Your essential guide to staying vegan in San Miguel de Allende

Coined the “small city, with big heart”, Mexico’s San Miguel de Allende is a not-to-be-missed travel destination for anyone visiting Mexico — yes, even you, vegans. Not only can you eat there on a plant-based diet, you will be by no means confined to rice, beans, and guacamole. That said you’d never catch us complaining about the guac life, anyway. Upon arrival, it can be difficult to know what to expect besides a lot of steep hills and rickety cobblestones. Well, you can go ahead and brace yourself for some epic grub and, if all else fails, you can always just toss back a Negra Modelo, chase it with some corn chips and call it a night. The city’s stone buildings, doused in rich, vibrant color, are home to a plethora of shops, services, and restaurants, a number of which offer plant-based cuisine. So, go on now and prep your stomachs and your walking shoes for one heck of wild ride.

Don Taco Tequila There is not enough to be said about this restaurant, and that’s not just because of it serves up some kick-butt margaritas. A fully vegan venue situated right in the center of town, Don Taco Tequila offers a wide array of plant-based adaptations of traditional Mexican cuisine, alongside an extensive drink list. Featured on the menu are items such as soup, tacos, salad, and even desserts. The tacos are a must-try, and come in a wide array of styles in both corn and flour tortillas, filled with vegetables, artisanal vegan cheeses and plant-based meats. Among the best options on the menu are the Norteño taco, grilled cactus, guava margarita and, of course, the dairy-free chocolate gelato. Food aside, it’s also a great place to meet people with its friendly staff and warm, welcoming atmosphere. Image: Instagram

Nectar Nectar, while not a fully vegan restaurant, has a number of vegan options. Menu items marked with a V can be modified for plant-based eaters, just make sure you let your server know. Marketed as a teahouse, this spot offers sandwiches, burgers, soups, enchiladas and more, all in the comfort of a charming, sunny courtyard. The tofu scramble, enchiladas rojas and vegan pozole verde, a hearty, flavorful stew served with a number of fresh and tasty toppings, are all must-try dishes. Don’t forget to check out Nectar’s extensive list of teas and other hot beverages, all of which come in generous portions. Order up a San Miguel fog and, with its caffeine content, you’ll be buzzing around town for the rest of the day. Image: Facebook

Roots Roots, or Roots Local Organic, is a permanent vegan food stand situated in a larger venue called Mercado Carmen. There, you can grab dishes such as vegan enchiladas, tacos, soups and sandwiches, served up quickly and at a fair price. It’s surrounded by other food spots and a bar, so you and your whole party can eat and drink the night away. If you happen to be one of those people who can stay awake past 10pm, you’ll also be happy to know there’s a club upstairs where you can turn up into the wee hours of the morning — or whatever it is the kids are saying these days. Image: Facebook

Turk Mediterranean food spot Turk is a delightful, side-of-the-road restaurant with surprisingly good atmosphere and excellent service. The hummus and tahini enthusiasts among us best hold on to their paychecks, ‘cause they’re in for a real good time. Image: Facebook

Oko Oko is a Thai spot, situated on the perimeter of town, which dishes up a number of veganizable Southeast Asian dishes in hearty portions, sure to have you leaving satisfied. The pad Thai, with natural tofu, is said to be a-okay for vegans and stands up next to the steaming hot plates served up in the far-off nation of Thailand. Image: Facebook

Mikka Mikka is a non-vegan restaurant that happens to offer a few plant-based options. Included on the Japanese-inspired menu are a Veggie Vegan Bowl, and a Sea Weed Tofu Bowl, both of which are entirely free of animal products. Image: Instagram

Casa Buen Viaje A little bar with great atmosphere, Casa Buen Viaje offers a number of plant-based small plates. Among the options on the menu are tacos, gorditas, and tostados. For those of us who’re sick of looking at our own homemade piles of mush, it’s nice to know that this place hits the ball out of the park when it comes to presentation. Oh, and did we mention mezcal? Get ready for enough of this trendy Mexican spirit to make your head spin. Do be advised, though, that in Mexico the drinks only come one way — strong. Image: @martinbuenviaje/Instagram

Lolita Situated on a busy but sunny main drag in the little city of San Miguel de Allende, Lolita is a seemingly endless restaurant, with a massive patio. Featured on its omnivore-tailored menu are a handful of vegan friendly options, including enchiladas and a black bean soup. Both are delicious and come in generous portions. Image: Lolita

Coffee With veganism growing in popularity in Mexico, a number of San Miguel de Allende’s charming coffee shops offer plant-based milk and excellent coffee. Among them are Café de Bellas Artes, El Café de la Mancha, and Ki’bok Coffee, which also boasts a location in the coastal city of Tulum. Image: @elcafedelamancha/Instagram

Booze Good news for vegans who like to party, a number of Mexico’s most popular beers just so happen to be vegan. Included on this list are those from Modelo, Corona, and Bohemia, which offer a particularly good cerveza obscura, or dark beer. Amazing patios with picturesque views and fantastic vegan booze options include El Cielo, the bar at the Rosewood hotel, and La Azatea. Image: Instagram

At home You’ll be happy to find that in San Mike, as it’s often affectionately called, fresh produce is abundant, tasty, and usually local. Bring your own bags and you can keep your grocery run as low-waste as it is healthy and affordable. That said, if you can’t be bothered to cook or leave the house at all — totally relatable — you can always touch base with RobyJoy’s, a delivery only food service offering a couple of vegan options. When it comes to bread, the choice is easy. Panio, a bakery chain with multiple locations in town, offers some of the best vegan loaves you will ever taste. Buy more than you think you need, as this stuff goes fast, and pile on some smashed avocado and fresh sliced tomato and you’re set. You can thank us later. Finally, Mercado Sano is a health food shop and, on the weekends, a market offering a number of vegan options, as well as a smoothie stall serving up too-good-to-be-true acai bowls, smoothies and juices sure you get you through any day of exploration. Image: Instagram

Header image: Beth Ruggiero-York/Shutterstock.com

Do you wish to transition to a vegan lifestyle in a safe and supportive environment? Join V-TRIBE today.