Life's a Beach | Expat Life in Playa del Carmen

When contemplating a destination for a family trip or even a quick getaway, one of our top considerations is cuisine/dining options. When doing my research for this year's family vacation, I found loads of fantastic restaurant recommendations for San Miguel de Allende but not so many for GTO City. Nevertheless, with a little bit of help from Google and recommendations from our property manager, Israel and other locals we met along the way, we actually found some fantastic restaurants, ate some great food and met some very fine chefs along the way. These are our top 5 restaurant picks for Guanajuato City, the places we really enjoyed and look forward to returning to next time!

La Taula - Both Rob and I absolutely loved this place located down the block from our rental, just off of the Plaza San Fernando. We ate there twice during our week-long stay in the city. We liked it so much, La Taula took the coveted "last meal" position in our schedule. The menu concept put simply is Mexican ingredients meet Spanish tapas. Our favorites offerings included the Carpaccio de Tomate y Tomatillo, Mejillones Natural, Ancas de Rana and the Camarones Aluat. The frogs legs are hands down the best I have ever had. The wine list was small but well thought-out and reasonably priced. I think we may have drank them out of Casa Madero 3V which is a favorite of ours. The sous chef came out several times to check in on us and give us little samples of things we had not tried yet and really went out of his way to make sure we had the best that La Taula had to offer. This place is a little hard to find and not directly accessible by taxi but definitely worth it! - Callejon del Potrero #2x, Guanajuato.

Los Campos - Los Campos received two visits during our stay in GTO City, once for dinner and another day for lunch. I think I might best describe the cuisine as Mediterranean Mexican. The restaurant had just recently moved into it's new location at Plaza Baratillo but it seems that its fans have followed. With plenty of vegetarian options at very affordable prices, it's not hard to see why Los Campos has such a following. In April, they did not yet have their liquor license sorted, but Mike the owner felt pretty confident that it was going to approved soon. Regardless (and thanks to an easy work-around) this was one of our favorite dining spots and one we would return to. - # 4a Calle de la Alameda Plaza Baratillo | Centro Historico, Guanajuato

Casa Valadez - Casa Valadez was recommended to us by our property manager and was the first meal we had upon arriving in the city. Located on the Jardin de la Union just across from the Teatro Juarez, it's hard NOT to find this landmark restaurant. We ate there several times but the price point may put this into the "special occasion" category for some travelers. I heard they have a great brunch but we only managed to make it there at dinner time and the patio dining area was the ideal spot to take in the cacophony of sites and sounds that pour through the plaza every night. Great wine list. Great selection of mescal. Great service. Don't miss the amuse bouche sampler platter. Jardin Union 3, Guanajuato

Delicia Mitsu - A real hole-in-the-wall tucked in a narrow alley behind the Plaza San Fernando, Delica Mitsu was a great find for us. If you are traveling to Guanajuato City from the US, Canada or Europe you may be thinking "Why eat Japanese food in Mexico?". Fair enough. For our family, having lived in Mexico for almost ten years, finding authentic flavors and ingredients from far away lands is sometimes a challenge and always a real treat! I recommend the "Bento Box" option which allows you to try a variety of Japanese salads and finger foods, prepared daily and displayed in the deli case. The sushi is made to order and is delicious. The veggie tempura was some of the best I have had. For an interesting and affordable lunch I highly recommend you make the effort to find this little gem. - San Fernando Plaza, Guanajuato

Las Mercedes - Las Mercedes, located in a private home in the hills overlooking the city, offers delicious alta Mexicanana cuisine in an elegant setting. The wine list is extensive but pricey. We were happy to find one of our favorites, Gabriel from Adobe Guadalupe. There are only a handful of tables and plenty of staff bustling around giving fantastic service to all. The restaurant has been recognized in the New York Times and won many prestigious awards and it's not hard to see why. If you find yourself in Guanajuato and want to splurge on a fine dining experience, this is the place. You will need a taxi to bring you up from downtown. Reservations are required. - Calle de Arriba No.6 | Fraccionamiento San Javier, Guanajuato