Best of Santa Fe

The newest addition to art-filled Canyon Road sells handcrafted jewelry and journals made with vintage wallpaper.

Address:
901 Canyon Rd.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
United States

Phone:
(505) 490-9066

Hidden amid a slew of kitschy curio shops, the inventory here is the real deal, with a good selection of carved wooden angels and other New Mexican folk art.

Address:
58 Lincoln Ave.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
United States

Phone:
(505) 984-1364

Once the dinner hour’s past at this venerable Spanish restaurant (dating to the 1830’s, it’s Santa Fe’s oldest), the amber-lit, beamed dining room fills up with fans of live music. The live entertainment here ranges from kickin’ rockabilly to velvety jazz to fiery flamenco—all of it top-notch. There’s a long list of Spanish wines and sherries to choose from, but do as the locals do and order a pitcher of excellent sangria filled with chunks of fresh fruit.

Address:
808 Canyon Rd.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
United States

Phone:
(505) 983-9912

Built in 1922, this landmark Santa Fe hotel has wood vigas (beams), kiva fireplaces, and polished tile floors. The rooftop Bell Tower Bar is the place for sunset cocktails with a view of the Jemez Mountains.

Address:
100 E. San Francisco St.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
United States

Phone:
(505) 982-5511

The nation’s oldest continuously occupied public building, the mammoth, single-story Palace with its flat roof and block-long portal (porch) dates all the way back to 1610, when it served as the territory’s governmental headquarters. Dominating the entire north block of the Plaza, the building has served as New Mexico’s state history museum since 1913 (when tourism-minded city managers gave it a Pueblo Revival makeover); it contains a wonderfully idiosyncratic collection of artifacts related to every phase of the state’s history, from a pendulum clock shot up during Pancho Villa’s 1916 raid on the state’s southern border to a late-1500’s helmet worn by an early Spanish soldier. Tip: Forget the usual skepticism about street vendors: the indigenous local artists and craftspeople who display their wares in the Palace’s south portal sell authentic, high-quality, handmade goods at extremely competitive prices. Admission: $8 (included with $18 museum pass); free Fridays 5-8 p.m. Closed Mondays, except summer.

Address:
105 W. Palace Ave., Santa Fe Plaza
Santa Fe, New Mexico
United States

Phone:
(505) 476-5100

The Spread: Distinctly southwestern produce is on display at this Saturday market in Santa Fe’s rail yard, where 100 vendors gather to sell locally grown white sweet corn and blue-corn posole; bolita beans and mesquite cactus honey; buffalo sausages; heaps of organically grown dried chiles, including ancho, guajillo, and habanero; and more than 100 heirloom tomato varieties, including Oaxacan Jewel, Purple Smudge, and Rose Quartz. Most Unusual Find: Jujubes—desert fruits whose origins date back thousands of years to the Indian subcontinent—from SunStar Herbs in Madrid, NM. When dried, jujubes are often called red dates, and they make an excellent trail food; when steeped into tea, they purportedly have medicinal properties.

Address:
1607 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, New Mexico
United States

Phone:
(505) 983-4098

Fresh-baked croissants and other snacks are on hand at this airy new café in one of the Railyard District’s original brick warehouses.

Address:
530 S. Guadalupe St.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
United States

Phone:
(505) 988-2470

Part roadhouse, part specialty grocer, the market is located just north of the center, in the neighborhood of Tesuque. Refuel with an oven-fired pizza after a hike on the Winsor Trail.

Address:
138 Tesuque Village Rd.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
United States

Phone:
(505) 988-8848