Terra at Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado

Quick Review:
If you are trying to figure out where to eat by reading Unilocal reviews then read no more. Go eat at Terra now! The food is incredible. The staff is wonderful. And the experience is top class.
Full Review:
Let me start by saying that I have not yet had the privilege of dining at Terra for their regular menu, but I have been there for their holiday buffets and WOW! My girlfriend and her mother originally went for a breakfast buffet and didn’t stop raving about it, so this year for Christmas we went to their brunch buffet and I am in aww of the food they served. As a cook I am always excited to try other restaurants with good reputations and Terra has been on the top of my list since I read about it.
First things first, the buffet is set up in the kitchen. So as you are filling your plate you can see the spotless kitchen in witch your food was prepared. Also, you get to interact with the chefs which is always fun, but seriously… their kitchen is spotless. One of the cleanest kitchens I have ever seen, including the ones I have worked in. From an industry view point the kitchen is epic. It is a chefs dream kitchen. We got to speak with the executive chef, Andrew Cooper, as well and he seemed like a really hands on guy and all of his employees seemed happy, even though it was Christmas Day.
Okay, so now food. I could go into detail about every little thing I ate and how perfect it was, but it was a special buffet menu so I am not sure anything is a regular menu item. Regardless, the only thing that matters is the execution of it because if they can make a buffet that good I can only dream of what regular night there is like. The turkey was probably the best cooked turkey I have ever had (sorry mom) and the sea bass with risotto was incredible, I couldn’t stop eating! I think I did 3 full plates of food and tried every item in the buffet. I was not disappointed with any of it, hell I wasn’t even content with any of it, I was enthused by every little bite of each dish.
This holiday buffet is going down as my best buffet experience ever and I cannot wait to try Terra’s regular menu. Chef Andrew Cooper is doing great things in his kitchen. Terra is highly recommended! Enjoy!

Last time I ate there however it was deeply disappointing. Perhaps they were just having a bad day. Service was still good tho’–

Thanksgiving Buffet dinner with Chef Andrew Cooper at Terra Restaurant in Four Seasons Hotel Resort, was outstanding, exciting and lavish.
We had the best time. Champange and Honey Badger cocktails were unexpectedly tasty treats.
Sea Bass Wellington was delicious. Really everything on buffet was super fresh and unlike any buffet food you have ever had. That includes the lavish Vegas buffets at Wynn, and Bellagio, which in reality, are simply not very good, bland in fact.
Staff and servers were just perfect. Guests were having a great time, so we made some interesting new friends.
Chef Andrew was very friendly, as he had patio for making ice cream, and courtyard for grilling of meats. The buffet was actually held in the kitchen! That was unexpected and cool. Chef Andrew is a super confident people person excellent food lover, fearless explorer and well known at Santa Fe Farmers Market. Expect more from him.
See you there next year!
Executive Chef Andrew Cooper 2015 Thanksgiving Buffet Menu below
Starters
Kabocha Squash Bisque — Red Chile Pecan Cream
Harvest Salad — Oak Leaf Lettuce, Butternut Squash, Roasted Beets, Pomegranate Vinaigrette, Pumpkin Seed Oil
Treviso Frisee Salad — Red Wine Poached Pears, Morbier Croutons, Chocolate Vinaigrette
Risotto Station
Spinach and Pumpkin, Roasted Garlic Mushrooms, Pork Belly, Beer and Cheese
Entrees
Caja China Slow Roasted Turkey — Jalapeño Chorizo Dressing, Fall Vegetables, Potato Purée, Giblet Gravy
Whole Roasted Tenderloin — Sweet Potato Au Gratin, Red Chile Demi-​glacé
Grilled Lamb T-​Bones — Brown Butter Barley Pilaf
Sea Bass Wellington — Lump Crab, Chile de Arbol Béarnaise
Seafood Pasta — Calamari, Scallops, Crab, Cod, Spicy Tomato Broth
Endless Dessert
Chef made at least 30 desserts, including nitrogen-​on-​the-​spot homemade fresh ice cream. (See my photos!)

We came in on a Saturday just before noon and absolutely loved it. We had our puppy with us so we sat in the patio… The staff was very welcoming to our puppy (huge plus). The view from the patio was gorgeous. We started with the queso fundido which was excellent. My fiancé and I shared the terra burger and it was more than plenty. Without us even asking our waitress brought it out to us already divided and on two plates, way to go for being more on top of our needs than we were! We had the burger medium rare and it was perfect. I wish we could have checked out the Sunday brunch spread but we will have to give that one a try next time we are in town.

4.5 stars. Had brunch here yesterday morning (Sunday). We came early so we had the a la carte menu items; however, if you can make it for the famous 11−2pm brunch buffet, I hear it’s great.
Pros:
— quite empty when we came at 10am. No resys but super easy to get a table.
— excellent service; our server was especially quite attentive. The chef also came out to talk to us and gave us a few tips about the resort.
— quite convenient if you are staying at the resort. We only had to walk about 3 minutes coming from our room.
— really reasonable. I was actually surprised at the prices of both the restaurant and in-​room dining at this specific Four Seasons resort.
— the espresso-​based drinks are quite good.
Cons:
— my bellini took a little bit longer than usual (though our server warned me about this); however, it wasn’t worth the wait.

Great time her win the southwest. The four seasons is excellent and has the type of service that only four seasons can give you
The units are private adobes with outside patios and the service is excellent.

Staying at a condo near by, we went over for lunch. Beautiful view but the highlight of our meal and the reason for the five stars was the cocktails, which we found out later were concocted especially to be in a contest. My smoked green chili martini was the absolute best drink I have ever tasted and now nothing will ever compare and I will be forever disappointed! Food was good — I had the crab stuffed chili relleno (delicious) and my BFF had the fish burger (she wasn’t overwhelmed) and a specialty cocktail that she loved.

My boyfriend and I did a cooking class with Chef Marco at Terra restaurant. We enjoy hands on cooking classes and this was one of the best I’ve ever done — you are in the middle of their commercial kitchen where all the action is. Marco taught us to make chicken, incredible mole sauce, perfect rice, and homemade tortillas. He was so personable, inventive, fun, and patient. We had a blast and learned a great deal. We also really enjoyed our visit with their Executive Chef Andrew Cooper who was delightful. Check with the Four Seasons to see when they are doing the next one. We will certainly do this again and the price was more than half of what other cooking schools charge.

Amazing!!! Beyond words: loved everything. About it!!! the food was excellent. The chillaquille was just sooo flavorful and all the ingredients were fresh and savory. I would love to be able to visit New Mexico again and come back to this place

Restaurant ambience was nice with a terrace and fireplace. Food is good. Great setting. I’d recommend this restaurant especially for an evening event.

We decided to use a Travelzoo voucher for the meal. It was a wise decision. The value for the meal was outstanding. We applied the wine allowance to a bottle of wine which was an excellent decision. The branzina was delicious, though I would have added a bit more spinach to the dish. My wife had the lamb chops which came out a little underdone, but were returned to the kitchen and came out perfect.
We will be back!

Incredible food, wonderful service. An all around excellent evening! We will return.
Sea Bass was great, Mac and cheese was the best ever and the kale salad was perfection! I loved it all.

Food is incredible. Go for dinner. Everything is made fresh and local. They are exploratory in their use of different flavors, making the food incredible. The venison was incredible with a chocolate sauce and blackberries. Fried kale was a new twist that was very odd to me but my friend liked it. I applaud the creativity. Even the bread and flat-​bread they give is amazing. They have cheddar cheese biscuits and a delicious crispy lavash. The wine list is very nice and they have everything from affordable to insane ($ 30-​$ 10,000). The whole property is kept nicely, though you can never tell if that is the case because Santa Fe decoration is just weeds. They put a lot of care into this establishment and it really lives up to the Four Seasons name.

We ate here the night that of our wedding and it was delicious. Since it was New Year’s Eve, there was a pre-​set menu, but it was great. The service was exactly what you would expect from a top tier property. The dining room is amazing — warm and cozy. Although the resort is a bit out of town, it is well worth the short trip.

My partner and I had thanksgiving dinner here the other night and the food was phenomenal! The décor of the restaurant was very posh and sexy. Our server Michael was great. He suggested several different places to check out in Santa Fe, NM. Highly recommend.

Unfortunately, as amazing as this establishment is, after a fraudulent $ 178 charge on my Amex… ONE WEEK LATER. After two days of contacting them and receiving apologies, but little action, I’m still at a loss as to why/​how this could happen. I understand a «soft hold» for a day or two after our meal, but one whole week after we dined here? c’mon kids, what kind of clown show are you running up there? Really hate to do this review b/​c the food & service is so good, but I’ll never be going back after that experience. Buyer beware~

My wife is a foodie. Terra went beyond her expectations. Service by Craig top notch. Lamb chops were excellent. Filet was perfect. Dessert was exquisite
Appetizer crab cake was fresh and wonderful.

It is so nice to get dressed up for dinner –at least once in awhile! Santa Fe as a rule is super casual, so I really relished getting dressed up for my Valentine’s Day surprise. I had no idea I was going to The Four Seasons – heck, I didn’t even know there was a Four Seasons in Santa Fe!
Everything was beautiful! And since Shirley Temple had just died, I decided to have a «Shirley Temple.» It was a yummy dark pink! Not the diluted pale pink standard! Our four course meal was also divine! I’m ready for another romantic rendezvous!

While this restaurant (and the hotel) are sort of out in the boonies, it’s actually a great getaway for a vacation, accompanied by an authentic sunset so vivid, you’d swear it was painted by Van Gogh, or to stay true to the locale, Georgia O’Keefe.
The food and drinks were decent. I remember ordering a poblano chile crab cake appetizer, and the simply grilled beef tenderloin main dish, medium rare. Liked both, but the appetizer was the more flavorful one.
Primarily, I was there visiting my mom, and her enjoyment of the evening was what mattered to me above all else. While I thought we were initially just coming for dinner for maybe an hour or so, my date and I conversationally helped my mom revel in her time so much, the hours flew by. Probably were there for closer to 4!
But yea, the food itself is not the sole reason to visit; it is the social experience of getting away from the norm.

The restaurant had four main areas, two outside overlooking the beautiful topography with great vantage points for sunsets. The interior had an ample bar and lounge area and then the main dining room. All the areas flowed nicely together and by 7 pm on a Tuesday even was pleasantly crowded, mostly with locals.
The waiters were both attentive and friendly, making some excellent recommendations. I ordered the mint spiked lemonade, it was refreshing and perfect for the warm evening. I enjoyed chatting to our waiters, who offered great recommendations for our visit.
We ordered from the bar menu, there were a lot of interesting choices. The trout and homemade chips were beyond my expectations, the portion was ample and there was plenty to share. The trout was prepared simply with s&p, not greasy at all and light and tasty served over perfectly crisp fries. We also ordered the nachos, which were good, though a little salty.
The semifredo is the way to go for dessert, all local ingredients, the bananas with the chocolate was the perfect end to our meal.