The town of San Miguel de Allende doesn’t have beaches, so the best location to enjoy fresh lime margaritas and watch the sunset is one of San Miguel's numerous rooftop bars.
Since my partner and I seem to have made a habit of hanging out at them, here's our view of the best rooftop bars in San Miguel, with a few restaurants thrown in for good measure. There are also posts here on the Best Cafes to Work and What to do in San Miguel.
The Big Daddys of San Miguel Rooftops
These are the bars you’ll see referenced in the tour books. For the full San Miguel experience, plan to visit at least one of these while in town. In my opinion Atrio, Quince and Rosewood have the best views, cocktails, and staff.
Luna Tapas Rosewood Hotel
Luna Tapas Bar (Rosewood HOTEL)
The best known of the San Miguel rooftop bars and thus also the busiest. Drinks are fancy and not cheap, but it's worth it for the view over all of San Miguel from a unique vantage point. Plan to come about an hour before sunset and hang out here until you head for dinner. You'll want to make a reservation on weekends or holidays and if you can't get in, skip over to one of my favorite backups: Nena Hotel, just across the road.
How to Find: Inside the Rosewood hotel, which is a ten minute downhill walk or short taxi from the Jardin (centro). Enter the lobby, turn left before the main courtyard and left again to take the elevator (or stairs) to the top floor. On busy days they have a waiting list on the ground floor and won't let you go up to the roof unless a spot is available.
Atrio
Atrio
The closest you can sit to the Parroquia without being inside a drone. More of a restaurant with great Asian fusion food than a bar, but also has a small lounge hangout area. Like Quince, this is a great place to arrive before sunset and see Parroquia light up before you leave. Reservations recommended on holidays and weekends.
How to Find: Right off the Jardin on Cuna de Allende (before Quince if coming from Jardin). Check out the gorgeou tree in the lobby adn then head right and up the stairs in the diagonal corner from where you entered.
Quince Rooftop
Quince Rooftop
One of best bars in Centro with an outstanding view of the parroquia. Come here before sunset for drinks and enjoy watching them ring the bells, followed by lighting up the church. Fun flirty wait staff and upscale food. Prices to match.
How to Find: Located on the street down the right side of the Parroquia (Cuna de Allende). You’ll enter through a courtyard. Head up the stairs on your right beyond the fountain. May require a reservation on busy weekends, but generally available earlier for drinks (before dinner reservation time).
La Azotea
La Azotea
Nice chill bar that sometimes has a DJ spinning.
How to Find: Upstairs above El Pueblo Viejo restaurant at Umaran 6 in Centro (turn right inside before you reach the restaurant).
Photo courtesy of Pablo O from San Miguel (via TripAdvisor)
La Chula
La Chula
Funky more locals place. Good DJ spinning some nights. This is where to come for late night dancing (if you can get in), and salsa on certain weeknights, but skip the food, although I recently heard they started a brunch on weekends that might be worth a try.
How to Find: A few doors down from Azotea
The Hidden Gems
Here are some less mobbed San Miguel de Allende rooftop bars with stellar views and a more laid-back vibe. To be honest, most of these I prefer to the bars above. Once you get sick of hanging one street off the Jardin (main square), you can't go wrong with any of these!
Nena Hotel Rooftop Bar
ROOFTOP MARA (feliciana hotel)
An excellent alternate to Rosewood. Awesome views of the Parroquia and downtown. It's located right opposite on same street as the Rosewood Hotel, but on opposite side of the road and the view is from a little less high.
How to Find: On the same street as the Rosewood Hotel. Enter the courtyard and go straight pass the fountain, through the lobby and up the stairs to the right.
El Palomar Hotel / Antonia Bistro
antonia rooftop (El Palomar Hotel)
It's a climb, but you'll be rewarded with the best view over the whole city. We tend to come here for margaritas or a cocktail and then move on to dinner in town, but they are well rated for food, too (if not cheap).
How to Find: Head up San Francisco from the Jardin and it's 3 blocks up the hill on right side. Enter hotel entry from San Francisco (stone doorway), turn left into hotel and climb, climb, climb!
Tupi Roofbar
Tupi Rooftop
Where as Rosewood is the place to be to watch the sunset when it gets late, Tupi is where you can dance to live music sunset sets.
How to Find: Above Tupinamba Restaurant, right on Zacateros. Pass through the courtyard that runs along the side of the inside of the restaurant and clime the stairs on your left at the back (before entering Mercado de Carmen which has a neat food court with several options for a quick bite).
Bekeb
Bekeb
Some of the best hand-crafted cocktails in town with a stunning view. LBGTQ friendly.
Rooftop at Selina
Bardo Tacos
bardo tacos
This is my favorite rooftop for grabbing a quick bite to eat and a beer in centro, with a full bar.
How to Find: Right next to Tupinamba restaurant (and Tupi rooftop) on Zacateros. Pass through the restaurant with rows of benches and up the stairs painted in rainbow colors at the back to reach the rooftop.
La Favolosa
la favolosa pizzeria
Great wood-fired pizza, beer and wine.
How to Find: Up the hill from the Jardin on Corroe. To reach the terraza go straight past the beer wall on one side, up the stairs, past the 5 or so hotel rooms, around the corner and up more stairs.
Ocre Rooftop Bar
Ocre
A new kid in town, spread out over several levels (don't be misled by the small entrance and keep climbing). Super central and sometimes has live music one level up from street.
How to Find: Super central, on Hidalgo, less than a block from the Jardin.
Baja Fish Taquito
Baja Fish Taquito
Great fish tacos close to the jardin, with beer and wine to match.How to Find: A few gentle blocks up the hill on Mesones. Enter and go up the exceedingly narrow stairs on your right.
More Options with Great Food
Here are some more awesome restaurants that have great food options, but don't forget there's also Baja Fish Taquito for tacos and seafood and Chiquita Sunset for pizza (above).
Pegaso Restaurant
El Pegaso Restaurant
Great food menu with amazing deserts and rumored the best flan in town. Friendly staff and fun decor (the items on the wall are for sale).How to Find: It's on Correo one block away from the Jardin. Entry is left and up the stairs. Nice view away from town to the houses on the hill behind downtown.
Inside Cafe (Xam, Xam)
Inside Cafe
Breakfast, lunch, or Asian options for dinner (under the name Xam Xam), with not one but two roof decks. Inside Cafe will always be one of my all-time faves. Awesome food, great flat whites, friendly staff.
MX Sushi
MX Sushi & Terraza
Nice sushi and lounge atmosphere.Great fish tacos close to the jardin, with beer and wine to match. Try the MX roll.
How to Find: Enter the restaurant and head up the stairs at the back.
La Unica
La Unica
Fancy restaurant with upscale seafood options. Restaurant has the best view as bar is behind it, so not right on the terrace.
How to Find: not to be confused with La 21Unica (a fun downstarirs bar on Jesus /upper end of Pila Seca), La Unica is on Diez de Sollano, a few doors down from The Restaurant. It's not instantly obvious that they have a terrace, so ask at the desk after you enter.
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