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Albuquerque

Places : Southwest Region : New Mexico : Albuquerque

Introduction

Here's some news that might surprise foodies: when you get right down to it, Albuquerque has nearly as many sophisticated, inspired restaurants as vaunted Santa Fe. The trick is finding them all amid Albuquerque's miles of ubiquitous chain options (most of the better restaurants are on the North Side, along the I-25 corridor) and legions of other less-than-savory dives, but if you look, you'll be rewarded with innovative food, and generally at prices much lower than in Santa Fe or other major Southwestern cities.

The Duke City has long been a place for hearty home-style cooking in big portions, and to this day, it's easy to find great steak-and-chops houses, retro diners, and authentic New Mexican restaurants, most them them offering plenty of grub for the price. Until the early 2000s, it had been a bit more challenging to find truly memorable independent restaurants serving contemporary and creative fare, but the scene has changed a lot since then and continues to evolve.

Particularly in Nob Hill, downtown, and Old Town, hip new restaurants have opened, offering swank decor and complex and artful variations on modern Southwest, Mediterranean, Asian, and other globally inspired cuisine. The city has also made tremendous strides with its ethnic cuisine -- fine Greek, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Thai, Vietnamese, and South American restaurants continue to open at a rapid rate all over town, making this New Mexico's best destination for ethnic fare.

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