best places to eat in santa fe

As any Santa Fean will tell you, the city is overflowing with outstanding eateries — including top-notch Mexican, Asian, and French cuisine. This city has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the best places in the country for restaurants, and the proof is in the epicurean pudding. The culinary scene in Santa Fe is ever-changing and expanding, so whether you’re visiting or a local looking for new dining hotspots in town, let this guide to the best places to eat in Santa Fe be your primary resource. You’ve got a group of co-workers heading to Santa Fe on business and looking for the best place to eat in Santa Fe, New Mexico. You know that you’ll need to get into town a day before everyone else so you can get accustomed to your surroundings and plan out where to eat. Or maybe you’ve got a client that wants to impress their visiting executive vice president (i.e., some fancy schmancy out-of-towner) by taking them to the best place for lunch or dinner. No matter the situation, you definitely want some help deciding where you should take people for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Santa Fe is a city that’s full of all kinds of food, so you can’t go wrong with whatever you choose.

We’re going to take a look at the best places to eat in Santa Fe and give you some tips on how to get there.

First up is [name], which has been around for over 25 years and is known for its delicious pozole. It’s located at 414 Canyon Road, which is one of the most popular streets in all of Santa Fe. They have three locations around town, but this one is definitely our favorite because it offers an amazing view of downtown Santa Fe from the patio! If you want to get away from all of the tourists, this is a great place to go!

Next up we have [name], which specializes in traditional Mexican dishes like tacos al carbon (steak tacos) and carne adobada (marinated pork). They also offer more traditional New Mexican fare like enchiladas and chimichangas. We love this place because it has such a fun atmosphere—you’ll definitely feel like you’re eating somewhere special when you sit down here! The staff are friendly and very welcoming; they’ve got everything from margaritas

Santa Fe is a city that has attracted artists, musicians, and foodies from around the country, and it’s no surprise why: the city is full of incredible restaurants.

Here are some of our favorite places to eat in Santa Fe.

The Shed

The Shed is located on Canyon Road, one of the main streets in Santa Fe. It’s known for its delicious steaks—but they also have plenty of vegetarian options! If you’re looking for an upscale meal at an affordable price, The Shed is the perfect place to go.

Rio Chama Café

If you’re looking for something a little more casual than The Shed but still want amazing food, Rio Chama Café is an excellent choice. It offers a variety of southwestern dishes in an atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re sitting right in the middle of Santa Fe’s downtown area.

Café Pasqual’s

Café Pasqual’s is another great option if you’re looking for somewhere with a relaxed atmosphere but still want high-quality food. They offer sandwiches and salads as well as entrees such as ceviche and tacos al pastor (marinated pork). They also have a great selection of wines from around the world!

top restaurants in santa fe

Shundine’s Frybread Stand

Stationed outside Taos Pueblo, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Shundine’s Frybread Stand offers Puebloan-inspired Indigenous dishes. The stuffed frybread is filled with wild rice and a blend of locally grown squash, while sandwiches are crafted with oven bread from the Pueblo. Dishes are prepared for customers to go, perfect for anyone ready to stretch their legs after driving the High Road to Taos. An RV enthusiast and freelance travel writer, Matt Kirouac is the co-founder and co-host of Hello Ranger, a national parks community blog and podcast.

Rancho de Chimayó

This large, hacienda-style New Mexican restaurant, a maze of adobe-walled rooms and tiled patios, makes for a perfect stop after you’ve checked out the nearby Santuario de Chimayó, or while you’re en route to other attractions along the High Road to Taos. For a taste of local history, try the Chimayó cocktail, an cider-and-tequila creation developed by the founder during the area’s apple boom more than a half century ago. It’s perfectly refreshing alongside a bowl of the heady green chile stew.

The Blue Heron Brewing Company

There isn’t an abundance of options for a draft beer and pizza in Española (or anywhere else on the road between Santa Fe and Taos), but Blue Heron offers a worthy pit stop for a drink, a meal, a game of pool, and a welcoming slice of local life. There is nothing flashy about the pizzas here (and pizzas are the main focus), but you will leave satisfied — especially if you take the opportunity to chat with the regulars between bites.

Arroyo Vino

Over the past several years, this off-the-beaten-path restaurant and wine shop, located eight miles northwest of Santa Fe’s main plaza, has become known for serving some of New Mexico’s most creative cuisine. Kaleidoscopic edible flowers and a wide variety of vegetables from the on-site garden accent the rigorously seasonal menu of chef Allison Jenkins. If you’re looking for an extensive wine list and a meal that incorporates the flavors of the state in innovative ways, this is your spot.

Dolina Bakery & Cafe

Since it opened its doors a little over a year ago, this airy breakfast and lunch spot has become one of Santa Fe’s best daytime options. The small kitchen serves Slovakian-inspired food in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. The Hungarian goulash alone, made with locally sourced lamb bone broth, is worth the trip. But the house-made cakes, pies, and other pastries are equally unmissable. For a treat to go, pick up some fresh gingerbread and a jar of lemonade mixed with turmeric, ginger, honey, and cayenne.

La Boca

Since debuting La Boca in 2006 in downtown Santa Fe, chef James Campbell Caruso has merged regional Southwestern ingredients with methodical Spanish technique, transporting eaters from New Mexico to Spain. For example, Caruso pairs small plates like trio de califlor — roasted cauliflower with harissa barbecue sauce and manchego cream — with an impressive selection of Mediterranean and South American wines.

Palacio Cafe

A visit to Palacio Café feels like an extension of chef-owner Damian Muñoz’s own dining room. The breakfast burritos smothered Christmas-style with red and green chile sauces are as soul-satisfying as they are famous. (Breakfast burritos are said to have been invented in Santa Fe.) Though you came for those lauded sauces, no one would blame you if you opted for one of the paninis, like the Cuban Reuben with corned beef, maple-cured ham, pickles, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing.

unique eats in santa fe

Iconik Coffee Roasters, Lúpe

One of Santa Fe’s most established coffee roasters, Iconic has two other cafes in town, but the Lupe location opens the earliest, at 7 a.m., and is a favorite morning haunt for a leisurely cup and a simple breakfast of yogurt, granola, and mixed-berry-and-mint compote, or the dukkah-spiced avocado toast.

Sazón

The signature mole negro is subtle and balanced; the pork belly tacos are divine; and the sweeter-than-normal chiles en nogada, made with a jalapeno balsamic reduction, offer a new take on a classic. It’s cooking like this — which rivals anything you might find on a white tablecloth in Mexico City — that keeps tables at this adobe-walled restaurant in high demand.  

Paloma Restaurant

This upscale Mexican restaurant makes its tortillas from local landrace blue corn that’s nixtamalized in house. The result is a complex flavor that elevates Paloma’s tacos — topped with carne asada, sea bass, or cauliflower — into some of the best in town.

Kakawa Chocolate House

This quiet alternative to a coffeehouse provides a wide selection of hot brews inspired by chocolate traditions from around the world. For those averse to sugar, the small but intense Aztec Warrior elixir — an unsweetened cup of chocolate mixed with chile, flowers, herbs, and nuts — is uniquely satisfying. But if you appreciate a sweet treat, there’s plenty more to drink, as well as a number of truffles, bars, caramels, and even chocolate-dipped chiles sold to go.

Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen

Maria’s has been a Santa Fe institution since 1950. The restaurant has changed hands among multiple families and friends over the years, but they have all maintained the humble, home-cooked New Mexican classics. If you’re looking for red or green chile, be sure to ask which one is spicier that day to suit your taste. Maria’s is perhaps most famous for its menu of more than 150 margaritas and 170 tequilas, which you should definitely explore too.