Central Mexico

A restaurant specialising in charcoal grilled meats. To go, take the El Refugio bus from the centre.

Are you one of those people who think that only a big piece of red meat can restore your strength after a day of walking around the city? This Argentinian restaurant with its hearty cuts of beef will meet all your expectations. It is inevitably what your eyes will first catch on the menu... but a little creativity will not hurt you: why not let yourself be tempted by a piece of roast duck, a suckling pig or a kid? All of this is enjoyed in an elegant rustic-industrial atmosphere.

This lovely restaurant nimbly navigates the ocean of Guanajuato's ancestral flavors: its name evokes an atole (drink) made from a variety of corn called cacahuacintle . To accompany it, nibble on the homemade rolls and indulge in the fruit salad with yoghurt mousse. If you're really hungry, order the chilaquiles with fried egg or the lamb cecina (cordero). Or go straight for the sweet treats: toast de nata with sliced strawberries.

Here is a small shop which, if it doesn't look like much, is worth a stop for its burros, which are absolutely delicious! Typical sandwich from the north of the country, they are large wheat flour patties filled with meat and/or vegetable preparations and then rolled on themselves. Here, everything is homemade and the different preparations are spiced just right: machaca, deshebrada, birria, carne de puerco or combinado, you can sincerely try any of them, without any risk of disappointment. Not to be missed.

On the terrace or in one of the three areas of this old building with high ceilings, nicely restored, you can first stop to taste a very good selection of coffees or teas. The lounge area, with sofas and books, is particularly suitable for this. The pretty room at the back, which still has the stonework of its old walls, is perfect for a small snack or a more substantial dish for lunch. If the pizzas are not a real success, the chapatas are a real delight (especially thearrachera) and the dishes are not to be neglected either.

The excellent Dos Casas Hotel & Spa has an equally attractive restaurant. Aperi offers Mexican and international cuisine, prepared with fresh local ingredients. The menu varies according to the seasons, so that you can't get enough of it. On the à la carte menu, nostalgic travellers will be able to enjoy, for example, a duck breast with spices, a tasty plate of pasta or a perfectly seasoned piece of beef. As for the tasting menu, it offers exceptional value for money for a cuisine of this level.

Looking for a great breakfast before hitting the road? Right across from the Plaza de las Tres Centurias, La Estación is a real institution for all things related to typical and regional cuisine, and the ideal place for hearty breakfasts such as huevos rieleros, tacos de nata or cecina. Here, it's all about good food, and you can enjoy melted cheese dishes, soups of all kinds, costillas, tacos, grilled meats and mole dishes. We appreciate the light and family atmosphere and the dishes that keep the stomach warm.

This is a lovely café-restaurant, freshly fitted out in a 1930s house, where you can sit in one of the many rooms that originally made it up. The sky-blue decor is relaxing. Here, the options are as vast as they are appetizing: Serrano ham or pear-gorgonzola tapas, lasagne and fresh pasta, salads, baguette sandwiches, carpaccio, grilled meat dishes or seafood (salmon, tuna, shrimp) accompanied by beautiful vegetables. And for dessert, what could be better than a crème brûlée or profiteroles?

This restaurant is located in a superb old house, which has the advantage of offering a few tables on a terrace with a panoramic view of the valley and the mountains. In addition to the exceptional panorama, you will be surprised by the quality of the cuisine offered. The menu is simple, but the execution of the dishes is very well done, with Italian-inspired proposals: lasagna, pasta, but also some salads and pieces of meat. The portions are huge, especially the pasta plates. Ideal at any time.

A little old fashioned, it offers in a spacious room with glass-panelled windows some potosinas specialities. The price is very correct.