Restaurants in Taos
Taos has some of the region's most inventive and fun restaurants. The creativity of the town flourishes in the flavors here. It's also a comfortable place to dine. Informality reigns; at a number of restaurants you can eat world-class food while wearing jeans or even ski pants. Nowhere is a jacket and tie mandatory. This informality doesn't extend to reservations, however; especially during the peak season, it's important to make reservations well in advance and keep them or else cancel. Also, be aware that Taos is not a late-night place; most restaurants finish serving at about 9pm.
Family-Friendly Restaurants
Lula's -- A relaxed atmosphere and lots of sandwich choices, as well as soups, are sure to please here.
Michael's Kitchen -- With a broad menu, comfy booths, and a very casual, diner-type atmosphere, Michael's Kitchen makes both kids and their parents feel at home.
Orlando's New Mexican Café -- The relaxed atmosphere and playfully colorful walls will please the kids almost as much as the tacos and quesadillas made especially for them.
Sushi a la Hattori -- "Raw Fish, no way!" That might be your kids' response to this idea, but if you can coax them through the door, you'll find a relaxed atmosphere and a children's dinner of tempura shrimp, beef, or chicken, with ice cream for dessert.
Taos Cow -- Potpies and sandwiches will fill kids up before they dive into the all-natural ice cream at this cafe north of town.
Taos Pizza Out Back -- The pizza will please both parents and kids, and so will all the odd decorations, such as the chain with foot-long links hanging over the front counter.
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15 Results
- Bakery/American
Dragonfly Café & Bakery
Chef/owner Karen Todd offers a surprising range of options at this European-style café and bakery in the center of town. The place bakes its own bread, of course, and also uses local, seasonal produce in dishes like bison burgers, smoked fish, organic kale salad with grapes and…$Around Town - Vegetarian/Middle Eastern
El Gamal
This is the kind of place vegetarians love to stumble across: An unassuming Middle Eastern café that makes everything in-house. You know you're in for a treat from the first aromatic wave of spices and baking bread when you step through the door. The ambiance is part-New Mexican,…$$Around Town - Spanish
El Meze
New Mexico's culture owes much to Europe, of course, but it was also influenced by the greater Mediterranean. El Meze ("The Table," in Arabic) harks back to the rustic Spanish and Arabic roots of Northern New Mexican cuisine. Owner and chef Fred Muller calls his hybrid menu "La…$$El Prado - Mexican
Guadalajara Grill
All too often, Mexican food—even in New Mexico—is a bland heaping of rice, beans, and sauces, generously portioned but generally tasteless. Not here, where dishes like the vegetarian Aztec quesadilla (with peppers, onion, scallions, and mushrooms) are crisp and spicy enough to make…$Around Town - French/Latin
Gutiz
It's only one room, and they only serve breakfast (albeit all day) and lunch, yet Gutiz manages to turn out some of the best Parisian crepes, brie omelets, and cinnamon French toast I've have in Taos. The open kitchen mixes French and Latin American cooking into something as colorful…$Around Town - New American
Lambert's of Taos
Opened back in 1989, this Taos favorite moved to the former Apple Tree Restaurant building on Bent Street in 2013. From the signature rack of lamb with red wine demi-glace to the dessert choices by pastry chef Michelle Myers (homemade Jamoca sundae!), Zeke Lambert's restaurant offers…$$$Around Town - New Mexican/Bakery
Michael's Kitchen
A local landmark for four decades or so, Michael's serves what some call the best green chile in town, but that's just the start. The menu spans from Philly cheesesteaks and tuna melts to steaks and pork chops, and there's a full bakery turning out cakes, pies, breads, donuts, and…$Around Town - American/New Mexican
Old Martina's Hall
This historic adobe landmark, across the street from the famous San Francisco de Asis Mission Church in Ranchos de Taos, hosted countless weddings and dances over the decades—including parties with guests like Dennis Hopper and Ricky Nelson—but fell into disrepair. German cosmetics…$$Ranchos de Taos - New Mexican
Orlando's New Mexican Café
A family-run café in El Prado, about two miles north of the plaza, Orlando's doesn't cook anything too flashy, but what they do, they do well—witness the dozens of awards on the walls. Red and green chile are the standouts, but the carne adovada and taco salad are also popular with…$El Prado - Pizza
Pizaños
Two friends from Utica, New York brought their East Coast pizza know-how to Taos and the result is the best of both worlds: Great pies and intriguing local flavors. Case in point? The Fire Twirler, with jalapeños, green chile, pepperoni, bacon, and pineapple. Other dishes also get…$Around Town - American
Sabroso
The 150-year-old adobe that once housed the well-loved Casa Cordova restaurant is now home to this classic après-ski destination. Start with a half dozen Chesapeake Bay oysters, flown in twice a week, but know that steaks are the stars here. Chef Tim Wooldridge tracks down the best…$$$Arroyo Seco - Café/Ice Cream
Taos Cow
What could inspire skiers fresh off the mountain to stop for ice cream in Arroyo Seco? Taos Cow, that's what, a café that's been churning out all-natural, hormone-free ice cream since 1993, in flavors like maple walnut, piñon caramel, café ole (coffee with cinnamon and dark…$Arroyo Seco - Pizza
Taos Pizza Out Back
It's hard to decide what's better at this popular and unpretentious pizza joint: The crispy thin crusts topped with sesame seeds, the homemade sauces, or the choice of creative assemblages like the Killer, with green chile, Gorgonzola, black olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. Either…$Around Town - New American/French
The Love Apple
Named after the original French phrase for the tomato ("la pomme d'amour"), this small restaurant occupies a former chapel a short drive north of the plaza. It's a romantic setting, with twinkling lights and huge roof beams overhead. The emphasis is on regional, organic ingredients,…$$Around Town - Italian
Trading Post Café
One of Taos' most dependable dining options is actually in Ranchos de Taos, just up the hill from the famous San Francisco de Asis Mission Church. Chef/owner René Mettler works the open kitchen, which is surrounded by the bar, to turn out international dishes (mostly Italian) such as…$$Ranchos de Taos
