izanami

***I would give them a 3.5 if possible. Went to this adorable restaurant for dinner with a friend after exploring Old Towne. We sat outside in their heated patio and were very comfortable. They even offered blankets! Our server was pleasant and helpful. We tried the 4 course dinner ($65/person) which included two appetizers, main entree and dessert. We also got nigiri (Wagyu and tuna)! Our favorite was the yellow tail sashimi (the sauce is to die for). Here's where my reduction of stars came from: If you have a pine/tree nut allergy (like I do), the 2nd course doesn't have an option that is nut free OR free of cross contamination. So, I asked to switch for something else and was told no. I politely mentioned this to the manager and informed them that it was frustrating. They did not offer to comp me or another item, they simply told me that they "sometimes" make exceptions (not in my case). Given the food prices and level of service, I am disappointed in their lack of ability to accommodate food allergies. However- my waiter was very knowledgeable and informed me of what to eat/stay away from. Overall- we enjoyed the fun ambiance, flavor of the dishes and experience but I would not order the 4 course meal again as someone with a nut allergy.

After having many delicious meals in the past, we decided to celebrate my husband's birthday here. The first half of our experience was excellent; the cocktails, sesame noodle salad, hamachi sashimi (although not generous), and the wagyu beef were all delicious.The not so good part was everything we received after those items. The mushrooms, which in the past have had a beautiful umami, had so much yuzu we could not taste anything else. The brussel sprouts also had too much acid (lemon?) and overshadowed all the other flavors. We mentioned this to our server, he said he would bring it up with the manager. The manager never came over. We wanted to order more items, but waited another 15 mins or so before we saw our server again. During that time we begrudgingly picked at the veggies because we were still quite hungry. Eventually we were able to order the chicken karaage and negi hamachi. The chicken breast was bone dry, and the batter was chalky with no seasoning. The negi hamachi was not worth it, you get so little fish you might as well just order the sashimi. At this point, we didn't tell our server these items weren't great either. It was clear it wouldn't matter, as the veggies were never addressed.As we had reached full disappointment with our meal, we didn't have dessert. It's a shame to have paid $250 for a mediocre experience for such an important day.

Update: Duke you just showed why your service is always complained about. First, I'm from Texas so we like our drinks strong. The strong was the lime juice not the tequila. I suggested some soda to help as your bartender looked at me like a crazy person in lieu of doing anything to help. We drink tequila straight up here so give it a rest. Second, your waitress was very nice and we did discuss the menu items we ordered in length as most were her recommendations based off what we wanted (by you know using words of what we liked - salty vs sweet, I didn't see once where you advised your staff actually tried to make our experience better and I shouldn't have expected that after reviewing your comments. Maybe YOU should take responsibility for the multiple people who complain about your service instead of making excuses...you know the whole point of customer service!

We were underwhelmed by our meal. The chicken was overcooked, the salmon sashimi paper thin, the roasted vegetables were good but our server didn't inform us that our dishes already included the vegetables, crunchy spicy tuna rolls were fine but lacked spice.... It just wasn't worth the price and we would rather have eaten something delicious in Santa Fe. I love the spa here and if you do eat would recommend the unfiltered unpasteurized sake for something unique!

Is Izanami heaven? Yes. It is. We reserved a traditional washitsu (floor table seating, must remove shoes). The ambiance is beautiful. The staff could be heard laughing together, great teamwork & were outstanding with both service & recommendations. We had sake flights which were amazing, when we ordered a full glass we were got sosogi-koboshi (traditional overpour for celebration) and grilled our own meat on the Ishiyaki (Grilling Stone) which were fun! Everything pictured was amazing but I could eat the black sesame noodles every day & crispy spicy tuna is the most perfect single bite. The wagyu is the finest quality.

A friend and I had an amazing experience here. We sat at the bar and our server could not have been more helpful (I wish I remembered his name). My friend kept asking about the sake and he was very accommodating. He helped us select drinks based on our taste. We also really enjoyed our food and decor. I will definitely come back!

I came here with some friends after we spent the morning at Ten Thousand Waves, and boy am I glad we did! Not only was the backdrop beautiful, but service was super and the food was excellent. You start with bottles of both flat and sparkling water. Nice touch. Drink service was slow, but I think the bar was inundated with orders when we were there. No problem, we were eating in the meantime.I have a hard and fast rule against eating fish in landlocked states, but I make an exception when they tell me they fly it in daily from the largest fish market in Tokyo. The yellowtail practically melted in my mouth and the tuna and salmon were similarly excellent. The shrimp with mango sauce was divine. The crispy rice with spicy tuna was top notch. The salads were super (kale and beet was a personal favorite, but they were all great). I'm not sure we had a single item we didn't love. And with 9 foodies, that's high praise! I would recommend, and I would return if I find myself in Santa Fe again.

Recent girls trip to Santa Fe, one of whom lives locally, so she made reservations for us to eat at Izanami. We ate in their outdoor dining area. Super cozy. They had heaters and provided lap blankets for everyone. We loved the ambiance! We all ordered from the pre fixe menu. The selections were all so good. We ordered different meals so we could try more dishes. Oh my gosh!!! #1. Everything was EXCELLENT, not one thing that we didn't like. #2. SO much food! We just had them box up two of the main course dishes. Our servers Joe & Rod were top notch. We have never ventured into sake so asked for a recommendation on a good choice for beginners. Rod was SO helpful! He recommended a "flight" to share. He walked us through all five of the samples, explaining the fermentation process for each and notes, etc. I can't recommend this restaurant enough.

Well we had great expectations and a good start. The food was excellent. The service initially great. Not sure where things went sideways. We ordered the tasting menu and sake. They know sake. The dishes were good and well paced. We ordered a second round our sake which never arrived, ran out of water, that was never refilled and had to choke down our main courses with a napkin chaser. And then the wait staff turned rather bougie and I can honestly say that for $250 I should have gotten a. My second sake and b. A glass of water. Doubt we return. Shame because it's a gorgeous place.

My friend and I had birthday lunch today at Izanami... We are long time residents of Santa Fe and already love this restaurant for its style and reliable commitment to excellence.... We had to let you know that today we had THE BEST celebratory meal ever! My friend says it was "better than sex" and we will be back again soon...The food was fresh, delicious and superbly prepared... and the service was personal and impeccable. We particularly want to mention Neo, who was attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. Izanami served an exquisite yuzu birthday treat that neither of us had ever had before ... and Neo's sweetness and sense of humor made this an even more wonderful day! We are so grateful that we have this amazing place in Santa Fe and that it still reigns as one of the best, year after year. Can't wait to return!!