An Excellent experience! Truly a magical beautiful place right in the heart of the arts district. We were a party of 20 coming for a bday. Our meal and service was excellent! The only complaint was the private dining room upstairs was literally freezing. They couldn't regulate the temperature in there for the room remained at 62°. This should be a simple issue to get fixed as it is a crucial part of the restaurant. Made a normally perfect experience very challenging. Overall the ambiance was so alive and had so many nice nooks and cranny's to enjoy yourself. Tables were set beautifully. read more

The Compound Restaurant - New American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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The menu was horrible. None of the 6 options were any good, and the sides pared with it didn't make sense. Kept an open mind and still tried the Bass, 4 out of 10. Brought me the dessert menu and again horrible 6 options. Birthday dinner was disappointing. The atmosphere and service was excellent read more

The Compound Restaurant - The only good thing I had - New American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

We had high expectations for this restaurant but ended up being disappointed. Beautiful dining room with polite staff. Service was extremely slow. It took about 20 minutes for one member of our party to get her red wine. My wine took a long time too, and I waited to eat my duck. My friends were almost finished their dinner by the time my glass of red wine arrived. We were seated upstairs, and the staff had a problem getting things in a timely fashion to our table, but this was something the restaurant needed to figure out. The food was good to very good. Not outstanding, which was expected given the prices and the recent James Beard award. The onion rings were wonderful; the asparagus soup, excellent; the burned sugar ice cream, delicious. But it simply didn't knock us out given the sticker price. read more

Wow! This place is a local secret, white table cloth, fine dining, amazing service, delicious flavors location in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Chef Mark Kiffin exceeds expectations with his fresh and flavorful dishes. After the meal, he comes out and speaks to his guests to make sure everyone had a pleasurable experience. I definitely had a more than pleasurable one! We ordered the butternut squash soup (not photographed because I devoured it immediately) and it was the best soup o have ever had in my life. It was so fresh and you could actually taste the flavors. I missed the beautiful presentation of pouring the soup over the bowl with an espresso cream in the middle. I consumed every ounce of that soup. I would come back just for this soup. For my main dish, I got the shrimp dish and it was also very delicious! My family ordered various dishes and we shared bites of each meal, everything tasted phenomenal. Especially the onion rings were amazing!! I recommend this place for anyone looking for a nice, classy meal for a beautiful day in Santa Fe. Their lunch menu is very affordable and the service is just amazing! The servers were ironing the table cloths! Highly recommend and will definitely be back. read more

The Compound Restaurant - Pasta - New American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Went with my girlfriends to dinner tonight. The service was impeccable. The food was out of this world. Highly recommend.

I'm not sure I could make it without regular visits to the compound for their home made pastrami sandwiches . Made even more special sitting at the bar and visiting with the bartender ,Colin read more

Pricey, with overcooked seafood. The mushroom soup is fantastic, though. When I said our meal was mediocre, EVERYONE said, yeah. They just rest on an old reputation. Much better food to be had in SF. Look elsewhere. read more

The carrot ginger soup was extraordinary and beautifully plated. The polenta was delicious and also beautifully presented. You'll find the perfect pastrami sandwich there as well. The staff members were expert and professional while also friendly and warm. The atmosphere was elegant and cozy. read more

The food The service The ambiance It's all 5 star fine dinning Hidden up on Canyon Road is the wonderful surprise Enjoy read more

The food was perfectly prepared, beautifully presented and enjoyed by everyone in our party of four. Service was top notch, waiter answered all our questions, he offered descriptions of the offerings with ingredients included. It was seamless and very professional in the serving of our meals. The ambiance was very pleasant, clean, music was low, wait staff was attentive and moved about the restaurant efficiently and quietly. Overall, I highly recommend The Compound for special occasions. read more

Beautiful location, some good food, excellent service was the highlight of this dinner visit. Couldn't go wrong in any items in the menu, well made and served with love. read more

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Celebrated my mother's birthday for lunch and great place. Food is fantastic. I had the chicken schnitzel and it was delicious and way more of a potion than I expected. Had a very light dinner later. Our server was great and friendly and attentive and was hard working. Very unique location right by Canyon Rd and a unique ambiance. A very enjoyable experience all around. read more

Fixe Prix Christmas Eve. $100 per. Right off, out of app oysters. Other choices were raw, cabbage, shrimp/grits which I'm sooo tired of. Parsnip soup was all that was left for me. Sommelier was awesome and comped my wine "I'm not going to have you pay for something that doesn't wow you". What a champ. Honest & real. She couldn't know I have my sommelier pin. We had an anniversary dinner here many years ago on patio. Remember it well. We were happy, it got so dark we couldn't see our food! Waiter not enthusiastic or helpful. The parsnip was basically soup with fruitcake sprinkled in. Hubby ordered the shrimp/grits. We liked. Read. @ 8:30. No entree 8:45. 10:00 still no food. Everything wrong. Empty tables. Others getting food. Sommelier chatting w/ friends. Just still The recommended white asperagus was flavorless and *way* under cooked. Hard. w a I t in g!!! The rest was presented well and tasted just fine. Hubby said the waiter didn't like us. That's so weird. Not our fault they couldn't even get us oysters! read more

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As usual, everything was great! Food, service and the vibe is best of Santa Fe! Always include the Polenta/mushrooms as it is the bomb! Best in class! read more

Check 5 stars for all three! Truly the highest class restaurant for over 40 years! It is elegant dining in a beautiful setting and No loud obnoxious guest like other highly rated are famous for! All of the Best! To a great owner/manager and well trained associates! C. Dews read more

If you want a fine dining experience, this is your place. We had several of the first courses plus dessert. They also have an extensive wine list and delicious cocktails. A very nice, leisurely dinner. read more

One of the first things I noticed about The Compound's menu was the typo. "Tenderloin" was missing a "D" so it said "Pork Tenerloin." It was a sign of things to come. I went ahead and ordered the Pork Tenerloin and sure enough, found it dry and bland. In fact, the whole meal was off. The server took forever to get to our table. I ordered dressing on the side of my salad. It came on it. My father ordered Corn Vichyssoise. They didn't give him a spoon to eat it with. The Crispy Fried Onion Rings were more like Sad and Pathetic Onion Rings. And I never got a steak knife to cut my Pork Tenerloin. (However, I did get a good arm workout using the butter knife.) First world problems, I know. But at a $$$$ Santa Fe restaurant , you expect more than the elevation to be at a higher level. On the bright side, our server, once she got to us, was extremely warm and friendly. The wine was superb. And my parents enjoyed their meals - the Grilled Australian Rack of Lamb, and the Maine Lobster & Bay Scallop. All in all, not bad. But not amazing either. The Compound could easily get their groove back. They just need to pay a little more attention to the etails. read more

Excellent dinner! Although I wished they would offer, perhaps, one simple meal option for kids/teens, we enjoyed the evening. (Just spent way too much for a half eaten plate) **Next time, adults only - and I would definitely go back. I had the grilled Polenta with wild Mushrooms, my mother in law had the Shrimp something and the teens had the Quail. Nice atmosphere. Tables were spaced out very well. read more

The Compound Restaurant - Mushroom & Polenta - New American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Had lunch there. Enjoyed the chicken schnitzel. Classic dining space. Good service. High prices but they weren't unjustified.

We are through visiting the Compound We've eaten there once a week or at least once every 10 days or so for probably 10 years ! We we live two blocks away so it's easy . Now they require a credit card even for their long-term customers who live two blocks away so you know what we're through ... I understand it if it's a table of six or eight but two people at the bar I'm sorry it's just ridiculous. Plus we heard Mike is no longer working there as bartender ... he was was half of the atmosphere !! If they don't care of the old customers, we're not gonna take care of them there are too many other good restaurants in Santa Fe! read more

Everything about this place is wonderful the food, the ambiance and the service is excellent

The food, the service and the style are why The Compound continues to impress after all these years. On a cold and snowy, winter's night, we sat down to celebrate December birthdays. The location was perfect. An intimate restaurant filled will friends and families was the backdrop. Light, adult contemporary jazz flows along with wine. No shortage of excellent bottles, carefully selected and at all price points. The atmosphere is casual classy. Thoroughly enjoyed from the seasonal, Fall menu of 2018: STARTERS *Prawns $20 with Spanish Chorizo, Pequilo Pepper, Potato & Garlic *Sweet Breads & Foie Gras $22 with Cepes, Cayenne & Spanish Sherry *Golden Beet Salad $15 MAINS *Butter Poached Lobster Tails $49 with Delicata Squash & Pancetta Bacon "Carbonara" Bucatini Pasta, Farm Egg & Parmigiano Reggiano *Grilled Beef Tenderloin $46.00 with Seared Cepe Mushrooms, O'Brian Potatoes & Foie Gras Hollandaise. So tender you cut it with a butter knife. Seriously, folks. *Wild Mushrooms and Organic Stone Ground Polenta $26 with Black Truffle Relish, Shaved Parmesan and Organic Arugula *Osso Bucco $38 The food was outstanding and their sauces mopped up by the bread with the Tenderloin and Wild Mushrooms standing out along with the delicious, Osso Bucco. We all won the clean plate award. You will too. DESERT *Chocolate Cake $9 *Buckle $9 The attention to detail does not stop in the kitchen. The team was attentive but not pushy. A perfect pairing to the food. Don't wait for a special occasion. The Compound welcomes you any night. read more

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This is a very special place and was treated by my wife to a memorable birthday dinner here. Have to give it 5 stars on all counts -- food, service, ambiance and then there was the wine ... a French white Bordeaux from 2014 that deserves more than the 5 stars. Enjoyed the lobster on pasta and my wife her rack of lamb but the wine will stand out. read more

I ordered Jumbo shrimp and got small shrimp for more than. $40. The bucatinni is cut short and over cooked.

Our server's name was Eric and he was phenomenal! We were a party of 10 and everyone felt the same way. The whole party had questions about multiple dishes and his knowledge of everything on the menu was extraordinary. The food was awesome and there was plenty of it! Thanks so much to the staff and Eric especially! Definitely recommend to everyone visiting the area! read more

The culinary cognoscenti expect refinement without stuffiness, innovation without pretension, and a chef de cuisine with the presence of a celebrity but the affability of a host. The Compound's Mark Kiffin has been meeting these expectations for years, executing dishes both familiar and creative in a setting both relaxed and elegant. The Interior of The Compound -- designed by legendary architect Alexander Girard in the late 1960's -- is a warm, inviting space with Mexicotton ceiling tiles, natural lighting, and nichos featuring local folk art. No restaurant captures the spirit of Santa Fe better than The Compound. Several old-guard classics have remained on the menu for decades. One favorite is an appetizer of perfectly seared foie gras perched atop sweetbreads sautéed in butter, Spanish sherry, and herbes de Provence. It's a rich, decadent celebration of all things offal. A lighter starter dish, tuna tartare, features sashimi-grade Ahi diced into tiny perfect squares interspersed with preserved lemon. Tartare is a fine dining cliche, but Chef Mark's version wins with clean, bright flavors and a presentation worthy of Instagram. Foie gras plays a supporting role in what I consider The Compound's signature entree, a twelve-ounce, locally sourced beef filet so tender it practically melts. The accompanying foie gras hollandaise adds an extra layer of richness but never becomes too much of a good thing. A better steak dinner cannot be had in Santa Fe. The classics are great, but seasonal items shine the brightest. On a recent visit, sweet summer corn starred in two very different but equally stunning dishes. A soup special featured sweet notes from the corn, tartness from a dollop of green goddess crema, and textural contrast from a crabmeat hush puppy. Seared Bangladeshi prawns -- the second feature of the evening -- sat atop a succotash-like medley of corn, tomatoes, green onions, pea coulis, and avocado cream. It was a dish of familiar Southwestern flavors given a fine dining facelift. I was afraid the intense sweetness of the corn would overpower the mild sweetness of the prawns, but the savory notes from the coulis and avocado cream balanced everything out. As of September 2018, The Compound has only a 3.5-star rating on Yelp, which I consider a travesty. It deserves much better. Ignore the dumb one-star rants and trust the judgment of The James Beard Foundation. They named Mark Kiffin the "Best Chef in the Southwest" in 2005. On second thought, ignore The James Beard Foundation and trust me instead! I've dined here several times *recently* and am pleased to report that The Compound is not resting on past glories. read more

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Finally dined for a celebratory occasion at the epitome of a world class operation of The COMPOUND restaurant. Dining in a Covid world can be challenging these days, but not once did I even think about any of the uncertainties, as you are transcended into the beautiful serene patio, professional, impeccable & impressive service and exquisite #cuisine that dazzles your palate and Sexyfood is of the standards. Noteworthy dishes: 1 Seared Diver Scallop Non Cream-Cream Corn Smoked Bacon, Tomato, Baby Onion Vinaigrette (ORGASMIC) 2 Grilled Natural Reserve Black Angus Beef TenderloinSeared Cepe Mushrooms O'Brien Potatoes & Foie Gras Hollandaise (Mouthwatering & Foie Gras was addictive 3 Yellow Tail Snapper (Special) 4 Tuscan Lettuce Salad Candied Walnuts, Breakfast Radish & Danish Blue Cheese Crème Fraiche Dressing (Lovely) 5 Summer Strawberry Tiramisu Layered Strawberry Mousse Strawberry Sorbet (Refreshing and a lovely night cap to close out the evening) Speaking with proprietor/Chef Mark Kiffin he celebrates his 20th anniversary as owner of The Compound restaurant a corner stone of the culinary landscape in Santa Fe, located in the Arts District on Canyon Road. Mark also celebrated James Beard award winning Best Chef of the Southwest 2005. It's very apparent that his passion, dedication & commitment shows in how he operates this landmark. And no wonder why they won restaurant of the year. Thank you Mark & The Compound staff for a flawless & unforgettable dining experience. Ciao Bellab_sexyfood read more

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Thoroughly enjoyable. Good food, excellent service, fascinating and pleasant historical setting. It was challenging to get a reservation and almost gave up but glad we persevered. read more

To keep it short, food was good, service was just simply awful. The 2stars are for the food. Chicken schnitzel was very good and plentiful. Just couldn't get past the terrible service, no excuse for a restaurant this nice and as much history as this one. I doubt we will be back. We did raise our concerns, but were not comped a damn thing, or even offered. The tables around us got better service than we did and we think it's because we were the only table in our section that wasn't drinking. They screwed themselves out of a good tip. The bad service seemed very deliberate. I hope management sees this. So disappointing since we've been coming here since 1988. (From Oklahoma.) read more

I usually have a great meal here and appreciate the staff. But, sadly, they were off NY's Eve. Waiter was rude and food wasn't as good as usual. But I'll be back! read more

The Compound has long been our favorite Sante Fe restaurant and over the years we have celebrated many happy occasions there. Usually our hotel --quite a nice one -- has made the reservations for us and we've been treated very well. This time I made the reservations myself. Don't know if that was a factor but my husband and I were seated at what had to be the worst table in the restaurant (despite other empty tables), back in a remote corner and offering a view of the bank of computer monitors lining the server's station. There we witnessed the comings and goings of various waitstaff checking in at their screens, but apparently oblivious to our presence, since none even glanced our way. After 15 minutes or so of feeling invisible and shunned, we picked up our coats and walked out. read more

We had high expectations for this restaurant but ended up being disappointed. The first impression is a classy, white tablecloth restaurant. The staff was courteous, and their service was good. The food was however not up to par. The citrus and endive salad was not impressive. Onion rings were just okay. Roasted scallops were just decent. My husband had the quail for main course and liked it. My daughter and I had the special "pasta with peas and chicken". The quality of that dish was not good. The pasta was in a plain buttery sauce and the chicken was very salty. For dessert we just had the $5 ice-cream. We already had spent way too much money on food that did not deserve to have the listed price. read more

I've eaten here for a couple of years now before writing this review and it's consistently excellent, offering some of the most delicious, well-prepared and well-served food in northern New Mexico. The Compound has a menu that always features some old favorites - schnitzel and a pastrami sandwich to name two - but it never fails to include new dishes which are reimagined and which one wishes could become mainstays. I recently had a lobster salad here which was divine - beautifully poached lobster served with a lovely dressing and crisp lettuce. It's dishes like that which keep one coming back for more. Malva Pudding - ever heard of it? It's a pudding in the English sense, meaning more like a cake for their American cousins, but to make it even more confusing, this is a South African dessert. In South Africa it's typically served with a runny custard over the top but at The Compound it's served with a beautiful, rich caramel and crunchy toasted hazelnuts. Absolutely spectacular. This is a mainstay on Canyon Road and something that shouldn't be missed for locals and for tourists alike. read more

We have been eating here alot lately and unlike geronimo the service hasnt slipped. Àfter 40 years still a 5 star restaurant. James Beard Award winner read more

I would love to give this historic and ideally located restaurant a good review. I have hesitated to give a bad review because they are in my neighborhood and I love to support local. Not to mention, I have been going to this restaurant for over 20 years. My main recommendation: don't go! The food is mediocre for the price, as is the atmosphere. They also could use a HUGE lesson in hospitality...as they have zero, except to make you spend more money. Spend your time and money anywhere else: sazon and Geronimo are some of my favorites in the same supposed category- although Sazon and Geronimo far surpass this failing restaurant in food, decor, price point and hospitality. I hope they can turn it around but until then go anywhere but here. read more

This review is meant to inform, and enlighten what I believe the service team of this restaurant should address before implying a $150/head. First, reservations should be flexible 15mins both directions. My party of 5 had traveled from three different city/states for a birthday that was excited to try this AWARD WINNING restaurant. We started confused because as we typed directions into Maps it let us know the restaurant would close at 8:00, though that was when our month long reservation was also scheduled for; 8:00. We ran over quickly to investigate, and were met with more confusion. The table wasn't ready, we were early and there were only three seats at the bar and the other two could hover.... On a recessed bar that's sunken two feet into the floor... we elected to return to the waiting room where the dirtiest stained single chair was our option to wait, I was in white pants and we opted to go for a walk instead. We returned at our reservation time and were told it's still not ready. At this point, a server comes up to the host returns his chit and says "nononono, I'm swamped, and can't take that table" The host said "that's too bad, they've been waiting, it's a birthday" he said "I can't." And then began the limbo of finding a server. We were eventually combined and sat in the back corner of a inclosed patio at a table of five- then because of the server confusion- let's all go look at the table, but not talk to it. I watched as blazers, servers, bussers, and even one chef walk through our room before someone spoke with us. The bussers managed water immediately (thought Still Water is still ten dollars a bottle) and we were left again. Over 20 minutes until all guests had cocktails, 40 minutes to bread and ordered apps, 50 minutes to our bottle of wine being opened, 1:15 to starters on the table. At 9:30 I stood up to address the manager as at this point my table is concerned, frustrated, and frankly embarrassed that so much work had gone into this dinner and we couldn't get anyone to engage with us. We were waiting on mains and I wanted to confirm the notes for the severe allergies had been addressed before my partners food came to the table & that I understand overlaps, gaps, and mistakes but as someone who has also managed restaurants of this caliber, I really hoped the service team could readdress our table and get us back on track. Then, management elected to move us and our beverages from the back patio to the front room, where we were watched and accompanied as the last table in the restaurant, to no fault of our own. The food was beautiful, and the steak was some of the best I've ever had. But by 8:00 they were out of the lamb which is what the birthday guest was hoping for, perhaps we should have preordered. Either way a table of five came out to over $800 with tip, there was no service recall, no comp dessert for the birthday or the troubles, really the bare minimum from this entire service team. Any version of "we apologize for the evening, we are happy you chose to celebrate your birthday with us, I gotta ask, where did everyone come in from?" Any effort to connect with this table after such an evening would have been appreciated. Truly an embarrassment for this place with a James Beard Plaque on the wall. The manager and the host both watched our table fall through the cracks and it took myself standing up and asking as a guest of the table, not the host, that things be addressed. I hope that this can be understood as hopes for your team to display the same level of service that's been advertised. Take this restaurant off your list. read more

Great fine dining in Santa Fe - great service - wonderful food - nice atmosphere my only complaint is the built-in Banco seating against the wall in some seating areas is very small. Chef came out and was gracious.. read more

We loved our experience at The Compound. We can't wait to come back. We felt so comfortable and well taken care of thanks to the wonderful staff. The chocolate brownie dessert was sooooo good. read more

The Compound Restaurant - Pasta special - New American Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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We eat all over west side of the US !! Gr8 Food ! Gr8 atmosphere plus good pours on drinks and kid friendly !! read more

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The tuna tartare appetizer was terrific. The tenderloin was cooked perfectly with pleasant presentation. I shared the halibut as well with a friend and it, too, was cooked to perfection. The staff was attentive, courteous, and kind. We loved all the art on the walls, which added to our dining experience. Friendly bartender and very knowledgeable sommelier, who helped us pair wonderful wines with our meal. We will be making a trip back to Santa Fe soon and The Compound will be on our list to dine again. read more