Award-winning

Sazon

4.8

5358 Reviews

$50 and over

Latin American

Make a booking

2 people

1 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 24 times today

Good for special occasions
Innovative
Charming

Originally from Mexico City, Chef Fernando Olea, formerly Chef of Epazote, has been enthralling diners in Santa Fe since 1991. Chef Olea creates sophisticated flavors using Old Mexico’s indigenous and culinary traditions alongside ingredients from around the world. His menu is deliberately small, featuring fresh and locally sourced produce and meats when possible.

Nothing evokes the mystery of Mexican cuisine more than mole, a sauce of complex flavors that usually includes toasted and ground spices, seeds, nuts, chocolate and chile. Many mole recipes contain more than thirty ingredients and some recipes have five varieties of chile alone. Chef Olea is delighted to share his moles that include his "New Mexican Mole" that he created to commemorate Santa Fe’s 400 year anniversary in 2009. The large mural in the main dining room, was painted and presented to Chef Olea by Federico Leon De La Vega, a well- known artist from Mexico City.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Latin American, Contemporary Mexican
Hours of Operation
Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(505) 983-8604
Website
http://www.sazonsantafe.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive Chef
Fernando Olea
Private party facilities
We offer customized menus, experienced servers, extraordinary food, and our very own Chef Fernando Olea’s culinary expertise and flair. There can be nothing more perfectly paired! We use organic and sustainable products whenever possible. Our menu celebrates the varied and complex flavors of classic dishes from Mexico City, Oaxaca, Michoacán and Puebla. Chef Olea brings these classic dishes to life with modern and New World techniques thereby imprinting his own distinct signature, or Sazón, into each and every dish. Menu items change with each season and can be customized to fit your needs. We also are happy to embellish the menu with entertainment, florals, linens, and unique décor. For more information: Tel: 505-983-8604 or email: fernando@sazonsantafe.com

Location
221 Shelby St, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Award-winning
1. James Beard Award 2022
Area
Santa Fe
Cross Street
East Alameda Street & Water Street
Parking details
There is self- parking only, but most of the parking near the restaurant is metered. The meters have certain times when they are monitored and when they are not, so please read signs carefully.
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace

Featured in

64 Albuquerque Area Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Popular dishes

Camaron-TiniUS$28.00
colossal white shrimp from Gulf of Mexico / light crispy batter / sweet Thai chili aioli
XochimilcoUS$18.00
huitlacoche: savory and earthy corn truffle over mini tortillas / native spices / queso fresco
OaxaqueñosUS$19.00
chapulines (baby grasshoppers) infused with olive oil / garlic citrus / chile de arbol / served over avocado on a corn tortilla
AztecaUS$19.00
yellow fin tuna crudité / avocado / cucumber / spicy tacuba sauce / crispy corn chips

Ensaladas

De la CasaUS$15.00
baby spinach / mango / cotija cheese / white onion / bacon / cilantro vinaigrette
Suzanna's SaladUS$25.00
mixed seasonal greens / avocado / mango / crispy quinoa strips / sautéed shrimp / ginger cilantro vinaigrette

Sopa

Sopa de AmorUS$18.00
Chef Olea's signature soup
Frijole NegroUS$15.00
silky black bean soup with bacon / jalapeño / white onion / epazote sour cream / crispy corn tortilla strips

Plato Fuerte

BarenjenaUS$32.00
stuffed eggplant / zucchini / corn / tomato / gruyère cheese
CoyoacanUS$37.00
shrimp enchilada: creamy sauce of zucchini blossoms / asadero cheese
PopocatepetlUS$55.00
spicy black pepper crusted aged angus beef tenderloin / vegetable mélange / jasmine rice
CholulaUS$37.00
(Chef Olea's interpretation of Chile en Nogada) a tower of chile poblano / ground lamb, pork and beef / nuts / dried fruits / spices over a cold creamy walnut sauce / pomegranate seeds / balsamic jalapeño reduction
AtunUS$40.00
pan seared tuna / red cabbage / snow peas / mixed greens
SalmonUS$42.00
filet wrapped in filo dough / huitlacoche (corn truffle) / jasmine rice

What 5,358 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.8Service
4.8Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

New Mexico
Best Overall
New Mexico
Best Service
New Mexico
Best Ambience
New Mexico
Innovative
New Mexico
Most Booked
Santa Fe / Mountains
Best Overall
Santa Fe / Mountains
Best Food
Santa Fe / Mountains
Best Service
Santa Fe / Mountains
Best Ambience
Santa Fe / Mountains
Best Value
Santa Fe / Mountains
Innovative
Santa Fe / Mountains
Good for special occasions
Santa Fe / Mountains
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Sazón in Santa Fe is celebrated for its "exquisite" culinary experience with creative, flavorful dishes. Known for its "stunning" moles and signature dishes like the Sopa de Amor, it consistently receives praise for its "outstanding" service and "beautiful" ambiance. While some reviews noted room for improvement, many diners highlight the restaurant as a "must" visit.

5,358 Reviews

OT
OpenTable Diner
Denver
12 reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Dined today
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great birthday dinner! The food was phenomenal!
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Antonio
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was amazing as was the service. Our water glasses were always full and our sever was able to serve us like a tasting meal so we weren’t rushed
Is this helpful?
C
Carol
New York City
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Superb! Especially the stuffed squash blossom appetizer and the chef's special soup. Incredibly nuanced, complex overlay of flavors. Would definitely return!
Is this helpful?
S
Steve
Greater Boston
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Among the best meals I’ve ever had. Top 10. I’ve eaten at Michelin restaurants in Paris and Sazon is in that league. Unique flavors. Great service. And more than reasonable price.
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r
richard
VIP
New Mexico
19 reviews
5.0
19 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Another outstanding meal and experience at Sazon. The food could not get any better and the service impeccable! This is without a doubt the best or one of the best restaurants in Santa Fe As usual Chef Ferando came to our table to greet us and chat. This is a special and personalized dinner experience.
Is this helpful?
J
John
Denver
8 reviews
4.0
8 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
The service was excellent! Must have been 2 waiters to every table. Our waitress explained every dish wit expertise. The Bolaño soup that was recommended, was good but not memorable. The stuffed squash blossoms were excellent and the best was the “surprise”dessert! Their special moles were not what we expected and would call them “sauces” rather than moles.
Is this helpful?
S
Stephanie
New Mexico
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Probably the best restaurant in Santa Fe. Every detail of the food is well thought out. The flavors are unique and wonderful. Presentation is spot on. Very attentive service. Beautiful artwork. The only downside (for me) is the noise level, but that is just personal preference and not something that would have even crossed my mind in my younger years.
Is this helpful?
M
Martine
Greater Boston
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
the sopa de amor was probably the best soup I ever had, with a complexity of unusual tastes. The duck with mole sauce was delicious. The dessert however was not up to the same quality, the crepe being not cooked enough, thick, soft and mushy although the caramel sauce was very good. We were given a table in a nice quiet corner, which was very much appreciated. The wine list is impressive. The wine we chose was very good after decanting as we asked. Altogether a high quality restaurant.
Is this helpful?
D
Dave
Denver
5 reviews
3.0
5 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Did not live up to the hype. Good, not great. Server was very attentive, but not personable or friendly. Some of the dishes we had were absolutely smothered in mole sauce. I ordered the duck breast dish and could not even see any of the food when it arrived. There was so much sauce it was almost running over the rim of the plate. Same with the chocolate lava cake. We ate at several other lesser known restaurants in the area that were so much better.
Is this helpful?
a
amy
VIP
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We loved it all from the mole tasting to start to chatting w Chef Fernando. I am in the restaurant business and without a doubt the best dining experience, service, food quality and menu, value and ambiance in Santa Fe. Sorry to be negative tho would not even bother going to Tommasito’s or Geronimo.
Is this helpful?

FAQs

Sazon is rated 4.8 stars by 5358 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

1 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 24 times today

221 Shelby St, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Dining areas

Additional information

Award-winning
1. James Beard Award 2022
Cross Street
East Alameda Street & Water Street
Area
Santa Fe
Hours of Operation
Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Latin American, Contemporary Mexican
Dining style
Fine Dining
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
There is self- parking only, but most of the parking near the restaurant is metered. The meters have certain times when they are monitored and when they are not, so please read signs carefully.
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Fernando Olea
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace

Website
http://www.sazonsantafe.com/
Phone number
(505) 983-8604
Private party facilities
We offer customized menus, experienced servers, extraordinary food, and our very own Chef Fernando Olea’s culinary expertise and flair. There can be nothing more perfectly paired! We use organic and sustainable products whenever possible. Our menu celebrates the varied and complex flavors of classic dishes from Mexico City, Oaxaca, Michoacán and Puebla. Chef Olea brings these classic dishes to life with modern and New World techniques thereby imprinting his own distinct signature, or Sazón, into each and every dish. Menu items change with each season and can be customized to fit your needs. We also are happy to embellish the menu with entertainment, florals, linens, and unique décor. For more information: Tel: 505-983-8604 or email: fernando@sazonsantafe.com

Featured in

64 Albuquerque Area Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Sazon

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information

64 Albuquerque Area Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Sopa de Amor

Dulce Sinfonia

Chocolate Mexicana

Antojitos

Camaron-TiniUS$28.00

XochimilcoUS$18.00

OaxaqueñosUS$19.00

AztecaUS$19.00

Ensaladas

De la CasaUS$15.00

Suzanna's SaladUS$25.00

Sopa

Sopa de AmorUS$18.00

Frijole NegroUS$15.00

Plato Fuerte

BarenjenaUS$32.00

CoyoacanUS$37.00

PopocatepetlUS$55.00

CholulaUS$37.00

AtunUS$40.00

SalmonUS$42.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

How is Sazon restaurant rated?

Is Sazon currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information

Featured in

64 Albuquerque Area Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day