Occassionally, you travel around and see a place to eat that is out in the middle of nothing and have a great experience. That's Blades Bistro. The owner/chef has a small place in a local strip mall and provides the local community an upscale experience. The dining area is intimate and the staff welcoming. The meals are fresh and delicious. Being from back east, I don't see cioppino very often and had to go with the special. A rich full flavored broth enhanced the flavor of the broth. Gotta love the bread for soaking up the remnants. Small touches, like the butter on the steak, reflect the thought in every dish. read more

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An exquisite dinner tonight Steak Frittes and an icy 7K draft were outstanding served by Scott, the number 1 waiter extraordinaire Blackened yellowfin was raved over by my Mrs Dessert? Yes....pain Perdue. Perfect finish read more

Blades' Bistro - Perfect dessert ending, Pain Perdu - Salad Near Me - Placitas, New Mexico

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Another great meal. Two specials this time. (1) Alsatian Sauerkraut specialty, Choucroute Garni with confit duck leg, pork rib, smoked sausage, and potatoes over braised sauerkraut; and (2) Con Frutti de Mare with sauteed shrimp, scallops tossed with white wine, garlic, parmesan cream sauce over linguini pasta. Simply superb. Excellent service as usual. Ambiance befitting a European bistro. Highly recommended. read more

Blades' Bistro - Alsatian Sauerkraut - Salad Near Me - Placitas, New Mexico

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Great spot - cozy dining room that may require reservations based on day & time you're trying to get in for a meal. Good service that was timely & attentive. The menu is simple but has lots of options to choose from - starting with the appetizers, to the entrees and the dessert menu. Opted for the Brussel sprouts and oysters to start - both were so good, loved 'em! For main courses a couple of the options included the Shepards Pie and the Blackened Yellow Fin Tuna. Sides included mashed potatoes and mixed veggies - everything was delicious! Can't wait to go again & try other options! Almost forgot - don't forget to try the Pain Perdu bread pudding dessert (I don't even like bread pudding)! read more

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We found Blades years ago and anytime we are in Placitas or get a calling for a cozy setting and a delicious meal we head over. The quality of the service and food is still top notch after all of these years. The menu is still priced right and earlier in the week they have a few simpler options that come with a great price. On this visit we had an order of fish and chips along with a Bistro burger. The fries on both plates were super crispy. The fish and burger were on point for how they were prepared. They really do a great job here and it's worth a trip. They often have space for walk ins. read more

Blades' Bistro - Create Your Own Rustique Bistro Burger - Salad Near Me - Placitas, New Mexico

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Could not be more disappointed for our anniversary dinner. Waiter was impatient and almost rude. Food was disappointing. Salty soup Blah salmon read more

We had a wonderful Valentine dinner. We loved the Brussels sprouts appetizer. I had the strip special and hubby had the chicken and both were phenomenal! The best was dessert-I had the bread pudding and hubs had the cheesecake. Our server was attentive and great. Loved the bistro atmosphere. read more

Blades' Bistro - Biscochito cheesecake - Salad Near Me - Placitas, New Mexico

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The food was elegant, high quality and masterfully prepared. Complements to the award winning chef. We had to wait even though we had reservations. Place seemed a little disorganized but the bussers/food servers were top notch. Excellent wine list too! A total surprise. read more

This is a surprising find. If you live in Santa Fe or Albuquerque, this place is worth the short drive. First, the food is exceptional. Try the sautéed chicken livers (delicious), or the fruitti de mare pasta. Even the salmon and shrimp stir fry is a pleasant surprise with the substantial ginger in the sauce. And the Steak au poivre is as good as it should be. Drinks are good. Wine list is good. Desserts are good. And service is fantastic. Ask for Constance - she will take care of you. If she's not there, Stephen is an excellent choice. Proprietor Anya is welcoming and wants to make sure that you get the best of everything. This place feels like eating at home with a private world-class chef cooking in your kitchen. We will come here often. Side note, the creme breulee is insanely good. It's the real thing. Creamy and soft with a rich flavour. The consistency is real, not the over-set kind that you get at most places. read more

My wife and I went here on a Saturday evening and were promptly seated. I ordered the tuna appetizer and a wedge salad. My wife got a lemon chicken dish. All entrées and appetizers were delicious. In addition. The apple strudel was fantastic. I ordered an old-fashioned and my wife got some white wine which were equally delicious. the only reason for not giving five stars Were the mashed potatoes. They had absolutely no flavor. I'm not sure what they were going for but compared to everything else. It was definitely a needs improvement. However, the rest of the mail was fantastic. I would definitely go back. read more

Blades' Bistro - Tuna, appetizer, and old-fashioned - Salad Near Me - Placitas, New Mexico

I have eaten here with family and friends now for a year -- perhaps ten or twelve times. Blade's is five minutes from my house, so I would probably eat there if it were at least above average. Imagine my delight when I discovered that Blade's cooks up some of the best French or European dishes in northern New Mexico. First, the steak au poivre, one of their specialties, and in my experience the equal of the finest steak au poivre I have had anywhere including in Paris. The beef served at Blade's is delicious, and their chef knows how to handle it. The au poivre sauce was a delight every time I ordered this dish, and I have eaten it at least four times. I recommend you try it medium rare. Next, the smoky Caesar's salad. Don't overlook this delightful dish. It contains smoked salmon and is replete with fresh parmesan and crunchy romaine. Let the kitchen dress it for you. Then, any fish dish. I love their treatment of sea bass. I would never miss the cioppino, which comes and goes as a special. The fish and chips offering is also very good. I have never had the salmon, but fellow diners have rated it very high. This restaurant offers chicken livers, and they do a fine job with them. I think the dish tastes Italian, but ask the chef. My biggest problem with chicken livers is trying to decide what wine to drink with them. And the wine list is excellent. We even persuaded the team to sell us Grüner Veltliner by the glass on a recent visit, but normally it goes by the bottle (there were only two of us at the table). Which brings us to the service. Impeccable. These are well-trained, engaged wait staff. And the ambiance: European bistro all the way. This lovely restaurant has a nice patio for summer evenings. I cannot give a higher recommendation -- Blade's is the best. read more

Hi, we had dinner here on April 2nd me and my partner I took him there for his birthday. I just want to say the food the food is outstanding.We had a wonderful wedge salad and stakes. Service was exceptional. We also had the best bread pudding.I want to say this is definitely one of the best.Hidden gems, we have been to in a long time.It is definitely worth the drive. I live in santa fe and my partner lives in real rancho, but we will definitely be back there for sure... I have an onion allergy, and the chef came out and talked to me. I made sure everything that went on. My plate had no onions.And that makes a big difference to someone who cannot eat onions.I want to give a big cheers out to this wonderful hidden gem in placeitas....thanks Raymond read more

Had a lovely dinner there, though it was last year with some friends but always good to post. A good review was quite comfy and very Bistro like. Love the ambience and the food was absolutely delicious. read more

I recently moved to Placitas and I love Blades. I'm not much of a meat eater but the salmon stir fry, shrimp scampi, wines and salads are great. I'll be going back to check out the fish and chips soon. A wonderful neighborhood bar and bistro with cozy ambiance inside and dining al fresco. read more

I visited this place on a road trip from Colorado to New Mexico to hang out with my girlfriend's parents. They took us here and I'm not going to lie, I was skeptical since it was a seafood heavy restaurant and kind of in the middle of nowhere in New Mexico. Boy, was I surprised. The first thing that I was really happy about was that when ordering a lemonade, they also provided a pitcher along with it. The waitress said it was to make her life easier but it made my day as well. The appetizers were really tasty but I would like to specifically point out the brussels sprouts. Perfect roast and distribution of ingredients! The entrees were all really tasty as well. I had the Con Frutti de Mare and everything tasted great. I wished there was a bit more pasta but not a big deal. To top things off, service was great! I don't remember what our waitress's name is but she nailed everything! read more

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Disappointing first visit, but we will try again because it's our local restaurant. My mistake was ordering cod as a main course. Cod is a cheap fish better served fried as chips & fish. It was sautéed with a bottled teriyaki sauce (yuck). Was charged $37 for a disgusting dinner of cheap cod. Next, the kitchen was not prepared to serve the the menu. I ordered strawberry shortcake but couldn't get it. Hopefully our next visit isn't so unappetizing. read more

WOWOWOWOWWW If you haven't been here, it's time!! This small, cute, ma and pa restaurant was an amazing experience. We went for our anniversary and booked our reservation ahead of time. The people were incredibly nice as we were dealing with running late. The place was packed!! They were definitely a little understaffed but we were still very well taken care of. We ordered all kinds of foods and everything was incredible! The food was super fresh and daily specials also looked amazing. I ordered the seafood pasta for my main course and I was so sad I couldn't finish it all. I've been to papadeux and what not but this pasta the BEST compared to anywhere else. I cannot wait to go back and have another amazing experience over and over again! read more

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My boyfirend travels for work and has eaten at hundreds of restaurants. He has never been charged a $5 fee to use a credit card until we ate at Blade's for dinner. The meal was also very dissapointing. The food and service have been steadily declining over the past 5 years. Too bad a restaurant so close is so poor. We won't be going back. read more

We have patronized this restaurant now and then for many years. The last few visits, however, have been disappointing. Tonight, we ordered cocktails, only to be told they had no vodka at the bar. No vodka on a Tuesday night. (Maybe they could've gone next door to the Merc and bought a bottle?) So the server suggested we make our mules with dark rum instead. We agreed, only to later be told they had no dark rum, either, leaving two of us to make do with some non-alcoholic ginger beer drinks. Our first choice for wine was also not available. Apparently there is no bartender; the waitress makes your drinks. As for the starters, the French onion soup was mediocre (canned?) with no bread, just some goopy cheese floating in broth. The roasted Brussels sprouts were tough and papery. The shrimp in the Roma pasta was rubbery and the pasta had coagulated into a solid mass by the time it reached the table. The chicken livers were just awful. Only one of the four diners in our party finished their meal (a steak with fries). This was not a $300+ dining experience. Not sure what is going on here, but very disappointed that a local place we used to look forward to visiting is now not a place we can recommend to anyone. read more

in my years of going to a restaurant, I have never been more disgusted. By the way the ownership treated us on April 13 of 2026 by asking us to order quickly because they were going to need to turn the table because of night reservations that they had to accommodate we already ordered a bottle of wine and an appetizer and wanted to eat that and have a drink and casually have a good dining experience and then order the entrée after we finished our soup and appetizer however, the owners persistence and the waiters persistence coming for a table telling us we need to order quickly because they "" need to turn the table was outrageous. It's an expensive restaurant however they will never get money however they will never get money for me again. There will be reviews in other ways, shapes and forms that I can put out in the Albuquerque Placitas in Santa Fe area to let everyone know how despicable it was on how they treated us that evening. The only good thing about that evening was leaving there without finishing our meal. We went to another restaurant in downtown Bernalillo, which was amazing. The food was amazing. The service was amazing. There was music and entertainment, and the place was packed, but nobody asked us to move along quickly so somebody else could eat. Goodbye blaze bistro, and read reviews and other restaurant periodic articles throughout New Mexico and you will see similar reviews. I won't stop doing this. read more

Amazing food and service. Friendly staff and a teddy bear sits at the bar! Was recommended by a local bartender and it was perfect! read more

Delighted with this choice from the locals we were visiting. A little hiccup with our reservation through their website, but the staff hastily arranged our seating. Beautifully decorated for the holidays, a lively crowded seating area, which didn't have or need music piped in. Seemed to be THE spot for all ages having their special occassions. We had two servers who were very professional, smiling and gracias, who predicted our needs and responded quickly to our requests. The wine list was excellent, the food AMAZING. My salmon, shrimp stir fry was spectacular, the vegetables so fresh and seasoned to perfection. My three guests ate every bit on their plates. We giggled that our waiters tried to take away our dishes at least three times; clearly we are part of the "clean plate club", but particularly when we wanted the joy of EACH morsel. I wish I had room for dessert; perhaps another time. Local art for sale displayed , and the hostess had a great knowledge of the pieces and the artists, which she shared with my friend who has an eye for detail. Truly , this spot rivaled any of the New York, New England bistros I've been fortunate to visit. read more

Wasn't able to place an order for pickup because the business wouldn't answer the phone. When service is poor, the food can't be good enough so we decided to order from Applebee's and it was outstanding! read more

Wonderful little bistro in Placitas. Nice atmosphere with very good food at great prices. The menu is varied with some out of the ordinary offerings. Highly recommend. read more

Well, We went here for our 15th anniversary. Needless to say, zero recognition of that fact and given a middle-of-the-room table. Service was good, food was average at best. My husband's salmon was incredibly fishy. We opted to not make a fuss. We ordered coffee and the creamer was curdled. Really a huge disappointment on such an important evening. After several years of patronage, we will no longer be going to Blades. read more

It's all Aces at Blades. We go frequently and are never disappointed!!! Definitely go

Good experience for our group. The staff were very friendly and our food delicious. We had a meatloaf, pasta, and a chicken dish. read more

We ate there with two other couples on December 31. The food was quite good but we were put off by the waiter refusing to do separate checks for the three couples. He just totaled everything up and divided by 3. Maybe this is the modern or European way but it's not my way. I think it's a mistake to be less accommodating than Applebees. I doubt we'll be back. read more

We were here under the white lights on a slightly chilly evening. The food is wonderful, but slow in coming out of the kitchen. Because it is a Friday night, the kitchen was busy. I have a suggested. Buy some 16 ounce glasses to serve your ice tea in. The small, little glasses currently using is absurd. The grilled shishido peppers with olive oil and tomatoes was tasty. The rustic bread with basalmic vinegar and olive oil was good. The caprese salad with balsamic reduction was yummy. The French onion soup was a little heavy on the wine, and slightly off in the proportion. Also some of the onion slices had the tough dry outer skin, that should have been discarded. The steak frites had a lot of hot fresh cut French Fries and their was a good sized chunk of herb butter on top. The steak though was tough, hard to cut and had a large potion of gristle through the flat steak slice. When we took it home, the dogs would not eat it! The beef medallion with red wine reduction was good. I like my veggies cooked. The roasted potatoes were fine, but the carrots and green beans were mostly raw, not even blanched. I wanted to try the bread pudding, but had no space left. Maybe next time. read more

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My husband and I so wanted to like to place, as it's the closest restaurant to our house. We've now given it four chances and the inconsistency in food quality has done us in. The first time we ate here was at the peak of COVID and they brought our food to our car. Food was just ok, but since it was during COVID, we gave them a pass. The second time was when things were opening up a little and we were able to pick up our order inside the restaurant. My husband got the NY strip and it was literally inedible. It was mostly gristle and fat and very overcooked. He ordered rare. We thought again, COVID and some foods don't travel well. The third time was when they allowed seating inside and the food was a little better. We thought as they get back in the swing of things, it will get better. Fourth time, we dined outside in their cute patio. The food was disappointing. I've included pics of our fourth meal below. The only dish that was good was their wedge salad. My husband ordered the ribs and they were dry and tough. He didn't even finish his meal and ate the French fries, which were good. He got a $20 plate of fries is what it amounted to. I've ordered the Frutti de mar three times and it's been different each time. Sometimes the sauce is thick and more flavorful, other times it's watery and flavorless. There is no consistency. For almost $27, I expect better. I don't think we'll be returning anytime soon. We may give it another try sometime, but not in the near future. I think four visits was enough to get a good sense of their food. I'll stick to cooking at home or going to Albuquerque if we want to dine out. read more

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"I'd like to go out for some amazing seafood in the middle of the desert" you say. And as crazy of an idea as that may seem, you head out to Blades'. You end up having hands down the best calamari you've had in your life, and their absolutely delightful Con Frutti de Mare. (Seafood and pasta in a fabulous Brie white sauce.) The chef is brilliant. The servers are thoughtful. The mood of the space is cozy and classy. If you want to treat someone for a birthday or a special occasion, this is the way to do it. I had my friend with me for my visit. It was an absolute treat to be able to share with her such a lovely dinner. I've been out here with friends a handful of times and everything I have ordered has been just perfect. read more

Came in for Mother's Day and what a hidden gem! Stared off with the calamari strips and they were topped with a sriracha aioli. The kids had the ribs and they were gone within 5 minutes. Perfectly glazed with a sweet and sour bbq sauce that was so full of flavor and again perfect for the kids. The steak frites was cooked to a perfect medium rare topped with compound butter with made it so juicy! The half brined chicken was very juicy and tender as well. Topped with a garlic aioli which gave it the perfect touch. Service was alright. read more

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We ordered from Blades this evening. What a disappointment. I ordered my favorite "con frutti de mare" ... it was extremely dry and lacked the delicious sauce that usual accompanies it and for $26 I literally received 3 small shrimps and 2 and a half very small scallops. A total rip off. My husband had the Steak Au Poire...40% of the steak was pure FAT. and the greencorn pepper sauce.....what greencorn pepper sauce.....and I hate when they ask at the end of the interaction....and how much of a tip would you like to add?????? read more

The food quality and flavor was excellent. Atmosphere is cozy. Service was excellent. Unfortunately, they have limited hours.

We have been to Blades several times. Unfortunately, the last two times were not worth the trip. We went tonight even though the last time we went was disappointing (slow service and cold food). We felt they deserved a second chance. When we arrived, there seemed to be confusion about who was waiting on us. The woman who sat us said I guess I'm waiting on you as if it was a chore to serve us. It took 10 minutes for us both to get a drink and we waited 50 minutes for food which never came. We watched people arrive and get their food promptly. When we asked to pay our bill and leave, we were told that the waitress forgot to put our order in. No one even bothered to check on us to see if we might like another drink while waiting. I don't think we will chance Blades again. We went need up at the Turquoise Taproom, a local favorite, and were served delicious food in less than 15 minutes. read more

Great food, I had my doggie with me and they were very accommodating. We sat outside they brought a water bowl for my pup and the owner came out and gave her treat, that was really nice. I had the iced tea, it was very fresh. The bread was crusty and tender and delicious. I got the Caprese Salad with peaches instead of tomatoes. It was excellent the peaches were sweet and went well with the mozzarella and balsamic reduction. read more

My husband had the cod and it had 14 bones in it. When we asked about it the staff said let me ask the chef. Well the friend we were with had the same thing and it didn't have any bones. The flavor was good. I do recommend the lobster bisque. The ambiance was pretty to celebrate our anniversary. read more

We love Blades Bistro! Friendly, family run place. The owner knows is even though we've only been about 5 times in the past couple of years. Always says "hi" and chats. Food is delicious as well as the wine. The one time there was an issue with a meal being incorrect, they fixed the problem and comped the meal. Excellent customer service. Cute place with a patio that you can watch the sunset from. Always a wonderful time at Blades! read more

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What a wonderful hidden gem!!!! The service was excellent and the food was simply outstanding... truly a neighborhood feel but most definitely a world-class destination read more

Blades' Bistro - Valentine's Dinner at Blade's 2020 - Salad Near Me - Placitas, New Mexico

We came here from Albuquerque to eat before we went to our show at the Santa Ana Casino & we were very pleased that we picked this place! We almost didn't make it here because the GPS directions told us we had arrived (too soon), no restaurants in sight! Thankfully we decided to keep driving about another 500 yards instead of turning around right then. The ambiance was wonderful & intimate, the staff was very friendly & attentive from the hostess, to the server, to the owner. We had the ribs appetizer, they were tender & the flavor was delicious! I had the green chile cheeseburger which was juicy and so flavorful! The fries were perfectly cooked and it was all so good that I practically finished my whole plate! My husband had one of the specials that day, (according to our server it was a new item) it was a stuffed meat (I'm trying to rack my brain for what it was called but alas my mom-of-3 brain isn't working) he ate every single bite of it & said that he LOVED it, which is saying a lot since his usual response is "eh, it was ok". The only downsides for us was we didn't really like our drinks (alcoholic) but we're not big drinkers so not surprised & it took a good while for our food to come out so we rushed to eat our food to make our show -barely- on time(& I forgot to take a picture, no time for it lol). But over all it was a great place and we would definitely go back!! read more

Blades' Bistro - Salad Near Me - Placitas, New Mexico

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