanica and the Mueso de Astronomia Prehispanica after a fascinating tour of the Pyramid at Canada de la Virgen (Albert Coffee). Altogether one of the best experiences of our lovely trip to San Miguel de Allende. Our reception from Dr. Rossana Quiro Ennis and her husband Jesus Real Ruiz was so warm and inviting. First we went to the back patio and watched one of the cooks prepare tortillas on the traditional comal while we began with our meal with delicious salsas and chips made from those ethereal tortillas. Two main dishes followed – one vegetable and the other with meat – then dessert and Mexican coffee. All the ingredients were not only organic and locally grown but food that was available to the indigenous people before the arrival of Spaniards. If this lunch was an example, they ate well! And so did we. When I asked Dr. Ennis how she and her husband decided to open both a restaurant and a museum, she explained, “We both found in cooking a way to connect the cycles of nature with the cycles of the sky, which was one of the main themes in prehispanic cosmogonic knowledge.” After lunch, Dr. Ennis described her involvement in the archeological exploration at the Pyramid. She had began by photographing the cycles of the moon as it rose behind the Pyramid over many years and observing the patterns as they must have appeared to the indigenous builders. As a cultural astronomer, she documented evidence of how the local Prehispanic people constructed the Pyramid to follow the complex, interlocking cycles of the moon and sun that they used to predict vital weather cycles and eclipses. She explained - at the level we could absorb - what she had discovered – and documented in her beautiful photographs. Do make time for this experience! It is uniquely engaging!!
8. Chef David Jahnke Cooking Classes Lab
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 221 reviews
Please try & joy my cooking classes, I am international certified as: 1. Professional Cook by the Government of Germany 2. Chef Educator by World Association of Chefs (WACS) 3. Graduated with University title for licensed degree in Gastronomy, certified by the Secretary of Education, Mexico 4. Maitre Cusinier by the culinary association of France
Reviewed By sdsteiner49
David's cooking class was recommended to us by friends who had participated in prior years. They raved about the experience, so, being low-key domestic cooks, we ventured forth by contacting David. He wrote back immediately with no less than 200 recipes from which we were to choose four as the subjects of our class with him. We met David at the open food market in SMA, where David lead us on an eye-opening and incredibly informative shopping tour for native vegetables, cheeses, herbs and spices for our meals. Hopped in a taxi with our goods and headed for David's home where we met his lovely wife, Amy. David immediately got to work leading us through how to prepare the four recipes that we had chosen. He explained every step and embellished every culinary detail with cultural, historical, social, and gastronomic insight. We got way more than what we expected from David's "cooking class." More like a comprehensive adventure of the senses..
9. Mercado Ignacio Ramirez
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36 reviews
Vendors at this market sell all sorts of arts and crafts, including cheap homemade rugs.
Reviewed By garylK5145JP - San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
This is the oldest market in San Miguel, and still one of the most colourful. For first time visitors to San Miguel, you really need to spend a bit of time going from stall to stall, checking out the fruits and vegetables, the spices, and all the other items that are so fundamental to good Mexican cooking. In the back of the market, is another large market area where roast corn, garbanzos, jicama, and fruit slices are sold. In the back and to one side of the open area, look for the stairs that lead down toward the alleyway that is the large handicraft market that extends for three blocks. Great fun!
10. El Jardin
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,057 reviews
The city's crowded center plaza is located at the heart of the historic district.
Reviewed By 643geraldb
One of our guides described it as the living room of SMA. Just before sunset people of all ages fill the zocalo. It's exciting to watch and walk around
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