Cafe Pasqual's ★ 4.8
Chef Katharine Kagel has cooked seasonal Pueblo-meets-Mexico-meets-Mediterranean at Cafe Pasqual's just off the Plaza in Santa Fe since 1979.
Signature: Huevos motulenos, Chile relleno con huevos, Mole enchiladas
Restaurants in Downtown / The Plaza
The Shed ★ 4.7
The Shed's red chile, grown out at the family farm and ground in-house, has anchored a Santa Fe lunch line since 1953. Sister room of La Choza.
Signature: Red chile enchiladas, Blue corn enchiladas, Mocha cake
Sazon ★ 4.8
Fernando Olea, 2022 James Beard Best Chef Southwest, has cooked in Santa Fe since 1991; Sazon opened on Shelby Street in 2015 with a Degustacion menu.
Signature: Chef's Degustacion nine-course menu, Seabass in mole verde, Duck with mole poblano
Restaurant Martin ★ 4.7
Chef Martin Rios, a ten-time James Beard nominee, cooks seasonal progressive-American tasting menus at Restaurant Martin, in a quiet downtown garden.
Signature: Tea-smoked Peking duck breast, Wagyu beef tartare, Roasted pheasant
Coyote Cafe ★ 4.5
Coyote Cafe pioneered modern Southwestern under Mark Miller in 1987; today the downtown room serves elk and tellicherry ribeye, with a rooftop cantina.
Signature: Elk tenderloin with huitlacoche, Tellicherry-crusted ribeye, Buttermilk pecan pie
La Boca ★ 4.6
Chef James Campbell Caruso, an eight-time James Beard nominee, opened La Boca in 2006; modern Spanish tapas, an all-Spanish wine list and deep sherries.
Signature: Jamon Iberico de bellota, Patatas bravas, Gambas al ajillo
Anasazi Restaurant at Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi ★ 4.5
Cristian Pontiggia, 2023 New Mexico Chef of the Year, leads the Anasazi kitchen at Rosewood with a contemporary-American menu on Washington Avenue.
Signature: Wagyu beef carpaccio, Hand-rolled cavatelli, Tea-smoked duck
Estevan Restaurante ★ 4.5
Chef Estevan Garcia cooks Chimayo red chile, posole, chicos and calabacitas with French technique upstairs in Hotel Chimayo near the Santa Fe Plaza.
Signature: Mushroom duxelle-stuffed chile relleno, Carne adovada ravioli, Chimayo red chile plates
Dr. Field Goods Kitchen ★ 4.3
Chef Josh Gerwin's Dr. Field Goods centres on a butcher and bakery; the Devargas-mall kitchen turns own meats and bread into chile-laced burgers and pizza.
Signature: House-made charcuterie board, Green chile cheeseburger, Wood-fired pizza
Atrisco Cafe & Bar ★ 4.3
Atrisco builds family-recipe red chile from sun-dried whole pods at Devargas Center, served with local Santa Fe lamb, beef and honey-glazed sopaipillas.
Signature: Red chile with sun-dried pods, Carne adovada plate, Sopaipillas with local honey
Casa Chimayo ★ 4.4
Casa Chimayo cooks family Chimayo red and green chile and Dine accents downtown; Guy Fieri filmed Diners, Drive-Ins for the blue corn enchiladas.
Signature: Blue corn enchiladas, Carne adovada with red chile, Tamales
Casual Dining in Downtown / The Plaza
Bumble Bee's Baja Grill ★ 4.2
Bumble Bee's counter-service Baja-style tacos, burritos and tortilla soup feed a casual lunch and dinner crowd at Jefferson Street near the Plaza.
Signature: Mahi mahi fish taco, Carnitas burrito, Tortilla soup
Plaza Cafe Downtown ★ 4.2
Plaza Cafe Downtown bills itself as Santa Fe's oldest restaurant, serving on the Plaza since 1905 and owned by the Razatos family since 1947.
Signature: Blue corn pancakes, Posole, Chiles rellenos
Palacio Cafe ★ 4.3
Damian and Maria Munoz opened Palacio Cafe on East Palace Avenue in 2012; the breakfast burritos are among the biggest and chile-hottest near the Plaza.
Signature: Smothered breakfast burrito, Carne adovada, Boar's Head deli sandwiches
Tulsi ★ 4.4
Chef Pramod Paddy Rawal, a 2016 Chopped competitor and 2020 Beat Bobby Flay winner, opened Tulsi in late 2024 with Indian and Southeast Asian plates.
Signature: Chicken tikka masala, Rajasthani laal maas, Tandoori naan
Atrisco Cafe & Bar ★ 4.3
Atrisco builds family-recipe red chile from sun-dried whole pods at Devargas Center, served with local Santa Fe lamb, beef and honey-glazed sopaipillas.
Signature: Sun-dried whole-pod red chile, Carne adovada plate, Sopaipillas with raw honey
Casa Chimayo ★ 4.4
Casa Chimayo cooks family Chimayo red and green chile and Dine accents downtown; Guy Fieri filmed DDD here for the famous blue corn enchiladas plate.
Signature: Blue corn enchiladas, Carne adovada with red chile, Tamales
Cafés in Downtown / The Plaza
35 North Coffee ★ 4.4
35 North sits in the Plaza arcade and is the city's main hangover-cure morning room for tourists and locals who want a proper third-wave espresso.
Signature drink: Single-origin pour-over and the Santa Fe latte
Dolina Bakery & Cafe ★ 4.5
Chef Annamaria O'Brien named Dolina for the Slavic word for valley; her cafe pulls espresso, pastries and a Slovak-leaning brunch most mornings.
Signature drink: Cardamom latte and Eastern European brunch
Kakawa Chocolate House ★ 4.7
Kakawa pours historically researched drinking chocolates (Mesoamerican, European) plus chile and goat-cheese truffles on Paseo de Peralta in Santa Fe.
Signature drink: Mesoamerican and European historic drinking chocolates
Bakeries in Downtown / The Plaza
Dolina Bakery & Cafe ★ 4.5
Annamaria O'Brien's Dolina pulls Slovak strudels, butter croissants and lemon poppy muffins out of the case daily; expect a brunch queue most mornings.
Worth the queue: Cinnamon morning bun and apple walnut strudel
Kakawa Chocolate House ★ 4.7
Kakawa pours historically researched drinking chocolates and a small case of truffles in chile, sage and goat cheese; the storefront sits quietly on Paseo.
Worth the queue: Goat cheese and sage truffle
Coffee Roasters in Downtown / The Plaza
35 North Coffee ★ 4.3
35 North roasts in small batches for its Plaza arcade cafe in downtown Santa Fe; bagged beans are sold over the counter to walk-up morning crowds.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Honduras, Brazil
How they serve: Espresso, Pour over, Filter, Whole bean retail
Wine Bars in Downtown / The Plaza
La Boca ★ 4.6
James Campbell Caruso opened La Boca in 2006; modern Spanish tapas, an all-Spanish wine list and deep sherries served Wed through Sun on Marcy.
Signature pour: Manzanilla sherry by the glass
Wine focus: All-Spanish list with deep sherry selection
Food: Spanish tapas, charcuterie, gambas al ajillo
VARA Vinoteca Santa Fe ★ 4.4
VARA Vinoteca is the Santa Fe branch of the Albuquerque winery; wines from California, Spain and New Mexico, plus vermouth and chicken croquetas.
Signature pour: Laurent Gruet sparkling wine
Wine focus: Spanish, New Mexican, and California, plus vermouth and aperitifs
Food: Spanish-style tapas, croquetas
Bars in Downtown / The Plaza
Secreto Lounge at Hotel St. Francis ★ 4.6
Secreto Lounge is Santa Fe's most awarded cocktail room; the smoked sage margarita and garden-to-glass program live inside Hotel St. Francis one block off.
Signature drink: Smoked sage margarita
Food: Bar snacks and small plates
Tonic ★ 4.5
Tonic is the city's serious-cocktail room, an art deco intimate space pouring liquor-and-house-syrup seasonal classics on East Water Street.
Signature drink: Seasonal craft cocktail menu
Food: Curated bar bites: charcuterie, conserva, artisan cheese
Coyote Rooftop Cantina ★ 4.3
Coyote Cafe's seasonal rooftop runs April through October above the downtown dining room; tacos, tequila and the city's most visible Plaza-edge sunset.
Signature drink: Margaritas and Mexican beer
Food: Tacos, burgers and shareable plates
Santa Fe Spirits Downtown Tasting Room ★ 4.4
Santa Fe Spirits, founded 2010 by Colin Keegan, pours locally distilled Colkegan single malt and Wheeler's dry gin in a tasting room off Galisteo on Read.
Signature drink: Colkegan Single Malt and Wheeler's Dry Gin cocktails
Food: Light bites
CAVA Santa Fe at Eldorado Hotel ★ 4.2
CAVA functions as the Eldorado Hotel's living-room bar, with craft cocktails and live music six blocks west of the Plaza on San Francisco Street.
Signature drink: Seasonal mezcal cocktails
Food: Tapas-style plates
Street Food in Downtown / The Plaza
Bang Bite Filling Station ★ 4.6
Enrique Guerrero's Bang Bite truck sits in the Brakeroom garden behind Santa Fe Brewing's downtown taproom; Food Network named it one of America's 26 best.
Try: Certified Angus Beef burgers and sammies
Breweries in Downtown / The Plaza
Santa Fe Brewing The Brakeroom ★ 4.3
The Brakeroom is Santa Fe Brewing's downtown taproom on Galisteo, with a garden Bang Bite food truck out back; smaller and more central than the HQ Beer.
Markets in Downtown / The Plaza
SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market ★ 4.8
SWAIA's market draws 1,000-plus Native artists from 200 Tribal Nations to the Santa Fe Plaza each August (since 1922); food vendors run frybread and corn.
Traditional Spanish Market ★ 4.5
Held every July on the Plaza for over a century, Spanish Market features 160 Hispanic artists in colonial styles plus regional food booths heavy on tamales.
Food Tours in Downtown / The Plaza
★ 4.6
Wander New Mexico's Sip and Savor is the operator's premium walk around the historic Plaza neighborhood; restaurant tastings paired with cultural context.
★ 4.6
Santa Fe School of Cooking has run a three-hour Restaurant Walking Tour for over 20 years; four downtown stops, 16-person cap, chef meet-and-greets included.
★ 4.5
Wander New Mexico runs the official Margarita Trail Tour with passport tastings at downtown Santa Fe bars plus the history of New Mexico's signature cocktail.
★ 4.4
Heritage Inspirations pairs a downtown Santa Fe architecture walk with wine tasting at Gruet; the operator runs a Loretto travel hub year-round NM tours daily.
Food Festivals in Downtown / The Plaza
Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta ★ 4.8
In its 35th year, the Wine and Chile Fiesta pairs New Mexican, national and international vintners with Santa Fe's chefs across five days of tasting.
Santa Fe Indian Market Food Vendors ★ 4.7
SWAIA's August Indian Market on the Santa Fe Plaza features food vendors serving frybread, roasted corn, Pueblo bread and other Native staples alongside art.
Burning of Zozobra ★ 4.6
Old Man Gloom has burned annually since 1924; the 50-foot marionette goes up at Fort Marcy with food vendors lining the field and 60,000 watching live.
Fiesta de Santa Fe Food Booths ★ 4.4
Fiesta de Santa Fe has run since 1712; the Plaza turns over to food booths over Labor Day weekend with chicharron burritos, frybread with honey and green chile.
Santa Fe Restaurant Week ★ 4.4
In its 15th-plus year, Santa Fe Restaurant Week runs around 50 restaurants on prix-fixe menus, $25 to $70 per person, with individually priced lunches at many.
Cooking Classes in Downtown / The Plaza
Santa Fe School of Cooking ★ 4.7
Founded 1989, Santa Fe School of Cooking runs hands-on and demonstration classes covering New Mexican, Native American, Spanish and Southwestern cuisines.
Las Cosas Kitchen Shoppe Cooking School ★ 4.5
Las Cosas at DeVargas Center pairs chef-led demonstration classes with a working retail kitchen-supply shop in Santa Fe; heavy on technique each session.
Santa Fe School of Cooking Tamale Workshop ★ 4.6
The Tamale Workshop at Santa Fe School of Cooking covers masa preparation, fillings, and the wrap; you assemble, steam and take home a dozen.
Santa Fe School of Cooking Mole and Mexican Sauces ★ 4.6
The Mole class at Santa Fe School of Cooking demonstrates Oaxacan and Pueblan mole technique; chiles are toasted, ground and built into a dinner plate.
Santa Fe School of Cooking Cocktail Class ★ 4.4
The cocktail program at Santa Fe School of Cooking covers margarita technique plus tequila and mezcal sourcing; you build three to four drinks per session.
Budget Eats in Downtown / The Plaza
Tia Sophia's ★ 4.5
Tia Sophia's lays claim to coining the term "breakfast burrito" on a menu; the Plaza counter has fed Santa Fe under-budget breakfasts since 1975.
Try: Breakfast burrito with red or green chile
Bumble Bee's Baja Grill ★ 4.2
Bumble Bee's plates counter-service Baja-style tacos and burritos near the Plaza on Jefferson Street; under $15 fills you, salsa bar is included.
Try: Mahi mahi fish taco
Palacio Cafe ★ 4.3
Palacio Cafe sits a half block from the Plaza and runs breakfast burritos and Boar's Head deli sandwiches under $15 from 07:30 daily, closed Tuesday.
Try: Boar's Head Reuben or breakfast burrito
Bang Bite Filling Station ★ 4.6
Bang Bite's Galisteo Street truck plates the Bite Burger and a green chile cheeseburger under $18; on Food Network's 2019 Best 26 Food Trucks list.
Try: Bite Burger (winner, 2015 Green Chile Cheese Burger Smackdown)
Brunch in Downtown / The Plaza
Cafe Pasqual's ★ 4.8
Katharine Kagel's Cafe Pasqual's takes no breakfast reservations; a communal table opens at 08:00 and the huevos motulenos has been on the menu since 1979.
Order: Huevos motulenos with black beans, plantain and salsa borracha
Plaza Cafe Downtown ★ 4.2
On the Plaza since 1905, the Razatos family Plaza Cafe pours weekend brunch coffee for locals and tourists ordering blue corn pancakes and posole.
Order: Blue corn pancakes with pinon and house syrup
Dolina Bakery & Cafe ★ 4.5
Annamaria O'Brien's Dolina mixes Slovak strudels, butter croissants and a savory Eastern European brunch; a queue of regulars forms most mornings.
Order: Apple walnut strudel and a sour-cream coffee cake
Palacio Cafe ★ 4.3
Palacio Cafe runs one of Santa Fe's most generous breakfast burritos at the eastern edge of the Plaza; the kitchen leans hot on the green chile.
Order: Smothered green chile breakfast burrito
Late-Night Eats in Downtown / The Plaza
Boxcar SF ★ 4.2
Boxcar is the city's second-story late-night gastropub on Water Street; live music Friday-Saturday, gastropub plates from the kitchen until 01:30 nightly.
Try: Late-night gastropub burgers and wings
Tonic ★ 4.5
Tonic is the city's late cocktail bar on East Water Street with a 1920s jazz-era room, a stiff-pour menu and bites long after most kitchens close.
Try: Bar bites and craft cocktails
The Matador ★ 4.2
The Matador is a Santa Fe basement dive bar pouring stiff drinks until 02:00 most nights; punk on the speakers, cash only, no kitchen, no menu.
Try: Cash-only stiff drinks (no kitchen)
Nightlife in Downtown / The Plaza
Boxcar SF ★ 4.2
Boxcar runs touring acts Friday and Saturday, DJ Sato on Mondays, the Canyon Road Blues Jam on Tuesdays, karaoke Wednesdays; second-floor Water Street.
Coyote Rooftop Cantina ★ 4.3
Coyote Cafe's seasonal rooftop runs April through October above the downtown dining room; the only Plaza-edge rooftop with consistent food service.
Eldorado Hotel Rooftop Pool Bar ★ 4.2
The Eldorado's seasonal rooftop pool and bar runs one of the city's most coveted sunset terraces; pool club access for guests, bar open to walk-ins in season.
Tonic ★ 4.5
Tonic operates more like a Prohibition cocktail room than a speakeasy proper; art deco interior, seasonal craft cocktails shaken to order at the bar.
Secreto Lounge ★ 4.6
Secreto Lounge at Hotel St. Francis hides in plain sight behind the lobby; garden-to-glass cocktails, smoked sage margarita, seasonal loggia patio.
The Matador ★ 4.2
Santa Fe's beloved basement dive bar; punk on the speakers, cash only, no kitchen, stiff pours until 02:00 Monday through Saturday.