Brett and I went to bed last Thursday night with every intention of having brunch the next morning at Lavanda, a small restaurant in Centro that specializes in coffee drinks but also serves wonderful food. Lavanda is currently rated the #1 place to have brunch in San Miguel de Allende, and I had been hearing and reading about it since we arrived two weeks ago. We were told there was a good chance we might have to stand in line to get a table because it’s become so popular.
We woke up early Friday morning to already warm temperatures, and knew the day was only going to get hotter. I felt beyond exhausted, like my eyelids were made of lead, and asked Brett if we could possibly postpone our trip to Lavanda and eat at a place closer to the apartment because I just couldn’t imagine walking into Centro. We made a quick decision to instead head down the hill and around the corner to dine at Rustica again, the little restaurant we ate at the morning after our arrival in SMA.
Rustica seems to be very well known, and a favorite of expats and visitors. All we have had to say is we live “just up the hill from Rustica” and we’re told we’re in a great location in the city. The restaurant was crowded when we arrived, but we were told there would only be a five to ten minute wait for a table and we were seated in less than three at a cozy, shaded, and cool table in the corner of back courtyard.
Rustica’s back courtyard is cool, shady, and relaxing.
Just like our first time there, the service was impeccable. Out came a big bottle of purified water, a couple of different hot sauces, and the drinks we ordered arrived soon after (iced tea for me, an Americano for Brett).
I dined on a delicious and filling vegan burrito this week, a big, crispy flour tortilla stuffed with tofu, soy chorizo, avocado, and beans and served with a creamy tofu sauce. Brett ordered the breakfast tacos, two fresh corn tortillas each filled with a fried egg, sautéed mushrooms, avocado, and beans. As with our brunch the week before, we left Rustica feeling full and satisfied, and didn’t feel hungry again until the evening. The total for this week’s brunch, including the tip, was $17.64.
We’re going to try for Lavanda this Friday. We stopped at their coffee bar last week for some refreshment, and I’d love to have another one of their lavender lattes and give their eggs Benedict a try. But for two tired diners last week, Rustica was the perfect spot.
RUSTICA is located at Salida a Celaya 34, Allende, 37700 San Miguel de Allende
The Occasional Nomads 
Sounds like you have lots of good dining options there!
A couple of questions – is it usually so hot in the summer or are they experiencing extra warm temps for this time of year like we are in the southeast US? Also, do you speak Spanish, or is enough English spoken there that you can get along? I seem to recall from The Senior Nomads that there are lots of expats in that area.
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There are so many good places to eat in SMA. Some are quite expensive, but there are loads of small restaurants – yesterday we stopped for a lunch at a small place (mainly to get out of the heat) and for around $13 enjoyed two delicious meals: cheese and spinach filled crepes for me, a BLT for Brett along with coffee and tea. We have only scratched the surface of dining here.
I speak very simple Spanish – I can order things, give simple directions, ask for things, etc. and maybe have a very short, simple conversation. But, I still sometimes find myself answering in Japanese – it’s embarrassing!
There are lots of expats here, although not as many as there are during the winter months.
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The food options there seem amazing and SO affordable.
I too would struggle with the heat. It’s low 80s’ here this week and I’m already melting. Morning and evening are my outdoor options.
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We feel like we have only scratched the surface of what’s available here as far as dining. The other day our host recommended a Mediterranean restaurant down the street – said the food is incredible – so we’re looking forward to giving that a try. We have yet to spend more than $18 on the two of us in any restaurant – that’s the price of an entree in the U.S. let alone adding drinks or dessert.
The heat is supposed to break soon, and monsoon season will arrive (cooler but rainy days). My body has not been happy with the heat, and I still find myself out of breath from time to time, but it’s no where near as bad as it was a couple of weeks ago.
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The food sounds fabulous!
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Everything we’ve had there has been delicious. I don’t think we’ll ever be disappointed there.
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That is so funny that you answer in Japanese!
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It is funny, but so embarrassing when I do it. My Spanish, however, is slowly coming back and gets a little better every week, with vocabulary floating back into my brain out of the nether. My biggest problem is conjugating verbs, and trying anything other than present tense. But, I am happy with how much I can understand compared to when we arrived three weeks ago.
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