I came here for my birthday dinner. I was alone, so I took a bar seat, and I had a lot of fun watching the kitchen. They make it look so easy! The food was delicious, but I decided on Coyote Cafe because of the dessert menu, and the burnt honey cake absolutely lived up to and surpassed my expectations! You can really taste banana leaf, the shaved halva adds a lovely sweetness, and it just melted in my mouth. The service was impeccable. They called me by name the entire time and even though I look quite young for my age, they treated me with respect. Their timing throughout the meal was perfect too, very attentive, but not stiflingly so. I exceedingly enjoyed my meal here, and I'll definitely be back to enjoy all the other dishes I want to try here. read more

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Arrived in Santa Fe on Sunday and headed To this area of town to check out the area- heard great things about the coyote Café and it's rooftop bar. The vibe was eclectic, the view was nothing special, but we were definitely in a happening spot. We did not sample any food during our visit, but we did sample a margarita and a cold beer. Service was poor. It took a long time to place our drink order and an even longer time to get the Alice margarita and a bottled beer do not know what the hangup was but 10 to 15 minutes to get those drinks seems a little bit excessive. The margarita was nothing special, although you don't expect anything special from a house margarita, most of the time... They had a margarita filled with special and unique margaritas that looked interesting to say the least - overall it's on the list of places you must see... But I don't know why it has made the list. I was just disappointed. read more

The food, service, and ambiance were all excellent. truly enjoyable. One serious concern: From my seat at the bar facing the open kitchen, I watched the chefs use the exact same cloth for everything throughout my entire visit--no change observed. They wiped countertops (including areas with lobsters), their hands, the bottom/sides of steak trays, and directly handled hot steaks fresh off the grill with it. This single cloth was used indiscriminately across raw/ready-to-eat surfaces, creating a clear risk of cross-contamination and poor hygiene per standard food safety practices. Highly recommend addressing this to maintain the otherwise high standards. read more

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A large group for a late lunch. They sat us promptly upstairs-rooftop which has a different menu than the downstairs dinner area. They filled our table with waters quickly. They charge for chips & salsa which is really weird in my opinion especially at a 'Mexican' inspired place. No worries we bought some chips and salsa and guacamole for everyone - party of 8. Guacamole was really fresh, salsa just so-so and not spicy. Someone ordered a pitcher of Sangria and was disappointed because it was very watered down, hardly any alcohol. Someone else ordered a regular house margarita and said it was very strong with alcohol. Everyone has their own tolerance. I had the green chili chicken stew, really good. Others had the red pozole and they all agreed it was delicious. A stablemate ordered the Calabacitas without jalapeños and the kitchen added the jalapeños, she sent it back and then it came back without the meat, she sent it back. Third time was the charm, and it was finally a good dish. Main reason for the 4-star. Overall the food and service were mediocre. read more

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Rich and creamy Korean tacos, with an a serving of corn bread with a variety of butters. Service was warm and welcoming. read more

Coyote Cafe - Corn bread with exquisite butters - New American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Coyote Cafe is an *outstanding* dining experience: Five Stars (This is a sister restaurant to the Coyote Rooftop Cantina which is next door and _very_ different. I mention this as the reviews between the two, & therefore the ratings, are getting mixed together. ) Had dinner inside at the upscale Coyote Cafe, dining at the bar with a front row view of all the action in the kitchen. Amazing to watch the chefs make everything happen: brilliant. The food is top-tier, you'll want to try a bit of everything. People on either side were Santa Fe locals who were regular diners @ CC; that says a lot. The service was awesome. The service was high-end, wonderfully attentive and efficient. Awesome spot, highly recommended. As are reservations... :) read more

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Importance to note that this restaurant is two in one. You have the more fine dining experience, which is called Coyote Café on the lower level and then you have the Cantina/rooftop on the upper level. We decided to sit at the bar rail for our experience at that Coyote Café and Abe was our bartender/server. We shared that it was my company's birthday and he poured us a complementary glass of champagne. He went over the menu with us and made some recommendations and then gave us time to decide what we wanted. I went with the pork belly tacos. I was unsure of what I wanted to drink. I told Abe I like sweet drinks and he said that he would whip something up for me. He ended up making me a prickly pear martini with a salted lime foam. At first glance I wasn't sure I would like it, but it turned out to be a very amazing drink. The pork belly tacos were so so. Honestly I should've gotten the cashews on the side. I think that ruined the taste for me and they could've seasoned the pork belly just a little bit more. It wasn't horrible, but it was not my favorite. The drink however took the cake for me. The service was amazing . Each time one of the food runners dropped off food, they took the time to describe your dish. I really think that level of attention to detail elevated the dining experience. Stark difference from the Cantina upstairs, not to take away from it, but you can tell that they appeal to two very different crowds. I would for sure return. read more

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What a pleasant surprise! We spent the afternoon at Canyon Road art shops and decided we wanted dinner, the Yelp reviews on this said it is worthy. It certainly is. We started with a nice Sauvignon blanc wine. They brought out corn bread and 3 special butters. Oooo, melt in your mouth! I had the butter lettuce salad and the mussels. The salad had a great dressing and a generous amount of whipped blue cheese. So good! The muscle came in a chipotle sauce with hominy. I just love fresh sweet mussels and these were. But the hominy wasn't a great paring for me. Great bc service, great atmosphere, great food. We loved it. read more

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We arrived for our reservation which required us to divide into 2 tables and had to wait a fair amount of time. After a slow start to being seated we were greeted by our friendly waiter who took our drink orders and gave us direction with the menu. The ambiance was nice and seating comfortable. The meal was tasty and everyone felt it was good but nothing stood out as extremely special. Our group ordered 2 salads, sunchoke bisque, tacos, lobster, pecan rub steak, raviolis, duck leg, elk tenderloin, all 3 sides and desert. read more

We loved this place! Exceptionally kind and friendly service personnel and a lovely ambiance. Whether one sits on the rooftop Cantina balcony to enjoy a margarita and chips or for a more formal experience in the restaurant downstairs, this is a great place to stop and nosh. We did both - started off with a rooftop margarita which was delicious and then went downstairs to the restaurant. we elected to sit at the bar. The drinks were sensational, the barman was extremely professional and entertaining and the food was excellent. One more thing: I had too many delicious drinks and ended up forgetting my credit card. We live in the Bay Area and it only occurred to me almost a week later. I called, they found the card and a couple of days later I had it in my hand. Really great people. read more

We'll always have Parris! What an absolutely magical evening dining at CoyoteCafe. We were celebrating an Anniversary and our server Parris created a magical evening from appetizers to dessert. It was an unveiling of surprises. We were showered with hospitality- from champagne to crafted cocktails, shishitos transitioning to fabulous entrees of Elk Medallions , Scallops and Salmon- ending with a delectable Banana Butter Cake. It was truly a gift beyond measure to have Elvis host our meal with great support from Griffin, Eli and the Manager Julian. While the food was phenomenal it was the service that Parris offered that will be etched in our culinary memory. read more

Honestly everything was top notch. We had the crudo: excellent. The bison carpaccio: delicious. The pork belly tacos: decadent. I had the elk tenderloin which was a great finish. Service and drinks were excellent. read more

I dined at Coyote Cafe on a Friday night and am so glad I did! I was traveling solo in Santa Fe and booked a counter seat which had a great view of the open kitchen - which gave me a welcome preview into the delicious options because I was having a hard time choosing! The chef was friendly and offered suggestions for what to do around Santa Fe, which was super nice. The server was attentive without being intrusive and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu, offering helpful suggestions. I elected for the prawn appetizer which was just the right portion size - the prawns were juicy and flavorful. For my main entree I chose the Chilean Seabass which was buttery and decadent, served over black rice with squash and a nice pesto. I savored every bite. The vibe is lively without being too loud, and the decor is bright and modern. Highly recommend for a great dining experience! read more

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Coyote Café don't let the name fool you. This place is an absolute gem. Charming ambiance. The food is incredible every bite is a burst of bold, well-balanced flavors. The pork belly tacos, Wow! Truly speechless hands down some of the best tacos I've ever had. Dessert was just as impressive. The chocolate mousse and the tamal dessert were both rich, flavorful, and honestly hard to describe you just have to try them. The elk was perfectly cooked, tender, and full of depth. The flavors reminded me of a Thanksgiving meal in the best possible way comforting yet elevated. Service was outstanding. Our server Emma was attentive, friendly, approachable, and clearly takes pride in what real customer service should look like. Kudos to the chef and the entire team this is easily one of the best restaurants I've tried so far. Highly recommend. read more

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Will return for the shrimp cocktail. The roof top opens for lunch. It's small, lively and the service is just as good. It's a pit stop for us, we tried: - Gazpacho: cold and yummy - the shrimp cocktail: the best. The sauce is little on the salty side but tastes great on a hot summer day. The shrimps are succulent. read more

As has been said, a great menu, food and superb service. We arrived at 5 on a Saturday for dinner upstairs and seated immediately in a perfect table almost directly under their beautiful red Chihuly chandelier. Very lively and full of diners but also very loud. It's a modern high ceiling room that lacks charm but that's the only criticism possible. Our server was a great guy, one of their established crew I would guess and he took excellent care of the four us. Creative cocktails and (!) appetizers were on the table within about ten minutes of ordering. Filets of elk, lobster, mussels, a wrapped Caesar salad, and more. Amazing desserts. Most expensive entrees about $60, apps and salads about $20. Very reasonable for the quality of food and service. Almost a bargain. 5 stars all the way and would definitely return. read more

Coyote Cafe - Entry on Water Street. - New American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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It costs $100 to sit in the good seats at the rooftop cantina (at the ledge with unobstructed view) for sunset. I did not know this was a thing that any restaurant/bar did...seems kinda rude but I guess if they can make more money off of people, they will. At least publicize it, if that's the case! The rooftop was packed and our seats were really uncomfortable. Service was ok, food and drinks were good but nothing special. I was in town visiting and my sister and I had my birthday dinner here because we wanted the sunset view; the upcharge was a mean surprise so we didn't pay it. No other real reason to choose to eat here, and we won't again. The restaurant (inside/downstairs) is a whole different world- upscale, stylish decor, and very different menu. This review only applies to the rooftop cantina. read more

I dined at the Coyote Cafe several times before. The last time was around 2010 and I swore I would never go back. Well, I broke my self-promise and went back and WOW! was I happily surprised. Dakota Weiss has put this restaurant back on the map!!! While I think there's still a lot of work to do, mostly in the front of the house, the kitchen is cooking on all cylinders. Both in reality and metaphorically. The last time I was there, the ambience was wood tables and fairly simple dishes, but this part of the story has significantly changed. Western style plain chairs and tables have been replaced by glossy tabletops and comfortable chairs. Dakota's highly developed dishes are plated beautifully and made from great ingredients. Perhaps the portions are a bit large, but they are all wonderful. The moules appetizer was as large as a main dish and the pork belly tacos were also huge for an appetizer. Perhaps smaller portions with proportionally smaller prices would encourage diners to order more. We stuck to the appetizers although I was intrigued by several of the entrees. The faux 'Chillouly' chandelier is lovely and looks like a ristra, it's intended purpose, and the shadow it casts on the ceiling is a nice touch although probably unintended, but wonderful. The room was a bit loud for the kinds of prices asked on the menu. A meal could easily exceed $250 per person and that really moves it into Michelin star territory, where I would expect a quieter room. However, it was an excellent meal. Our waiter was very professional and the rest of the wait staff, while very friendly, could use a bit more training. It's probably really difficult in Santa Fe to get a truly professional front of the house staff, but training training training will eventually make them exceed expectations. They weren't top notch, but I can forgive that given the location of the restaurant. The Coyote Cafe is back on the top its game and that's a good thing. read more

Still one of my favorite places to stop in Santa Fe. The drinks are still really good, and we got the Frito Pie to split this time. Chairs still aren't great and it's always packed, but overall a cool atmosphere and good for a happy hour or quick snack and drink stop! read more

Coyote Cafe - The Frito pie was delish! - New American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Service was good but felt like he couldn't have cared less. No recommendations no information about food

We loved the fancy side of the Coyote Cafe! The food was so delicious. Reservations are really required; we lucked out, going at 5 pm and snagged a table. The mussels appetizer was delicious; and we would get that again! My friend loved the mushroom raviolis; and my sea bass was Huge and perfectly cooked !!! I am so picky about fish; and this sea bass was perfect! There is nothing on the menu that I wouldn't try. This restaurant is top notch! read more

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My wife and I went to the coyote Café on a Sunday night and had reservations at seven. We arrived 20 minutes early and had to wait only until 7 PM. When the reservation was set we were immediately seated and the place was busy. There were no open tables at all and there was a long wait so it's necessary to have a reservation . We did not go to the Cantina in the upstairs but stayed in the second-floor fine dining area the entire time and the service was very good. There is an open kitchen and you can see the chefs preparing your meal and the menu was obviously all Southwest inspired dishes, but the best thing about it was the taste of the food that we ordered. We had The Caesar salad, which was prepared with a great presentation and also enjoyed the scallops and the cheese ravioli, which both were excellent, probably one of the better meals that we've ever had and this restaurant is worth the hype. This place is not a rip off also with cocktails and two glasses of wine, The price came out to $200 which is very fair and compares competitively with practically any restaurant that you would go to where You're expecting a gourmet or a fine dining experience so I would say this is a place that's not to be missed read more

Coyote Cafe - Scallops - New American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Cool upstairs spot in the heart of Santa Fe. In for a late lunch, tried a couple of margaritas, an app and a sandwich. Service is quick and attentive. As long as you're in the shade, recommend sitting outside. Margs were well mixed, icy cold and refreshing. There's a bunch to choose from. Tried Mini Chimis, which are eggroll-sized chimichangas. Nicely stuffed, crispy on the outside and delicious on the inside. Exactly what you'd expect and these were very good. Also tried a Cuban sandwich. Roasted pork shoulder is topped with gruyere, pickles and mustard on a pressed panini. Not exactly Tampa Cuban quality, but a delicious variation. Fries on the side are sprinkled with green chili to add another dimension. Delicious. A great spot for a casual lunch in an outdoor cantina. read more

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We had a delicious dinner at Coyote Cafe with friends. We started the meal with Bison Carpaccio for an appetizer. It was delicious and a generous portion for an appetizer. Thinly sliced bison in a red sauce with apples and croutons. I then had the Tellichelly Elk Tenderloin. This was cooked to perfection at medium rare and the meat was so tender and perfect. Overall, we were very pleased with the service, the ambiance and would recommend despite it being one of the pricier meals we had in Santa Fe read more

Coyote Cafe - Tellicherry Peppered Elk Tenderloin - New American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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What a wonderful experience on Christmas Day at Coyote Cafe! Their Christmas menu was outstanding with excellent variety and choices for everyone. Local flavors were mixed in with most dishes, which added to the overall dining experience. The star of the show was the TELLICHERRY ELK TENDERLOIN, which was excellenty devised and prepared by the chef and staff. The service was top notch as always, and the ambiance of the restaurant was amazing as well. Coyote Cafe is always a good choice and a special place for any occassion. read more

Excellent. We were greeted warmly. Served complimentary champagne. The cornbread was like carbo crack- so good!!! Beautiful meal - I had the seabass. The service was out of this world (thank you Matthew) . We will be back. read more

Coyote Cafe - Seabass - New American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Absolutely outstanding meal. Inventive, delicious food and gracious, professional service. We started with cocktails (beautiful plum martini for me; gentleman's vice for my husband) and shared the wicked cool Caesar salad (before and after pics included). I had the elk tenderloin. It was a sublime, seasonal preparation... I can't wait to return to see how it's done during the spring/summer. My husband very much enjoyed his duck confit, but I clearly won the night. Too full for dessert, but getting a bite of buttery shortbread served alongside my after dinner coffee was just right. Three cocktails and a glass of wine, split salad, two entrees and two coffees for just over $200 - such a great experience, it felt like a bargain. We cannot wait to return. read more

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We came before a concert. Basically to sum up: proteins were decent, the rest of the "stuff" on the plates were not. Celery puree was cold, LOTS of different sauces! I don't think we would be back. read more

My ADA service dog and I went there for a light lunch. I opted for an outside table. The wait for the table seemed to go by quickly, despite the line. I reached the hostess in about 15 to 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the hostess told me I had to wait, as she needed to find a table furthest from the kitchen, because of "the dog," despite the service vest clearly identifying him and me verbally identifying him as a service animal. I didn't protest, despite the ADA violation and waited another 15 to 20 minutes as 3 other parties, who were behind me, were seated during that time. BTW, there were several tables open near the hostess, which ended up being furthest from the kitchen. We were finally seated 2 tables away from the kitchen (whithout menus) which defied the original reason of our wait. I politely mentioned to the hostess the ADA violation of making us wait, just as a heads up. A person, who I assumed was the manager, came to my tabke a minute later with somewhat of an attitude and said, I understand you have a complaint." I explained the situation, that didn't have a complaint, and was only advising the hostess. The manager first argued my position, defended the hostess and was fairly condescending and lacking any empathy. She did say she would talk to the hostess, and I mentioned it seemed to be a policy issue, not an intentional fault of the hostess. The manager again argued my point about the ADA issue. I wasn't treated fairly, was willing to over look this but the manager only made the experience worse. I left without ordering. Pretty humiliating. read more

The menu has changed since I worked at Los Alamos years ago. A bit far out for my tastes in some respects. The whole Futomaki Caesar thing is odd. It tastes weird to be frank and the whole "sushi" concept thing is just plain odd. Steak was good. Prices are pretty high. read more

Wow exceeded my expectations for both food/bar and service. Interesting and flavorful cocktails and food. Had green chili bisque, mussels pozole, and sea bass w/a fabulous rice. Topped it off when the sever mentioned they had a pastry chef with their white chocolate tamale yummo! Bartender and serve fun great recommendations read more

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AWESOME PLACE! Our service, food, presentation, etc was all incredible. Special shout out to Cedar and Eker for going above and beyond to make us feel welcome and beyond satisfied. Do yourself a favor and check this place out! read more

The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was very nice and our waiter, Parris, was OUTSTANDING! (don't miss the Sea Bass) The next time we are in Santa Fe we will definitely return. read more

GREAT food and service! Jalapeño poppers were fantastic and a very cool presentation, each in a shot glass with ranch dressing!

Love this place so much we came here twice. First night we did make reservation the day before. Semi dressy and upscale atmosphere. Reserved a table. Our waitress was very helpful with making food decisions. For cocktails we got a prickly pear margarita and the Water street sunset. Both were very beautiful cocktails but the sunset one was the best! The free cornbread and whipped honey butter was insane, so good! We started with the chili prawns. These were incredible and they even split the app for us since we were sharing. For entrees we shared the Elk tenderloin and the Baja seabass. Both were outstanding dishes and paired great together to share. Lastly we had the empanadas dessert as per our waitresses recommendation. What a way to end the meal. 2 days later we decided it was so good we wanted to go again. We made reservations day of but they only had bar seats, which was fine. This time we tried the quail and it was good, but not quite as good as the shrimp. For entrees we had to get the elk again, it was so good, but this time as per a customer sitting right next to us got the scallops and they did not disappoint! Instead of dessert this time we got a side of mac and cheese with bacon. What a meal. This is a must go in Sante fe!!! read more

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I really enjoyed my dinner at Coyote Cafe recently. I was solo but the hostess did not take the place setting away for the 2nd person so the wait staff was a bit confused. I think she was new as I saw the manager explain things to her several times. But once that was figured out, my waiter and support staff and manager were very attentive. You start with cornbread and butter. This was really good. A bit of green chile in them but not spicy at all. I could have eaten them all but needed to save room for my meal. I started with the CHILE MORITA MEXICAN WHITE PRAWNS: Crispy Grit Cake | Green Chile Aioli | Citrus Salad. Almost too spicy for me but I really liked this dish. The grit cake was probably my favorite, though the shrimp where very good too. Not rubbery or overcooked. For my entree, I had the TELLICHERRY PEPPERED ELK TENDERLOIN: Potato Nest | Black Garlic Mashed Potatoes | Smoked Bacon | Mushrooms | Snap Peas. I really loved my elk. It was so tender and juicy. Good flavor. All the sides and toppings were really good too. I really had a nice time here. Good food and service. Definitely pricy but worth it. read more

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Stopped in to this cute little spot while in town for vacation. The norteno margarita was super spicy so could only handle one but it was well worth the try! Went off the recommendation of our server and tried the prawns with corn cake and it was worth every bite! Large prawns between two corn cakes with a tomato butter sauce on top - delish!! Definitely recommend trying this place if you get the chance. read more

Coyote Cafe - Norteno Margarita - New American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Yes, this is a high dollar fine dining restaurant, it looks like it and the prices tell you it is. But also the quality and service. I've been to plenty of fancy places that are only fancy in their prices. Seems like this place is frequented by folks celebrating something as all the tables around us were folks celebrating something. I was happy they didn't mind my shorts and t-shirt, I really don't like to argue with people to take my money, but they treated us perfectly. We did not find any appetizers that interested us and just had drinks which were good. They brought cornbread and a shot of squash soup which was fantastic. My wife had the ravioli and wasn't the biggest fan of the olive forward sauce but liked the dish overall. I had the elk to be cooked to medium and it came out more well and that is no way to serve elk. The waiter quickly took the plate. The head waiter (I assume) made his apologies and the apologies of the chef and brought me a perfectly cooked steak. The service here really made us feel like they wanted our money. I would recommend this place if you're looking for fine dinning. read more

Coyote Cafe - elk - New American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Service was the best I have experienced in a very long time. Robert was outstanding and that goes for all of the staff . Food was amazing from the pork belly tacos, quail, and bison carpaccio , to the elk tenderloin which was cooked to perfect perfection read more

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Excellent food, but very noisy. And where we were sitting was very cold. The manager gave me a shawl to wear, which was so nice!