  | AlbuquerqueThe nickel slots are bright, noisy: Bien Shur is subdued, quiet, tasteful. The dining room is classy and beautiful but still comfortable, leaving diners to contemplate the wonderful contemporary cuisine and stunning views of the city and Sandia mountains. After your meal, you can head back downstairs into the casino scuffle for some live jazz in the Tlur P’a Lounge and a hand of video poker. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 1 ] Albuquerque - DowntownArtichoke Café and Wine BarLunch:
Mon-Fri: 11am-2:30pm
Dinner:
Mon-Sat 5:30pm-10pm
Sun 5pm-9pm
Happy Hour:
Mon-Fri: 3pm-6:30pm (subject to change)
Once your lunch or dinner at the upscale Artichoke Café has concluded, you’ve got to adjourn to the sexy new Wine Bar next door. The wine list is actually a leather-bound tome with a massive assortment of wines. Prices start at a decent $28 or $30 a bottle and zoom up into the upper stratospheres of frivolity, but you can also order select vintages by the half-bottle or glass. You'll love the front-facing "big city" windows, curvy wooden bar and comfortable seats. It’s open until 11 p.m. on the weekends, but beware: The kitchen stops serving at 10 p.m. No matter. It’s got one hell of a breadbasket, and, as our server once suggested, "You can fill up on the wine!" Don't mind if we do! (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review  LuciaBreakfast: Mon-Sat: 6:30am-10:30am
Brunch:
Sun: 10am-2pm
Lunch:
Mon-Sat: 11am-2:00pm Dinner:
Mon-Sun: 4:30-10pm (subject to change) Full review: My, how I do like them oysters (1/21/2010)
Downtown's Hotel Andaluz and its restaurant, Lucia, seem like they were designed to make you feel cool. The dining room is dimly lit by low-volt lamps hanging from paper ceilings and the occasional flash of fire from the open kitchen. Mediterranean fusion fine-dining begins with grilled artichokes smothered in saffron butter and capers, or heavenly grilled oysters with smoked chile-chive-oil mojo (a kind of Caribbean mayo) and pancetta on pea greens. Once you’re fully rested after a night of cocktails and herb-crusted rack of lamb, come back in the morning for fluffy, toothsome lemon-ricotta pancakes and organic breakfast burritos. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 2 ] Albuquerque - Far Northeast Heights Chez BobTue-Thu- 5pm-8:30
Fri-Sat5pm-9pm
Closed Sunday-Monday (subject to change) Read more: Locovore: Chez Bob is worth the encore (1/5/2012)
This French/Italian restaurant occupies the end of a strip mall in La Cueva Town Center at Paseo and Wyoming. Surprisingly, organic beef, free-range chicken and wild-caught salmon from the Fish Hugger are standard. The lunch menu is a pared-down version of the dinner menu in smaller, cheaper portions, while dinner includes European classics like beef Wellington and sole meunière. We still get happy thinking about a plate of immense diver scallops in a clarified beurre blanc, flanked with a rainbow of perfectly roasted yellow and purple potatoes. Have a soft spot for crepes? Chez Bob’s, both sweet and savory, could hold their own on the streets of Paris. Seriously. (Alibi Staff, March 29, 2012) Add a Review Add a Review  Pelican’s RestaurantMon-Thurs: 4pm-10pm
Fri-Sat: 4pm-11pm
Sun: 11am-10pm
*Bar opens at 4pm every day (subject to change) Meals Served: Dinner Full review: Lips Ahoy! (10/5/2006)
Rough-hewn wood planks lead you into this nautically themed steak and seafood restaurant, which doesn’t start seating for dinner until 5 p.m. Luckily, happy hour begins at 4 p.m. Have a “Lady Godiva” hot cocktail and a baker's dozen of “topless” oysters in the bar while you wait. Then dive into creamy clam chowder, 10-ounce, butter-sweet Australian lobster tail and Ranchero center-cut top sirloin. There's plenty of key lime pie in the icebox and Phil Collins on the speakers. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review  Savoy Bar and GrillLunch: Mon-Fri: 11am-3pm
Dinner: Sun-Thurs: 5-10pm
Fri-Sat: 5-11pm
Brunch: Sun 11am-3pm
happy hour 3pm-6pm (subject to change) Full review: Grape harmony (9/6/2007)
Wine flights are the best way to try different selections without going broke, and Savoy has some interesting choices. They pair perfectly with the restaurant’s stunning interiors and lovely New American dishes—grouper in an almond-romesco sauce, seafood linguine, grilled peach and seared sea scallop salads, and the house charcuterie plate. For dessert, there’s praline-chocolate torte ($6), house-made blackberry-Chambord ice cream ($3.50), cheese plates and, of course, a glass of La Spinetta Moscato d’Asti ($5). Open ’til 10 p.m. weekdays, 11 p.m. weekends. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Albuquerque - Midtown Jennifer James 101Full review: A class of her own (7/3/2008) Read more: Mina's Dish: Jennifer James on the Joy of Cooking (12/23/2010)
Jennifer James and Nelle Bauer, along with a dedicated staff, have definitely set the bar high. A surprising location—in a Menaul strip mall—seems to suggest that JJ is separate from the Nob Hill gang in more than just geography. The menu is short and sweet: a smattering of primary and secondary courses followed by dessert, all of which change often to suit the available ingredients (reverently selected and prepared) and the chefs’ moods. While studying JJ’s offerings, a small bowl filled with ever-so-thin pickled cucumbers, along with crusty bread and a brilliant compound butter, gives a hint of what’s to come. Even the vegetarian dishes don’t treat herbivores as an afterthought. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 1 ] Albuquerque - Nob Hill Yanni's Mediterranean Grill and Opa BarMon-Thurs: 11am-9:30pm
Fri-Sat: 11am-10:30pm
Sun: 11:30am-8:30pm (subject to change)
You love Yanni's. So do we. As the only restaurant in Albuquerque with a diverse and refined Greek-influenced Mediterranean menu, who can top them? Their adjoined Opa Bar seats about 85 people and is open for lunch, dinner or just cocktails. Painted deep red, dimly lit and accented with lots of dark wood, the lounge provides a stark contrast to the bright, light and airy dining rooms at Yanni's. It’s an ideal place for pre- or post-movie cocktails and snacks, or more substantial cuisine. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review  Zinc Wine Bar & BistroWeekend Brunch
Sat & Sun 11am-2:30pm
Afternoon Intermezzo
Mon-Sat 3pm-5pm
Dinner
Sun-Thur: 5pm-10pm
Fri-Sat: 5pm-11pm
Cellar Bar
Mon-Sat: 5pm-1am
Sun: 5pm-11pm (subject to change) Full review: A tale of two restaurants (12/20/2007)
Best Wine Bar winners in 2008’s Best of Burque poll, Zinc is a delightfully renovated historic space in Nob Hill, reborn as an upscale restaurant serving elegant American food with noticeable French inspiration. Thirsty? Don't miss the mocha, with “Zinc” written in chocolate syrup, or the wonderful selection of wines by the glass. Downstairs, the wine bar attracts a younger crowd for drinks and music. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 4 ] Albuquerque - North ValleySt. James TearoomTues-Wed: 11am,1:30pm,4 pm
Thurs-Sat: 11am, 1:30pm, 6:30pm
Closed Sunday (subject to change) Meals Served: Lunch
Sure, you’ve had tea before, but have you ever really
had tea
before? You know, with quaint little scones and clotted cream? Do you even know what clotted cream is? Well, the ladies over at the St. James Tearoom sure do, and they’d love to inform and inspire you with the lost art of proper tea service—the proprietress, Mary Alice Higbie, is a certified tea consultant through the Protocol School of Washington in D.C. (we’re serious). The $25 full afternoon tea includes a pot of premium loose tea and an elegant three-tiered serving tray that’s loaded with assorted savories and finger sandwiches, scones, clotted cream and jam, homemade lemon curd and other sweets. For a $7 upgrade you can have a Royal Tea, which includes a glass of Gruet (call for reservations). The Tearoom’s Cherriwyn China Shop carries a lovely selection of tea accessories, too. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review  Terra Bistro and Wine BarLunch: Tues-Fri: 11:30am-1:30pm Dinner: Tues-Sat: 5:30pm-close (subject to change) Full review: Grounds for celebration (2/8/2007)
Upscale is as upscale does, and Chef-Owner Peter Lukes does it right. The wine list is huge and the menu reflects the highlights of seasonal Italian bistro dining—like prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, beef carpaccio, seared crab and corn cakes, and a traditional salad Caesar. Lunch or dinner, there’s never a bad time for chicken picatta, and the service here is top-rate. Bring a friend, bring a date or bring a divorce lawyer—the intimate setting and fine cuisine will impress all. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review  Vernon’s Hidden Valley SteakhouseDaily Reservations:
4:30-9:30pm
Black Diamond Lounge: 4:30pm-close
Cocktail Hours:
Mon-Fri 4:30pm-6:30pm
Fri-Sat 9pm-11pm
Live music Wed through Sun. No cover. (subject to change) $$$$ • Vegetarian Available • Booze Served • Full Bar • Live Music • Outdoor Patio • Smoking Permitted • Lounge Full review: Dine well and speakeasy (1/24/2008)
Vernon’s is a swanky underground spot for good eats and high times, delivered speakeasy-style. The dining room is walled with lustrous, ebony-adobe, and the tables are clothed in crisp, black and white linens. By the glass or bottle, there’s plenty of quality hooch. The menu is classic steakhouse stuff, with beef tournedos in a silky demi-glace, fresh fish and a damn fine veal Oscar. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Albuquerque - Old TownView/Add Reviews [ 1 ]
This Old Town favorite offers something to suit most appetites, from green chile cheese burgers to rock shrimp pappardelle, and it’s all served up in the adobe warmth of a 200-year-old hacienda. Don’t skip the drinks: Their
tradicional
margarita is the best in town. (Alibi Staff, April 14, 2011) Add a Review Albuquerque - UniversityRanchers Club is arguably the city’s fanciest restaurant, where fine steaks and seafood are king. Certainly it has the dining room with the most formal service—you know, tuxedos and golden-domed plates and all—but with live music and expertly crafted cocktails, the resplendent bar is also worth your time. This is the place we like to go for really special occasions—like when someone else is paying or when we want to break a hunger strike. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 2 ] Albuquerque - UptownMarcello’s Chop HouseLunch: Mon-Sat: 11am-3pm
Dinner: Mon-Thurs: 5-10pm
Fri-Sat: 5-11pm
Closed Sunday (subject to change)
Get ready to drop some serious dough on this place, but if anything will get you into someone’s pants, it’d be a meal here. This joint is cool, smooth and classy, the
foie gras and Kobe beef are tender and delicious and even the mac and cheese is fancy-schmantzy with a sprinkling of shaved black truffles. Have an excellent glass of wine, an order of oysters Marcello and don’t forget to lay on the charm. Your date (and your libido) will thank you for it. Open late—10 p.m. weekdays, 11 p.m. weekends—of course. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 1 ] Albuquerque - WestsidePelican’s RestaurantMon-Thurs: 5-10:30pm
Fri-Sat: 5-11:30pm
Sun: 11am-10pm
*Bar opens every day at 4pm (subject to change)
Roughhewn wood planks lead you into this nautically themed steak and seafood restaurant, which doesn’t start seating for dinner until 5 p.m. Luckily, happy hour begins at 4 p.m. Have a “Lady Godiva” hot cocktail and a baker's dozen of “topless” oysters in the bar while you wait. Then dive into creamy clam chowder, 10-ounce, butter-sweet Australian lobster tail and Ranchero center-cut top sirloin. There's plenty of key lime pie in the icebox and Phil Collins on the speakers. Dinner’s served until 10:30 p.m. every night. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review | 
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