Blue Window Bistro

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498 reviews

#1 of 20 Restaurants in Los Alamos$$ - $$$, American, Southwestern, Vegetarian friendly

+1 505-662-6305+ Add website

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Hours

Mon

11:00 am - 8:00 pm

Tue

11:00 am - 8:00 pm

Wed

11:00 am - 8:00 pm

Thu

11:00 am - 8:00 pm

Fri

11:00 am - 8:00 pm

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

498 reviews

#1 of 20 Restaurants in Los Alamos

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

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CUISINES

American, Southwestern

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

features

Location and contact

1789 Central Ave, Los Alamos, NM 87544-3019

+1 505-662-6305

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Does this restaurant offer takeaway or food to go?

Yes

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Details

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CUISINES

American, Southwestern

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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4.5

498 reviews

Excellent

272

Very good

166

Average

Poor

Terrible

AtomicEye

Los Alamos59 contributions

Oustanding food, wine, service!

Mar 2020 • none

Blue Window owner, Melissa Paternoster, has a real winner with her restaurant! Not only can it compete with restaurants in nearby Santa Fe, but I believe it should draw foodies from there to Los Alamos. We had a superb Restaurant Week dinner on a recent Wednesday, On Wednesdays, bottles of wine from her growing wine list are half price. Even at no discount, many of the wines are very affordably priced. Her appetizers are creative and delightful. Last Wednesday, we made a scrumptious meal of four appetizers as tapas with a half-priced bottle of Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc. We had a Surf & Turf of seared ahi tuna and potstickers, goat cheese stuffed artichoke hearts, a play on beef Wellington that was filet mignon rounds in pastry, brie in puff pastry, and lobster Benedict.. To die for!! And we had leftovers to enjoy the next day. Melissa is expanding her wine list as she strives to earn a Wine Spectator award. Enjoy what she is doing for dining on "The Hill" before reservations become had to get.

Written 15 March 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Babu2773

Chicago851 contributions

Eat Here!

Sept 2021 • none

Our hotel front desk clerk steered us here, saying this was the best place in town. We're going to have to agree. Make reservations if you can and call to confirm hours as they shift. We showed up on Tuesday night around 6 and the line was out the door. Luckily, this place is larger than it appears and we were led to our table by a cheerful hostess. Our equally friendly and enthusiastic server took care of us. This is a farm-to-table experience in a space decked out with antiques and art. So comfortable and relaxing. We ordered delicious cocktails and our dinners. Everything was paced beautifully. The dinners were exceptional. I had the Southwest Chicken and hubby had the pork tenderloin that was succulent and a flavor explosion. Luckily, I was able to snag a few bites of his food. My chicken was outstanding, also exploding with carefully matched flavors. When we left, the manager came by and chatted with us about our New Mexico experience so far. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming here. We're sorry we weren't able to dine here again, but when we come back to Los Alamos, this will be the first place we stop. Meanwhile, if they ever want to move to Chicago, I'll be waiting.

Written 23 September 2021

Bill O

Boynton Beach48 contributions

Great find near the Los Alamos History Museum

Aug 2023 • couples

Everything was excellent, from the food to the service. Both of our meals were tasty and served hot. My wife had the chicken pasta dish while I enjoyed the stuffed spicy chicken. We finished the meal with a piece of carrot cake, which was moist and delicious. Isaiah was a very attentive waiter.

Written 16 August 2023

Adam E

Los Alamos5 contributions

It's okay

Feb 2020 • friends

The most notable thing about Blue Window is it is pricey for what you get. Staff are friendly enough although not very attentive. Generally the foof is better than McDonalds, but I have had much better salads at Wendy's for half the price.

Written 13 February 2020

thumper1

Massachusetts872 contributions

The hostess ruined our visit here

Oct 2021 • couples

I chose Blue Window because it had excellent reviews and outdoor dining. When we got there, it was about 1:45 and there were many tables on the patio that needed to be cleaned off. No one was at the hostess station but a waitress walking by asked if she could seat us inside. I said I preferred an outdoor table and was told it would take a couple of minutes to clean one off. A minute or two later, the hostess came back and said pretty much the same thing. She wrote my name on the erasable table map. Another couple walked in and asked for an outdoor table and she wrote their name below mine. Three other people came in and also asked for an outdoor table and she told them it didn’t look likely. She told the three parties that she had another party to seat and would be right back to seat us. We waited near the hostess station in the comfy chairs. I think the second party left after about 5 or 10 minutes. After at least 15 minutes she returned and told the third party that their outdoor table was ready. When she came back, she told me we could only sit indoors. I could have had an inside table 20 minutes earlier and let her know that I could see empty tables that had not been cleaned off and I had been there first in line for outside. She did clean off a table for us, but, in the meantime, my husband told me to lighten up. I asked her for some traditional Southwestern suggestions and a drink menu — which we never got. I did order the enchiladas she suggested. They were good, but lacked any heat. I asked for hot sauce and got some Cholula, which helped. My husband asked for chili sauce and was upcharged 75 cents. I would have probably rated this a 3 or a 4 had it not been for that hostess and the fact that outdoor seating was unavailable during Covid because no one cleaned the tables the entire time we were there (1:45-3:20). I noticed 3 waiters and at least 2 waitresses and the restaurant was not busy. The patio should be given priority on a warm, sunny day.

Written 5 October 2021

7turtles84

Los Alamos16 contributions

Rubbery food, terrible acoustics

Mar 2020 • none

I’ve eaten here three times at their new location and won’t return. The acoustics are awful - I can’t hear my table mates. The food has been cold and can’t be cut with a knife. Expensive.

Written 17 June 2020

Laura C

Los Alamos5 contributions

Poor service, worse food

Feb 2023 • couples

Server brought food and didn't return. I had some shrimp tacos that were not edible. The spice and jalapenos on the shrimp were overwhelming, it tasted awful. I wanted to send it back but nobody came to ask if everything was okay. Our server got busy with a large party and I wanted to go find the manager but she was nowhere in sight. By time my partner finished his meal I was feeling sick and just wanted to pay and leave. I have not been back.

Written 25 April 2023

Jamal H

Waco75 contributions

Inconsistent Quality

Dec 2021 • none

I stopped here for lunch while in the area based mostly on the reviews. I was seated very quickly and the hostess was very warm and welcoming. The service in general was solid, but not anything memorable. Our waiter wasn't rude by any chance but he also didn't go out of his way to check on us frequently. I ordered the calamari, Soup du Jour, fish and chips, and the enchiladas with shredded beef topped with cheese and black beans. The calamari was heavy on the batter and was seasoned alright, but the taste was off, I couldn't really taste a lot of the calamari because of the amount of batter and the house marinara was too sweet for my liking though the cayenne aioli really hit the mark and was the highlight of the dish. The Soup du Jour was probably the best course: I believe it was a green chili soup but it was very well seasoned, nicely balanced, and also the flavours blended in perfectly for a rustic, Southwestern style. The fish and chips were nice, the fish was lightly batter and seasoned well however the chips themselves missed the mark a bit as though the were crisp, they tasted a bit old and, similar to the calamari, were inconsistently seasoned. The tartar sauce was flavourful while being light. The enchiladas were fairly disappointing to me, the flavours weren't exactly off: I actually thought the dish tasted quite decent, The vegetables were fresh, but the beans tasted quite generic. The beef was just okay, it was nothing outstanding. The problem stemmed from the presentation mostly, the dish collected quite a bit of liquid which ended up crumbling the tortilla of the enchilada, exacerbated by the liquid in the beans. It's hard to give a very low rating given that the food in general was edible and there were some actual high points, but the presentation of the enchiladas and also inconsistent seasoning as well as inconsistency among the dishes as a whole drag the rating down considerably.

Written 21 December 2021

Bruce C

Pescadero286 contributions

Great Service and Food

Apr 2022 • none

We stopped in for lunch as it was too windy to hike. Mario was an excellent server: there when we needed him, but not intrusive. He quickly understood we did not want cheese on anything and helped with our order. Margaritas were excellent. Calamari was lightly battered, but it hard to taste anything but the batter because it is fried. Chicken Waldorf and zia shrimp salads were fresh and exactly what we were looking for. Finished off with a nicely done creme brulee.

Written 10 July 2022

AlnDeb

Tustin312 contributions

Great choice for lunch on a rainy day

Sept 2023 • couples

What a delicious lunch! Hubby had the Waldorf Chicken Salad, I had the Reuben and a bowl of French Onion Soup. Very good portions, plenty of chicken on the salad served with sourdough toast, hubby loved it. The Reuben is one of the best I’ve had in a long time. Soft, fresh bread, generous amount of meat and just the right amount of sauerkraut and dressing to not over-power the meat. The portion was large so I took home 1/2 the sandwich & soup. Service was excellent. We would definitely return to this restaurant.

Written 18 September 2023

George A

Phoenix309 contributions

Excellent food, service can get slow though.

Apr 2021 • none

Blue Window is a trendy little cafe in downtown Los Alamos, across the street from the National Historic Park. Although it faces Central Avenue, the parking is to the west in a strip mall. I loved their chicken and sausage gumbo. Any soup you need a knife to cut through (for the large pieces of meat) is good in my book. I also had a Mexican dip, which is a French dip with green chiles. It was excellent although not as spicy as I like it. Service was a bit slow, which is the only downside.

Written 27 March 2022

LaChatNoir

West Lafayette1817 contributions

Cute place w solid lunch near historic sites

Sept 2022 • couples

We were looking for a lunch place in downtown Los Alamos and happened upon the Blue Window Bistro. Great location for visiting the Fuller Lodge, doing the historic walking tour and walking a few blocks to the Bradbury Museum. Our server was a bit scattered. She disclosed to us that it was her second day back after two years. She admitted to not being to familiar with the menu, despite studying it for two hours that morning. The Cuban sandwich was really good. Served on French bread rather than the typical panini. It was bold and flavorful. Really good blue cheese dressing, too. The portobello sandwich was less exciting. The balsamic was really overpowering and it lacked a balance of flavors. The soup of the day, salmon and corn chowder, was good but super thin. All in all, a fine lunch stop. Loved how the room was sectioned off, giving a feeling of privacy to many of the tables.

Written 15 September 2022

D T

Houston359 contributions

A little disappointing

Oct 2022 • none

This place has potential. They were very busy the night we were there and that may have impacted things. We ordered salmon medium rare and it came out looking like sashimi (raw). If we go back we will stick with the enchiladas. The service was ok.

Written 28 October 2022

gpbvkb

Dallas640 contributions

One Of The Best Places To Eat In Town!

Feb 2020 • none

Had dinner on my last night in town. Everything is wonderful, from the soup, to the salad (lots of greens), to the main course (fish which was tasty) to the dessert! Wonderful service and just a great place to eat. Will return in the future!

Written 6 February 2020

roamnbears

Colorado Springs55 contributions

Good food, friendly staff

Jun 2024 • couples

We were in Los Alamos for two nights and ate at this restaurant three times, so we obviously liked it! From the research we did, it is probably the best restaurant in town. Food was good, all of the staff were friendly and helpful. They seemed to work well together as a team. On Wednesday night they have a special with half price any full bottle of wine. The only glitch was that, at our first meal there, the waiter couldn’t find the half bottle of wine we ordered for dinner, so our food arrived and we still had not been served our wine which threw off the rhythm of the meal.

Written 29 June 2024

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