They changed their menu since I was last year. They used to have more tapas but they switched to more main courses. They said they're going back to the tapas with a new menu, but I was not impressed. I had grilled octopus and it was fine - but that was it - no side, no bread nothing. I like the decor, but it's pricey and not worth it. Oh, and the worst part about this place is they bring out food when it's ready not when the whole table is ready so I was very disappointed about having to wait for my meal while my wife got her meal five minutes prior!
(2)
Amara G.
Went to visit friends. They worried as they know we are foodies. They played it shy and let us discover the experience. As we entered the place, a patron was leaving with his wife. He turned to us and said: "Do yourself a favor and have the Duck and Waffles. Don't even question it." So we did. And it was flavorful and moist and crispy and yummy. The maple syrup, brought in dainty caraffes by the chef, was like a melted butterscotch candy in your mouth. The service was impecable. Excellent drinks. Tried three different ones and all of those on the table of 6 we composed. We had the tostones, the croquetas de bacalao, the mahi, the tuna, the carpaccio... the risotto with black truffles (which were grated on our plate by Chef). I actually mentioned our experience at Alinea (in Chicago) because it was as pleasant as that (without the cirque du soleil magic of Grant Achatz who is famous for his food spectacles). The ambiance is chic and trendy and gothic romantic. Yes, it is not cheap. But amazing food hardly ever is. It is not a place to go and get stuffed. It is a place to linger in, to be celebrated and experienced.
(5)
Kasey G.
Very good food! They have surprisingly fast service. Everything we ate; entrees, sides, dessert, and the coffee afterwards was superb! A great fusion place in G-ville and quality food for your dollar, that's what I'm talking about!
(4)
Daniel B.
Phenomenal meal. We went for a friend's graduation dinner and had a medley of delightful dishes. The fried calamari, the ribs, the risotto, it's all great. Highly suggest paying it a visit, you will not be disappointed.
(5)
Ling S.
3.5 out of 5. Sabore is located in the pretty little area of Tioga. It's definitely more upscale and urban feeling compared to the rest of Gainesville. Put on your nice evening dress and get ready for a romantic date night. The restaurant has a cool lounge quality to it. Make reservations beforehand, otherwise be prepared to wait forever. The servers are extremely attentive and know the menu well. For the tapas, they have a variety of things to try. In general though, I was not really impressed with anything. None of it was bad; it was all just "ehhhhh." The plates also seemed slightly under whelming for what you got compared to other tapa places I've been to. They have decent drinks though.
(3)
Scott B.
First off, this used to be my favorite restaurant in Gainesville. Upon my last visit, my girlfriend and I were horrified to find they had redone their menu. The meeting held to design this menu must have gone something like this: "Ok, first order of business, lets get rid of everything incredible." "Yeah! The coconut shrimp are just too good, take them off! And the fish tacos! People enjoy them, burn them all!" "Perfect! We can go ahead and get rid of all of our good desserts too. Ok, next, we need to replace our salads with lukewarm trash-lettuce to be served in poorly designed idiot bowls." *thunderous applause* "Lastly, lets jack up our prices, and add some tequenos, which are fried cheese sticks that smell like a rancid carnival. Meeting adjourned!" And there you go. Sabore? More like, Sapieceofcrapnow.
The worst tapas restaurant ever, in my experience. The paella - the last dish to arrive - was really dry. tasteless, and had absolutely no resemblance to paella. It consisted mainly of very dry spanish-style rice, with a few not especially good shrimp (one person tried one and no one else wanted to try another) and dry mussels. It's not easy to make bad mussels, but Sabore-Tioga managed to do so (maybe they had been sitting around cooked for way too long?). The pork belly was ok. as were the scallops (3 for $19). The spinach was the best thing we ate (also served with the scallops). The restaurant is trying too hard to be trendy (ipad menus) and didn't pull off anything particularly well. Very disappointing.
(1)
Todd K.
First time here. Nice interior. Our server was great. Something different. Nice to be able to order variety and share/try new things. Food came out super fast. Will return for sure.
(4)
John L.
****.25 stars (Barely over 4 stars but I'm given to rounding up lately) "Nice looking place." I said while pulling the chair out at the two top near the high traffic path that bridges the bar/kitchen area with the dining room. "Agreed. Very well done." Said the wife as she sat on the booth-end side of the intimate table across from me. Immediately I was skeptical. When that much of the investment is put into the front of the house I usually begin to worry. The server arrived and inquired as to whether or not we'd been there before. Since we hadn't, I imagine, he explain the restaurant's "world fusion" menu then took our drink order. We perused the extensive menu and finally decided on a few dishes. Upon placing our order we explained that we had a movie to make and asked if we could place our dessert order at the same time. "Of course." The server responded. "What time is the movie so I can bring out the dessert with ample time?" "10:40" I answered. "Will you be having coffee sir?" He added. "Do you serve espresso?" I inquired. "We do have espresso; yes." He answered. "Espresso." I affirmed. "Very well. Thank you sir" and off he went. He could not have handled that more perfectly. During our conversation, while waiting for our food, I kept feeling staff bump up, albeit lightly, against the back of my chair and couldn't help but wonder what was so attractive about it. It turns out that since my seat was right at the vertex of the aforementioned path, some people had the tendency to place their hand on the back of my chair while taking that corner. It was a bad habit that could be easily fixed once one was aware of it. It wasn't a very big deal as it only occurred a few times (and very lightly); but if you want to exude high-end professionalism and polish, you need to be attuned to details. We ordered the Goat Cheese Croquettes and Beef Empanadas for apps. I was a little confused as to why the croquette dish was under the "Salads" section of the menu after the server described it; no greens alas. We went with it anyway. When the dishes came out they were presented with squirt-bottled balsamic reduction and sauces; right out of a culinary arts food styling 101 class. I thought of Gordon Ramsay's quote regarding squeezed bottled zig-zags of balsamic reductions over food: "Always the sign of an insecure chef." The goat cheese croquettes were lightly breaded and deep fried spheres of very good quality goat cheese stationed on tiny dollops of guava jam (which there wasn't enough of BTW) served with a nest of thinly peeled beet and carrot and drizzled with said reduction. Here was the kicker...it was good! Very good. All the flavors inter-played beautifully. The Beef Empanadas? The dough was crispy on the outside yet had a very subtle but present gluteny "snap" (no infinite chewing or jaw fatigue). The filling was wonderfully juicy (not overly so) and assertively seasoned which balanced out nicely with the blank canvas quality of the fried pastry wrapping. "This is actually good." I said half way through devouring the apps. The Entrees: Pasta Carbonara, Kobe Beef Sliders, Braised Short Rib Pappardelle The carbonara was, for lack of better description, as it should be. Despite the understanding of why carbonara is named as such the wife still found it a bit too "peppery". I however thought they hit it right on the mark. The sauce could have had a more "silky" or "velvety" quality but I'm not complaining. The sliders were a bit surprising to me. They are spiced the way that "fritas" (Cuban hamburgers) are as I detected some notes reminiscent of chorizo. I immediately made the connection and thought it was a good take on both sliders and fritas! Also the bread is awesome. I don't know where the chef sources the buns for these but they are an excellent choice-- think Martins Potato Roll meets "pan de agua." Lovely. The braised short rib was my wife's favorite but my least. I thought that, given the upfront flavor profiles of the previous dishes, this was a little timid. Perhaps I'd be singing a different tune had I tried this dish first. It was still solidly executed. A pattern was emerging here, my wife and I were nitpicking, LOOKING for things to find wrong. We soon realized this that is a good thing! Struggling to find something wrong is infinitely better than being hit across the head with it. About three-quarters of the way into our entrees dessert arrived; an ice cream and brownie dish. I appreciated the fact that the brownie was not cloyingly sweet; no inferiority hiding in shame under copious amounts of sugar. I appreciated the fact that the ice cream was free of ice crystals that ruin both the texture and flavor of good ice cream (grit and dilution respectively). Also...finally a decent espresso in a sit down restaurant. And they said it couldn't be done! Well done Sabore. Welcome to Gainesville.
(5)
Peter S.
Sabore is great! Excellent food, decor, atmosphere, and service. We took our son (who is a connoisseur living in NYC) there last weekend, and he WAS very impressed by the Cuban sandwich. I had my usual omelette which was great. Wife had egg Benedict with crab cake - yummy! Owner is real friendly. Waiter was very helpful. We have been there 5 times now!
(5)
Mallory D.
Our first experience at Sabore did not completely disappoint. This place is obviously not for the meat and potato person. You have to be ready to experiment and try new things or be a true gourmet who knows what to expect. APPS: We ordered the vieras bites (fried scallops with a kimchi yogurt dip) and the teuquenos (fried paisa cheese rolls with guava sauce) which were both OK. I wasn't blown away by any means but they were decent. The sauce and dip were an acquired taste. The scallops were good but tasted too much like the oil they were cooked in. Entrees: Filet of Angus Beef and Chicken Sous Vide. If you go, get both. I was very happy with these choices. The filet could have had a bit more flavor but overall, the whole plate was wonderful. The Chicken Sous Vide was spectacular. I could have had another plate it was so good. I wasn't sure what I was going to think of the vanilla mashed potatoes but they were actually really good! Dessert: Tres Leches... best I've ever had! Seriously good. Although I did ask our waitress what was the most popular dessert and she told us the Brownie with bacon... we were not brave enough but may go back and try. Service: Our waitress was awesome and all of our food came out quickly. Atmosphere: We sat outside on a very chilly night but you would have never known it was chilly with the awesome heater they had outside. Even though you are right next to the parking lot, we still enjoyed people watching and were never really disturbed.
(4)
Scott B.
First off, this used to be my favorite restaurant in Gainesville. Upon my last visit, my girlfriend and I were horrified to find they had redone their menu. The meeting held to design this menu must have gone something like this: "Ok, first order of business, lets get rid of everything incredible." "Yeah! The coconut shrimp are just too good, take them off! And the fish tacos! People enjoy them, burn them all!" "Perfect! We can go ahead and get rid of all of our good desserts too. Ok, next, we need to replace our salads with lukewarm trash-lettuce to be served in poorly designed idiot bowls." *thunderous applause* "Lastly, lets jack up our prices, and add some tequenos, which are fried cheese sticks that smell like a rancid carnival. Meeting adjourned!" And there you go. Sabore? More like, Sapieceofcrapnow.
(2)
Eric M.
After visiting the Tioga Town Center a few times, we decided to have dinner at Sabore. The first things we noticed were the plush red chairs and IPads for menus. We were each given an IPad and promptly seated. The majority of the menu is tapas. We started with the fried calamari, which was good but not the best we've had. We also tried the Angus Beef NY Strip and Beef Carpaccio. As described by the server, it was uncooked meat, very thin sliced, and dressed up with flavor. The Angus beef was good and the Carpaccio was tasty, but the portion was very small. We also tried the scalloped potatoes which were ok. Overall, the interior is nice, the electronic menus were cool, and the dishes are unique, but there was nothing "entree" that we could order, so we left hungry after spending $60. I will say it's worth a try, if you've never been.
(3)
Beth C.
Our first experience to Saborè was wonderful and very tasteful. Our realtor recommended this place. We had the lobster bisque, crab cakes, hot tazo tea, seafood paella, and a chocolate warm brownie with vanilla ice cream. All sharable and plenty of portions. Wow! It was all great. Our server Kelly was very attentive and others who worked in Saborè made sure our water glass stayed full. One exception was the vanilla ice cream had a cooked crispy piece of bacon atop as though it was a thoughtful garnish. I'm vegetarian and it was a shock to see. That is not the combo I'd recommend they continue with. We took it off and scraped the ice cream free of bacon. We will be back and would recommend this place. It is pricy but we do t eat at places like this everyday.
When I actually have gotten to eat the food at this restaurant, it was ok, but I have had better. My real problem is with the service from the hosting staff, which is abysmal. My husband and I went there 2X within the past two weeks, and walked out before being served both times. Menu items seemed foreign to us, and hosts acted like they wished we hadn't shown up. While waiting to be seated, we endured several moments of grumbling about where they should put us, followed by , "I guess we'll just give them to 'Stacy'". Since "Stacy " seemed to be invisible, we left. Went back this evening, and found Sabore too crowded and unaccomodating once again. No tables despite reassurance that the restaurant could accomodate us after I called. I don't need these kinds of issues.
(2)
Gigi A.
Beef empanadas. Get them! This place is more about the atmosphere and decor and vibe than it is about vibe. Its in Tioga, something associated with being upscale, considering this is Gainesville. The colors are very vibrant and fun, lots of yellows, pinks, reds, etc. The food is decent to pretty good depending on what you what. The red curry and the beef empanadas are usually crowd pleasers. They have some entrees but everything is still shareable and this is very much a tapas place.
(4)
Rachelle S.
I went here for Sunday Brunch this past weekend with some friends. I used to live in Gainesville, and hadn't been there in about a year. I was recommended this place by a colleague. I will never eat there again... First, we waited for over an hour for our food. Our waiter did not come back and check on us, and I had to go and get a refill for our drinks on my own. After making a comment about the wait, another waiter brought something that was like burnt pita chips to our table covered in garlic and butter. I am not sure what this was, as it wasn't very tasty at all. The food in general was cold, and not very tasty. The portions were also very small for what I was paying. The decorations are very appealing at this establishment, but if you are going to eat, I would go somewhere else.
(1)
Alexander C.
We flew up to Gainesville from Orlando to have lunch, and decided on Sabore because it looked like a nice little funky Tapas-and-such restaurant. The ambiance didn't disappoint - nice vibe, interesting decor, good bar area, and pleasant servers. The food was mediocre to good - we shared 4 appetizers and 2 entrees. The best entree was pasta purses with pear and bleu cheese, and the tastiest app was the tuna testones. The octopus entree on the other hand, had too much of a char - so much that it detracted from the natural octopus flavor. The calamari were delicate, but the scampi sauce they were drenched in was somewhat bland. They need a more extensive wine and beer selection. Would we return? It fit the bill for lunch, but the next time we visit Gainesville, we will explore other options.
(3)
Coty S.
I was lucky enough to be treated to Sabore on my Birthday this year. You definitely do not feel like you are in Gainesville when you dine here, even on a Wednesday night the customers are dressed up stylish for an early dinner. I was definitely getting a Miami vibe off of the place, but it was still not pretentious at all. Being pretentious would just be unheard of in Alachua county. Having trouble finding truffles or risotto in Gainesville? Well, they have it at Sabore. For someone like me that frequently claims, "American food is boring," this is a world tour of tastiness. I considered uploading my photos of my dining experience here, but I feel that they would pale in comparison to the beautiful photos from their website. Everything we had was delicious, and I will note bore you with the details. However, it is quite expensive in the end and more of a special occasion dining spot for my family. Shrimp Croquettes, Goat Cheese Croquettes, Goat Cheese Ragu, Lamb Chops, Short Rib Pasta w/ truffle oil, Asparagus Risotto, Tuna Carpaccio (massive servings for the price), and Seared Tuna on Tostones w/ Guacamole, Lobster Bisque, and Tea Flavored Vodka sizzurp. Like a new twist on the popular NYC spot Asia de Cuba. Interesting notes: 1) cowboy behind the bar dancing in front of jars of aquas frescas. 2) liquid tile dance floor 3) awesome waitstaff $114.00 dinner for three.
(4)
Noelle H.
Sabore is my go-to date night spot. I love getting dressed up and going to this posh place. The atmosphere here is very Miami feeling. Usually there's some sort of a wait, unless you come at an off hour. The drinks are good, but their selection of liquors is ehh. I asked for stoli and they said they had something MUCH better. The bartender then gave me pinnacle... The food is a fusion of different cuisines. The sushi can be a hit or miss; the first few times I went it was good but the most recent time it was sloppy and didn't have too much flavor. However, the other selections from the menu are all decent. I feel that most people go here for more for the atmosphere rather than the food itself. I give it 3.5 stars.
(4)
I. T.
LOVED: Kobe beef sliders (excellent! done perfectly medium rare) Liked: Crispy Mahi Tacos, Sizzling Chorizo, Beef Empanadas, Fiocchi with pears Skip it: Mussels (NO flavor, where is the curry, coconut and cilantro?), Yucca (flavorless, dripping with oil) This place is trying too hard to have a super hip/modern interior, that comes off a bit tacky in my opinion. If they only focused all of their decorating energy into perfecting the dishes this might be a decent spot. I was torn between 2 stars and 3, but the server was sweet, so here you go.
(3)
Steven E.
Excellent service, better food. High quality cocktails. Great atmosphere and decor. I will be going back for sure.
(5)
Hedy D.
Decided to eat at Sabore on a spur-of-the-moment decision last night. Growing up outside D.C. kind of imprinted in my brain that any good restaurant either had a strict dress code or didn't allow children. I forget that Florida equals casual dining at almost all levels of dining. Sabore was more casual that I expected and was very welcoming of our (well-behaved) child dining with us. Sabore= Delicious! The Fish Tacos were amazing! The seared-tuna is to die for! My hubby is European and I swear they have the pickiest pallettes. He is still raving about the food the next day. What a nice change from "it was o----kay...!". The service was quick and responsive. Our waiter had a dynamic personality and made us feel like we were important diners. I can't believe I waited so long to dine at Sabore. We ate outside so the ambiance was great with music playing in the background from the pavillion stage. Beyond reasonable price. I hate to say "cheap" but it cost about the same as a casual Mexican restaurant we dined at last week. We didn't skimp on anything and our bill was still so inexpensive! Can't wait to return. Do they offer take-out? Town of Tioga is a success and Sabore is one reason why!!!
(5)
Daniel S.
A long overdue place in Gainesville. Me and my wife have veen waiting for a nice place to open on the West Side of town that is close to home, great food, and great atmosphere. The food is excelent, the location is perfect, decoration is awesome, service is great (I also saw the owners walking around and actually helping get stuff done). You can always tell when a place like this functions well because you notice they care. There is a real chef involved in the whole thing. I heard the brought him from South Florida Try the empanadas, goat cheese crocketes, pork loin, the churrasco, and the queso de cabra, and others. Wine selection is very good and varied. You won't regret it I promise.
I suppose the secret to this restaurant is to know what to order.....my daughter's rib were delicious but do not order paella, tasteless, not to mention they forgot the main ingredient, saffron....the apps, pork belly, empanadas and crab cakes were unimpressive.....the service, on the other hand, was excellent!!!!!
(3)
Emilia B.
We liked it so much that we came back, and wisely ordered 3 items this time (not 4): Healthy Caesar - beautifully put together (will post picture soon), with wheat croutons, a yummy dressing, a toasted patty of Parmesan, and a little bit of anchovy on the side (for the adventurous). Corvina with banana, topped with coconut sauce - a type of white fish, this dish as a whole was both sweet and salty, but in a perfectly balanced way. My favorite dish of the night. Spanish tortilla - a type of omelet with potato and aioli, topped with prosciutto. This was filling and simple. Our waiter, Kelly, was an awesome, professional, helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable guy.
(5)
Whitney F.
I honestly don't think this place was that great. The environment and decor are a nice change from the average Gainesville restaurant being that its modern and upbeat. However, the food really wasn't appetizing at all. Service was excellent. We went for Valentine's Day for the first time because we thought it'd be special to drive out to Tioga Town Center and try the menu that looked pretty good. We ordered the kobe beef sliders which were pretty good with a yummy sauce. The entrees were not good at all. We ordered some seafood pasta and some fish dish (maybe mahi, don't remember). The pasta had a sauce that was just really bland and not very good. The fish was kind of tasteless as well. There was some type of scalloped potatoes that came with it, so I ate the fish with it to give it some taste. I still couldn't finish it because the potatoes were really heavy. Sangria and mojito was good and the tiramisu was delicious. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the drinks, dessert, and appetizer, but the meals were not enjoyable which probably ruined our experience. For spending $100, I definitely don't think it was worth it. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but I doubt I'd go back.
(3)
Johnny L.
Sabore is the perfect place for a date or a business lunch. All I knew about Sabore was that it was "world-fusion", which basically meant they could cook up whatever the f*** they wanted. It was fantastic food though! The place was spectacular looking. The inside was real nice and they even have these cool tiles that follow you when you walk. Even the bathrooms were legit (coolest sink in a public restroom I've ever seen) The service was great. Our server (Matt) was real helpful with the menu and was very prompt and not bothersome at all. When I ordered my food, I asked for normal fries instead of sweet potatoes (substitution). He forgot, but when he remembered, he refused to let me leave without me getting those order of fries. (Awesome!) Matt, if you read Yelp reviews,...great job buddy. The menu wasn't too large for lunch. They have salads, soups, sandwiches, burgers, entrees. The entrees were kind of pricey (above $15 range). I ordered the Kobe Beef Burger ($9) which came with sweet potatoes. My friend ordered the grilled chicken sandwich with fries. Also got her a Guava Sangria. For dessert, we ordered the mango cheesecake. The Kobe Beef Burger was great. It was a little salty, but definitely not unbearable. The burger itself (medium) was real juicy, and cooked wonderfully. They had sweet onions and sweet pickles on them, which were great. No ketchup or other condiments necessary. The grilled chicken sandwich looked good, never tried it though. The sweet potatoes werent fries, they were diced sweet potatoes and they were good. The Sangria was great. Real fruity drink so its good for all the ladies out there. The mango cheesecake was great. The bottom had a weird texture cause of the granola, but it was great nonetheless. Definitely worth repeat visits. The food was great and the prices were reasonable. Great ambience and its supposedly run by a well-renowned chef from Miami.
(5)
Elizabeth H.
Really cool atmosphere. I loved the decor. However, the first time I went I wasn't sure if the brown chairs at the front were stable enough to sit on so I just stood there awkwardly as the wait staff stared. (FYI: they are stable, just don't wear a skirt that will make you blush if you sit that low to the floor) The sushi was pretty good. My favorite was the Mango one. I've never had a fruit-inspired sushi roll before. The filet mignon special was really good and the gnocchi was very tasty. I really liked the sauce on that. They are a bit lacking in the dessert arena, which of course, is what I believe to be the most important part of any restaurant. The mango cheesecake was eh and the apple tart was too much of a pastry. They should change it to be more of a cobbler type so you can actually taste the apple. Overall, it was yummy and I know I will be going back there.
(4)
Thomas B.
Made my first trip to Sabore with friends on Saturday night. Had a great time. The Food: Unbelievable! Everything we ordered was delicious and presented in a visually stunning way. The Tapas style menu is great for sharing. The Atmosphere: Dark and Hip, but comfortable with loud energetic music playing. Entertainment: There was a gorgeous Samba dancer that came out several times during the evening and danced all throughout the dining room. She was dressed in a beautiful Brazilian carnivale costume, was a great dancer and even tempted a few of the customers to dance with her! A++ for the dancer, would love to come back and see that again -- if I only knew what the schedule was...?? Pricing: Expensive! Most items are priced between $7 and $13. However, the menu is Tapas Style. Tapas = Small portions (really, really small) that are encouraged for sharing. To get an actual meal and not leave hungry each person would need at least 2-3 dishes from the menu.
(5)
Jim M.
Sabore has become one of our favorite restaurants. Overall, the service is excellent, attentive but not intrusive. The food is excellent with a very large list of choices. Favorites: Lobster Bisque. Previously was good, now is outstanding. Starts with pieces of lobster in the bowl - and the bisque is poured over it. Taste is amazing. Beef empanadas. Fried to perfection. Taste is marvelous. 4 to a serving. Definitely worth a try! Beef short ribs: served over noodles, the meat is extremely tender and flavorful. Gravy is delicious and complements the pasta very well. One of my wife's favorites. Grouper (or Mahi) Carbonara. The carbonara is excellent. Fish is always fresh and flavorful. My favorite. The Bar. Well stocked - especially with high end liquor. Wine list is excellent. The staff - Billy, Evan and Heather are very well trained and serve great pours. Feels like home! Waly and Billy do everything possible to make sure you have a great dining experience. Sabore rates two or three visits from us each week and a very great asset to Tioga. Our highest recommendation to a marvelous restaurant
(5)
Amandine R.
Took my parents here for lunch one day and although the decoration is like nothing I've ever seen before, the food is only a bit above average. We had the yucca and "African" hummus for starters, both of which I could buy at Publix. The "fried yucca" was merely chips (which they did not indicate on the menu) and although the presentation of the hummus was unique, there wasn't anything "African" about it. I had the tuna melt, which isn't hard to mess up, and the bottom of the bread was burnt. My mom had the salmon and said it was very salty. My dad, who is a tough crowd, genuinely like his grouper. For desert. We had the apple pie tart a la mode which was also burnt on the bottom. All in all they have the right idea but are lacking quality ingredients in the kitchen.
(3)
Tiffany D.
We've been to Sabore twice now. Once with a large group of friends and once with my parents (in from out of town). Both dining experiences revealed excellent food. We tried a large variety of items from the menu and everything was really delicious. We ordered entirely too much food the first time based on other's comments so I will recommend 3, no more than 4 dishes per couple. The pasta/steak/fish dishes are enough for one person really. The appetizers/dips are good to share. Service was spotty on our first trip which was only their second weekend open. The second time though more than made up for the first time in terms of service. We will definitely be back!
(5)
Kevin W.
My boyfriend and I have been to Sabore twice now and have been very happy each time. First of all the decor is beautiful. It's full of color and modern design. I couldn't help allowing my eyes to wander the entire restaurant in awe of the significant attention to detail. Very well done. Second, the service each time has been impeccable. From the host to the server to the manager, the service has felt professional and welcoming. Finally, the food. In two experiences my boyfriend and I have had most of the menu. The tuna tostarone (spelling) and the duck are particularly good as well as the goat cheese. Great restaurant I highly recommend.
(5)
Kelsey F.
I recently went to Sabore for drinks and appetizers with a few friends, and I will definitely be going back! Their shareable tapas style menu is great and I highly recommend the crab cakes and tuna tostone.
(5)
Kelly G.
We have a fantastic time every time we come. The service is always with a smile and a joke. The food is always delectable. We had my birthday party there this year back in March. We ended up spilling out from the entire bar section to some of the tables, then slowly decreased to just a few tables at the bar. The staff was able to accommodate the ever changing party and keep everyone happy with food and drinks in abundance. Most recently a few friends and I had dinner at Sabore. We were sad to hear there was no paella that night and we missed the creme brulee special from our previous visit, but the curry mahi was perfect. Not too spicy, not too bland. Not too much salt. Marvelous.
(5)
Wayne M.
Nearly perfectly cooked octopus, flounder, Kobe sliders, duck and scallops are very encouraging. Recent new ownership and menu seems to be focused on providing haut cuisine in Tioga!
(5)
Chris T.
Hmm... Sabore has kind of an open, modern take on ambience and decor but nothing too out of the ordinary. Menu is mediocre in number of tapas to order but has variety and even a sushi portion. I'd say the service is pretty good. They seem to staff a lot of workers so there is no shortage of help or assistance if needed. For instance, someone will be waiting to refill your glass of water pretty consistently. Food-wise though, unfortunately, I really feel their flavors aren't there. Almost all the dishes I've had here get a gold star for plating and presentation but they never seem to satisfy in the taste department. It is OK, for sure - but nothing special jumps out in my honest opinion - that extra little "umph" that makes you say, "oh, wow, this is delicious/new" is not there. So, maybe a little bland I suppose - that is, save their almond dusted fried calamari with sweet chili sauce drizzle special appetizer. For the price and taste, I would recommend eating some where else to be honest...unless you don't really care too much about the flavors of your food then I guess it is a fine establishment to just sit and share food.
(2)
Downtown G.
I have eaten at Sabore twice. Both times, our servers were slow and kind of insolent. That doesn't bother me, if the food is good. Unfortunately, it was hit and miss on each visit. Mushroom Risotto: Delicious! Churrasco w/ Chimmichurri: Delicious! Asparagus Risotto: Bland and annoying. Annoying, because it was bland and pricey for the portion size. Pork Loin w/ Mojito: First visit it was good. Second visit, it was dry and tasted funny. Ceviche: Nasty! According to the person who ordered it. Crab Cakes: Dry and not very crabby. Said the rest of my dining companions. Grouper: Good. Lobster Bisque: Okay. The person who ordered it, said it needed more seasoning. On the second visit, our server was particulary annoying. Besides being slow and insolent, he kept forcing himself to say my daughter was "adorable". My daughter isn't adorable. She is an ugly, vicious bit of goods. It was just very strange. Maybe he was trying to boost her self-esteem? The decor is kind of off-putting to me. I don't know why, it just is... Wait! it is probably, because I hate red. I won't go back. I simply didn't enjoy myself there.
(2)
Paul D.
A one of a kind restaurant in Gainesville with very unique decor, attentive waiters, and a very ambitious menu (with hit or miss food). Unfortunately, the place is trying way too hard to be hip with a focus on appearance with very elongated silverware, very tiny dining plates, and very inappropriate 80's music. All this would not be much concern if the quality of the food was really excellent. It is not. There are probably 50 items on the menu (all reasonably priced), many exotic, but of the 7 we chose, the majority were not that great. I wish they would cut down the menu to 12 items that they do very well. I really enjoyed our waiter Kelly and most of the dishes we ordered were good (not great). Among the best were the duck breast and the mushroom risotto. Good was the salmon, the churasco and the Spanish tortilla. The bonito tasted like a burnt fish stick, and the ahi tuna ceviche was over marinated with way too many flavors. The very long silverware and the tiny little plates made eating difficult and the loud 80's music became distracting after 20 minutes. Sabore has great potential if they can get the food right.
(3)
Daisy T.
EXTREMELY disappointing service and I will never come back until they train their wait staff better! I love to eat and do not mind spending money for the quality and dinning experience - however the service was horrible. The reasons for my bad review are: 1) My date's appetizer arrived but mine didn't until after my entree arrived. The waitress didn't even noticed this until we were finishing his appetizer. 2) The waitress was not attentive to our needs. If she was, she would have noticed the issue about my appetizer. 3) They were inconsistent with their information. We came for restaurant week ($30 for an appetizer, entree, dessert, and a drink -http://gainesvillerestaurantweek.com/wp-content/Âuploads/2012/07/sabore-menu.pdf). When we got there, their menu excluded the drink, so we asked our waitress and she said it did come with the special. However, our bill was charged for the drinks and she lied to us when we corrected her. She made it sound like they were doing us a favor for taking the charge off. Pro: The manager did offer a complimentary drink for the lateness. The food was good. Bottom line - Don't come here because of the incompetent and insincere wait staff. They made us feel like they were doing us a favor for correcting THEIR mistakes.
(1)
Matt J.
Ambience is 5-Star, food selection and flavor is 4-Star, and the service is 3-Star. Perfect place to go for date or party! They have a extensive selection of tapas that are very flavorful and are well portioned. Very South Florida vibe going on, and the perfect getaway from campus life!
(4)
Terry H.
It was our first time visiting Sabore on a recommendation from two friends. We all started off with Lobster Bisque and found it a little better than average. The alcohol (brandy?) was a bit too overwhelming in the taste for me, but my wife and in-law enjoyed it just fine. We ordered three starters, Carpaccio, mussels, and the tuna tostone. We waited a while before the came out and was surprised that it was taking so long, but my wife and in-law are European, so it was okay for us. When our items arrived, all looking delicious, we decided to order the rest of our meal, since the wait was long. I ordered the duck - one big reason I decided to go there. Then was told that they sold out of duck the night before. So, sadly, decided to order more "shareables." We ordered chorizo, bacon wrapped dates, and crab cakes. Then, we began to eat our first round. The carpaccio was very delicious. It was my favorite of the three. It's actually both tuna and beef and had a nice lemon and oil topping. The mussels were tasty, although we did have a shell not opened, which is not a good sign. The tuna tostone was just okay for me, but my wife enjoyed it. While we were finishing up, the waitress came to notify us that they were out of Chorizo. Out of two items on the menu on an early Sunday dinner (5:30PM). Argh. We ordered the beef empanadas to replace the chorizo. Round two came out extremely fast. We were shocked that one set would take so long and the other so quickly. I just loved the dates wrapped in bacon. Great combination of flavors in the mouth. The empanadas were less than okay for me (I've had students make better empanadas at my middle school) and do not recommend them. The crab cakes were my wife's favorite of the night. Since it was my birthday, we skipped out on dessert and headed home for bday cake. Overall, I would say it's an okay restaurant but will probably not return any time soon.
(3)
Maria Christina V.
Went here for Sunday brunch after I got one of those Livingsocial coupons. The place is decorated in a way that gives off a fun vibe. I ordered the "Sabre eggs Benedict" that were made as crab cakes. The food is really really good and we got a Guava sangria that is probably the best Sangria Ive had in my life! (I thought Emilianos had good Sangria but Sabore's takes the cake). The place wasnt packed like most breakfast places are in Gainesville (i.e.: Flying biscuit) and we didnt have to wait very long for our food. The service was amazing! I loved our server! And what I appreciated the most was that they let us have a leisurely meal so we could chat and have a good time. I would definitely go here again and recommend it to friends. Im not giving it 5 stars because its a bit pricey, but this is definitely a place I would take my parents if they came into town.
(4)
Warren M.
Sabore is a great place to go for a nice night out, though it's a little trek for people who live in town. I have been three times now, and each experience has been great. When we originally went, Sabore was still Tapas style and it cost me a pretty penny to get out of there after a filling meal and drinks for my girlfriend and I. I also thought the menu was just too overwhelming, so I was pleased to see an update. Since we have been back, the menu was downsized, though everything that was on it still looked appetizing. The portions are not the greatest, but presentation and service are excellent, and the food is always good. Drinks at Sabore are to die for. Everything I've gotten from Mojitos to Dirty Martinis have been fantastic. My girlfriend raves about their Sangria and though I'm not a Sangria guy, I must admit it's pretty darn good at Sabore. Give it a shot and you won't be disappointed.
(4)
Elizabeth L.
Stunningly beautiful, the design is eye candy. The staff is great and very attentive. The hardest part is choosing what to get off the menu. My friend and I shared several things, and that worked out perfect!
(5)
Mitchell M.
This is the best restaurant in Gainesville. Great food and great service. Ask for Susie and you will be well taken care of. Great bar, great ambiance, and great food. The decor is South Beach at it's finest. You will not be disappointed. Favorite dishes are the Tuna Tartar, Rack of Lamb, Veal Tortellini or any item with a red circle next to it. The are now also open for lunch with a great menu as well.
(5)
Joe H.
This is a great place to eat. Dinner is the Tapas menu. Prices are reasonable, the food is excellent and the service is great. It is a very hip place with a nice modern atmosphere. If you are wanting to avoid the college scene this is a great place to be which is nice to find in Gainesville. Be sure to check them out for lunch also. I highly recommend giving Sabore a try!
(5)
Rod K.
I haven't sat down for a proper meal at Sabore yet, however I've frequented the bar and tasted an appetizer or two and haven't been disappointed. The atmosphere is casual, but not too casual. The Bartenders are always attentive in an appropriate manner and there isn't a place in town that you can get Swamphead Stumpknocker Ale for $2.00 a glass (during happy hour). That alone will keep me coming back.
(4)
Carol C.
Dont waste your time or money...not worth it....NOT at all like Mi Apa...Jetsons on LSD...did fix up the old place but will never make it in Gainesville. 3 of us ordered 10 different things..EXPENSIVE...wasn't at all impressed...They try to be so high end and strange when they brought the sugar etc. to the table in shitty advertised Fla Food Service packets it was like when Christopher Reeves saw that coin in his pocket from "Somewhere In Time"....come on...can't you get the high end sugar packets...SAVE your money!! Once was once to much for this gal....there are to many better options in Gainesville in this economy...and if it was good I would have NO problem with driving to Town of Tioga for this place, I go to Ocala for Indian all the time....
(1)
Laura B.
Had dinner at Sabore last night (a Friday). Started with two of the fun "martinis" that were on happy hour special - both the mango and the pear ones were really delicious and not ridiculously sweet. We then shared a bowl of the sweet potato soup which had a nice flavor and was very rich, but really could have used a garnish of some kind. For dinner I had the scallop risotto with asparagus - loved it - creamy and rich - large portion with two perfectly cooked large scallops on top. My husband had salmon with a strawberry glaze that came on top of brown rice rectangle with avocado on it. The salmon was a bit crispy on the sides and the dish was beautifully presented. For dessert we had a piece of tres leches cake which was also pretty with a large mint leaf and cherry on it. Thought it was one of the best renditions of tres leches we have had in FL. Attentive service. Will definitely be going back and we look forward to trying some of their other dishes.
(4)
Susan W.
My husband and I have gone to Sabore three or four times now and always had a wonderful time. The decor is really great--could be in Manhatten! The food when they first opened needed a bit of work on the taste and cooking (over or under done on several items) but they have worked out all those issues and everything is now just outstanding!! The presentation is just fantastic. Last night we went with the kids and friends and every item were ordered we loved. (dates with bacon--who knew?). The only bummer is the awkwardly balanced tableware--it looks nice but is not great to use.
(4)
J M.
Very good, but starting to question consistency. We have visited several times and unfortunately the last 2 were somewhat disappointing with the sushi looking like a mess. Use to be super and for Gainesville is good, but recent experieinces have us looking around again,
(4)
Stephanie T.
I wrote a review for Sabore on on 11/21 and 12/3, and they are no longer on Yelp. Disappointing. Here are reposts: Sabore Delicious, again! - Edit review November 29, 2010 Went to dinner at Sabore last night with friends. *Everything* continues to be excellent. Here's what we ordered. Each dish was out of sight. Hamachi Jalapeno (raw yellow tail sashimi) Jamon Serrano (sushi roll) Tuna Tartar Shrimp Croquette Risotto Porcini (mushroom) Diver Scallops Churrasco Healthy Caesar Pappardelle Short Ribs Bacon Wrapped Dates White Chocolate Marquesa The Funk (dessert) Recommend Sabore Visited over 10 times, all A++++ - Edit review November 21, 2010 I've been going to Sabore Restaurant since it opened in August 2010. Every time the service and quality of food is A+++. Lunch is top of the line. I love that you can have a different dining experience there each time you go. Know how you go to some restaurants and no matter what you order, it all tastes the same? Not so at Sabore. Great job! I can only imagine the hard work and dedication it takes to make it all happen. Thank you, Sabore!
(5)
Eileen T.
This was our first visit to Sabore, and we will definitely be back. It's a lively, fun, beautifully decorated restaurant. My husband and I went on a busy Friday night. We were told we would have a 50 minute wait, which turned out to be around 30 minutes. While we were waiting, we had a glass of wine at the bar. The bar staff was very knowledgeable and helped us select a great cabernet which was served in good quality wine glasses. We declined the first table offered to us, which was wedged very closely in between two other tables, but another roomier table was immediately available. We ordered four small plates, three of which were delicious - the scallops, short ribs and asparagus risotto. We also ordered shrimp which was disappointing. Also, they were out of the dessert we ordered. The service was fantastic. Overall the experience was very enjoyable.
(4)
Ileana E.
I was there the Friday after Thanksgiving with a group of 12 at my semi circle table. I loved the flexibility for seating both large and intimate groups. The decor reminded me of a mix of south beach, new york and Monte Carlo. I felt that I was going on a trip and I was out of the everyday environment, which is I suppose the purpose of the over-scale ex-centric decor. It set the mood beautifully. Since we were such a large group, we were able to sample a large portion of the menu and I was impressed with most everything I ate. The flavor combinations were inspired and original, not to mention delicious. The wine selection was also very good...I especially liked the inclusion of the Spanish Tempranillo. The Service was friendly, which is rare for an upscale restaurant, and very accommodating. We have a 16 month old at our table and they didn't even blink, but rather had a very cool and comfortable high chair available...the parents were very happy. After the party broke up a couple of us stayed and had another cocktail at the bar. I had a fabulous cocktail made with care and served beautifully. Overall a welcome surprise!
Dined here for lunch and were not immediately greeted but a hostess, but wasn't too long of a wait. VERY impressed with the modern decor (my husband even commented that it's something that you would find in New York, haha). Their red sangria was fantastic and I absolutely LOVED their piping hot curry tomato soup. For our entrees, I ordered the pumpkin tortellini and my husband ordered the tuna loin. I received four large tortellini in the sage butter. The filling in my pumpkin tortellini was great, but the pasta was bland and I wished I had salt and the table to flavor it with (and I'm usually not a salt person). The waitress did not come back to check on us to see how our entree was- only when it was time to pay the bill did she return. My husband really enjoyed his tuna loin in which he replaced the avocado with spinach. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience that only had a couple of hiccups.
Not a big fan. Took the server 15 minutes to greet my boyfriend and I. We ordered the beef empanadas which were actually the best part of the meal. I don't think you can mess up empanadas though. We also ordered a tuna sushi roll. They should probably stick to the basics. I did appreciate the decor they put into the restaurant. Does make you wonder if the business revenue will outweigh the remodeling costs though.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Korina D.
In from Miami and a friend who is a local told us to give it a try...Glad we did! Loved the atmosphere - high-end/modern. Service was great and fast. Food was fantastic. We ordered SEVERAL tapas. *Beef empanadas *Crab cakes *Berenjena croquettes *Sapnish cod fritters *Tortilla espanola *Scallops a la catalana *Paella alicantina *Vanilla mash potatoes *Shoestring fries *Jazmin Thai rice Highly recommended: the Spanish cod fritters, vanilla mash potatoes, beef empanadas & crab cakes The scallops were a little to raw for my taste but, we didn't send them back as not to offend. Paella was delicious but, just a tad too much spice. Being that I am the only one who drinks in out little traveling trio, I chose a nice Pinot Grigio/Verduzzo blend (masianco "masi") also wonderful. Really paired nicely with all the tapas chosen. We also indulged in 3 deserts. *Saboré signature tres leeches *Abuelo's bread pudding *Homemade vanilla mint ice cream All were out of this world scrumptious and enjoyed by all. All in all, I would DEFINITELY recommend this for a fine dining experience, a date night & even Happy Hour (great bar)
(5)Scott T.
They changed their menu since I was last year. They used to have more tapas but they switched to more main courses. They said they're going back to the tapas with a new menu, but I was not impressed. I had grilled octopus and it was fine - but that was it - no side, no bread nothing. I like the decor, but it's pricey and not worth it. Oh, and the worst part about this place is they bring out food when it's ready not when the whole table is ready so I was very disappointed about having to wait for my meal while my wife got her meal five minutes prior!
(2)Amara G.
Went to visit friends. They worried as they know we are foodies. They played it shy and let us discover the experience. As we entered the place, a patron was leaving with his wife. He turned to us and said: "Do yourself a favor and have the Duck and Waffles. Don't even question it." So we did. And it was flavorful and moist and crispy and yummy. The maple syrup, brought in dainty caraffes by the chef, was like a melted butterscotch candy in your mouth. The service was impecable. Excellent drinks. Tried three different ones and all of those on the table of 6 we composed. We had the tostones, the croquetas de bacalao, the mahi, the tuna, the carpaccio... the risotto with black truffles (which were grated on our plate by Chef). I actually mentioned our experience at Alinea (in Chicago) because it was as pleasant as that (without the cirque du soleil magic of Grant Achatz who is famous for his food spectacles). The ambiance is chic and trendy and gothic romantic. Yes, it is not cheap. But amazing food hardly ever is. It is not a place to go and get stuffed. It is a place to linger in, to be celebrated and experienced.
(5)Kasey G.
Very good food! They have surprisingly fast service. Everything we ate; entrees, sides, dessert, and the coffee afterwards was superb! A great fusion place in G-ville and quality food for your dollar, that's what I'm talking about!
(4)Daniel B.
Phenomenal meal. We went for a friend's graduation dinner and had a medley of delightful dishes. The fried calamari, the ribs, the risotto, it's all great. Highly suggest paying it a visit, you will not be disappointed.
(5)Ling S.
3.5 out of 5. Sabore is located in the pretty little area of Tioga. It's definitely more upscale and urban feeling compared to the rest of Gainesville. Put on your nice evening dress and get ready for a romantic date night. The restaurant has a cool lounge quality to it. Make reservations beforehand, otherwise be prepared to wait forever. The servers are extremely attentive and know the menu well. For the tapas, they have a variety of things to try. In general though, I was not really impressed with anything. None of it was bad; it was all just "ehhhhh." The plates also seemed slightly under whelming for what you got compared to other tapa places I've been to. They have decent drinks though.
(3)Scott B.
First off, this used to be my favorite restaurant in Gainesville. Upon my last visit, my girlfriend and I were horrified to find they had redone their menu. The meeting held to design this menu must have gone something like this: "Ok, first order of business, lets get rid of everything incredible." "Yeah! The coconut shrimp are just too good, take them off! And the fish tacos! People enjoy them, burn them all!" "Perfect! We can go ahead and get rid of all of our good desserts too. Ok, next, we need to replace our salads with lukewarm trash-lettuce to be served in poorly designed idiot bowls." *thunderous applause* "Lastly, lets jack up our prices, and add some tequenos, which are fried cheese sticks that smell like a rancid carnival. Meeting adjourned!" And there you go. Sabore? More like, Sapieceofcrapnow.
(1)Pirata D.
I'm lucky I discovered this little gem of a restaurant on my way to the gym in Tioga. The place looks so fresh and upscale, that I asked the people there if I could dine there in my gym wear (it was around lunch time). They said absolutely yes. I was blown away by the decor and ambiance (something quite lacking in most of Gainesville). Everything from the furniture, color scheme, down to the napkins, plates, chairs was fresh, bright and modern. I had the Saboré house salad, and the Ahi Tuna Tataki; both were insanely good, but the tuna portion was on the small side. Everything was fresh, and the tuna was not lukewarm, as in some of the sushi restaurants in town. The menus are on iPads, not the traditional hardcopy, and the service was on point and friendly. Homesick for your city likes? This restaurant will fill that void. BTW: the town of Tioga is absolutely beautiful and upscale. I will be a repeat customer.
(5)Sue W.
The worst tapas restaurant ever, in my experience. The paella - the last dish to arrive - was really dry. tasteless, and had absolutely no resemblance to paella. It consisted mainly of very dry spanish-style rice, with a few not especially good shrimp (one person tried one and no one else wanted to try another) and dry mussels. It's not easy to make bad mussels, but Sabore-Tioga managed to do so (maybe they had been sitting around cooked for way too long?). The pork belly was ok. as were the scallops (3 for $19). The spinach was the best thing we ate (also served with the scallops). The restaurant is trying too hard to be trendy (ipad menus) and didn't pull off anything particularly well. Very disappointing.
(1)Todd K.
First time here. Nice interior. Our server was great. Something different. Nice to be able to order variety and share/try new things. Food came out super fast. Will return for sure.
(4)John L.
****.25 stars (Barely over 4 stars but I'm given to rounding up lately) "Nice looking place." I said while pulling the chair out at the two top near the high traffic path that bridges the bar/kitchen area with the dining room. "Agreed. Very well done." Said the wife as she sat on the booth-end side of the intimate table across from me. Immediately I was skeptical. When that much of the investment is put into the front of the house I usually begin to worry. The server arrived and inquired as to whether or not we'd been there before. Since we hadn't, I imagine, he explain the restaurant's "world fusion" menu then took our drink order. We perused the extensive menu and finally decided on a few dishes. Upon placing our order we explained that we had a movie to make and asked if we could place our dessert order at the same time. "Of course." The server responded. "What time is the movie so I can bring out the dessert with ample time?" "10:40" I answered. "Will you be having coffee sir?" He added. "Do you serve espresso?" I inquired. "We do have espresso; yes." He answered. "Espresso." I affirmed. "Very well. Thank you sir" and off he went. He could not have handled that more perfectly. During our conversation, while waiting for our food, I kept feeling staff bump up, albeit lightly, against the back of my chair and couldn't help but wonder what was so attractive about it. It turns out that since my seat was right at the vertex of the aforementioned path, some people had the tendency to place their hand on the back of my chair while taking that corner. It was a bad habit that could be easily fixed once one was aware of it. It wasn't a very big deal as it only occurred a few times (and very lightly); but if you want to exude high-end professionalism and polish, you need to be attuned to details. We ordered the Goat Cheese Croquettes and Beef Empanadas for apps. I was a little confused as to why the croquette dish was under the "Salads" section of the menu after the server described it; no greens alas. We went with it anyway. When the dishes came out they were presented with squirt-bottled balsamic reduction and sauces; right out of a culinary arts food styling 101 class. I thought of Gordon Ramsay's quote regarding squeezed bottled zig-zags of balsamic reductions over food: "Always the sign of an insecure chef." The goat cheese croquettes were lightly breaded and deep fried spheres of very good quality goat cheese stationed on tiny dollops of guava jam (which there wasn't enough of BTW) served with a nest of thinly peeled beet and carrot and drizzled with said reduction. Here was the kicker...it was good! Very good. All the flavors inter-played beautifully. The Beef Empanadas? The dough was crispy on the outside yet had a very subtle but present gluteny "snap" (no infinite chewing or jaw fatigue). The filling was wonderfully juicy (not overly so) and assertively seasoned which balanced out nicely with the blank canvas quality of the fried pastry wrapping. "This is actually good." I said half way through devouring the apps. The Entrees: Pasta Carbonara, Kobe Beef Sliders, Braised Short Rib Pappardelle The carbonara was, for lack of better description, as it should be. Despite the understanding of why carbonara is named as such the wife still found it a bit too "peppery". I however thought they hit it right on the mark. The sauce could have had a more "silky" or "velvety" quality but I'm not complaining. The sliders were a bit surprising to me. They are spiced the way that "fritas" (Cuban hamburgers) are as I detected some notes reminiscent of chorizo. I immediately made the connection and thought it was a good take on both sliders and fritas! Also the bread is awesome. I don't know where the chef sources the buns for these but they are an excellent choice-- think Martins Potato Roll meets "pan de agua." Lovely. The braised short rib was my wife's favorite but my least. I thought that, given the upfront flavor profiles of the previous dishes, this was a little timid. Perhaps I'd be singing a different tune had I tried this dish first. It was still solidly executed. A pattern was emerging here, my wife and I were nitpicking, LOOKING for things to find wrong. We soon realized this that is a good thing! Struggling to find something wrong is infinitely better than being hit across the head with it. About three-quarters of the way into our entrees dessert arrived; an ice cream and brownie dish. I appreciated the fact that the brownie was not cloyingly sweet; no inferiority hiding in shame under copious amounts of sugar. I appreciated the fact that the ice cream was free of ice crystals that ruin both the texture and flavor of good ice cream (grit and dilution respectively). Also...finally a decent espresso in a sit down restaurant. And they said it couldn't be done! Well done Sabore. Welcome to Gainesville.
(5)Peter S.
Sabore is great! Excellent food, decor, atmosphere, and service. We took our son (who is a connoisseur living in NYC) there last weekend, and he WAS very impressed by the Cuban sandwich. I had my usual omelette which was great. Wife had egg Benedict with crab cake - yummy! Owner is real friendly. Waiter was very helpful. We have been there 5 times now!
(5)Mallory D.
Our first experience at Sabore did not completely disappoint. This place is obviously not for the meat and potato person. You have to be ready to experiment and try new things or be a true gourmet who knows what to expect. APPS: We ordered the vieras bites (fried scallops with a kimchi yogurt dip) and the teuquenos (fried paisa cheese rolls with guava sauce) which were both OK. I wasn't blown away by any means but they were decent. The sauce and dip were an acquired taste. The scallops were good but tasted too much like the oil they were cooked in. Entrees: Filet of Angus Beef and Chicken Sous Vide. If you go, get both. I was very happy with these choices. The filet could have had a bit more flavor but overall, the whole plate was wonderful. The Chicken Sous Vide was spectacular. I could have had another plate it was so good. I wasn't sure what I was going to think of the vanilla mashed potatoes but they were actually really good! Dessert: Tres Leches... best I've ever had! Seriously good. Although I did ask our waitress what was the most popular dessert and she told us the Brownie with bacon... we were not brave enough but may go back and try. Service: Our waitress was awesome and all of our food came out quickly. Atmosphere: We sat outside on a very chilly night but you would have never known it was chilly with the awesome heater they had outside. Even though you are right next to the parking lot, we still enjoyed people watching and were never really disturbed.
(4)Scott B.
First off, this used to be my favorite restaurant in Gainesville. Upon my last visit, my girlfriend and I were horrified to find they had redone their menu. The meeting held to design this menu must have gone something like this: "Ok, first order of business, lets get rid of everything incredible." "Yeah! The coconut shrimp are just too good, take them off! And the fish tacos! People enjoy them, burn them all!" "Perfect! We can go ahead and get rid of all of our good desserts too. Ok, next, we need to replace our salads with lukewarm trash-lettuce to be served in poorly designed idiot bowls." *thunderous applause* "Lastly, lets jack up our prices, and add some tequenos, which are fried cheese sticks that smell like a rancid carnival. Meeting adjourned!" And there you go. Sabore? More like, Sapieceofcrapnow.
(2)Eric M.
After visiting the Tioga Town Center a few times, we decided to have dinner at Sabore. The first things we noticed were the plush red chairs and IPads for menus. We were each given an IPad and promptly seated. The majority of the menu is tapas. We started with the fried calamari, which was good but not the best we've had. We also tried the Angus Beef NY Strip and Beef Carpaccio. As described by the server, it was uncooked meat, very thin sliced, and dressed up with flavor. The Angus beef was good and the Carpaccio was tasty, but the portion was very small. We also tried the scalloped potatoes which were ok. Overall, the interior is nice, the electronic menus were cool, and the dishes are unique, but there was nothing "entree" that we could order, so we left hungry after spending $60. I will say it's worth a try, if you've never been.
(3)Beth C.
Our first experience to Saborè was wonderful and very tasteful. Our realtor recommended this place. We had the lobster bisque, crab cakes, hot tazo tea, seafood paella, and a chocolate warm brownie with vanilla ice cream. All sharable and plenty of portions. Wow! It was all great. Our server Kelly was very attentive and others who worked in Saborè made sure our water glass stayed full. One exception was the vanilla ice cream had a cooked crispy piece of bacon atop as though it was a thoughtful garnish. I'm vegetarian and it was a shock to see. That is not the combo I'd recommend they continue with. We took it off and scraped the ice cream free of bacon. We will be back and would recommend this place. It is pricy but we do t eat at places like this everyday.
(5)Chelsea B.
This place is suffering from an identity crisis! Saboré definitely delivers on its "world fusion" promise, but that's not necessarily a good thing... Decor: At first glance the decor seems trendy and upscale, but then it becomes overwhelming (and tacky) once you start noticing how many different themes are going on here. I really don't understand the tree trunk chairs. Also, the dining ware at Saboré is probably the most confusing aspect about this place (other than the music, which was basically a playlist featuring music from every corner of the world). They "encourage sharing," so to do this they've equipped you with the longest forks you've ever seen. I guess it does make reaching across the table to steal food from your friend's plate easier. Service: 5 stars on service, the one exception. Our waiter was fantastic! Food: The food was decent, but I think Saboré could benefit from kicking a few items off the menu. A wide selection isn't a bad thing, of course, unless each item is completely unique from the item before it. I think consistency becomes a problem when there's so much to choose from.
(3)Patty G.
When I actually have gotten to eat the food at this restaurant, it was ok, but I have had better. My real problem is with the service from the hosting staff, which is abysmal. My husband and I went there 2X within the past two weeks, and walked out before being served both times. Menu items seemed foreign to us, and hosts acted like they wished we hadn't shown up. While waiting to be seated, we endured several moments of grumbling about where they should put us, followed by , "I guess we'll just give them to 'Stacy'". Since "Stacy " seemed to be invisible, we left. Went back this evening, and found Sabore too crowded and unaccomodating once again. No tables despite reassurance that the restaurant could accomodate us after I called. I don't need these kinds of issues.
(2)Gigi A.
Beef empanadas. Get them! This place is more about the atmosphere and decor and vibe than it is about vibe. Its in Tioga, something associated with being upscale, considering this is Gainesville. The colors are very vibrant and fun, lots of yellows, pinks, reds, etc. The food is decent to pretty good depending on what you what. The red curry and the beef empanadas are usually crowd pleasers. They have some entrees but everything is still shareable and this is very much a tapas place.
(4)Rachelle S.
I went here for Sunday Brunch this past weekend with some friends. I used to live in Gainesville, and hadn't been there in about a year. I was recommended this place by a colleague. I will never eat there again... First, we waited for over an hour for our food. Our waiter did not come back and check on us, and I had to go and get a refill for our drinks on my own. After making a comment about the wait, another waiter brought something that was like burnt pita chips to our table covered in garlic and butter. I am not sure what this was, as it wasn't very tasty at all. The food in general was cold, and not very tasty. The portions were also very small for what I was paying. The decorations are very appealing at this establishment, but if you are going to eat, I would go somewhere else.
(1)Alexander C.
We flew up to Gainesville from Orlando to have lunch, and decided on Sabore because it looked like a nice little funky Tapas-and-such restaurant. The ambiance didn't disappoint - nice vibe, interesting decor, good bar area, and pleasant servers. The food was mediocre to good - we shared 4 appetizers and 2 entrees. The best entree was pasta purses with pear and bleu cheese, and the tastiest app was the tuna testones. The octopus entree on the other hand, had too much of a char - so much that it detracted from the natural octopus flavor. The calamari were delicate, but the scampi sauce they were drenched in was somewhat bland. They need a more extensive wine and beer selection. Would we return? It fit the bill for lunch, but the next time we visit Gainesville, we will explore other options.
(3)Coty S.
I was lucky enough to be treated to Sabore on my Birthday this year. You definitely do not feel like you are in Gainesville when you dine here, even on a Wednesday night the customers are dressed up stylish for an early dinner. I was definitely getting a Miami vibe off of the place, but it was still not pretentious at all. Being pretentious would just be unheard of in Alachua county. Having trouble finding truffles or risotto in Gainesville? Well, they have it at Sabore. For someone like me that frequently claims, "American food is boring," this is a world tour of tastiness. I considered uploading my photos of my dining experience here, but I feel that they would pale in comparison to the beautiful photos from their website. Everything we had was delicious, and I will note bore you with the details. However, it is quite expensive in the end and more of a special occasion dining spot for my family. Shrimp Croquettes, Goat Cheese Croquettes, Goat Cheese Ragu, Lamb Chops, Short Rib Pasta w/ truffle oil, Asparagus Risotto, Tuna Carpaccio (massive servings for the price), and Seared Tuna on Tostones w/ Guacamole, Lobster Bisque, and Tea Flavored Vodka sizzurp. Like a new twist on the popular NYC spot Asia de Cuba. Interesting notes: 1) cowboy behind the bar dancing in front of jars of aquas frescas. 2) liquid tile dance floor 3) awesome waitstaff $114.00 dinner for three.
(4)Noelle H.
Sabore is my go-to date night spot. I love getting dressed up and going to this posh place. The atmosphere here is very Miami feeling. Usually there's some sort of a wait, unless you come at an off hour. The drinks are good, but their selection of liquors is ehh. I asked for stoli and they said they had something MUCH better. The bartender then gave me pinnacle... The food is a fusion of different cuisines. The sushi can be a hit or miss; the first few times I went it was good but the most recent time it was sloppy and didn't have too much flavor. However, the other selections from the menu are all decent. I feel that most people go here for more for the atmosphere rather than the food itself. I give it 3.5 stars.
(4)I. T.
LOVED: Kobe beef sliders (excellent! done perfectly medium rare) Liked: Crispy Mahi Tacos, Sizzling Chorizo, Beef Empanadas, Fiocchi with pears Skip it: Mussels (NO flavor, where is the curry, coconut and cilantro?), Yucca (flavorless, dripping with oil) This place is trying too hard to have a super hip/modern interior, that comes off a bit tacky in my opinion. If they only focused all of their decorating energy into perfecting the dishes this might be a decent spot. I was torn between 2 stars and 3, but the server was sweet, so here you go.
(3)Steven E.
Excellent service, better food. High quality cocktails. Great atmosphere and decor. I will be going back for sure.
(5)Hedy D.
Decided to eat at Sabore on a spur-of-the-moment decision last night. Growing up outside D.C. kind of imprinted in my brain that any good restaurant either had a strict dress code or didn't allow children. I forget that Florida equals casual dining at almost all levels of dining. Sabore was more casual that I expected and was very welcoming of our (well-behaved) child dining with us. Sabore= Delicious! The Fish Tacos were amazing! The seared-tuna is to die for! My hubby is European and I swear they have the pickiest pallettes. He is still raving about the food the next day. What a nice change from "it was o----kay...!". The service was quick and responsive. Our waiter had a dynamic personality and made us feel like we were important diners. I can't believe I waited so long to dine at Sabore. We ate outside so the ambiance was great with music playing in the background from the pavillion stage. Beyond reasonable price. I hate to say "cheap" but it cost about the same as a casual Mexican restaurant we dined at last week. We didn't skimp on anything and our bill was still so inexpensive! Can't wait to return. Do they offer take-out? Town of Tioga is a success and Sabore is one reason why!!!
(5)Daniel S.
A long overdue place in Gainesville. Me and my wife have veen waiting for a nice place to open on the West Side of town that is close to home, great food, and great atmosphere. The food is excelent, the location is perfect, decoration is awesome, service is great (I also saw the owners walking around and actually helping get stuff done). You can always tell when a place like this functions well because you notice they care. There is a real chef involved in the whole thing. I heard the brought him from South Florida Try the empanadas, goat cheese crocketes, pork loin, the churrasco, and the queso de cabra, and others. Wine selection is very good and varied. You won't regret it I promise.
(4)Diana O.
Tonight we were celebrating a friends birthday and decided to order in. I chose Sabore' from a local delivery service. I ordered house salads, berenjena croquettes, vieiras bites, fiocchi, chicken sous vide and a brownie for dessert. Well the salad was almost entirely greens it had some shredded beets on top 1 cherry tomato cut in half, 3 cucumbers, nearly nonexistent sprinkle of almonds roughly five pieces (not toasted as described), 2 bleu cheese crumbles and four large slices of bacon. For 8 dollars I expected more than greens with sparse toppings. Next we tried the appetizers, the sauce for the scallops was a kimchi yogurt dip which I enjoyed too bad the scallops were too greasy to be edible. The Berenjena croquettes had a luke warm semi sweet yet flavorless center that honestly reminded me of baby food. They come with a dipping sauce that simply looked like freshly pureed plain tomatoes. It was void of any seasoning. The croquttes were also ridiculously greasy. The entrée chicken sous vide was the second worst chicken I have ever been served at a restaurant, the first sent me to the hospital with food poisoning. This was cooked well at least in fact it was so well cooked it was dry, bland, and completely miserable. I would expect better chicken from a prison. The breading had no flavor at all and one bite left you chewing and chewing with need to sip water just to swallow it as it robbed my mouth of any available moisture like a sponge. We tried to dip it in the au jus sauce in effort to make it edible. It was not. Even our cat rejected it. The vanilla mashed potatoes were odd and I didn't enjoy this pairing. This entrée was $16 and a complete waste of money. The Fiocchi was overwhelmed by a very heavy cheese sauce and there was a ton of bleu cheese in it to the point it overpowered the pasta. (I wish some of this cheese had been allocated to our salads!) The actual pasta with a pear filling were just average. Too rich of a sauce to eat more than one. Lastly was the desert a warm homemade "bacon" brownie with vanilla ice cream. I opened the box to find a very beautifully presented brownie with fresh berries and a mint leaf. Similar to my salad there were four slices of bacon on it also. I am so over bacon and bleu cheese after tonight I don't care if I ever see it again! This food was all too heavy loaded with grease, heavy cheeses and bacon. I think someone wants to be unique and a master chef but have failed miserably. The key to unique flavors is to include seasoning and flavor. Bland, greasy and overpriced. I would never eat from here again.
(1)Lourdes C.
I suppose the secret to this restaurant is to know what to order.....my daughter's rib were delicious but do not order paella, tasteless, not to mention they forgot the main ingredient, saffron....the apps, pork belly, empanadas and crab cakes were unimpressive.....the service, on the other hand, was excellent!!!!!
(3)Emilia B.
We liked it so much that we came back, and wisely ordered 3 items this time (not 4): Healthy Caesar - beautifully put together (will post picture soon), with wheat croutons, a yummy dressing, a toasted patty of Parmesan, and a little bit of anchovy on the side (for the adventurous). Corvina with banana, topped with coconut sauce - a type of white fish, this dish as a whole was both sweet and salty, but in a perfectly balanced way. My favorite dish of the night. Spanish tortilla - a type of omelet with potato and aioli, topped with prosciutto. This was filling and simple. Our waiter, Kelly, was an awesome, professional, helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable guy.
(5)Whitney F.
I honestly don't think this place was that great. The environment and decor are a nice change from the average Gainesville restaurant being that its modern and upbeat. However, the food really wasn't appetizing at all. Service was excellent. We went for Valentine's Day for the first time because we thought it'd be special to drive out to Tioga Town Center and try the menu that looked pretty good. We ordered the kobe beef sliders which were pretty good with a yummy sauce. The entrees were not good at all. We ordered some seafood pasta and some fish dish (maybe mahi, don't remember). The pasta had a sauce that was just really bland and not very good. The fish was kind of tasteless as well. There was some type of scalloped potatoes that came with it, so I ate the fish with it to give it some taste. I still couldn't finish it because the potatoes were really heavy. Sangria and mojito was good and the tiramisu was delicious. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the drinks, dessert, and appetizer, but the meals were not enjoyable which probably ruined our experience. For spending $100, I definitely don't think it was worth it. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but I doubt I'd go back.
(3)Johnny L.
Sabore is the perfect place for a date or a business lunch. All I knew about Sabore was that it was "world-fusion", which basically meant they could cook up whatever the f*** they wanted. It was fantastic food though! The place was spectacular looking. The inside was real nice and they even have these cool tiles that follow you when you walk. Even the bathrooms were legit (coolest sink in a public restroom I've ever seen) The service was great. Our server (Matt) was real helpful with the menu and was very prompt and not bothersome at all. When I ordered my food, I asked for normal fries instead of sweet potatoes (substitution). He forgot, but when he remembered, he refused to let me leave without me getting those order of fries. (Awesome!) Matt, if you read Yelp reviews,...great job buddy. The menu wasn't too large for lunch. They have salads, soups, sandwiches, burgers, entrees. The entrees were kind of pricey (above $15 range). I ordered the Kobe Beef Burger ($9) which came with sweet potatoes. My friend ordered the grilled chicken sandwich with fries. Also got her a Guava Sangria. For dessert, we ordered the mango cheesecake. The Kobe Beef Burger was great. It was a little salty, but definitely not unbearable. The burger itself (medium) was real juicy, and cooked wonderfully. They had sweet onions and sweet pickles on them, which were great. No ketchup or other condiments necessary. The grilled chicken sandwich looked good, never tried it though. The sweet potatoes werent fries, they were diced sweet potatoes and they were good. The Sangria was great. Real fruity drink so its good for all the ladies out there. The mango cheesecake was great. The bottom had a weird texture cause of the granola, but it was great nonetheless. Definitely worth repeat visits. The food was great and the prices were reasonable. Great ambience and its supposedly run by a well-renowned chef from Miami.
(5)Elizabeth H.
Really cool atmosphere. I loved the decor. However, the first time I went I wasn't sure if the brown chairs at the front were stable enough to sit on so I just stood there awkwardly as the wait staff stared. (FYI: they are stable, just don't wear a skirt that will make you blush if you sit that low to the floor) The sushi was pretty good. My favorite was the Mango one. I've never had a fruit-inspired sushi roll before. The filet mignon special was really good and the gnocchi was very tasty. I really liked the sauce on that. They are a bit lacking in the dessert arena, which of course, is what I believe to be the most important part of any restaurant. The mango cheesecake was eh and the apple tart was too much of a pastry. They should change it to be more of a cobbler type so you can actually taste the apple. Overall, it was yummy and I know I will be going back there.
(4)Thomas B.
Made my first trip to Sabore with friends on Saturday night. Had a great time. The Food: Unbelievable! Everything we ordered was delicious and presented in a visually stunning way. The Tapas style menu is great for sharing. The Atmosphere: Dark and Hip, but comfortable with loud energetic music playing. Entertainment: There was a gorgeous Samba dancer that came out several times during the evening and danced all throughout the dining room. She was dressed in a beautiful Brazilian carnivale costume, was a great dancer and even tempted a few of the customers to dance with her! A++ for the dancer, would love to come back and see that again -- if I only knew what the schedule was...?? Pricing: Expensive! Most items are priced between $7 and $13. However, the menu is Tapas Style. Tapas = Small portions (really, really small) that are encouraged for sharing. To get an actual meal and not leave hungry each person would need at least 2-3 dishes from the menu.
(5)Jim M.
Sabore has become one of our favorite restaurants. Overall, the service is excellent, attentive but not intrusive. The food is excellent with a very large list of choices. Favorites: Lobster Bisque. Previously was good, now is outstanding. Starts with pieces of lobster in the bowl - and the bisque is poured over it. Taste is amazing. Beef empanadas. Fried to perfection. Taste is marvelous. 4 to a serving. Definitely worth a try! Beef short ribs: served over noodles, the meat is extremely tender and flavorful. Gravy is delicious and complements the pasta very well. One of my wife's favorites. Grouper (or Mahi) Carbonara. The carbonara is excellent. Fish is always fresh and flavorful. My favorite. The Bar. Well stocked - especially with high end liquor. Wine list is excellent. The staff - Billy, Evan and Heather are very well trained and serve great pours. Feels like home! Waly and Billy do everything possible to make sure you have a great dining experience. Sabore rates two or three visits from us each week and a very great asset to Tioga. Our highest recommendation to a marvelous restaurant
(5)Amandine R.
Took my parents here for lunch one day and although the decoration is like nothing I've ever seen before, the food is only a bit above average. We had the yucca and "African" hummus for starters, both of which I could buy at Publix. The "fried yucca" was merely chips (which they did not indicate on the menu) and although the presentation of the hummus was unique, there wasn't anything "African" about it. I had the tuna melt, which isn't hard to mess up, and the bottom of the bread was burnt. My mom had the salmon and said it was very salty. My dad, who is a tough crowd, genuinely like his grouper. For desert. We had the apple pie tart a la mode which was also burnt on the bottom. All in all they have the right idea but are lacking quality ingredients in the kitchen.
(3)Tiffany D.
We've been to Sabore twice now. Once with a large group of friends and once with my parents (in from out of town). Both dining experiences revealed excellent food. We tried a large variety of items from the menu and everything was really delicious. We ordered entirely too much food the first time based on other's comments so I will recommend 3, no more than 4 dishes per couple. The pasta/steak/fish dishes are enough for one person really. The appetizers/dips are good to share. Service was spotty on our first trip which was only their second weekend open. The second time though more than made up for the first time in terms of service. We will definitely be back!
(5)Kevin W.
My boyfriend and I have been to Sabore twice now and have been very happy each time. First of all the decor is beautiful. It's full of color and modern design. I couldn't help allowing my eyes to wander the entire restaurant in awe of the significant attention to detail. Very well done. Second, the service each time has been impeccable. From the host to the server to the manager, the service has felt professional and welcoming. Finally, the food. In two experiences my boyfriend and I have had most of the menu. The tuna tostarone (spelling) and the duck are particularly good as well as the goat cheese. Great restaurant I highly recommend.
(5)Kelsey F.
I recently went to Sabore for drinks and appetizers with a few friends, and I will definitely be going back! Their shareable tapas style menu is great and I highly recommend the crab cakes and tuna tostone.
(5)Kelly G.
We have a fantastic time every time we come. The service is always with a smile and a joke. The food is always delectable. We had my birthday party there this year back in March. We ended up spilling out from the entire bar section to some of the tables, then slowly decreased to just a few tables at the bar. The staff was able to accommodate the ever changing party and keep everyone happy with food and drinks in abundance. Most recently a few friends and I had dinner at Sabore. We were sad to hear there was no paella that night and we missed the creme brulee special from our previous visit, but the curry mahi was perfect. Not too spicy, not too bland. Not too much salt. Marvelous.
(5)Wayne M.
Nearly perfectly cooked octopus, flounder, Kobe sliders, duck and scallops are very encouraging. Recent new ownership and menu seems to be focused on providing haut cuisine in Tioga!
(5)Chris T.
Hmm... Sabore has kind of an open, modern take on ambience and decor but nothing too out of the ordinary. Menu is mediocre in number of tapas to order but has variety and even a sushi portion. I'd say the service is pretty good. They seem to staff a lot of workers so there is no shortage of help or assistance if needed. For instance, someone will be waiting to refill your glass of water pretty consistently. Food-wise though, unfortunately, I really feel their flavors aren't there. Almost all the dishes I've had here get a gold star for plating and presentation but they never seem to satisfy in the taste department. It is OK, for sure - but nothing special jumps out in my honest opinion - that extra little "umph" that makes you say, "oh, wow, this is delicious/new" is not there. So, maybe a little bland I suppose - that is, save their almond dusted fried calamari with sweet chili sauce drizzle special appetizer. For the price and taste, I would recommend eating some where else to be honest...unless you don't really care too much about the flavors of your food then I guess it is a fine establishment to just sit and share food.
(2)Downtown G.
I have eaten at Sabore twice. Both times, our servers were slow and kind of insolent. That doesn't bother me, if the food is good. Unfortunately, it was hit and miss on each visit. Mushroom Risotto: Delicious! Churrasco w/ Chimmichurri: Delicious! Asparagus Risotto: Bland and annoying. Annoying, because it was bland and pricey for the portion size. Pork Loin w/ Mojito: First visit it was good. Second visit, it was dry and tasted funny. Ceviche: Nasty! According to the person who ordered it. Crab Cakes: Dry and not very crabby. Said the rest of my dining companions. Grouper: Good. Lobster Bisque: Okay. The person who ordered it, said it needed more seasoning. On the second visit, our server was particulary annoying. Besides being slow and insolent, he kept forcing himself to say my daughter was "adorable". My daughter isn't adorable. She is an ugly, vicious bit of goods. It was just very strange. Maybe he was trying to boost her self-esteem? The decor is kind of off-putting to me. I don't know why, it just is... Wait! it is probably, because I hate red. I won't go back. I simply didn't enjoy myself there.
(2)Paul D.
A one of a kind restaurant in Gainesville with very unique decor, attentive waiters, and a very ambitious menu (with hit or miss food). Unfortunately, the place is trying way too hard to be hip with a focus on appearance with very elongated silverware, very tiny dining plates, and very inappropriate 80's music. All this would not be much concern if the quality of the food was really excellent. It is not. There are probably 50 items on the menu (all reasonably priced), many exotic, but of the 7 we chose, the majority were not that great. I wish they would cut down the menu to 12 items that they do very well. I really enjoyed our waiter Kelly and most of the dishes we ordered were good (not great). Among the best were the duck breast and the mushroom risotto. Good was the salmon, the churasco and the Spanish tortilla. The bonito tasted like a burnt fish stick, and the ahi tuna ceviche was over marinated with way too many flavors. The very long silverware and the tiny little plates made eating difficult and the loud 80's music became distracting after 20 minutes. Sabore has great potential if they can get the food right.
(3)Daisy T.
EXTREMELY disappointing service and I will never come back until they train their wait staff better! I love to eat and do not mind spending money for the quality and dinning experience - however the service was horrible. The reasons for my bad review are: 1) My date's appetizer arrived but mine didn't until after my entree arrived. The waitress didn't even noticed this until we were finishing his appetizer. 2) The waitress was not attentive to our needs. If she was, she would have noticed the issue about my appetizer. 3) They were inconsistent with their information. We came for restaurant week ($30 for an appetizer, entree, dessert, and a drink -http://gainesvillerestaurantweek.com/wp-content/Âuploads/2012/07/sabore-menu.pdf). When we got there, their menu excluded the drink, so we asked our waitress and she said it did come with the special. However, our bill was charged for the drinks and she lied to us when we corrected her. She made it sound like they were doing us a favor for taking the charge off. Pro: The manager did offer a complimentary drink for the lateness. The food was good. Bottom line - Don't come here because of the incompetent and insincere wait staff. They made us feel like they were doing us a favor for correcting THEIR mistakes.
(1)Matt J.
Ambience is 5-Star, food selection and flavor is 4-Star, and the service is 3-Star. Perfect place to go for date or party! They have a extensive selection of tapas that are very flavorful and are well portioned. Very South Florida vibe going on, and the perfect getaway from campus life!
(4)Terry H.
It was our first time visiting Sabore on a recommendation from two friends. We all started off with Lobster Bisque and found it a little better than average. The alcohol (brandy?) was a bit too overwhelming in the taste for me, but my wife and in-law enjoyed it just fine. We ordered three starters, Carpaccio, mussels, and the tuna tostone. We waited a while before the came out and was surprised that it was taking so long, but my wife and in-law are European, so it was okay for us. When our items arrived, all looking delicious, we decided to order the rest of our meal, since the wait was long. I ordered the duck - one big reason I decided to go there. Then was told that they sold out of duck the night before. So, sadly, decided to order more "shareables." We ordered chorizo, bacon wrapped dates, and crab cakes. Then, we began to eat our first round. The carpaccio was very delicious. It was my favorite of the three. It's actually both tuna and beef and had a nice lemon and oil topping. The mussels were tasty, although we did have a shell not opened, which is not a good sign. The tuna tostone was just okay for me, but my wife enjoyed it. While we were finishing up, the waitress came to notify us that they were out of Chorizo. Out of two items on the menu on an early Sunday dinner (5:30PM). Argh. We ordered the beef empanadas to replace the chorizo. Round two came out extremely fast. We were shocked that one set would take so long and the other so quickly. I just loved the dates wrapped in bacon. Great combination of flavors in the mouth. The empanadas were less than okay for me (I've had students make better empanadas at my middle school) and do not recommend them. The crab cakes were my wife's favorite of the night. Since it was my birthday, we skipped out on dessert and headed home for bday cake. Overall, I would say it's an okay restaurant but will probably not return any time soon.
(3)Maria Christina V.
Went here for Sunday brunch after I got one of those Livingsocial coupons. The place is decorated in a way that gives off a fun vibe. I ordered the "Sabre eggs Benedict" that were made as crab cakes. The food is really really good and we got a Guava sangria that is probably the best Sangria Ive had in my life! (I thought Emilianos had good Sangria but Sabore's takes the cake). The place wasnt packed like most breakfast places are in Gainesville (i.e.: Flying biscuit) and we didnt have to wait very long for our food. The service was amazing! I loved our server! And what I appreciated the most was that they let us have a leisurely meal so we could chat and have a good time. I would definitely go here again and recommend it to friends. Im not giving it 5 stars because its a bit pricey, but this is definitely a place I would take my parents if they came into town.
(4)Warren M.
Sabore is a great place to go for a nice night out, though it's a little trek for people who live in town. I have been three times now, and each experience has been great. When we originally went, Sabore was still Tapas style and it cost me a pretty penny to get out of there after a filling meal and drinks for my girlfriend and I. I also thought the menu was just too overwhelming, so I was pleased to see an update. Since we have been back, the menu was downsized, though everything that was on it still looked appetizing. The portions are not the greatest, but presentation and service are excellent, and the food is always good. Drinks at Sabore are to die for. Everything I've gotten from Mojitos to Dirty Martinis have been fantastic. My girlfriend raves about their Sangria and though I'm not a Sangria guy, I must admit it's pretty darn good at Sabore. Give it a shot and you won't be disappointed.
(4)Elizabeth L.
Stunningly beautiful, the design is eye candy. The staff is great and very attentive. The hardest part is choosing what to get off the menu. My friend and I shared several things, and that worked out perfect!
(5)Mitchell M.
This is the best restaurant in Gainesville. Great food and great service. Ask for Susie and you will be well taken care of. Great bar, great ambiance, and great food. The decor is South Beach at it's finest. You will not be disappointed. Favorite dishes are the Tuna Tartar, Rack of Lamb, Veal Tortellini or any item with a red circle next to it. The are now also open for lunch with a great menu as well.
(5)Joe H.
This is a great place to eat. Dinner is the Tapas menu. Prices are reasonable, the food is excellent and the service is great. It is a very hip place with a nice modern atmosphere. If you are wanting to avoid the college scene this is a great place to be which is nice to find in Gainesville. Be sure to check them out for lunch also. I highly recommend giving Sabore a try!
(5)Rod K.
I haven't sat down for a proper meal at Sabore yet, however I've frequented the bar and tasted an appetizer or two and haven't been disappointed. The atmosphere is casual, but not too casual. The Bartenders are always attentive in an appropriate manner and there isn't a place in town that you can get Swamphead Stumpknocker Ale for $2.00 a glass (during happy hour). That alone will keep me coming back.
(4)Carol C.
Dont waste your time or money...not worth it....NOT at all like Mi Apa...Jetsons on LSD...did fix up the old place but will never make it in Gainesville. 3 of us ordered 10 different things..EXPENSIVE...wasn't at all impressed...They try to be so high end and strange when they brought the sugar etc. to the table in shitty advertised Fla Food Service packets it was like when Christopher Reeves saw that coin in his pocket from "Somewhere In Time"....come on...can't you get the high end sugar packets...SAVE your money!! Once was once to much for this gal....there are to many better options in Gainesville in this economy...and if it was good I would have NO problem with driving to Town of Tioga for this place, I go to Ocala for Indian all the time....
(1)Laura B.
Had dinner at Sabore last night (a Friday). Started with two of the fun "martinis" that were on happy hour special - both the mango and the pear ones were really delicious and not ridiculously sweet. We then shared a bowl of the sweet potato soup which had a nice flavor and was very rich, but really could have used a garnish of some kind. For dinner I had the scallop risotto with asparagus - loved it - creamy and rich - large portion with two perfectly cooked large scallops on top. My husband had salmon with a strawberry glaze that came on top of brown rice rectangle with avocado on it. The salmon was a bit crispy on the sides and the dish was beautifully presented. For dessert we had a piece of tres leches cake which was also pretty with a large mint leaf and cherry on it. Thought it was one of the best renditions of tres leches we have had in FL. Attentive service. Will definitely be going back and we look forward to trying some of their other dishes.
(4)Susan W.
My husband and I have gone to Sabore three or four times now and always had a wonderful time. The decor is really great--could be in Manhatten! The food when they first opened needed a bit of work on the taste and cooking (over or under done on several items) but they have worked out all those issues and everything is now just outstanding!! The presentation is just fantastic. Last night we went with the kids and friends and every item were ordered we loved. (dates with bacon--who knew?). The only bummer is the awkwardly balanced tableware--it looks nice but is not great to use.
(4)J M.
Very good, but starting to question consistency. We have visited several times and unfortunately the last 2 were somewhat disappointing with the sushi looking like a mess. Use to be super and for Gainesville is good, but recent experieinces have us looking around again,
(4)Stephanie T.
I wrote a review for Sabore on on 11/21 and 12/3, and they are no longer on Yelp. Disappointing. Here are reposts: Sabore Delicious, again! - Edit review November 29, 2010 Went to dinner at Sabore last night with friends. *Everything* continues to be excellent. Here's what we ordered. Each dish was out of sight. Hamachi Jalapeno (raw yellow tail sashimi) Jamon Serrano (sushi roll) Tuna Tartar Shrimp Croquette Risotto Porcini (mushroom) Diver Scallops Churrasco Healthy Caesar Pappardelle Short Ribs Bacon Wrapped Dates White Chocolate Marquesa The Funk (dessert) Recommend Sabore Visited over 10 times, all A++++ - Edit review November 21, 2010 I've been going to Sabore Restaurant since it opened in August 2010. Every time the service and quality of food is A+++. Lunch is top of the line. I love that you can have a different dining experience there each time you go. Know how you go to some restaurants and no matter what you order, it all tastes the same? Not so at Sabore. Great job! I can only imagine the hard work and dedication it takes to make it all happen. Thank you, Sabore!
(5)Eileen T.
This was our first visit to Sabore, and we will definitely be back. It's a lively, fun, beautifully decorated restaurant. My husband and I went on a busy Friday night. We were told we would have a 50 minute wait, which turned out to be around 30 minutes. While we were waiting, we had a glass of wine at the bar. The bar staff was very knowledgeable and helped us select a great cabernet which was served in good quality wine glasses. We declined the first table offered to us, which was wedged very closely in between two other tables, but another roomier table was immediately available. We ordered four small plates, three of which were delicious - the scallops, short ribs and asparagus risotto. We also ordered shrimp which was disappointing. Also, they were out of the dessert we ordered. The service was fantastic. Overall the experience was very enjoyable.
(4)Ileana E.
I was there the Friday after Thanksgiving with a group of 12 at my semi circle table. I loved the flexibility for seating both large and intimate groups. The decor reminded me of a mix of south beach, new york and Monte Carlo. I felt that I was going on a trip and I was out of the everyday environment, which is I suppose the purpose of the over-scale ex-centric decor. It set the mood beautifully. Since we were such a large group, we were able to sample a large portion of the menu and I was impressed with most everything I ate. The flavor combinations were inspired and original, not to mention delicious. The wine selection was also very good...I especially liked the inclusion of the Spanish Tempranillo. The Service was friendly, which is rare for an upscale restaurant, and very accommodating. We have a 16 month old at our table and they didn't even blink, but rather had a very cool and comfortable high chair available...the parents were very happy. After the party broke up a couple of us stayed and had another cocktail at the bar. I had a fabulous cocktail made with care and served beautifully. Overall a welcome surprise!
(5)Elizabeth R.
I was excited to try this place, I heard lots of good things but it just was not good at all. We ordered the sweet potato fries to start, they were bland and boring and not crispy enough. Then came the asparagus risotto which was good and nicely al dente but unfortunately was made with the fake kind of Parmesan, not parmigiano reggiano. The coconut tuna tartar was okay but not as good as it could be. The scallops with lobster sauce were awful and not fresh, almost inedible (my fiancé gagged on the last bite). The worst thing we got was the grouper, it was grainy and mealy and very very fishy, I had to send it back because I literally couldn't eat it, its shocking that a chef would send that out. I then got the Florida tomato mozzarella salad, the mozzarella was decent but the tomato was light pink and flavorless. As for the decor, its very tacky...but if the food were good I wouldn't care because hey, this is Gainesville. They probably need a few more waiters because our waiter was always very busy and I could tell he was trying hard but had too many tables to take care of. Also, this probably is only a temporary thing, but Passoa liquor had promotional people walking around with free shots, first they bombard you when you walk in the restaurant with a dumb info about their product...and then they came up to our table and wanted us to try a shot and then take our picture to put on Facebook, it was sooo lame. It's surprising that a restaurant would allow that.
(2)Angel I.
Dined here for lunch and were not immediately greeted but a hostess, but wasn't too long of a wait. VERY impressed with the modern decor (my husband even commented that it's something that you would find in New York, haha). Their red sangria was fantastic and I absolutely LOVED their piping hot curry tomato soup. For our entrees, I ordered the pumpkin tortellini and my husband ordered the tuna loin. I received four large tortellini in the sage butter. The filling in my pumpkin tortellini was great, but the pasta was bland and I wished I had salt and the table to flavor it with (and I'm usually not a salt person). The waitress did not come back to check on us to see how our entree was- only when it was time to pay the bill did she return. My husband really enjoyed his tuna loin in which he replaced the avocado with spinach. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience that only had a couple of hiccups.
(4)Michael N.
Saboré has a very funky decor - I loved the seats made out of recycled seat belts (about 1/3 of the seats in the place), the squishy, multi-colored floor that changes colors as you walk on it, and the red faux crocodile skin in the bathroom. More importantly, the food was quite good. Servings were something larger than tapas, but smaller than full blown entrees, most suitable for sharing by the table. The bacon wrapped dates were excellent, as was the pear-filled fiocchi (ravioli) with gorgonzola sauce. Lots of good tapas style seafood choices as well, including some fusion-style sushi. The service was very good as well. Being from Boston I'm not really familiar with Gainseville prices, but from our standards this was extremely reasonably priced. Well-worth checking out.
(5)Rach H.
Not a big fan. Took the server 15 minutes to greet my boyfriend and I. We ordered the beef empanadas which were actually the best part of the meal. I don't think you can mess up empanadas though. We also ordered a tuna sushi roll. They should probably stick to the basics. I did appreciate the decor they put into the restaurant. Does make you wonder if the business revenue will outweigh the remodeling costs though.
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