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Eating out is a major pastime in Santa Fe and it's well worth coming here with a mind to join in on the fun. Restaurants with high-profile chefs stand beside low-key joints, many offering unique and intriguing variations on regional and international cuisine. You'll find restaurants full of locals and tourists alike all over the Downtown and surrounding areas. Although Santa Fe does have some high-end restaurants where dinner for two can exceed $200, the city also has plenty of reasonably priced dining options.
Waits for tables are very common during the busy summer season, so it's a good idea to call ahead even when reservations aren't accepted, if only to get a sense of the waiting time. Reservations for dinner at the better restaurants are a must in summer and on weekends the rest of the year.
So-called Santa Fe–style cuisine has so many influences that the term has become virtually meaningless, especially with many of the city’s top eateries embracing a more international approach to cuisine, albeit all the while sourcing more and more from local farms and ranches. At many top spots in town, you’ll detect Latin American, Mediterranean, and East Asian influences. Yet plenty of traditional, old-style Santa Fe restaurants still serve authentic New Mexican fare, which combines both Native American and Hispanic traditions and is quite different from Americanized as well as regional Mexican cooking.
Santa Fe's culinary reputation continues to grow not just in terms of restaurants but also in businesses that produce or sell specialty foods and beverages, from fine chocolates and local honeys and jams to increasingly acclaimed New Mexico wines, beers, and spirits. Don't miss Santa Fe Farmers' Market, one of the best in the Southwest.
With a near-fanatical following for its traditional and creative doughnuts, Whoo's offers mouth-watering flavors that incorporate outside-of-the-box combinations and local flare. For those preferring savory over sweet, try the delicious handheld breakfast burritos. A selection of organic coffee and tea is also available.
Although the name of this cheery bakery suggests sweets, and it does sweets especially well, Chocolate Maven also produces impressive savory breakfast and lunch fare. Meals are "farmers' market–inspired" and feature seasonal dishes, including wild-mushroom-and-goat-cheese focaccia sandwiches, eggs ménage à trois (one each of eggs Benedict, Florentine, and Madison—the latter consisting of smoked salmon and poached egg), and Caprese salad of fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes. A plus for those looking for healthier fare is the option of various plant-based meat options for breakfast or a lunchtime sandwich. Some of the top desserts include Belgian chocolate fudge brownies, mocha-buttercream torte with chocolate-covered strawberries, and a fantastic carrot cake. Don't let the industrial building put you off; the interior is light, bright, and cozy. From the dining room, you can even watch the bakers in action through a large picture window.
This gluten-free bakery serves baked goods, soups, sandwiches, and other goodies (with lots of vegan options) that are so delicious you won't miss the gluten. And good news for visitors who fall in love with the treats here: they ship nationwide.
