Best Lunch Restaurants in Santa Fe

Date night out with my spouse and her choice was La Pazuela in the Hotel La Fonda. Ambiance was excellent…beautiful romantic dining room as well as a separate tavern with live music—-flamenco guitar trio, I believe. Our hostess seated us promptly for our reservation for two and bottled water and a mocktail was ordered. Our server, Bryan, was on point with menu recommendations and explanations. We ordered the Chiles Rellenos (one cheese and one shredded beef) and a chicken enchilada duo with “Christmas Chile Sauce.” Nothing was too spicy, the accompanying posole and pintos were excellent as well as the entrees. After dinner coffee and a shared pineapple upside down cake was a perfect finisher. Afterwards, we sat for a bit in front of a huge, cozy fireplace—how idyllic. The service staff didn’t miss a beat, the hostess validated our parking, and we were on our way to stroll the town square and enjoy the holiday lights. Strongly recommend staying in the hotel if you’re visiting Santa Fe and enjoying the fireplace seating areas as well as a reasonably priced dinner at La Pazuela.

We had an excellent time. The service was good, the atmosphere was intimate, the food was exceptional. It’s pricey but expected for the quality. They were so gracious and helped me celebrate my birthday in just the way I wanted. I would recommend this restaurant for any celebration that you would like to be special but also low key.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico. It’s relatively small and family-run. The owner-chef is from Zacatecas, Mexico, and although he gives a nod to Northern New Mexico’s cuisine, his menu is unique in this area. He is an excellent cook, and the food is fresh and innovative. By all rights, it should be very difficult to get a reservation here, though it isn’t.

Simply put their dim sum was amazing. We had the pork belly and duck Bao, they were like scrumptious Vietnamese baby tacos. A flavor explosion in your mouth. The shrimp & pork dumplings were delectable. The fried rice and vermicelli noodle spring rolls were to die for. Of course the service was on par. Highly recommend for dim sum, you won’t be disappointed.

We love Pranzo's, the family-owned and operated restaurant which is conveniently located 3 blocks from the Santa Fe plaza and offers some of the best Italian food in town! Their cozy lounge features exposed vigas & cove ceiling, generous windows (which bring in lots of natural light), and a beautiful bar which had ongoing traffic the day we were there but not so crowded and not so loud that we couldn't have a nice conversation. Upon arrival, our friendly maitre' d greeted us and logged in our reservation, then promptly prepared a high top table for lunch. Fresh bread, olive oil, and a classic Caesar salad were perfect starters; we then enjoyed a dish of Ravioli and one of Spagettini Nonna, both of which were delicious and came in generous portions. Their house-made tiramisu should not be missed. And we finished with a couple of espresso coffee drinks. Special thanks to Truitt, our attentive server, Steve, Chef/Owner and all the professional staff at Pranzo's. We've decided that Christmas Eve lunch at Pranzo'a is now a family tradition though we can't wait to visit their ristorante again soon.