Sabato

I think we all can agree with Jack, foodies cook & eat out. Well considering that I would happily call myself a foodie it is safe to say I have enjoyed shopping here since I was 16 years old! That is well over a decade now. I drifted off just thinking about how long I have been a customer of Sabato.
In recent years we have gone about once a year, generally around Christmas time. Putting together packages of sweet treats together. I think what really stands out were the decades when the big guy used to wander around greeting people with hugs, pecks on the cheek & tons of food knowledge. We would spend a good 10mins each visit swapping recipes. Sadly he passed, his memories & presence lives on.
I fell in love with Italian cooking because of this place & I gained a ton of knowledge, and what tastes good because they let you sample almost everything.
This place isn’t cheap it isn’t for the frugal, the skint or the budget conscious. This place is for the person that wants something special, something spectacular or the person who values quality over quantity.
After all, where else can you buy a $ 300 bottle of balsamic vinegar? Oh and get to try some

I agree with Jack C., being a foodie is as much about getting your hands dirty in the kitchen as it is about eating!
I love cooking up a storm but the real magic happens when I get my hands on quality ingredients and Sabato is one of my favourite go to places! I can spend hours here. I get totally caught up in the whole shopping experience… taste testing and sipping espressos while chatting excitedly with the staff about new products and of course, spending money!
My most recent discovery while shopping for my friend’s wedding cake ingredients… the Can Bech preserved figs and raspberry cacao spread!
So whether you are after, Spanish sardines, properly aged Italian balsamic, Valrhona chocolate, Hailala vanilla products or good quality cheeses, then Sabato is where you’ll find it.
Sabato hosts some great events too. They bring artisan producers in to talk about their products; host cooking demonstrations and market days. I’m dying to attend one of their Parmigiano Reggiano cracking sessions and the cheese tasting class.
Oh and the staff are passionate foodies who aim to please!

Food lovers rejoice!!!
If you enjoy cooking, baking, complimentary food samples, or just gourmet food in general, then get to Sabato now! Located on Normanby Road (very near to Citta Design and BLOC), this store is one of a kind!
I could literally spend hours walking through Sabato tasting every olive oil, balsamic, chorizo, cheese, chocolate and dipping sauce imaginable! While some of the products are sourced around New Zealand, you will mostly find products from Spain, Italy and of course, France (thank you France for the best chocolate in the world aka Valrhona!).
As well as selling amazing food products, you can also buy cookbooks, kitchen supplies and they also hold cooking classes and cheese classes. I haven’t been to one yet, but they always sell out!
Highly recommend Sabato for all you foodies out there, it will seriously become your new favourite weekend activity (and you won’t even need lunch!)

It doesn’t make you a foodie when all you do is visiting restaurants and cafes. To be a certified foodie, you need to also be able to go into sabato and appreciate the nice things they have in their not so tiny but still cosy store right next to the prison in Mt Eden.
I have been a loyal customer of theirs for ages, and I have paid enough in «tuition fees» to know what I m buying. And being Christmas season they have so much of them sweet treats from Italy and Spain to make my dentist very happy.
One note though, sign up to their customer card. They will give you a $ 25 voucher for every $ 500 accumulated spent.

Sabato is every food lovers’ dream. Tucked away on Normanby Road in Mt Eden, if you don’t know it’s there Sabato can be easy to miss, and what a shame that would be!
Sabato stock gourmet, rare and exotic foods — foreign oils, spices, herbs, sauces, pastas, nuts, grains, baking goods, olives, vinegars, preserves — my mouth is watering just thinking about all the goodies this store has to offer.
Unlike similar stores such as Nosh, Sabato does not stock much fresh produce or meat, but their range of cheeses, preserves, hams, chorizos and confectionary make this store a great place to find wee treats and things for special occasions and/​or dinner parties.
Though predominantly a food store, Sabato also have a range of kitchen supplies and utensils for sale, as well as stocking cookbooks, hampers and information regarding local cooking classes. A great gluten free range is also on hand at Sabato.
Bonus: Sabato also offer you free coffee and have many of their products open for taste testing while you shop — this is a definite bonus, especially because though undoubtedly delicious, quality products, Sabato is quite pricey, so it’s nice to be able to try items before you buy them.

I like to thing of myself and quite the foodie, I love experimenting with new ingredients and recipes. If I decide that I really want to explore in the food department, I take a trip to Sabato in Mt Eden. They have pretty much everything you could want/​need e.g. Italian meats like pancetta and prosciutto, to exotic oils like chilli oil and macadamia oil, cheeses from all around the world and my personal favourite lots of pickled items! Another bonus they always have trial items dotted all around the store, a few rounds and that’s a free lunch but that’s naughty you mustn’t do that :) It’s a fabulous place to go for gifts, especially for dads. Fill a basket with delicious food items, different types of wine and beer and you’re away laughing a beautiful gift that won’t just sit in the sock drawer! Heaps of parking onsite just like a tiny supermarket, great knowledgable staff and good coffee if you fancy one while you shop.

There is no denying if you love gourmet food from exotic places including New Zealand, you must visit Sabato because they are the purveyors of fine food.
Sabato offers shelves and racks and tables and refrigerators filled with delicious and tantalsing food and there is even a cup of coffee on offer while you are shopping.
Who would have even thought there could be so many extra virgin olive oils from Italy, Spain and New Zealand. To decide which is best, tasting bowls are provided.
There are salamis and dried meats, cheeses, chocolates, breads, nuts, anchovies and duck fat. Isles of condiments, chutneys, pastas and sauces, many from top chefs like Peter Gordon or Julie Le Clerc.
I ask you, how can my next dinner party fail with a bounty from Sabato.