“Red, green or Christmas?” If a server asks you that question during your trip to New Mexico, don’t worry: The question has more to do with Santa Fe than Santa. Dishes are slathered in red chile, green chile or a combination of the two. New Mexicans are as passionate about their food — especially their chiles — as they are about their unique history and culture, which give the Land of Enchantment a special charm. In Santa Fe, you can take in that history and culture while dining in classic adobe buildings, laid-back spots with dashes of hippie vibes, and places that honor the region’s multiculturalism.

Editor's note: This guide has been updated with the latest information on these restaurants as of April 2023.

Since 1979, Cafe Pasqual’s has offered festive, Santa Fe-style feasting. In a room bright with colorful papel picado (tissue paper with intricate cut-out designs), vibrant murals and Mexican tile art, diners savor Mexican, New Mexican and global dishes, made with fresh and predominantly organic ingredients. Cafe Pasqual’s, located a block southwest of the Santa Fe Plaza, is particularly lauded for its breakfast dishes, although the lunch and dinner menus are also worth a trip. On the breakfast menu (served until 3 p.m.), try the huevos motuleños or huevos barbacoa.

Perhaps the most-quintessential New Mexican food is green chile: The town of Hatch, in southern New Mexico, is known as the Chile Capital of the World. Each fall in New Mexico, the aroma of roasting green chile wafts through the air, whetting appetites for dishes to come. Santa Fe Bite — a burgers-and-more joint with a retro Route 66 vibe — has what could be the world’s greatest green chile cheeseburgers, with Hatch chiles and 10 ounces of southern New Mexico beef. For a double dose of the good stuff, order the green chile-cheese home fries, too.

The chocolatiers at Kakawa Chocolate House aren’t just confectioners. They’re artists, anthropologists and historians. The elixir drinks they have perfected are based on recipes from a breadth of chocolate traditions, from Mayan and Aztec to 17th- and 18th-century European to contemporary selections with chai or Havana rum. The 1775 Marie Antoinette Elixir, for instance, represents the drinking chocolate of the Versailles court under Madame Déficit. Understanding the backdrop to the varied elixirs makes them all the more fascinating, but they particularly astonish with their evocative flavors and textures. After trying the Kakawa elixirs, you can take home chocolates and truffles made in-house.