It’s just after sunset in San Miguel de Allende, and a delightful desert chill is already descending on the colorful cobbled town. Here, in the heart of Mexico’s central highlands, I’ve arrived at the home studio of the Sonora-born hat designer Alejandra “Suki” Armendariz. After sharing cocktails across the street at the rooftop bar, Bekeb—helmed by her partner, the famed mixologist Fabiola Padilla—my friends and I stumbled our way uphill to her workshop, only a few blocks away. Winded, we passed through a thick wooden door of an unassuming façade to arrive at the studio, a subterranean room lined with well-worn cowboy saddles, geometric-patterned flannel tops, and antique silver and turquoise metal belts. Norteño music blasts from the speaker as Armendariz grabs beers from the refrigerator. She pops the cap off a bottle with her dusty leather boots and hands it to me; a smile sweeps her face at her trick as congratulatory applause ricochets throughout the room.
In between sips of my beer, Armendariz tells me how she launched her home studio four months ago as a pathway for visitors to San Miguel de Allende to learn about the region’s traditional cowboy culture and customs. Clad in an all-black sombrero of her design and jet-black pants held in place with a thick leather belt with a gold buckle, Armendariz explains how she prefers to utilize one of three materials to create her hats: Bolivian wool, Mexican rabbit fur, and Mexican palm leaves. During bespoke experiences not too dissimilar from the one my friends and I are now enjoying, she even guides guests through the creation of their own hat, with the option to have a more interactive experience by shaping and steaming the brim themselves.
Today I’ve chosen a milky grey base, verging on pink when the light hits it just right, ringed by an alabaster leather rope. As I sift through a box of gold and silver buttons to find the perfect adornment for my piece, Armendariz reaches below her workshop table for a box of feathers. There are dozens of options. I gravitate to a three-pronged piece with brown, white, and black plumages to solidify my minimalist look. As Armendariz makes the final adjustments to my hat by hammering in a series of metal buttons—and my friends solidify their designs while getting distracted by the vintage tops and belts that line the wall—I can’t help but smile at the harmony of the evening. Completely unplanned, entirely impromptu, I know no other country and culture where an artist like Armendariz would so freely open their studio for a spur-of-the-moment design party. It’s celebratory and even a little chaotic; it’s also perfect.
Though I’ve been to San Miguel de Allende over a dozen times, I’m here to discover the crop of new openings like Palomina that are making this Mexican town one of the newest hotspots for young creatives. From natural wineries specializing in wild fermentation techniques to tucked-away boutique bungalows set away from the downtown bustle in the area’s more verdant outskirts, there’s a reason the town’s former reputation as a retirement community is no longer fitting.
Here, your guide to the new, not-to-miss spots in San Miguel de Allende.
Where to stay
While there are plenty of well-known resorts in town, including Belmond, Rosewood, and Live Aqua, most of San Miguel de Allende's top boutique hotels are hard to spot and maintain a somewhat clandestine, exclusive appeal. That’s the case for Hotel Amparo, a five-room boutique hotel set within a renovated, 300-year-old building that now hosts an intimate bar with a top-notch wine selection, as well as a living room replete with a full library and a billiards table.
Just across the street is Casa Hoyos. Though the exteriors are in the town’s quintessential architectural style, the interior design is much more contemporary and was updated by the Mexico City-based architecture firm A-G Studio to include mid-century modern fixtures like throne-inspired armchairs set near arched doorways framed by walls adorned with bright-yellow tiles.
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On the other side of town is perhaps one of the most spacious hotels in town, Hotel Matilda, a boutique property with a private collection of contemporary Mexican and Latin American artwork on display. More far-flung stays include the new Quinta Amores, an all-pink respite set in the Los Frailes neighborhood. Replete with four bungalows designed by the Mexican architect Ian Pablo Amores, the property was built with both rest and intimacy in mind, replete with contemplative patios and a central courtyard with a dipping pool and fire pit. And perhaps the most unique stay in the region is Casa Etérea, an off-grid, mirrored home built atop an extinct volcano and set about 30 minutes from downtown.
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Where to drink
To explore the region’s burgeoning natural wine scene, be sure to book a tasting at Cava Garambullo, a biodynamic winery set on the outskirts of the city. Bottling around 4,500 unfiltered and organic varietals per year, the vintners Natalia López Mota and Branko Pjanic not only lead tastings of the brand’s signature bottles—from an orange wine made from albariño and chardonnay grapes to a pet-nat that’s fresh and mineral and reminiscent of strawberries and cream—but they also consult with regional wineries on how to incorporate wild fermentation techniques.
Back in downtown San Miguel de Allende is the tasting room of Octagono, helmed by Marcelo Castro Vero. While the brand is the only winery in the region to produce natural wine in clay vessels (the label’s red wine made from malbec grapes is silky, berry-forward, and utterly delicious), they’ll also share much more of their products at a tasting, including spirits like mint-infused mezcal and a medley of housemade dips, including a spicy paste of macerated chapulines, or grasshoppers.
Offering both natural wine and regional specialties like cider and mead in an upscale setting is Xoler Wine Bar, the city’s sleekest new bar for small plates and drinks. Though the Casa Dragones tasting room is a traditional town favorite and a not-to-be-missed experience to try the region’s leading tequila brand, there are new outposts to try both traditional and burgeoning Mexican spirits. One spot is Bekeb by the mixologist Fabiola Padilla, who is a brand ambassador of Casa Dragones. At her rooftop bar set above Casa Hoyos, visitors can try earthy, herbal drinks made with Mexican spirits such as sotol, raicilla, and mezcal mixed with herbs grown from her on-site garden.
Where to eat
Convivial cafés are plenty in downtown San Miguel de Allende, but few traditional outposts compare to the opening of the town’s latest coffee spots. In the center of town is La Cabra Iluminada, a café with an idyllic, tree-clad courtyard offering affogatos and chai lattes—you can add CBD drops to whatever drink you choose—and hearty breakfast dishes like chilaquiles and French toast.
For a relaxed breakfast, opt for an outdoor table at Panina Bakery, a spacious, minimalist café offering dishes like eggs shakshuka and bagels topped with cream cheese and smoked salmon. Drinks include the classics like flat whites and espressos, as well as horchata iced lattes and housemade kombucha. Be sure to grab a pastry to go, from fluffy blueberry muffins to icing-topped cinnamon rolls.
At Raices, a restaurant dedicated to inventive takes on traditional regional cuisine, dishes include corn and yucca arepas stuffed with local cheese and guacamole and housemade tortillas wrapped in fragrant hoja santa leaves and topped in a traditional mole sauce. For dinner, there’s no better outpost than Sai-Kó, a sleek, dimly-lit nigiri lounge offering traditional nigiri and sashimi, as well as sushi rolls and donburi bowls. Stick around after dinner to enjoy the venue’s late-night DJ sets.
What to do
If the boutique winery visits and downtown tastings don’t keep you too busy, there are plenty of shops and boutique galleries to explore. Don’t miss a bespoke experience at Palomina, a clandestine sombrero workshop where you can craft your own creation with the owner, Alejandra “Suki” Armendariz. Nearby is the Doce 18 Concept Shop, host to made-in-Mexico brands, including Amor & Rosas, a brand offering kimonos embroidered by women’s collectives from Chiapas, as well as María Belen, a designer with handcrafted jewelry made from silver sourced from the nearby mining town of Taxco. At the boutique shop of Montserrat Messeguer, browse the dual-tone, handmade leather boots donned by stars like Dua Lipa, as well as leather skirts and jackets for a complete look. Be sure to save time for even more shop and gallery hopping to venues such as Rise, Objeto Central, and Arde Gallery.
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For the more adventurous set, don’t miss a visit to Rancho del Sol Dorado for horseback riding day trips. Providing a way for visitors to both experience and honor the region’s hacienda-based ranch culture, rides last around two hours—or can be extended to overnight camping experiences with a cozy fire and stargazing opportunities—and include a taste of the ranch’s own products, including Mexican sweet bread and local honey and goat cheese produced on-site. The ranch is also host to a fair that occurs about every three months known as Bazar Sol, which includes goods like hats, belts, and interior decor produced by a selection of around 30 local brands.