Our favorites -

Purely Showcasing New Mexico

• Los Poblanos Farm Shop Norte and Bar Norte, 201 Washington Ave., right next to Market Steer. This is Los Poblanos' Santa Fe outpost, and the place to find the lavender soaps and lotions in your bathroom, along with their Farm Foods, botanical gin and New Mexico wines. Bar Norte pours cocktails made with Los Poblanos' own gin and herbs from the farm; happy hour runs Tuesday to Friday, 3 to 5 pm, and no reservation is needed (21 and over). Shop open daily from 10 am.
• Market Steer Steakhouse, 213 Washington Ave. Chef and co-owner Kathleen Crook, a former rodeo champion from a ranching family in Artesia, was named a James Beard TasteTwenty chef for 2025–26. Come for the prime cowboy ribeye, or for happy hour from 4 pm in the Tack Room bar (try the caviar Frito pie). Pair it with a cocktail at Bar Norte next door. Between our trips to Santa Fe we crave Market Steer, almost worth planning a trip just for the food and dining experience that Chef Crook and staff deliver alone.
• Sazón, 221 Shelby St. Chef Fernando Olea, a James Beard semifinalist from Mexico City, has run it since 1991. Order the four-mole tasting, including the New Mexico mole he created for Santa Fe's 400th anniversary. Reserve well ahead. Our special occasions and celebrations with friends are clearly marked by the culinary adventure we find at Sazon
• Gruet Winery Tasting Room, 210 Don Gaspar Ave in the Hotel St. Francis. New Mexico's sparkling-wine house pours flights from $20 and glasses from $8, plus charcuterie; open 11 am daily, until 9 pm Thursday to Saturday. Reservations encouraged.
• Hervé Wine Bar, 139 W. San Francisco St., one block west of the Plaza. Run by the Lescombes family and named for their father, Hervé, it pours the family's D.H. Lescombes wines, made in southern New Mexico, alongside French-inspired small plates. Order the Hervé Board of cheese and charcuterie or the bacon-wrapped dates. Open from 4 pm Monday to Thursday and from noon Friday to Sunday. We recently discovered this gem, hidden away in the center of downtown buildings as an atrium. Our fun evenings and the delicious southern New Mexico wines lead us to recommend it to you as one of our favorites!

Steps from your door

• Cafe Catron: one of the closest spots to the townhouses, right on Catron Street. A new owner is turning the old New York Deli into something of their own, and so far they're excelling. Easy for breakfast or lunch.
• Terra Cotta Wine Bistro: a favorite of ours for a relaxed dinner and a good glass of wine, a short walk away.

Classic New Mexican (red, green, or "Christmas" for both)

• The Shed: locally owned and a Santa Fe institution, a block off the Plaza. We tell every guest from Texas: you have to go to The Shed, because all your friends are going to ask if you went when you get back home. Expect a line at peak times; it's worth it.
• Tomasita's: a popular classic near the Railyard. We don't go every trip because it's a bit touristy for us, but first-timers love it.

Casual and local

• La Fogata: 112 W San Francisco St Ste 101, our go-to for an easy, casual New Mexican meal. A short walk from the townhouse, queue up Google Maps and notice it is downstairs in Plaza Mercado. The pursuit is worth it.
• Valentina's: 945 W Alameda St, a genuine dive (in the best sense) and one of our regular haunts. It's a short drive rather than a walk. Go for the food, not the drinks. Its in a strip center and you will be surrounded by locals, not tourists.
• Radish & Rye: farm-to-table comfort food and a great bourbon list, a favorite for a night out without the fuss.

Groceries and supplies

• Walkable: Market Street, and Sprouts in the DeVargas Center at 564 N Guadalupe St, are the closest grocery stores on foot.
• Short drive: Whole Foods for the full range.
• For a real local experience: La Montañita Co-op, 913 W Alameda St, New Mexico's community-owned grocer. It's in the New (no it is not) Solana Shopping Center, same as Valentina's.
• Small, cool and upscale: Kaune's, a Santa Fe neighborhood market since 1896, for wine, cheese and specialty foods.