Sabor

I first took my husband to this restaurant for his birthday a few years ago and we have been coming back ever since. There are always really good and tasty vegetarian options (we also eat fish but prefer to keep it to a minimum) not just boring salads like some places do, and the cocktails are always amazingcocktails made right are not supposed to overpower you with alcohol, they ‘sneak up’ on you. Highly recommend the ginger martini! I have to stop myself from ordering carimanolas and yuca fritters every single time I am there because they are always so DELICIOUS.
I suppose you can say the place is kind of small but we like that so it’s not a problem for us. Whenever we’ve been there it’s been a nice ambience with no crowds and no very noisy diners. Not sure how that place would cope with a rambunctious crowd. It’s always immaculately clean and the staff are efficient and friendly without being OTT.
At one point we used to be heartily torn between coming here and going to Las Iguanas. Both menus were excellent. Luckily this is no longer a problem because the food standard at Las Iguanas has been steadily declining. Now Sabor is the only restaurant of its type I patronise. Keep it up folks! We LOVE LOVE LOVE you!

Sabor is a hidden gem in Islington. I went with my older sister for dinner, and we were treated to wonderful service, a range of tasty dishes, and a delightful evening. If you’re looking for a quiet meal, try going on a weeknight.

We were really very impressed by Sabor. Great cocktails, fish starters to die for (amazing ceviche, and pretty awesome prawns with tamarind on quinoa), friendly staff and good service, plus it’s a funky place that’s was pretty buzzing. Oh, and a super wine list with a great range of S American and Spanish wines we had a delicious Menoza Malbec at quite a reasonable price. There were a few minor things that, if they sorted out, would really elevate this place. First, the meat mains. Great in concept, but only good in execution my chicken breast was slightly overdone, it was underseasoned and there were too many potatoes on the plate. My partner’s rib steak was a big bit of meat that was perfectly cooked but, again, underseasoned and the beef wasn’t especially flavourful (maybe Argentinian? I know this is a latin american restaurant, but UK beef is so very excellent, I don’t see the point in shipping the stuff across the atlantic). Loved the chimichurri and the plantain chips! The espresso was more long black than espresso (but the coffee itself was excellent). A bit more refinement in the service not that it was bad, and one of the girls serving us was totally awesome! and this would be a complete winner. Very nearly a 5* for me and I’ll definitely be coming back here with other people. I’d recommend you try it too, if only for the great fish! (Do they get their fish from Steve Hatt, I wonder!)

We had a set menu and I thought he food was average at best. Beef skewers were bland and my pork loin over cooked. Desert was also an almond tart that was below average. On the plus side, the alternate choices were quite good (king prawns, salmon and cheesecake) but nothing really made the restaurant Argentinian besides the wine list. Seating was also uncomfortable — small tables

She’ll bite you If I tell her. being slightly intimidated by a toothless man wielding a lhasa apso wasn’t how I’d planned to spend my Saturday evening, and I was lucky at this point that we shared a common language, ‘slightly pissed’, enabling me to smile and gurn my way out of trouble. Granted, he was slightly more fluent than I, elevated only slightly from the level of street drinker by dint of the pub bench he sat at. Sat outside the New Rose, next door to Sabor and a glimpse of the other Islington. Only a mile from but a million miles removed from the gentrified surroundings of Islington Green and Upper Street.
Essex Road has sidestepped most of the ill effects of recent gentrification, with the odd outriding bar or restaurant gradually spreading the money down from Upper Street and Islington Green. As you head further down, these become fewer and further between, replaced instead with a scattering of old style cafes, blacked out pub windows, bottle shops and the more colourful side of street life. I like it, but then I live in Camberwell.
We weren’t here for the salty locale though, we were here on recommendation, punctuating an evening’s drinking with a bite to eat at the relatively upmarket ‘Nuevo Latino’ cantina Sabor. It’s a thin, bright space with white walls, primary coloured tables and an eclectic selection of South American objects scattered across the wall, somewhere across between a child’s playgroup and gap year returnee’s bedroom.
The food was well meaningly authentic but fairly scattergun, starting with a warm but too dry cornbread. I went for a seemingly Peruvian style of potato known as Papas Rellenas, essentially a thickened mash with a spiced minced meat filling, served with a tomato ‘foam’ on the side. It wasn’t disastrous, but watching others plough into hot flakey empanadas and surprisingly solid vegetarian quesadillas I did have a little pang. There were some great dishes among the starters in the group, sadly mine wasn’t one of them.
For my main I went for a rib-​eye. Well cooked and a great bit of meat to boot. Unfortunately the balsamic glazed plantain that it came with was a little eye-​watering for me though. It’s an interesting idea, but the al dente discs of banana’s bigger brother just didn’t take enough of the marinade on, leaving it darkly slick across the plate. It clashed with the over-​garlicky chimichurri like two rival gangs on my palate. The lettuce accompanying was just pointless. A classic piece of menu Tourettes. I regretted my choice watching across the tiny toy tables as one of the group ploughed into a Cuban shredded beef brisket and rice dish with a wonderful piquancy to it. There were similar positive murmurs about the red snapper. It certainly smelt good, though the sample I tried got mugged on the way to my tastebuds by that chimichurri.
Desserts followed the theme. My chocolate tres leches was a classic three milk brownie, dense and sticky, a perfect balance of texture, sweet and bitter. Two of the party went for what seemed like a sweetened, poached tomato, served disingenuously with a spoon of highly alcoholic rum and raisin.
It’s a fun, friendly and fairly good value night out. I don’t see myself back here at any point in the near future, but that’s more the area than the restaurant. It’s worth popping in if you’re nearby.

Quirky, interesting South American restaurant in Islington — serving up authentic dishes in a not quite authentic setting.
White walls with crazy artwork, and seemingly crazy staff too, it’s lucky the food is good! Early gripes about the uncomfortable chairs that won’t fit underneath the table were forgotten once my steak was served. The fillet was tasty (rubbed with spices and herbs), tender and served with a powerful chimichurri.
The cerviche starter wasn’t the best I’ve had but fresh, clean and generously sized.
Not a place I’d rush back to for a steak, despite being a tasty one, but I’d be keen to try some of their other traditional dishes.

I had such high hopes! I mean, with a name like ‘Sabor’ you expect, well, some sabor in the food.
The visit here started a great note: delicious cocktails. The cocktails were well mixed, fruity and delicious. But that’s where the yummy stopped. Sadness.
My friend and I ordered some cod fish cakes appetizers and they were way too salty. We couldn’t finish them it was that bad.
I have a pretty good memory but I cannot, for the life of me, remember my main dish. So yeah… it was forgettable.
What wasn’t forgettable was the dessert. The chocolate tres leches was by far the most disappointing part of the evening. It was beyond dry. Tres leches cake should be drenched in milk, no compromising with that because if you do it’s just a boring hard cake.
As a Latina I was hoping this place was going to take me places with the various flavors but unfortunately it left me still wanting and very disappointed.

The worst moqueca I’ve ever had. It consisted of a tablespoon of rice and one prawn floating in a sauce that tasted like ketchup. I’ve tried this place 4 times since it opened and it has consistently got worse. No more.

Low-​key but lively, affordable but swanky, tasty but not trying too hard. What’s not to like? It’s a fun place especially for a group where you don’t want to break the bank.
This place is nouveau latino — modern cuisine inspired by Latin American flavors.
We started with fried yucca (mmm… crunchy and soft) followed by corn cakes (which I heard were good) and another starter.
Our friendly waitress recommended a Chilean wine which was so good we ordered a second bottle for the group.
For main dishes, we had a pork chop with sweet potato mash — juicy and sweet — and a steak with fascinating plantains cooked in balsamic.
Gluten-​free notes: Most of the dishes here are naturally gluten-​free but be sure to ask about sauces and anything fried.

I live right down the block from this place and had passed it so many times that I thought it was time to give it a try one night when my mom was in town.
The food was just ok. For starters I had scallops and passionfruit which was nice and she had some sort of really tasty fajitas. As a main I had a veg stuffed butternut squash. The stuffing was truly tasteless and I wound up fishing it all out and eating the squash by itself. Mom had a chicken something or other that I was coveting the whole time. We didn’t bother with dessert.
Getting the bill was a painful experience until I finally gestured I was leaving by getting up — always works like a charm.
All in all, for the money, go elsewhere.

This restaurant finds its inspiration in traditional South American dishes and gives them a contemporary twist. The prix fixe menu, offering three courses for £17.50, is a terrific bargain. We started with grilled chicken skewers served with potatoes in a spicy cheese sauce and crisp corn fritters with avocado salsa. For our main courses we had fried fillet of red snapper, coated with cocoa and chili and served with red beans and rice, and a chicken breast, marinated with sundried tomatoes, rosemary, red onion, garlic, and coriander, served with mashed gold potatoes. Our desserts were a banana-​rum torte with coconut foam and creamy passion fruit ice cream and blackberry sorbet. A bottle of Argentinian chenin blanc, very reasonably priced at £13.50, was the perfect complement for our delicious meal.
Service was excellent. The only negative comment I have concerns the hard plastic chairs, which became increasingly uncomfortable as the evening progressed. Otherwise, this is a delightful dining spot and one we definitely will visit again.

Sabor is simply my favourite South American restaurant in London! The ingredients are top quality, the dishes very creative, the vibe is just great and the selection of Argentinean and Chilean wines perhaps one of the most complete in London. I normally go for the ceviches, followed by Argentinean steaks, and never missed a classic caipirinha or a pisco sour and an Argentinean Malbec. Finally, as Colombian I should also point out that this is not the traditional Latin American restaurant, but a very well thought and vibrant concept.

Is there any way to start a review with the words, ‘when I was travelling in Argentina’ without sounding like a completely hideous knob? Oh well, here I go anyway. When I was travelling in Argentina, meal times were… controversial. To put it simply, there is only so much ham and cheese a girl can eat. Breakfast — ham and cheese platter, lunch — ham and cheese roll, dinner — ham and cheese omelette. Trying to budget became pretty tough and if I’d been diagnosed with scurvy at the end of it all I wouldn’t have been surprised. It was however, all made worth it on the occasional posh night out. Fresh fish, huge salads and all the Argentinian steak you could imagine. It was the stuff of food filled fantasies.
To get to the point, it was in marking the anniversary of this big adventure that my friend and I decided to head along to Sabor, Islington’s Latin American hot spot. Brightly decorated with a slick design the restaurant feels both stylish and cosy although the seats at the front verge on the side of goldfish bowl.
To start we shared salt cod croquettes with avocado and lime salsa — great for sharing and very tasty. For mains my friend went for swordfish with roasted veg and I had a steak with plantain. Both were great but mine definitely won on the authentic Argentinian flavour. It is however worth pointing out that if I had eaten the sauce that came along side I would have been rendered blind for the rest of my life. Seriously guys, you wanna crank that chilli back by about 2 scotch bonnets. However, the steak itself was delicious and the plantain was a nice touch.
As we saved 25% by booking through Top Table the meal came to around £35 which seemed very reasonable for a little slice of Argentina. Oh, and the waiter called me Chica which melts my heart every time. Big thumbs up!

Recommended to me by a Colombian friend, this restaurant is absolutely fantastic. The food is delicious, and the staff and service top notch. Genuine Latin American cuisine — this is NOT Nando’s/Tex-Mex!

Modernes Restaurant im schoenen Islitngton Quartier in London. Die Speisen waren geschmackvoll angerichtet und nicht nur das Auge konnte sich daran erfreuen. Es war sehr gut! Die Preise waren aber eher gesalzen, einen vegetarischen Hauptgang konnte man z.B. ab 11 Pfund haben. Die Bedienung war freundlich und kompotent. Leider hat die Klimaanglage etwas zu stark gearbeitet.

There aren’t many restaurants like Sabor in London — where South American food is all chucked into a large melting pot and spat out the other side and fun, interesting and surprising dishes.
The décor is nice and the staff are welcoming. It is a bit pricey, but then it does look it. The cocktails are very, very good. The restaurant feels lively without being too in your face.
My one peice of advice would be to book through toptable — that way you get to go enjoy the food and a special offer.

If you want to avoid the many chain eateries in the area, head to Sabor for a vibrant South American flavour.
The menu is quite exotic, using South American ingredients and ideas to create original dishes (such as red snapper coated in chilli chocolate) and build on the wide variety of traditional dishes.
Of course, it includes Mexico and you can’t go wrong with a cold margarita! The service is really good, giving the whole place an energetic, lively feel.

Sabor is a beautiful little place to eat. It has mainly Colombian influences in the food, with some Argentine and Peruvian. Wine was not very good, and food was extremely tasty, but way off the originals A good spot to try though, if you’re tired of eating the same old stuff in London Latin American restaurants. The décor is simple but attractive. Well worth a visit though a bit pricey.

I went to Sabor with great hopes, as I’m a fan of South American cooking, but it turned out this was more a watered down version of the food I was expecting.
As a starter I had the Empanadas Paisas, which just didn’t deliver, the aji for one, was not authentic or spicy so that dissapointed me. The actual empanadas, were very bland and nothing like the empanadas I’ve had in Colombia.
As a mains I had ordered the Aji de Gallina, which again was bland, with the chicken being overcooked. I think I tried someone’s Conejo en Salsa de Chocolate too, which was an attempt at a chocolate mole. Again, not very successful.
I did try some desserts, and I think the Mousse de Maracuya was actually pretty decent.
The service was acceptable, but nothing standout, drinks were average, the wines being more expensive than in other similar restaurants, however the cocktails were rather good. The venue itself is very nicely laid out and some effort has gone into the lighting and decoration so quite a relaxed atmosphere is established.
I suppose Sabor is trying to appeal to as broad a market as possible by offering food which is South American inspired. If I had known this going in perhaps I would not have been so dissapointed. A bit harsh, but maybe Las Iguanas offers more authentic SA fare.
The thing I like about South American cooking is the flavours from the ingredients that are just not found in other parts of the world. Going to Sabor I expected to be immersed in these
flavours, this did not happen and as a result I was dissapointed.
Still, there are many items on the menu that I didn’t try, so perhaps I’d be open to going back there to try something else.
Pros
— inventive menu
— nicely decorated/​lit
— nice cocktails
Cons
— not authentic
— food is a bit bland
— pricey

If you go out in Islington and want to get away from the well troden track of Upper Street to find a true taste of Latin America, make sure you go into Sabor, five minutes up Essex Road.
It’s the ideal place to meet a group of friends, as the décor (especially colourful and original paper mache animal heads on the wall) and atmosphere is light and comfortable and the staff are very friendly and helpful.
The food is nuevo latino, so mixes alot of influences from South America, Africa and southern Europe to create some unique flavours. Try the Conejo en Salsa de Chocolate–
rabbit cook in a rich and spicy chocolate sauce served with wild rice, corn & quinoa salad. Yum. There’s a good mix on the menu, so you can go for either light or heavier tasting options.
Take your appetite and your friends and you won’t be dissapointed.