SARA

I recently tried the $89 tasting menu at SARA and had a great experience. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, and the servers took the time to explain each dish. My favorite was the Brussels sprouts—hands down the best I've had. The drinks were also excellent, especially the espresso martini. Overall, a fantastic meal and definitely worth a visit!

The $69 wednesday tasting menu was overall amazing and the service was wonderful! Ikura latkes (9.7/10) - incredible, well balanced and unique reminiscent of a smoked salmon bagel with a slightly sweet fried base Chopped salad (10/10) - I could eat this salad forever, just as good as RASA’s Reuben (6/10) - not my favourite, needed caramelized onion/some maple syrup or honey in the horseradish dip to balance out the saltiness Argentinian shrimp (9.8/10) - delicious, wish the portion was larger Brussel sprouts (3/10) - unfortunately all were charred, mushy, and flavourless except for the candied walnuts Green beans (8.5/10) - enjoyed the miso leeks! Whipped tofu had no taste. Profiteroles (8.8/10) - made in house, not as sweet as I expected! Would come back to try their fish which looked amazing!!

Was here last month for a celebration dinner for my partner. We did the tasting menu and were absolutely blown away. There were things I loved, things I liked and nothing I wouldn’t get again. We started with a Brazilian bread amuse bush that was a bite of wonder Tuna tartare was just a bit too tangy but was still yummy The shrimp was a delight The drinks were refreshing I could go on and on but you get the gist. We had an amazing experience, will definitely be going back!

Recently, we visited Sara, to try their $89 tasting menu and had a fantastic experience. I was amazed by the variety of dishes on offer. Sara has a lovely ambiance, and the staff are incredibly welcoming. The servers took their time explaining each dish as it arrived. They also had a great selection of cocktails. The $89 tasting menu came with four courses. The dishes that arrived in the first course were all incredibly delicious. They were incredibly light, and everything tasted so fresh. However, I felt that the scallop tempura was a bit too salty and overpowering. The wagyu reuben was a bit interesting. Usually, when I have wagyu, it melts in my mouth, so this take was different, but it was still good. For our third course, we had steak frites with Brussels sprouts. The steak was cooked perfectly to our liking, medium-rare. Overall, it was a lovely dining experience.

10/10. Stumbled across this place accidentally and everything was perfect. Most attentive kind staff (shoutout to Molly <3) and such an incredible vibe. We did the tasting menu and our tummys were so full and soo happy, will be returning!!!!

We came here to try their 7-course tasting menu on a Wednesday ($65/person). The regular tasting menu is $95/person on other nights. The staff are very friendly and responsive; we got to try some of the cocktails the bartender had been creating, before they appeared on the menu. And they were AMAZING! Our 7-course meal included Ikura Latke, Chopped Salad, Wgyu Reuben, Brussel Sprouts, Fried Chicken and Shrimp . We ended one a sweet note with Profiteroles (cream puffs with salted caramel, pecan and dulce de leche). Everything was fresh and tasted amazing.

Had the best experience at SARA. My friends and I came for my birthday dinner and sat on the main floor at the table by the window. We had such a great time, the food was immaculate, we ordered everything except 3 things on the menu and everything was insanely delicious. Benji, the GM was so sweet and made such a special effort to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. He even brought me the dessert I was thinking about (and had briefly mentioned earlier) even when we all decided we were too full for dessert. He even included a sparkler on it for us to sing happy birthday! Best service I’ve had in a very long time. Does not compare to other restaurants in the city.

I can’t say enough good things about this place. The aesthetic is something out of a style magazine. There are little elegant touches everywhere you go, from the Aesop soaps in the bathroom to the plush dream blue bar stools adorning their wonderful bar. The cocktails were mouth wateringly good, their bartenders clearly aren’t afraid to think outside the box. The food is globally inspired and beyond creative. If you haven’t tried the ikura latkas, you may be missing out on the single best bite in the city of Toronto. The real show stopper, has to be the staff. From the moment you enter this restaurant, you feel like you are at home. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable, and they curate an incredible and memorable experience. They bring the expertly prepared food to you with pride, and you can tell the secret ingredient in the kitchen is love. I will be back, I would give this place more stars if I could! Thank you everyone at Sara 🩷

We came here to try their 7-course tasting menu on a Wednesday ($65/person). The regular tasting menu is $95/person on other nights. The staff are very friendly and responsive; we got to try some of the cocktails the bartender had been creating, before they appeared on the menu. And they were AMAZING! Our 7-course meal included Ikura Latke, Chopped Salad, Wgyu Reuben, Brussel Sprouts, Fried Chicken and Shrimp . We ended one a sweet note with Profiteroles (cream puffs with salted caramel, pecan and dulce de leche). Everything was fresh and tasted amazing.

3.5/5 We had a mixed experience at Sara. Despite arriving on time for our reservation, we had to wait about fifteen minutes to be seated. We did the high table which is just the bar and it's a bit cramped back there ( I bumped into the person next to me a couple times). It took about an hour from reservation time until we got our first appetizers. However, the servers and service was stellar and everyone was kind. Onto the food. We ordered the wagyu Reuben (FANTASTIC) and salmon latkas (also good). They make the bread for the Reuben in house. For the main we had the halibut and fried chicken. Halibut was good, and the fried chicken was cooked well but not as exceptional as I'd heard. Overall we had a decent time and enjoyed what we ate.

Visited twice for their tasting menu - once the full version and once for the condensed version. Favourites were the salad and the brussel sprouts! Definitely a must try. Least favourites were their protein options... could definitely use some improvement: - fried chicken (it was just regular ole fried chicken) - the steak frites (accompanying sauces were quite plain and too thin... the fries were overdone) - wagyu reuben (underwhelming) Drinks are super strong! Service was great! Ambiance is cute however, the seats by the window are reaaaalllly cold because of the draft during the winter. (Unfortunately it's actually cold enough where you'll want to wear your winter coat!)

The decor is so unique in this restaurant. If you want a lively, picturesque yet dim atmosphere this is your place. Food highlights are definitely the latkes and wagyu reuben. They are a fan favorite and must-have. My reservation was for bar seating and our bartender was really informative about the menu. It took 15 minutes for my party to be seated even with us having a reservation.

Yum! SARA was a cool spot. Had the tasting menu on a Wednesday and all the dishes were tasty (and I believe it was discounted). I really enjoyed the appetizer and also felt like the dishes were well curated. Will be back!

We loved our dinner here last night! The second you step in, the ambiance is so gorgeous and tranquil and puts you in a great place to step away from the day to day and enjoy a great meal. The tables have a little cubby where you can put your phone away. I loved this bc it was so intentional and helps remove distractions. Now onto the food - I loved all the different dishes we tried! We had 6 dishes and were stuffed at the end of our meal. I especially recommend the ikura latkes, chopped salad, and profiteroles. The service was great! Attentive and friendly. I'd highly recommend a visit here especially for a date night!

AMBIANCE | Celebrated a friend's birthday here. Vibes are vibing indoors, it's like minimalist/Scandinavian? There are 2 separate dining floors and the washrooms are in the basement (washrooms are really nice too lol). FOOD | We ordered a bunch of foods to share, including the chopped salad, tuna tartare, barbecued lamb, eggplant, fried chicken, and blackened bass. Highlights were definitely chopped salad and blackened bass -- chopped salad has so many ingredients that complement each other really well and blackened bass was so nicely charred and the lemon juice over top was such a nice touch. SERVICE | Our server was really nice and attentive, and we were able to bring in a cake for our friend! He was able to portion off our foods and often came around to check on us. VERDICT | Don't know if it's a restaurant you make a habit of visiting, but I think it'll be nice to eat out at once in a while/for a special occasion.

Get a 6 course tasting menu + 2 glasses of wine at a Michelin recommended restaurant for $119! Normally this testing menu is $89 PER PERSON (or $65 on Wed)! Here's what I had previously but yours may vary: Amuse bouche Ikura latke Wagyu reuban Chopped salad whole branzino smoked beets banana creme profiterole The ikura latke was the best dish, I could honestly just load up on that itself! The experience was not bad but I also wasn't super impressed by it either, I did enjoy some of the appetizers though I think I expected a bit more based on the hype and price! Get this deal via TravelZoo or WagJag, you'll have to purchase the voucher first and redeem it upon your visit. Make sure you read the T&C on what's included! For example, we still had to pay tax and tip on top afterwards. You can also get the tasting menu for $65 per person on Wednesdays.

A bit of a letdown to have dined here. I expected a larger menu, and better service from this restaurant which appeared on the Michelin website. Considering I had numerous email communications with the restaurant prior to arrival and made the reservation months in advance for my wife's birthday, it was disappointing the management didn't see fit to save a nice table for us. Our server Doug was more interested in socializing with the table of 4 women seated next to us, and he only appeared twice following taking our order. Food was flavorful. But nothing exotic. As other have stated, "Nothing stood out." Drinks totaled $97 and food was $122.

Wanted to try this restaurant for a while and finally got the chance to. Made a reservation online for a Saturday night. We were running a bit late due to traffic and called the restaurant to let them know. No one answered the phone but they called back and delayed our reservation by about 15 minutes. Service was friendly and they explained how the menu worked as they are good sharing plates and need to get between 6-8 plates for 4 people. That way we get to try many different dishes. Food taste was overall decent with some better than others. Service was friendly and efficient but given the prices were like dining in a finer dining establishment, the service didn't quite meet up with that expectation. They didn't change utensils or plates between dishes so the sauces and flavours of each dish mixed together which was not ideal.

Heard great things about SARA, so I was excited when I got reservations for a Thursday after work. Ordered about 5 dishes to split between 3 people. The menu seems very global which is great. The service and ambience is top notch. They definitely have all the elements of a great dining experience. I wasn't overly impressed with the food though, may have just need what I ordered. The latkes were good, but the total was a bit pricey. Loved the interior though!

Came here for my birthday Such a cute place and we got the back booth to ourselves! Staff were so nice and food was great! I was expecting small portions but they were just right for two people. I had a great time here and I would love to come back!

Back again this time with some work friends who were blown away by how good it was. Lots of food from the tasting menu and the service was great as usual. Went to the washroom for the first time and it was cool to see the Japanese style smart toilets there. Standouts for me were ikura roe appetizer, the chopped salad, the sea bass and the steak frites. The salmon crudo was a miss however.

This place is a super cute cozy interior. The service was lovely. The food was even better! There wasn't a single dish I didn't like. All of it was tasty and unique. The bathrooms are also worth a note. The toilets open all by themselves for you. Heated toilet seat etc. Would love to come back here to try a few more dishes and re-order ones we've already tasted.

Overpriced and not worth it. Good service and good cocktails. Tasting menu is overpriced and took way to long between servings. A lot of dishes had either sour cream or cream cheese which seemed a bit overpowering. Presentation was good in general. The wagyu beef sandwich made me ask why use wagyu when you can't even tell it's wagyu? Chopped salad as part of a tasting menu? Steak came out cold which was very disappointing. Don't think I can recommend this place.

Love the space and ambiance but missing the wow factor. Came on a Thursday and sat upstairs by the windows. Sara is beautifully decorated, cozy and comfortable while feeling high-end. I have mixed feelings towards this restaurant as I did have a good time with great service but the food just felt okay to me. We decided to order everything a La carte and comparing with the portions of the tastings, i think we made the right decision. I appreciated that the restaurant was able to accommodate my dairy free, pescatarian diet and the servers were very knowledgable and patient in explaining menu items. Everything is meant for sharing in tapas styles. The flavour while not bad, just did not wow me with the high price tag. Unfortunately, no single dish stood out to me.

I couldn't have asked for more on this night I tried Sara. Its easily one of my favourite restaurants ever now 100% well deserved the michelin star! Espresso Martini Amuse Bouche Ikura Latkes Ahi Tuna Tartare Fried Chicken (half portion) Octopus (half portion) NY Striploin Banana Cream Profiteroles Everything was outstanding! I could go into detail about each dish but the overall comments would be amazingly delicious for all dishes. I can't remember the last time I loved every single dish at a restaurant so much! The service was amazing as well, I'm so sad I forgot our servers name but she was very knowledgeable about all items and provided great suggestions when we asked specific questions. I can't wait to come back and try more dishes!!

One of my favourite restaurants in Toronto! I went on Tuesday and got the half off pre set menu! The food was amazing! The salad, the Brussel sprouts, the fried chicken, amazing! Even the bathroom was an experience with the heated toilets!

Came here for dinner with my boyfriend. Loved the minimalist interior and decor. We ordered 2 apps to start: chopped salad and tuna tartare. As well as 2 mains to share: eggplants and octopus. Here are my thoughts on the dishes: Chopped salad: this was one of their signature dishes. The wasabi peas and nuts added great texture and flavours. The sauces complimented the salad well. Tuna Tartare: this was one of the highlights of the meal. The tuna was super fresh and the truffles was a great addition to the taste. Eggplants: really loved the light crispy exterior and the soft eggplants. The flavour was great but I would have preferred it less sweet. Octopus: the octopus was steam and grilled for a soft interior and slightly charred exterior. I really enjoyed the chickpea sauce on the side. Overall a great experience!

SARA has a sophisticated, minimal interior. I came here with three girlfriends on a Friday evening. The waiter recommended ~8 dishes for four people, but six ended up being a good amount for us: 1) Ikura Latke 2) Wagyu Reuben 3) Ahi Tuna Tartare 4) Bay Scallop Ceviche 5) Jerusalum Artichoke 6) Fried Chicken My favourites were the latkes and ceviche, but everything tasted pretty fantastic. I liked that the food honoured different corners of the world, but didn't feel disjointed. Would be interested to try their tasting menu next time!

My dining experience at Sara fell short of the amazing experience I had at its sister restaurant, Rasa. While most dishes were decent, there was a lack of wow factor, and their supposedly signature chopped salad was a big let down - overpowered by some sort of anise-ish flavour and not nearly as congruent as the one I had at Rasa. A borderline 3.5 stars.

Tried the tasting menu and everything was excellent. Service is also too notch. Great vibe in the restaurant.

Came here for date night on a Wednesday (their tasting menu is at a discounted price of $65). The environment is so cute and modern all while being in a little house. The courses were great but small, left feeling satisfied but definitely not full. Favorite courses were the Rueben, zucchini fish sticks and dessert which was the banana profiteroles. The drinks were also very refreshing and not too sweet.

Cute spot located in the entertainment district. Our server was attentive and gave us recommendations. It's quite pricey for what it is. One of us is pescatarian so we opted out of the tasting menu and did a la carte instead. My favourite was the tuna tartare.

I've been wanting to try this and when it featured on the Michelin guide I got even more excited! The apps were great (tuna tartare, ikura latkes, shrimp ceviche). Unique interpretations but lacking extreme attention to detail since one of my latkes were burnt - it still tasted good though. The mains were a bit more disappointing. For the price (and now reputation) I'd expect more. The octopus was a bit overcooked. The steak was good but nothing crazy. Service was also sub-par or average at best. For example, we asked the server for his recommendation and he seemed annoyed about it, saying the options we selected are all so different and didn't offer any explanations. Overall a good experience though and would come back!

Highly recommend trying out SARA if there is any hesitation whatsoever. All the dishes are reasonably priced and generous. I came here on a weekday evening with my partner. Reservations were easy as we booked weeks in advance. We originally planned on ordering the chef's menu but decided to order a la carte as we weren't feeling too hungry. We ordered: - Ahi Tuna Tartare ($26) - holy truffle, every bite was an explosion - Bay Scallop Ceviche ($22) - Despite having a salad of parsley on top of the ceviche, the flavour was not overly tart but sweet - NY Striploin ($65) - as expected - Octopus ($48) - the octopus seasoning has more of a curry flavour - Banana Cream Profiteroles ($13) - if you enjoy banana milk, this is the desert for you Our favourites are: Ahi Tuna Tartare and Octopus SARA's interior design is minimalistic and notable - however on the upper level, it was quite hard to hear my partner. Other than that the service was amazing - our server was extremely attentive and accommodating with checking allergies.

My Vegas based friend recommended @michaelminalv for their favourite tasting menu, sadly the only time we could squeeze in a meal was before we had a rave to attend so we just came for their a la carte options. We had: Charcoal-Grilled Hot Shellfish: This included oysters, prawns, lobster, and abalone. I felt like the yuzu butter nicely complemented the seafood, and its more unique than regular seafood platters. They also have the same seafood options but served raw which was nice Ahi Tuna Tartare: Okay this was actually one of the best tuna tartares I ever had. With sushi grade ahi tuna, toasted pine nuts for crunch, asian pear for some sweetness and habanero infused sesame oil for a fragrant kick, as well as mint to add freshness. This was surprisingly really good, and mixed table-side to boot Michael's Lobster Pot Pie: I was really looking forward to this but I was underwhelmed with the final result. The menu stated it consisted of "brandied lobster cream, black truffle and baby vegetables". What was unique about the dish was that it was (again) served table side, however deconstructing the pie just left a thin later of pie crust and a few chunks of lobster and sauce and didn't really feel like a pot pie. The service was great. Our waiter was very attentive and personable, the server assistants were warm and kind thoughtfully described each dish. I wish we were able to try more of their dishes so next time we come to Vegas I'll definitely try their tasting menu.

Tasting menu gives a pretty comprehensive walk through the whole à la carte menu. Highlights definitely included the wagyu reuben sandwich, scallop ceviche, and steak. One star off for getting COVID from this meal... just kidding, I won't give them a knock for that (I assume it was out of their control). This meal gets a 4/5 stars because it was good, but not mind-blowing / life-changing or otherwise super memorable. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat at Sara, but it was a solid choice for a good meal. Would probably just go à la carte next time too. Also, my group found some of the ambiance choices a bit gimmicky: namely the boxes built into the tables to store our phones. Thankfully, this policy wasn't strictly enforced!

Such a lovely experience. Rasa's attractive sister. Really interesting menu with a lot of fusion items and some really wonderful Asian flavours. We went on a Monday for their set menu and drink specials. Such a GREAT price for all the food you get. 7$ for wine, beer or rail. And we had 10 courses I think. It is a beautiful venue (VERY different look from Rasa). Clean, white, open, wood. Upstairs has these lovely high ceilings and downstairs have this curved stucco wall that made me think of a wine bar. Fun fact: They have those fancy heated toilet seats with the cleaning and drying and everything. First time for everything haha Our server was a lovely gentleman who knew a lot about their menu and was able to lead up to what we wanted to drink very easily. He was attentive without being around all the time. Very friendly and very excited about their menu and want to surprise us with each course. Such a fun way to do it! It's really hard to pick a favourite item. They were all so lovely. We found you got 2-5 bites per dish, which was a perfect way to try a variety of items without feeling like a blimp after. Their fish dishes were some of my favourites for sure but the beef was wonderful with a peanut crumble on it (really creative I never would have thought to put those things together). Highly suggest going on a Monday to get the full experience of what the chef can make. It was a perfect dining night for me and I'll be going back soon for sure!

Great service, great food, great atmosphere. If you're looking for a date night or a small gathering , here the place! They have a wide variety of tapa style fusion cuisine. I was recommended to have 4 dishes per person.

Super unique and delicious dinner at Sara. We ordered most of their menu and everything was delicious. Service was great and restaurant was clean and neat. Loved the vibes.

Super aesthetic and tasting menu is super worth it. At basically 100$ a person, you are getting soooo many dishes. We were getting so full but just wanted to keep trying more. No standout dishes because there were so many that were good! Ceviche dishes with scallops were great. Very memorable experience. Service was good

Sara is a knife twister and back stabber. 5/5 would do it again

Amazing restaurant with great food and vibes. Star dishes were the latkes, tuna tartare and artichokes!

SARA is located near Portland and King St. W. on Portland. The owners converted an old Victorian house into a restaurant that is trendy, sleek, and serene with wood and white surfaces. The concept of the restaurant is to disconnect with the world while connecting with the food and with each other. In the middle of each table there is a little compartment for you to store your phones. Encouraged, but ultimately, your choice. The menu is designed to be shared with your party and many items have an Asian inspired flare to them. My friend and I dined at SARA on a Thursday night and were pleasantly surprised at the food and service. When we left later in the evening the restaurant was completely packed to our surprise. Service was attentive and friendly and the waiters/waitresses were able to answer any questions we had re: the food and the menu. We both first started with cocktails. I liked the fact that you could choose which liquor to go with your cocktail which was great. I had the Haru with gin. Good, drinkable cocktail. Bonus that they used reusable straws! For the food, we were told that between two people, 8 dishes (not including dessert) would be enough if you were super hungry. My friend and I opted to share 5 dishes and 2 desserts. We got 3 small plates and 2 mains to share. For the small plates, we shared the hamachi bites (with jalapeno and cucumber on a chicharron chip). This dish was a great light dish to start our meal. The dish came with 4 "chips" with hamachi. Delicate and light in flavour. We also shared the wagyu reuben (with gruyere, truffle mustard, and sauerkaut); definitely something different when a reuben comes into mind. The bread was toasted and cripsy and the wagyu was tender. Mustard gave it a great nice finishing touch. Not our favourite dish of the night but still good. We also tried the snap pea slaw (asian pear, umeboshi, and shio kombu) as recommended by our waiter.This was definitely one of the highlights of the meal. The unique flavours of the slaw caught our attention and we both agreed that this slaw is a must get for anyone who comes here. Highly recommend the snap pea slaw! For our mains, we had the momo yakitori (with cherry umeboshi, mocha, sumac honey) and black cod (bagna cauda, hakurei turnip, mostarda). Again, both had great flavour profiles and were delicious. Highly recommended these two mains as well. For dessert, we shared the PB&J (frozen strawberry, peanut) as well as the party sandwich (chocolate, tahini, miso). The PB&J was definitely a fun dessert, the staff brought over a feeding spoon where you could feed each other (similar to Lady and the Tramp). We didn't feed each other but we definitely both liked the way this dessert was made. Very unique and delicious yet refreshing at the same time. Lastly, the party sandwich was rich and decadent, good ending to the meal. Overall, good food and service. There were definitely some highlight dishes! Price wise, the bill can add up quickly, so SARA is one of those places to treat yourself if you're looking for some good unique food and service.

My girlfriend and I came from NYC and joined two friends fir an extended weekend in Toronto, and a Canadian co-worker of mine gave this place high marks. They were 110% correct. We took the full tasting menu experience and were taken on a true culinary journey. It only helped that our server was so into our experience as visitors. Worth every penny.

Recently went here for my partner's birthday dinner and he loved it so much that he can't stop talking about how incredible SARA is to everyone we know :) Key dishes we loved were the Ahi Tuna Tartare with generous truffle and the Octopus main. Most of our dishes were quite reasonable portions (my personal concern when it comes to more upscale dining haha) but the octopus came almost whole. I would personally skip the Ikura Latke and Wagyu Reuben as they were quite small and underwhelming for us. In my reso - asked if they could write a hbd message on the dessert for my partner and they were able to do it on a piece of delicious cake along with a surprise sparkler, which made our evening so memorable overall.

Part of a longer review... "Like something gracing the cover of Lucky Peach, the Hamachi bites came next. I admired the intricacy of the four pieces that were arranged symmetrically on the circular plate. Luscious pieces of Hamachi mixed with cucumber sat on top of a chicharrón cracker and were artfully finished with a slice of jalapeño and some microgreens. Sara's chicharrones -- although pieces of carnivorous glory -- tasted as if the air got to them. They were un peu stale and didn't have the crunch factor I'd anticipated. Sara's "French fries" were a whimsical take on the classic fry and were summed up in one magiquebite. The two fried logs were made of grated russet potatoes and fatty schmaltz before being submerged in the deep fryer. Then, they were topped with kimchi, Kewpie mayo and bonito flakes."

We were visiting Toronto and found this really good restaurant. We tried the tasting menu and it was excellent. Try it. The service was excellent. We will come back on our next trip to Toronto.

An incredible dinner at Sara recently. If you haven't heard of this place, or haven't been to it yet, put this on your list! It's such a charming and unique restaurant with a focused menu that has been carefully curated, with drink pairings to match. I really enjoyed the Bandolier martini which has smokey and spicy notes. Delicious! They do have a tasting menu option, and they cater to most dietary restrictions, which is very impressive. We opted to choose our own meal components, and these are some of the highlights in my favorites. The tuna tartare is probably one of the best in Toronto and is adorned with truffle ! It's indulgent yet still light and fresh at the same time. I always enjoy an great octopus dish, and this definitely fits the bill! The smoked beets are so delicious and I love the flavour profiles. It's no surprise that they have received Michelin recognition! Congrats! Thank you for the wonderful service and hospitality!

My friends and I stumbled upon this restaurant on a Sunday night. We ordered a bunch of plates to share. To our surprise the food was really good! Every plate was on point and very flavorful! I would definitely come back! The service was amazing and we had a really good experience!

Came here for a birthday celebration with the travelzoo voucher purchased back before the lockdown. The travelzoo voucher was for the tasting menu. The food were all great, all the dishes from the tasting menu were great. I was actually surprised by the flavour profile of all the dishes. The Duck wonton was actually one of my favourite for the night. Only downside, nothing was done for birthday celebration.

We have been to Sara a few times. It's located in a discreet building that looks like a two-story house. The inside decor and ambience is clean, minimalist and relaxing. Despite its hype we have always managed to get a reso where they allowed us to sit by the windows for natural light. Admittedly in the past the portions were bigger. The first time we were there it felt the best (as other times there have been pacing service issues). The fries used to be a portion of four, and now it comes with only two. We asked why - apparently people actually said four was too big of a portion. I guess it kind of makes sense since you want to share things, but I would never complain about too big of a portion. Meh. Anyways, I have always really liked the latkes and the kohlrabi cakes. The pork belly was also to die-for. The other dishes - fish, dumplings less so. So, the best bet is to order a bunch and you will find a lot of things to like amidst things you don't. Our server on all occasions (same lucky guy) was super laid back but knowledgeable. He has tried to get us to use the phone storage blocks in the table, but we use our phones for food photos so doesn't really work. All in all, great place for a nice dinner.

Love the decor and atmosphere at SARA - you kind of know that it's a relatively high end place given the decor. I'm not entirely sure what kind of cuisine they serve at SARA but it was definitely something mixed with Asian flavours. We found gochujang, yuzu, ikura and other Asian ingredients in our food which was interesting. I loved certain dishes such as the Squash Latkes, Yellowtail Sashimi and Scallop and Crab Dumplings. Some others were a little too salty and others were just... interesting and new. Overall, relatively enjoyed my meal, it was an interesting experience.

Being a long time fan of Food Dudes and Rasa, I was super excited when hubby surprised me with a reservation here for my birthday with friends. Both the food and the service was excellent. I haven't been to a place where they were this knowledgeable about the menu (without 'checking with the back') , ensured we had enough to be able to try everything (or order more), was able to make aware/make substitutions for dietary things (gluten free, dairy free), AND even prepare an alternative dessert not on the menu. Oh, and ALSO split dishes, where possible into separate plates for sharing (so you don't have to turn the dish into a disaster and pass it along). It allowed for a more civilized meal, better experience and better 'gram photos. In addition, we got some extra dishes we didn't order to pair with our dinner. Not sure if this was a birthday or first time treat, but it was an excellent touch. The best dishes were the small ones, less so the big entree dishes, so I suggest you focus on those. Favourites were the latkes with roe, the 'fries', dumplings. We were a party of 6, we ordered a lot, including drinks. We were there for 3.5 hours (estimated was 3). It was great conversation and atmosphere on a summer night in their back patio. About $70 per person. For what we got and special occasion meal i feel that's about right.

Nice atmosphere inside however left disappointed. Both of the main dishes were not even hot - they were just warm. For the price range of their plates i had high expectations - but they were disappointing. The pork belly was warm, salad on the side we didnt even finish... it was overly salty and many other restaurants could have made this dish better... the crab and scallop dumpling - 20 dollars for 2 dumplings - didnt even know which part had the scallops . service was also lacking. The hostess realized we were waiting for so long before someone finally decided to take out order. I will not be back.

Truly one of the best meals of my life. Everything about this experience was amazing from the delicious drinks, to the heated toilet seat in the bathroom (!) to some of the most delicious food I have ever tasted. Cannot recommend this place enough!

I feel Sara is just getting their feet wet as they just launched and trying to find their ground. Comparing Sara to their counterparts of Rasa and Omaw 2.0, this venture clearly is trying to hit a higher tier of fine dining. It has a bit more polish and formality, but it doesn't hit that sweet spot quite yet. The big thing that made my table question whether we would even consider Sara again is the value. We ordered 8 things on the menu and all of us left hungry... even after $115++ per person including a drink and tips. We've done tasting menus at Canis, Richmond, Core, Omaw 2.0, Dailo, and other spots around Toronto. Sara seems to try to curate a meal that allows you to pick and choose what you'd like ... small plates at small plates pricing but at tasting menu sizes. This was bumping up against Canis, Edulis, and Canoe pricing but the concern is that Sara was not hitting the same consistency, tastes, or value. I applaud them for trying... but they do need to rethink many of their plates. Anyhow, onto the review. The space is a newly renovated house that sits just north of the trendy King St. Buca, Jimmy's, and Chubby's are their neighbours. It's a cute spot and there are some design trends that make me think of some of the minimalist designs I've seen recently (Quetzal is one). The concern is that it's really stark and missing that eye catching detail... as if someone told them to design and then take away 2 things to keep the design clean. They took away the thing that would have made the room. Service here is actually quite good for week 2. It definitely sits on top of Rasa in terms of attentiveness and efficiency. I didnt find any of the servers to be missing anything. I know it's early so I can't fault them for this but as they continue to operate, I hope the service grows in sincerity and authenticity. It feels like they're hyper aware and wanting to give an austere fine dining experience. Good on them but a little warmth and showing the genuine interest & personality goes a long way. As for the food, some highlights... some ok dishes. I'll say it upfront that nothing failed but things didn't excite and some even were just ok. Hamachi Bites - Literally a bite. 4 chip sized bites of creamy hamachi on a chicarron chip for $16. It's one of the better tastes and a good opener. We had similar bite sized offerings at Canis and Richmond but it was bundled under the whole chef tasting menu and one of 12+ different tastes we had that night. This is where the question of value popped up immediately in the first dish. This didn't bode well for the rest of the other dishes French Fries - tasty yes but I think they should rethink the dish name perhaps. When you think french fries, you think a mound (small or large) of fries. This was 4 fries but they were a small hashbrown size. Yes they had nice zest from the kimchi and bonito on top but for $14 for 4 fries, it hits you again... the question of value. We were amazed at the Richmond offering of a crisp phyllo treatment of potatoes and then topped with a generous mound of delicious tartare. Contrasting that to this... it's a hard sell. Bincho Broccoli - Nice flavour leveraging a Vietnamese inspired sauce to bring the sour and pungent. I liked this especially with the nuttier kohlrabi cakes in it. A better dish on the menu. I dont want to repeat but small. Chopped Salad - A larger item and I think it was more of a relief we werent so worried about the dish size for once. Compared to Rasa Salad, it's good in it's own right. I found it milder so if you like a 'fresh' tasting salad without a lot of bold flavours, this would be your option. Chicken Wing - This was a mixed reception at the table. I've seen wings being used to stuff great items and then deep fry before. I dont think I've seen it in Toronto though. Two wings cut into 2 creates '4 dumplings' ... they were stuffed shrimp. I liked it more than others but I think other people had their wing piece soggier interior and exterior wise. King Salmon - I know king salmon is a premium but the table was wondering if they were missing the 2nd piece. The salmon seemed no bigger than 2 sushi pieces put together and for $25. The pic shows microgreens on the salmon so you can get an idea of scale. Momo Yakitori - Unfortunately dry and lacking tastes Cherry Crullers - Lipbalm pot sized doughnuts that didnt have any strong cherry flavour. It did arrive hot to the table though. I would suggest Sara to perhaps look at Bao Bei or Mak n Ming in Vancouver. Those managed to hit that balance between Asian fusion small plates, great modern atmosphere, and still approaching the fine dining aspect. It's not an easy feat to hit fine dining levels ... especially when you have an amazing spot like Buca literally next door who delivers fine dining on all levels at a better price point. Walking out I was reminded how good Buca was in contrast.

My first time there was November, and revisit there last week with friends. Staff was great both times. Courteous, friendly, polite, mindful if we need time to chat and not look at the menu, etc. I'm not much of a drinker, but my friends gave some preferences to what flavours they like and they made us a really smooth martini that came with a molecular component to be enjoyed halfway through. Friends were also happy with wine pairing. Food I've had both times were mostly bold with texture. It's not for those looking for mild simple natural flavour profiles. Friends thoroughly enjoyed "French Fries" I've had the pea slaw and regular chopped salad. Both are great. The Reuben was great, my friends devoured it without mustard. Personally being Asian, I wasn't much of a fan of their version of Laksa, but my friend enjoyed it. Cod was cooked perfectly. Happy to return for another meal.