by Jeffrey R. Sipe

"Sorry, Honey. I'm stuck at the office. I won't be home until late."

How many times has that call been made from La Oficina, one of San Miguel's most atmospheric bars located at Calle Cuadrante 32 in Centro?

"We were brainstorming for a name for the bar and someone came up with La Oficina and I immediately latched onto that since it felt like I was here working all the time," said proprietor Jorge Alarcón who has been in the food and beverage industry for 14 years, establishing himself as the go-to wine supplier in San Miguel and Queretaro with 700 wine labels exclusive to him.

Originally conceived as a wine bar, La Oficina has evolved to accommodate the tastes of its clientele – a mix of locals, both Mexican and foreign, with many arriving late in the evening from bar and restaurant jobs. There are still a lot of quality wines available but there is now greater mix of beer – starting at 40 pesos -- and cocktails.

"In the end," Alarcón said, "it is not so much the alcohol that brings in our clientele, it's that it is a very friendly place. People come in all the time and strike up conversations with the person sitting beside them whether they know them or not."

Like much of what we see in San Miguel de Allende today, La Oficina is only the latest identity of a space that has been transformed from its original use in the hands of entrepreneurs. It was once part of a house that occupied the corner of Cuadrante and Jesus. It's been remodeled since those days but still intact is the exposed stone that comprises both the downstairs and upstairs walls. Even when it's cold outside, the stone presents a warmth that draws in patrons from afternoon to late night.

Alarcón estimates that 60% of his clientele are "young people", but it is not unusual for entire families to come in and occupy the cozy seating area just past the bar.

Although there is no kitchen, food is easily available using the take out menu of Pakistani fusion restaurant, Ghar, which usually takes about 15 minutes to arrive. Alarcón and his partners are also opening a Japanese restaurant just a couple of doors down past the hotel, called "El hotel," that is also run by the partners.

In the coming weeks, La Oficina will transform itself into a coffee shop in the mornings and segue back into a bar in the afternoon. Bar hours will continue to be 3pm to 2am Thursday through Monday and 6pm to 2am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

La Oficina, Cuadrante 32

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Jeffrey R. Sipe is a writer/journalist, who, no matter how hard he writes, having grown up in Speedway, Indiana, still can’t get the sounds of race cars rounding Turn 4 out of his head. He has written about the film industry for Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Sight and Sound, The Financial Times and other publications. He also once worked as the “boom guy” on a film that nobody saw, but he challenges everyone to see just how long they can hold a metal tube with a microphone attached over their heads.

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