El Farol

Went for the flamenco show fix price dinner on Saturday night during restaurant week. The menu is simple with a Spanish flair. The bar has mixed drinks, beer, and wines (also with a Spanish tilt). The food was good and the portions generous. The service was attentive even though the restaurant was packed. The show is definitely the main attraction. The dancers and the musicians were very good. I would recommend to get to the restaurant 20-30 minutes early to get the best seats. Free parking is not available so take a cab or park on East Alameda Street and walk over the bridge on East Palace Avenue.

We visited El Farol for the Flamenco show. Every portion of the food was delicious, the service was great and we were well taken care of, and the flamenco show was intimate and emotive. We would certainly go back. We had the Paella which was great and the lemon dessert which I could not get enough of!

I enjoyed their happy hour on a recent visit to Santa Fe. The prickly pear margaritas are great, as well as the flautas and cauliflower. Get there right at 4 before the place fills up!

This experience at El Farol dinner show was electrifying. The energy and precision displayed within the performance was amazing. The menu offering for the performance left much to be desired. Typically most dinner shows aren't going to offer excellent food selections. Overall recommended for a wonderful night of entertainment.

I can most definitely recommend the Flamenco Show! The entire experience was phenomenal! The restaurant was cozy. The menu was well prepared with something for everyone. The Flamenco act was passionate and I can't compliment it enough!

I brought my mom and daughter for a flamenco and dinner show. The dancing and music was superb! We loved everything about the performance! Most of the food, however, was fairly mediocre. The Prosecco was too sweet and my salmon was dry. The beef medallions were good, as were the desserts. The veggies were done well. As for the service, the team was polite, efficient, and well-organized! Overall, the experience was fine. It was a little overpriced, in my opinion. $4.50 for a cup of hot water and a tea bag? No thanks. If you’re cool with spending $110 ($40 entry + $70 fixed price menu) before taxes and tips, you’ll enjoy it.

I came here in December for dinner and to see some live music. The performance by The Suavecito Trio, playing Santana and others, was great. However. The food was no good. I got the empanadas which arrived nearly 45 seconds after I placed my order. You could have told me they were from Chilis and I wouldn’t have doubted you. Then I had the Chicharrones which were coated in a very sugary sauce. Not my favorite. Finally I had the enchiladas which tasted as though the chicken was rotten and decomposing before they cooked it and served it to me. Overall, some of the worst food I’ve had in New Mexico after a dozen visits. But the live music, atmosphere, and service saved it from being one star.

The flamenco show is absolutely amazing. The pros fixe menu is what you’d expect but we got in during restaurant week so saved some money. The music and service were great. The only downside was that the tables made it hard to see the dancers feet on the low stage. But if you’re short on time and want get a dinner and a show that’s a pretty smooth operation this is it. Get there early and enjoy a walk down Canyon to check out the galleries before the place opens.

The good was excellent. The polenta was fantastic (and I don't even like polenta) as well as the fried calamari. Also really enjoyed beef skewers. In historic romantic location. Wish the space could be bigger, could help to be less crowded. Definitely returning.

My wife and I were extremely excited to have dinner and see the flamingo act. However, the food was totally disappointing. Both our entrees were different and low quality. The service was the only bright spot. The bill for the two of us was over $342.00. Never again.

While on vacation, we walked over to this restaurant. We had our dog so we sat at the patio. The goal was to have a few beverages on the Margarita Trail. I had the prickly pear and the smoking bull (my favorite of the 2). My husband had the classic margarita and a vodka tonic. He said the vodka tonic did not taste like it had alcohol. Maybe because they specialize in margaritas? For this trip no food but would definitely go back to try. The atmosphere was the best part, being right on Canyon Road. The service seemed attentive for us being outside but drinks came out super slow.

Interestingly, this place is owned by the same people who have the Tea House, which has also gone down the tubes lately. Last night I tried to order their $30 signature burger for take out. I called the restaurant FIVE times and nobody picked up the phone. Then I drove over. An assortment of waiters were lounging at the bar in an almost empty restaurant and the hostess was nowhere to be seen. Waited for 10 minutes. Nobody approached me to ask if they could help. Left again. Called for the sixth time. Went in again and stood conspicuously at the front counter. A middle aged waiter wandered over at this point - the same one who had done nothing to help this regular - and the hostess also appeared, in what seemed to be a fugue state, and half-heartedly asked if she could help. I will never eat here again. EVER.

This is more of an elegant and expensive restaurant. The indoor decor is wonderfully traditional with exposed beams and murals. There is a separate bar area and outdoor patio. The paella and custard desert were excellent. Portion sizes are on the smaller side. Staff were very attentive but a bit slow. There is no parking so you will have to pay $10 in the lot across the street or park several blocks away and walk. They do have happy hour until 5:00pm. If you are willing to spend a little more money this is a great place.

We booked a night with the Flamenco dancing which was probably the better part of the night. However, given that the menu was fixed, and 70$ per person not including gratuity or beverages, I mistakenly assumed the show was included. This speaks to bad assumptions on my part as well as misleading advertising. Three in my party had the paella which was overcooked and over salted. The medallions were also a disappointment, with the meat being a bit tough and the broccolini being over salted.

Delicious (strong!) cocktails and fabulous food and service. First time back after about 20 years. Highly recommend. The shrimp, Brussels sprouts and empanadas were particularly delicious

I made an 8 pm reservation to celebrate my anniversary with my husband--late for Santa Fe, I know but they had the time listed in their system and accepted it. Less than half way through our meal the restaurant starting closing down and we completely ignored. When I say completely I truly mean it. The staff started closing down all around us and treated us like we are invisible. The bar closed completely and it was a feat just to get water, let alone the check. Our table was never cleared and our waiter at long last tossed the check on our table without so much as basic eye contact after we had to chase down another staff member to get him. And to top it off I got viscous food poisoning, probably from the mussels we ordered. We spent $165 to feel ignored and downright disrespected and then I got sick on top of that.

Came here with my friend on our first evening in Santa Fe, which happened to be a rainy day, and it was a nice, cozy restaurant to get a drink and some apps and hang out in for a little while. The ambiance was nice inside and Canyon road has some cute shops and galleries so I definitely think it's worth coming to this area and El Farol! We got the house margaritas which were pretty good, and honestly you can't go wrong with a margarita! Our favorite app was the pimentos (shishito peppers) which were so beautifully made that we got 2 orders of it. But the other apps were delicious as well - we got croquetas, patatas bravas, Brussel sprouts, and the aguacate (I had never had fried avocado before, but I enjoyed it!). We were there early enough to catch happy hour which was clutch! Loved it!

A beautiful, cozy, rustic, restaurant, and bar in a mini restaurant row area of Santa Fe. We were a party of four and had excellent food and drinks served by a bartender who was going nonstop but at the same time super efficient and friendly.

The oldest restaurant in New Mexico, with a lovely ambiance to match. The steak I had was probably the best I've ever eaten. Pricy, but unequivocally worth it on a special occasion.

Yo! First thing I gotta say is I think El Farol deserves better than the average 3.5 star rating. Maybe its because it's literally the only restaurant I've eaten in New Mexico thus far, but IMO it was a great introduction to southwestern/Spanish inspired cuisine. My mother and I arrived around 4:30, right before the dining area began to crowd up. It was also just in time to score their happy hour deals. We both consumed 2 glasses of a Spanish wine I cannot remember the name of. :( We both agreed it was excellent! We began our meal with Croquetas ($7.00/3), which your waiter will inform you of the daily offering. Today's was a Cuban style ham and cheese, and boy oh boy were they fantastic! The warm, cheesy filling was enveloped in a perfectly crispy, crunchy shell that melted in your mouth. The flavors were incredible, you could taste every spice used (yes, they were hot!) and ham delivered a POP! of saltiness. I could eat these for breakfast! For our entree we shared the Hamburguesa Santa Fe, or famously known throughout the world as the Green Chile Hamburger. El Farol's version composed of an 8oz. of custom blend of ground beef patty, Hatch green chile, cheddar cheese, and bacon on a house-made bun served with a side of French fries ($21.50), and shit I kid you not I'm hella glad we shared. The thing was massive. The burger itself was thicc AF and the veggies piled on high. I LOVED how they used FRESH onion in lieu of grilled onions. It only ADDS flavor and my taste buds were freakishly happy. The fries were killer! Garnished with just the right amount of rosemary for character. You're given a dish of ketchup, mayo and mustard for dipping but neither my mom or I hardly used them because nothing needed to be enhanced. It was all so f***ing good. The best thing about sharing a meal is you have more room in your stomach for more! So we did ourselves dirty and ordered not one but two items off their dessert menu - Key Lime Pie (creamy key lime pie, GF Graham cracker crust, raspberry coulis, whipped cream, $10.00) and Chocolate Decadence (rich, moist, chocolate cake, dark chocolate mousse, dark chocolate ganache, raspberry coulis, $10.00). Out of the two I def preferred the Key Lime Pie. It was super creamy, so sweet and heavenly and fresh. The decadence was great too, it was VERY rich and quite overwhelming so the tart key lime was a good way to balance it out. You can't really go wrong with either of these, so honestly you should just get both. I could go on and on but overall I'd be saying the same thing. I am a HUGE fan, I think everyone especially tourists should give it a try and I hope these reviews get better and better because if it were up to me, El Farol gets a solid 5 stars. :)

We had a welcome dinner her for my daughters wedding.her. It was on the beautiful patio. It poured rain just as we were all settling in. The wonderful staff got us inside and kept the party and food coming as if nothing happened. It was beautiful and definitely memorable! The food is delicious. Thanks to the entire staff for making it special and not missing a beat!

I was so excited to try El Farol since I love tapas and they say it's the oldest restaurant in Santa Fe. It's located at the very end of Canyon Rd. Charming, they have flamenco shows here (not while we were in town) but they close too early at 9 pm! We made reservations to get a table outside. Love their decor inside, but we feel safer outside. They have a cute patio! It took forever to get seated. We were in no rush but I had the feeling there was a screw up since the hostess was away forever to check on the table! They didn't have one ready for us, instead of telling us that, they put a table upstairs, by itself, near the patio??? What is the point to make a reservation weeks before, then? We didn't have the option to wait for a table. So, yes a screw up! Drinks, we got the sangria, the worst I ever had. Sour! Too sour! Food- a mix between Spanish tapas and Italians ones. Not very authentic Spanish food (yes, I have been to Spain). We got the aguacate, small, tad disappointed, maybe you can share with 2 people max? Fried avocado with crema on top. Patatas Bravas were good, a modern version of it. Calamares fritos just OK, smaller calamari, had better. Lanza de carne was flavorful, solid steak bites. We also tried their polpette al forno, meatballs, good. Prices high, the portions are smaller for the usual tapas in my book. The desert was just OK, some kind of flan with orange flavor. It should have been from the house based on the screw up. Customer service, not good. Service the same, because we were up high away from everybody, they kinda forgot about us so we had to gesticulate, speak up to get a water refill or other regular things. Not impressed food wise, wish we had a better experience at El Farol!

While visiting the city we made reservations about a week ahead of time after hearing this restaurant is very good and packed at dinner and we're glad we did! It's a very interesting menu, some Italian, mostly Mexican, and we had some of each. The ladies said their vegetarian pizza was really good and the tacos and steak were also excellent, as were the margaritas that the guys had, and the one lady who drinks wine really enjoyed her glass. The place was packed and it was obvious they didn't have enough servers for the crowd, especially after all those outside had to come in because rain started falling, but thumbs up to NIck, our server, who has excellent and ensure that the dishes we changed a bit, like no dairy on the tacos, were done with no problems. The only challenge we had was parking. It was impossible to park near the restaurant and what appeared to be a possible valet lot may have been for another restaurant but with only one person there it was extremely difficult to tell. All in all, delicious food and drinks and service!

Their outdoor seating is as nice as the indoor for enjoying a meal. Great service, great food and a nice ambience. Recommend their chicken enchiladas. The meat was not shredded as in most other places so it was more juicy being diced.

Had a lovely evening here last weekend with my parents and aunt who were in town to check out Santa Fe. We had always wanted to see the Flamenco dancers so this was the perfect opportunity, and we were not disappointed!! Prix fix menu, 6:30 seating time with an 8pm show - we had 8 people and the bill was $168/person, including everything. I had pinon salad, vegetable paella, key lime pie, coffee, and a glass of wine- our service was really great and our table was located in a corner with a perfect view of the show. We could not have asked for a better experience, I'd highly recommend this to locals and tourists. The Paella was really fantastic! parking is a nightmare, expect to walk numerous blocks at 6:30 on a weekend night- the upside is that the neighborhood is lovely and safe to walk through in the evening as you return to your car!

We had a very nice evening out midweek and enjoyed the gambas, grilled cauliflower and charcuterie board. It didn't seem like much but it was very filling for the two of us. We also recommend getting the bread plate for the delicious butters.

Good and delish Was in the touristy area, but the menu looks sufficiently unamericanized Spanish lol

Excellent Paella and sangria on the front porch was lovely. Great people/dog watching! A Santa Fe cultural activity.

They have a "local" vib and weren't touristy at all. Very much a new mexico, local atmosphere. Since we were seated across from the bar, it was a little noisy, but not annoyingly so. The tapas were great, and we shared chicarones (pork belly) and sliced jamon (ham) along with wine. The chicarones were exceptional, with a sweet and savory flavor; they were really rich. The jamon was nice, and the capers added a good flavor. Good wine list, and they had a full bar. Definately recommend.

Off to a bumpy start; no parking!!! They should have posted on their website or done valet. Had to park quite a bit away but other than that it was a perfect evening. We tried calling to ask where to park but they didn't answer the phone. A big "no no" IMHO. Their menu has been downsized, I'm guessing because of Covid. But they are practicing safe Covid guidelines . I had the El Farol salad which was yummy. My companion had the Caesar salad, it was different looking looking but he said it was very good. He had the crusted pork and I had the steak ; both were excellent. Their craft cocktails were wonderful. Service was top notch. We topped off dinner with tiramisu. YUM! This place is one of my favorite places in Santa Fe. Consistently excellent.

If you're looking to have a fine dining experience, count on El Farol. This is a restaurant with a Spain-inspired menu. The appetizers are tapas. Our favorites were the Alcachofas, which are artichokes with goat cheese, the small potatoes, and the pork skewers. The green chile chicken enchiladas are flat enchiladas served on a bed of black beans, amazing! Make sure to leave room for dessert, the flourless chocolate torte is as pretty as it is good. It's a nice place for a date and has also has a fun bar set-up for being social.

El Farol was a awesome first place to go in Santa Fe, great intro to the southwestern food scene. The setting and decor definitely capture the type of cuisine they serve. Great artwork, and really nice gathering place, date night or a group. Great bar area, with a sunken in bartender area, and elevated seating . Busy Friday night, we got seated right away as we had reservations. Amazing drinks menu, definitely a margarita spot, with lots of high end tequila drinks, and more moderate priced. Extensive wine list too, started with a glass of Prosecco and a Rosé for my friend, which was from Spain which was unusual, she said it was really good, and you can't go wrong with the bubbles! We went through the menu and decided to do the small plates, they have Spanish and some Italian, which was unusual too. Started with the croquettes, which the days special was corn and chipotle, they weren't as warm as I would have liked but they tasted really good, nice spice level, starts a little sweet then the heat kicks in! Really great. Then we got the Arancini, Bolognese, saffron, risotto peas and mozzarella with a San Marzano tomato sauce. These were amazing, nicely crunchy outside, great flavor, the bolognese was so good, not too much saffron, the tomato sauce with it was spectacular. Definitely everyone should get these! Then we got the beef skewers, called Lanza de Carne, angus beef, pearl onions, cherry tomatoes and chimichurri. The first back has came out overcooked, and we asked for medium, so she happily took them back and the second batch was better. Nice, tender, great chimichurri, the flavor of the onions with the beef and sauce was really good. Another fabulous dish! Got myself a blood orange margarita, heavy on the tequila! But really good and citrusy. Dessert tins, we wanted the key lime pie but they were out, so we got the Créma Catalana. Which was a better traditional choice, custard, brandy apricot preserves, sweet orange, olive oil torta , and candied almonds. So glad we chose this, nice warm custard, kinda like creme brûlée, crunchy almonds , the citrus in the custard was forthcoming, just right, great textures. Loved the combination of everything. To top off they comped the dessert as they didn't have the key lime and we had to send back the skewers, nice way they take care of you! Everything service wise was amazing, Margarita our server, great name , was super sweet and attentive. Just a great foodie place with so many options, I wanted to try so much more, but you can only eat so much. El Farol was a great intro to the weekend of food! Loved this place.

Heard about the oldest bar in New Mexico, so had to drop in for late night drinks and dinner. Unbelievably great wood fired pizza. May be best I have ever had. You could really tell the crust was wood fired and the toppings were unusally good. Drinks and atmosphere spot on. We could not have picked a better choice in Santa Fe.

They have the most lovely hidden back patio with a large water feature -so impressive! We usually come here, when in town have some drinks and tapas. They have wonderful margaritas. Yes parking is challenging on Canyon Rd. sometimes you can park and walk from Alameda -but you're going to have to walk! Also Yelpers writing negative reviews about service Covid has changed dining its not going to be what you were used to pre-Covid. Everyone is new and training so calm down Karen and have a margarita. Be kind!

While wandering around the amazing El Museo market in the Santa Fe Railyard, we happened upon a fellow Rochesterian who was selling gorgeous Moroccan textiles and African jewelry. We struck up a conversation about art and travel and she recommended that we drive up Canyon Road to see the string of art galleries, and stop at El Farol for some tapas. We were excited for the recommendation of a local foodie, and headed straight over to Canyon Road after the market. We arrived probably close to 4:30 pm, which might seem like a weird time for a meal, but it ended up perfect. We were before the dinner reservations rush, and were able to be seated immediately. It was also happy hour, and though we wanted something sweet and some coffee, El Farol looks to have an impressive menu of cocktails and small plates, all of which were discounted during HH. Our server was great, and brought us a menu that had dessert options, and also brought us a few cups of delicious coffee. We ended up ordering guacamole and salsa with chips, a trio of tacos and an order of the churros. The food was out within 15-20 min and was beautifully plated. This is definitely quality food made with quality ingredients: --The tacos were substantial, served with a red chile sauce, and dressed with cabbage, cilantro and a crumbly white cheese, plus lime wedges. We asked if it was possible to get 'one of each' (they had chicken tacos, OR pork tacos OR cauliflower tacos) but were told they don't do that. We went with the chicken and all of us really enjoyed them. --The guacamole and salsa with chips was more substantial than we expected, and everything was really fresh and seasoned perfectly. The chips were thin, blue corn chips, perfect size for dipping and eating without making too much of a crummy mess. --The churros were the star of the dishes - perfectly fried, light as air, with just enough sugar, and served alongside a small cup of chocolate sauce covered in whipped cream - they were delicious with the perfect balance of crunch and sweetness. We would love to take another tour of the galleries on Canyon Road and end up here for a proper HH and/or dinner, but there is just not enough time left in our short stay. When you go, note that parking on Canyon Road is tricky, but the Tea Room, at the top of Canyon Road, across the street from El Farol and just up about another block, is their sister restaurant, and you can park in that lot if there are spots.

It is difficult to begin a completely positive review. I will try to do so by being very broad and adding specifics later. Food was very tasty. Service was friendly and experienced. Location was very fun. I highly recommend anybody passing by or staying in Santa Fe to have a feast of tapas here after walking through all the art galleries. Now, if you're still on the fence or want to hear more; The finesse of the kitchen was glaring in every aspect of the dishes we received. I'm picky and even I couldn't find anything that was off. Seasoning was great. Food was served hot. Flavors and textures were all on point. The menu is fairly classic tapas. Nothing out of the ordinary but everything was done super well. I won't bore anyone with a play by play of every dish we got because by then end we had eaten about 8 plates of tapas plus dessert but I will share with you our two best bites. The first one was the chicharrones. I don't think I have ever had a piece of pork belly melt in mouth AND be completely crispy and perfectly glazed. It had everything it needed. The second was the Catalana. It was my first time trying this dessert and I was honestly expecting a flan. It was so much better. It was on of the creamiest custards I have ever had. Perfectly balanced by the tart citrus and vanilla, it was a perfect end to a delicious meal. I would absolutely come back to Santa Fe just to eat here again. The passion of the kitchen is absolutely on full display in the food.

I just like the atmosphere and food their house margarita is great and well priced Always a nice crowd Nice to walk up and down the street after diner Good tapas

We got in here as a 3rd option for a last minute dinner.I think we got extremely lucky. My husband got the steak and it was tender and incredibly flavorful. The accompanying mushrooms were maybe better than the steak. I shared the mussels with a friend and we almost licked the bowl. The hazelnuts in the tomato broth were an unexpected delight. The anchovy tapa was bright and tangy. Staff was friendly but relaxed. We were the last reservation of the night but we didn't feel rushed. Best meal I've had in a while.

Friendly waiters. Not too many choices of tapas. Love the crispness of the pork belly. But the rice of the paella didn't feel like fully cooked.

My wife and I dined at the restaurant on 7/8/22, we had a reservation. The tapas menu was very limited but they offered a hamburger and fries on the dinner menu. If I wanted a burger I would not have gone to a Spanish restaurant, awkward. When I questioned the waiter about the menu he was disinterested in explaining the menu. When I asked for his recommendation he said everything was good on the menu, a typical answer. The waiter looked tired, and overworked (which I understand in today's environment). I ordered the El Farol Pallea. When I received it, it was burnt to the bottom of the pan. When I mentioned it to the waiter he said it was the chef's preference on how to prepare the dish. I showed him the rice was burnt, the muscles were burnt as well as the prawns. The paella wasn't good. If you want Paella in Santa Fe you have other options. My wife ordered the filet and her meal was good. We both ordered the pear salad and we enjoyed it. For the price we paid for drinks and dinner, I wish I would have dined elsewhere. Three stars are generous in my opinion.

Such a fun place to visit while in Santa Fe! Came here to celebrate my birthday for dinner and loved absolutely everything we tried! This place offers such unique flavors and offers something to appease everyone's palate. We started the night trying to order a bottle of wine, which took three tries before our server found a bottle that was in stock. While that started the meal off slowly, the wine was tasty and was able to make up for it! We mostly ordered small tapas for dinner including patatas bravas, the pecorino and truffle honey, the shrimp and steak skewers. All of it was DELICIOUS! I highly recommend saving some bread to dip in the chili sauce with the shrimp! SO good! While the patatas bravas weren't my favorite, I've had much better elsewhere, they were still good. And the steak with chimichurri sauce is just incredible! Great place for a date night or local night out in town

We celebrated a birthday here, it was fantastic! The service was great and the food was amazing. All 7 of us raved about our meals. I recommend the roasted beet salad!

FANTASTIC FOOD, SERVICE AND VIBES! For all my vegetarians, you must try their veggie paella! It was served in a big metal cauldron and was so friggin good i had to go back and order it again two days later. I've never tasted saffron but i think that was the flavor in the dish that made me fall in love with it. It's a bit pricey, at $30, but the portion is huge! Both times i ordered the vegan paella i had it again for breakfast the next day. The interior is sumptuous and historic. I loved the vibe here.

Attended the Flamenco show with fix price dinner. The diner was very good. The entree was a bit heavy due to the amount of cheese however, we took it home. I am sharing the menu and a couple pictures of the 3 Flamenco dancers. The singer was amazing.

Spectacular food. Amazing service (thank you Daniel, your service & mezcal recommendations were amazing) . Beautiful restaurant. Amiable and sweet manager. 10/10 thank you, will come again!

Server Martin and Sandro are great ! Accommodating! Service is great and food & drinks!! Will definitely come back

We went here for a Christmas Eve dinner, and while I completely understand that places are understaffed and our reservation was on a holiday, the experience was awful. Our reservation was for 6:00pm, and we showed up at 5:40pm. There was a huge line of dozens of people (it was more like a mob of people since the "line" had no organization). The people that attempted to venture inside the restaurant were told to get back in line since everyone in the line had the same reservation. There was no explanation of how long it would take, or why we were waiting because there were many open tables. I'm pregnant, and I started getting flustered, overwhelmed, and dehydrated because we had not anticipated standing in a line for over 30 minutes. We debated leaving, but there was an $80 non refundable deposit if we left. The restaurant was waiting until everyone from the 4:00pm dinner left before herding in all of the 6:00pm - super inefficient! When we were finally seated, it took a while for us to get our drinks. The menu was very sparse. I ordered medium-well steak because I'm pregnant and worried about eating undercooked meat. The waiter gave me a weird look when I ordered the steak medium-well. When we finally got our food, my streak was rare, so I couldn't eat it all. Additionally, the food was cold when we got it. The dinner was way too expensive for the experience we endured.

Back to basics! We had a very good meal at this restaurant 2 years ago but now it seems like they are coasting. Menu now very limited. Rice for paella needs to be done fresh for each dish. I like Spanish chorizo but paella overly salty due to too much. Service intermittent: did not check to see if we wanted another glass of wine. Salad swimming in dressing. Place has a great history but flamenco is no excuse for subpar food.

The food was expensive and mediocre. I figured if anyone could nail paella it would be El Farol. But it was dry and hard to eat. The house salad was excellent, I wish I had ordered just that. Avoid the prix fixe--the food just wasn't that great. The flamenco performance featured 3 dancers on a small stage. Avoid sitting in the middle row: each dancer does a solo and dances in the middle of the stage, so, if you are in the middle row it is hard to see.

5 stars for our server, Monica! 2 stars for the price 2.5 stars for the food 4 stars for the drinks (minus 1 for the price cause we got our drinks during happy hour) We went in between lunch and dinner hour so we got some tapas and fish tacos. The ceviche was just 5 pieces of shrimp with jalapeños and some pickled veggies on top, along a orange. I wouldn't say that was a ceviche... The fish tacos were way too fishy and the hot sauce served with it tasted watered down, as if they added water. We wanted to try a restaurant with food we could only find in Santa Fe and what better but to go to the oldest restaurant in Santa Fe, right? We saw there was only 3 stars but still decided to go so that's our fault. Trust the yelp reviews and stars.

El Farol is in the business of stealing people's money. $230 worth! We had a Christmas eve reservation. They cancelled our reservation and charged me $230 cancellation fee, even though we ate there and spent $322 for subpar food. I called about the cancellation charge and they claimed they would refund it. They did not. . We did, in fact, eat Christmas dinner there. We had an 8pm reservation. It took them an hour to seat us....we stood in below-freezing weather to be seated an hour late, for subpar food, that we got charged double for. . The wait staff did their best and were very kind and attentive. The restaurant, however, clearly has terrible management practices. . THEY OWE ME $230 of FAULTY CHARGES.

Yeah, not so much anymore. We came here with our friends on Thursday night, and things weren't as rosy as last time. The renovations are still jarring and our server was absent 80% of the time. There weren't enough plates on the table and three of the dishes came out within, like, ten seconds (?!). Also, the menu has NM cuisine *and* Italian cuisine, which is basically like an Asian restaurant that "specializes" in sushi, Chinese food, and Korean BBQ. Listen, the sangria is still great and thank god they haven't changed the aguacate recipe (still a perennial favorite). The cauliflower was delicious and cooked well, but the salad was overdressed and the pizza was a bit too crispy. Vegetarian paella actually wasn't bad and the bite one of us had from a friend's beef stew was pretty good. Stick to what you know, El Farol! This is a tapas place and has been for decades, so if you spread yourself too thin and lose sight of the original mission, it just won't be as good or as special. The key lime pie for dessert was OK, but their chocolate decadence cake was dry and anything but decadent. Our friends seemed to enjoy their food and we had a nice time there, but it's going to be a loooooong time until we go back again.

Excellent food and service in beautiful back patio. Staff was very attentive, and happy to light the heat lamps nearest our table. Paella was especially good. Only thing that could have been better: We were group of 4 couples, celebrating milestone birthdays of 3 of our group, and noted this on RESY reservation as well as by telephone. Not looking for anything free, but none of staff even wished us a happy birthday. Who knows, maybe it never got communicated to staff that served us?

While different than my first, second and third visits over the last 20 years, El Farol is definitely one of those classic sites one must experience. The low ceilings, friendly service and cold beer make it a great place to stops on a Canyon Road Art walk. Didn't taste the food this time - just needed to wet my whistle! Enjoy!

Visited here way back in either 2007 or 2008; it's still one of the best "night out" experiences I've ever had. Great food and drink, a really fun crowd, and great live music. Hope that my travels bring me back there one day...

Great food. Interesting, varied and delicious. Attentive service. Reasonably priced for outstanding quality. Best meal in Santa Fe!!

Food is excellent, will not disappoint. Atmosphere is lovely along Canyon Road. But, as with many restaurant experiences since Covid, they simply do not have enough staff. We waited quite some time for our waitress, and our food was slow to appear. Once it was served, it came without serving utensils or tapas plates and you can't seem to flag anyone down. I had to take place settings from the empty table across and behind us on two occasions during the dinner. Hard to leave an adequate tip on an expensive meal, when you feel like you were part of the staff.