We order the Uber at 5:15. Have it drop us in front of Cafe de Santos on Correo. We head up Cuna de Allende, trying to keep our stride at the same beat of the mariachis. A left at the corner of Umaran and we’re there.

It’s been an unknown to many San Miguelenses, even though it’s been around for years. But that probably wouldn’t be for long. After more than two decades, they’ve finally replaced the sign. La Azotea are the words that have been added.

There’s the usual frown on the face of the front-of-house when I tell her that we’re heading “arriba” and not dining at Pueblo Viejo. We navigate the twisting stairs where it’s almost as easy to fall up as it is down.

We’re greeted warmly by a server and I tell him our choice is the bar, the far end of the bar where we won’t be squinting in the setting sun.

We’re not at La Azotea for the sunset; there are better rooftops if you’re there for the view. We’re there for our cocktail hour or actually cocktail hour and a half. We’re there for some of the town’s best tapas. We’ve been repeating this same routine for over 20 years, at least a couple of times in every one of those years.

Don Day’s Wife likes her sunset in a glass. She orders an Aperol Spritz. I order a Victoria. The irresistible peanuts arrive in their just enough/not too many rationing jar.

We gaze at the shelves, checking out how the classic labels…the Smirnoff’s, the Beefeater, the Captain Morgan, the Black & White…are being invaded by up-and-comers. We play guess the dried fruit in the row of jars.

We ask for a menu. Though we both know almost absolutely, definitely what we’re going to eat.

The jicama taco is legendary. Perhaps the most celebrated dish in San Miguel. I don’t know its exact origin. La Azotea might even be its birthplace. I like the mystery behind it.

A thin slice of jicama is guillotined to replace the tortilla wrap on a traditional taco. It’s then layered with battered shrimp in a tamarind sauce and topped with crispy leeks.

I bet Don Day’s Wife that I can get the taco into my mouth without wearing it. I lose. The jicama is imaginative but not practical.

We talk about what makes the dish so very, very special and we agree it’s those leeks.

The service at La Azotea is, as always, exemplary. We have told the waiter that we have wanted to share each and all of our dishes and wanted them served one at a time. The timing of our second dish is perfect.

It arrives in what the Chinese call a zhēnglóng and we call a bamboo steamer. The dish is what the Vietnamese and we call bao.

The yeast-leavened bun isn’t the best. Much heavier than most. Inside the bun though there’s a treasure. The smoked pork belly oozes rich, melt-in-our-mouth flavors.

One more round of drinks and we’re ready for our third and last dish. This time it’s a very traditional tapa. El sol has now dipped below the horizon but the croquetas shine golden on the plate.

They’re a balanced blend of crispy and creamy with the flavor of the ham nicely dominant over the rest of the filling.

It’s 7:00 pm and we’re stuffed. Some people call what we ate starters. For us, they’re the start and the finish of a very good meal. I look at the bill. The food portion is a total of 430 pesos. Nice surroundings, nice staff, and a very nice price.

We talk about the next time breaking the routine, ordering something different. But we probably won’t.

When a bar is good, when the food is good, you make them a habit.

La Azotea is located at Umaran 6 in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The restaurant/bar is open Noon to Midnight, Sunday to Thursday; Noon to 1:00 am, Friday and Saturday.