Baleen Santa Fe - (505) 988-5531

My husband & I just visited Baleen on 6/14 for what we thought would be a special, romantic dinner. The ambience at Baleen is amazing - situated outdoors beneath a pergola with white curtains and chandeliers. I had very high expectations for this restaurant and was so excited to go there. Unfortunately we were extremely disappointed with our service. It started with the wine we ordered being out of stock, but it went downhill quickly from there - it took a half hour for us to get our appetizers and I had to ask twice for them to bring us bread (which every other table had) as we were starving. We had to ask many times to get more water. My husband's chicken was undercooked and had to be redone (as did other guests' meals around us). The worst part was that we mentioned the poor service to the manager while we were there and he did nothing to improve our experience and our server basically avoided our table. I ordered the prix fixe menu and asked for my dessert to-go so we didn't have to stay there any longer. We were so disappointed with our experience there. Perhaps they were having an off night - another guest mentioned that she always has a good experience there. The food was decent, but for the price I would be hesitant to give it another try. I have high expectations when I spend $200 for a meal.

My husband and I ate brunch here while on a visit to Santa Fe, and it was one restaurant that did not disappoint. First of all, it is much less expensive than we expected. Less expensive than some of the not-as-nice restaurants in town. The outdoor patio is lovely, sitting on a large deck under the eaves of a small historic chapel, overlooking a small plaza where vendors sell handmade clothing and jewelry. A white linen canopy covered most of the patio, which was decked with white tablecloths and comfy chairs. Nearby, water fountains gurgled and the temperature was perfect. I ordered a wild mushroom tamale dish which was served with delicious sauces and accompaniments, and he ordered a typical egg breakfast. The sausages were fantastic. Don't miss the chorizo!

I was a bit disappointed in this restaurant, which was hyped as one of Santa Fe's best. The location is gorgeous and impressive -- the menu is much less so. To be fair, I only ate here for lunch, so perhaps the dinner menu is larger and more varied. I was somewhat dismayed to find a very small number of pricey, a la carte items listed. Both items I ordered -- a set of crabcakes and a soup -- were very well done and beautifully presented, but don't quite justify the hefty price tag. The server was a bit out of the loop. He gave me a list of several beers. After I ordered one, he scurried back 10 minutes later and said they were out of that one. I ordered an alternate, and a third, with the same result (and 5-10 minute delay) each time. It turned out they were out of anything local or otherwise interesting, and I was left with the usual pedestrian choices of Bud, Miller, etc. Yawn. I was in a bit of a rush, so I asked the waiter to bring the check when he brought my dessert. This he did, but then the waiter disappeared for a good 20 minutes -- with my credit card sitting very noticeably at the edge of the table the whole time -- and I was unable to flag down anyone else (all resolutely looking only at their own stations). Finally, after I complained to the hostess, she took my credit card to be swiped. The waiter soon reappeared, apologizing, and to his credit he did not charge me for the dessert or the beer. The food was very good, but with such a limited selection and spotty service, it was an overall letdown for a place with such hype and a price tag to match.