{"id":68809,"date":"2024-11-19T00:01:49","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T06:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68809"},"modified":"2025-11-15T12:29:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T18:29:19","slug":"level-5-rooftop-restaurant-at-hotel-chaco-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68809","title":{"rendered":"Level 5 Rooftop Restaurant at Hotel Chaco – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
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Hotel Chaco, a Crown Jewel Among New Mexico Hotels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Hotel<\/strong><\/h1>\n

For a nearly four-hundred year period, the Anasazi civilization which preceded New Mexico\u2019s Pueblo cultures achieved the pinnacle of its technological and cultural advancement at a magnificent, \u00a0deep gorge called Chaco Canyon. Within the walls of Chaco Canyon, construction of multi-level buildings sprung up, some structures accommodating as many as \u00a0800 rooms. Not surprisingly, lower walls had to be made massive in order to support heavy stone walls up to five floors high. \u00a0It took remarkable planning to locate doors, passageways, kivas and other architectural features. \u00a0At five stories high, \u00a0Pueblo Bonito was the largest structure and the inspiration for Hotel Chaco\u2019s spectacular venue in Albuquerque\u2019s Sawmill District.<\/p>\n

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A View of Albuquerque Dontown From the Rooftop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2017, local developer Heritage Hotels launched Hotel Chaco on Bellamah Avenue in the Sawmill District. \u00a0Formerly a 110-acre complex, the District once milled lumber, doors and shingles, at one point serving as the largest manufacturing company in the Southwest. Today there are few, if any, vestiges of the District\u2019s historic past. \u00a0Instead, the area has exploded, metamorphosing from a lusterless industrial area to a dynamic hub for hospitality and dining. \u00a0 Hotel Chaco is at the heart of the changes. \u00a0An eighty-million dollar project, the Hotel is unlike any other in the Duke City. \u00a0Architecturally it combines the flow, energy and look of the Pueblo Revival style with an upscale quality. \u00a0Hotel Chaco houses museum\u2013quality, contemporary and traditional art you\u2019ll want to admire before heading up the elevator to Level 5.<\/p>\n

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Orange Hues at Sunset From the Rooftop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Restaurant<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Without doubt, Hotel Chaco\u2019s crown jewel is Level 5 which has redefined rooftop dining in Albuquerque. \u00a0Though capacious indoor seating exists with a gleaming bar as the restaurant\u2019s cynosure, weather-permitting THE best seats in the house are outdoors where seating is arranged to accomodate everything from intimate date nights to well-attended functions. \u00a0It\u2019s given a new meaning to \u201cgetting high\u201d in Albuquerque. \u00a0There\u2019s no doubt reservations at Level 5 will be a popular draw year-round, but it could be standing room only during the International Balloon Fiesta.<\/p>\n

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Subdued Lighting at the Dining Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Level 5 provides panoramic views of the Albuquerque skyline. \u00a0 To the northeast, you\u2019ll \u00a0gaze in awe and wonder at the entirety of the Sandia Mountains. \u00a0 Visit at the golden hour (the last hour before sunset) to best appreciate the reddish-purplish hues for which those spectacular Sandias are named. \u00a0Take a gander a toward the Manzanos and you\u2019ll see the city sprawl including the downcown cluster of skyscrapers. \u00a0Directly across Bellamah you\u2019ll see the\u00a0Sawmill Market\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>which\u00a0houses 27 individual local merchants. \u00a0Let your eyes wander further west and you\u2019ll see the\u00a0San Felipe De Neri<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0Catholic Church in Old Town. \u00a0Further on, you might espy\u00a0Pat Hurley Park<\/strong><\/a>, which offers comparably inspiring views of the city.<\/p>\n

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Luzhilda, Our Wonderful Server<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the first few years of its existence, Level 5\u2019s menu didn\u2019t live up to a hotel of its caliber. \u00a0Albuquerque Journal<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0critic \u00a0Richard S. Dargan rated it 2.5 stars. \u00a0 Yelpers were similarly unimpressed by the Eurocentric \u201call over the place<\/em>\u201d menu and poor execution. \u00a0In 2023, a savior arrived in the form of Chef Marc Qui\u00f1ones, who led Level 5 to the Four Diamond Luxury Hotel & Resort level. \u00a0Level 5 deserves nothing less. \u00a0 Chef Qui\u00f1ones changed things up almost immediately. \u00a0Being surrounded and inspired by New Mexico\u2019s history and prehistory, he conceptualized a menu that would pay tribute to the Land of Enchantment\u2019s hunters and gatherers. \u00a0He called his concept \u201cContemporary New Mexican Ranch Cuisine\u201d which celebrates New Mexico\u2019s historical reliance on the bounty of the earth and wildlife.<\/p>\n

Chef Qui\u00f1ones was to remain at Level 5 for an year before being named director of culinary operations and executive chef for the fabulous\u00a0Ex Novo Brewing Co<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 In July, 2024, Tijeras native and accomplished chef Sean Sinclair was appointed new executive chef of Level 5.\u00a0 A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Portland, Oregon, the affable chef has led kitchens across the country. Under his stewardship, Albuquerque\u2019s Farm & Table was named the best restaurant in the city by USA Today<\/em>.\u00a0 In 2021, his restauant Bar Casta\u00f1eda,was the only U.S. restaurant in the Forbes web story \u201c10 Favorite Restaurants of 2021.\u201d \u00a0 In 2022, he was one of only eleven New Mexicans designated “true” hero by New Mexico Magazine. \u00a0He has twice earned Edible New Mexico Magazine’s “Local Hero: Best Chef” award. \u00a0\u00a0Impressive as his many accolades may be,\u00a0 for me what speaks most to Chef Sinclair’s character is what he did for the city of Las Vegas, New Mexico and the surrounding area.<\/p>\n

NOTE<\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0 In the fall of 2025, Chef Sinclair left the Level 5 kitchen to focus on his burger concept, Patty Man, which will open, one by one, at each of Heritage\u2019s three food halls\u2014the Sawmill Market, the Park Square Market, and Santa Fe\u2019s forthcoming Heritage Market.<\/p>\n

The Chef<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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Chef Sean Sinclair, a Hands-on Creative Genius<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2022, the combined devastation of the Calf Canyon\/Hermits Peak Fires, the largest and most destructive wildfire in state history consumed 341,471 acres\u2013including a large swath along my favorite byway and its villages. \u00a0Portions of San Miguel, Mora and Taos counties were impacted. \u00a0While the fire was devastating, the heart of the community beat with compassion. \u00a0Signs expressing \u201cWe are Las Vegas Strong<\/em>\u201d were proudly displayed throughout the largest town in the region. \u00a0Acts of kindness and selflessness were organized by community grassroots efforts to provide some modicum of relief to communities reeling from the uncertainty and devastation of the conflagration.<\/p>\n

Among the many civic-minded people to step up when the need arose were Chef Sean Sinclair and his wife Katey Sinclair, then proprietors of Bar Casta\u00f1eda<\/strong><\/a> in Las Vegas. \u00a0A hand-scrawled sign spanning the doorway of the dining room at Bar Casta\u00f1eda echoed the \u201cWe are Las Vegas Strong<\/em>\u201d theme. \u00a0The Sinclairs and their restaurant staff served free meals\u2013up to an estimated 1,000 per day at the height of the humanitarian effort\u2013to first responders and evacuees. \u00a0A buffet was available from 2 to 6PM seven days a week. \u00a0Donations were collected to keep the buffet and food deliveries going.<\/p>\n

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Chef Sean Sinclair Puts The Final Touches on Another Masterpiece<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef Sinclair was following in the tradition of \u00a0Fred Harvey, a restauranteur who long \u00a0preceded Chef Sinclair at Bar Casta\u00f1eda. \u00a0As the Santa Fe railroad moved across the west, a genteel Englishman named Fred Harvey built \u00a0\u201cHarvey Houses\u201d every hundred miles or so alongside the railroad. \u00a0 Harvey is widely credited as a civilizing influence on the rough and rowdy Old West. \u00a0One of Harvey\u2019s crown jewels was La Casta\u00f1eda in Las Vegas. \u00a0La Casta\u00f1eda opened in 1898 and like many hotels in the Harvey system, it quickly established itself as a social center. La Casta\u00f1eda not only served the great food characteristic of all Harvey hotels, it had a romantic and upscale ambiance and was centered in the the railroad district, within easy walking distance of the plaza.<\/p>\n

As executive chef at Level 5, Chef Sinclair has already placed his mark on the restaurant’s menu.\u00a0 That menu is wholly unlike the menu he offered at Bar Casta\u00f1eda.\u00a0 It’s more similar (but definitely not a carbon copy) of the menu at The Inn at Little Washington<\/strong><\/a>, a three-star Michelin restaurant (and a restaurant on my bucket list) in Virginia.\u00a0 Chef Sinclair served as sous chef at that fabulous institution.\u00a0 We had the honor of meeting the perpetually smiling chef during our inaugural visit to Level 5 under his stewardship.\u00a0 He’s a surprisingly modest and genial fellow who delights in surprising and amazing restaurant guests with his creative and delicious dishes.<\/p>\n

The Menu<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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Clothbound Cheddar Fondue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

No vestiges of the Contemporary New Mexican Ranch Cuisine remain though the seasonally inspired menu highlights local and regional ingredients.\u00a0 \u00a0Among local touches is Ramon Perez Ranch Black Angus which comes from a ranch in Eastern New Mexico in a small village called Yeso. The 150,000 acre ranch raises 100% Natural Angus. Level 5 is the only restaurant in New Mexico that Ramon Perez Ranch supplies with their USDA Prime certified beef. The ranch has been in the Perez family since 1904 where they have been raising livestock ever since.\u00a0 The daily cut of beef is available at market price.<\/p>\n

Level 5 is a high-end fine-dining restaurant with a menu<\/strong><\/a> unlike any you’ve probably experienced in New Mexico.\u00a0 That menu is segmented into three distinct sections: snacks, appetizers and entrees.\u00a0 Should you have any questions or want recommendations, trust the waitstaff to guide you.\u00a0 We received invaluable guidance from the charming and beautiful Luzhilda, a Chihuahua native with a smile that lights up the room.\u00a0 She’s a wonderful ambassador for the restaurant, knowledgeable and service-oriented.<\/p>\n

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Sweet Potato Soup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As with many fine dining menus, you won’t find a compendium of starters.\u00a0 Six appetizers–ranging from wings to a valley salad–festoon the menu.\u00a0 You can’t go wrong with any of them, but consulting with Luzhilda ensured we ordered two of the best.\u00a0 Our first starter was the clothbound Cheddar fondue<\/strong><\/em> (Deer Creek Cheddar, poached apples, brioche, pink peppercorn honey, pumpkin seed oil).\u00a0 \u00a0We were surprised that the basis for the fondue was Cheddar, in this instance because it lacked any of the characteristic sharpness of many Cheddars.\u00a0 Every element of this fondue was “supporting cast” to the melted Cheddar, but\u00a0 absolutely welcome.\u00a0 Poached apples lent tart and crisp elements along with just a bit of sweetness while the lightly toasted brioche provided an ethereal lightness.<\/p>\n

Our inaugural visit was on the coldest day of the season with temperatures dropping into the low 20s in Albuquerque.\u00a0 That definitely made it a soup day, not that every day isn’t a soup day.\u00a0 Level 5’s sweet potato soup<\/strong><\/em> (sweet potato and apple pur\u00e9e, sweet cream, maple syrup, cayenne, pumpkin seeds, savory bu\u00f1uelo) belongs on the pantheon of the Duke City’s best soups.\u00a0 It is soup being all it can be.\u00a0 As an elixir for the cold evening, it’s got all the soul-warming characteristics you could want–especially if you love cayenne (my Kim doesn’t so it was omitted from her bowl).\u00a0 Study the composition of this soup and you’ll probably conclude it’s a sweet soup.\u00a0 Actually, it’s got a\u00a0 diverse flavor profile with savory, sweet, piquant and even tart (courtesy of pomegranate seeds.\u00a0 A savory bu\u00f1uelo swims in a soup lagoon, ferrying ingredients like a delicious life raft.\u00a0 This is a soup we’ll dream about.<\/p>\n

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Matanza<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For young boys growing up in rural New Mexico in the 60s, one of the rites of passage signifying our transition from childhood to young adulthood was being asked to participate in the matanza. It would be disingenuous of me to say I ever got over the gory sights and smells of slaughtering what were essentially pets we\u2019d nurtured just for that purpose. Fortunately those memories don\u2019t haunt me as much as my heart is warmed by the wonderful memories of time spent with family. A matanza is so much more than a rite of passage. It is a time-honored tradition, a festive occasion in which friends and family gather together to celebrate the changeover from harvest season to winter\u2019s early arrival.<\/p>\n

The last matanza in which I participated was in 1979, scant weeks after my dad passed away.\u00a0 Memories flooded back upon seeing “Matanza” on the entrees section of the menu.\u00a0 Level 5’s Matanza<\/strong><\/em> (whole confit suckling pig with apple and Chimay\u00f3 red chile lacquer. Served with roasted apples, potato pur\u00e9e, and a chicharr\u00f3n) was missing only morsillas (spiced Spanish blood sausage made of pork and rice), one of my very favorite porcine delicacies.\u00a0 Luzhilda told us many diners expect to be served the proverbial pig with an apple in its mouth.\u00a0 Instead, pork is pulled and fashioned into two triangles of crispy pork skin.\u00a0 Whether you drag that pork through the Chimay\u00f3 red chile laquer or enjoy it sans sauce, the pork is swoon-worthy, absolutely delicious.\u00a0 That laquer makes a wonderful gravy for the mashed potatoes, too.\u00a0 Only sharing this Matanza with my dad and grandpa Max would have made the dish better.<\/p>\n

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A Duo of Duck<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My Kim prefaces every order she places at a restaurant by asking if her preferred item is piquant, a consequence of a medication that has robbed her of tolerance for piquant items.\u00a0 Thankfully Level 5’s duo of duck<\/strong><\/em> (seared duck breast, leg, and thigh confit tamale topped with spiced duck demi. Served with agave roasted golden beets and micro arugula.) lacked any spiciness.\u00a0 The seared duck breast is in rarefied company as one of the very best duck dishes we’ve ever shared.\u00a0 It’s perfectly seared with lots of perfectly pink flesh and sits atop a gloriously spiced (not piquant) duck demi.\u00a0 My Kim loved the thigh confit tamale even more.\u00a0 She normally poo poos tamale masa in that it often lacks any semblance of corn flavors or it’s so thick you’re challenged to find much pork.\u00a0 Instead of lard, Chef Sinclair forms tamale masa with duck fat.\u00a0 Duck fat and corn masa make for a wonderful duo of their own.\u00a0 Agave roasted golden beets and pomegranate seeds provide even more delicious surprises.<\/p>\n

Because she did such a great job recommending appetizers and entrees, I asked Luzhilda to select a dessert.\u00a0 She opted instead to pass the buck to Chef Sinclair.\u00a0 Obviously a man of my own heart, the \u00fcber <\/span>talented chef selected the pear sticky toffee pudding<\/strong><\/em> (roasted pear, date sponge cake, spiced rum ice cream, sticky toffee).\u00a0 It’s the very best we’ve had (by far) since leaving England back in 1987.\u00a0 Sticky toffee pudding is a lush muffin-like mound of date sponge cake topped with a rich caramel and served with a scoop of spiced rum ice cream.\u00a0 It\u2019s a high-calorie indulgence rich in flavor and deliciousness, one of our favorite desserts from the old country.<\/p>\n

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Pear Sticky Toffee Pudding<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Level 5 offers a refined, stylish, contemporary atmosphere with magnificent panoramic views of the Sandia Mountains, downtown skyline and historic Old Town.\u00a0 Chef Sean Sinclair has created a menu worthy of Albuquerque’s best restaurant experience.<\/p>\n

Level 5 Rooftop Restaurant at Hotel Chaco<\/strong>
\n2000 Bellamah Avenue, N.W.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 318-3998
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 19 November 2024
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 1
\nRATING<\/strong>: N\/R
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$$$$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Duo of Duck, Matanza, Pear Sticky Toffee Pudding, Clothbound Cheddar Fondue, Sweet Potato Soup
\nREVIEW #1434<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Hotel For a nearly four-hundred year period, the Anasazi civilization which preceded New Mexico\u2019s Pueblo cultures achieved the pinnacle of its technological and cultural advancement at a magnificent, \u00a0deep gorge called Chaco Canyon. Within the walls of Chaco Canyon, construction of multi-level buildings sprung up, some structures accommodating as many as \u00a0800 rooms. Not surprisingly, lower walls had to be made massive in order to support heavy stone walls up to five floors high. \u00a0It took remarkable planning to locate doors, passageways, kivas and other architectural features. \u00a0At five stories high, \u00a0Pueblo Bonito was the largest structure and the inspiration for Hotel Chaco\u2019s spectacular venue in Albuquerque\u2019s Sawmill District. In 2017, local developer Heritage Hotels launched Hotel Chaco on Bellamah Avenue in the Sawmill District. \u00a0Formerly a 110-acre complex, the District once milled lumber, doors and shingles, at one point serving as the largest manufacturing company in the Southwest. Today there are few, if any, vestiges of the District\u2019s historic past. \u00a0Instead, the area has exploded, metamorphosing from a lusterless industrial area to a dynamic hub for hospitality and dining. \u00a0 Hotel Chaco is at the heart of the changes. \u00a0An eighty-million dollar project, the Hotel is unlike any…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":68835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4682,440,703,134,2836,141],"tags":[4502,4500,4498,4501,4503,4506,4499,3873,4505,4507,3876,3877,4504],"class_list":["post-68809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-james-beard-foundation-best-chef-southwest-semifinalist-2025","category-albuquerque","category-dog-friendly","category-fine-dining","category-james-beard-award-best-chef-restaurants","category-new-mexico","tag-bar-castaneda","tag-bellamah-avenue","tag-chaco-canyon","tag-chef-sean-sinclair","tag-clothbound-cheddar-fondue","tag-duo-of-duck","tag-heritage-hotels","tag-hotel-chaco","tag-matanza","tag-pear-sticky-toffee-pudding","tag-pueblo-bonito","tag-sawmill-district","tag-sweet-potato-soup"],"yoast_head":"\nLevel 5 Rooftop Restaurant at Hotel Chaco - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68809\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Level 5 Rooftop Restaurant at Hotel Chaco - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Hotel For a nearly four-hundred year period, the Anasazi civilization which preceded New Mexico\u2019s Pueblo cultures achieved the pinnacle of its technological and cultural advancement at a magnificent, \u00a0deep gorge called Chaco Canyon. Within the walls of Chaco Canyon, construction of multi-level buildings sprung up, some structures accommodating as many as \u00a0800 rooms. Not surprisingly, lower walls had to be made massive in order to support heavy stone walls up to five floors high. \u00a0It took remarkable planning to locate doors, passageways, kivas and other architectural features. \u00a0At five stories high, \u00a0Pueblo Bonito was the largest structure and the inspiration for Hotel Chaco\u2019s spectacular venue in Albuquerque\u2019s Sawmill District. In 2017, local developer Heritage Hotels launched Hotel Chaco on Bellamah Avenue in the Sawmill District. \u00a0Formerly a 110-acre complex, the District once milled lumber, doors and shingles, at one point serving as the largest manufacturing company in the Southwest. 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