Luminaria Restaurant — Restaurant in Santa Fe

We went for breakfast. Maybe (I hope) dinner is another story but I was very disappointed by the experience. A waste of time (service took too long) and money (food's not worth it). Let me start by saying expectations were set high after reading all the hype and its premier location. I mean, for a high-endish place, you'd expect the server to NOT serve you canned orange juice in a glass with his fingers smothering the rim of the glass (especially in a pandemic). We asked for straws. The omelette struggled to be just average with the greens taking twice the serving size. Amusingly, my order of the mushroom omelette couldn't be made with mushrooms. They substituted it with avacados. Their Mexican offerings were a platter of confusion and "meh" at best. What was really shocking is that their menu fails to mention the meat ingredients in a dish - giving it a pseudo-veg description until you almost break your successful streak of not eating meat with the first bite. To their credit, they replaced the dish with tasty pancakes - but it took forever to get their attention. (Remember, this restaurant is positioned on the higher end of the spectrum.) Moreover, I felt the manager was a classist. Not once did he come to check on us during our protracted visit when he was regularly checking on everyone else (who all clearly pertained to a certain demographic). Mind you, they weren't busy at all! Besides the pancakes, the only other positive was the second server Zaira - she did her best to restore our faith in this restaurant but she should honestly, find another place to work. The other server was a sassy, lost cause. When I asked for the check across the room (since we weren't important enough to be given attention) with the universal gesture for "check please!" - I was met with a condescending "What?". You cannot just rely on chic interiors to run a successful restaurant. And what's up with their weird, sporadic business hours?? Dinner on some days, brunch on others and lunch hours make a guest appearance some time during the week. You'd expect regular dinner service especially as its associated with a high-end hotel. Luminaria has seriously lost its way (assuming it had one to begin with). Unless you're someone who is easily amused by superficial hype or know what exactly the chef is good at making, I'd say take your business elsewhere (or get room service from here if you're feeling lazy and...

The atmosphere saved Luminaria from getting a one-star review.

We made a reservation for the outdoor seating area. When we arrived, the hostess said they had us down for indoor seating. Normally, it wouldn't be a problem, but the restaurant felt like it had no A/C (on an 88-degree day), so it was way too hot to sit inside. The hostess was very nice and said she would find us an outdoor table.

The atmosphere of the outdoor seating area is just spectacular. It features a courtyard with a fountain, several pots filled with fragrant flowers, and strings of lights above the tables. If the food was as good as the atmosphere, I'd be writing a five-star review.

I ordered the steak frites, which I've had at multiple restaurants and always enjoyed. Unfortunately, Luminaria's version is awful. I've had better food at McDonald's. The first issue is that the meat smelled like it had been cooked in a pan that was previously used to cook scallops or some other kind of seafood; it had a very strong fishy smell. When I bit into a piece, I was extremely disappointed. The meat was dry and tough. I don't think they even put any salt or pepper on it. It was basically like someone took off their leather belt, cut it up, and threw it in with some cooked shallots. My husband had the brisket cheesesteak. Although it was edible, he reports that it was also bland.

The espresso chocolate tart with pecan ice cream was absolutely delicious. I would recommend coming here to enjoy coffee and dessert in a beautiful atmosphere, but I would not recommend this restaurant for its entrees.

One last note: The hostess and servers were doing their best on a busy night. This review is based solely on the poor food quality, not the service, which I found to...

We were greeted cordially and genuinely by, Joe, Manager on Duty when we called for our lunch reservations. He was so nice, we couldn't wait to meet him. It's great to cross paths with individuals who are sincere, helpful and completely present.(We understand how hectic the Food & Beverage business can get). Arriving on a perfect Indian Summer day, Joe did not disappoint, we already felt welcomed. We asked for our favorite server, Carlos, whom we've known for years. What a professional..kind and polite, as well. He' s been a blessing to this staff for 2 decades. Deven, his assistant, added to our excellent service. Food, very good, my salmon was cooked to perfection. Most protein is overcooked, even when requested. We sat on their lovely patio, sipped cool drinks and ended with a perfect dessert. (I wanted to meet everyone in the kitchen!). You can't go wrong with Luminaria, a main-stay in Santa Fe and part of our illustrious history.

New today (8/26/21), won't allow a new review but I can add to this one. Carlos, Carlos, Carlos! What an absolute JOY!! How special he is and makes your meal memorable (was delicious). Always "on point" and straight from his heart, we love him, a total gentleman. Julia, host, kind and helpful, even assisted with take-out menus, thank you! Marvin, new busser, willing to please, great hire. Elvia brought us ice (yes!) to keep our water chilled and, Zaira, such a sweetheart, wanted to help just because she can!! We were in heaven, such outstanding surroundings, too! Thank you, thank you, can't wait to come back. They are so blessed to have Carlos and staff.

MCH, former Host/Flr. Mgr. for Clint Eastwood PBH, former Head Pro/GM for...