SFR Restaurant Guide: The Classics

2012-2013

?           Why is it classic?
$            Inexpensive; most entrées under $10
$$          Moderate; most entrées under $20
$$$        Expensive; most entrées under $30
$$$$      Very expensive; most entrées under $40

Unfortunately, we at SFR can't profile every single deserving restaurant in Santa Fe. Hence our list of classics—some of the best restaurants around at achieving excellence, year in and year out. We're lucky to have such a vibrant food scene—not to mention one with staying power.


Andiamo
322 Garfield St., 995-9595
When you can’t fly to Italy, head to Andiamo.  $$
? Because each meal is made from scratch.

Backroad Pizza
1807 Second St., 955-9055
Pizza and Pac Man? Yes, Please.  $
? It’s Santa Fe’s corner pizza joint, NY-style.

The Bull Ring
150 Washington Ave., 983-3328
Prime location and prime sirloin.  $$$
? The classy booths.

Café Pasqual’s

121 Don Gaspar Ave., 983-9340
Cozy, organic and thoroughly local.  $$$
? It’s named after the patron saint of Mexican food.

La Casa Sena
125 E Palace Ave., 988-9232
Singing waiters, wine and beautiful, healthy food.  $$$
? The loveliest courtyard around.

La Choza
905 Alarid St., 982-0909
Margaritas and NM cuisine, as they were meant to be.  $
? Famous homemade red chile.

The Compound

653 Canyon Road, 982-4353
History and elegance make for fine dining.  $$$$
? It’s couture cuisine on Canyon!

Counter Culture
930 Baca St., 995-1105
Coffee and eclectic food in a neat ol’ warehouse.  $$
? Every culture needs a counter culture.

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St., 982-2565
Beer, brisket and babes in boots.  $$
? Who doesn’t want to be home on the range?

Coyote Café
132 W Water St., 983-1615
Classy Southwestern fusion—and there’s rooftop dining, too.  $$$
? Mesquite and lobster, unite.

Dinner for Two

106 N Guadalupe St., 820-2075
Fine dining in a cozy, welcoming atmosphere.  $$$
? The $19 Sunday night prix fixe.

El Farol
808 Canyon Road, 983-9912
Wine, tapas and dancing.  $$$
? Why isn’t it?

Guadalupe Café
422 Old Santa Fe Trail, 982-9762
Good New Mexican food in New Mexico, who knew?  $$
? Because we love our Guad.

Harry’s Roadhouse
96 Old Las Vegas Hwy., 989-4629
Adults love it, kids love it. It’s classic American goodness, after all.  $$
? It gives us an excuse to drive down Old Las Vegas.

Horseman’s Haven

4354 Cerrillos Road, 471-5420
A haven for lovers of affordable New Mexican cuisine.  $
? Too bad chile sounds like chilly. This chile’s HOT.

India Palace

227 Don Gaspar Ave., 986-5859
Eat like a raja, feel like a raja.  $$
? What could be more classic than good naan?

Joe’s Dining

2801 Rodeo Road, 471-3800
Fresh, local and sustainable ingredients.  $$
? It’s the everyman’s diner.

Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen

555 W Cordova Road, 983-7929
There’s a reason Margarita and Maria share a few letters.  $$
? The endless margarita menu.

Mariscos “La Playa”

537 W Cordova Road, 982-2790
Seafood à la Mexico.  $$
? The desert used to be a sea, you know.

The Pantry Restaurant
1820 Cerrillos Road, 986-0022
New Mexican food, real New Mexican food.  $
? It was established in 1948.

Plaza Café

54 Lincoln Ave., 982-1664
American food, New Mexican food, milkshakes and pie.  $$
? Since when has a diner not been classic?

Il Piatto

95 W Marcy St., 984-1091
Fresh, local ingredients carry the palate over the seas.  $$
? Italian food existed long before the discovery of America.

The Pink Adobe

406 Old Santa Fe Trail, 983-7712
An appetizing, satisfying local institution. So be it.  $$$
? That pink house is 300 years old.

Ristra
548 Agua Fria St., 982-8608
When France meets the Southwest, the union is elegant and delicious.  $$$
? Cocktails on the patio.

San Marcos Café
3877 Hwy. 14, 471-9298
Comfort food, cozy setting and peacocks, too.  $
? It’s on the Turquoise Trail.

Santacafé
231 Washington Ave., 984-1788
Fine—American and Southwestern—dining.  $$$
? The clever name.

The Shed
113½ E Palace Ave., 982-9030
Delicious and cozy, and have you sat outside?  $$
? It’s tucked away like a precious gem.

The Teahouse
821 Canyon Road, 992-0972
There’s tea galore, coffee and a full menu of food.  $
? Teahouses are an ancient thing.

Tecolote Café

1203 Cerrillos Road, 988-1362
A long-lived local breakfast and lunch joint.  $
? Because breakfast’s the most important meal of the day.

Tia Sophia’s
210 W San Francisco St., 983-9880
The best breakfast burritos ever.  $
? A bowlful of green chile.

Tomasita’s

500 S Guadalupe St., 983-5721
New Mexican on the railroad tracks.  $
? They come from near and far for those margaritas.

Trattoria Nostrani
304 Johnson St., 983-3800
Refined northern Italian cuisine in an elegant setting.  $$$$
? Simplicity is the heart of true indulgence.

Vanessie
434 W San Francisco St., 982-9966
All the elements of a romantic meal.  $$$
? The piano sets the mood.

Zia Diner
326 S Guadalupe St., 988-7008
From breakfast to dinner and everything in between.  $$
? Diner food, New Mexican twist.


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