Although Guadalajara can at times feel like unremitting stretches of traffic, construction and helter-skelter, seasoned urbanites know there are pockets of calm and delight to be found in this city.
We all know a human being is more than just a stomach, but let’s begin with a pure food recommendation, namely Avenida Lopez Cotilla, recently upgraded west of Avenida Chapultepec, making this restaurant-studded area far more pedestrian friendly and even, some say, idyllic (at least when there is not a bus or motorcycle going by).
Three restaurants on or near Lopez Cotilla are top-rated on Trip Advisor: La Moresca, Allium and Entre Dos. All have highly trained chefs. Entre Dos is owned by a French chef who leans toward Mexican cuisine. It has an accommodating English-speaking staff and is moderately priced. La Moresca leans Italian and inspires awe in some diners. All three have a devoted clientele and a reputation for exceptional food and wine that leaves folks hankering to return.
Other favorite restaurants on or near Lopez Cotilla are two Indian establishments, Goa and Little India (Goa at 1520 Lopez Cotilla and Little India at 149 Calle Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra). Both have large, well-designed menus, bars, Indian music videos and fun atmospheres.
But in order to earn your meal, some feel it necessary to get in a bit of culture first. While the art offerings during this season are not of the international blockbuster variety, three lovely cultural institutions in pleasant surroundings offer exhibitions focusing on the work of exceptional Mexican artists with outstanding trajectories.
Instituto Cultural Cabañas is always a great stop because this large and graceful institution is not only good for wandering, but also houses the jaw-dropping chapel murals of José Clemente Orozco, about which books have been written. In addition, until January 1, a show of the work of sculptor Manuel Morín around the very Mexican theme of death (and skulls) will also steep visitors in Mexican lore.
Walk east from Instituto Cabañas along Plaza Tapatía, the long pedestrian strip leading to Teatro Degollado and the cathedral and, if you want to do as the Tapatíos do, stop for tortas ahogadas, that salsa-drenched roast pork sandwich in delicious birrote bread topped with onions, lemon and cabbage, in one of several inexpensive restaurants along the way. (These are plain establishments, usually with Coca-Cola themed furniture.) If you prefer fine dining, before you reach Teatro Degollado, at Morelos 88, stop before 8 p.m. at La Rinconada, a historical building where a fine pianist plays in the afternoons. (Closed Sundays.) My personal favorite here is the combination platter, split between two, of well-prepared Mexican dishes.
If midtown rather than downtown suits your fancy, about ten blocks almost due west and a couple blocks south of the cathedral, check out the lovely Ex Convento del Carmen at Avenida Juarez 638 near Federalismo. The Ex Convento’s museum space and the graceful church and plaza opposite it on Juarez (including the restaurant Chai in a nicely renovated building), make this area a favorite with people showing off Guadalajara.
A collection of 64 cartoons to delight drawing aficionados are currently showing at the Ex Convento. They were sketched by the prolific artist Bernardo Fernández (“Bef”), the earliest dating from when he was four years old.
Walk, bus or taxi about six blocks farther west on Juarez, stopping near Avenida Enrique Diaz de Leon, where you see a two-story, gray and white “wedding cake” style museum, MUSA, on your left and the towering, mirrored Universidad de Guadalajara administrative building on your right.
The graceful MUSA (Museo de las Artes) features several collections this season, the most unusual a large showing of clothing and sketches by the renowned Spanish Basque fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972), called the “supreme deity of the European salons.” Eight salons in MUSA house the Balenciaga collection, which shows until February 6.
Also at MUSA is a five-room show connected with the recent International Book Fair (FIL) of various Latin American artists and a four-room collection of sculpture and paintings by Tapatío Ismael Vargas.
In the MUSA environs, check out the impressive Expiatorio church, located just west, and the plaza in front of the cathedral, which often hosts artisans selling their wares. Near the entrance to the cathedral is a tiny four-story restaurant, La Oaxaquita (Calle Francisco Madero 848) offering a small menu typical of Oaxaca, with its unique use of spices.
For an outstanding, inexpensive restaurant with an international menu located a pleasant, five-block walk west and south of MUSA, try La Cafeteria (Calle Libertad 1939 at Robles Gil). A nearby bed-and-breakfast owner said that his foreign guests like La Cafeteria so much that, once they try it, they don’t want to go anywhere else.
Instituto Cultural Cabañas, Plaza Tapatía, Guadalajara. Open Mondays to Fridays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed this holiday season December 25 and January 1. Entrance 70 pesos; free on Tuesdays.
Ex Convento del Carmen, Avenida Juárez 612, Guadalajara. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Closed this holiday season on Sundays and Mondays. Free entrance.
Museo de las Artes de la Universidad de Guadalajara (MUSA), Avenida Juárez 975, corner of Enrique Díaz de León. Closed only December 25 and January 1; otherwise open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free entrance.