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Where we stayed: The Inn of the Five Graces

My first trip to Santa Fe was back in 2021 during the pandemic (you can read about it here) so my husband and I were anxious to return to experience it during more “normal” times.

On our last visit we had stayed outside of town so this time I wanted to be closer to the action, and The Inn of the Five Graces was not only within walking distance to just about everything (the art, the restaurants, the historic square), it also appealed to my maximalist aesthetic.

The hotel is comprised of several buildings and offers accommodations of differing sizes; because we were traveling with one of our sons we opted for a two bedroom suite (Silk Tree) and found that it was ideal.

The staff at the Inn of the Five Graces really helped to make our experience special, they could not have been friendlier (the front desk staff) or more helpful (the valets), though it did seem as they were stretched a bit thin at times.

Our room decor was quite dazzling, and while it might be a minimalists nightmare, I loved it. There were two nicely sized bedrooms, one with a queen sized bed for my son, as well as the primary bedroom with a king sized bed for my husband and I. Additionally there was a living area and a small kitchenette complete with plenty of complimentary snacks.

If you want to really study the details (the tile work in particular) it is easier to do so in the still photos below.

The primary bedroom was located down a hallway off the living room and was filled with intricate details. One note, the bath/shower was definitely not ADA compliant, its a good thing my husband and I are so limber as we easily could have met our demise if we were not (there is a treacherous step to get in and out).

The fireplace is functional, but as the temps hovered in the 90s during our visit we chose just to admire it. As mentioned there were loads of complimentary snacks and drinks which were replenished each evening.

The Inn of the Graces has numerous spaces to discover including a very well regarded spa (alas we did bot have enough time to relax), an outdoor dining area, a small pool and a historic bar called the Dragon Room (where we used our complimentary $100 credit we received by booking through Virtuoso). In addition to the $100 credit we also enjoyed complimentary breakfast daily as part of our Virtuoso rate, (although this is where the insufficient staffing seemed most obvious; the service while amenable was quite slow).

I really enjoyed this hotel, the attentive staff, the location, the decor as well as the history. If you are looking for a luxurious spot in Santa Fe I would absolutely recommend it.

Where we ate:

There are so many restaurants to choose from in Santa Fe that we had a hard time narrowing them down. On our first night in town we were fortunate to meet up with some very dear friends from the East Coast who had recently moved to NM, and Leo’s a popular Thai/Malaysian hotspot seemed like a fun and relaxed place to grab dinner.

As it turned out Leo’s was an excellent choice aside from one major mishap. The five of us ordered a multitude of dishes and they came out from the kitchen in quick succession as soon as they were ready . We had heard they were known for their Laab so we ordered two variations, the oyster mushroom (vegetarian) version for me as well as the classic pork version. I had mentioned to our server that I did not eat meat and was thus excited by the veggie version so when the dish was presented to me by another member of the waitstaff (who clearly announced it as the Mushroom Laab) I enthusiastically dug right in. Unfortunately the dish that was delivered to me was the pork version (you can see below how similar they appear) and so I had my first taste of meat in about twenty years.

The server who took our order was horrified (no exaggeration) and immediately went to the manager to get both dishes taken off of our bill. I did not make a big fuss but I was not happy. Aside from that minor mishap the meal was quite delicious.

If you are craving more traditional “New Mexican” cuisine you might want to pay a visit to Tia Sophias which has been located just off the Plaza downtown since 1975. The atmosphere is very casual and it attracts lots of tourists as well as quite a few locals for its classic interpretations of Northern New Mexican favorites. After leaving our name and getting what seemed like a completely random number we were called to our table about 15 minutes later.

After studying the menu I opted for Huevos Rancheros, happy that I was able to sample both the red and green chile sauces (Christmas style) while my husband got the beef chile and my son enjoyed a bowl of green chile stew both served with a sopapilla.

Our meal was not particularly remarkable though it was filling and tasty. If you are wandering around the Plaza and need some quick sustenance you can’t go wrong with Tia Sophias.

The Santa Fe Bite located in a strip center a couple of miles out of town maintains they make the best green chile cheeseburger in town (the title had previously belonged to the iconic Bobcat Bite restaurant which has since closed). My husband and I had visited this restaurant during the pandemic and found it to be pretty good, but this time we were quite disappointed.

If you were not yet aware Santa Fe is famous for their green chile cheeseburgers and my son in particular wanted to find the very best example currently available. His hopes were high when we pulled into Santa Fe Bite, but they were dashed when lunch was served. It’s not that the burgers were bad, they were just deemed tasteless. I on the other hand ordered a house made veggie bean burger and it was awful, like eating a pink spaldeen ball (maybe I am dating myself)! The verdict? Skip Santa Fe Bite, there are way better green chile cheeseburgers in town (see below).

El Parasol has several locations and dates back to 1958. We visited the Cerrillos Road location which is a take-out only requiring my husband and son to eat the burger in the parking lot. El Parasol has been featured in numerous food and travel magazines and is regarded by those “in the know” as cooking up the best example of the green chile cheeseburger; after tasting it my guys would absolutely agree. It seems loads of locals concur as well as there was a steady stream of customers picking up their orders while were waiting.

Another highly regarded green chile cheeseburger is said to be the one at the Mine Shaft Tavern in Madrid, New Mexico about 30 miles from downtown (we were going to great lengths to find the very best one). We all made the trek to Madrid to sample their burger (a very rich hearty burger vs El Parasol’s more delicate flavorful one) and ultimately ranked El Parasol #1, The Mineshaft Tavern #2 and Santa Fe Bite #3. Is it worth the trip to Madrid? Probably not as Madrid doesn’t have too much else to offer aside from some motley antique and crafts shops.

You may have noticed I ceded control of meal planning to my son and my husband as they were really passionate about hunting down particular specialties such as the best cinnamon roll in the vicinity which we found at the San Marcos Café located within a feed store along the highway on the way to Madrid. Family run and filled with locals the cinnamon roll was giant, not too sweet and proclaimed an absolute winner.

Joseph’s Culinary Pub in the Railyard District was one restaurant I chose partially because of the large percentage of gf dishes featured on Chef Joseph Wrede’s New American menu which celebrates uber-local ingredients and purveyors. The dishes we ordered were all delicious and satisfying, and the portions generous. Just some of the dishes we sampled are included below, we definitely over ordered! Would I recommend? Yes, it was very good food, and very friendly service.

Zacatlán is another highly regarded restaurant we dined at featuring local cuisine and a James Beard nominated chef. Casual yet well executed dishes and attentive service made for a highly enjoyable meal especially the Tiffany blue Robin Egg dessert that I couldn’t resist.

My husband and son loved the Carnitas but after a day of eating green chile cheeseburgers(and more) they were unable to do it justice. So many people we spoke to rated Zacatlán as their favorite restaurant in Santa Fe and I can see why.

If you are in need of a great cup of coffee while wandering around town I would recommend CrashMurderBusiness a delicious coffee shop with a somewhat silly name. My Race of Roadrunners pictured below was actually a rich spicy mocha.

Tesuque Village Market is a very popular gathering spot located outside the center of town so we decided to pop in to see what was doing. The pizza seems to be the thing to get but we were more interested in the chile pepper vendor parked outside where we purchased what may be a lifetime supply of powdered red chile.

Another iconic Santa Fe treat is the Frito Pie which is dished out in an actual Frito bag and sold at the Five & Dime located on the Plaza. Fritos, beef chili and shredded cheese piled into a portable package- what could be better? My son and husband shared this snack which was so hearty they couldn’t finish it, but they were glad they tried it!

After the guys had some Frito pie it was time for me to get a snack so we made a stop at Kakáwa Chocolate House which serves up unbelievable artisanal chocolates (and coffee too). The staff here is amazing, the small shop was literally mobbed yet they took so much time offering us tastes and helping us build a gift box to bring to our friend’s house with no regard to the growing line behind us. As we left we were so focused on transporting our box of chocolates that I ended up leaving my purse behind, only realizing it once I returned to the hotel. As soon as I registered my mistake I rang the store and the kind lady behind the counter held it for me until I could return and collect it.

Where we went: The Santa Fe Farmers Market operates at the Railyard every Saturday morning year round and features not just food but flowers and crafts as well. If you love a good farmers market (and who doesn’t) be sure to add this one to your itinerary, there are loads of things to see and so many delicious things to taste. I found that watching the peppers roasting was enough to lull me into a fully zen state.

If you adore donuts don’t miss the blueberry lavendar glazed blue corn donut at Whoos located within the pavilion. They also have a permanent shop if you miss the market.

After exploring the Farmers Market be sure to check out the fantastic vintage shops nearby. Our favorite was Rio Bravo Trading Company where I purchased a hat and we enjoyed a chat with the incredibly charismatic owner Randy Rodriguez. If you are in the market for vintage cowboy boots there is no better selection than Kowboyz and if it is Southwestern Jewelry you desire check out Doubletake . There are smaller well curated shops to discover as well, long story short if you are after unique vintage pieces take some time to explore.

Hoping to get a little culture we decided to visit the Georgia O’Keefe Museum which is compact yet comprehensive and I would absolutely recommend it.

A museum that may not be on your radar but which I absolutely loved is the Museum of International Folk Art. We could have spent hours here particularly the exhibition highlighting the fantasy coffins of Ghana as well as Multiple Visions the unbelievable collection of Alexander Girard. If you happen to be traveling with children or are young at heart be sure to include a trip to this museum.

One disappointment- the Loretto Chapel located downtown. The Miraculous Staircase is the attraction here and while it is pretty cool the fact that this is now a private museum that charges an admission fee and features a massive gift shop takes away from the spiritual significance, instead making you feel as though you have been taken advantage of.

If you are an art lover there are no shortage of galleries on Canyon Road which feature every type of art you might be interested in and is worth your time. Additionally our visit coincided with the (juried) Traditional Spanish Art Market on the Plaza featuring all kinds of art, music and food that connect New Mexico with it’s Spanish heritage.

While on the Plaza be sure to stop into Malouf on the Plaza for a fabulous array of jewelry and Navajo weavings.

We managed to cram a lot into our visit to Santa Fe and I would say three nights is a perfect amount of time to get a taste of the area. The Inn of the Five Graces was a terrific base to explore Santa Fe; there are endless restaurants to try, exhibitions to discover and galleries to poke around in; hopefully this blog post serves as a helpful starting point. Our final leg of the journey took us through Utah where we admired gorgeous scenery along the route home.

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