Rooftop Pizzeria in Downtown Santa Fe

If you are visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico, you will likely find yourself on the downtown plaza. It is one of the main attractions for both visitors and locals, featuring beautiful southwest architecture, historical sites, shopping, and, my favorite, food. One of the best restaurants here is Rooftop Pizzeria. Although located on the main plaza square, it can be missed because from the street all you see is their small hanging sign and menu outside of an indoor shopping arcade. It is actually on the roof, as the name suggests, of this building and overlooks the plaza.

The atmosphere here is rather upscale, but not strictly. You can stop in for lunch while shopping, or come in for a romantic dinner. Speaking of romantic locations, this place is one of the best. There is indoor and outdoor seating. The indoors section small and dimly lit in the evenings, making for a very intimate dining experience. The tables and the food also contribute to this feeling. The tables are quite small, seating only 2-4 people on their own. The food can be just as romantic, but also flexible. The pizzas come in 3 sizes, and the appetizers are perfect for 2 or 3 people to split. This is the best place for a date.

Now, back to the food at Rooftop Pizzeria. The menu here covers the basics- appetizers, pizzas, salads, pastas and wines. The twist is that they are made with the most delicious specialty ingredients such as truffle oil, leeks, artichoke hearts, avocado, homemade spicy Italian sausage, smoked duck, lobster, shrimp, and even green chili, just to name a few. My favorite pizzas are the artichoke, tomato, garlic pizza and the "Santa Fe" pizza- with grilled chicken, 4 cheeses, and green chili. As for appetizers, they are all delicious but the one that you absolutely must try- the simplest, most delectable, most famous one- is the almond encrusted goat cheese. This is a block of goat cheese covered in a pistachio breading and backed, served with olive oil and cranberry chutney, and a variety of breads. Even if you don't plan on eating here, you should stop in just to try this appetizer. You will remember it long after your trip is over, I promise.

Now, with all of these fine, delicately crafted, upscale versions of our favorite dishes, you can imagine that eating here is not cheap. It can be, though, depending on what you get. If you chose to get the truffle oil, shrimp, and filet mignon large pizza with a couple appetizers and glasses of wine then yes, your bill can grow quite quickly, and you will enjoy every dollar of it. However, it is possible to have a very nice, delicious, filling meal here. When my boyfriend and I feel like treating ourselves (or me) to a nice meal without dropping too much money, this is the place. A medium pizza is plenty for two people to share and ranges from about $14-$25, and most of the appetizers are between $7 and $20. Add a couple glasses of wine, some coffee, and/or a dessert (usually $6-$10), and it is easy to have an incredible meal for under $40.

Rooftop Pizzeria is a favorite spot for tourists and locals because of their location, menu, and availability. They are usually open until 10pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends, and offer the full menu the entire time unlike most of the nearby places to eat, which only serve bar food after 9:30. Also, they fill carryout orders during all business hours so you can eat well on the go, make a picnic out of it, or bring the dinner to your house.