With a population of only 200,000 people, Guanajuato is full of surprises. This capital city holds a wealth of restaurants, cafes, and food stands, and we’ve eaten our way through them with glee. Options range from hole-in-the-wall taco shops to rooftop terraces, and span cuisines from Hungarian to Middle Eastern to Japanese. Back in 2021 when we first visited, we made a video about our top 10 favorite places to eat in Guanajuato, Mexico.
Though over three years have passed, our original list has stood the test of time. We’ve been back in Guanajuato for more than a month now and have revisited nearly all of our original top 10. We’re ready to give you a 2025 update, including which eateries have closed, new information, and a bunch of new Guanajuato restaurants to try!
To start you off, here’s our 2021 countdown from #10 to #1:
In case you want to read reviews or look up our favorite places to eat in Guanajuato on Google Maps, here they are by name:
10. Mis Churros Elvira
9. Kurtosh8. Cielo Verde
7. Habiti Falafel
6. Casa Valadez
5. Banh Mi
4. El Chahuistle
3. Panificadora San Fer
2. Oajillo
1. Tortas Don Beto
On our list alone, you can choose from Hungarian, Mediterranean, Italian, Vietnamese, Thai, or Spanish food, not to mention all the delectable Mexican choices!
We also include pricing throughout the video, to give you an idea of what it costs to eat out in Guanajuato.
Per normal, Caspian is the highlight of the video. I could watch him talk about churros all day long!
2025 update: Top 10 Favorite Places to Eat in Guanajuato, Mexico
Which spots have closed?
Two of our favorite places to eat have closed since 2021: Mis Churros Elvira and Cielo Verde. We haven’t found a churro replacement yet. There is a newer food truck called La Chilakleta Baratillo that has opened next to Kurtosh. Like Cielo Verde, it sells chilaquiles in Chinese-takeout-style boxes. While we still need to try it, we’re curious whether it’s the latest project from the people behind Cielo Verde.
Please note that, contrary to some comments on our video, Tortas Don Beto is not closed! Keep reading for the full story.
Notes and caveats: what you should know
For the other eight places that are still open, we want to go through each one and add amplifying information.
Kurtosh: It was lovely seeing the owner of Kurtosh again. He remembered us after all these years and said our video has given him a lot of new business. We love to hear this. We tried one of his dessert creations again and it was as delicious as ever.
Habiti Falafel: This is one of the only places we haven’t revisited yet, but we will soon. It currently has 4.7 stars on Google Maps, out of 1,000 reviews.
Casa Valadez: This is the other place we have not revisited. It is a little too fancy for us, clearly catering to tourists. The huge plus for Casa Valadez is that some tables have a view of Teatro Juarez, which you can see illuminated at night through open windows. It is the only restaurant that offers this experience. But if we were redoing our list today, we’d replace Casa Valadez with another place on Jardín de la Unión we’ll share shortly…
Banh Mi: We’ve been back to Banh Mi several times. Though the pot stickers aren’t quite as good as we remember there, we still really like the pad thai. I’ve also tried something else, the pollo con mango salad. I highly recommend it. It is fresh, large, and absolutely delicious.
El Chahuistle: It was a joy to see our friends at El Chahuistle again, Juan Carlos, his wife Rocio, and their whole team. It continues to be a welcoming, cozy neighborhood restaurant. While we only go for breakfast, they have an all-day menu available.
Panificadora San Fer: This is still a go-to panadería for us, particularly when Eric wants polvorones. While the tiny hole-in-the-wall from our video is still there, the same company has opened a larger location at the corner of Avenida Benito Juárez and Juan Valle.
Oajillo: In our opinion, Oajillo is one of the best-kept secrets in Guanajuato. Their cocktails are among the highest quality in the city (much better than the wildly-priced drinks at Bartola) and there are lots of food options to choose from. We continue to enjoy the tapas and Alfredo pasta. The only thing we don’t recommend is the hamburger. And note that it can take a while for food to arrive, especially at busier times. Fortunately, the shaded terrace is a lovely place to relax and match Mexico’s pace that we love so much.
Tortas Don Beto: We were devastated when we started receiving comments that Tortas Don Beto had shut down. We now have the full story from Don Beto himself. He did shut down because one of his daughters wanted to start a massage practice. As a great dad, he offered his restaurant space for her use. But after a time, she moved to a different location with a friend. Tortas Don Beto reopened, but now Don Beto’s other daughter (Frida) is running it! A very enterprising family. Now, there have been changes since 2021. The menu is smaller without some of the breakfast ingredients that used to be available. But we’ve heard a rumor that Frida may be adding “The Eric” torta to her menu…
More favorite places to eat in Guanjuato
Though we stand by our original list, we’ve had the opportunity to try many more places to eat in Guanajuato. There’s no doubt our top 10 list today would be a bit different. Fortunately, the list doesn’t really matter and you can enjoy whatever appeals to you.
Vamos Con Lalo: This breakfast/lunch eatery is one of our favorites for sure. Though the menu is small, everything we’ve tried is fresh and delectable. Guisados, or meat options, change daily. So one day you may have carnitas and the next you might have chicharrones en salsa. I love the smoothered burritos and Eric enjoys the various egg plates. Many of the dishes include a side salad.
Pacifico Surf Antojería Del Mar: Can’t believe we never tried this place before! Amazing fish and shrimp tacos, Baja-style. They have a condiment bar where you can dress your tacos however you like. Eric highly recommend the shrimp quesadillas.
Birria Club: Love these quesabirria tacos, served with traditional consome. Note that they tend to close early (around 5 or 6 pm), so plan ahead for dinner.
Ttela.mx: Cochinita pibil, the Yucatán delicacy! Cochinita is the only meat they serve, but in all forms (tortas, molletes, quesadillas, burritos, tacos, etc.). Simple food, incredibly delicious. Seating is at a small bar with stools.
Bar Luna: Okay, this is it! This is the place on Jardín de la Union that we now recommend over Casa Valadez. Backstory: there are a bunch of restaurants on the garden with outdoor seating. I avoided them for a long time because they seemed so touristy. I thought they’d be overpriced for lower-quality food. So we didn’t try Bar Luna until right before we left Guanajuato in 2021, and then we regretted it! This trip back, we go to Bar Luna at least once a week. Our go-to’s are the queso fundido, Alfredo pasta, and wings (they’re surprisingly great!). But we’ve tried other things that were also good.
Restaurante Corazón Mexicano: This is a standout! Restaurante Corazón has a large, shaded terrace, and also seems to be a local secret. The service is exceptional, though the atmosphere is relaxed. We haven’t played with the menu much because we latched onto a favorite during our first visit. We all order drinks, then share the Platón Cervantino, which comes with sopecitos, tlacoyos, quesadillas, and flautas. We usually order extra sides of guacamole and crema, then we load our finger food with the queso fresco and lettuce it comes with. So good!
Bento-Ya OMI: Now Guanajuato has Japanese food! Bento-Ya has rotating bento options, plus ramen, sushi, teriyaki, and much more. Definitely a fun option when you’re craving something different. Note: it is cash-only. (And P.S. There is another Japanese spot, Delica Mitsu, we still need to try.)
La Bohemia: We enjoy taking friends and family to La Bohemia because of its location on Plaza de San Fernando with outdoor seating. There’s even a tree Caspian loves to climb. The menu is huge, but not all plates are equal. We don’t recommend the fish/shrimp tacos or Alfredo pasta. Other things we’ve tried, like the queso fundido or chilaquiles, have been solid.
Restaurante Tulum: This is a traditional restaurant that’s been around a long time. Despite the typical menu, we’re always surprised by how much we enjoy the meal. Definitely one of my favorite chilaquiles in the city, if not the best. The molletes are also lovely. This is a breakfast spot for us.
La Vie en Rose: French cafe and bakery in the heart of Guanajuato’s centro. While La Vie en Rose has a full menu, we prefer to go for coffee and pastries. The croissants are top-tier, and the macarons are also good. I can recommend any of the coffee drinks, chai latte, matcha latte, and a specialty mimosa I happen to adore.
Luan Gastro Cafe: Great breakfast or lunch spot. Though the menu is fairly typical, the food is made fresh and is more upscale/fancy-feeling (prices reflect that). We were surprised by how big the meal packages are, so arrive hungry.
Verbena. Repostería Botánica: I am updating this article from Verbena right now. It is my first time here, but I will be back. This is where I’d meet a friend for coffee, though it is farther from the main part of el centro (on the way to La Presa). Outdoor terrace seating winds up a staircase and the jasmine is blooming right now. The menu is cafe-style with quiche, soup and sandwich, salad, cakes, and coffees.
Panadería Kanelina: Another place it took us way too long to try. Sometimes we just buy bolillos for sandwiches. For dessert, we like the rolls filled with Bavarian cream (4 pesos) and the apple muffins (10 pesos).
-B
Originally published Dec. 9, 2021.
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