Sazon

"Food is our common ground, a universal experience." - James BeardSazon was highly recommend a local, and it was a fabulous recommendation.Chef Fernando Olea is a gem!He oversaw everything and personally greeted everyone.And the wine, food, service, and ambiance were top notch.Some of our favorites were the squash blossoms, Chef's Olea's signature soup, the pork shoulder, and the mole poblano ice cream.What a fabulous evening!!!!!

Maybe this was a case of over expectations, but I was not impressed. First of all they make you do a mole tasting before you get your menu, which is kind of cool but also feels a little like you're sitting through a time share presentation--very forced.The place just feels really dated.We were waiting for a long time for our waitress at every step of the way while there were oodles of attendants watching us and filling our water glasses. Maybe some of those folks should be waiting tables.The food was pretty good, not amazing, just okay. We had the duck and rack of lamb with moles. The duck was dry and rack of lamb was great but the sides of rice and a cabbage slaw was not. The mole overpowered the dish.I can't imagine going back.

We used to go to Santa Fe every year during the 90s but haven't been there since 2015 when we rode a Harley up the Sandia Crest and then into Santa Fe for an evening.Having just attended the Balloon Fest in Albuquerque, we spent four days in Santa Fe. I was researching the dining scene in Santa Fe and Sazon came to my attention having a James Beard award winning chef. We were lucky to get one of the last reservations on a Thursday night. We quickly learned that mole was the house speciality. We were presented with a palate of different moles to sample and choose from for our meal (see picture below). We choose the green one to go with our pork main. We started with the chef's special soup and were instructed to not stir the soup but scoop all the way down. Absolutely amazing. You get a different flavor profile in your mouth as you digest the many complex components to the soup (similar experience with desert). Our main of pork with the green mole was exceptional. Service was friendly and efficient.

My friend and I had a short stay in Santa Fe and was recommended to have dinner at Sazon. We were lucky enough to stop by during restaurant week in Santa Fe and we were able to sample different things on the menu. We can both agree every dish was amazing. We were all attended to, our waitress was very sweet answering all our questions and catering to our needs. I even asked for tortillas and she quickly brought some to our table. Each dish had so many good flavors and depth to each bite but our favorite was the crepes. I was not able to try the sopa de amor due to an allergy to crab but my friend said it was very delicious and it was she would recommend. The restaurant was very intimate decorated with beautiful paintings. It's safe to say this was the best meal I've ever had. I would return to New Mexico just for this restaurant.

I happily snagged a last minute reservation and feel quite fortunate. This was an excellent experience.There is plenty to rave about. Remarkable blue crab, cinnamon, crème soup of the day. The Cholulo was a real treat and different than most anything I've ever eaten. The Mole Ice Cream with Sweet Potato and Beet chips was a perfect finish...however....I did have three servers, a point that was never explained. All my neighbors held onto a single person. Probably my dining alone was the reason. Despite that hiccup, all was good. Highly recommend.

Refined take on Mexican food...so amazing! Best ever. Make sure to have a reservation as it is tough without one.Flight of mole to start and a tequila tasting, unique. Soup was unanimously incredible! Octopus starter was delicious as were the two mains we tried. Wish we'd had room for dessert.Decor is classy colorful, if that's a thing. Nods to Frida and Diego...Wonderful server who spaced the dishes so well that we wanted to try them all.

Holy smokes! There aren't enough stars for this place. Absolutely mind blowing!From start to ending it was PERFECT. The food was stellar as was the service and ambiance . Pricey, yes but worth every centavo. Our sever Gabriel was on point. I had the shrimp enchiladas and dare I say, one of the best things I've ever eaten. Portions were perfect. My fiancé had the tenderloin and it was melt in your mouth . Make a reservation and head over! It's worth it

Hubs and I tried the chefs tasting menu. First course ice cream - symphony - candied ginger, avocado, beet reduction, pine nuts and jalapeño pepper. Dense, sweet and spicy all in a mouthful. So much flavor! We were told dessert comes first (as it should!) so we could fully appreciate all the flavors vs at the end of the meal when our taste palates are tired. The Thai aioli sauce for the shrimp was incredible! Spicy and sweet with the rice paper noodlesPork belly taco - marinated soft with corn tortilla and the sauce was earthly yet spicy... Yellow fish with some crazy hot sauce, cucumber - I had to be careful with the sauce because it had a major kick!. Interpretation of a stuffed pepper but deconstructed. The sauce reminded me of horchata and I could taste some kind of nut mixed in with the poblano pepper and lamb, pork and beef. Crab soup with poblano peppers, amaretto foam with chocolate and cinnamon. Mouthful of crab so good. A little undecided about the amaretto but love the kick at the end. The soup was rich and creamy so the amaretto took away from that warmth for me. I loved the base and wanted to lick the bowl which probably was not socially acceptable but a testament to the flavor of the soup!Alaskan halibut over green sauce and red cabbage on top. The crunch of the cabbage went well with the thick fish. We finished with duck diced over tortilla and sweet potatoes and mole on top with side of beets. Mole had almost a rich cocoa taste. Unfortunately I was actually stuffed by this point so after a bite I let hubby finish it off. Finishing course - Mexican hot chocolate with hibiscus. Incredibly rich chocolate and light whipped cream on top. I wish I wasn't stuffed so I could actually finish it!Overall the servers were super attentive with nice detailed explanations of the food. Our server was so enthusiastic presenting each dish. Great service, the ambiance was super cozy and great southwest vibe with vibrant paintings on the white adobe wall, wood beamed ceilings. Probably my favorite meal I've had in Santa Fe with the unique flavors and textures. Chef's kiss

Everything was excellent from start to finish. I was so excited to come try this place after so many visits to Santa Fe. The meal started with a sampling of different moles which all had unique and delicious flavors that it was hard to choose. Thankfully the waiters are well trained and can advise which ones pair best with different entrees. Service overall was very high touch and well worth the commanding prices. Food wise, everything was incredible. I started with the Duck Skin Tacos as something a little different - maybe this was the only weak part, not saying it was bad, but I felt the other dishes were better overall. Next came the Sopa D'Amore which is a signature dish and ohhhh so yummy - highly, highly recommend. For the entree I had one of the daily specials but honestly I'm writing this review months later and cannot recall what it was exactly, but I devoured the whole thing. See image. My friend ordered the salmon which I had a bite of and confirmed was also delicious. Overall, fantastic dining experience. Well worth the price and great place for a big night out. Best of all, Chef Olea comes out to greet everyone.

Holy shit. Go here. Started with a sazonrita and a tasting of each mole. Each one was amazing. They all had a recommended entree to go with. I went with the pork loin, and it was one of the best meals I've had in ages. Can't wait to come back to Santa Fe just for Sazon.