   | Critic Reviewed Albuquerque Restaurants 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 - DowntownThis little restaurant clings close to the heart of Downtown on Sixth Street and Silver, and the food is actually made by Cecilia herself in the kitchen. The tacos, burritos and enchiladas are traditional, tasty and pretty friggin’ cheap, too. The red chile packs a wallop, and Cecilia’s is even open on Sundays. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 10 ]  Farina Pizzeria and Wine BarMon: 11am-9pm
Tues-Fri: 11am-10pm
Sat: 5-10pm
Sun: 5-9pm (subject to change) Full review: Seriously sexy food (12/25/2008)
Across Edith from the Artichoke Café, Farina’s proximity to some of the most established fine dining in Albuquerque isn't an accident. Farina is the punked-up younger sibling of jazzy Artichoke Café, and it brings a tantalizingly direct message to the neighborhood: pizza, beer and wine, and all of it damn good. Sharp, concise and to the point, with 20 superb choices offered by the glass or bottle. Farina’s wine list is straightforward and focused. The bar is comfortable and every wine is perfectly matched to the kitchen’s chic pizzeria offerings. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 2 ]  The Grove Café and MarketTues-Sat: 7am-4pm
Sun: 8am-3pm
Closed Monday (subject to change) $$$ • Vegetarian Available • Booze Served • Wine Bar • Outdoor Patio • Wireless Internet • Dog-Friendly • Credit Cards Full review: Twenty more years (9/21/2006)
This ray of sunshine in Huning Highlands serves gourmet breakfast and lunch, sells house-made English muffins, and has a mini-shop filled with goodies like honey, jams, mustards and vinegars, not to mention non-edibles like cook books, serving vessels and cards. A tiny wine list is just as chic—five reds and five whites are marked on a chalkboard, and all are constantly changing. This list is extremely well thought-out and offers a sampling of some of the most esoteric varietals and brands available in Albuquerque. There’s also a large, shaded patio, incredible house-made cupcakes and too-cute French
macarons. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 5 ]  La Esquina Restauranté and CantinaLunch: Mon–Thurs: 11am–2:30pm Fri: 11am-8:30pm
Happy hour: Thurs: 4–7pm (subject to change) Cuisine: New Mexican Full review: Pretend it’s not in the mall (8/10/2006)
Everybody has salsa in New Mexico. It’s in restaurants, sold by the pint or glass jar, and your neighbor’s mom makes it, too. La Esquina’s salsa stands out from the crowd because it just tastes so darn fresh—so fresh, you’d have trouble believing it’s not sold at a roadside stand. But owner Roy Venaglia makes it every morning, and he must be an all right guy because his staff has been working for him since the ’80s. Go for the salsa, stay for the flan, and don’t be frightened that it’s in the Galleria. Oh yeah—and happy hour rocks. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review La Quiche is an authentic French bakery from husband-and-wife team Sabine Pasco and Bruno Barachin. (Bruno is from Bordeaux, where he achieved Master Baker status years ago.) In addition to a large menu of sandwiches, pâtés, soups and stews (the
bourguignonne
is served in a house-made pastry shell), La Quiche sells loaves of country bread, fantastically complicated bread showpieces and
viennoiseries—
flaky, buttery pastries like
brioche
,
croissants
and
pain au chocolate
that traditionally came from Vienna. They use imported French butter, and it shows. The fruit tarts are the best in town. You'll also find a catering menu and a variety of quiches, ready to go for Downtown’s abundant supply of workers with little time for a proper lunch. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 8 ]  LuciaBreakfast: Mon-Sat: 7-10:30am
Brunch: Sun: 9am-2pm
Lunch: Mon-Sat: 11am-2:30pm Dinner: Mon-Sun: 5:30-10pm (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. 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 ] Despite the massive reconstruction work that's been done on the inside of this second-story restaurant-lounge, you won’t be able to keep your eyes off the epic views of the Sunrise Bank building and Route 66 one story below. Up front, there's a curved black-and-gold granite bar that’s custom-built for fabulous cocktails—One Up infuses several of its liquors and hand-muddles fresh fruits and vegetables. Leather lounge settees are staggered throughout the wide-open space, staging several opulent but comfortable conversation zones. Top-of-the-line professional pool tables line the back the room. On the food side, a large menu of tapas (kobe sliders and fried goat cheese among them) and more substantial entrées rounds out your evening. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 1 ]  Slate Street CaféMon-Fri: 7:30am-3pm
Tue-Thu: 7:30am-3pm, 5pm-9pm; Fri: 7:30am-3pm, 5pm-10pm
Sat-Sun: 9am-2pm, 5pm-10pm (subject to change) $$$ • Vegetarian Available • Booze Served • Wine Bar • Craft Beer • Outdoor Patio • Credit Cards • Lounge Full review: This ain’t your mama’s meatloaf (1/3/2008)
Modeled after a New York loft, Slate Street’s wine bar has an ultra-hip, modern, minimalist feel. This wine list is rhythmic, flowing and poetic, and it’s the most pleasurable to read and easiest to comprehend in Albuquerque. The wines are listed by style—“just a little sweet,” “ABC: Anything But Chardonnay” or “sexy, elegant, austere”—not varietal or region. Demystifying the label like this makes it easy for patrons to pair wine and food. The listings are simple, but not simplistic. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 2 ] Forget everything you know about typical diners. Add class, upscale furnishings and a larger price tag, and then you’ll have the Standard Diner. They have oysters, fine wines and homemade desserts, and some interesting twists on ordinary fare like meatloaf and mac and cheese. The service is doting, the view of our beloved Huning Highland is representative and if you need a restaurant to take your boss to, try kissing his rings while downing a nice glass of Port. It might make it a little easier. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 3 ]  Sushi HanaMon-Fri: 11:30am-2:30pm, 4-9pm
Sat: noon-9:30pm
Closed Sunday (subject to change) Full review: Another fish in the pond? (8/21/2008)
Downtown’s circle of Asian restaurants widens with Sushi Hana, a straight-shooting sushi joint with some Korean influences (it’s from the former owner of Yen Ching). Small and boldly decked in red and black, you’ll find affordable, familiar rolls in a contemporary atmosphere. Great for a quick lunch or a half-price sushi happy-hour trip (served from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. weekdays). (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 2 ]  ZohraMon-Fri: 7:30am-5:30pm
Sat: 8am-3pm
Sunday: Please call for hours (subject to change) Full review: In Downtown, it’s business as unusual (3/5/2009)
Open only for breakfast and lunch, Zohra's caters to the 9-to-5 crowd with a little bit of everything a Downtown diner could possibly want: Afghani foods, American standbys, even Indian tacos. But stick with the Middle Eastern stuff, including a number of vegetarian choices that come à la carte or as a meal. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Albuquerque - FairgroundsConsistently one of the best Vietnamese joints in town, and one of the few spots that whip up durian-fruit shakes. Dalat does a magnificent breaded frog leg appetizer. The crispy golden legs are scrumptious dipped in Dalat's salty, tangy
nuoc cham
sauce. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 4 ] Chopstix is a real culinary adventure with authentic Beijing-style cuisine. You'll find dishes like sweet red bean-stuffed steamed buns,
dan dan
noodles, mustard and dried bean curd, and stewed chicken feet. Amuse your server to no end by ordering the salted pork noodles, a traditional dish that "only Chinese people like!" $5.95 gets you a huge bowl filled with a rich, porky broth, rice noodles, bok choy, tripe and irregular chunks of pork belly, striated with fat and muscle—not for the meek of pork, to be sure. Closed Mondays. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 1 ]
Proprietor Daniel “Pepper” Morgan has an impressive résumé. More importantly, he learned to cook from his grandmother, who taught him the recipe for her barbecue sauce (tangy, smoky and practically drinkable) and passed on to him the soul of soul food. All of the barbecue at Pepper’s is spectacular. After hours of “mopping and basting” with sauce in the smoker—which burns hickory, applewood and mesquite—turkey legs, chopped brisket, chicken, rubbed ribs and sausage develop a glossy, sweet coating. Once a week, the menu is augmented by “Soul Food Saturday” specials, including oxtails and neck bones smothered in gravy and chitterlings. On the side, good luck choosing between garlicky mac ’n’ cheese, molten-hot fried okra, collard greens with smoked turkey, and sweet potato corn bread. Closed Sunday. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 5 ] Albuquerque - Far Northeast Heights China LuckMon-Fri: 11am-8:45pm
Sat: 11:30am-8:45pm
Sun: 11:30am-8pm (subject to change) Cuisine: Chinese Full review: A predictable bet (10/9/2008)
There’s not a whole heck of a lot to eat this far north in the city, so Far Northeast Heights dwellers are happy this clean, reliable Chinese joint set up in their neck of the woods. Serene earth tones and tasteful lighting set the tone. On the table, sesame chicken displays perfectly fried breading that’s crisp without being greasy and is generously sauced with sweet and savory soy notes. Wash those heavier fried foods down with a light, crisp Chinese beer. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Every time we go to May Hong we kick ourselves for not going there more often. This place is great! The papery skins of the Vietnamese egg rolls are always perfectly golden, and the cinnamony pork perfectly tender. The menu here is expansive, but you can hardly go wrong. Just close your eyes and drop your finger anywhere—
bun bo hue
(spicy beef soup), ginger mussels and
goi chai
(Vietnamese salad) are particularly good. Wash it all down with a jasmine limeade or jackfruit julius. Just don’t go on Sunday—it’s closed. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review  Mr. Tokyo Japanese RestaurantLunch: Mon-Sat: 11:30am-2:30pm Dinner: Mon-Sat: 5-9pm
Closed Sunday (subject to change) Full review: Tempting tempura (11/30/2006)
Since we’re long past the point when sushi was considered too exotic for New Mexico, it’s time to start paying attention to other fine Japanese favorites like tempura, hibachi-grilled meats and seafood, teriyaki without the La Choy, and the beauty of udon noodles. Mr. Tokyo is modestly sized, moderately priced, and an excellent place for a quick, relaxing lunch or a quiet dinner with friends and family. They have mostly repeat customers because they’re just so darn good, and the owner’s pint-sized daughter, Shyana, will even wipe off half your table for you (give her a break, she’s still a shortie). (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Pacific Rim is a restaurant displaying attention to detail, from its carefully executed decor to its exceedingly well-rounded menu. Appetizers like meaty sake clams in a garlicky broth cause the diner’s expectations to rise, and entrées like the fantastically named "evil jungle prince curry" deliver heat balanced by intoxicating fragrance. It’s basically two restaurants in one—a sushi bar and Korean
bulgogi
with a
dining room that brings all the elements together. And did we mention the Buddha Lounge? The small bar stays open late, turning out sake-based cocktails alongside sushi and TV. Try the ginseng, date and honey tea! (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 5 ] We're pretty sure if you take any food and stuff it with cheese, dip it in batter and deep-fry the sucker until it's crunchy and golden-brown, it's going to be good. But try the relleno at Papa Nachos—you’ll taste art. While you’re at it, try the unique green chile sauce (which happens to be excellent on turkey) or any of the burritos wrapped in fresh, tender tortillas. Closed Sunday and Monday. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review |   
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