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

Brunch at this Latin American restaurant is a nice departure from the norm. I checked out Sabor’s menu online and it was akin to love at first sight, even before I made my way to Essex road and tasted the delighted Latin eggs benedict. It more than lived up to my expectations, with the texture of the creamy cornmeal (polenta) base providing an excellent contrast to the mildly salty layer of serrano ham topped with two poached eggs and a chipotle-infused hollandaise sauce. I strongly suggest you ask for the hollandaise on the side as it’s very rich and amazing but could also overwhelm the dish with too much.

I also had the ‘white coffee’ which was soo good and frothy that I thought the waittress may have given me a cappuccino by accident but it was in fact good quality Colombian coffee with steamed milk. Great stuff. They also make brunch cocktails but they’re not on the menu (yet!) so do inquire if that’s your kinda thing.

Beyond brunch they do 2 types of ceviche (shrimp and fish) and have a variety of Peruvian, Colombian and other South American dishes that sound amazing, which means I’ll probably have to go back several times to try everything that I wanna :)

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 decor (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.