The Palace Restaurant and Saloon

Specialties

The legendary Palace Restaurant and Saloon is destination for visitors to Santa Fe and a local hotspot. The welcoming décor, where traditional Victorian style merges with the Spanish Colonial aesthetic of New Mexico in the wild west of the 1850s provides a distinct atmosphere for elegant dining and relaxed bar fare.

The saloon, with its red, flocked velvet wallpaper recalls the era of La Doña Tules and the gambling halls and saloons of yesteryear. The dining room combines classic elegance-​chandeliers, historic photographs, tasteful art to create a comfortable, lively space for an unforgettable meal.

Full Italian menu or Cicchetti (Italian Tapas) menu; bar menu till 1:00am.

In addition to the main dining room and the saloon, The Palace has two outdoor dining areas – vibrant, covered streetside seating in downtown Santa Fe and a hidden gem of a patio, enclosed on four sides. A private dining room is also available.

History

Established in 1850.

The Palace Saloon is the best surviving representation of the era and atmosphere in which the infamous La Doña Tules held court, and both the powerful and proletariat came to play. There are many stories, truths, half-​truths and myths about the powerful and inspirational Doña Maria Gertrudis Barceló, called «La Doña Tules» (tules can refer to a woman’s sheer veil, or a thin reed which could have described her willowy frame). What is certain is that she ran a very successful gambling establishment (and, perhaps, offered more intimate diversions upstairs) on or near the site of The Palace during the 1840s and early 1850s.

Meet the Business Owner

David B.

Business Owner

David Bigby retired to Santa Fe and restored and reopened the historic Palace Restaurant and Saloon.