Terracotta Wine Bistro — Restaurant in Santa Fe

I have gone back and forth of whether to post a negative review, but after thinking about it all of yesterday, I do think I need to discuss our dine-in experience on NYE. Now, I will acknowledge that it was NYE, and the restaurant was busy (I did count at least 8 servers, a hostess and the bartender). The positives were that the atmosphere inside was cozy but hip, and the bottle of wine we ordered was nice and crisp. I also want to say that we were originally seated on the patio, but I get migraines from flickering lighting, and their heat lamps were too much. We had not ordered anything at that point (asked to change seats within 2 minutes of seating). Not sure if this affected our experience or not. We waited for about 35 minutes for our bottle of wine - when we first ordered, it took 10(ish) minutes for them to let us know they did not have that bottle. Then another 15-20 to get the other bottle (which was stored AT the bar, so about 5 feet away from us). Appetizers were sub-par - my carpaccio was a tiny portion of unseasoned tuna with a GIANT glob of wasabi (which overpowered the dish). My partner's pork belly was dry, and the sauce was bizarre (too much peanut butter). Mains... My duck was tough, under-rendered (not crispy), and undercooked; the strudel was burnt, and the dish was overall very sweet. I also couldn't cut my duck as I did not get a steak knife. My partner's salmon was not cooked to the temp he asked for (was over) even though they asked for the temp. Desserts were fine. The fruit in my partner's ice cream was cut in a way that it kept slipping off of the spoon. My carrot cake was fine - its carrot cake, so pretty hard to mess up. I think the most hurtful aspect of the experience is that the people around us were RAVING about the dishes they received - same ones we ordered. They also received quicker and more friendly service. One final straw (or knife?) that broke the camel's back is the the table next to us DID get a steak knife for their duck. The experience would not be as upsetting if this was a mid-price-type of meal. However, we paid a little over $300 (not including tip - that was extra). For this price, we expected much better and more efficient...

Very small atmosphere and seating. Great for couples, but not for groups over 6.

Came in with my party of 7 at 5:45 knowing there was another reservation at 7:30pm. Asked to order appetizers as people decided and was told to wait and everything would be put in at once. This is fine with me and I thought that the kitchen and staff would pace properly.

Ordered a bottle of wine and 6 other glasses of various wine selections for my party of 7. The casa salad had wonderful, sweet dressing, but the inspiration ham soup was over salted.

Entrees came about 8-10 minuets after the whole table had finished their appetizers. The sea bass had delicious crispy skin and the Zinfandel beef was tender in a good sauce.

Desserts came about 10 minuets after everyone had finished their entrees. The creme brûlée was nothing special, but had a well toasted top shell. The molten chocolate cake was good and quite rich.

The check came about 10 minuets after desserts were served, just 5 minuets before 7:30. I figured there wasn't a problem with the time, since the staff took time between courses and wouldn't allow appetizer separate ordering to speed up the dinner.

The gratuity was written on the side, but NOT added into the total. Included 20% gratuity was fine for a party of 7 and although the serive was only satisfactory, I could understand. Having it written in on the side made it VERY confusing. After splitting the check between the parties present, the server took about 5 minuets charging the cards. By this time it was about 7:40 and we could see the next party waiting. We were rudely hustled out without being able to finish our wine or dessert.

If the staff had tried to speed everything up and we were just slow I can understand, but they did not. I will take my $330 dollar checks to another establishment. For those reading this I highly suggest El Meson over Terra Cotta. Same price point, with better service...

For a Saturday night out, kind of meh. I took my wife out to dinner here for a "date night" away from our 2 year old.

Positives: The inside of the restaurant is lovely, with tasteful, ambient music and lightning, and carefully selected decor. They offer a pretty robust wine selection, including a Spanish tempranillo that not many restaurants have. The staff is friendly.

Critiques: Unfortunately, we sat outside, which was swelteringly hot. There was a single, plastic floor fan that they were trying to use to cool the entire back patio. The patio itself did not allow for much air flow, as it's situated under a stifling canopy. My wife felt like she was going to pass out. There is no view, and I'm pretty sure there were no other guests under the age of 75 that night.

The food was glorified diner food. It did not come close to justifying the price. The bruschetta was pretty good, but looked like it had been unceremoniously tossed/mangled onto a serving platter. We both ordered salads. My Caesar tasted fine. The lettuce was wilted and the grilled chicken seemed bland and not fresh. My wife got the salmon salad. She thought it tasted "too fishy" and asked to trade with me. The oysters were huge, dense, and came with some dark brown colored garnish -- I would not recommend them. I would recommend offering lemon, cocktail sauce, or horseradish as a garnish.

Overall, this place would be a good choice for a glass of wine inside at the bar. Would not...