Sawa Restaurant & Lounge

Beautiful day to be sitting at the terrace. My two servers were great, very friendly and nice! The food was so so. I ordered a chicken noodle (was good) and the sea bass. On the menu it says it comes with rice and vegetables but it was a big bowl of jasmine rice some onions and peppers ( those were the vegetables) and a average piece of fish...so, what I didn't like it was the sause in top of the fish. I removed it and ate the fish with the rice and it was much better that way.

This place is superb! There’s nothing bad I can say. Amazing food such as the cilantro hummus and the sushi! Currently dreaming about having it again right now. The drink I had was a lychee martini and it was the best lychee martini I’ve had! The atmosphere is amazing, and sitting outside just made the experience that much better. Highly recommend it’s a 10/10 for me

Nice restaurant in Coral Gables, with great staff and food. My two big recommendations are 1/ Mongolian Steak and 2/ Rocky mountain sushi Enjoy!

We visited Sawa Sunday December 17 and was really impressed about the level of service. I was there many times in the past and they are even better now. Daysi our server was amazing, food was ultra delicious, the tuna bawl super tasty and bog to share, edamame and hamachi were yummi. And the best was the thai donuts OMG you need to try those 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 Also we have our little dog with us and he got fillet mignon 😋😋😋😋 as they have doggie menu as well! A super friendly and relaxing place , definitely recommended!

Nice area and good customer service. Food 7/10, miso soup was delicious

Food was not bad but place is very small, decor is not good either and it was EXTREMELY NOISY. Our server was nice but he was so lost that I felt terrible asking a question. Nothing memorable about my experience!

Love this spot.. I do believe I've tried 70%of the menu. I'm never disappointed! Great for date night.. I gave 3 stars for service, not b/c of my waitress, but the manager came to our table after dinner to pressure me into paying a larger tip 😳🤔. She sounded ridiculous as my bill came to $150. I asked her was tipping optional, and she said yes. So I asked her why she was still standing there.. Tail between her legs, she walked off.. I was taken back by this gesture and reached out to the owner. He never returned my call.

Sawa is my favorite restaurant at Merrick park, Marcella is the best!!!!! She is super friendly and makes me feel at home when I go there. Food is amazing as well as the drinks.

Pleasantly surprised by the quality and portion size of the food. Ambiance and service are also great. Plenty of inside and outside seating and we really enjoyed the lovely outdoor area. Our server was helpful and attentive. We had a California roll and tempura cauliflower and I must say that the cauliflower is where it's at. The teriyaki texture was solid and the honey sauce at the bottom was delicious. Larger portion than we expected and we both left satisfied. Good variety of Mediterranean and Japanese flavors on the menu. Will be back to try more!

Sawa is more like See Ya! $52 for 3 lychee martinis that advertise Grey Goose but absolutely no alcohol in them at all. What a joke! ‍‍ The lobster sushi roll was good though so it's earned 2 stars instead of 0.

Stopped in for a quick bite while at the mall. The outside garden area is so nice to sit out at while enjoying the cooler temps of the Miami seasons. We ordered the chicken kebab platter which was pretty good and it came with one side and started with a Dragon Roll for an appetizer. Everything tasted good but wasn't the best I've had of both dishes. I always crave baklava it's like a treat for me. The baklava unfortunately was really dry and hard to cut into. It broke apart and the top kept flaking off. It was messy. I like it when it's really soft. But yea it tasted fine. Like I said, I've had better. The best thing here is ambiance. We were lucky to catch belly dancing show. It was really nice and the weather as well leading to an enjoyable evening after walking the mall.

A tasty, average priced, upscale dining option in the middle of one of the glitziest outdoor malls in Miami. The prices were expected but the portions were larger than I expected. The cauliflower tempura was super delicious especially with the honey drizzle and dipped in soy sauce. And with the addition of the California roll my date and I felt satiated I really appreciated the list of veggie tapas they had and while there isn't much more in the menu for vegetarians outside of it, it is enough to give you a good amount of options. The wait staff was super nice and after 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays they have a belly dancer come and perform for the diners. Super awesome space and great food.

I have walked past this restaurant many times and have never gone in. However today I did so. It was very pleasant and sweet experience. The service was really perfect from a really sweet lady called Marcela. I ordered a dragon roll which looked absolutely perfect and it tasted perfect too! I was also told about the happy hour deals which run daily from 4:00. I was given a menu to peruse after I asked to see it and the happy hour prices look really good and appealing. I will surely be back and I definitely recommend this place. They also offer other daily deals. They even have a belly dancer on a Saturday I believe. Don't take my word for it though, please do your iwn research and check on their website. Their restrooms were also super clean.

Super delicious food, I loved the patio, its beautiful!!! Service was great too, will be definitely back

Happy hour menu and selection is the best around. Most restaurants focus more on alcohol and less on food. Sawa has a very extensive food menu on Happy hour, which was great to see. Our server gave us lots of recommendations, which we love. And we ordered most of the items she suggested. The stars of the night were the cilantro hummus and the lamb lollipops, which our server said was a 'must have'. The lamb lollipops were cooked perfectly and delicious! We sat inside due to the wind, but they have a beautiful outdoor eating area we may try next time. Overall, really good experience. We will be back.

I've had a lot of great memories throughout the years at Sawa. It's a consistent Mediterranean-Japanese (you read that right) restaurant that survived through all the ups and downs. The menu is quite extensive, so I'm sure everyone could find something they like. On a nice Florida day it's best to sit outside where they have a nice open door ambiance in a safe location, within a courtyard of Merrick park mall. Service recently was splendid. Joseph took great care. My go to dish has traditionally been the salmon kebabs, which typically come out great. I have tried the Japanese menu which too which I recall being nice. Most recently I went with the lamb lollipops and red pepper hummus. Comparative to dishes past, I wouldn't really reorder these. I just preferred the other dishes. The dessert baklava was nice. Sawa is a place I'd recommend! Enjoy.

Had dinner at Sawa this past weekend...here are my thoughts: The good: service was excellent and friendly, the outdoor seating was absolutely perfect and a highlight. The not-so-good: food is average at best, which was disappointing considering how delicious everything sounded on the menu. Prices are on the higher side but the quantity served is decent so that was good. I doubt we'll return but glad we tried Sawa!

Service was great. Bernardo was a great server. The food came out quickly and fresh. Great outdoor vibe. Indoor and outdoor seating available. All in all a solid lunch dinner spot for a date or small group. Family friendly The sushi rolls had good flavor, but lacking sauce

One of my all time favorite restaurants! Food: The menu is truly fusion and there are options for vegetarians to actually have a nice meal. The dishes are tapas style and the best way to enjoy this restaurant is with a group so that you can sample a variety! Service: The service has always been spectacular! Timely seating, and the servers are really good at bringing the dishes as they are ready. Ambiance: Inside is a bit small, however comfortable. Outside is always lovely and some nights they have a belly dancing show for you to enjoy while you dine.

The service is always amazing! The food is absolutely wonderful, I leave there always satisfied and thinking about it for a few weeks. I absolutely love, hummus, and they have the best hummus I've ever had, hands-down! Their roles are also extremely well done. I am never disappointed. The espresso martini is made with fresh cream and it is delicious! Their alcoholic drinks are very tasty! The inside of the restaurant is beautiful and classy, and the outside is very relaxed and laid-back, perfect for a date or going out with friends! I would recommend this place to everyone!

Beautiful Place , great Location on the Heart of Coral Gables , awesome show five Start

Overall this was a solid lunch option. Menu is a bit confusing from sushi to Mediterranean items. The shawarma bowl could have definitely been executed better it was very basic. Huge roughly cut veggies with mildy seasoned chicken bits. I added one of their hot sauce and tahini to really add more flavor to it.

Visited SAWA for the first time with my family and had a great experience. Our server, Laura, was excellent and helped us make some great choices, as the menu is extensive. The weather was great for outdoor seating and the food and drinks were great. We also discovered this place is pet friendly and even has a dog menu. We will definitely return with our pup!

A fun place to visit if you're craving some fusion food and if you happen to come in on a Saturday evening you can see a belly dancing performance for a couple of hours. A great plate to share here is their Parillada Sampler. It comes with 2 New Zealand Lamb Lollipops, 2 Chorizo, 2 Kefta Fingers Patatas Quadrada I Mixed Greens Salad, 2 Filet Mignon Yakitori I 2 Chicken Yakitori and 2 Vegetable Yakitori. A heavier meat dish but all very tasty! Also check in to receive a free glass of champagne.

For a quick lunch while shopping, this is a good place. Eclectic menu. My salmon salad was good and the lentil soup was ok. Nice outdoor patio and seating. Service was a bit slow and lacking.

This was a nice spot for lunch on a beautiful sunny Coral Gables day. The service was excellent, the atmosphere was lovely and the food was good. I had the ceviche roll per the recommendation of the staff and it did not disappoint. It was a really interesting combination of sweet and salty.

Overall good experience. I had the filet mignon pita wrap. Service was solid. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Very good selection on their menu too. Would definitely consider coming back soon.

Very good atmosphere and love the patio plus inside the bar area is very cool. Very good exciting bartender . She was very good attentive and had good conversation. Good food good lamb chops and good rolls and awesome pita humus . Kibe was so delicious very well prepared . Love the rice wow the asian rice so good w the veggies crisp and sauce! Awesome baklava crisp w the right amount of honey yummm!

Hummus sampler was great- spicy red pepper was the best. Kefta kebab was amazing. Filet mignon kebab was also good but preferred the kefta. Tabouleh is another good appetizer. Side of fries were tasty, especially truffle ones. Need to get the baklava for dessert. Thai donuts are another good option. Sangria with Prosecco was so good. Staff is super friendly and helpful. Only downside was that we sat inside and it felt even hotter than the temperature outside.

If you are looking for a place with delicious food and dog friendly this is the spot. We travel just about everywhere with our 2 lil fur brats. And the fact they have a doggy menu was a winner. Our dogs were able to dine on chicken and steak skewers, needless to say their spoiled butts enjoyed it. The service was great, food options were vast for everyone's palate. We were lucky enough to have some friendly diners next to us who engaged in some lively conversation as we sipped on our drinks. We will definitely be back drink, eat, shop all at the shops at Merrick. This place is hidden gem in Coral Gables.

Came here on a whim with family since we were hungry and in the area. The menu is pretty broad so it looked like it had something for everyone. We ordered the baba ganoush, spicy tuna tartare, shrimp dumplings, pork dumplings, side maison salad, sake su roll, dragon roll, and miso salmon. The spicy tuna tartare and sake su roll were the table faves and would definitely be ordered again. Everything else was okay but we found the miso salmon a bit too salty and the dumplings were pretty bland. Our server was friendly, and it was a pleasant surprise to have a belly dancer as entertainment during dinner. Alexandra was great! 3.5/5 stars.

Great service, great food, and the best happy hour in town!! You can't beat it!!! My friends and I and we spent like $100 with lots of food and drinks. My friend and I had 4 Lychee Martinis for $8 each. We also ordered the following and no disappointments. Tuna Tartar - best Truffle fries - best Garden Roll Filet Mignon Yakitor Fried Kibbe - least favorite, but not bad just had better. Pork Gyoza The waitress was on top of our drinks, as soon as she saw we were getting low she'll ask us if we wanted another one. She was attentive to details, which was nice. Overall, we had an amazing Monday night.

Sawa has been a long-time favorite, even celebrating many birthdays and anniversaries here. They have an amazing outdoor space right in Merrick Park, which is a must when the weather is nice and they even have live belly dancing shows on the weekend. We went for Miami Spice and it did not disappoint. All the dishes tasted flavorful, fresh, and were well-portioned. From all the dishes though, the standout was actually one of the desserts, the Qatayef. The pastry was light and flaky and not greasy or oily. The syrup tasted homemade with a touch of rose water and the pistachios were plentiful and fresh. If you're not a fan of rose or pistachio flavor, this won't be for you, but otherwise it's a must-try. Service was friendly and attentive. Our waitress gave us all her personal recommendations and dishes came out super quick. Will continue to make this a go-to! So glad to see Sawa is still here with us after so long and hope it will continue to be in the community for years to come.

Que rica tuna, una de las que más me ha gustado, el sushi le encantó a mi esposo, las costillas de cordero no me gustaron mucho, el happy hour lo recomiendo, el buen ambiance y service.

An eclectic mix of flavors but somehow it works. The inside area is small but comfortable. The outside dining area is spacious but it's way too hot outside right now. The staff is wonderful and attentive. Can't wait to go back.

Sawa is my favorite restaurant at Merrick park, Marcella is the best!!!!! She is super friendly and makes me feel at home when I go there. Food is amazing as well as the drinks.

Food was incredible! The ambiance was such a vibe! Belly dancers, music, hookah, & wait staff, all impeccable! Our waitress was named Laura and she was truly the best part of the experience!

My husband had sat at sawa to have a drink. Apparently they closed him out without asking if he wanted food or more drinks. I joined him after a blow out next door at the bar, and the two bartenders proceeded to ignore us. 5-7 min later another Spanish speaking couple walked in and they were greeted nicely and given good service by BOTH bartenders. They past by us again, and at this point, did not ask us again. My husband said excuse me? And bartender said YES? In a rude tone and my husband said we'd like to order two champagnes. She said are you eating o not? What do you want? We said again two champagne. She then got us the drinks and after I said thank you no response. Very very rude. She made conversation with the couple next to us. And blatantly ignored us. This is at 1:22 on 4/8/23 she's wearing a beige shirt and black pants. I don't know if this is ageist, classist, or racism but as professional physicians and avid travelers and foodies we would not tolerate this. ETA- she once again gave bill without asking if we wanted more or not and my husband decided not to tip her. She actually came back to us to let us know tip isn't included and we notified her about how the bartenders including her ignored us, did not give friendly service and were rude. Crazy she's ask for a tip after making us feel unwelcome- and we are and always have tipped well and respected the service industry.

Sister restaurant to eclectico (refer to review for the details) with comfortable outdoor seating with a view. This place is always packed and for good reason. The outside is where it's harder to grab a seat but if you have to wait, it's never long. They have a way of making it work. Indoor seating comes quicker. Sawa's menu has gotten even better over the years. The specials offered are everyday of the week and they range between $8 and $20; each one worth it! We had a great server/bartender, who's name we never caught because we referred to her as Christina Milian and Mariah Carey; beautiful and excellent service! In fact everyone we met was great! The sushi rolls are AMAZING and unique; the flavors are on point and the lychee martinis went great with the items we ordered. Sawa doesn't disappoint. Check it out and enjoy!

Sawa is such a great place to gathering place!!! Marcela is LA REINA! Miami is not known for having good service but that's because they don't let HER train everyone. We had a full spread outside where the couches are and it was perfect. Great drinks, excellent food (lots of Gf opinions) and people watching..... it's the hat trick of restaurants!

Cool spot! The bartenders are quite pleasant and helpful. The ambiance can be a bit slow at times inside, but not necessarily in bad. The food is decent, a lot of things on the menu which you can get lost in. In general I would recommend this spot. Definitely one of the better spots of Merrick park.

Great spot for happy hour! Really good deals on food and drinks - we had 2 drinks and 6 dishes and the total was only $75. Ends at 7 if you're at a table but goes until 8 at the bar. Everything we had was great, highly recommend the fried fried veggie dumplings and brussel sprouts. The only item I wasn't a fan of was the spicy tuna sandwich. I was super excited to try it but was very disappointed when it came, there was very little tuna in it and it was mostly rice, which is a little surprising since it's the same price as the tuna tartare, which was a heaping serving of the fish. The Balinese roll was really good. Will definitely be coming back.

Sat outdoors and thank god they had heaters. The drinks were my favorite part out of the whole evening. We only had a couple of starters but they were all so good.

This place was amazing, love the fusion of Mediterranean and Japanese. Food was excellent as was the service. Went back twice while I was in Miami. Highly recommend. Don't miss this place!!!

Wow! This was the restaurant I've been looking for and didn't even know it. I mean: Mediterranean and Asian tapas doesn't necessarily seem like a good fit. But we came by for an early dinner which matches with happy hour. So great deals were had. Good drinks. Even better food and service. We got filet mignon Yakitori but everyone ate it so fast at our table it was that good. Same with the pork dumplings. But the lamb lollipops were the best. Even got a second dish of them. The sushi rolls are also spot on. We got the royalty one. With lobster it was not to be missed. Really everything was spot on. We ate outside and felt safe and enjoyed it despite the heat. Can't wait to come back.

Stopped by for a casual lunch on a weekend and was blown away. The food was fresh and tasty, the mimosas and bellinis were 2 for 1 with perfect ratios, and the service was top notch - patient and attentive. The indoor space is intimate but I think that action is all about the garden/patio. Generous table space and plethora of umbrellas ensure your outdoor dining experience is safe and optimal. I opted for the kefta naan pocket - the meat was flavorful and the pita/naan was soft. I swapped the fries for a salad - the house dressing came on the side and it was very tasty. For $10, you get 2 mimosas/bellinis - opted to try the passionfruit and was glad I did. Given that Merrick Park is pretty fancy, I was pleasantly surprised by this lunch menu pricing and would gladly come back to try more off today their expansive menu.

I was highly recommended to this place by a dear friend and thought it would be a great place for a Saturday lunch. There is not much wrong in terms of service and how they make the food to appear. The problem is with service and lack of taste. We sat down and was given menus but it took almost 15-20 minutes for a waiter to be assigned. Another aspect because it was raining outside we had to sit inside and the air condition was not working. We should have gone somewhere else but decided to stick around. The waiter took our order and it seemed as if the food was already ready. It came out fast and I am not complaining on that part. Although the food was not tempered properly seemed like it was out for a bit. Calamari and Dumplings are very basic. Run of the mill nothing special. Truffle fries were just blah no taste. A little salt would do wonders. Main course we decided to order the kabob sampler and when it came out it looked awesome. Two sides were rice and mash potatoes. Chicken didn't look nor tasted all the good. It almost looked like pork. We did not have any after a bite. Shrimp were over cooked and lacked flavor. Same goes for filet. Salmon was over done. Wish I had something redeemable but it was just blah all over.

I went to SAWA a few days ago for Happy Hour. We got a table outside, since we brought our dog, which was great. The ambiance at this place is outstanding and so is the food, especially their happy hour prices. I got the lychee martini which was amazing! The truffle fries are scrumptious and come in a very large portion which I loved! Chicken dumplings tasted authentic and flavorful as well. I had to try the hummus dip and it was delicious to say the least. The pita bread accompanying the hummus did not come out warm which was slightly disappointing. In my opinion, the food and ambiance is delightful, but service could be better. Our server did not smile at all and looked very unpleasant to serve our table, I'm not sure why. He seemed very unfriendly to the point we felt hesitant to ask him for stuff. I consider hospitality to play a major role in dining experience so I am slightly hesitant in introducing this restaurant to friends and family. Overall, I loved the restaurant and would definitely come here again, just would request to get another server!

The first time my family and I ate here the service was great and the food was just ok. We decided to try again and service was still great but the food was pretty bad. The fish in one sushi roll was either not fresh or of very poor quality -- sent it back. Another sushi roll (tempura) was terribly dry and bland. Also, serving sizes are way too small for the price and quality. Wine is mediocre as well. We will not be back.

Great experience and amazing service by all, but special shout out to Laura who went above and beyond with our group. She was great with children and happens to be the bartender as well!! Can't wait to go back!

Loved the food here. The place inside it is horrible, small, and smells funny . But the plaza outside is beautiful and huge. So don't eat inside You can order anything. Everything is delicious and they don't take long time to serve you. NOTE: If you are a regular Yelp user use your Check-in!!!! They will give you something for free, they gave me and my husband two champagne glasses

What a disappointment. We went for a friend's birthday and the service was awful and almost non existent, back in April 2022. We sat outside at a long table for about 10 people. The cocktails were delivered from one end of the table and we had to pass them to the rightful person. Mine was horrible and without alcohol, and took nearly 10min for someone to come back to the table and address it. To her credit, the manager did come out after the second attempt was delivered, and the redo was better. The food, once arrived, was mostly tasteless, and it arrived at severely different times (as much as 20min later) for different people in the party. The bathroom had no soap, and I reported it to a waitstaff who thanked me for the information, but did not address the issue. I know, since I visited the mens room again before leaving and no soap was in the dispenser (still).

Strawberry Mojito On Happy Hour Was Overall Good. Decent Service. Ambiance Is Nice, Good Spot For Drinks And Some Bar Bites.

The best place in Gables . Marcela and Maria amazing bartenders.Lamb Chops Spring Rolls

Sawa is a great place for lunch, date night of a quick bite while shopping. Located inside Merrick Park. They have quiet an extensive menu with Lebanese and Asian selections. The food was prepared and arrived quickly and everything was delicious.

It's so nice having a good sushi place nearby. We've been to Sawa for a date night and have also ordered Take Out and both experiences were great. The lychee martini was scrumptious and the Presidential Boat was so fresh - I actually ate the whole thing myself! Some of the best sushi in Coral Gables

I've always loved this place, especially for their happy hour, but today was a bit disappointing. I ordered a gin and soda and I'd be lucky if there was maybe a half shot of liquor in there. As a bartender of a decade, I've got a pretty sensitive palette for cocktails. It was extreme watered down, so much, that my partner that hates gin with the passion of a thousand dying suns took a sip and could barely taste a whisper of it. The garnish that came on the side (thankfully) was slimy, old, and wished for death days ago. Hey bartender, clean out your garnish trays. I've ordered the Merrick Park roll at least a half dozen times and it's always a generously portioned roll with sumptuous bites of lobster that I can barely fit in my mouth that I usually need to make into two bites per piece. Not that I'm a size queen, but the one today looked like a Kevin Hart version of the usually incredible roll - tiny. It's priced at the happy hour rate, but at $14.99 is still fairly expensive for what's supposed to be a deal, especially considering the size or lack thereof. On the up side, the salmon tartar was pretty on point. I loved almost everything about it. Almost. I think it had seaweed salad in the middle, but it wasn't very flavorful. The avocado and cilantro sauce on the bottom more than made up for it though and it was a decent portion. My partner also really liked his falafel. That's all folks!

Food is amazing. They have happy hour for food and drinks at the bar from 4-8 everyday. You can't beat that with a stick. The service and ambiance is also great. Will definitely come again.