Mezcal Spotlight: La Mezcalería

By Jonathan Lockwood

Last month I wrote about a place that helped ignite San Miguel de Allende’s mezcal renaissance. But five years before, there was La Mezcalería on Correo in centro.

Mónica Moreno makes something perfectly clear: she has never been and will never be a restaurateur. Tough to accept, coming from the owner of one of San Miguel’s most beloved restaurants. But as she puts it: “I don’t believe in a restaurant. I believe in a concept.”

Mónica studied Industrial Design in México City. She had tried mezcal, but didn’t like it until tasting it once at La Botica Mezcalería when she was 21. Today, she’s especially partial to a creamy Madrecuixe, a smooth Arroqueño, and a fresh, herbal Tepextate.

During those years, she also developed a passion for thoughtfully crafted meals, often preparing carefully executed dinners as a kind of creative ritual. Over time, her skills in the kitchen continued to evolve alongside her design sensibilities. Work eventually took her north to the University of Monterrey. When her boyfriend Alexander’s unexpected job loss disrupted things, Mónica saw an opportunity. With a severance package in hand, they could finally pursue a longtime dream: creating something of their own. With no background in the restaurant business, she approached the project as a design problem, one she was eager to solve. She had already come to adore San Miguel, so the path was clear — and La Mezcalería the destination.

First, Mónica spent four months working as a hostess at The Restaurant to better understand the restaurant business. She studied every detail carefully. Finally, on December 21st, 2013—the winter solstice—La Mezcalería opened its doors. The focus: delicious Mexican food that is consciously crafted. When I was dating Cecilia, we became regulars, visiting every Wednesday. The tapas were addictive. For years, La Mezcalería remained one of San Miguel’s top dining destinations, appearing frequently on the city’s best restaurant lists.

With the success of La Mezcalería, Monica attempted to recreate the magic in Puerto Vallarta, opening Mestiza and later opening a pulquería. But these ventures struggled to find the same footing. After a number of challenging years, Monica returned to San Miguel with her young daughter, Zoé. Then the new owner of the Correo building unceremoniously forced her out of the space. Mónica believes that by then San Miguel itself had shifted—less driven by the sheer love of Mexico, and increasingly shaped by hard-edged business interests.During that period, there was also a failed experiment merging La Mezcalería with another mezcal-themed establishment. As a result, many long-time patrons have been left confused about the restaurant’s status. So let’s set it straight: the restaurant on Zacateros closed at the end of 2024, but Mónica’s revival of La Mezcalería did not.

Today, Mónica is at Ánimas 25. Though she now has a business partner, she’s not affiliated with any other venues in town. It’s La Mezcalería just as you remember it: citrus tuna tartar, oven-roasted vegetables, ribeye tostadas, huitlacoche quesadillas, and more. The full menu is posted at lamezcaleriasma.mx

Of the 20 featured mezcales, eight come from Oaxaca, while the others are sourced from across México. Locals have also begun discovering her pulque—a passion she cultivated during her Puerto Vallarta years. There are seven varieties on the menu, delivered fresh twice a week to ensure their quality. She also features an intriguing lineup of pre-Hispanic beverages.

Monica describes La Mezcalería as “very Mexican.” From the tortillas to the mole, from house-made sausages to their pulque bread, everything is crafted in-house with care and intention. This conscious approach extends not only to tradition, but to health — every ingredient carefully chosen, every preparation mindful of balance and nourishment, fully reflecting a Mexican kitchen rooted in both heritage and well-being.

At the center of it all is nine-year-old Zoé. This little blue-eyed blondie will absolutely melt your heart. She faced significant health challenges at birth, which has made nutrition a central priority for Mónica as both a mother and a chef. After eleven years, the very fact that La Mezcalería continues to thrive is, in Monica’s words, “pure love.”

In the end, La Mezcalería isn’t simply a restaurant. It remains an ongoing act of design—shaped by love, resilience, and the simple question Mónica asks herself each time a dish goes on the menu:

Would I serve this to Zoé? That answer continues to guide everything.

Jonathan Lockwood is a Mezcal lover, explorer, and collector and writes the Mezcal Maniac Substack. Read and subscribe here: mezcalmaniac.substack.com