Sabroso Restaurant

Food is absolutely delicious! My partner is dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free; it’s always hard to find food he can eat, and even harder to find safe food that’s actually good. But Sabroso had several options that fit the bill and all were incredibly delicious. We had the bean chili as a starter and the Batatas y Cerdo and the Batatas y Yaca as mains. All were fantastic, with great, complex flavors. Margarita was also perfectly balanced. Prices were very reasonable. This place is a true gem and clearly a labor of love for the two owners.

An absolutely outstanding experience from start to finish. This restaurant is run by a wonderful elderly couple who truly put their hearts into their craft. The husband works magic in the kitchen while his wife provides warm, attentive service that makes you feel at home the moment you walk through the door. The food was exquisite—authentic, perfectly prepared, and incredibly delicious. It’s rare to find a place that feels this welcoming and high-quality at the same time. A must-visit!

First of all, massive thanks to John and Sarah (the owners) for pouring their heart and soul into the food! I can confirm that their chimichangas are on another level, I’d happily drive all the way from Auckland again just to taste that glorious combo of saucy goodness and perfectly cooked dish. And Sarah, please, I beg you, do not take the chimichangas off the menu! The place is a divine food experience. I’ve gone on many rants about food spots (mostly good), but here’s one more reason this one stood out — I’ve never seen my partner finish an entire plate of anything before. Ever. This was a first. I rest my case.

An absolutely fantastic evening! We visited Sabroso and were blown away by the authentic flavors and the warm, welcoming atmosphere. The food was excellent—fresh, vibrant, and beautifully presented—and the service was top-notch. The staff made us feel right at home from the moment we walked in. If you're in Rotorua and looking for a kind, high-quality dining experience, this is the place to go. Highly recommended!

I'll start with WOW! The food was vibrant and delicious. House hot sauce is banging. The owners are just the best, energetic and charismatic and great to talk to. The margaritas are fantastic. If I could it's a ten star review from me. I would highly recommend. They maybe on limited hours so book in advance for this little gem

Super delicious food, amazing service, great atmosphere. Sarah and her husband (sorry I don’t his name) are so lovely and accomodating. The drinks were so great, food was the best we’ve had in a while and will definitely be back soon. Pictured is Sangria, passion fruit margarita, Tres Amigos, Tostadas and Chimichangas.

Amazing food in a cosy atmosphere. Everything we had was absolutely delicious! But the highlights of the night were definitely the Chimichanga de Pollo & the Sopaipillas for dessert. We now have a place we can trust to dine when we come to Rotorua again! Thank you Sarah & John!

My new favourite latin/caribbean restaurant in the country. Exceptional service from Sarah, delicious food from John. We over ordered entrees and mains and didn't have space for dessert...

Awesome place! Great food, fantastic service and the best shaken margarita in Oceana! Highly recommend.

So happy we decided to come here for dinner! At first we were bummed we didn't explore the city more because there was an area called Eat Street with a bunch of restaurants but after walking past them all, we were still happy with this restaurant! The meals are about $20 so be prepared to spend some money. But the meals were worth it! We ordered some chips and salsa to start and the salsa was really good! The waitress brought us a second serving of the salsa because we finished the first one before the food came. My husband and I planned to order 2 meals and split them. It worked out perfectly because both meals we ordered came with 2 large tacos. One dish was the fish tacos of the day: a lightly breaded cod-like fish. The other dish was the duck tacos. Both were delicious but the duck dish was a little more unique in flavor so we both preferred that dish. The restaurant quickly filled up around 7:30 so I guess it's good to come early to this restaurant! It is quite small so if it is full you may have awhile to wait. But it will be worth it! We would definitely come back here again although we only had one more night here so we will probably try something else. But enjoy!

Lovely quaint mom and pop Latin restaurant right of the Main Street of Rotorua. Started with the Tres Amigos, which had 3 small bowls of salsas... light queso, green salsa with parsley, a red traditional salsa and chips. Next we had grilled chicken tacos with pickled onion, lettuce, Mexican cheese, house vinaigrette , house hot sauce, sour cream and a dab of this and that!! I had chicken with pineapple, chives in a light Vera Cruz sauce, cashew rice and black beans. Bar far the best out of country meal we've had ever! Would highly recommend!

Being from Arizona, we're very well acquainted with authentic Latin American food, and Sabroso is the real thing. The flavors have so much depth and variety, but with the simple ingredients you'd expect. The owner is from Venezuela and was delightful and very accommodating. We ordered the Tequenitos and when we told her I was allergic to avocados, she brought two other dipping sauces so I'd have options. We also ordered a new Peruvian pollo dish with passion fruit chili, pineapple salsa, black beans, and cashew coconut rice. It was phenomenal. So flavorful! For dessert we had the sopapillas with chocolate sauce. To. Die. For. The drinks are good as well. We liked the mojitos and margarita. The restaurant is small and fairly quiet with soft Latin music playing in the background, which adds to the ambiance. It's decorated in warm, bright colors, which made it feel like home to me. It was pretty busy on a Wednesday at 7ish, but there were still 3 tables left. It's closed Monday and Tuesday, but go if you get the chance. You won't be disappointed! Glad we stopped in on our vacation to New Zealand. :)

Fantastic little restaurant with great food and very skilled service. Sarah helped explain the menu and made some excellent recommendations. The summer dishes were filled with delicious salads and tasty fresh ingredients. The calamari was a highlight. She also makes a mean Margarita. The restaurant interior has a warm felling and complimented with nice background music. Only open evenings Wednesday to Sunday and be sure to book as it's a small restaurant

This place gets a full score for one dish they serve, the chicken breast with rice and beans!!! The combination of all the ingredients together provide a perfect balance even though they seem won't work with each other. The rest of our dishes were good but nothing special like the chicken breast. We got the prawn stew as a second dish (sharing both dishes). We also ordered the chocolate cake and the pastry for desserts. The place only opens from 5-9pm from Wednesday to Sunday. Last seating is at 8pm and given it's a small place I highly recommend booking a table so that you don't get disappointed.

The food here was exemplary! Really exceeded our expectations. My wife ordered their three tapas: Taquitos, Taquineros, and fried cheese balls. All of them were absolutely scrumptious, especially the cheese balls... I ordered their chimichanga (w/ chicken) and it was perfect. Chicken was tender and the cheese, salsa and beans were a wonderful compliment. I normally don't like to give out 5 stars, but I/we had zero complaints. Job well done!

The owners were so kind and welcoming, with a friendly chat for everyone. The food was simple and yet had great depth of flavors. I had the Tacos del Mar with calimari, absolutely amazing. You can't go wrong here.

Why, one might ask, is there a Latin American restaurant in Rotorua, the tourist town known for its volcanic springs and its relatively close proximity to the Hobbiton set? Are there a lot of Latin Americans in rural New Zealand? What part of Latin America is it supposed to be from? I cannot answer these questions (though their menu seems a mix of Mexican and Peruvian to my inexpert eyes), but I can testify that it is far better than any wandering tourist has a right to expect. Unlike much of the cuisine of the Americas, their menu is vegetarian-friendly, and what's more, you've got the option to get dairy-free or gluten-free as well, and if you do, you won't be disappointed because they've got dishes based on some fantastic black beans and quinoa. I, however, did indulge more than I usually do in the dairy side, and discovered some of the best fried fresh cheese pastries you're ever likely to get (New Zealand is known for its dairy, and I passed plenty of cows on the way here), with a fragrant sauce on the side. The stuffed pepper was likewise as good as I've ever had, and the light and nuanced flavor of the quinoa inside responded well to a dose of the house brand hot sauce. And because it was a miserable night, the hot chocolate I got was wonderful and served at the perfect drinkable, but not lukewarm temperature. If I hadn't blown through my food budget already, I might have sampled their dessert menu, which looked incredible. Speaking of which, this place was on the expensive side, at $20 and up for most main dishes, and $10 for appetizers or desserts. That being said, if you are a tourist wandering around looking for a meal, are you going to find a better place to spend your money than this? I doubt it. Note: check their hours, no lunch and not open on Monday and Tuesday, unfortunately.

Nice experience as a solo diner. From fitting me into a busy night to great recommendations. The calamari tacos (the special when I visited) were the perfect portion size and my drink was exactly as I had requested. The price was definitely reasonable for the location (it's a tourist town!). My meal was fresh and felt authentic. Definitely with a visit!

The best seafood tacos I've ever had! Everything else was also very tasty. This place was much better than the other highly rated Spanish restaurant. We should have eaten here again! And make sure to get the hot sauce too.

Delicious Latin food homemade by a devoted couple who are wonderful chef-hosts. The fish tacos are to die for! Excellent cocktails and relaxed intimate vibe.

We had our first dinner in New Zealand here and were pleasantly surprised by the depth of flavors and quality of food. The restaurant was having a tapas night, and we ordered a bean and mushroom chili dish as starter, then a pork polenta and chicken skewers for main. All three dishes were unique and delicious. We met the owner, who was very nice. She was born in Venezuela and had worked in the hospitality business for years before opening the restaurant. We ended the evening with a chili tequila drink and chocolate truffles.

This is the best Latin food I have ever eaten! The food and the service both were impeccable! Just off of eat streats, in a quaint building. I had the Tacos Del Mar with Calamari and have dreamed of them ever since! My FIL had a lamb dish that was super yummy as well, not to mention the margaritas and mojitos were delicious too.

Amazing small, homey restaurant run by a husband and wife team in downtown Rotorua. This restaurant serves a blend of Latino cuisine - each dish better than the next. We started with a delicious red sangria which was bursting with flavor and more refined than most we've had. My partner and I split several tapas and a main. We shared a chicken, beef and veggie dish. Cannot go wrong with any selection. The biggest difference from other places that I felt was how clean, fresh and bright the dishes were. Excellent flavors, not too spicy, and clearly made from the owner's heart. Highly recommend for a lovely dinner in Rotorua. Great value and reservations a must.

My favourite restaurant in Rotorua by FAR!!! I could not recommend this restaurant enough to anyone. It's a small restaurant and you need to make bookings if you want to eat here. Every time I eat here so many people come in without a booking and get turned away- their own fault. The waitresses and chefs are lovely and so friendly- they always know all my questions and even the chef brings your food out to you at times. The flavour of their meals in impeccable and you need to savour every bite. My favourites that I get every single time is the chipotle calamari (the best thing I have EVER tasted it is out of this world and I barely even like calamari), the chicken chimichanga and the taco calamari. I always smother both of these in their handmade spicy green sauce that they provide, it's incredible. If I'm feeling ambitious I love to get a chocolate cup to go, it's amazing if you love chilli and chocolate and cream. Whenever I'm going out for dinner this is my go to, I take all my friends and family here and now they love it as much as I do.

Fantastic meal! Our family made reservations at Sabroso to be sure we had the chance to enjoy their cooking. The Chimichanga was phenomenal, and the spiced chocolate dessert was the perfect ending... be sure to give this place a try!

When we first walked in we didn't expect much,. We were blown away by the authenticity and the flavour of the food here! definitely coming back!!

This was one of the greatest dining experiences I've ever had! The owner Sara was super accommodating and the server was super great as well! They made me feel so special and the food was AMAZING! Compliments to the chef! Thank you for your passion you put into your business and work...it truly shows and make sure you check this place out if you are in Rotorua-call for a reservation because they are so great they are often booked!