9PM On a Saturday night this place was packed! Sat at the bar ordered the house margarita with cucumber juice. Hit the spot very tasty. Shrimp scampi was AMAZING!!!! Large prawns with garlic and red peppers. Truly as fresh as you can get. Service was very attentive. Talking to the locals at the bar about El Nido reopening. All grins and excitement. Especially their pizza which I will try on my next visit. Which will be very soon. read more

Began with the chef's special Squash Blossom stuffed with cheese and wrapped in prosciutto, including grapes, and pears on a bed of romaine. The fettuccine was good. We sat on the back patio and listened to the rain pour in the tin roof. Service was great. read more

Three stars could have been 5 if it were not for the "manager" Chris. Sean, our server, was very pleasant and professional. His helper, Sabrina, was sweet and efficient. The food was amazing, flavorful, and filling. It wasn't until we were visited by Chris that the experience turned from 5 to a 3. Every employee was well groomed and professional looking except for him. Rolled up jeans, plaid, short sleeved shirt, untucked was way more casual than the general atmosphere, or food would suggest for someone in his position. De was defensive when we offered suggestions to improve the experience almost to the point of yelling. I would go back to see Sean, Sabrina and eat the food but would pass on the manager. read more

Second visit since it opened and while we like it, it's not a foodie destination. But, it is a quality, neighborhood restaurant...convenient to north-siders with a really nice menu and an emphasis on grilled open fire fruitwood items. The menu is great and unique with a great choice of steaks. But I've had 2 of my non-steak favorites (a pasta dish and a grilled bronzino) and both were definitely below the quality of the same dish at other restaurants in town. Likewise the steak, which comes with a choice of one of three sauces, and of the two we've tried, both were nothing to write home (to a foodie) about. So, repeating: you may love it and it's good...absolutely, but it's not going to compete, for us, with many other places in town A note about the space. There is a front room which tends to be quiet. It has a view of the open kitchen. Next is the bar room with mostly booths. It's fun and busy but also quite noisy. There is a very large patio which I think is largely covered with tenting. When crowded, parking can be an issue. Bring a good flashlight as you might have to walk on a busy road in the dark. It's in our version of "the sticks" Prices are a bit high, given the quality, but not so high that I was offended. Service has been good. read more

I took my boy friend out to El Nido because we've never been for dinner and it was so lovely. We ended up being the last ones of the night and our server/bartender, AJ, was so nice. Great conversation, great food, good cocktails. Lovely experience. Will return read more

Great happy hour. The food was delish. We ordered pizza's, bolagnase, wine, and beer. Chef Randy came out to make sure we were satisfied and we told him it was ALL amazing. Was nice he came out. Our party of 5 was very satisfied. read more

My experience at El Nido was nothing less than awesome. Very friendly staff, fast service and delicious food! I will definitely return !

Went to El Nidos last night and it was a wonderful experience! The wait staff was wonderful. We were well taken care of. Started with shrimp scampi which was not only beautiful but very tasty. I recomend El Nido for a very enjoyable dinning experience. read more

El Nido's is on a par with our high-end restaurants in Santa Fe, including The Compound, Santa Cafe and Geronimos. The food is very good--I had the duck and my partner had the Riggatoni dish. The duck was crispy and salty and nicely done. A large portion. The Riggatoni was excellent with fresh basil and tomatoes in a creamy sauce. The wine by the glass is a little limited but we were able to satisfy our particular palettes. The service was amazing and the location and atmosphere--as good as it gets. We watched as several folks stopped in to pick up their pizzas to go, which is in our near future. read more

Clever combinations of fresh ingredients and excellent cooking skills. The lamb pappardelle was a symphony of perfectly balanced flavors, glistening with just the right amount of lamb ragu. Succulent, yet easy on the stomach. The salmon crudaiola, cooked medium (by chef's recommendation) melted in your mouth: the mild sourness of the grapefruit cut through the natural fattiness of the salmon and olives, capers, artichokes and tomatoes complemented the Mediterranean bouquet. The desserts were magnificent. We had a gelato with pistachios and black cherries accompanied by a pear sauce and a truffle hazelnut gelato with micro merengues sprinkled on the top and a dark chocolate heart. Aside from the flawless presentation, the pairing of flavors and textures was brilliant. All hail to the chef. He is a genius. read more

Quaint atmosphere with multiple fire places and great artwork. Food and service was outstanding. Parking was on a side street which seemed a bit odd. Otherwise outstanding meal overall. read more

El Nido - American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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While in the area, we accidentally walked in to El Nindo (we thought we were walking in to the place down the road). The staff were so friendly and greeted us so politely, we decided to give it a shot. We were/are happy we did! The food was very good and the service was excellent. It was a quiet night in there and the ambiance was wonderful. I will certainly be back next time I'm in the Santa Fe area. read more

My husband and I went for a nice dinner and enjoyed every single bite! We had the shrimps, a pasta dish, the scallops and desserts. Tiramisù was outstanding! Service was attenti and fast, they checked on us several times to make sure everything was right. We will be back for sure! read more

Delicious food, great drinks, amazing service, and families are welcome. El Nido has a warm, rustics but clean and inviting atmosphere. The hidden gem is their beautiful outdoor patio. This is a family favorite read more

This place is all hype and not what I expected. The waiter up-charged every little item. $3.50 for a tiny cup of Gorgonzola to add to a small house salad. They charged us 20% gratuity for our party of six which included a baby. The service was extremely slow. It took 20 mins to get a cocktail, another 25 mins for the salads to come out and then even longer for the entrees and 25 mins for the desserts. I split a plate with another person and had to physically split our fish myself onto a bread plate. I asked for a half shot of liquor to add to a single scoop of gelato which I figured should have cost ~$7.00 and they charged $12.00. Basically, the food is mediocre, the service slow and sneaky. It seems the chef that garnered those 5 reviews was let go and the person currently filling that role is clueless. My trout tasted more like a salt lick. I am a SFe native and also live in LA, I know what High end gourmet food is, and this surely not...more like taking a gefite fish and putting it between two spears of asparagus. Be very careful if you eat here, your bill will probably be 30% higher than you expect and the food isn't worth the price. I will never ever go back...and would recommend avoiding the inevitable disappointment. read more

Lovely Thanksgiving dinner. Service was fantastic, food was wonderful and the ambiance was romantic. Thank you El Nido for a perfect dinner. read more

This restaurant is the closest you'll get to Italy in the western states. Chef Cristian Pontiggia has brought his full complement of Italian recipes infused with the great New Mexican chilies and peppers to yield some great dishes. Service was amazing. Just a hop skip from central Santa Fe you won't regret this choice in fact you'll remember this always. read more

We REALLY REALLY want this restaurant to succeed! So we'll give it a second chance... but the service was terribly slow (sat down at 6:40pm, food did not arrive until 8:45pm) without much communication from staff as to what was going on. When we (and other patrons) started questioning, a server brought out complimentary sparkling wine.... really not a wise move when we were already a couple glasses of wine in without a meal to enjoy it with. Also, the back left room is freezing cold and rather sterile.... uncomfortable chairs. Our server was a delightful woman and clearly felt bad... but the place just doesn't seem like it has its act together yet. I suggest they reduce the size of their menu and not try to be all things to all people. read more

I nearly NEVER write reviews, but i had to after reading the other reviews I honestly found to be unfair. Totally wish there was a 4.5 star option because that would be more accurate. Went to El Nido twice while in Santa Fe. The first, I enjoyed the pizza....we are from New York and I still give El Nido pizza two thumbs up. The second night, I had to go for a little red meat and it did not disappoint. Glad there wasn't a third because I would have had to get both to be satisfied. Visit and see for yourself, don't take my word for it! read more

Food, atmosphere are very good. Service is amateur-ish and substandard. Sat at bar. Staff more interested in wiping glasses with their back to customers than paying attention to customers. Staff is friendly but just not well trained. We have been coming to the predecessors to the current El Nido for 30 years. So much potential but just lacks execution. read more

Good pizza, very poor service. Two of us received the wrong pizza, and one received the wrong beer. After a 10 minute wait (with way too many waitstaff doing who knows what) to get the correct beer, it was again wrong. It was then explained to my friend (a craft beer connoisseur and blogger) that this was the correct beer, which it was not. She said she watched it being poured, and then we asked perhaps if the taps were correctly connected (which they were not). She was then asked if (when she asked for a bottled stout) she likes dark stout? It is a beautiful space except for the third world asphalt/pvc ramp leading to the front door. read more

Very impressed with our first visit during Restaurant Week. White truffle soup, chicken roasted over firewood, and brûlée cake were the highlights. Will definitely be back, especially before the opera in the summer. read more

Lovely restaurant! Great bar, patio and phenomenal food - lobster ravioli is melt in your mouth! Also love how they showcase local artist for their decor. #shoplocal We were a party of four and everything came out prefect! For being a "new" restaurant I felt they were doing better than most at their stage. All I can say is TRY THIS PLACE! read more

We ate there last night. I'm not a troll or a fake reviewer. I'm a real person who was very impressed by the food quality. I've eaten pizza all over Italy and this pizza was on par or better. That in itself would be enough to give 5 stars. But the creativity of the chef was the surprise. When you see cooking shows by professional chefs with perfect displays of salads and entrees and desserts, that's what we got. Still impressed the day after. read more

I don't know where to start it was such a great experience! The bartender (female) made a perfect dirty martini! Our waiter, Edward, was so full of personality and professionalism that he made our evening. The interior is appealing and comfortable with lot's of interesting art. Every dish was better than the last. The fried chickpeas served with our drinks was so good that we are trying to replicate at home! The caprese salad (with choice of mozzarella or burrata) had perfectly sweet ripe tomatoes. The fig salad and caesar salads were amazing. The smoked meats (pork tenderloin and filets) were so flavorful with creative and generous sides. We finished with the moist tiramisu cake. Thank you Edward and everyone at El Nido - our new favorite! read more

So great! Yes I was dining with my husband and Father in law but I couldn't help catching a crush on Edward our waiter. He was so personable and professional and made my night. Great food, we had a Cave man pizza and drinks. Love you Edward! read more

This restaurant is well below serviceable. The food is trying to be unique and is merely strange. Who is in the kitchen?????????????? Do not try "gourmet if you not up to it! The service is a total intrusion. They ask "isn't you dinner wonderful about 10 times during the course of the evening. Hard to even have a discussion with my husband. Keeping quite ,except for nessecities is something that I fine is needed! I do not want to talk to you about the so -called "fantastic" (NOT) food.n get a better chef and quiet down. The place was virtually empty except for endless unstrained staff read more

Loved everything about this updated classic. The renovated interior is beautiful. The waitstaff was attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. Everything our party if six ordered was amazing. I especially love that there is plenty of room between tables due to the restaurant being so large. The wine list has a good variety including California selections which are my favorite! We are already planning our next visit!!! read more

Service was very good but the runner delivered the wrong meal (meat pasta) to my vegetarian spouse. Meanwhile the other couple in the room spent their time arguing. Lots of foul language. Ruined a potentially very nice intimate evening. Very mediocre experience. "Might" try it again.....Maybe. read more

Wonderful patio, fantastic food! However, they messed up the order on 1 of our party of 4. It was a slow Monday. She ordered a pasta, they brought oxtail, but apologized and said they would fix right away. 30 minutes later, as they were clearing all our plates, her pasta finally arrived. She enjoyed it, but ate alone. No visit from a manager to apologize, no compensation of any form, not even her after dinner coffee! If you're in a restaurant like this, spending this much money, a mistake be like should at least be acknowledged and resolved in some form or another. There was no attempt at all. This was last night, Monday, June 26. We are from the area and brought someone new but don't think we will return. read more

Bad dining experience. Champagne served warm. Server was inexperienced. Didn't know how to time. Most of the food not at all good. Worst experience especially for anniversary dinner. Comped a dish I couldn't even eat. Served me the wrong dish hurried it up & was badly executed. Had bad experience & still charged over $150. Acted like they were doing us a favor. Will not return. Sad as old restaurant revitalized not successfully. read more

If the chef is Italian he should be ashamed. I ordered the Fettuce Pasta and out came Angel hair pasta. I complained and got the "this is what we call it" explanation to which I replied you can call it a shoe but it doesn't make it one. Just for the record here is the definition of Fettuce Pasta: "A long, flat, wide pasta noodle, which is approximately 3/8 inch wide. It is generally an egg noodle." And folks that's not what I got. So the management decided to bring me Pappardelle in the same sauce. Two things became evident quickly, the Pappardelle had been sitting in hot water and was mushy and the sauce had all the character of a manila envelope. So the folks I was with had a Margarita Pizza that looked good. Mozzarella and fresh tomatoes with a thin crust. Looked good enough and by God the crust was good. The rest of the pizza was as bland and void of any taste as any pizza I've ever had. Oh and for the record the drinks are way overpriced. This place serves a lot of the local opera goers who all seem to be 72yrs+. I'm not sure where they are from but I went there because my friends went there and I tagged along. Won't tag along again. read more

... came into Santa Fe for my brother's wedding. We had the rehearsal dinner at El Nido. Everything was just perfect. The food was amazing. The chef came to our room and partied with us. He compted out many find delicacy as well as champagne. It felt like we were hosted by old family friends. I recommend this restaurant for any celebratory event. Reserve their banquet room. You won't be sorry. read more

Worst restaurant experience I have had in a long time. The host was extremely rude making us debate if we should go elsewhere. Service was uneven. Food was mediocre. And we had a $380 bill for a party of four adults and three kids excluding alcohol when we only ordered one appetizer to share and no desert. Having been to most restaurants in Santa Fe I would suggest going just about anywhere before here. read more

Food was okay but by no means worth the price. Steak ordered medium was burned on both sides and crunchy. Salmon was bland, could have made better at home. It is very annoying when the waiter tries to upsell the whole time without knowing the content of the menu. And then when I asked about the menu I got a bunch of filler about natural farm raised local blah blah blah, he didn't know anything about the ingredients of the dish. It is very weird to have the entire wait staff of about 10 people standing in the room watching you eat and talk amongst themselves while you are dining.The bar is not sufficiently stocked, even though we were the first table seated they couldn't make the requested drink. They need to focus less on the presentation of the food and focus instead on the quality. It's a shame this restaurant has gone downhill from what it used to be a couple years ago when It was operated by the previous owner. Won't be returning. read more

We live in Tesuque and really want el Nido to succeed. We purposefully waited a few months to allow them time to work out kinks. This is a restaurant with an attitude- and pretensions- that needs to be toned down. Service was attentive but not refined. Some of the food was fairly tasty, but none was refined. The menu clearly states it will not cater to substitutions. A fine restaurant -from high end, down- will do all in its power to accommodate a diner's needs. The caesar salad lacked pizzaz- in fact it was bland except for the overstated serving of shaved parmesan (so much that I had to scoop it off to the side- a little lettuce with your parmesan?). Aside from the bland caesar salad, the rest of the food too much-- too much salt, too much cinnamon, too much creme fresca. And overcooked pasta. We were so looking forward to a good home made pasta. Both of our very different dishes were an overcooked pile of mushy glop. What a disappointment. My Italian mama would be mortified.They did replace it, but it should never have come to the table that way. And no bread! (except for a price). This is NOT Italian. The potential is there for some great food, but refinement is at the top of what is needed here. And a little more self assuredness-allow folks to make substitutions as needed, lighten up on flavorings and attitude. Relax. Have some fun. We did enjoy our wine selections, though the pours were very very short. If I were to go back, would not order a glass of wine. And that is a very big IF. read more

Bowl of pasta came out with a big glob of noodles stuck together, as if chef hadn't stirred it the whole time it was cooking. Gross! But they were nice and took it back. However, they returned to me a bowl with less than one-half of what there was originally! And it's supposed to be hand-made pasta but it's absolutely drenched in sauce, no way you can taste the pasta. Supposed to be a steak place but the "meat" dish we ordered also came swimming in a gravy. The meat tasted okay (not great) but was not at all tender and the veggies had to be cut with a knife, they were so tough. No bread given at a supposedly Italian restaurant? And the bartender had a strange habit of smelling the glass for every drink she made. What was she trying to detect? Horrible experience overall, really disappointing. Why can't new restaurants just be simple, like the old El Nido? The steaks used to be great; who needs this "Italian Steakhouse" with "preparations" that just don't work. read more

I was really hoping the bad reviews were just outliers, but nope. I ordered the petite tender which was a 7 oz filet. The server claimed it was one of the "best in Santa Fe." I can assure you it's not. I ordered it medium and it was cooked properly - nice pink center. BUT it was very tough. A filet should be very tender and it should feel like cutting through butter. Instead, I had to saw through it to cut bites. The server said it would come with mashed potatoes. It didn't. Instead it came with risotto, which was more like a cheese ball with rice sprinkled throughout it - WAY too cheesy and goopy. (And I love cheese). I had to send it back. I was offered polenta in its place, which was actually very good. The vegetable side was also disappointing. It came with a pile of over-salted oyster mushrooms and bland zucchini that was sliced in really large, awkward pieces. Just meh. And for those who care about plating, it was just kind of sloppy, felt like I was being served a dish at the Outback or something. Overall, I wasn't impressed at all. It's just overpriced for what you're getting. It's not like it was the worst meal I've ever had (I did eat my whole plate!). The atmosphere is beautiful, but it just felt like one of those places that WANTS to be fine dining, but can't actually offer that experience. So if they drop the higher end prices, it would feel more matched to the food quality. Service was good/friendly overall. Btw, I'm not a high society person who eats fine dining a lot. It's usually reserved for special occasions. So if even a middle-class person can pick apart a meal like this, well... what does that say? read more