Luminaria Restaurant & Patio

I was hesitant to dine at Luminaria, due to some pretty scathing YELP reviews. Gladly, our experience with Sunday brunch was quite pleasant! At noon on a Sunday, the dining room was not busy. Valet parking out front of the hotel was quick and friendly. We both opted for the Loretto burger. ( green chili cheeseburger) The burger was tasty, however not quite up to the $20.00 price tasty. I did appreciate the nicely toasted bun!!! The indoor dining room is quite bright, and you can " see and be seen", or sit in a cozy private banquet. There are also some cute gift shops close by for after- lunch shopping!!!

They still have the wonderful atmosphere and outstanding service which I remember, but I the food and it has really gone downhill. My parents and I came for breakfast on Saturday, and I was. Bit surprised at how empty the joint was. Once our food arrived I totally understood. My order was for eggs over hard, bacon and potatoes which is super basic and yet they somehow missed on all fronts. The eggs were under cooked, and I mean the yolks just ran off the plate. I can overlook a lot of things but undercooked poultry just isn't one of them. The bacon was burned to a crisp and the only flavor it had was a nasty oily taste from the grill. The potatoes were just ice cold.I'll give them another shot in a year or two. Hopefully they'll change chefs again by then.

Nice setting, decent food, but the service was lacking in the details. My mother and I came here for a late lunch on a week day. It was already past the noon rush so the biggest rush should have been over, but the place was still quite busy, and we had somewhere to be at 2 so were hoping to eat and get going. It took a while for the waitress to find our table, and we ordered quickly once she did; then it took ages to get our meal (meanwhile we heard the table behind us asking about the holdup because they were late for a conference). When my dish came, it wasn't as I had ordered, but at that point we just opted to eat and try to get the waitress for the check (which again took a long time) rather than sending it back. The setting of the restaurant is very nice, particularly the outdoor patio area, adjacent to Loretto Chapel. But I would not come here if I was on any sort of schedule, or concerned about anything needing to be left out of a dish.

I was staying at the hotel and decided to have breakfast here one morning. They were having some issues with a new computer system and not enough table bussers but once I got seated, things went smoothly.I had the Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes: maple syrup | pecan crumbles, with bacon instead of sausage. These pancakes were delicious. Not very heavy but very tasty. Love dipping my bacon in the maple syrup. Service was good once I finally sat down. I was well taken care of. My waitress came over frequently to check on me. The host/manager seemed to be a bit flustered by the new system and lack of staff so I heard him yelling at someone. Not a good scene but overall a nice meal.

Despite having a reservation, the host was a bit slow at getting us checked in. He even admitted to "running around like a chicken with its head cut off" so we felt for him since he was the only one checking in and seating diners for lunch on Sunday. We were seated next to the coyote fence which wasn't the most desirable spot on the patio, but overall it was a nice ambiance. For food, I had the green Chile cheeseburger which won the best burger contest in 2021 and I can definitely understand why. The burger patty was a thick cut and cooked perfectly at my preferred temperature. It was topped with candied bacon, green Chile, avocado, and white cheddar all on a nicely toasted bun. It was sooo good! What made the dish tie together was the side of truffle fries with shaved Parmesan and a yummy citrusy aioli. I would definitely come back for this burger again and again!

Our third night in Santa Fe, Marjan and I dining at Luminaria, the upscale restaurant at Loretto Inn & Spa. (As a point of interest, the restaurant is adjacent to the Loretto Chapel, of the famed "miraculous" spiral staircase...take a moment to visit to add yet another highlight to your visit!) This restaurant was featured on several lists of recommended dining opportunities; we visited after our experiences at Geronimo and Sazon. The restaurant offers elegant indoor seating, but also expansive outdoor patio seating. Perusing the online photos of the patio, Marjan was moved by the charm: we reserved an outdoor table. There is actually a large central patio, permanently canopied, and at the periphery of the patio are found tables, just inside the railings, shaded with patio umbrellas. The permanent structure was hung with chandeliers, and the outside wall was built with vertical bamboo. A pleasing mix of eclectic music wafted over the area, a soothing mix of jazz, 40's, big band and contemporary. Marjan felt the ambiance was more satisfying sitting under the permanent structure, rather than at the periphery, with a more "in the midst", "in the mix" feeling. This is a matter of preference, but if the reader desires, please mention this preference when making a reservation. As one would expect, the tables are well appointed, linen cloths and napkins, formal place settings, candles aflame as the evening progressed. As dear readers may know, Marjan and I always begin our dining culinary adventure with a pair of dirty martinis....and the Luminaria offering was excellent. Marjan, being the adventurer, ordered the wild boar tenderloin for her entree. The dish was accompanied with glazed carrots, parsnip puree and moistened with a balsamic reduction. Friends, to be honest there was not a hint of "gamey" flavor, and the tenderloin of the cloven hoofed creature was finished perfectly to our liking: medium rare...mostly rare. KUDOS to the chef. I chose the more traditional strip filet, but there was nothing pedestrian about this strip. The dish was sided with brussel sprouts, with potatoes and tomatoes, and presented with a rich glace sauce. Mr Chef, thank you, as the filet was finished to perfection: slightly less than medium rare. The entrees we enjoyed were paired with a delicious zinfandel, a terrific pairing for our selections. Paris was our waitress for the evening, and while she struggled with our questions about their wine list, seeking the opinion of another of the waitstaff, she nonetheless, was well informed about menu items, was the compleat professional in manner and attentiveness. To be frank, Marjan and I were in conundrum about this restaurant. We both felt that Luminaria well deserved a '5' rating, but were torn between whether Geonimo or Luminaria was the better so far of our experiences. Marjan gave the edge to Luminaria, given the excellent patio environment, and the serene ambiance. I tended to favor Geronimo, for the profound elegance of the staff, also subdued veranda setting, but Marjan detracted as the veranda seating fronted a neighborhood street. Friends, whether you choose to visit Luminaria or Geronimo...these visits will be the highlight of your culinary pursuits in Santa FE. We rate this restaurant ....5 boots!! Enjoy!!

I should have first realized that this was not the place to go to when I saw that they had full availability for the whole evening, as well as the whole week. We booked an inside table, but when we go there, they tried to push us to eat outside. They begrudgingly sat us inside, and then practically forgot about us. Apart from four people at the bar, we were the only people there. It took them forever to come by to take our order, and even worse, they completely ignored our allergy restrictions. Time and time again, we had to wait until someone walked by and then had to yell to get their attention. Even then, it felt like they were doing us a favor every time, The food was ok, nothing extraordinary.

This place is located within a hotel but you can walk up to it. It's located right next to the church and one of the few restaurants that was open past 9pm. We came around 8:15 at night while strolling about. There's a really nice vibe especially if you dine outdoors. Even though it's outside, there's plenty of lighting. The aesthetics at night are really pretty and wonderful with the night summer breeze. The staff was friendly as well.The variety of breadstick was wonderful and delicious. It wasn't just one type of bread so it was a fun appetizer to start with. The butter that comes with it tasted really yummy as well.The burger was a pleasant surprise. The patty is cooked to your liking so I ordered it medium. The burger is quite big so come hungry. The French fries were delicious. There were options to upgrade to sweet potato fries or truffle fries but the regular potato fries were delicious. It had the right amount of crunch to them.

What an amazing culinary experience! This restaurant had amazing service. The food and beverage supervisor, Rogelio came by our table a couple of times to make sure we were happy with the service and food. He also visited other tables. You could tell that they wanted our experience to be amazing and it sure was. The ambiance is very cozy with beautiful artwork on the walls. We were there for a work dinner but it would be a great date night spot. We will definitely be back and recommend this restaurant and its staff to others. A must visit when in Sant Fe.

The food and service at this place has to be the worst in town. The servers whom work there are very rude and insensitive, they really only care about the TIP. Food items don't match menu descriptions. Manager barely speaks English. This place should close its doors, definitely not Santa Fe plaza quality dining.