5 Best Restaurants in Pátzcuaro, San Miguel de Allende and the Heartland

A sound track of light jazz plays in the background at this quaint, small restaurant facing Plaza Vasco de Quiroga. Sit at the outdoor tables under the arcade—or indoors, which feels like a shop from bygone days, with shelves packed with liqueurs, nuts, cookies, jams, candies, candles, and other items for sale. Coffee is made fresh from the espresso machine, but you can still get a free refill. The friendly and knowledgeable waiters will patiently explain the unusual dishes, such as huevos tarascos (fried eggs on a corn tortilla topped with corn kernels, thick melted cheese, and a dark chile negro sauce). For lunch or dinner get trout any style, salmon in four-cheese sauce, or mushrooms sautéed in garlic, chili, and tequila. The menu is refreshingly varied and the service refreshingly attentive.

At this innocuous looking, traditional, family-run restaurant you'll find some of the best examples of local cuisine. Look for the fish specials and the triangular tamale-like corundas with cream sauce, which are also great for breakfast, as are the Spanish omelet and the French toast. There are also several good coffee concoctions.

Locals in the know duck into this low-key restaurant on weekends to avoid annoying itinerant vendors or to grab a spiked cappuccino or glass of Mexican wine. Try the whitefish, pink trout, or pechuga de pollo (chicken breast) stuffed with huitlacoche and breaded in Parmesan cheese. For a snack go for a plate of quesadillas with a side order of guacamole. Breakfast is good, too.

On warm nights you can watch activities in the Plaza Vasco de Quiroga from a tiny balcony table at this second-floor restaurant. The brightly colored interior is warm and inviting, and the eclectic menu provides a break from typical Pátzcuaro fare: try the pear salad with goat cheese, walnuts, and watercress, or the chicken rolls stuffed with plantains, coconut, and almonds, topped with a mango sauce. For dessert try the mixed-fruit compote on phyllo dough drizzled with caramel and chocolate.

Locals go to Lupita on a regular basis for the large menu, reasonable prices, and easygoing atmosphere. There are several rooms inside with tables but, weather permitting, most folks choose the open patio with equipale (pigskin) chairs, umbrella tables, and colorful walls and tablecloths. There are breakfasts from light to full; and for lunch and dinner, five soups and seven salads to choose from, as well as antojitos (snacks like tacos and burgers; tostadas with guacamole), seven pasta dishes, and a full gamut of seafood and meat dishes. There's Wi-Fi and an honor-system lending library up the back stairs.