New Mexico’s state capital rests at 7,198 feet and looks down on notably high-up cities in the region like Denver. Stunning views and wilderness surround Santa Fe, which has a unique look and feel. Adobe buildings galore, no skyscrapers in sight, and a wealth of public art. Sculpture gardens and galleries predominate around town.
Many tourists visit northern New Mexico to celebrate artist Georgia O’Keeffe’s influential visuals, which celebrate the area. I previously enjoyed the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in downtown Santa Fe. You can also reserve experiences further north at O’Keeffe Home & Studio Tours, Abiquiú and Ghost Ranch. See vistas she made famous in her paintings.
Northern New Mexico is also home to the unique cliff dwellings at places like Puye and Bandelier National Monument. These ancestral homes to Pueblo people, aka Anasazi, are accessible by wooden ladder and date back hundreds of years.
New Mexican food is distinct from Mexican and Tex-Mex fare, though New Mexico was part of Mexico, which of course influenced the cuisine. Where do you think those chilies came from? Christmas, the popular red and green chile combo, wouldn’t be possible without that contribution. Corn, beans, and squash, known to indigenous people as the three sisters, are also readily available. Not that Santa Fe is limited to New Mexican fare. Thanks to regular visitor Bill Karz for several Santa Fe food recommendations in this guide, which also touches on the city’s growing culinary talent and diversity.
Baked & Brew ↓
Must Order Pastries: Buffalo in a Blanket, Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie
Kate Holland started catering in 2017 and opened her nouveau retro bakery in a vintage service station in 2023. The skilled baker incorporates local ingredients like green chile and smoked bison sausage into pastries. She also excels at morning buns and muffins.
Esquina Pizza ↓
Must Order Dishes: Caesar Salad, Chopped Salad, Meatballs, Leo’s Pizza, Three Cheese Pizza
Marja Martin also runs a popular Mexican restaurant called Paloma next door. Esquina Pizza is a patio-centric restaurant with a wrap-around animal mural that features cozy Copina Wine Bar in back. Wood-fired pizza and salads star.
La Choza ↓
Must Order Dishes: Combination Plate, Dips & Chips, New Mexican Posole
Sarah Carswell carries on the traditions that grandparents Thornton and Polly established with The Shed (1953) and La Choza (1983). Colorful art-lined walls and dried red chile strings on this adobe structure match the energy of their New Mexican comfort food.
La Lecheria ↓
Must Order Ice Cream: Smoked Paprika Sherry, Strawberry Miso
Chef Joel Coleman has run La Lecheria since 2016 in Santa Fe, and since 2024 in a Railyard Arts District location. Seasonal flavors, local ingredients, and subtle spice are always welcome in ice cream, especially when the texture is this lush.
Market Steer Steakhouse ↓
Must Order Dishes: Knife and Fork Caesar, Wedge Salad, Tex-Mex Mussels, 18 oz Prime Cowboy Ribeye, 10 oz Prime Flat Iron
Chef Kathleen Crook and Kristina Goode specialize in Prime, wet aged beef beautifully seasoned with salt and pepper. They also have standout Caesar and wedge salads and Tex-Mex mussels flavored with green chile butter and Shiner Bock beer.
Santa Fe Bite ↓
Must Order Dishes: 10 oz. Green Chile Cheeseburger
Angela Mason and Armando Rivas bought Santa Fe Bite from Bonnie and John Eckre in 2023. They continue serving Santa Fe’s most famous green chile burger, which the Eckres previously served when they ran Bobcat Bite on Old Las Vegas Highway.
Santa Fe Farmers Market ↓
Must Order Dishes: Poppy Ridge Bakery Cookies, Whoo’s Donuts
The bustling Saturday morning farmers market operates year round in a corrugated metal building in the Railyard Arts District. Good thing, since snow fell during my visit. From May through December, farmers and vendors also sell their wares on Tuesdays.
Sky Coffee ↓
Must Order Drinks: Iced Olive Oil Latte, Iced Strawberry Matcha
Bill Banowsky runs this modern coffee bar in the Railyard Arts District and also owns Sky Cinemas and Sky Railway. I found Sky’s seasonal specials inspiring. Bonus: RT Davis’s bold UFO sculpture, IMPACT, protruded from the ground outside the building.
Tia Sophia’s ↓
Must Order Dishes: Blue Corn Piñon Pancake, Calabacitas (Friday Breakfast Special)
Nick Maryol and wife Vanessa carry on the New Mexican culinary legacy that his parents Ann and Jim started when they opened Tia Sophia’s downtown in 1974. The restaurant’s renowned for breakfast burritos, but don’t skip their daily specials.
Whoo’s Donuts ↓
Must Order Donuts: Lavender Blueberry Blue Corn, White Corn
Jeff and Kari Keenan make donuts with a sense of place. Whoo’s has a downtown shop and sells at places like the Saturday morning Santa Fe Farmers Market. Donuts made with local blue and white corn? Double win. Fun fact: the couple recently introduced pizza.
Other Restaurants I’d Still Recommend Based on Previous (But Too Distant) Experiences
WHAT TO DO BETWEEN MEALS (shoutout to A.J. Liebling)
Take a self-guided tour at the New Mexico State Capitol on weekdays. Soak in the roundhouse design “representing the sun’s rays, the four directions, the four seasons, and the four phases of life.” The Zia sun symbol appears in the rotunda and on the state flag.
The Santa Fe Children’s Museum Back Yard includes a huge Rubik’s Cube kids can crawl through and a treehouse lookout. Inside, my kids enjoyed a giant bubble making pond, oversized Lite Brite, and pneumatic tube that pulls colorful scarves up and out the top.
Santa Fe Community Convention Center Sculpture Garden ↓
Visit the northwest corner of the Santa Fe Community Convention Center grounds to see Don Kennell’s impressive sculptures, including Zozomena, oversized rabbits Hip and Hop, and the giant corrugated metal Barn Dog, which has a built-in swing.
Tamaya Horse Rehab Trail Ride – Santa Ana Pueblo ↓
It was worth the 2-hour round-trip drive from Santa Fe to reach Tamaya Horse Rehab at The Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa. Dominic led my daughters around stables on Choctaw and Sassy, beneath black rock. They host rodeos on Thursday summer nights.
HOTEL RECOMMENDATION: Bishop’s Lodge ↓
Bishop’s Lodge, located just north of town, is a family friendly Auberge resort with access to hiking, horseback riding, and archery. I also enjoyed seeing a local deer herd and snowfall. Food was not a draw during our stay, but great experience.
Blog Comments
The Shed Carne Adovada - Food GPS
January 30, 2026 at 3:59 PM
[…] 1692. However, that’s just what the Carswell family offers to tourists and locals in central Santa Fe. The Shed originally occupied an old wood shed on Burro Alley in 1953, then moved to a more […]