Cleveland Park has been traditionally known as a laid-back part of town that caters to locals and others looking to find venues with no dress code or any discernible sense of fashion. How else could you explain how one area could accommodate two venues like Ireland’s Four Provinces and Nanny O’Briens within walking distance. That being said, there has been an influx of higher-end, more sophisticated venues in Cleveland Park and Sabores is the most recent.

Cost – $$

Service – A-
Sabores has pretty good service. Actually the people who work there are downright friendly. They are mostly Latin and as much as I hate to stereotype (actually I don’t hate to stereotype at all) I find that Latin people who work in restaurants tend to be friendlier than other ethnicities. At any rate, the service is quite good.

Food – B
The food is quite good. You can choose from a decent array of Spanish Tapas and the quality is much better than some of the other Tapas places in the DC area (like Jaleo for instance, which always leaves me feeling slightly nauseated).

Decor – A-
I arrived at Sabores about ten minutes before the rest of my group and leaned up against the bar and enjoyed a mojito. With its open walls, it has a very tropical feel and in the warm DC night if I shut my eyes I honestly felt for a moment that I was transported to the Caribbean. Now, that may be lunatic tendencies of a man who hasn’t felt much warm weather in the past five months but there is something very perfect about the way that Sabores is designed.

Feel – B+
Much like with the decor, if I closed my eyes for a few moments in the warm DC night I could almost imagine being in a trendy upscale lounge in Miami surrounded by all sorts of beautiful people. Then I opened my eyes and realized I was in a restaurant in Cleveland Park. That being said, it is not a bad place to start your evening and if you are lucky enough to have a significant other then I would highly recommend Sabores as a venue to take them out on a warm Summer evening.

Sabores is located at 3433 Connecticut Ave. They can be reached at (202) 244-7196.

What’s the Buzz:

January 18, 2008 – The Full Flavors of Sabores (The Washington Post) – Sabores resembles a double-wide add-on solarium. The room is a long rectangle with a marble-topped bar and a row of banquettes along the rear wall. Full Article…

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