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Saro Bistro
Categories: Restaurants Modern European Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Modern European, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
102 Norfolk St(between Delancey St & Rivington St)
New York, NY 10002
Neighbourhood: Lower East Side
(212) 505-7276
- Nearest Transit:
-
Essex St (J, M, Z)
Delancey St (F)
2 Av (F)
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 6 pm - 1 am
Fri 6 pm - 2 am
Sat 11 am - 2 am
Sun 11 am - 1 am
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
121 reviews for Saro Bistro
Review Highlights
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"...with homemade nectarine jam and Turkish coffee -- beyond." In 6 reviews -
"The short rib hash that comes with it is sooo flavorful." In 6 reviews -
"and the hazelnut chocolate cake." In 3 reviews
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121 reviews in English
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Review from Yiwen S.
5/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
10pm on a saturday night and it was a packed house. always ALWAYS make a reservation, we learned this the hard way. the restaurant has less than 10 tables that seat 2 people, and only really 2 or 3 tables able to seat up to 4 people. unfortunately, you cannot eat at the (tiny) bar.
it was one of those nights where the tables you're waiting on never seem to leave. they linger around chatting after they've paid their check, and you jokingly threaten to stand over their table til they finally move. very annoying, but we're all guilty of it at one point or another.
after 40 minutes of waiting and 2 rounds of drinks, the bartender apologized for giving us an initial 20 minute quote on wait time and offered us a round of balkan vodka shots. she even taught us the correct way of taking the shot -- hands-free -- from the peculiar looking shot glass. excellent service. and just at that very moment, two of the tables decided to finally get up. hallelujah!
when we finally ordered, they had unfortunately ran out of the rabbit duo and the kale papardelle. too bad, because gamey rabbit is right up my alley. instead, i ordered the 12 hour braised short ribs, and they were perfectly fall-off-the-bone tender, accompanied by well-seasoned fingerling potatoes and crisply sauteed broccoli rabe. perfect portions, not too big but enough to keep you full and satisfied.
the glazed baby back ribs were equally impressive, but the whole cornish game hen was a bit diminutive and a little on the tough side. overall though, i was impressed by the fresh ingredients and the balkan-inspired fare. the service is top notch, and the bar fully stocked. highly recommended for a romantic date night.Listed in: ambrosia, nyc for the not-so-touristy…
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Review from Roy S.
Tarrytown, NY
4/15/2012
Getting in to Saro was problematic - the door wouldn't open, and as our reservation was for 6pm when they open, we wondered if they simply weren't ready yet. After sitting outside for a couple of minutes, the waitress came out to see if we wanted in, and all was well.
The food was really very good indeed. I had the duo of rabbit, which was excellent, especially the bits of pork-encrusted loin which were some of the nicest morsels of anything I've had for quite a while. I'm sure we'll be back, and next time we'll push hard on the door! -
Review from Mike O.
3/20/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Good God. This place is so so so goood! I'm left fumbling with inadequate adjectives as my mind is paralyzed with the memories of this awpoeifhjwaklwioe see I'm mashing the keyboard in rapture of the thought of this place.
I ordered the ribs with sauerkraut and mustard. The chef came out beforehand and told us about his Balkan food, which was a nice touch. You'll have to come to hear the story for yourself.
My friend and I were a bit concerned initially as we had a 7pm reservation. The place was empty. We were the only ones there. Evidently, we didn't show up cool enough. Most people rolled in an hour or two later, and by the time we left it was packed to the brim. Look at the photo on the website. That is exactly the ambiance of the place--captured perfectly.
Just go. -
Review from Valerie L.
New York, NY
3/19/2012 Seated via OpenTable
A really charming spot with warm, original decor and Balkan-inspired food in the less-traversed part of LES. It's kind of like stumbling upon the home of an old lady who just cooked a feast and invites you in for dinner.
We were only one of two tables at the restaurant on a Saturday night, and we received top-notch service from the two lovely waitresses. The menu is a sprinkling of traditional Balkan dishes and more modern entrees, and meat-lovers can rejoice since they have everything from hen to lamb shoulder to braised ribs. I went with the hen, which sat on top of a bed of crispy noodles doused in tomato sauce and feta cheese. It was good, but a bit boring after a few bites--I wish went with the ribs that everyone's been raving about. My friend's seafood stew looked delicious. They have a decent wine selection, too.
I loved the service, atmosphere, and would probably love the food had I gone with a different dish. Still, a great find and definitely worth checking out. -
Review from Silvia L.
Maspeth, Queens, NY
5/7/2012 Seated via OpenTable
After seeing some of the poor reviews, I was hesitant to go to Saro for my birthday dinner, but the menu, and high ratings made me want to try it out. I would say the reviews are accurate. The food is delicious and well sized, and my entire party of 6 thoroughly enjoyed the food. Yet we all said we would never come back again upon leaving. I hope that you do not have to deal with the management at Saro's because I found them to be very disagreeable and argumentative. I felt that we had to repeatedly accommodate their policies yet when we asked them to take off a charge off the bill that we were not made aware of beforehand, they started to argue with us about other unrelated things. It's unfortunate that a good meal ended on such a sour note.
Comment from Eran E. of Saro Bistro 5/8/2012
The charge in question was for the outside dessert that a… More » -
Review from John H.
Manhattan, NY
4/29/2012
Awesome place. The waitress was lovely, took great care of us, was incredibly attentive. The place itself was super charming, beautifully decorated.
We kind of stumbled on this place. Got there around 12:15 for Sunday brunch and there was no wait! The place probably seats about 25 people. I think they take reservations for brunch as well (could be wrong about that).
The food was excellent. Brunch comes with tea and a donut. Got the crab cake benedict which was delicious. Would definitely go back. -
Review from Rich C.
New York, NY
3/9/2012
I would highly recommend this restaurant. Came in on a busy Saturday night looking for a table for two, but all of the tables at this cozy bistro were already taken or reserved. Rather than turning us away, the hostess asked if we would mind bar seating. Having no preference, we accepted and struck up a chat with the bartender, who explained that the owner/chef learned the craft from his grandmother. Everything in the restaurant exuded a comfortable, "home" feel... from the silverware to the ambience to the decorations.
We ordered the daily savory pie (beef) as an appetizer, and the 12 hour braised ribs and cingi lingi as entrees. As a quick aside, we had only waited maybe 15 minutes and were in no particular rush when the owner came out with an order of their crab cakes to apologize for the delay on our appetizer. I found this to be a very personal touch and great approach towards customer service. The crab cakes were seared just right and packed a lot of flavor in a small portion. When the beef pie came out, I was pleasantly surprised: the crust was buttery and flaky, and the filling was done quite well.
The cingi lingi came in a shallow dish but was overloaded with plenty of seafood. I found the ingredients to be small but fresh. I did however, prefer the braised ribs, which were soft, tender, and flavorful.
Having thoroughly enjoyed our meal, we decided to splurge and order dessert. The recommended dish was the Saro donuts, which were perfectly fried pieces of sugary dough served with strawberry jam.
All in all, I'd return for the service, but would highly recommend the food as well. -
Review from Lubna P.
Hoboken, NJ
2/18/2012
Encouraged by the glowing reviews on Yelp, we decided to get brunch at Saro on a Saturday afternoon. We had a reservation for 2 pm, but we arrived early at around 1:45. There was a large party of 20 inside, and even though we could plainly see an empty table for 5 set up and ready to go, the hostess unceremoniously asked us to come back at 2, because that was our reservation time. In her words (spoken with a lot of emphatic gesticulation, as if we had made a grave mistake), she could not possibly deal with that large party and us at the same time.
After waiting in the cold for 15 minutes, we walked back in promptly at 2 pm (a little hesitantly - who knew what rudeness awaited us next). Absolutely nothing had changed. The crowd of 20 had just placed their orders, and our table still stood there, ready as it was when we first showed up. I'm not sure why it was necessary to make us wait in the cold - the hostess could have at least let us sit, even if they couldn't take our orders for another 15 minutes. Horrid customer service!!
We hoped that the food would make up for the bad service but that was not to be. The menu was not very large, and between the 5 of us, we ordered about half the dishes on it. All were mediocre. One person in our party was vegetarian, and she made the simple request of ordering her eggs without sausage on the side, but that was denied. How difficult is it to not place a sausage on a plate??
A last comment about the ambiance - and this is just my personal taste. The interiors are beautifully done, with decorative wallpaper and antique flatware that make you feel like you just walked into an 18th century English parlor. The music being played however, was heavy metal, and pretty loud too. Generally, I love metal, but the whole setup felt very incongruous, as if the restaurant couldn't decide whether it wants to be grungy and cool, or traditional and homely. I guess it's unique - but I wasn't a fan.
All in all, I won't be back. There are a number of establishments in the neighborhood which are far more pleasing to the palate, and infinitely more accommodating. -
Review from Ah-Hyun C.
New York, NY
2/19/2012
Cozy, romantic gem of a restaurant in Lower East Side. The small but comfortable size of the location, combined with the candelit darkness and the décor made it feel like I was being served a dinner by a private chef in the comforts of my own home. I had never had Balkan food before and our waitress informed us that the chef had created the menu with the memories of his grandmother's cooking. During our meal, the chef actually came out to take a break at the small bar, chatting with the bartender, sipping a glass of wine and observing his guests. He also kindly offered to move our coats which were hanging above us to under the bar, and this type of exchange from the chef himself just made the experience an even more personal one.
We were promptly seated in the relatively empty restaurant at 7 pm on Friday night, but it was full by the time we left at 8:30 or so. We started with the savory pie, which came with a side glass of kefir - which tasted like light sour cream and helped ease the heaviness of the bread. I ordered the twelve hour braised short ribs with potatoes and collards on the side. Let me tell you, it was the tenderest, juiciest short ribs I've ever tasted - no bones and the meat came apart at the touch of my fork. HIGHLY recommend this dish with red wine. Boyfriend had the slow roasted lamb shoulder with potatoes and cabbages, which was also savory and tender but my short ribs was the win of the night. Left extremely full but VERY happy. -
Review from Carey G.
Santa Barbara, CA
4/29/2012
Tiny little gem. The staff was so friendly and great with suggestions for our birthday outing. The food was very delicious! Loved all the Slavic drinks. Definitely worth trying out.
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Review from Kenny C.
Saro was definitely an interesting experience. I made a reservation for six a few weeks in advance due to what I had read in the Yelp reviews.
The place is tiny! You could fit maybe 25 people in there comfortably. Maybe 30 if they weren't that comfortable. We had six people at two tables. Thighs were all a-touchin (not in a good way), and we gave our waitress all of our excess plates and decorative items to take away.
That said, it's also a very cool and unique atmosphere. All the plates look like antiques and the flatware doesn't match. There are tea kettles and mason jars everywhere, and they write their daily specials on a plate hanging on the wall. I loved the decor.
For our starter, we had the Taste of the Pantry. It came with all sorts of stuff- prosciutto, sausage, cheeses, corn fritters... all were great. A large platter was definitely enough for six people to share.
For my entree, I had the lamb shoulder. Our lovely waitress told us that it was one of the two things that weren't Balkan-inspired (along with the short ribs). But then she told us they only had one order of lamb shoulder left, and when someone tells you that, you order it.
The skin was crispy and the meat was tender and juicy. There was also a good amount of it. Between the Pantry and the lamb, I was definitely full. A couple of beers didn't hurt either! Golden Pheasant and the Session Black were my favorites there.
The food service was a bit slow, though. Luckily, we welcomed the wait since we set aside 2 hours to eat. Another waitress gave us a round of shots on the house served out of these tiny potion bottles to make up for our food taking so long, which was pretty cool of them.
We also had two orders of doughnuts, and asked them if they had any candles, and they came back out with them a few minutes later. Then everyone in the restaurant helped us sing happy birthday to our friends. It was a really nice moment to cap off a great meal. -
Review from murray g.
Beverly Hills, CA
4/7/2012
We went for brunch. This place isn't bad, but it's not good either. Nicely decorated, but small menu. The service hardly spoke english, and seemed to enjoy refusing even very simple changes to dishes. The sausage was disgusting, but salad was decent. Coffee was bad and attempts to get cream with it were farcical:
"Can we get some cream with this coffee?"
- We don't have cream.
"No cream? LIke a creamer for the coffee?"
- I said we don't have any.
"Or milk?"
- Oh we have milk.
"Well? Can we have some?"
- Yes I bring bring some milk.
This place is just bizarre and does not deserve the rating it has. -
Review from t.sa c.
Arlington, VA
2/20/2012
Food and decor - awesome, rad, cozy, tasty, lovely!!
Suggestions - sarma (cabbage wrapped beef), rabbit, spinach mint salad, ribs, break spread, are all very flavorful and made me wish I had a yugoslavian grandma.
Service - Odd. Waitress told us the brandy that comes in a tiny potion glass was suppose to be on the house, but then puts it on the bill anyway. It's less than ONE ounce and was $8. Heck we could've just ordered the full shot at that price. We didn't want to hassle since it's a friend's birthday. After we closed our check, she brought 3 to the table next to us and had the same speech all over again!!
*update*The server PM me and explained that she thinks it was a miscommunication. Though without an audio playback no one can be certain whether it's misspoken or misheard. Let's just say it's safe to double check if the same occurs.
Other than that I would definitely recommend and come back again for the wonderful food. -
Review from Rachel L.
Manhattan, NY
2/13/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Came here on a Sunday night with my brother and we were one of two tables so it was very nice, quiet meal. The restaurant itself is small, offering a very cozy, intimate ambiance. This would be great for date night too. Apparently, there is a bar of sorts on the basement level, don't know too much about that but very interested in going back and checking that out.
I came here based on prior reviews and glad I took the chance. Even my brother, who has lived in NY for ten years, was impressed by this establishment. If you are craving genuine home cooked/comfort meals then this is the place to dine. The food matched the service. Excellent/detailed service from the waitress and the chef/owner Eran Elhalal, who even came out on multiple occasions to educate us on the cuisine. My brother ordered the Mozzarella appetizer (I don't see on the online menu anymore) which upon first bite was seriously authentic, milky smooth mozzarella. I ordered the Chicken Soup with homemade egg noodles. We also asked for a bread basket which was filled with local bread of Bosnia, that was the perfect touch to such an ethnic meal.
Moving on to the entrees, I mean you can taste the love and passion from Eran Elhalal in every morsel. My brother ordered the Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder and I ordered the Twelve Hour Braised and we shared. We couldn't get enough of both entrees, they were too good to be true. I highly recommend those dishes if you are a serious meat eater. Thinking about those dishes now are making my mouth water. Every mouthful was unbelieveable, getting better and better with each taste, if that's even possible. The meat was so tender, no knife needed whatsoever, it was juicy, delicious, pretty phenomenal stuff.
For desserts, they offer about 2-3 options, with an extra one or two that are gluten free because the chef's wife has a gluten allergy (how sweet). We tried the Traditional Apple Strudel, which like the rest of our meal was delightful. MUST TRY. My favorite restaurant in Manhattan. Enjoy! -
Review from Rachel T.
1/31/2012
I absolutely loved this restaurant. My boyfriend and I came here with two very good friends are were incredibly impressed. The atmosphere was intimate, cozy, and extremely welcoming.Even the plates and silver ware were adorably thought out. Wonderful place to have a date or a nice out with some friends. The owner and chef came out to greet us and recommended some absolutely fantastic wines that were a hit for the entire evening.
As far as dinner goes- wow. The homemade mozzarella melted in my mouth. It is one of those dishes you still think about months, years, after dining there. For my entree I ordered the game hen which was incredible. It was served with satarash and feta and had so much bold flavor and the hen was cooked perfectly. We tried saro's donuts for dessert which were such a delicious way to end the evening. He brought us out (on the house) a dessert wine to be paired with the donuts. Overall, one of the better dining experiences I have had in the city. I highly recommend it. -
Review from Cenk S.
Brooklyn, NY
3/26/2012
Ottoman cuisine served homestyle!
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Review from Jason R.
New York, NY
12/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fantastic LES restaurant. They are in Tide's old space. There was a restaurant there in between.
The owner/chef is a Croatian Jew cooking with 150 yr old recipes handed down from his grandmother. His family migrated from Bosnian to Israel and he came here to study at C.I.A.
The food is definitely a labor of love for this guy...makes his own mozzarella to order. Everything is well sourced and made in house (amazing bread).
They just got recognized by Michelin...so they are not going to remain undiscovered for long...I'm local and conflicted about leaving a great review as I selfishly want to return without needing a month long reservation :) -
Review from Michael L.
Brooklyn, NY
1/18/2012
Ate: Cingi Lingi, Donuts
Drank: Golden Pheasant Lager, Dream Weaver wheat beer
Liked: Cute space, friendly service, above average food
Disliked: Wished the entrees were just a little bit bigger.
Chicken: yes, but didn't try it.
Would mom like it?: If it were cheaper she would
Wait: None (reservations)
Would I go back: Sure!
Recommend: Good for a date, Donuts were good, not too sweet. The Dream Weaver was better than the Golden Pheasant. -
Review from Ksenia A.
Manhattan, NY
4/3/2012
WOW! This place is a gem. Personal approach, absolutely FANTASTIC euro-style food, great ambiance... Saro is officially top 5 New York restaurants list!
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Review from Jeanne C.
11/23/2011
I love that I stumbled upon Saro Bistro on Yelp while finding a brunch spot to have a reunion with old co-workers while I was in town visiting from SF. I had never heard of it, and was even scared my friends wouldn't like it because it was European brunch.
Nonetheless, I made an easy reservation on opentable, and arrived 30 minutes early and still got seated by myself. The owner poured some coffee -- at this point I did not know that brunch comes with an unlimited supply of coffee, how wonderful is that? Drinking coffee to the point of bladder busting! :)
Anyway, my friends finally arrived about 20 minutes later, and we all got the Saro benedict. Before that came out, she gave us each a donut and it was delicious! The Saro was also pretty amazing.... there's nothing that can go wrong with an egg's ben. The hash was also delicious, and we each devoured our meal.
The best part about it, was the entire meal was just $12 ($15 w/ tax), and it was probably one of the better quick and easy meals I've had in a while.
The cafe itself is quite cute-- it doesn't seat a lot of people which makes for a more intimate setting when you're trying to catch up with friends, and you don't need to worry about the loud voices when there's bottomless mimosas.
I would come back here in a heartbeat! -
Review from Uri F.
Manhattan, NY
5/3/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I had a fantastic experience at Saro. The place is tiny and it actually work for its own benefit (unless you are waiting to be seated) because it kinda resembles a small Croatian kitchen, or at least how I would imagine one to be.
My date and I were greeted by a very nice waitress who was happy to give us a short description of what the restaurant is about, what the meals are and how are the wines.
We picked a Croatian red and had the cheese and meat plate for appetizers, the small was big enough for us.
For main courses I took a cabbage stuffed with meat and rice and my date took the sea food pasta. While both didn't look super appealing (it's an eastern european thing I guess) they were delicious!
The chef came to talk us about our opinion (first time it ever happens to me in New York) and told us a little bit about his story, and you can tell how much he enjoys cooking and spreading his grandmother recipe. We even got a complementary desert!
I already recommended Saro to everyone i know so why not doing it to you yelpers. -
Review from Ben C.
Brooklyn, NY
11/29/2011
The food wasn't bad. Interesting location - has that adorable tiny cafe on a tiny street thing going for it. My companion said he would go back - I would not. The chicken dish my dad ordered looked like a chicken fingers and fries from Denny's ( it did taste better than denny's but thats not saying much).
The chef came to our table and talked to us for what felt like an hour - so if that's your thing - then this place is great! He will give you a long winded and somewhat beautiful account of growing up in a Yugoslav neighborhood in Israel and eating in his grandmothers kitchen eatting this and that and how his spruced up the menu based on his grandmas cooking. I ordered the pasta (which is changed daily) advertised as fresh homemade fettucine with green vegetables and green veggies asparagus and ricotta. Ok no big deal it needed salt but the pasta was so al delta almost crunchy pasta - and the ricotta essentially turned the dish into cream based pasta - I would try using a goat cheese here chef.
The place somehow keeps me intrigued - probably because everything is advertised as fresh or home made or seasonal - which by the end of the meal I deduced to utter bullshit. See my next example..
Me- tell me about your desserts
Waitress - well the doughnuts are kinda what we are known for - we make each order fresh made to order and they are delicious
Me wow
Waitress the chocolate cake just came out fo the oven an hour ago and I saw the chef working on it a little while ago it has to be the freshest thing on the dessert menu!
I immediately in my head know I caught her in a lie! How can they doughnuts be made fresh to order I you just took the cake of the oven anyways the waitress was actually really cool and except for being overtalkative the servicebwas superfriendly- if your still reading this your thinking about going here and it's really going be a 50 50 chance there are definitely better places but this place is cute
The cheese and meat appetizer is totally unmemorable and overpriced -
Review from Kara C.
Brooklyn, NY
4/15/2012
Excellent brunch here! Am excited to go back for dinner sometime. Really sweet, welcoming staff. The coffee is tasty, the decor is sweet and well-appointed. The brunch pies are terrific, but I'd order the hash next time - looks amazing! A very low key place to eat, where quality of food trumps all else. Perfect.
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Review from Jay A.
Fullerton, CA
3/29/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Excellent environment, poached egg dishes are highly recommended and doughnuts and tea are included in your brunch menu.
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Review from Catherine B.
Brooklyn, NY
12/21/2011
I love the idea of a "cuisine of lost empires". But I really think they should play that up a bit more!
I came here for brunch with 4 other people and all of us thought the food was great. I shared the cassoulet (high recommend) and the chicken sandwich. They also have homemade bread and preserves. Yum! -
Review from Luella K.
Queens, NY
11/14/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Quaint but a little too mediocre during my first and only try with them. I came here one night for dinner with a friend after seeing the plethora of rave reviews.
Seating can get a little cramped which may not be a good thing if you appreciate a room with less chatter.
If I lived closer I would definitely give their breakfast /brunch menu a try. -
Review from Jason N.
11/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Dude, I don't know what the preceding reviewers are smoking but, as with nearby Cafe Katja, I do not understand a 4.5 star Yelp rating for Saro.
We must have hit the spot in the middle of a perfect storm. I generally do not like reviews that complain about everything, but here goes....
For a very late weekend brunch, we stopped in especially to sample the signature short rib hash. They were out of it. They also had no jam for our toast. What?
The waitress bungled our order for the "saro" eggs benedict and we got the crabcake benedict instead. The crabcakes are really crab quarters (like the coins). Smallest I've ever seen. They actually, along with the side of bacon, were the best things we had. Unfortunately, the "poached" eggs were closer to hard boiled. You just can't enjoy eggs benedict with a nearly solidified yolk. That's brunch 101.
The cassoulet with beans, baked eggs, and spicy sausage had but one bite of sausage (which was spicy). The side of sausage, which must have been complimentary, looked delicious but alas was akin to shoe leather in taste.
The atmosphere is pure kitsch in a pleasant but theatrical (i.e. put-on) way. It would have been more cute if the food was half decent.
Oh, and I forgot to even mention the "Grade Pending" rating on their door. This means they scored less than an "A" on the city food safety inspection and are appealing their rating. (see my review of Public for a more detailed explanation)
I loathe posting a scathing review about a mom-n-pop type spot in my neighborhood, but the truth is the truth... I don't know if it was too close to quitting time when I popped in but I will not be back.Comment from Eran E. of Saro Bistro 11/15/2011
Dear Jason, I was very sorry to learn that you had a bad… More » -
Review from joyce k.
Sunday brunch at this restaurant was absolutely darling.
CIA chef and his lovely wife built the restaurant from scratch. They are truly artistic individuals--I went on a photo frenzy capturing every bit of my experience, from menu items to decor. (pics are posted). The chef took some time to explain to us his inspirations for the restaurant interior. The "bar" area was made from the butchers wood of the establishment prior to this restaurant. The vintage wine rack was in fact, an old mail collection slot hung upside down. Every person drank tea or coffee in a unique teacup accompanied by warm fresh donuts. Service was friendly and existant! (when you don't notice the service it is usually a good thing, but it's nice when I enter a restaurant where I don't have to use that crutch-of-a- motto)
We had a reservation for 6 at 1pm Sunday afternoon. Almost all of us ordered the Saro Benedict, and the waitress accidentally put the order in for crab cake Benedict. Well, she more than made up for it even if it wasnt necessary. (the crab cake one is more expensive btw)
She offered us marvelous comps: a round of pear flavored mimosas and bacon for all! Can I get a Hell-YA!!
The drinks were quite delicious btw. Yes indeed.
I am always thrilled when we randomly walk into these low-key brunch spots. The restaurant is situated randomly in the LES, close enough to the other LES brunch spots but a little off the beaten path. It feels nice to get the quality service and attention from owners who take pride in their baby. And it feels nice to be able to have conversations over a beautiful brunch without sitting neck and neck or being hurried out the door. I'm excited to see this restaurant become more and more popular but I'm not excited to have to fight for a table.Listed in: Brunch
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Review from Lylan M.
Manhattan, NY
3/4/2012
Yay! Fantastic place. I just went for dinner and it was fabulous. The food is spot on, the decor is cute, and the owners & waitress are soooo friendly. They take pride in their food and it shows.
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Review from Victoria F.
New York, NY
10/27/2011
I can only rate on the atmosphere of this place, not the actual food as I didn't eat here. But after spending about 30 minutes in here chatting with a friend while he ate dinner, it was enough to get me to return. It was about 730pm on a Wednesday night and there were only about 3 other people in the restaurant. Granted, the place is pretty small-- maybe a 25 top restaurant? So I wasn't concerned by lack of patrons.
Regardless, the bistro incredibly quaint and adorable. Tea cups line the shelves at the bar, and old pictures of Europe are arranged on the wall. The vintage looking wallpaper and the wooden tables just give it that extra home-y feel. Definitely a hidden gem. (and when you're done with dinner, go directly next door, go through the gate that says "east village toy company" and go to the back room speakeasy bar :) -
Review from El S.
Upper West Side, Manhattan, NY
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Food: Very good.
Service: Mixed feelings. Please read on!
First, about the food: We tried the eggs benedict and they were delicious!, but the plates were very cold and our food got cold very fast.
Another good thing is that they serve this exquisite, heavenly doughnuts which are included with your brunch!!) The Bloody Mary was also very good.
Service: There was a very nice, friendly and, may I say good-looking gal (Elizabeth), taking care of the guests, but I was kind of disappointed by the chef who didn't want to accommodate for a very simple request we made (splitting portions in two plates in the kitchen so we didn't have to do it in our table).
And it is not like the place was full and the kitchen was going crazy (there were few tables being served at the time). I fully agree with the "no substitution" policy on dishes like the one this place has, but what we were asking for was quite simple and not actually a substitution.
I am giving it only three stars because service is very important to me, but overall its a good place is you strictly adhere to the menu and don't ask for anything extravagant like having a portion split in half :P -
Review from Alicia Y.
Manhattan, NY
2/15/2012
-was going to order a typical NY brunch item (the crab cake benedict), but per the waitress' suggestion, i got the baked eggs on pepper relish instead, which was delicious :D
-would definitely come here again, because there are so many unique dishes on the menu.
-brunch comes with tea/coffee and....a MINI DONUT! awesome. -
Review from John R.
New York, NY
9/18/2011
Very pleased with this place. It's small, but we managed to get a reservation for dinner at 8pm with only a few hours' notice. I was really impressed with the staff - they were all extremely friendly and helpful. The chef even came out and talked with us about what we liked, asking questions, and even told us how he made the apple strudel (which was great). The Cevapcici was fantastic - what flavor combinations. The lamb was super tender as well - and delicious.
Oh, and it was someone's birthday, so everyone in the restaurant sang Happy Birthday. What a nice thing to happen in NYC. You can't really go wrong here. -
Review from Shosher H.
Manhattan, NY
2/21/2012
Love this place! Cozy, inviting, and unique.
I'm vegetarian and the chef and servers are always accommodating when I let them know. I've had a handful of dinners and one brunch and never had a less-than-excellent meal. Standouts include the homemade mozzarella/ricotta appetizer, the squash and goat cheese salad, and the handmade pasta with squash and kale. My omnivorous friends loved the sea bass salad, the short ribs, and the seafood stew.
The wine list is really unusual. I often end up having something Slovenian that I'm not familiar with, but always like. I've also sampled some of their homemade liqueurs- so cool that they're made in-house! And the pear sparkler (kind-of like a bellini) is great for brunch.
The decor is warm and homey, the staff is always attentive, and they even play hip music. LCD Soundsystem? Yes please!
When I go to Saro I feel like I'm in on a juicy secret. It's so sweet and quaint, I know it's going to be impossible to get a table on a weekend in the near future. There you go. The secret's out. You'll thank me later. -
Review from Melanie R.
Manhattan, NY
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
We were heading to the burlesque show next door and decided to stop here for a quick bite. WOW!! Not only was the service impeccable, the food was awesome! Im definitely a first timer to this type of cuisine however the server was soo knowlegable and patient with our questions. We only had Apps which were the bread basket and I cant remember the other one but it had some type of prosciutto like meat, Ricotta, fresh basil leaves and a type of flower. it was sooo good! Cant wait to go back and try more of there menu!
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Review from Azhar C.
Manhattan, NY
6/13/2011
I gave Saro a try after seeing the excellent Yelp ratings. Sunday brunch.
Unfortunately, my experience was quite the opposite of its positive portrayal.
Firstly, I had a reservation for a certain time, confirmed twice. We weren't seated until 30 minutes later. This I can understand, its a small place and people dabble on the check sometimes, fine.
Then there were only three menus for the five of us.
It took 14 minutes for some water.
Then some complimentary coffee was offered. Cups arrived. Coffee came 8 minutes later. Wasn't that great.
Now the orange juice. It costs $3/glass. I saw them pour it out of a Tropicana bottle. What the hell?!
The food didn't arrive all at once. Three of us were waiting an additional 10 minutes for food. Awkward. Overall it took a fair bit of time to get all the food on the table, far more time than would be predicted given the simplicity of the dishes.
Some of us got a good meal out of it. The burger was good. The rest ranged from so-so to plain bad.
I'm not going back. -
Review from Winston G.
Chicago, IL
7/20/2011
Pork shoulder hash was really good.
The Saro benedict is pretty decent too - eggs were poached very well, and the hollandaise was a bit different from the classic. I think it was seasoned with some paprika or something, cause it was more of a reddish color. However, it tasted good. This benedict comes with bacon, and the bacon was good, but not as good as the bacon at Extra Virgin (that comes with the eggs benedicts there).
A really small place, but hidden away and a great place to come with a few friends on a Saturday morning for brunch! -
Review from Andrew T.
New York, NY
7/17/2011
Brunch was lovely here at Saro! We got there at around 11:30 or so in the morning, and the waiter was really helpful with translating what a Balkan brunch was all about. T really liked the champagne sparkler, with just 1 1/2 spoons of the preserve to flavor the drink.
As for the food, T got the satarash (really nicely seasoned red pepper relish). As for my crab cake eggs benedict, the crab cake portions were small but intense; way better than the potato pucks other places might serve.
Overall, a cute, chill, little bistro that we'd come to again! -
Review from V J.
New York, NY
6/16/2011
* Wanted to try this bistro since quite some time... so dropped by a few days back. Let me start by saying that its definitely overrated.
* Tried some dishes like the Spinach cheese pie with kefir and aivar. Followed by Cevapcici with a bottle of Session Black. Food was fine and all. Nothing special though. The only difference being the exotic looking dish names... also, the quantity was too less for the price. I mean it makes no sense for me if my tummy is just half-full after paying about 50 bucks.
* The host was informative & did a good job at explaining things since much of the menu items were latin & greek to me. Also I'll remember the green peppers/ chillies used for table decoration - that's unique. But chances are I'll come back only if there's some 50% deal on Scoutmob or Livingsocial. Else, just pass it...Listed in: LES Unplugged
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Review from nicole b.
New York, NY
12/14/2011 Seated via OpenTable
This is my favorite little spot in the LES. The food is consistently good and I like the cozy atmosphere.
