I had a hunch I was going to like Local. It’s owned by the people behind Panina, one of my favorite pastry shops in San Miguel de Allende and which I have written about here.
Chef Paulina Carreño founded Panina after developing a passion for sourdough, first teaching online workshops during the pandemic before opening her bakery in August 2021. Her culinary background includes kitchens in Mexico, Spain and France, including ABaC in Barcelona.
Local is the group’s move into Spanish-style tapas, seasonal cooking and tasting menus. The six-course botanical menu is entirely plant-based and costs just $500 pesos, making it remarkably good value. There’s also a local tasting menu and an option with wine pairings.
The evening began with a complimentary amuse-bouche, presented beneath a glass cloche. I loved the little bit of theater as the cloche was lifted and a cloud of smoke escaped, revealing what was essentially a tiny savory doughnut filled with cream. Smoky, delicate and delicious.
We tried a couple of the vegan dishes as appetizers, including the tomato tartare and artichoke with confit garlic cream and walnuts. Both were excellent. In fact, the tomato was tops for Noah.
My standout dish was the Spanish tortilla, quite possibly the best I’ve ever had. It was like a cloud, impossibly soft and delicate, the sort of dish that makes you pause mid-conversation.
We also had the ham croquettes, which were delicious: soft, rich and unctuous, with that lovely creamy interior that makes a good croquette so irresistible.
My daughter ordered the squid ink tiradito, a striking dish that brings a Spanish-style restaurant into conversation with the flavours of Peru. Tiradito is a Peruvian preparation of thinly sliced raw fish, typically dressed in a bright, citrusy sauce. The squid ink adds a dark, dramatic finish, making for a dish that looks as intriguing as it sounds.
We finished with the short rib, which, surprisingly, wasn’t one of the highlights of the evening. It was perfectly pleasant, but after the delicate tortilla, the smoky amuse-bouche and those deliciously unctuous ham croquettes, it didn’t quite have the same impact. If anything, Local seemed to shine brightest with its vegetarian dishes.
Local manages to be thoughtful without being fussy, and ambitious without making the experience feel exclusive.
My hunch was right. Local is one to put on your San Miguel list, and we will definitely be back. It’s shot straight up to being one of my San Miguel favorites.
Local tapas bar SMA Stirling Dickinson 9
