El Meze Restaurant

This place is amazing with a beautiful rotating menu. Everything we ordered was outstanding including an amazing dessert. The waitstaff was also fantastic… even accommodated are two little ones very nicely.

Annette and Fred have the best food in New Mexico, compared to some of the fine dining in Santa Fe, they still rank above them all!
I love the rib eye and trout as well as any of the seasonal specials — Fred as the chef is there every night, no stand ins and you can see why the food is excellent.
Annette selects the wines and they really compliment the means. As well, she helps create the desserts which to me give a distinction to a restaurant, the ending is good as the beginning of the meal.

Had a late dinner with family and we all agreed, some of the finest food we have ever had. The trout beyond praise, short ribs and kale, off the charts … Followed by s homemade peach ice cream dish that will always be remembered !

Great View, Not Great Food
There were lots of reviews raving about the food. Unfortunately, our experience was nothing to rave about.
El Meze has a beautiful setting with magnificent views of the mountains. In the hour before sunset, it couldn’t be beat.
I wish that I could have eaten the sunset because the food didn’t match up. We had the short rib appetizer. It was fatty and the sauce was heavy and dull. The tortillas that came with it were good. The kale salad was, after the view, the star of the evening. For entrees we had the trout and the posole. Both were only OK and we had had much better versions of both dishes at other Taos restaurants in the days before.
Service was friendly and capable.

A couple of things before we get to the amazing food at El Meze. This place is very dog friendly on the rear patio, which we really appreciate. Comfortable blankets were provided instantly when I said my chair was not comfortable for my bony frame. The view past the lovely garden over the fields to the mountain (see below) is lovely.
But the south driveway entry is dangerous, with deep pits that are difficult to navigate in daylight and impossible in the dark. And idiotic percussive music was playing during our entire time here that took away from the sublime dining experience.
We found a newsprint page advertisement in a small tourist publication for El Meze while standing in belching auto exhaust fumes just outside the NO DOGS plaza area. We were *not* going to eat just off the street in this part of Taos, just north of the central area. The hostess at El Meze welcomed us, and we drove there immediately.
Service was impeccable. The menu is extremely limited. We were delighted to be able to order two dishes out of the five available: pasta and trout. Presentation was attractive.
The tastes and flavors on my fish were world class. My wife’s pasta was delicious. Constantly evolving sunset views enchanted us. Other guests were friendly for conversation. A bowl of water was provided for our appreciative pooch.
This is a top quality establishment that can become a world-​class destination for fine dining with only a couple of minor improvements. The food speaks for itself. We are not huge fans of Taos, but El Meze is worth the journey here.
Get here early. It fills up quickly. And treat yourself to a short side trip to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Wow.

The most superb meal we’ve had in 7 nights in New Mexico!
We shared a starter, the rajas — slices of red and green peppers, marinated with olive oil and herbs (our charming server said it was Mexican oregano — ?) and with chunks of chèvre. Sounds good? Tasted even better, and served with small warm pita wedges.
We are not vegetarians, but we do not eat beef, lamb, or pork, so our choices were limited to chicken, fish, or pasta, 1 choice of each (went on a Monday night, and there were no specials in addition to the regular menu). We both chose the trout, as it sounded different; half a roasted chicken, or pasta with veggies, we figured we could have almost anywhere that serves good food. Possibly we were mistaken about the chicken — the couple next to us came in expressly for it, so I’m guessing it’s exceptional. But the trout was really out of this world!
We were surprised to see a whole fish on the plate, and the server instructed us to «eat all the way to the skin, because that’s where the most flavor is.» So except for the head and the tail, we ate the entire fish, skin and all (yes, it had been filleted before serving). The fish as per the menu was cooked with Moroccan butter, whatever that is (okay, so I’m not a complete food sophisticate!). It was swimming in either the melted butter or olive oil and chopped herbs. So much of the herbs mixture, in fact, that you could pick up some on the fork with every bite. The is the most delicious fish I’ve ever eaten, and that’s going some.
We didn’t feel like ordering drinks this evening, and I was so glad I hadn’t! There were 2 very tempting desserts, and usually my husband and I share one appetizer and one dessert. But we hadn’t had a drink, so I decided to splurge (hey, we’re on vacation). OMG, the almond semifreddo with fresh berries was a perfect complement to the cardamom doughnut holes with chocolate sauce… I was in heaven!
I don’t think I’ll ever come to Taos again, but I highly recommend El Meze if you are in the area!

The food here was very good, and the service very friendly. I had a very interesting buffalo tamale. My friend had an enormous steak. The reason why I’m not giving it 5 stars is because I didn’t think the food was particularly innovative. But it was all incredibly well-​prepared.

We came here for the first time last year while on vacation and made another trip again this year and had a great time again this year. The appetizer of fried green olives stuffed with blue cheese is a favorite. The truchas were awesome. And we shared all of the desserts and I really can’t say which was my favorite they were all delicious. Very interesting flavors with all of the dishes. We had the same waiter as last year (he is from Wisconsin) so I think it speaks volumes about the friendly atmosphere, and he was very knowledgeable about the wines. The mint hot tea was a great ending. GO THERE WHEN IN TAOS!

I was impressed with every aspect of my dinner at El Meze. We were three couples on a busy Saturday night. We enjoyed four courses, trying a bit of many offerings. We enjoyed drinks and wine and shared dessert. The service was anticipatory without being overbearing. The timing, something my husband and I usually attempt to control because no place can get it right, was just right, pauses between courses just long enough. My trout was cooked to perfection and melted in the mouth, as did a number of other morsels I tasted, from appetizer to dessert. We are experienced restaurant people from both the worker/​management and dining side which makes us difficult to please. El Meze, in its unique and charming setting, was a delightful experience and offered reasonable value, not cheap but worth the money.

Disappointing. Easily the most average meal in Taos. I had the pâté, mussels and crème brûlée. All were nowhere close to my expectations. In addition, the meal was constantly disturbed by 3 loud conversations between the hostess and a patron at the next table. Will not return. Too many good restaurants in Taos!

I give El Meze 4 stars for the service and the food, which is what it’s really all about. We had a reservation at 8, and although it was a busy Saturday night, the hostess did her best to get our table ready for us and make sure we were taken care of, very nice. Our server was knowledgeable, helpful and polite. The food was delicious. I had the Duck Confit — best I’ve ever had. The fried olives were explosive in flavor and the dessert donuts were awesome! I’m craving them now! They even gave us extras with a candle to celebrate our friends birthday which was really thoughtful. Everything each of us had was made perfectly and I would definitely recommend it to friends and family that are visiting the Taos area.
It was unfortunate that our first experience here was tainted by an extremely rude and tacky patron. According to one of the waiters, they are regulars at El Meze. We had a larger group that was visiting Taos for a friends 30^th birthday and thought it would be fun to dress up for the occasion. According to this patron we were ‘idiotic 20 something’s who were definitely not locals and had no idea what type of establishment they were in”. She continued to mock each and every one of our outfits «this girl has heels on… in Taos, what an idiot» «Is he really wearing a blazer and tie», «That guy definitely isn’t getting laid tonight» — drink orders — «these novices know absolutely nothing about wine’ ‘who orders an IPA at a place like this’, what we probably did for work, etc etc. Because we didn’t want to ruin our friends birthday or make a scene with other guests and because we’re polite, we held our tongues and kept our thoughts to ourselves. They paid out after about 20 minutes of us being there, thank God because I’m not sure we could’ve taken much more abuse without saying something.
I feel sorry for El Meze and it’s staff that they have to deal with such bad-​mannered and boorish customers.

What a great meal!
We just got back from dinner at El Mez. Man… that was tasty. And what awesome décor! El Mez is tucked away in the back of the plaza, and while I’m no artist, I would say the style of the inside is a combination of traditional New Mexico with a splash of modernity.
To start, we had the chicharrones. They were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Pretty delicious way for us to start the meal.
Speaking of starting the meal, our service was top notch the entire time. I don’t recall the name of our waiter, but he was very attentive and did a great job of pacing the meal. My wife isn’t so good with the spicy stuff so she wasn’t sure if the green chiles would be a good choice. Our waiter offered to bring out a small side of the green chiles so she could try them to test the spice level. He also kept our waters filled at all times and did a great job of explaining all the menu items. Top notch service.
For our main courses, my wife had duck confit while I had the tamale. The duck confit was beautifully prepared on top of collared greens. While it was certainly tasty, I wouldn’t call it remarkable by any stretch. I had the tamale, on the other hand, and I really just thought it was bursting with flavor. I believe it was actually buffalo meat on the inside, but the meat flavor was second to the sauce of green chiles, cilantro, and more that the tamale sat in. Really delicious.
For dessert, we had the chocolate soufflé cake. It was thick, dark, and rich. When I hear soufflé, I typically picture something airy and light, which this the opposite of. Maybe I should have studied the word «cake» in the description a bit harder. In any case, while it wasn’t what we were expecting, it was still delicious.
We would definitely return to El Meze. It is reasonably priced for the white tablecloth environment, excellent service, and tasty food.

The menu only has about 8 entrees on it. None are «Mexican’», asYelp has this restaurant categorized. The restaurant won’t accommodate even simple off-​menu requests for a small child.
It’s easy to see why the place was mostly empty on a Saturday night. If you want a real menu with Mexican food on it, and a better atmosphere, Orlandos New Mexican Café is ¼ mile down the road.
We dine out a lot, and this is the first time we’ve ever had to walk out of a restaurant without ordering.

A flavor treat and impeccable wait staff. Buffalo short ribs, duck confit, duck pâté and almonds semifreddo were all fantastic.

Phenomenal restaurant you would never think you’d find in a town like Taos New Mexico. From the beginning, with the collard greens and the fried olives with blue cheese inside, this place is amazing.
As a jaded New Yorker, I must say El Meze was on-​par with the finer, nouvelle cuisine restaurants I have ever been to in the US.
The steak is amazing. One of the best. The trout delicious with side salad that will excite your taste buds. All in all, an absolute must when you come to Taos. Make El Meze the place you want to go to top off your Taos experience.
AMAZING!!!

Amazing food, space, and staff.
We came here on Thanksgiving and got to taste several things on the set menu. All were fantastic. The eggplant fries were light and the sauce was delicious. The kale salad was fresh and had just enough dressing and cheese. This salad was perfectly cut. I really don’t like when the lettuce is large and they hit it right on the money.
The space is small and cozy but it makes for a much more enjoyable dining experience. Our server was very friendly, and knew everything about the menu and the extensive wine menu.
A note about the terrible review below from Richard W: It is total crap. This person is obviously bananas crazy and should not be heeded. Our experience at El Meze was nothing but delightful and the food was clearly well prepared by great staff. Don’t give in to the temptation to take advice from this fool.

The atmosphere, food and service at this restaurant were all excellent. The restaurant is housed in a traditional adobe establishment and it has a beautiful little courtyard out front. We did come on Thanksgiving and there was a limited set menu, but this did not hinder our eating experience one bit. There were two options for each course, so my boyfriend and I each ordered one so that we could try both. Every single thing that we had was amazing. Our waiter was so incredibly friendly, knowledgable, and pleasant. I cannot wait to come back to experience the full menu! If you do not come here while you’re in Taos then you are certainly missing out.

Do yourself a favor and ask around… this place is the real deal. We had innkeepers, store owners, fellow travelers, and locals all tell us this was a great place. We were lucky to get a reservation and were treated to a very memorable dining experience.
We were lucky to be seated in the open patio, at a table with perfect view of the garden and the mountains. We were greeted with enthusiasm, and our waiter had the polish and pizazz to start the evening off in a festive way and keep it going through the night.
We were recommended a wonderful wine to start the night, and we raised our eyebrows a bit at the notion of deep fried olives, barbequed pork belly, and a kale appetizer… but all were delicious and visually interesting. The blue cheese stuffed olives were very rich but oh so delicious.
Our entrees of a perfectly executed rib eye steak and a uniquely presented buffalo tamale over a rich green chili sauce was fantastic.
As the sun set, the lamps were lit, and the festive lighting in the patio carried the night, we completed the night with a subtle lavender crème brulee that was the perfect end to the night.
We would have been happy just taking in the beauty of the view and having an average meal, but nothing was average about El Meze…
I can’t wait to get back to Taos and dine with the folks at El Meze!

I couldn’t think of a better way to introduce us to New Mexican cuisine than the first supper of our trip that we had at El Meze. It was spectacular and we loved the flavors of all the dishes we had.
We sat out on their covered patio, overlooking their garden and the surrounding mountains. Our server was great in helping us with the unfamiliar preparations we were seeing and guiding us along. I recall his name was Michael to give him shout out props. He also reminded me of Hank Scorpio of Simpsons and World Domination fame. Well deserved props for that as well and allowing me to recall a great Simpsons quote «Mr. Scorpio says productivity is up 2%, and it’s all because of my motivational techniques, like donuts and the possibility of more donuts to come.»
Watermelon & Feta salad-​preserved lemon, white onion, kalamata olives & pomegranate syrup
Buffalo short ribs adovada
Tamale de cardenas-​buffalo tamale, chile verde, Campo de Mantaban and Tucumcari feta
Almond Semifreddo-​with burnt sugar sauce and fresh berries
Kris passed on the trout as it was a whole fish and got the chicken entrée that turned out to be huge. She had a delicious salad to start, while I had the succulent short ribs. I guess I was in a carnivore mood, because I had the buffalo again for my entrée. Just couldn’t get enough of it. The short ribs had the smoky red chile sauce and my main had the far spicier chile verde that had me sweating by the end of it. Loved them both. Merry Christmas. With more expert guidance, we concluded our feast with the scrumptious semifreddo.
They even called our hotel for a pick up as we wrapped up and arrived with boxed up leftovers just as the car pulled up. Stunning scenery, wonderful food, creative dishes and flawless service. Our journey through the Land of Enchantment was off to a fine start.

If I can give this restaurant more stars I would. They hit it out of the ball park in all fronts– food, quality, service, and ambiance. I usually travel to Taos on business trips every two or three months, so I squeeze in dinner at El Meze whenever I can. I have tried some of the other fine dining options in town, but I realized that every time I did that, I chided myself for not eating at El Meze instead.
I usually order way more food than is possible for one person and someone my size. I can never pass up the chicharrones. Apparently, they have dubbed me the «chicharrones girl». During this past summer, I tried the jamon serrano which has Spanish cured ham, ripe white nectarines and shavings of Manchego cheese drizzled with olive oil. The combination was wonderful and unexpected. Their chunky gazpacho with prickly pear granita in the middle was nothing short of genius. The frozen granita actually made the other flavors in the gazpacho pop. I sat out on the patio facing the mountains and it started to rain. With glass of Spanish wine in hand and awesome food, the experience was extraordinary.
I was there again in October and tried their oxtail soup. It came in a savory but light broth with corn shoots and yellow corn. The corn shoots gave it an interesting flavor and the oxtail was super tender and meaty. I also had the grilled trout which was presented with salad greens and I think shaved Daikon radish (I love radish!). The fish came already deboned and perfectly grilled, so I ate everything – skin and all – well, except for the head and tail. Yes, it was that good. Finally, I decided to do something different from my usual lemon Mousse and raspberry napoleon. I tried the almond semifreddo, which was sort of a slice of ice cream with almonds in it, with a burnt sugar (sauce similar to caramel) and fresh berries. I was so glad I tried it because it was amazing. To top it off, they comped my dessert!!! I was shocked and grateful to say the least.
The past two times my server was Kelly. She was professional, attentive and knew what she was talking about. I ordered sparkling wine in the beginning, but when it came to choosing a wine for my dinner, she knew exactly what I should have. Annette, as usual, was friendly, greeted me like family, and had my table by the fireplace ready when I came in. Toward the end of my meal, Chef Fred came out to say hello to me and other diners, as he has done other times before.
What more can I say or do but sing praises about this restaurant. Their food is obviously prepared with care and artistry. It is clear to me that the whole staff takes pride in the restaurant. My only wish is that I lived nearby so I can visit more often.