Budget
Alley Cantina
121 teresina lane, +1 575 758-2121, (http://www.alleycantina.com). right near the plaza, as much bar as restaurant. "delicious fish and chips, margaritas" according to some reviewers; barely edible tourist fare, according to others. try it and offer an opinion. food 7 days, 11:30am-11pm; drinks until 1am midnight sundays.
El Taoseño Cafe and Lounge
819 paseo del pueblo sur, +1 575 758-4142. more of a local hangout than a tourist place, being well south of the center of town. acceptable new mexican fare, with some "american" items. open m-thurs 6:30am-9pm; fri-sat 6:30am-10pm; su 6:30am-2pm.
Michael's Kitchen
304c paseo del pueblo norte, +1 575 758-4178. a long-time local favorite, casual and busy. great for breakfast, which is served all day. the new mexican lunches are variable. also has a nice bakery. hours seem to vary; currently october 2007 open 7 days 7am-2:30pm, but closed on major holidays.
Taos Pizza Outback
712 paseo del pueblo norte, +1 575 758-3112. m-f 11am-9pm, sa-su 11am-10pm. locals are divided about this pizzeria, some proclaiming it the best pizza in town, others sniffing that it doesn't serve "new york style" pizzas. chacun ã son gout.
The Bean
there were two locations until 2010 1033 paseo del pueblo sur on the way to ranchos de taos. +1 575 758-5123. coffee shop popular with the locals but rather far from the tourist area. breakfast 7 days, 7am-2pm; lunch 7 days, 11 am-2pm ? -- their literature is murky as to closing time, which is not unusual in taos.
Bent St. Deli & Cafe
+1 575 758-5787. creative cuisine heated patio dining breakfast, lunch, dinner. "european-style," beautiful patio dining and yes, it rocks. excellent menu selections, wonderful sandwiches, accommodating and gracious waitstaff. licensed, with a good selection of beers. a local favorite, popular with visitors and regulars alike. great for people-watching. on the pricey side of "budget".
Midrange
Antonio's
4167 sr 68 in ranchos de taos, +1 575 758-9889, (http://www.antoniosoftaos.com). m-sa 11am-2pm, 5pm-9pm. combines well with a trip to see the church in ranchos de taos see above under "see". the menu combines "new mexican" with "old" mexican.
Dragonfly Cafe and Bakery
402 paseo del pueblo norte, +1 575 737-5859, (http://www.dragonflytaos.com). eclectic menu, with a fine saturday/sunday brunch that would be outstanding but for the road noise most tables are outdoors and paseo del pueblo is incredibly busy on weekends. if you can stand the racket, give it a try. 7am-3pm daily; dinner hours appear to vary f-su.
Five Star burgers
Grilled sandwiches and panninis, fresh salads, sides, desserts, beer & wine.
Ginza
321 paseo del pueblo sur, +1 575 758-7645. chinese and japanese, with an extensive sushi selection. locals consider this the best of a generally mediocre bunch of oriental restaurants. lunch buffet m-f 11:30am-2pm; regular menu mf 11:30am-9pm, sa-su 5pm-9pm.
Guadalajara Grill
Order at the counter, which will give you an uncomfortable feeling that you're about to consume fast food, but the meal brought to your table will dispel any such concerns. Mexican/New Mexican, with some excellent seafood dishes; the Camaron a la Diabla shrimp in a very spicy red sauce is recommended.
Orlando's New Mexican Cafe
1114 don juan valdez lane, +1 575 751-1450. lunch 10:30am-3pm, dinner 5pm-9pm, both 7 days. locals disagree on where in town you can get the best standard new mexican cuisine, but this one is always in the discussion. north of the center of town, and not a convenient walk from the plaza.
Pizanos
23 highway 150 taos ski valley road next to ktaos, +1 575 776-1050, (http://www.taospizza.com). serves new york style pizza, pasta, sandwiches, appetizers, such as blue corn calamari and fish & chips, and delicious salads. open for lunch and dinner 7 days. beautiful views from the patio!
Top end
Doc Martin's
125 paseo del pueblo norte at the historic taos inn, see below, +1 575 758-2233, (http://www.taosinn.com/re...). breakfast 7:30 - 11:00am, lunch 11:30am - 2:30pm, dinner 5:30pm - "closing." weekend brunch 7:30am - 2:30pm. most dinner entrees range in price from about $20, lunch $10-15. exclusive chef zippy white, selections from the spectacular wine list of 400. excellent seasonal menu additions and desserts. american cuisine with a southwest twist; breakfasts are also creative. renown for chile rellenos appetizer. recently the inn added a garden for fresh and organic ingredients. live music in the adjacent adobe bar nightly.
Stakeout Grill and Bar
Stakeout drive 9 miles south of town off sr 68, +1 575 758-2042, (http://www.stakeoutrestau...). steak and more steak, with nice views toward the taos gorge, particularly at sunset. 7 days, dinner only 5pm until "closing".
Many of the better restaurants in Taos decline to give "closing" hours for dinner, opting instead to stop serving when they feel like it. Practically speaking, "closing" usually works out to something like 9PM M-Th, 9:30 or 10 on Fridays and Saturdays. If you're anticipating a late dinner, it's good to call for information and make reservations.
Lambert's of Taos
309 paseo del pueblo sur, +1 575 758-1009. an old standby with mainly american cuisine. 7 days, dinner only 5:30pm until "closing," with cocktails starting at 5; reservations suggested.
El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa
317 kit carson rd, taos, new mexico 87571, +1 800 828-taos, (http://www.elmontesagrado.com/), a resort with a luxurious restaurant & bar and other typical spa/resort/hotel amenities - see below.
A tip: Many restaurants in Taos double as art galleries/outlets. You won't find any of the really good stuff there unless it's art gallery first, restaurant second, but the prices on the workaday material are competitive with the galleries, and you'll have both a more interesting dining experience and an opportunity to browse or even buy the art without feeling guilty about not going for the big-ticket items. In the following, "Budget" restaurants have entrees up to about $10 exclusive of drinks, desserts and tips, "Mid-range" between $10 and $25, and "Splurge" greater than $25. There are many more restaurants in Taos than shown here, some of them quite good; add your favorite.