In the Land of Enchantment, there is more than just Southwest flavor. The culinary landscape also includes cuisine of the French variety. From city-based bistros serving the best takes on crème brulee, to cool Sante Fe wine bars, New Mexico has a lot to brag about. For a little Parisian flair, check out these 8 awesome French restaurants in New Mexico.
Schedule a meal here and you won’t be disappointed by the simple French-style dishes served for breakfast or lunch. Iconic fare like French onion soup, quiche, pain perdu, salad Niçoise and ratatouille are menu highlights. Daily specials keep the menu fresh and inviting. Don’t leave without a sweet treat—there’s a trained pastry chef in the house!
Small menu, small place, but big on flavor in all the dishes. Sit at the bar surrounding the open-air kitchen and watch the chefs prepare delicacies like ratatouille gratin and truffled goat cheese macaroni or a rabbit terrine. Nibble on a cheese platter and sip a glass of wine for a light meal. The happy hour-and-a-half showcases finger foods like fried cornichons and marinated olives and cheese. Don’t leave without a taste of the Baked Alaska.
You will say oui oui to everything on the menu at this charming bistro. If the setting weren’t Albuquerque, the smells wafting from the kitchen as you stepped inside might make you believe you were in Paris. Seasonal menu items highlight fresh, available ingredients. Boeuf Bourguignon is a signature dish. Crepes, both sweet and savory, are filled with mouthwatering ingredients. Enjoy them as a meal or dessert … or share and try one for two.
The name of this country-style cafe represents a quintessential French fruit tart baked in a sweet batter. Yum! There’s one on the menu; just remember to save room for it. Open for lunch and dinner, you’ll find classic French fare at both meals. Omelettes, crepes, a half-dozen varieties of quiche, bruschetta and the definitive Parisienne sandwich Croque Monsieur and Madame are favorites. Then there’s the drool-worthy bakery—profiteroles, croissants, paid du chocolate and fresh baguettes are just the tip of the pastry case.
Put a master baker, with a penchant for French food, in the kitchen and you get a mother-lode of delicious pastries, breads, cakes and all manner of tempting treats. Take all those delicious items and incorporate them into breakfast and lunch fare and you have a restaurant that could be found anywhere in France. The menu is wide-ranging with appetizers, sandwiches, soups and salads, quiches, omelettes and Sunday specials. And, of course, there are those pastry cases—incroyable!
Fresh, season local ingredients are the inspiration behind the menu at this romantic cafe that looks like it came right off the streets of Paris. The cuisine, a blend of modern and contemporary French dishes, is prepared from scratch every day with a twist that makes each distinctive. Squash blossom beignets are a nod to the Southwest. The roasted baby beet salad is fresh the field. The Chef’s cheese selection is locally-sourced.
Put a crepe and a Spanish tortilla on the menu and you’ll get a delicious representation of two cultures. That’s Gutiz, a charming Latin-French restaurant open just for breakfast and lunch. It boasts the best of both culinary worlds paying tribute to the Spanish side with tapas and paella and a Spanish rice dish and to the French with salad nicoise, croque monsieur and Parisian crepes.