160 Best Restaurants in New Mexico, USA

A refreshing alternative to the many Santa Fe restaurants that favor filling (and often fattening) dishes, Vinaigrette is all about the greens. This isn't mere rabbit food, however—the hearty salads make a satisfying meal, especially when you add toppings like grilled flank steak, lemon-herb chicken breast, or griddled tofu. The apple-cheddar chop and classic French frisée salads are among the highlights. There are also fresh, house-made soups and sandwiches, and you can eat on the pleasant patio in the summer. For such a casual space, Vinaigrette is notably spendy, but devotees feel the high-quality ingredients are worth it. There are sister restaurants in Albuquerque and Austin, Texas, and the owners also run Modern General, an adjacent, hipster-approved lifestyle shop and café.

Salads are the thing at Vinaigrette, just as they are at owner Erin Wade's popular original outpost in Santa Fe. Fresh, local greens are featured, but heartier add-ons (from seared tuna and panko-crusted goat cheese to hibiscus-cured duck confit and flank steak) will satisfy the hungriest in your party. Soups and a sweet range of desserts, as well as a brief but well-selected wine list, round out the menu. The industrial-style ceiling lends an airy feel—the place brims with natural light—but the unmuffled acoustics that result can make conversation a challenge.

Locals jokingly refer to the regular morning gatherings here as "the old men's club," where all the latest happenings in Cloudcroft are discussed at great length, and sometimes with great passion. Come in as you are (this place is casual personified) and get ready for great big helpings of local favorites such as chicken-fried steak. Don't expect pepper-encrusted ahi here: this is basic, rib-sticking Western food served in a simple, no-frills room where the wood tables and chairs and paneled walls may remind you of your grandparents' living room. The bar next door is great if you require more than water and sodas or one of the number of good microbrews.

Let the aroma of fresh-ground coffee draw you into the tiny World Cup, where you can sit at the counter or wander outside to a bench on the porch. Locals engage in political rhetoric here, often slanted toward the left, so be prepared for a rousing debate if you dare to dissent.

This simple, cheerful spot in the center of town serves mostly authentic New Mexico fare along with a few Mediterranean-inspired dishes. You might start your day off with a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast of chile-smothered huevos rancheros, while enchiladas, burritos, and other local favorites are good bets for lunch or an early dinner (the restaurant closes at 6 pm).

A rollicking, popular bar and grill with several rooms overflowing with Old West memorabilia, Cowgirl has reasonably priced Southwestern, Tex-Mex, barbecue, and Southern fare. Highlights include barbecue, buffalo burgers, chiles rellenos, and salmon tacos with tomatillo salsa. If you catch one of the nightly music acts—usually rock or blues—you're likely to leave smiling. When the weather is good, grab a seat on the spacious patio out front, order a delicious margarita and some green-chile cheese fries, and settle in for great people-watching. The attached pool hall has a loaded jukebox to keep toes tapping. Alas, service can be spotty.

Locals congregate in the courtyard or on the front portal of Downtown Subscription, a block east of Canyon Road. A great, friendly spot to people-watch, this café-newsstand sells coffees, snacks, and pastries, plus one of the largest assortments of newspapers and magazines in town. It has lovely outdoor spaces to sit and sip during warm weather.

This airy, contemporary café across from the Downtown public library has large plate-glass windows, and brushed-metal tables inside and out on the sidewalk under the portal. Try the delicious and creative gelato flavors (strawberry-habanero, brandied cherry, fig-and-walnut, chocolate-banana) or some of the espressos and coffees, pastries, and sandwiches (roast beef and blue cheese, tuna with dill, cucumber, and sprouts).

Begun by Jeff and Kari Keenan, the talents behind the terrific artisan shop ChocolateSmith, which is next door and also well worth investigating for a sweet snack, Whoo's has developed a near-fanatical following for its traditional as well as creative doughnuts (maple-bacon with dark-chocolate glaze and chile-brown sugar, blueberry-jelly with cherry glaze, white-chocolate pistachio), which are prepared daily from scratch, sourcing organically as much as possible. Get here early—Whoo's is open daily from 7 until 3 (or until that day's doughnuts have sold out).