Saege Bistro

CLOSED (thank goodness)
I walked by this place all the time and always wanted to check it out.
So one day a friend and I went and checked it out, we both got the lobster roll.
It was $ 18 and was the smallest lobster roll I’ve ever seen and the «sides» were also tiny. And to top it off the lobster wasn’t even that great which is basically a travesty to me as a Nova Scotian!

This is one of my favourite places to grab a moderately priced ($ 15-​$ 20) lunch, service is always so nice, the area is always done up quite lovely and the food very yummy. Their steak is definitely my favourite, always cooked just the way I like it with a perfect combination of flavours. :-)

Vibrant, warm, colorful setting for a nice relaxing lunch or a warm intimate dinner. The food is fresh; built on the fresh local ingredients scene of what some of the top Halifax restaurants are known for. delicious? Yes it’s extraordinary. The service is attentive and knowledgeable about what they’re serving, and want you to have a great saege experience. Full bar, outside sitting area, and just an overall great casual dinning venture in the heart of downtown Halifax.

Loved it. Very accommodating
staff, pleasant atmosphere

Got a bad boy Groupon for this place and had two days left to use it — so off to Saege for supper!
On Wednesdays they have a pasta & pizza deal — $ 10 for pasta or pizza with a purchase of drink or dessert. Pretty good deal, but can’t be combined with a Groupon. Womp womp. :(
Saege is fancy pantsy on the inside and nicely decorated. Staff was super friendly and we were seated promptly even though the place was packed and we had no reservations.
I got the salmon and my other half ended up going with the fettuccine. Now, I’m not a qualitative over quantitative kinda guy — if I’m spending $ 25 on a main, I’d like to be full by the end of it. Unfortunately I was not. But it was really good! Salmon was perfectly cooked and I could eat those dill & sour cream potatoes for days. Just wish there was more of them! I tasted the fettuccine as well, pretty bland and again, small portions.
Wait times in between drinks, food & the bill were terrible — but I get it, it was a super busy wednesday night. So that kinda sucked for us and the staff. Either way, probably wouldn’t go back unless I had another Groupon mostly because I ended up going home and making nachos since I was still hungry.

Pretty disappointed in the quality and pricing here.
Came here for a business lunch and ordered the crab cakes while my colleague ordered the lobster rolls. The crab cakes were incredibly salty and I was served two very small ones with some unfresh piece of lettuce. Fortunately I wasn’t too hungry since I had just flown in from California (4 hour time difference!) so I wasn’t starving afterwards. I forget the exact price, but around $ 12 – 15? The lobster rolls were very creamy and heavy and completely masked the flavor of lobster.
The housemade bread was pretty decent, and that’s about the most memorable thing I ate here.
Many other more delicious options in Halifax!

We were very disappointed and continue to be disappointed.
We ordered Norwegian pancakes and waited for them quiet some time. Even customers that ordered their food after us, got it earlier than we did.
Pancakes were not fresh, nor warm and the price didn’t correspond with what we got on the plate. We informed the server about it and he brought us another pancakes, that we’re not very warm either.
On top of that, I forgot my sunglasses at the table, but called the bistro and got confirmed that they were found and I could pick them up in 3 days when restaurant would be opened again.
I came one week later and glasses were gone! Nobody knows where they are and the server that found them had few days off. They told us that all forgotten items are stored in a safe, but my glasses are not there. This is a very awkward situation for me and the restaurant.
I didn’t know I had to be worried about my glasses once found in a restaurant that got such great reviews.
Search for my sun glasses continues…

I recently spent a whole afternoon sitting in the corner of Saege’s solarium-​like dining room while waiting for a friends dental work to be done at the dental office upstairs. I ordered appetizer after appetizer to nibble on, and, ahem, a couple of glasses of their awesome New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
It was so unrushed and relaxing just sitting there, working on my iPad and alternately watching the people (mostly students from the university nearby) walk by.
I was also impressed by the number of power outlets around the place so I could charge my devices and not worry about having battery run out (every restaurant should have this, if Saege did not have customer power outlets I probably would not have spent more than an hour there) So I was there probably for five hours just ordering small plates of food and glasses of wine.
The «solarium» dining area is just gorgeously decorated, in a very spring-​like uplifting fashion, and the waiters/​waitresses weren’t pushy at all. but that could also have been due to that I was the only customer there at times.
Some dishes I recommend: The scallops are diving (especially with the caramelized sauce and parsnip frites). The almond crusted haddock was great as well as the Banh Mi Burger (which i ordered gluten free style). They offer gluten free options on most of their dishes and seem very conscious of people with foos intolerances… something one sees only in progressive and dynamic restaurants.
All being said, I would most certainly recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Always delicious. Décor a bit cheesy: feels kind of like a chain restaurant.

I found it! I found a Vegetarian Eggs Benny that isn’t boring! Alert the press!
I often feel bad for my veggie friends when I look over menus. More often than not, it seems like you guys always end up with a bowl of mediocre pasta with some roasted veggies and way too much olive oil dumped on top. Not so here at Saege!
A wonderful layer of smashed avocados with some kind of balsamic dressing helps cut through the richness off the egg yolk and the thick Hollandaise sauce. Served alongside some delicious potatoes and a perfect serving of greens and fruit to round things out, this is a wonderful meal that is best eaten while laughing and chatting with some amazing people.
Thanks for making sure that side of things was taken care of, Unilocalers. :)

Saege is a great place to go if you’re looking for decent food on a budget. The prices are more than reasonable and they offer quite a few appealing dishes. i came here on a Saturday evening with my boyfriend.
I decided to start with a tomato soup and got the gnocchi (my fave food) as a main. My boyfriend got the penne primavera. The tomato soup had a sourdough croûton and basil in it. It was honestly pretty boring and I didn’t enjoy it all that much. It just tasted like pureed tomatoes to me with a bit of basil in it.
The mains were okay. The portion they gave us was really generous so thats awesome. The sauce that was on my gnocchi was really really creamy and tasty. The chicken is what kinda made my dish weird, it tasted like pre-​cooked Swiss Chalet chicken, the way they cooked it/​seasoned it didn’t complement the taste of the sauce. If they grilled the chicken or something instead it would probably be a lot better. There was also a lot of chicken in it so i was picking around the chicken to get the gnocchi. My boyfriend’s was very vinegar-​y but tasty.
The prices here are reasonable for sure, you can get a decent sized portion for under $ 20 which is great. I’m not sure if I’d be back because there are so many great options in Halifax.

Saege is as comfortable as an old shoe. It is a very pretty place with a great view of Spring Garden Rd. My gal pals and I went this week and enjoyed ourselves. I started with the spinach salad which was good but a tad too much vinegar. My main was the pork tenderloin whose side veggies came in a little pot suitable for a doll house (tres cute!) the root veggies were tossed with pieces of bacon. This side dish was amazing! I ended with the crème brule — I don’t usually get desert at restaurants but this was very good — very creamy and very decadent.
Service was OK — a bit too spread out too thin at times. It would not of hurt for our server to come back a few times to check on us but when he was there he did a great job. All in all Saege is a place I would go to about once a year and I always make a trip to buy their Florentines! YUM!

Every time I visit Saege, which I admit is not as often as I should, I remember just how much I like their menu. It’s compact enough to scan quickly, but packed with really awesome choices that can please just about anyone. A perfect spot to kick off Unilocal Eats 2012!
Choosing Sunday to take advantage of their no-​corkage fee for BYOB and then immediately forgetting to BMyOB all together, it was a quiet night in our comfy corner booth. While I was toying with the idea of pasta or pizza, the fancy new Check-​in Offer sealed my fate, scoring me 50% off an appetizer if I ordered the entrée I had my eye on.
I started with the Roasted Mushroom Tart served on a super sweet and flaky pastry bun with a poached and grilled pear and delicious Parmesan crisp. Fancy, right? Oh — and it was also $ 6 thanks to that deal. I win. Between this and my main course, I’m starting to question my typically negative stance on mushrooms.
I went all out with the main course, ordering the Seitan Cutlets with mushroom ragout, mashed Yukon potatoes and seared local veggies. I will say that the seitan was super tough and my knife may not have been up to the challenge, but I made due. It’s probably silly to rave about mashed potatoes, but these were so creamy and rich that I wish I could order them by the tub. Don’t expect heaps of veggies on the side (I got an asparagus spear and a green bean) but you also won’t really need them. The meal was super filling.
The low-​lit atmosphere of the atrium after dark is absolutely gorgeous. This was my first time in for dinner so it was very nice to see! While the dinner menu has a lovely fanciness to it, I still think I prefer Saege for lunch. They really know how to strike a nice balance between comfort food and gourmet that just hits the spot!

Safe to say, we will surely be making a visit again!
It was our first visit to Saege, and what better day to dine than my sisters birthday. We called and made a reservation, being that it was a Friday night.
Our waiter was very pleasant and helpful. We took a while going through the menu as everything sounded so delicious. Finally decided, I had the lobster ravioli which was exactly what the menu described it to be. All the flavours really oozed out of the rich sauce, the white wine, lemon, dill, it was a perfect pairing for the lobster.
My sister had the lamb shank which sat on a bed of white beans. The meat was seasoned well and fell off the bone. The waiter was impressed that she was able to finish all of her food :-)
My mum ordered the curried pork tenderloin. I was expecting a «curry» to go with the jasmine rice, but realized I read the menu incorrectly. It was pork tenderloin coated in a curry paste. My bad :-p
The ambiance was great and we were very pleased by the whole evening. We would have had dessert but we had two birthday cakes sitting at home, so no dessert menu’s for us please!
Thank you Saege for a wonderful evening :-)

Saege, I’m a fan. I’ve had various things at Saege — pastas, pizzas, sandwiches, and I’ve always been impressed with the food and service.
For pizza, I’d definitely recommend the pesto pizza — roasted garlic, caramelized onion, poached pear, walnut oil and Jarlsberg? Count. Me. In. For pasta, I’ve been delighted in the past by a butternut squash ravioli, and I’m dying to go back to try and entrée as some of the menu items look downright mouth-​watering.
I recently stopped by during the OpenCity weekend to try a boxed lunch, and it was downright delicious. My veggie croissant sandwich had a thick portobello mushroom, spinach and a delicious roasted red pepper hummus.
A word of warning — Saege does a $ 10 pizza or pasta deal on Wednesday nights which is great, but don’t both doing research first. That menu is always changing, which is great as long as you didn’t already have your mind and mouth set on something from the regular menu.

I haven’t been to Saege in a couple of years, but visited recently to take in the $ 10 pizza and pasta special on Wednesday evening. Forget «cellar door» — for me, the two most beautiful words in the English language are «cheap carbs». I had previewed Saege’s online menu picand ked out a pasta and a pizza that sounded especially tasty, so I was surprised once we arrived and the pizza/​pasta menu was made up of completely different offerings. We learned that the Wednesday special menu changes every week — fair enough. I opted for the roasted vegetable pizza, which was lovely and big enough for leftovers the next day.
We decided to get dessert as well. Saege’s dessert menu is really impressive (in fact, it would be a great place to go just for dessert and coffee if that’s your thing). I had a scoop of mango sorbet and one of coconut ice cream because I was in a tropical mood. Delicious!
I remember my first visit to Saege as being kind of ‘meh’ but after this experience I’ll go back again. The menu is reasonably priced, even if you don’t happen to go on a Wednesday, and they are very accommodating to vegetarian/​vegan diners. The atmosphere is just fancy enough but still comfortable, and it’s great for people watching.

I always have a great experience at Saege. I like that it’s a little on the «fancy» side, but not so fancy that it’s intimidating or prohibitively expensive. The prices are a little bit on the higher side, but not too bad. And you get great quality food for the price, so it’s worth it anyway.
I ended up being here just last night for supper — our server was great, really friendly (we ended up getting in a conversation with him about astrology at one point! Yay for random awesomeness!). I had the chef’s pizza, which was a yummy mix of smoked salmon, red onion, diced tomato, mozza, and a zesty sauce. I love that their food, at its base, is basic Italian but they add their own little twists to it to elevate the experience. I have NEVER eaten bad food here.
I also had a candy cane white hot chocolate (one of their holiday drink specials) and it was delicious! Some may find it to be too sweet and creamy, but I LOVE sweet stuff so I downed it quite easily.
I LOVE their atrium seating area right on the sidewalk. It’s just really pretty at night with the candles flickering, and you can people-​watch, which is always fun on Spring Garden Road. It would be a great room to have a cocktail party or reception or something — very warm.

This restaurant will always have a special place in my heart as it is the place of my first date with my husband and the place where he proposed (after we had already moved to Vancouver). The food is all right. I love the water, which has berries and cucumbers in it for a refreshing taste.
The ambiance and décor are the restaurant’s strong point. Love the cozy fireplace and warm surroundings. Fun place to people watch in the solarium. Fresh, contemporary colours and great service!

Its recently come to my attention that Saege Bistro has suffered an electrical fire and has closed its doors for the time being. Bollocks! This is such a serene summertime destination, with its easy lightness and integrated flavor. Award winning! Expert cuisine! Whoah-​Nelly presentation! This is truly a bummer, as Saege is in its element once summertime hits.
Rumor has it that there will be a «Saving Saege Fundraiser». Not exactly sure what this will entail, and how far fans will go to contribute to a revival. But heres hoping for a coming together and quick recovery for this delicious and elegant Spring Garden locale.

I was lucky enough to have a very pleasurable double date at Saege. I was a little sceptical at first because it seems like such a fancy, up-​scale restaurant, but we went on the right night.
Wednesday’s are a special day at Saege because they have a pizza and pasta menu where each dish is only $ 10. You can’t go wrong with a filling, delicious meal for $ 10. Each week they come up with different pizza and pasta dishes, so you’re always sure to find something you want. The other menu prices are a little higher than $ 10, which is why Wednesday is such a great day.
The atmosphere in Saege was quite nice. They have flowers on every table that is changed on a regular basis. Everything in the main dining area is a nice greenish colour, which is very relaxing and quite nice. They have a private dining area that is decorated with purple instead of green.
I will warn you about the bathrooms. The doors have a man and woman painted on them distinguishing the two. However, the man looks awfully curvy and could actually pass as a woman. I say this because I made the unfortunate mistake of wandering into the men’s washroom. I left as soon as I saw the urinals. Ladies, our bathroom is the far one with an even curvier figure. Upon closer examination you’ll also notice that one door says ‘Adam’ and the other says ‘Eve.’ I just wish it was a little clearer. Oh well, I’ll know for next time.