Izanami

“We lodged at Ten Thousand Waves for two nights in late May, and went to the later happy hour (9-11pm) at Izanami for dinner. We tried a really good sushi and ordered several small plates for our party of 3 to share. The menu was perfectly curated and the craft cocktails were sublime! Everything was so delicious— black sesame noodles, sushi rolls, ceviche, wasabi Caesar salad… all so good! Omar was our server and he was professional yet kind and friendly. We loved our experience so much, we ate there for lunch and dinner the next day! Everything dish was mouthwatering and perfectly seasoned/prepared. The bibambop short rib bowl and the miso sea bass were the winners for me. My daughters had their favorites as well, including the cocktails. Our server the 2nd night, Joseph, was equally well-versed on the menu as Omar, easy to talk to, and attentive. The hostess, Lizette, is a ray of sunshine. The ambiance at Izanimi is gorgeous in a lowkey Japanese design sort of way. Lighting is so cool. This place should have a Michelin star if you ask me. It’s that good.”

“Absolutely a 5-star experience every single time we visit Izanami at Ten Thousand Waves. The atmosphere is peaceful and beautiful, the food is always incredible, and the service truly stands out. Every staff member is welcoming, attentive, and makes us feel so cared for from the moment we arrive. You can tell they genuinely care about creating a special dining experience. One of our favorite places to relax, celebrate, and enjoy amazing food and drinks in Santa Fe. Highly recommend! We will keep coming back!”

“The outdoor deck is the best spot to eat with a really pretty view. While we weren't offered any (part of why the service is a 3/4 star), they do have blankets and heaters that are available so I recommend asking as it can be chilly. We enjoyed the food immensely. Very high quality and tasty. The service was a little slow to start as we seemed to have been ignored but eventually they got it together.”

“The Best Seat in the House If you have the chance, I highly recommend walking in and snagging a spot at the outdoor bar. After seeing the other seating options, this felt like the premier way to experience the restaurant. The panoramic views of the mountains are stunning, and the sunset ambiance is second to none. The Food The meal was absolutely amazing from start to finish. We ordered: • Cold Sesame Noodles: Rich, savory, and perfectly textured. • Apple Salad: A bright, refreshing contrast. • Assorted Sashimi: Incredibly fresh and beautifully presented. • Strawberry Mousse: The perfect light, sweet ending to the meal. The Experience The service was a little on the slower side being seated outside, but honestly, it didn't matter. The view and the overall vibe more than made up for the wait. It’s the kind of place where you actually want to slow down and stay a while. Tip: Definitely try the nigori sake if you're looking for a smooth, cloudy pairing for the noodles and sashimi!”

“Izanami is a fun delight, and we’re all glad it’s now open for lunch. The food is stellar and the prices don’t break the bank. But the service, much like the hotel property it belongs to, is hit or miss. We had a reservation for 5:00pm and arrived at 4:55. The hostess told us, “You can sit at 5:00pm.” I asked whether we could grab a drink at the bar in the meantime, and was told that would be fine. But when we approached the bar, the same staff member yelled at us “What are you doing?!” We explained that we were just getting a drink, as we’d been told we could. They shooed us off and said we should have understood that the bar was only an option after 5:00pm (or in their words “Not until 4 more minutes!”) The reservation itself was its own ordeal. I made it for two people online, then later called to change it to three. The phone representative assured me that would be no problem. Upon arrival, my reservation was still for two, and an outsized fuss was made by staff about adding a third person. The following day, I received a charge on my credit card for failing to show up to my two-person reservation from the prior day. But I had shown up, and I reminded them that I had even brought a third person. It took more back and forth than it should have to get the no-show charge reversed from my card. The rigidity wasn’t reserved for us. At 4:57, a blind man using a cane to find his way arrived with his partner, and the hostess told them they could sit in three minutes. The man explained that finding his way up had been challenging and that he was hoping to just sit at his table, without ordering or disturbing anyone. All of the auxiliary seating near the restaurant was occupied with others waiting to be let in, and it didn’t appear to be something he felt like navigating anyway. The hostess replied, with a snark that was hard to miss, “Sure you can… In three minutes!” Once you’re actually seated, things are usually splendid. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable for the most part. . The auxiliary Floating World store attached to the restaurant is always well stocked with interesting and hard to find items at fair prices. The food itself rarely misses. The seasonally rotating offerings are exciting and inventive: the green pea fritter was a hearty vegetarian appetizer option, and the mushrooms were so memorable we immediately tried to recreate them at home. The wagyu cooked on hot rocks is a fun activity the whole table can enjoy, cooking and tasting alike. I will note one exception to the otherwise good service inside the restaurant: a waiter condescended to a member of my party for not knowing what “futomaki” meant. This type of belittling interaction has been a reoccurring issue when I bring friends to the restaurant over visits spanning years. It feels uncalled for in a place built to welcome people into the cuisine, not test them on it. All that said, the food genuinely is worth the trip (I come from over 10 hours away!), and I hope the front-of-house wrinkles get smoothed out. With a little more warmth at the door, Izanami would be close to perfect.”