La Boca
Tapas restaurant · Santa Fe
72 W Marcy St, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Highlights
Spanish tapas & Mediterranean/South American wines, paella
Spanish tapas & Mediterranean/South American wines, paella
"The best steak in Santa Fe is served with salted caramel sauce at La Boca. Just off the Plaza, it’s a tiny restaurant with even tinier tables perfect for cramming in as many friends as possible over tapas and sherry. The dishes are the typical tapas standards—we’re convinced the phrase “don’t fix what isn’t broken” was invented with patatas bravas in mind, and the ones here are textbook stellar. The best bang for your boquerones is to hit up La Boca for 3-5pm happy hour, though you’ll be tempted to stay later into the evening to order seconds and thirds of pan con tomate while being serenaded by the cantatours and guitarists who take the taberna stage five nights a week. At least stay long enough to order dessert—we love their Gâteau Basque, a traditional buttery pastry crimped around a vanilla bean custard doused with an added flair of housemade brandied cherries and crème fraîche." - nina katz
"The best steak in Santa Fe is served with salted caramel sauce at La Boca. Just off the Plaza, it’s a tiny restaurant with even tinier tables perfect for cramming in as many friends as possible over tapas and sherry. The dishes are the typical tapas standards—we’re convinced the phrase “don’t fix what isn’t broken” was invented with patatas bravas in mind, and the ones here are textbook stellar. The best bang for your boquerones is to hit up La Boca for 3-5pm happy hour, though you’ll be tempted to stay later into the evening to order seconds and thirds of pan con tomate while being serenaded by the cantatours and guitarists who take the taberna stage five nights a week. At least stay long enough to order dessert—we love their Gâteau Basque, a traditional buttery pastry crimped around a vanilla bean custard doused with an added flair of housemade brandied cherries and crème fraîche." - Nina Katz
"Since debuting La Boca in 2006 in downtown Santa Fe, chef James Campbell Caruso has merged regional Southwestern ingredients with methodical Spanish technique, transporting eaters from New Mexico to Spain. Caruso pairs small plates like trio de califlor — roasted cauliflower with harissa barbecue sauce and manchego cream — with an impressive selection of Mediterranean and South American wines. The restaurant can get packed on the weekends with a crowd that skews older, so make a reservation a week or two ahead of time to snag a spot if you’re visiting town. Best for: Late-stage dates and other romantic celebrations for a party of two." - Karen Fischer
"Santa Fe owes a significant portion of its modern identity to Spanish influences, from architecture to cuisine. Nowhere is this cookery celebrated more keenly than the intimate La Boca, where Chef James Campbell Caruso delivers small plates that transport diners to the streets of Cadiz. Campbell Caruso, who has received multiple James Beard nominations, also imports Spanish sherries and wines to pair with small plates such as turmeric-yogurt grilled chicken thigh and chicharrones de Andaluz laced with harissa. If you’re not in a hurry, paellas in classic and vegetable versions offer a hearty counter point to the tapas menu. An accompanying bodega sells wine, meats, and other hard-to-find ingredients from the Iberian Peninsula." - Ashley M. Biggers
"Since debuting La Boca in 2006 in downtown Santa Fe, chef James Campbell Caruso has merged regional Southwestern ingredients with methodical Spanish technique, transporting eaters from New Mexico to Spain. Caruso pairs small plates like trio de califlor — roasted cauliflower with harissa barbecue sauce and manchego cream — with an impressive selection of Mediterranean and South American wines." - Willy Carleton, Justin De La Rosa, Karen Fischer
