Terraza La Vista

Terraza La Vista, in the spectacular Hotel El Golpe de Vista, is one of SMA best new restaurants. We seldom write about hotels but Hotel El Golpe de Vista is spectacular. Inside there is an incredible show of cantera stone with a window cut out to display the Parroquia. The hotel is an architectural wonder; many of the suites have Parroquia views - you can admire SMA’s most beautiful church for hours without ever leaving your bed. The rooftop restaurant is intimate, cozy and quiet; all the things you want a restaurant to be and seats only 40 people. The kitchen is small but produces some of the most unusual and delicious dishes in SMA; one-of-a-kind creations to delight you palate.

We first met 31 year old chef, Antonio Arzola, a culinary graduate of UTSMA, as an intern at Andanza in Belmond Casa Sierra Nevada; participating in the reopening of Restaurante del Parque. He then traveled to Cuba and cooked at the Melia Cayo Santa Maria and also worked as an advisor chef at the Melia Buenavista. He was at the waterfront Clearwater Restaurant in Newport, Oregon, where he worked principally with seafood. Upon his return to SMA, he assisted Chef Arturo Sandoval at Aquila Brasa and then landed at Terraza La Vista, where he is head chef; creating sweet and smoky flavors with a blend of aromatic herbs to every dish on his menu. Most of the restaurants in SMA have their own specialties and we were head over heels with the salads and desserts; obsessed with the Mozarella and tomato jam – something we would eat every day if we could. His creativity was allowed to surface at Terraza La Vista, designing dishes like his Pastel de chocolate using Halls Mentho-lyptus that tastes so good, you would have never guessed the secret ingredient on the first try. This chef introduces remarkable new flavors to SMA using different ingredients to achieve them. If you go on Sunday for brunch, there’s even a Chocolate malt on the menu; our kind of Sunday treat. After your meal, take time to tour the property. It’s one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in SMA. Currently the hotel is running specials and the rooms and suites with a Parroquia view are up to 50% off. The Feast:

House Cocktail Galenico gin, Prosseco and tropical sherbet We had forgotten how much we like Prosseco; especially with sherbet. One of the most beautiful cocktails on the menu, we would order this drink again.

Non Alcoholic Cocktail Aloe Cucumber, Aloe Vera, lime, Basil and natural syrup A refreshing, non-alcoholic cocktail, this is our summer go-to drink.

Tacos de Chamorro Pork shank tacos in handmade tortillas, baked for 7 hours in an adobo sauce of dried chilies, dehydrated onions, creamy avocados, coriander vinaigrette and lime air. These tacos were baked for 7 hours in the oven to absorb the spicy flavors.

Nido de mozarella Mozarella nest filled with tomato jam, flavored with cinnamon and anise on a spring mix of lettuce, dehydrated olives and yellow sweet tomatoes Our salad favorite, we LOVED the tomato jam; giving the salad a very distinct flavor.

Carpaccio de betabel Beet Carpaccio with seasonal citrus supremes, goat cheese, carameled walnuts, baby arugula, balsamic reduction and cinnamon The carameled walnuts and thin sliced beets with balsamic reduction made this salad a magnificent lunch.

Pulpo a la braza Grilled octopus on bean sauce, flavored with chipotle, guajillo popcorn, avocado chocolates and sweetened cambray onion Popcorn was the surprise ingredient on the Pulpo, flavored with a hint of chipotle.

Rack de cordero Lamb rack marinated in false chimichurri, on potato sauce, potato chips, sweet corn and a cloud of yellow lime. The potato sauce was superb with a surprise pop of crispy potato chips and Mexican corn.

Pie de Lemon Key lime pie deconstructed of lemon pie, accompanied with forest fruit, salad in Jimaica sauce, yogurt and red fruit sorbet An interesting take on Key Lime Pie, we liked the combination with the strawberry fruit.

Pastel de chocolate Chocolate cake accompanied strawberries with cream, chocolate sauce and flamed cotton candy. The surprise ingredient: Halls Mentho-lyptus. Who would have thought an ingredient like this would give the chef such inspiration? Hotel El Golpe de Vista, Prolongacion de Aldama 1 San Miguel de Allende, Gto. 37700 Chef: Antonio Arzola Hours: Monday 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM Thursday – Saturday: 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM Sunday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM All safety protocols followed Masks required/can be removed for photographs and consumption Health First certified by the city of SMA