Cafe Pasqual’s has been open for over 40 years, and is quintessential Land of Enchantment: Colorful papel picado hang from wall to wall, chile ristras dangle above heads, and folk art paintings are spread throughout the dining room. Dinnertime gets busy, but we like breakfast best. That’s when the dining room is quieter and it's the only time you can get crispy gruyere potato cakes with smoked salmon and huevos Motuleños.

Santa Fe’s best pizza spot is also perfect for a casual date. Esquina churns out wood-fired pies flexing perfectly-blistered crusts and smokey cheese showered with toppings like truffled pecorino and Calabrian chile. Here’s a foolproof order on a second or third date: a bottle of red, the caesar salad, and the hot pepper pie punched up with ‘nduja and two kinds of peppers. It’s a good amount of food for two people that makes for a nice but not-too-fancy pizza party.

Leo’s is a Thai- and Malaysian-inspired spot, and even though it just opened in August, it’s easily one of Santa Fe’s most fun restaurants, and certainly its buzziest—there’s nothing else quite like it in town. Groups of friends pack in Thursday through Monday for big feasts of fried chicken and pork laab, while clinking glasses of mezcal cocktails and martinis. This is the kind of place where you’ll undoubtedly make friends at the bar. It’s walk-in only, so prepare for a bit of a wait.

The year-round Santa Fe Farmers’ Market is a crown jewel of the city. Along with being a community gathering spot where all the produce on sale is grown in northern New Mexico, the market has superb blue corn pupusas at the La Mesa Farms stand. They’re grilled right in front of you and then covered in an avalanche of crisp curtido, green chile, and sour cream.

You could take a trip to Ten Thousand Waves Spa which is attached to this upscale izakaya with dreamy views of the alpine forest. But even if you skip the soak, this is still a destination restaurant worth visiting for delicious and creative Japanese food. They do things you wouldn’t normally find at an izakaya, like apple kimchi salad, parsnip-pear puree on wagyu short ribs, and croquettes stuffed with beet and shiso.

The team at this North Guadalupe bakery deserves an award for cracking the science behind baking at high altitudes. Their jam-packed display case can be overwhelming, so here are the priorities: almond croissants, flaky strudel, and soft gingerbread. There’s sit-down service and a good amount of space for a casual brunch over omelets and salmon tartine. Go on the earlier side to beat the rush, order a bunch of pastries to go, and grab one of their panko-breaded tilapia sandwiches for lunch.

Though located in the Southwest, Santa Fe isn’t Southern by any stretch of the imagination, unless you’re sitting down to a plate of fried green tomatoes, smoked pork ribs, and Kentucky butter cake at Radish & Rye. Many folks come here on a mission to try a whiskey flight, but you’ll be just as content drinking the rye syrup served alongside their fried chicken and waffles. If you’re planning on dining here on a weekend, be sure to make a reservation.

This adobe home off Canyon Road was Santa Fe’s “big art thing” long before Meow Wolf. People make a reservation here for special occasions, or just any night they feel like balling out while appreciating the sanded white walls and folk art-filled curio windows. They perpetually tweak the menu, but always deliver terrific, elegant food.

For a big night out with great food and drinks, make plans for Paloma. We love catching up with friends while splitting this Railyard restaurant’s underrated vegetarian small plates. Standouts include the roasted carrots dolloped in a peanut-pistachio salsa macha and the El Jardin quesadilla, stuffed with buttery queso Oaxaca melted over delicata squash and nasturtium blooms. You’ll find other groups on the heated patio enjoying cocktails like the michelada verde or chamomile lychee martini.

El Chile Toreado cooks up exceptional burritos, fully-dressed hot dogs, and soft tacos with pillowy tortillas, all from the confines of a fairly small food truck. But your focus should be on the velvety braised carnitas fried in their own lard or the saucy adobada, a New Mexican classic made with a variety of chiles, spices, and herbs. If you want to go peak Santa Fe, order the jumbo hot dog topped with spiced pinto beans and Monterey jack cheese. The line moves fast even during the lunch rush.

When you need to fuel back up after a hike at the Pecos Wilderness trails, roll on over to the nearby Jambo Bobcat Bite. They have large portions of things like curried crab plantain fritters, a Moroccan spiced lamb burger with tomato mint chutney, and creamy coconut milk curry with tofu. If you’re in the mood for a Santa Fe novelty, they make an excellent green chile cheeseburger.

Come by this neighborhood joint and try as many of their artfully-plated dosas as possible. They arrive to tables perfectly crisp and mesmerizingly-golden. Our go-tos are the white truffle masala because it’s garlicky without being overwhelming, and the spicy basil that has a nice mix of herbs and texture from the cashew filling and potato masala topping. We also love that the flavor-packed chutneys and sambar filled with a generous amount of vegetables are given the same amount of care.

Make plans at Horno for a fun group dinner downtown near Santa Fe Plaza. Go for the meatball swaddled by melty mozzarella and the zesty pollo mattone served on a creamy bed of polenta. The crowd often spills out onto their patio, a place perfect for some wine and people-watching. Horno is popular pick so you may encounter a wait, but you can kill time by walking around the plaza with a Frito Pie snack from Five and Dime.

A la carte is the better move at Sazón because it lets you play mole matchmaker. If your heart is set on beef or lamb, set it up with some heat from the mole coloradito. The mole Santa Fe has a bit of sweetness from apricots, roasted pecans, and white chocolate, which also complements the heavier proteins. The tomatillo-forward mole verde tastes brighter and goes nicely on vegetables, chicken, or fish. Just don’t get too lost in the (mole) sauce that you forget to try the Sopa de Amor.

This is solid for breakfast or getting work done, but we prefer coming by for a casual solo lunch. That’s a meal best spent with the carne asada sandwich slathered with lime-serrano aioli and a mountain of crispy haystack fries. If you bring a group of friends, split one of the giant cinnamon rolls out on the sunflower-filled patio when the weather’s nice.

The best steak in Santa Fe is served with salted caramel sauce at La Boca. The dishes are the typical tapas standards—we’re convinced the phrase “don’t fix what isn’t broken” was invented with patatas bravas in mind, and the ones here are textbook stellar. The best bang for your boquerones is to hit up La Boca for 3-5pm happy hour.

The sharp green chile stew at The Shed might just be Santa Fe’s best. While there are plenty of restaurants in town asking the official state question, “red or green?” both are stellar here. So go ahead and order blue corn tacos or enchiladas “Christmas” style for a one-two punch. The vegetarian posole is an underrated dish that swaps pork for chunks of roasted butternut squash. There can be a long wait for a table on weekend evenings.

Ozu is small, but it’s the best spot for lunch on Lena Street. Go for a solo meal at the counter with a salmon bento, steaming mug of sencha green tea, and a view of the kitchen churning out sour ume and cod roe onigiris. After an ikura temaki or two, take a look at the pantry items like their house Japanese curry powder or loquat jam that goes perfectly on a muesli loaf from Bread Shop a few doors down.