The Best Restaurants in Santa Fe
Of course there’s Mexican food, and New Mexican food, and great hearty breakfasts for pre-ski or pre-hike mornings, but the international culinary options in this funky little town may surprise visitors expecting little more than margaritas. (Those margaritas are pretty tasty too.)
724 Canyon Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
For decades, the venerable Geronimo, situated in a 1756 adobe, has been serving a bevy of culinary delights. From the house favorites like peppery elk tenderloin to New Mexico lamb chops, the food is accessible and the timeless milieu is intimate. Sit on the front patio with a cocktail for the full Canyon Road people-watching experience. Inside, the stylish series of small dining rooms showcases wood floors, taxidermy, fireplaces, and beamed ceilings.
198 State Road 592
The warm, handsome dining room at Terra is situated high enough for sweeping Santa Fe sunsets and glorious mountain silhouettes. Helmed by chef Andrew Cooper, the food is contemporary American and Southwestern, from tortilla soup to pan-seared scallops to a zesty green chili braised short rib. After your meal, visit the mod, circular outdoor fire pit and wind down with a nightcap. The cool inside bar has a great wall of old black-and-white photos, including one with visiting actor and cowboy Robert Redford.
451 W Alameda St, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
French native chef Charles Dale’s light-filled 40-seat bistro Bouche serves farm-to-table food in a mod, casual space. The consistent menu rotates classics such as onion soup, tenderloin steak tartare with a fresh farm egg, black mussels in white wine, roast chicken, and a classic steak au poivre with pommes frites. Save room for the profiteroles au chocolat.
428 Agua Fria St
A cozy new spot from chef Joseph Wrede that blends a dining experience for the vegetable lover like wild greens vichyssoise and a cast iron cauliflower dish with mustard seed, white beans, anchovies, fried capers. The meat inclined will lean towards the flavorful bison ribeye and southwestern lamb burger. Enjoy a great selection of beers on tap and a winner wine list.
96 B Old Las Vegas Highway, Santa Fe, NM 87505, USA
Harry’s Roadhouse, a favorite haunt of locals and visitors, is conveniently open seven days a week. The massive breakfast menu melds regional Mexican and New Mexican fare with items like huevos rancheros and hearty chilaquiles (eggs any style with salsa and cotija cheeses). For your sweet tooth, try the french toast or lemon ricotta pancakes, washed down with a cup of joe.
121 Don Gaspar Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
The Chez Panisse of Santa Fe has been helmed by the same Berkeley-bred chef-owner since the 1970s. While the restaurant isn’t for New Mexican food purists, the local dishes are solid and range from classic renditions to enchiladas gussied up with griddled organic tofu, spinach, and zucchini.
653 Canyon Rd A, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
The elegant, grown-up Compound Restaurant on Santa Fe’s Canyon Road caters to devoted locals and tourists alike with a Southwestern-meets-Mediterranean focus. James Beard Award–winning chef Mark Kiffin scores with entrées like roasted rack of lamb, salmon with crispy pancetta, and wild mushrooms with organic stone-ground polenta. At lunch, the bar menu is less pricey and offers a chance to sample the famed Compound Burger, made with local Lone Mountain Ranch Wagyu beef, and wash it down with a cold beer. Even with the fantastic cuisine, the best parts of this white tablecloth and custom furniture institution remain the clean adobe arches and folk-art decor created by artist Alexander Girard.
218 Camino La Tierra, Santa Fe, NM 87507, USA
A ten minute drive from Santa Fe to the new Arroyo Vino is a treat. The space functions as a sleek, well-stocked wine shop and a delicious gourmet dining spot from chef Mark Connell. Expect a rotating menu of seasonal items. For now, the lobster bisque warms the soul and the housemade pappardelle with lamb bolognese is a perfect bowl of goodness. Larger appetites will appreciate the plates of lamb top sirloin and seared duck breast. Wine lovers will take delight in the menu or shopping the store for their table’s bottle.
229 Galisteo St, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
L’Olivier (French for olive tree) melds Southwestern and French cuisines in a small, warm space. Chef Xavier Grenet churns out a smart, creative array of squash blossom tempura and escargot. Dinner includes classic rustic entrees such as sea bass, snapper, chicken and short ribs. Make sure to ask for the daily specials.
72 W Marcy St, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
It’s all about creative, contemporary tapas and small plates at the small, popular storefront of La Boca. Find a relaxed mix of locals and tourists and watch chef James Campbell Caruso work his magic on the kale salad, gazpacho and the delicious skirt steak with the salted carmel. Happy Hour is a nice, quiet time to sit at the bar for wine and housemade sangria specials and half price tapas.
228 E Palace Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
After helming two restaurants in Los Angeles, native Santa Fe chef John Sedlar returns to his grandmother’s New Mexican cuisine at Eloisa. The whitewashed, minimal, brick-exposed space serves as a temple for savory empanaditas, sopes, tamales, posole, tortillas made with fresh masa, and creative jicama and guacamole tacos with flower petals. To sip, tequila and mezcal cocktails are crafted by Dede Roybal, a bartending genius. You won’t be disappointed. All dishes are expertly and artistically plated. Afterward, stretch your legs walking around downtown Santa Fe—Eloisa’s locale couldn’t be any more convenient.
548 Agua Fria Street
As its name suggests, Radish & Rye promises a spread of fresh farm finds and over 50 varieties of bourbon. Every Tuesday and Saturday, chef David Gaspar de Alba visits the Farmer’s Market to inspire his seasonal dishes with small plates like a warming corn chowder with bone marrow and green chili and steak tartare using alabria chili, lime oil and quail yoke. Bigger portions like seared lamb’s rib with salsa verde, flageolet and roasted roots pair nicely with vegetable sides including braised greens. Afterwards, slip into the bar for a nightcap, cocktails are courtesy master mixologist and sommelier Quinn Mark Stephenson.
1820 Cerrillos Road
You can’t miss the great signage (cool cursive font) outside The Pantry on Cerrillos Road. For over 60 years, this old classic has been doling out breakfast, lunch and dinner to flocks of hungry patrons, mostly locals. Their filling breakfast sandwich is filled with bacon, scrambled eggs and green chile and an all-American breakfast of chicken-fried steak and biscuits with country sausages.
3798, 637 Cerrillos Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87505, USA
In the mornings, Modern General’s the spot to grab an acai bowl, a smoothie, or a wheatgrass shot for high-altitude nourishment. This airy general store stocks an assortment of baked goods (try the tart lemon cake) and grab-and-go wares. Check out the curated lineup of chic garden tools, farm lavender soaps from Albuquerque’s label Los Poblanos, and kitchen utensils. The cheery, canary-yellow coffee cups (for your almond-milk latte) are a bright addition to a friendly, busy space where locals and travelers unite.
1115 Hickox St, Santa Fe, NM 87505, USA
A longtime cook at the venerable Café Pasqual’s, chef Jesus Rivera now operates this friendly, funky, and cheerful rustic storefront serving delicious breakfast of Huevos El Salvadoreños (scrambled eggs with green onions and tomato) and the Salvadoran tamale (wrapped in banana leaf). There’s also a hearty lunch and dinner, with a nice selection of beer.
21 Ten Thousand Waves Way, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
You won’t find sushi at the distinct, surprising Izanami. As you might recall, Santa Fe is over a thousand miles from the ocean. Instead, small, delicious plates of house pickles, buttery glazed carrots, yaki (rice balls), chicken skewers and fried gyoza are served as the kitchen produces them. The comprehensive, generous selection of artisanal microbrew cold sake is one for the ages.
231 Washington Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
Since 1983, Santacafé has been a culinary destination for the chic lunch set (Tom Ford is a fan). Opt, as they do, for eclectic “classics” like crispy calamari with four-chile lime dipping sauce, shrimp and spinach dumplings with tahini sauce, or the homemade pasta of the day. Come summer, the large patio is bustling, while in winter, guests are ushered into the minimalist-yet-cozy dining room, made warm with fireplaces and cool with taxidermy.
401 S Guadalupe St, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
Sandwiched in between the Railyard District and the plaza, this breezy brick-and-adobe-exposed Mexican-inspired spot features a sprawl of folk art, majolica tiles, distressed windowpanes, and leather banquettes. There’s a range of diverse delights on the menu: duck carnitas, marrow tacos, grilled whole sea bass and, for vegetarians, cauliflower Frito tacos topped with Marcona almonds, raisins, and Spanish olives. For a side dish, order the warm Mexican street corn, known as esquites. To sip, it’s all about house-shaken tequila, smoky mezcal cocktails, and classic Mexican brews like Sol and Bohemia.
235 North Guadalupe Street
For a proper taco fix, score a picnic table at this creative roadside establishment where the tasty folded offerings are stuffed with bison, goat, chicken, beef, shrimp, and fish. The traditional crowd-pleasing tacos al pastor comes with tender pork and sweet pineapple, pairing well with flaky fresh tortilla chips and salsa. There are also veggie options like the verduras—try the sweet potato and garlic kale version or the avocado and fingerling potatoes—and, of course, classic nopales. To drink, opt for fresh and tart hibiscus or sip from a brightly colored bottle of Jarritos.
802 Canyon Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
This Middle Eastern bistro sits inside a cozy Canyon Road building decorated with original pieces by local artist Sepideh Majd. For the cuisine, chef (and owner) Neema Sadeghi’s small Middle Eastern plates rely on starters like stuffed grape leaves and hummus followed by more traditional dishes like an eggplant-based kashk-e-bademjan and a hearty stew known as abgoosht. Guests nosh on assorted grilled kebabs (easy to share) and thinly sliced fish, beef, or lamb served atop basmati rice with saffron. For dessert, opt for the refreshingly subtle rosewater and lime ice cream.
1291 San Felipe Ave A, Santa Fe, NM 87505, USA
Just off Cerrillos Road, this casual, light-filled venue does double duty as an inventive market and restaurant. Chef Noela Figueroa’s rotating menu is known to feature hearty fare made with local ingredients. Start with breakfast (kimchi egg scramble), move into brunch (sauerkraut latkes), and stay for lunch (buttermilk fried chicken with bok choy slaw). Sample from fresh juices, alongside wine and beer compliments of Rowley’s Farmhouse Ales. Before you leave, stock up on kitchenwares and jars of the kitchen’s preserved garlic confit, pickled vegetables, or pumpkin butter.
402 N Guadalupe St, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
Cozy Dolina serves a lovely breakfast spread with an Eastern European bent. Try the nutty granola atop Greek yogurt with fruit, ricotta pancakes, and a hearty breakfast burrito with organic eggs, hash browns, and asadero cheese (topped, in good New Mexican fashion, with red or green chile). There’s also robust espresso and coffee, local bone broth, and baked grab-and-go sweets like chocolate croissants, banana pie with a flaky, buttery crust, and Slovakian-style vanilla cream puffs.
500 Sandoval St, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
On Sandoval Street, this warmly lit gourmet spot from chefs Mark Connell and Arthur Martel (Arroyo Vino) provides a welcome detour from the standard New Mexican fine-dining route. In a reconsideration of the traditional dim sum cart, shareable dishes—plated on pretty, Instagram-worthy ceramics, are presented to diners. Offerings change seasonally and often include creations like suckling pig wontons or cassoulet with rabbit sausage as well as veggie-focused items like parsnip risotto with thyme and maple, and English pea and stone fruit salad with a goat cheese sorbet. There’s also a stellar wine list.
