Ambiance can make or break a great restaurant. When the weather warms up, both Santa Feans and visitors take advantage of our beautiful sunny weather (over 300 days a year) and dine al fresco. Even in summer, the breezes make dining outside the perfect option. There are restaurants that offer outdoor dining right on the street, but my favorites are secluded patios and courtyards hidden from public view. Here are a few of my favorites. (Note: We're not talking food here it's the ambiance we're looking at. To find out more about these restaurants and their menus, check out their websites, which are all listed.)
La Casa Sena has what may be the best courtyard dining spot in town. Don Juan Sena bought a small building on Palace Avenue in1796 and by the 1830s had built a family compound which surrounds this beautiful courtyard with its stately trees and bubbling fountain. The Territorial-style building is home to trendy boutiques (first floor) and offices (second floor) and La Casa Sena Restaurant and its offshoots: The Cantina, The Wine Shop and Cellar Lounge. Lunch or dinner is special under the shade of the huge old trees amidst the lush flower gardens.
SantaCafe also offers courtyard dining for lunch and dinner. The former Padre Gallegos House built between 1857 and 1862 boasts a glassed-over well in the bar. It’s a great conversation piece. According to Bobby Morean, one of the restaurant’s owners, Gallegos had so many enemies, he did not trust that the outside well would provide safe, potable water. Their tented courtyard and covered portal offer a shady respite at lunch and protection from the summer monsoons in the evening. It is a popular spot
The Compound on historic Canyon Road, home to many of the city’s over 200 art galleries, has a peaceful, stucco-wall enclosed patio that makes you feel like your are dining somewhere in France or Italy. There are fruit trees, ivy and large pots bursting with white geraniums and white petunias all around the intimate enclosed space. It is THE spot to enjoy chef/owner Mark Kiffen’s James Beard Award-winning food in warm weather.
The patio at Luminaria, the restaurant at the Inn and Spa at Loretto, makes you feel as if you are dining on a Caribbean Island. It is the perfect place for a romantic dinner au deux. Enjoy a tropical drink or a Margarita and relax while you savor the perfect ambiance. There is an outdoor-fireplace where wood fires burn on cooler evenings.
The Pink Adobe is the oldest restaurant in Santa Fe. The infamous local artist Rosalea Murphy started it in 1944 as a place to sell burgers, enchiladas and wonderful dishes from her hometown, New Orleans. It quickly became a gathering place for members of the Santa Fe art scene. The restaurant was family owned until 2007 when it was acquired by the Inn of the Five Graces, a Relais and Chateaux lodging. The menu has changed, but many old favorites like Steak Dunigan are still there. The newly renovated, flag-stone patio boasts a fire-pit in the center for cooler evenings. This tree-shaded gem is a great place to enjoy good company and great food and drink.
The O’Keeffe Café occupies a historic brick Territorial building that housed Union soldiers during the Civil War. Unlike the other places mentioned here, its outdoor dining area is not hidden away. Because the building is set back from the street, the outdoor patio, shaded by mature trees feels very private. The sense of history in this place is palpable. What a great place to enjoy fabulous food and sample the by-the-glass wine offerings from their cruvinet.
With all the wonderful patios and courtyards to choose from in Santa Fe, next time you dine out, dine out.
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