La Fiesta Lounge

St. Mark has my undying allegiance. That man is an alchemist- i'd call him a witch but he is more deserving of beaitification than any pope in recent memory. Thank you for sharing your magic, Mark, you made our night. Amazing establishment, amazing staff

A very busy place. It was a Saturday during the Hot Air Balloon Festival. Wait was too long for the restaurant so I opted for the Lounge. Seating for one was w/o a wait!!! I ordered an Old Fashioned, chili rellenos and onion rings. ALL WERE EXCELLENT. There was only ONE SERVER for all the lounge tables. Food and drink came very fast. Follow-up service ..... yur on your own. However, one can do that without being rude to staff. I simply flagged down the food runner for a to-go box, and the host to take my credit card. It worked just DON'T GO if you're in a rush OR IN A DEMANDING MOOD. The ultimate question: Would I return? ABSOLUTELY

I will summarize La Fiesta with one word...YUMMY!!! Melissa was a friendly & attentive server. I loved the 80s music playing. I'd definitely recommend La Fiesta 👍

Drinks were amazing. Service was great. And the charcuterie was terrific. We couldn’t get enough. Looking forward to our next trip back.

I liked the vibe of the bar (in a hotel) but I did think the drinks were slightly overpriced. I really enjoyed my cucumber and jalapeño margarita but $16 seems excessive for such a small drink. My friend ordered a house marg and it was extremely sour. She politely told the bartender and the bartender added agave. This helped a little but the drink still wasn’t incredible for what we were paying. When the bartender asked if it was better, we asked if she could get what I was having, and we appreciated her making another drink. We didn’t order food but it looked good from what people were ordering around us. Cool spot but just think the prices are a bit high.

Very dissatisfied with the service. We arrived at 2:30 where the regular restaurant was closed so we went to the bar. It took 20 minutes to receive waters. We ordered 2 margaritas and a beer as well as nachos, chile rellanos, and steak frites. Another 15 minutes and we received 1 marg and the beer. It took 20+ minutes to flag down someone down to ask for possible chips as we were drinking on empty stomachs and food has now taken 40 ish minutes . They brought chips salsa and guacamole: we flag another person to get our other marg which finally came out (wrong). Food finally came out and was fine. The lack of communication was astonishing. As a former server I would’ve been fine if there was any communication of “hey the food wait time might be a bit long” or “how are the drinks” or “sorry about the wait can we get you anything else” but there was zero communication from our waiter. They of course charged for the chips we asked for.

Made a pit stop while walking downtown. Vibe is more modern than it used to be, doesn’t really seem to fit with the atmosphere. Got the chips and guac/salsa which seemed overpriced, but it’s the Plaza 🤷🏼‍♂️. The guac was too spicy for my kiddo to eat and rightfully so as it had quite the heat. The salsa was handily the worst I’ve had in NM in 40 years. It tasted like bleachy tomatoes and was the consistency of watery cocktail sauce while the guac was chunky but tasted like jalapeños and habanero and clocked in at $15. The margaritas were ok, but pricey even for the plaza. In all, I miss the old La Fonda bar. Skip this and go to Del Charro.

Ordered the flan for dessert and the tamarinda margarita and a spicy mango margarita. Very good service and drinks/dessert.

Stopped in for a cocktail and a snack after shopping all day. Time for some libations! The four of us had: a Makers Mark Manhattan neat, a Herrudura Margarita on the rocks, a Dos Equis and a Cucumber & Jalapeño Margarita up. All were well mixed, not overly strong, and very nicely garnished. We heard a stomach growl amongst a party so we order some sweet potato fries and the Short Rib Nachos---so good! The service was quick, attentive, and the setting in lobby of La Fonda can't be beat for ambiance. Also they have live music regularly so that increases the fun factor ten fold. Give them a try, and stay for dinner at La Plazuela. Four stars!

Like most patrons here, we stopped in for a couple of drinks inside the La Fonda hotel. One thing that stands out Is their great selection of tequilas. They do have a selection of some upscale bar grub and local craft beers. If you want to know what a great tequila is like, try a shot of the Clase Azule. This place does have an intimate yet casual seating for 50 or so people. Great place to get out of the hot New Mexico sun and try some high end tequila.

We stopped in for a couple drinks before we headed back to our airbnb. The bartender was lovely and make me up a special mocktail with strawberry and ginger beer. My girlfriend had a potent margarita. Good service and ambiance.

Nice bar inside the hotel. Fast and friendly service. Prices reasonable for where you are.

This bar inside La Fonda hotel is a very high paced operation. The bartenders are polite and fast! You are bound to meet new people here as the libations and foods slow. There is a full menu including some very interesting Santa Fe style meals. You can bring your family if you want to. It is very loud!

Friendly, attentive servers; mix of locals and tourists; decent food menu; cozy hotel bar with live music nightly. That sounds like la fiesta to me. You may want to stick with beer or wine- the cocktails are yummy and inventive, but small. They're smumventive. Side note: If the hosts at La Plazuela (just steps away) try to seat you outside the plaza and into the perimeter side hallway "uninvited cousin" tables, come to the lounge while you wait for a real table. And, if you can't get a real table, just eat here.

drinks were great, bartenders super nice. I set my brand new leather jacket on the barstool next to me. When our table at restaurant was ready, I forgot it and I guess someone decided to take it. We were guests at hotel and they didn't seem to care or make any effort except to confirm that no one turned it in. It's sad that people can't be more honest. Disappointed:(

Nice place. Locals and tourists mixed. Nice bartenders Try the tequila that is made especially for them!

The perfect answer to dinner when staying at La Fonda and you don't want a big meal or to have to go venturing out after a long day of exploring. I went with the quesadilla and had them leave out the chicken and it still had good flavor and was the perfect amount of food. My husband had the green chile cheeseburger and he said it was prepared perfectly (he prefers his burger med rare) and the fries were excellent ( yep, I stole one when he wasn't looking). Keep it mind it gets busy, busy tables are generally turned fairly quickly as people move out into the hotel lobby or to the restaurant.

Wow what a gem! The food is delicious and authentic. The service is amazing and the locals eat here so you know it's good. Leo is an amazing bartender with a great personality and he says he's the best in the state :) but seriously come and check this place out. You will not be sorry

Since La Fonda is the center of Santa Fe, you would be right to expect a great bar. La Fiesta is a great bar with great food, service, and the ambiance of being surrounded by La Fonda.

This lounge is located just off the lobby of the La Fonda Hotel. For people interested in a cocktail and an alternative to a more formal dinner. We went there to have a light but elegant supper. I ordered guacamole and chips and my husband ordered a enchilada appetizer. The portions were so generous that we ended taking at least half of it home. We were there after 7 pm. They had a wonderful musician playing violin as we ate. Service, ambiance and portions were great! Would go back again.

On the hunt for a Margarita Passport Trail stamp- I chose the La Fonda hotel, lounge. Seating and liquor are limited due to COVID. The margarita was good- but I don't know what it was. They didn't have the ingredients for the signature drink- I got plan B, and it was good. I had 2. Service was slow, even with only a few tables to wait on. I would gave them another star, but the server took the food menu with him and never asked me if I wanted to eat.

We stopped here for an afternoon margarita. It was our third margarita of our trip (not of the day!) and by far, the worst one we had. Tasted like a mix. We ordered the golden one. Best part of the experience was running into an old school buddy from junior high and high school, both of us far from home. Kismet!

Their Double Barrel margarita is fantastic! Came here for lunch with a coworker for lunch since La Plazuela was closed for the afternoon. I had the Green Chile Burger (chiles on the side, because I'm a spice wimp), and we both had the margarita since it was touted to be special to the restaurant. The flavor was great, clearly not from a mix and a good balance of tart and sweet with a hint of salt. The burger was good too, well-cooked, though maybe a tad rarer than the medium I ordered. The chiles added a good flavor, but were pretty spicy so I used them sparingly. Service was fine, nothing special. The only reason for not 5 stars is that the price is kind of high-the margs were $16 each and the burger was $17. I know it's a hotel bar but still a bit of an ouch.

I liked the vibe of the bar (in a hotel) but I did think the drinks were slightly overpriced. I really enjoyed my cucumber and jalapeño margarita but $16 seems excessive for such a small drink. My friend ordered a house marg and it was extremely sour. She politely told the bartender and the bartender added agave. This helped a little but the drink still wasn't incredible for what we were paying. When the bartender asked if it was better, we asked if she could get what I was having, and we appreciated her making another drink. We didn't order food but it looked good from what people were ordering around us. Cool spot but just think the prices are a bit high.

A great place to grab a drink if the weather is beautiful! The view of Sante Fe is awesome from this rooftop We stopped by on our last day in New Mexico and I'm glad we saw this place from street level, you must go through the hotel to access it ---chips salsa and guacamole: loved the salsa and guacamole, the chips were nothing special Love that they offer blankets as it can get chilly out on the roof

The salsa is great. It has a smoky undertone. The chips are not salty. The guac is fine. We've been in the hotel for four nights. Have visited La Fiesta Lounge several times; my husband by himself, the two of us and with the couple with whom we are travelling. One of the Bartenders (big, perhaps Native American) is very good. The waiters and waitresses are adequate, although one waitress was so bad we thought it was her first day waitressing. (Young white woman) The support staff are awesome! I even tipped one of them directly, $10, because we were there for hours that evening and she kept our table clean and water glasses full. The Hostess always makes it seem as if the place is so busy and that she's doing you a favor to fit you in; yet we were always seated promptly. Today, the Hostess handed me a menu and said, "Here's the menu." I told her that I've been in NM for two weeks now, eating my way across the state and couldn't possibly eat another bite of food. In a very snarky tone, with an eye roll, she said "It's a drink menu." Excuse me! Most of the staff at La Fonda have been very professional and very good, whether Housekeeping, Front Desk, Concierge, Bellmen, Valets, or wait staff inside La Plazuela; the staff at La Fiesta are not in the same league in terms of customer service or effectiveness at their jobs. One waitress told my husband that she wouldn't be able to serve him another beer or she might lose her license. A license to sling drinks?? Apparently that is a New Mexico thing. (Both the license and the cut-off after a certain number of drinks are NM things. I live in Sin City, so these blue laws always take me by surprise.) When I asked the Bar Manager if it's true that cocktail servers must be licensed, he said, "I guess so." I'm sorry; the Manager doesn't know whether the cocktail servers whom he supervises have to be licensed? How is that professional?

Great little bar if the wait is too long to get into the restaurant. I would try anything on the menu and have tried the charcuterie board, burger and nachos. Of course the clarified milk punch is my favorite cocktail and I've had four in the last 24 hours lol! The burger was served well done despite ordering it medium rare but the flavor was good and the battered fries were tasty. The buffalo nachos were pretty good but there's not much to them really so I wouldn't order either of those dishes again. The best thing I ate was the charcuterie board. It was amazing! The goat cheese is to die for delicious and the meats were great. I prefer toasted baguette over the thin crackers it comes with and I missed having some olives but all in all it was a great value and perfect for sharing. The service was friendly and efficient. Ambiance, comfortability and location are great as well. It's a busy little bar area with lots of tables as well. It's definitely where the locals and tourists alike go.

Juany is the most amazing and attentive server and we were lucky to have her serving us. Mark is a great bartender. We had so much fun at La Fiesta Lounge during our visit for Thanksgiving weekend.

We stopped in for lunch on Black Friday! Although very busy, the service was excellent! Kimberly was our server, very attentive and professional! A different person kept our iced tea glasses filled at all times We have been here before and the food is always great! Today was no exception. I had the chicken quesadilla and hubby had the Ruben...both were delicious!! Located in La Fonda hotel on the plaza, it's A great location Clean, cozy....love this place

Stopped at the bar for a mid-afternoon margarita. The Don Rael marg was good (not great), the service was slow (with moderate crowds), the prices pricey. The location off the Plaza can't be beat, and I did have a good marg, but would not make a point of returning.

..Spent the Christmas holiday at the beautiful and historic La Fonda Hotel. We decided to have dinner and drinks at the La Fiesta Lounge the night before Christmas Eve.The restaurant lounge is located at the lobby. The space is a nice lobby bar/restaurant. Lots of holiday travelers enjoying the festive décor with their holiday meal & drinks. I enjoyed the Rellenos de La Fonda- Two large green chilies with Mexican cheese. My dish was prepared Christmas style (red & green chili on each side of the dish). The chilies are lightly fried and delicious. Black beans and fresh lettuce -tomato salad on the side accompanied the dish. I was impressed with the pork posole - really good. A lightly fried sopaipilla bread w/ honey for drizzling on the bread was a tasty touch. Our server was friendly despite having to wait on several tables. The meals are on the high end of moderately priced. Watch your drinks tab though.. drinks are pricey. I recommend stopping by for a delicious New Mexican style meal. You won't be disappointed.

Stopped here for a light lunch on a day of sight-seeing. The lounge is located in the lobby of the historic La Fonda Hotel. We were delightfully rewarded with attentive staff and delicious chile relleno plate with beans, salsa, guacamole, and -- something we'd never had before -- fried pazole. The chile relleno was one of the best we'd ever tried -- lightly breaded, crispy and flavorful.

Cozy. Intimate. Between causal and dressy. Nice atmosphere. Food is great very New Mexican down to the Caesar Salad which had a lime with cilantro (not overwhelming) finish. My tortilla soup had so much flavor and a unique presentation. I loved my meal and my experience, the staff was quick and knowledgeable. Definitely works in partnership with La Fondas. I say if you want to avoid the crowd this is absolutely a good choice.

Visited Santa Fe for the weekend and strolled into this shopping area...originally wanted to eat at the place next door but they had a long wait so we opted for this place. The service was below average, and after not being waited on for 10 min we moved to the bar. The bar service was better but it took a solid 40 min before our food came out and 30 min for our apps. The first margarita I had was awesome, but then another bartender made the second one and it was mostly salt and lime...very hit and miss. Our food was what kept this place from being 2 stars, the tacos are awesome. The chips and queso were OK, could def do better for the price. Overall I think the large amount of daily tourism has allowed the quality to go down in this establishment without much of an impact on profits. Sad to see as it has a lot of potential. Recommend waiting in line somewhere else.

This is a terrible bar or maybe I got a poor bartender. I tried to get a decent G&T and sent it back once with clear direction the second time and got a terrible drink both times. Don't bother with this place for any cocktail.

So cool to sit in the bar in the famous La Fonda Hotel! The service was excellent and god drinks and appetizers were phenomenal. You will see one of the famous Harvey Rabbits behind the bar, holding the specialty tequila made specifically for the La Fonda Hotel and restaurant. Very exciting history!

Best service ever!! Leo is the best bartender in Santa Fe. Pozole and guacamole are awesome. Go see him and order a tequila smash.

The proud o margarita is spice and quite tasty. The house margarita is watery and barely drinkable. No nibbles are served with $12-15 drinks.

Very pet friendly in the afternoon when we needed to beat the heat. Thank goodness! We stopped in for a respite, margaritas, and appetizer of guacamole and salsa and chips Unfortunately those left a bit to be desired. Margarita wasn't made with fresh lime juice even tho we asked and were assured they were. And $15 for two small ramekins of guacamole and salsa is a bit disappointing , especially when the guacamole was a bit sour...like not fresh. Chips are homemade and quite good. Environment is dark and cozy while in the midst of probably the busiest lobby in all of Santa Fe.

Went after an opera at the Lensic. I ordered the $18 crab sliders. I received two thin too small greasy tasteless patties on two king rolls. Just a warning for any prospective customers...avoid the crab sliders. Hopefully they'll bring back the BBQ pork sliders where you will get three proper sized sliders. Very disappointed. I'm a local so I suggest if you have to eat there avoid the crab sliders. Buyer beware. Should've posted a foto but I didn't think to take a pic.

Decent drinks, great atmosphere, unusual food selections... though I could do without the deconstruction on the nachos. The place was packed. I love this modern, younger, take on La Fonda's food scene, with its lounge, traditional seating, and several high-top bar-type areas. There's something for everyone! Plus, double bonus: Outlets and purse-hangars at the bar! The only downside... It's expensive and service kinda blows. As a local, that's a downer for me.

We had great hopes for a nice drink and a bite to eat. Although claiming to be a full bar, they could not make a daiquiri, a colada, or a mai tai. I had water. Disappointed.

We stopped in for drinks after a day of browsing the plaza. It was during NFL playoffs and was a fun yet relaxing place to catch the games. Jesus was our bartender and he was extremely kind and accommodating. The "la organica" margarita was very refreshing. Not the cheapest option for drinks, but wonderful service in a beautiful classic hotel.

Great food. We happened to go on New Year's Day.. it was packed staff was hustling like crazy being down some staff. Because of the limited staff working we had to wait 1.5 hours for food and people after us got their food before hand. However karen and Adam graciously comped our meal.

Wasn't too crazy about this place. I thought the view would have been better. Not too many food options but the nachos were decent, but pricey. The drinks were so expensive and very weak, almost watered down taste. They couldn't make me the Margarita that comes on the margarita trail either. Everyone kept switching seats, including us. They sat us next to a pillar so our view was obstructed and I'm short so I don't need much leg room, but even I couldn't fit at this table. So needless to say we moved. Won't be back on our next trip here. Next time, I'll hit up coyote cantina or rooftop pizzeria again

Staff was not attentive and they have a company wide policy of not serving people with vertical licenses regardless of age!! Prices were high too.

Truly horrible service. Cordial incompetence. Went here for lunch because the La Fonda restaurant was a 35 minute wait & they're the same kitchen. Food was ok, but nothing I'd repeat. At first everything seemed fine, but once we didn't order cocktails, it seemed we were put on the low priority list. Took an extremely long time to finally take our lunch order. I asked for catsup for my onion rings. I had given up on it, & then it finally arrived when I had only 2 onion rings left. (And I'm a very slow eater!) Our iced tea & lemonade never came, but our server still tried to charge us for them. We noticed other customers around us having lunch seemed to be having various issues as well. If you just want chips & cocktails, it might be fine.

La Fiesta Loung & Bell Tower Bar Review - Scene 1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Takes place in La Fiesta Lounge inside La Fonda on the first floor: [Director's Commentary] This scene almost didn't take place because we walked in to La Fonda to see about La Plazuela, saw the bar and it looked like a Western version of a hotel bar, so we left. Fortunately, the catering company ran out of water and we needed delicious beverages for the crew. (the wife and I) [End Director's Commentary] Bartender makes two drinks, both margaritas, one high end for the pretentious lady and one low end for the guy who just wants alcohol. Bartender and patrons make small talk over the twang of the sixty year-old Texans at the end of the bar, talking of the glory days when they played high school football. Woman Patron: This is the best margarita I've had here! Guy Patron: I liked the ones at Del Charro better. (sorry, but they're almost half the price and almost as good, plus you get a damn martini shaker for what appears to be two margaritas! This is a price to quality comparison here) Textual context: Most margs here are in the $10 - $11 range, but extra brownie points for having a bottle of Don Julio 1942 behind the bar. End of scene 1 - Intermission La Fiesta Lounge & Bell Tower Bar Review - Scene 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Takes place in Bell Tower Bar on 5th floor of La Fonda: [Director's Commentary]This scene almost didn't happen as well, because we didn't know about this place until I pissed the bartender off and she told us to make sure to check out the belltower [End Director's Commentary] Textual context: OK, I didn't really piss her off, she was very understanding Bartender: You guys should really check out the belltower, it's on the fifth floor Guy Patron: Is that where the short guy with the weird shaped back is? Bartender: You're nowhere near Notre Dame Guy Patron: (to woman patron) OK, let's go check it out Patrons ascend to fifth floor in old, creaky elevators. Patrons secretly wonder to selves...if this thing has a malfunction of some sort, at least we'll die together. Patrons arrive at fifth floor, walk out onto patio and take in beautiful, scenic Santa Fe, but from five floors up. Woman Patron: OMG! (yes, say it in text speak, it'll provide a light-hearted comedic moment) This is beautiful! Why didn't we come here before? Guy Patron: Um, we didn't know it was here. Where's the waiter? Patrons order more margaritas, same as were drank in scene 1. Woman Patron is not as happy with this one. Male Patron doesn't care as he is just looking to score in between mouthfuls of salty, dry roasted peanuts. Textual Context: This is a great spot to see the sunset over Santa Fe, but apparently you must arrive early. They open at 4 or 5 and close at sunset. We were there early and got ourselves a primo table to catch a sunburn, but the place filled up quickly. Oh, and prices are the same as downtstairs, but you do get fancy "take home" plastic cups up here. THE END

We were a party of 7 on a very busy day due to the balloon fiesta. We were sat within 20 minutes. Our server was very sweet. You could tell he was doing his best due to the crowd. The guacamole was some of the best I have had. Our one friend does not eat guacamole but she liked this. We also had the salsa flight (salsa verde, red salsa and a pineapple salsa) each was good but when you put all 3 on a chip it was delicious. One friend had the short rib tacos. He thought they were just ok. Three of us had the shredded beef burrito. The beef was very tender. The black beans had a nice flavor. I am not sure what the corn side was. I wish I did because it was yummy. I would return and maybe try the buffet.

I love, love, LOVED La Fiesta Lounge. My husband and I had an amazing dinner here during our stay at La Fonda on the Plaza in March of 2012. Service was quick, friendly, attentive, and wondeful. The food (chips, guacamole, salsa, chicken tortilla soup, green chili) was delicious and filling. The margaritas were some of the best I have ever had. The ambience was perfect for a cozy, romantic date with my husband. The live band they had playing was fun, talented, and really got people on the dance floor. Five stars. I wish I lived closer so that I could go all the time.

I always forget about this bar, which has pricey mixed drinks, but totally affordable beers. Today, after perusing the few remaining open galleries and doing some window shopping with out-of-state guests, one of them looked up and asked what the people were doing on the roof of the La Fonda. *DING*! We rushed up there and caught the brilliant Santa Fe sunset with a few tastey margaritas. We met a couple groups of tourists, who took our pictures and we took theirs and everyone had a great early evening. AND HELLO PATIO ACTION!

The lounge area serves the best lunch buffet ever. It's so fresh, consistent and priced right. The staff, ever so friendly, always greet us kindly. If we feel like meat, we have lots to choose from, if salad is the thing, we load up on the shredded lettuces, tomatoes, salsas and top it off with a bit of beans and cheese. Something to please everyone! Parking is almost always available, so convenient - get your parking ticket validated and it's free with lunch. LaFonda will always be our special hideaway for New Mexican comfort food at lunchtime especially.

I will definitely be back here on our next trip out to Santa Fe. First of all...it was the BEST MARGARITA I had my entire weekend in Santa Fe. This is in the downstairs bar. I believe it was the Silver Medal or something Margarida. YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!! We made chit chat with the bartender who was super funny and cool and just chilled out for a bit. Then...she told us about the Bell Tower bar and how we HAD to go up there and see a sunset. Unfortunately, we had to drive 6 hours back to Denver that day so we couldn't stay late enough for sunset but decided to check it out anyway. WOW WOW WOW what a view. SERIOUSLY!!! You have to find the Tower (you have to go up an elevator). You can sit in one of the tables underneath where the old bell used to be (inside the tower which is still open to the outside) or just sit in one of the many other tables on the rooftop deck. Aaaaaahhhhhh. Just sitting there looking out into the city of Santa Fe was just delicious!!! The only downside was the margarita at the top. I guess they don't use the same recipe as downstairs (either that or our bartender downstairs is the secret weapon here as hers were to die for - she is a slightly older lady in her 40s probably? look for her!). I didn't like it at all and had a hard time drinking it. Oh well. Doesn't matter...the view totally made up for it. Glad we found this place (BY ACCIDENT)!!!

Came here on the margarita passport your with no expectations. The lamb torta was amazing! Juicy flavorful meat and the perfect toppings, so glad we stumbled across this gem! Great service as well!!

Nice lounge in the La Fonda Hotel. They have a live band after 8 p.m. and in Santa Fe that is one of the only things open at that time. It was very pleasant with all age groups from young to old. Great margaritas and bar type menu. It was nice that they served some bottled local beers. Nachos were one of the best we ever had. It had beans on the bottom of the chips and chips did not get soggy.

It was okay, grilled cheese "southwest" tasted like it had canned peppers and tomato .... Assorted Pu Pu style platter was okay. Margarita was good. It's worth checking out. Nothing fantastic but not bad for a hotel bar.

Yes! Perfect, friendly great food and comfortable atmosphere. The host was exceptionally friendly to everyone who walked in. The cheese enchiladas with green chili sauce was wonderful. Live acoustic guitar was playing. It was perfect after a long drive.