Sarava At Shaker Square

Amazing atmosphere and good food with amazing service.

This was a wonderful neighborhood staple where a lot of good memories were shared. Their caipirinha on the patio in the summer was a real treat. RIP Sergio you are missed.

This restaurant has permanently closed as of March 19, 2013.

It’s been a while since visiting Shaker Square. I enjoyed a wonderful meal here of grilled chicken thighs. It was a bit of a slow night; I expected the place to be crowded and it wasn’t. The atmosphere was quite relaxing, with wonderful music in the background. I could drink white sangrias all day everyday!
Sarava didn’t strike me as the type of restaurant with widescreen tvs, but it has them… seems a bit out of place to me.

First off, the food was great. No complaints here. Appetizers were excellent, main courses were very well done. We left content and happy. The atmosphere was really nice with Brazilian music playing in the background, low lighting, and little noise. Definitely a romantic place.
However, if you’re looking for an authentic Brazilian restaurant, this isn’t it. I lived in Brazil for a year and a half. Sarava’s cuisine is more new-​agey with some Brazilian thrown into the mix. I would say that about 50−60% really traces its roots to plates from Brazil. The rest of the menu looks great, just isn’t Brazilian. If you’ve got a hankering for one of the staples, like picanha, feijoada, farofa, or pão de queijo you can kill it here. Other touches though, such as vinagrete and brigadeiro were not to be found.
Regardless, the wait staff was extremely attentive and polite. Service overall was excellent. If I were back in the area I would return to Sarava.

It was good, nothing major either way. Solid experience. Great enviornment, lovely staff, the food was OK. Nothing crazy great, but solid.

First meal out in Cleveland did not disappoint. More of an eclectic mix of food than just Brazilian, it will likely satisfy any mood. Staff was attentive and nice. I recommend going with a group and ordering a bunch of small plates to share.

Went for happy hour from 5 – 7, M-​F. Prices are good only at bar. Good selection of mixed drinks and good house white. Their house red was not that good. All happy hour drinks are $ 5.00 and they have good selection of small plates. We ordered the artichoke fritter, spicy shrimp, and pan fried cheese with sauce. I meant to ask what the cheese was, but I’m guessing some type of Halloumi. I had been here a few days earlier and the service was a bit slow and distracted, despite being fairly empty. Much better service this visit and I will definitely be back.
Tip: park in back behind the drug store. The lot is free and safe, plus there is an indoor hallway that connects you to Shaker Square right next to the restaurant.

Love everything about the place. Great service… décor…live music and the location is great… anyone in the city can get to this place… Did I mention the food… Excellent!
Started off with the pao de queijo… sort of like mozzerella sticks but better, the are triangle in shape, Perfectly breaded and fried with a great sauce to go with it. Entre options are extensive… this was my 1^st vivit here so I settle on the xim xim. A blend of shredded chicker and shrimp within an orange stew mixed with rice, peanuts, carrots… absolutely delicious. I was skepticle since Im not the buggest fan of shrimp but I was very surprised and the dish did not disappoint.
Our server was excellent as well. Place seemed to pick up around 4pm on Sunday. Perfect place for a date with the girlfriend or wife… also good enough to take the kids or family our for dinner as well.

My visit here was part of the 4^th stop of 2012 CLE International Supper Club monthly gathering (
)
Just like some of the other reviewers, the drinks served up here was awesome. I had two Mojito with Brazilian Rum. Both prepared not too sweet and hand crushed mint. They went down very easy. I however must admit I totally got the cold shoulder from the bartender in every taking my order for the drink. The bar wasn’t even busy. It was clear he was intentionally not making eye contact with me even though I was standing in the center of the bar waiting to catch his attention. My second and following drinks were ordered from the table while dining.
The tapas — light plates — of which I ordered three different kinds, 2 were a hit, 1 was a miserable miss. I had the spicy shrimp — this had the best spicy sauce I’ve had in some time. The sauce wasn’t good because it was spicy but what made it was the aromatics and the heavier rich texture and complemented very well with the grilled shrimp. It was so good that I even dipped the bread balls tapas I ordered in this sauce. These puff small bread bites were soft and fluffy. My 3^rd tapas was the grilled beef — this dish came out absolutely cold and the meat was rubbery. As I tried these it made me wonder that I thought Sarava markets themselves as a brazilian steakhouse. Do people in brazil really eat cold chewy steak? I don’t think NOT!
I opted to get the Flan for dessert. This was a tasty dessert, it was better than average however the price to portion ratio is not correct for this dish. Overpriced.
All in all, I’ll go back for the drinks and the spicy shrimp IF I’m in the area. The quality of food and service received isn’t anything to make me want to drive all that way.

Sergio, Sergio. You really know how to woo a happy-​hour-​lovin’ girl.
AMBIANCE:
Ebony trim interiors, lofty ceilings, soft candle lighting complemented by the glow of Cleveland’s silver skies. Swank in clean and simple lines – the bar: a sleek and modern nod to the tiki bars of pinup fame. Live jazz band not 10 feet away yet unobtrusive, melting into the woodwork. Lounge areas with small tables for a more intimate respite. Saravá: seduction is thy name.
DRANKS:
Sergio’s harbors a small but respectable selection of beers, wines, and Brazilian-​style cocktails, poured on the heavy side. (I’m looking at you, Copa Kiss & Mojito.) But the Street Plates alone are worth an after-​work quick dip into this luxe hideout.
EATS:
Had only 2 plates, including a respectably tasty and surprisingly light beef churasco, but the obvious showstopper was the P.E.I. mussels. Plump mussels simmered in butter broth* you wish you had more than the already 4 large slices of golden-​crusted garlic ciabatta toast to mop it up. I was ready to tip the bowl for a shameless, slurplicious finish but settled for more subtle teaspooning. Hey there, what’s going on? Oh, you know, just feeding myself like a ravenous baby bird with this teaspoon here like it’s a nourishing stew and not butter mussel juice normal people leave in the bowl when they’re done nibbling ugly balls of succulent meat scraped off of iridescent shells. You know, the uge.
(*reminiscent of Tremont Taphouse’s mussel broth but understandably lighter, given TT’s version includes beer, blue cheese and bacon)
THE CATCH /​VERDICT:
None really. The cushions in the mini lounge area could use new covers. Service was pretty regular but could’ve been a bit more attentive. And maybe they could make a mintier, limier, less rummy mojito. And the $ 18 HH deal – 2 apps and a drink – isn’t exactly rock-​bottom pricing. But for HH in Cleveland, it doesn’t get much better than Sergio’s Saravá.

Yet another stop along our Unilocal Int’l Supper Club tour…
Drinks? Ohmygod, yes. They were so good in fact that I downed three in a very short period of time. I had to stop myself from ordering another and I noticed a lot of our other diners were stopping themselves, as well. Wow… just FYI, the sparkling wine and passion fruit drink was divine.
Food? Eh… As much as I hate to admit it, I did not have a wonderful experience. In fact, across our table seemed to be hit or miss. I ordered the blackened mahi special and it came as tough as fish jerky. I get it – it’s blackened, but it should still flake in the middle. I was having a hard time cutting it with a fork… not a good sign when you order a light fish. Everyone around me either had something they loved or something they wanted to send back. I will say the artichoke fritters, spicy shrimp small plate and curried scallops were awesome.
Other than that, the service was nice, but sort of burly at times. The waitress we had was training another server and it was sort of a mess. The main server smelled so much of cigarettes that you could choke on the scent as she reached across you. She also had a tendency to slam plates and dishes down in front of you. In fact, I had no idea why this gal was training another server.
Overall, I could see the potential of this place and the drinks and our company is what really made our experience. I think they should really shrink their menu down to one, small page of Brazilian-​style specialties and keep it at that.
P. S. If you’re in it for the drinks, take advantage of their happy hour specials. If not, you’ll end up with a huge bill like I did… dammit.

I went here with a few friends for happy hour before going to a Unilocal event actually. They have a 3 plate special for $ 18. Drinks are pricy but well worth it because they were made fresh and not your typical place where you can pick up an average type of drink. I watched the bartender make one of the drinks and it was some mojito and she was literally shaking the ingredients real good and really putting some work into it. Some places I’ve been to didn’t spend all that time and put some artificial stuff in so I know this was well worth it. As far as the food goes, we had their mussells which was okay to me. I’ve had mussells elsewhere and the meat was more generous elsewhere, but the flavoring was alright to me. I’m not too crazy over the buttery version but according to my one friend who is as crazy as me for mussells, it was good to her.
As far as the place itself, located in Shaker Square, it’s a high end classy place if you ask me. Drinks were $ 7.25 and these were happy hour prices so I can’t imagine how much they are normally. The ambiance is great if you’re looking for a place that’s a bit intimate. Great to bring a date! They had a small jazz group come in and play some tunes for us. We sat by the bar area so service was attentive from the bartenders. I would come back here another time for dinner and try their entrees which sounded interesting to try.
Big Plus: Patio area out so great place to sit out during warmer days

I came here with a large party for NY’s Eve dinner. The food was excellent but the service was so terrible that I could hardly enjoy my meal.
Two members of our party were gluten-​intolerant. When we asked the waitress which options we could choose from, she acted really annoyed, which was bizarre given the fact that this restaurant has a gluten free menu prominently posted on their website. They were running a limited menu for NY’s, but it still seemed strange that our question was such a burden.
She asked the chef which items we could order, then came back and listed the entrees we could select from, all which would need to be minus the sauce. She made it sound as though each entrée would be dry and tasteless as a result, and made no offer to ask the chef to improvise a sauce. I ordered the scallops, thinking they would be easy to dress up with butter, olive oil, lemon, etc. Any decent restaurant with a decent chef should be able to whip up a simple dressing for scallops. I asked her directly if she thought the scallops would be dry, and she said yes. Isn’t that bizarre? We were paying a fixed price of $ 55 for the meal, and here she is telling me that the food is going to be bad, and making no offer to help improve it.
My boyfriend started getting mad on my behalf at this point, and asked her if the chef could put something else on them such as olive oil or lemon, and her answer was, «We are running a limited menu tonight, so we can’t do anything for you.» Of course, my boyfriend didn’t like this answer, so he said, «Are you telling me that you guys threw everything out?» By now, she seemed really mad and said,“I can bring you some lemon.” Then she walked away without taking his order. (She later came back to get his order.)
When the meals came, the food was delicious, and of course the chef had made a delicious butter sauce for the scallops. I could barely enjoy it though, out of fears that she had spit in my food or something! God she had a terrible attitude.
If I come here again, I will certainly request a different waiter.

I dig it.
Sat in the bar area with a group recently and ordered a bunch of the Street Plates, aka small plates/​tapas. The things we tried ranged from «Just OK» to «Very Good and Would Order Again.»
In the better category were the spicy shrimp, the mussels and the ribs.
The atmosphere I absolutely loved! Very chic, sleek, sexy. Somewhere to look good, be seen, host people:)
Interesting beer and wine list. Very interesting cocktail list though I didn’t try any…
Seems like the small plates are the way to go to try a variety and get your money’s worth.
Will return.

Atmosphere: Sarava is a really high class bar restaurant. The dim lights, the seating, the art and the layout of the room really sets the whole tone of this restaurant. There’s also a jazz flavor to the bar, not to mention the live jazz band that plays there. The only complaint I would give is, during my 2^nd dining experience there, I could barely hear what my friend was saying due to the jazz music that was just overflowing the room.
Service: The first time I was at sarava, it was for a company event where we blocked off half of the restaurant. Needless to say, the service was GREAT. However, the second time I came back with a friend, I felt the lack of treatment and attention being given to me. My waiter never smiled at us and he just seemed like he was so tired from a day of waitering that he really just wasn’t friendly. In fact, when we got out check, the previous customer’s check/​receipt/​suggestion form was still in the flap!
Food (s) Ordered: Lobster Hot Dog, Pan seared sea scallops, Duck Ravioli, Shrimp Baiana, Gnocchi with Lobster
Food (s) Quality: I ABSOLUTELY love their shrimp baiana and the lobster hot dog. The lobster hog dog is only on their menu certain days when it’s their «special» so BE SURE to get it if it’s there! It’s basically teared lobster meat w/​green & red peppers placed into a bun. The meat is served cold. Despite the dish sounding rather sketchy, it is the absolute reason why I came back to sarava a second time. In addition, the shrimp baiana had a GREAT flavors to it with really nicely roasted vegetables. The menu says the baiana is a bit spicy but it’s nice so it was perfect for me. The sea seared scallops are also a great dish although with not much scallops on the plate for the price. As for the Duck Ravioli, my friend LOVED it while I thought the flavors were overpowering and a bit salty. Hwoever, I would say it’s a must try dish. It is duck wrapped in really thin pasta (ravioli) and then with a special fried breading. Definitely an unique dish. The Gnocchi with lobster was a special of the day; however, i wasn’t a huge fan of it and didn’t find the flavors to mix well.
Comments: I would go back to this restaurant for sure. The fact that they offer so many specials everyday is a reason to go back. So far, i’ve never had bad experiences there with their food quality.

Took my little brother here for dinner Sunday night. The place was better than I remembered. Attentive service, great décor, great food, and live music every Sunday.
For an appetizer, we split the shrimp inferno. The shrimp were spicy and buttery and served with garlic toast. Perfect. I also had the trevisana salad, which was very good.
For the main course, I had the pichanha (Brazilian-​style steak). The steak was a bit more cooked than ideal for medium-​rare, the sides were very competently done. All in all, quite good, though very similar to what I’ve had at less expensive Brazilian restaurants. My brother had the sea scallops, which were amazing, sweet and perfectly seared.
For dessert I had the chocolate terrine and French-​press coffee, my brother had the tropical fruit with passion fruit zabaglione. Both were superb.
A bit pricey, but a great place for drinks and small plates or for an upscale dinner. And Sunday night is a great night to go, the music makes an already good atmosphere excellent.

I was surprised to find a restaurant like Sarava on the east side of Cleveland. Having been to Shaker Square once, mostly for their farmer market on Saturday mornings (which is great by the way– I found butternut squash for cheap as well as amish apple butter), it was nice to walk into a nicer restaurant on the east side of Cleveland.
Walked in and was seated quickly in a nice little booth. A little dark to my liking, but a nice, well presented restaurants. Stuck with the restaurant week menu (I wish there was more selections), we ordered off of that. and I got a caipirinha to start off… which is a mix of a mojito and lime juice? It was okay.
Appetizers: Duck confit ravioli, goat cheese salad, or butternut squash bisque. I chose the bisque– GREAT. Not too heavy, not too thick-​just right. The ravioli… looked small. The portion came out with three pieces. The salad was just that… a salad. But I was surprised the bisque wasn’t too thick or had too much stock in it… it was pretty good. I like.
Entrée: I got the pork tenderloin. It was good! Not too tough, not too heavy– was in this great sauce. I’m not a fan of mashed potatoes… so although I knew the dish had mashed potatoes, I wasn’t a fan how it consumed about half my dish. It’s meant to be a side! A friend next to me got the trout. which was quite good. I liked how it had pecans in it… and it wasn’t overdone.
Dessert: I got the coconut butter cake. MMmm. Good! It was a tad too heavy though, for my liking– I finished about half the cake. Another friend got the peach cobbler… I took a bite out of his, and man, it was sweet. Too sweet. I think they put too much sugar when they were boiling the peaches for the glaze. But the winner of the night– I took a bite out of chocolate terrine– OMG, I should have gotten that. A flourless cake which was so so so so good. That was the winner of the desserts. :)
I would come back to Sarava. It didn’t seem like a Brazilian place though– but… still, a nice place in Shaker Square to stop and have a nice dinner.

Back in the Stone Ages, during my law school years, I used to insist upon going to Sergio’s in University Circle for fancy dinners. I was a little disappointed that Sergio’s Sarava, while still good, didn’t quite equal its sister restaurant.
The space is really beautiful. The interior is dark, sleek and romantic and the patio is charming. The service can be a bit lackadaisical. But the caipirinhas were freshly made and delicious, so I got used to the slow pace.
Stick to the small plates. Those were interesting and delicious. The tamale cakes, ribs and artichoke fritters were fresh and vibrant. With the exception of the feijoada (lots of pork based yumminess with black beans), the entrees were boring. The Xim-​Xim consisted of a lot of rice and some shrimp overwhelmed by a lot of tomato sauce. My Brazilian Bouillabaisse was basically the same thing with the addition of some shellfish and fish fillet. Meh.
If you go, sit on the patio and listen to the band and order a lot of small plates and caipirinhas.

So I went with my brother, since he’s got a major thing for Brazilian food. We ordered Faijoada (sp?), Grilled Cheese, Grilled Cheese with chicken, Churrasca beef, and pork chops with polenta.
I had a much better culinary experience this time.
4 Caperinhas later, we were really, really pleased.
We also met a guy who will be filming Sepultura. Quixotic. ;)
By the way, the grilled cheese was superb. It’s not a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s grilled cheese. I love rodizio cooked cheeses and this is the closest I’ve had in CLE.