I'm always pleased with my experience at the museum Cafe....Food is excellent. Service is friendly, sometimes slow due to big crowds, but never rude...Food is imaginative especially during certain seasons. The ambience is amazing...great views of the desert flora... read more

I have been a regular customer of the Museum Hill Cafe for years, and on my last visit I was ignored for several minutes although the restaurant was nearly empty and several staff were on-duty. When I asked for help I was rudely snapped at by staff. I called the manager to complain (politely) about the rude treatment and he also completely dismissed my concerns. I used to highly recommend the Museum Hill Cafe and make a point of taking visitors there. Now I cannot recommend them unless they dramatically improve their customer service. read more

Service: I come here for lunch since it's the only place within walking distance of where I work. I order to go and tend to notice how the staff members interact with one another. Some older staff members are rude to the younger or newer staff members, even though the younger and/or newer ones offer the best service. The baristas are very friendly and try to minimize the awkward moments when the staff seems disorganized and frantic. I would say that the management is the issue that contributes to the service quality, not the staff members. If they provided a better work environment for the good servers and fired the negative ones, I'm sure the restaurant would run a lot smoother. Food: The food here is really good if you like comfort food, like the tuna melt, tomato soup, nachos and guacamole. But, I would say that it's overpriced for what you get. The coffee is good, because they use Illy espresso, but it's still not the best coffee I've had in Santa Fe. Though, I am a bit picky about my espresso. So, their prices are fair for the quality, but when you're in need of some coffee, they make good espresso drinks. Much better than some other places in Santa Fe, which I appreciate. Atmosphere: The cafe is in a wonderful place in Santa Fe and the view is very lovely from the cafe patio. But, I think they rely too much on the view and don't make too much of an effort in design. At least, it appears that they haven't since the 90's. There are some nice decor moments in the cafe, especially since they have some wonderful art in and around the cafe, but nothing is very coordinated in the overall scheme of the design. Their branding on the website is much more put together and clean and modern, but the interior is simply outdated and not thought through very well. I'm sure that they have the money to hire a designer, but that may be another management issue. Overall: I really appreciate some members of the staff, even though management is a mess, and if I forget to bring a lunch, I will certainly come back. The food is yummy and the coffee is good, but I won't come back often, since I consider coming here a bit of a splurge. read more

6/15/11 Update-Museum Hill has since changed owners and managers and I can't vouch for this review at this point. I had lunch today at the Museum Hill Cafe for the first time since they switched from counter/table service to full table service. It was great, they've made the transition well and have hired some more great servers to flesh out the staff. I enjoyed the BBQ Shrimp BLT Wrap with Avocado without the shrimp and it was large and satisfying, especially with the side (it came with a choice of salad, chips, soup, or fries) of veggie rice soup. I sat outside in the shade and reveled in the sweet smells coming from the surrounding gardens. I usually come up on my lunch breaks to read and hide out for minute and the service is always quick enough without being rushed to get me in and out in under an hour when I need it. I've also lingered for an hour or more over coffee, cake and book. I believe they have a grand (re)opening coming up soon which would be a great time to check out this lovely spot. read more

I had some friends visiting and wanted to take them to Museum Hill Cafe for friendly, efficient service with a great view and great food. I was sadly disappointed. We started off on the right foot with a warm and friendly greeting; we were treated like VIPs! However, it went downhill from there. We ordered drinks and food. The waiter came back and of the 3 different orders that were taken, 2 items were 86ed. My friend ordered a substitute and my second choice was also out and I got a salad. Our drinks came and were then gone... nothing on our table, for a long time. We asked our waiter when we could expect our food and they said it would be right out. Again, more time goes by, still no food. We asked again and more time, more time and more... Asked the waiter again and then it finally showed. It looked like it was just thrown together. I think they realized the error and offered a free dessert.-- that was a nice touch. However, getting the check was like getting our food... it took so long. When we started to walk out, that's when our bill arrived. I have had many more good times there and will surely give them another try. I'll keep you posted. read more

What a nice surprise! Came here during a recent trip to Santa Fe while visiting the museums. It turned out to be one of, if not the best meals we enjoyed during our vacation. Wonderful service and setting (awesome view from the patio), and delicious food. Get the chicken mole if that's your thing -- it was perfect -- and save room for a slice of pecan pie. I think we would have eaten every meal here if we could! read more

Had lunch after visiting the museums. Beautiful location. Excellent food. Husband and I split the nachos and the burrito with bacon and avocado. Portions huge for lunch. We would have been fine with one or the other. Great view and nice outside eating area. read more

We stopped here for brunch before going into the folk art museum. We had a nice quiche - very good. It was windy on the patio but inside was nice - nice views of the surrounding area. The waiter was very polite and watched over us very well. It was pretty empty so it was very quiet. read more

Excellent food in a most beautiful location. While it is the only place to eat on "Museum Hill", it's a great place to eat and the changing menu means that you can eat on repeated days and still find new food. Starting with the hibiscus iced tea is a fine way to relax while awaiting the main course, and you can watch the New Mexico skies and surrounds in total calm. read more

This restaurant is great! Despite being the only restaurant on Museum Hill, the food is as cutting edge delicious as you'd expect from a restaurant surrounded by competition. I'd happily return! read more

OMG, horrible experience! We had 2pm reservations, and they weren't busy, yet it took them a good five minutes to even seat us. Service went down hill from there... Waiter had a serious attitude... We ordered appetizers and entrees, after 40 minutes our appetizers still hadn't shown up. I finally gave up waiting on our waiter, asked someone why it took them 40 minutes to get appetizers. Our waiter then appears with both entrees and one appetizer. I ask him why they didn't give us our appetizers first and he storms off - without having even given us the silverware he was holding! No apology, nothing just storms off! So... So did we! No payment, no tip, nothing except some choice words, serves them right... read more

We went Saturday Sept.15th around 1230. It took the server five minutes to even acknowledge that we were standing there waiting. At that point I knew I shouldn't have stayed, but we had been there before, and the duck flautas were good if a little stingy in portion. Apparently there were only two servers, and it took another ten minutes for the server to take our order. We sat at the entrance and watched people line up, wait unnoticed, and leave. One woman, who stayed and was seated, did not have her order taken for fifteen minutes. Unfortunately we left a book behind on our table. When we returned ten minutes later to retrieve it, it was gone. The waitress said she saw it on a table inside, but apparently she made no attempt to safeguard it for us. We told them it was a $50 book, and they didn't appear to care. I do not think that is how a well-run restaurant behaves, do you? This time I had "Laura's Delicious Burrito." The chef conceives of a chicken burrito as comprising dried out chunks of chicken, wrapped in flour tortilla onto which he baked a little cheese and sauce. It was like a dried-out pizza surface. This place is a candidate for "Restaurant Impossible." I will not go there again under either the present management or the present ownership. Is this how the Museum of New Mexico wants Museum Hill represented??? Really? Update: went by there again this week. It was still understaffed. read more

We really enjoyed our lunch here. I was thrilled to have my first enchilada because I could get it gluten free. And it was delicious. My husband loved his steak salad. And I devoured a slice of wonderful coconut cream pie. Service was very good even though the restaurant was packed. This is the only place to dine on museum hill but I would consider driving up for this restaurant and also the wonderful views. read more

The ambiance is pleasant. The food quite good. The service excellent. Staff well trained with great attitude. Love it. John and Laurie read more

Stopped in to meet a Santa Fe friend for lunch who suggested it. From california and have to confess I get really annoyed at lackluster service and attention.After a disappointing and expensive dinner at the Four Seasons( that's another story)the night before, found this place to be very good. The views are gorgeous and the wait staff friendly but very competent . They have good range of item but they also feature " old world cuisine" specials that are recreations of recipes the spaniards brought to New Mexico 400 years ago. We had a sweet corn custard with a Nopaul cactus salad... They suggest wines to go with each dish. My appreciation of the ancient spaniards tastes soared as we realized how delicious their foods were., the wine pairings were priced very reasonably and we thought this was an amazing find and food adventure.. Another point.. We found parking in downtown Santa Fe to be hard to find and meters everywhere... The museum hill complex has big free parking lots so we wandered, ate, enjoyed our wine and never looked at our watches in fear of getting a parking ticket... A food adventure read more

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- Long wait to be seated, though the restaurant was not at all busy. + Once seated, had friendly, helpful wait staff. + Delicious food! I had the quiche of the day, my companion had the sampler plate. - A bit pricey. + We unintentionally stayed past closing time but no one made a move to push us to leave, which was nice. We apologized when we realized our error, but the staff graciously said it was no problem. + Nice place to rest between tours of museums. + Beautiful views even on a rainy day. read more

Went here after the museum so we could take a break, and the waiter(it was a tall big guy) was just the worse. He didn't want us to stay because all we had ordered were drinks. Never came back to ask how we were and I had to flag him down to get a check. But he had time to check the table right beside us. Felt so discriminated. read more

Best Green Chili, Chicken Enchiladas in Santa Fe. Lovely setting with mountain views. Relaxed atmosphere.

This is the third time we have been to museum Hill Café. We had the same experience as a number of other reviewers which was delicious food but crappy service. Our waiter was surly, and made us feel like we were causing him a major inconvenience. The food was served and that was the last we saw of him. I spoke to the owner and mentioned that they only received 3 1/2 stars on yelp as a result of the service, and commented that my experience was similar to that of others. He himself was walking around the restaurant walked right past us did not say hello, Did not say welcome, did not ask how everything was and when I pointed this out to him both him and the manager whom he invited to join our conversation got very defensive. The manager had the nerve to say that she basically didn't care what yelp said. Even after my conversation with the manager, nothing changed. The waiter still did not come back, are empty and dirty dishes remained on the table in front of us for about 15 minutes while we're waiting for the check. Seriously poor management, in my experience. read more

The food was tasty, and the service adequate, though it was a busy time. The thing that bothered me was them automatically adding a "gratuity" for a party of two without mentioning it. Of course we would have tipped our server, but we found it presumptuous. read more

I had the Mushroom Taquitos and do not recommend them. While I liked the lightness of the corn tortillas, they were so oily I quickly used up two napkins in attempting to soak up the oil and clean up oily fingers, hands and table top. Worse however was the miniscule amount of filling in each taquito. One would expect some mushroom flavor to come through given the name but sadly, fried onion and tortilla was the predominant flavor. The others in my group liked the chicken burrito and the smoothie. read more

This is an amazing cafe. The food is excellent and the setting is beautiful. The staff is friendly and efficient.

Whenever I am in Santa Fe, which is quite frequently, I have to make a stop at the Museum Hill Cafe. The patio offers one of the best views in town and there is nothing better than sipping a Mimosa in the early afternoon while enjoying their delicious food. The menu is simple, but everything is executed elegantly--try the bread pudding, it is addictive. This is a great place to bring a group of friends or family for brunch, and a great way to just treat yourself to a quiet, relaxing lunch while overlooking the unforgettable Santa Fe landscape. It is pretty much perfect. read more

We had a larger group..8 people..and this was a wonderful relaxed setting for conversation al fresco.Really enjoyed the live music played on the patio.Gorgeous setting.Attentive waitstaff.Food superb.Highly recommend the Gazpacho and excellent guacamole.Loved that it was far enough away from the hustle of downtown crowds but not overly far from city center. read more

I could be a regular at this handy restaurant, but it has become pricey, and the new tapas they offer are SKIMPY Perhaps they are catering to tourists, but they would do well to listen to locals who will continuously support this business if it's done right with the mantra, "We value your business." Food is good; service questionable. read more

extremely busy place and for good reason. The food is crazy good!!!! The views are the best in town. Service was good but like I said before they are really busy. A must when in Santa Fe!!!!! read more

While visiting friends in Santa Fe, I had lunch here on a rainy, cold October day. The place was packed and lively, and our server seemed to be having a fun time greeting and serving everyone. Our sandwiches and soups were good, and came out quickly in spite of the crowd. I was disappointed that they were out of the garden burgers, thus the four stars. But it was a good experience overall. read more

The view is fantastic; the food was so-so. It's very noisy inside and it was too cool to eat out. Service was adequate. There are so many other great restaurants in Santa Fe, I would skip this one ! read more

We love this restaurant. The food is delicious, unusual and affordable. The staff is friendly and competent, although short-handed.

Such a lovely venue and decent food from the kitchen. The problem is service, service, service! I have never been to a restaurant with such abysmally bad service. The owner/manager seemingly goes out its way to provide the lowest level of restaurant service imaginable (and even watching him not give a damn about these problems). Just stay away! read more

We ate here again recently and had a much better experience than the first time. The food has been great with both experiences, but the service, which was terrible the first time, has finally matched the quality of the food. Hopefully this is an intentional and consistent change. read more

Spectacular views and food to match, with indoor and outdoor dining areas. Gracious and timely service. A great place to enjoy a relaxing meal after visiting the museums on the hill and a destination in its own right. read more

Now open for great late afternoon small plate dining until 7pm Wed- Fri. Delightful setting and views. Very tasty small plates that are not really small. You can put together a tasty meal with some fine wine from a nice list. Go now! read more

It has much better menu choices than one would expect from a restaurant with this name. These are custom dishes by an excellent chef. The food tastes great and the presentation is nice. The atmosphere is lacking and the service is basic but efficient. read more

Since the new operator took over this restaurant in the summer of 2010, the food and atmosphere have been terrific. The old "stand in line to order" system is no longer part of the experience. Guests are seated at a table, a server takes your order, and the food is delicious. Entrees are fairly priced and the in-house baked desserts are the best. It was a wonderful dining experience. I look forward to returning with friends. Highly recommended. read more

Because most of the customers who eat at this restaurant are tourist and will never return, the level of service is lacking and the food is mediocre. Today I ate there with 3 friends, we were on Museum Hill to see an exhibit and we are all local residents. We asked for separate checks and when we got them they all had a hand written tip of 20% added to the total. The waiter never told us if we had separate checks we would be charged this gratuity nor did it say anything about this on the menu. This is a totally unacceptable practice and unethical in my opinion. None of us will ever eat at this restaurant again and if you can avoid it I would. Eat in the downtown area before you go up there or expect to be disappointed. read more

Very good food, incredibly bad service. Were there a couple of weeks ago. Walked up, waited 5-10 minutes for someone to seat us, no one showed (they were busy), so we left. Came back in an hour, they were about half full then and were quickly seated. Orders for two sandwiches were promptly taken and then we waited. It took 40 minutes for two sandwiches to be served. In the meantime, at least two tables that were seated after us were served their orders before us (one by 15-20 minutes). That is unacceptable. We've experienced their bad service before and won't go back. read more

Arrived about 1:15p for lunch on a Saturday. We always forget this little gem when we go to Santa Fe from Albuquerque,but no longer. We were seated quickly and menus brought to us within a few minutes. The outdoor patio was very comfortable on a 93 degree day. We started with the Basal tomato soup and the gazpacho. Both were winners, particularly the tomato soup. I would order it every time I go there in the future. The grilled bread served on the side was also perfect. Next my wife ordered the Enchilada Suizas which was delicious. I had the tuna salad. A large scoop of fresh albacore tuna fish in a light mayo was outstanding in a bed of greens with a light vinaigrette dressing. The cucumbers and tomatoes in my salad tasted like they were from the garden. It was served with this wonderful grilled bread again. Yum. Service was outstanding with never an empty drink glass. Plenty of refills of tasty ice tea. Will definitely return to try other menu items. Prices were reasonable. read more

The museum hill cafe in Santa Fe NM has a beautiful view that can't be denied. However the service was awful on my last visit. My husband and I went for lunch on s Friday afternoon actually we arrived at 11:45, and where seated right away. I ordered the strawberry salad they offered as one of two specials for the day. My husband ordered the other special, it was steak sliced and thin cut fries with a small green salad. After 40 minutes and watching 3 other tables seated after us get their lunch I went to the gentleman at the front and complained. I stated that it had been 40 minutes and no lunch, he asked if I had placed a order!! Really!! Why would I complain if I hadn't. After several more minutes he appeared with our lunch, claiming it was the steak that held up our lunch. A steak cooked medium! The lady two tables arrived at least ten minutes after us ordered the same thing and had her meal all most finished by the time ours arrived. Shame on you for not just saying we misplaced your order. They didn't even offer a discount. Lesson learned I love Santa Fe and for the most part everyone is very pleasant. Maybe the people at Museum Hill Cafe need to come down off that hill once in a while. I won't go back. read more

Wow....DO NOT ORDER the tuna melt.....it is not white tuna, for that matter my partner, who somewhat knows the owner, tried to choke down a few bites and later said that she could taste it for three more days....called it cat food....I did try a bite and spit it out. honestly, ......When the waiter first came to the table , in a terrible mood .....we ordered , and after he dropped off the sandwich ( I ordered a salad which was ok ).....we saw him once more and then never saw him again, really, never saw him anywhere ( they may have been short handed because there were few staff on tables)......I finally went looking for him, for a few minutes , so that I could get the check, found the manager, then he went looking for him....5 minutes later he came from around back...not sure he found him either.....and quietly and very nicely said don't worry about it....people love taking their dogs there, plenty of dogs on the patio, two dogs barking at each other loudly... we saw two other people at another table, each clutching a dog against their shoulders like a baby, patting them and so on, but now the dogs were wagging their tails on the table tops... I guess you could eat inside but it sort of negates one of the main reasons to be there, as the outside setting is wonderful. read more