My husband an I went for Magical Dining. I am so glad we did. I think I might have looked at the prices otherwise and put off going. First let me assure you, it is worth the price. The food was amazing. So good in fact that I forgot to take photos of the dessert. The lobster Mac had large pieces of lobster and the cheese they picked did not overwhelm the delicate lobster. It was hands down the best lobster Mac I have ever had. Honestly I could go on and on about all the food we had but the waitress we had was just as good. She was attentive, kind, and helpful even on a crazy busy night. Her name is Tamara and I will be asking to sit in her section every time we go. My only complaint is that it was a bit loud, but I think that was mainly due to two large parties that had no volume control. I will be heading back soon. read more

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First time at Salt and Ember and we had a great meal. We were celebrating a birthday and arrived about 20 minutes before our reservation. We were seated immediately but kind of got lost in the shuffle and waited without any service for those 20 minutes before our other couple arrived. My sense is, however, that this was a "one off" and not indicative of the overall service, as for the rest of the evening our service was top notch. I had the Steak Frites, my wife had the roasted cauliflower, my daughter had the evening special which was beef spare rib and her boyfriend had the filet. All meals came exactly as ordered and were Delicious. Portions were about perfect. Each of us barely cleaned our plates but only some desert was Left To came home with us. The location is great, just a block off of Donnelly and the place was clean and bright. We were there early On a Saturday (4:30). The bar was packed and about half of the tables were already full with the rest filling quickly. We'll add Salt and Ember to our list Of great local restaurants and go back often. read more

We visited Salt & Ember in Mount Dora on a Friday night and had mixed feelings. The restaurant itself is beautiful. The design, lighting, bar area, and overall atmosphere are really well done, and it definitely feels like a more elevated dining option for the area. We did not have a reservation, but they were still able to seat us right away around 7pm for a table of two, which we appreciated. The food, unfortunately, did not quite match the price point. I had the lobster carbonara, and while it was fine, it did not really feel like a carbonara to me. The flavor leaned much more toward cheese and black pepper, almost closer to a cacio e pepe, rather than the smoother, richer carbonara sauce I was expecting. For a $39 pasta dish, I wanted it to feel more refined and memorable. My partner had the steak frites ordered medium rare. The cook looked about right, but the steak itself was overly chewy and not especially tender. It also could have used more seasoning. The char flavor was strong, but without enough seasoning on the steak, the char became the dominant flavor instead of adding to the dish. We also ordered the soy chili glazed bok choy. We love bok choy, so this was something we were looking forward to, but it missed the mark. The menu made it sound like it would have a soy chili glaze, maybe with a little sweetness and heat, but what came out was closer to bok choy sitting in a pool of soy sauce. I really wanted to like Salt & Ember more. The atmosphere is great, and I could see us coming back for happy hour drinks at the bar or maybe to try a few small plates. But for dinner, especially at this price level, the food should be great, not just okay. read more

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We were a little hesitant based off of reviews and it being a new location, but it blew us away! We had questions around wine and they brought out their Som. Our server was extremely attentive. We were celebrating our anniversary and they made us feel very special. We ordered appetizers, oysters, entrées, and dessert and everything that we tried I feel like was completely opposite of what we saw for reviews. I love going to Mt. Dora for the sweet little town vibe and I'm so glad this spot is down there! It will be our go to spot when we want to fancy up our evening! I can't say enough amazing things! Can't wait to go back! read more

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Great tasting meal but the service was very slow. We went in for the first time on a Thursday for an early dinner during the Mt Dora Restaurant week. We had reservations for 5:15 pm. We arrived about 5:10 and were seated right away. I got the half dozen oysters for my appetizer, Steak Frites for main course and Chocolate Cake for dessert. My Partner got the Tuna Tataki appetizer, Miso Glazed Salmon for main course, and Key Lime Cheesecake for desert. The food was delicious but the service was very slow. The atmosphere is done in black and light wood tones. read more

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For reference, I measure this experience against other "fine dining" experiences. To be fair, there was no food left on any of our plates. As to quality vs value, I would say it's on the low to mid end of value. We paid $8 for an order of 4 half slices of sourdough bread. Thats enough to drop 2 stars alone. Since we had 2 orders. Yes, it was good. Was it worth $16 for bread? No. I ate the chicken and enjoyed it. The flavor was delicious, and it was well presented. The ambiance- better than some. The bar is beautiful. There are some decor choices that are odd, and mildly distracting. We will go back for a second round. read more

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New spot in mt Dora! Really nice area, both indoor and outdoor seating with a cool bar. They have daily happy hour with caviar bumps! We went for brunch and everything was good - our server Ava was so sweet!! I'd def come back for dinner sometime read more

Salt and Ember is a nice addition to downtown Mt. Dora. I went for Sunday brunch with a small party and we had no issue being seated. The service was very good, the ambience was nice, and the drinks were tasty. There are one or two vegetarian options on the brunch and lunch menu and NOTHING on their dinner menu. Which for this type of restaurant makes sense. The food was okay. The grits were well cooked but heavy because of the type and amount of cheese and somehow still under salted. The French toast wasn't strongly egg flavored which was nice but the only flavor it did have was sweet. It could've used a bit more seasoning. However, I'm not a big french toast fan, it just was my only option other than sides. The others at my table had eggs Benedict and a side of bacon. It was cooked well. I do recommend you try Salt and Ember. I am going to go back to try the lunch menu. read more

Food and atmosphere were amazing and definitely worth the drive out to Mount Dora! Will absolutely be back soon

Great food, service and all round great upgrade to the place. Food selection and price offer a great value for a classy place. Happy hour options look to be great too! read more

New place in Mount Dora and I absolutely loved it. I went for happy hour and I love how they had all of the menus and prices advertise online outside on a printed menu and as soon as you walked in the place had a decent crowds and we spoke with a few people that had visited several times. I had the caviar bite, which was absolutely delicious. Think of a small hash brown, like the size you get from Chick-fil-A or Dunkin' Donuts, chopped with caviar scallions and a little bit of pickled onion. It was phenomenal and a great happy hour pallet, clean cleanser. The burger and fries were great as well. We also had the cheese platter which wasn't anything phenomenal, but it was good to munch on while we had some drinks. The signature tequila espresso martini was delicious not on happy hour but still worth the price and the old-fashioned was delightful. Great decor lots of seating, clean bathrooms. I would definitely come here again and I plan to come often they even have outside seating if you want that vibe read more

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Our charred octopus appetizer did not disappoint & my tuna was perfect! Service was very good & our server was sweet! Only downside was the seating, very crowded, and the room had no air :( . We were literally sitting on top of each other read more

Salt And Ember - Charred octopus - Wine Bars Near Me - Mount Dora, Florida

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Upon arrival were greeted with a smile, and then introduced to Eva our server who set the tone for an amazing dining experience. Informative and highly experienced Eva took care of all the 5-star details. My wife enjoyed the perfectly prepared Golden Tile along with the amenities paired with it. My Skirt steak was perfectly cooked and tender as were the asparagus. Oh and the drinks....elevated house made and unique. Kudos to all the staff. All ready planning our next visit in December upon our return. read more

Came here on day one ( right after they opened the doors ) and everything was perfect for such a new restaurant . Service (Elizabeth) was spot on , food was amazing ( you get what you pay for) and ambience was really top notch and well done . We are locals ( we have been back 2times for happy hour already ). Very well done and and nicely executed for such a new restaurant. We will be back . read more

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Good vibes, great ambiance, and even better food! Our server Ryan was friendly and provided good recommendations. Do try their coffee, it's sourced from Ethiopia and brewed by brewmaster from Virginia. And the proceed goes to veteran! read more

Five stars doesn't even begin to describe the experience, the FOOD, the carefully curated wine list, and the owner's dedication to spoiling their guests through food, friendliness, atmosphere and just a generally excellent dining experience. One of the best meals I have in years. A hidden gem on the lake side of Mount Dora, tucked around a corner and more than well worth finding. We ordered a bottle of bubbles along with 3 appetizers to share for 2 people and they were amazing. I never pass up the chance for foie gras or carpaccio. Both had nuanced layers of flavor. The deviled eggs were sublime. Wines by the glass have a list to make anyone happy. Come on down. Amazing. Did I say that already? ;-) read more

My wife and I went to Salt and Embers the weekend before last, and this is what we experienced: (1) the restaurant was very very loud - to the point that the woman at the table next to us was screaming at the top of her lungs just to be heard by her party - not to mention by every other table in the near vicinity as well; (2) the restaurant's temperature was warm and they said the didn't have enough air conditioning to accomodate the number of people in the restairant (eating dinner while sweating is not ideal, and is something they will definitely need to remediate in short order if they want repeat business during the Summer months); (3) all of the food was fresh (good job!); (4) some of the food was excellent (Octopus and Tuna Tataki), (5) some of the food was substandard, especially for the prices charged (the beef carpaccio was missing aioli sauce and shaved parmesan cheese and was therefore bland, and the twin lobster tails were undercooked); (6) the owner looked exhausted and exasperated - we felt bad for him; and (7) our watress was very frendly and on top of her game. All in all I would give them a C for our first visit. We will give them another try in a couple of weeks,, but if they don't get their act together, especially at this price point (I think our bill was around $250 before tip for the two of us) , it will be our last visit. It wasn't a $125 per meal experience. Oh, and I agree with the comment somebody made about them dropping the bread charge, especially given the prices they charge. Most restaurants, even high end ones, usually do not charge for bread. In fact, the quality of the bread in a restaurant is typically a strong indication of the meal to come. In my experience, restaurants with great bread usually have great food. Restaurants that can't get something a simple as getting the bread right, usually do not perform on the rest of the meal either. At least that has been my experience. UPDATED REVIEW - UPDATED REVIEW - UPDATED REVIEW - UPDATED REVIEW - UPDATED REVIEW - UPDATED REVIEW - UPDATED REVIEW I believe it's important to update reviews when a business earns it. After my original review a couple of weeks ago, my wife and I returned to Salt and Embers to see whether our first experience was simply growing pains or indicative of the restaurant. I'm happy to report it was the former. During our first visit, I complimented the freshness of the food, the excellent octopus and tuna tataki, and our outstanding waitress, but I also pointed out several issues that prevented it from being a great experience. Last night, virtually all of those issues had been addressed. The restaurant was more comfortable, the overall experience was much smoother, and every dish we ordered was exceptional. Everything was cooked perfectly, beautifully presented, and absolutely delicious. This time, the quality of the food fully justified the restaurant's pricing. I still believe charging separately for bread at this price point is unnecessary, and I haven't changed my opinion on that. It's a small detail, but one I hope they eventually reconsider. What impressed me most, however, was seeing such a noticeable improvement in such a short period of time. It's refreshing to find a restaurant that appears to have taken early feedback seriously and responded by delivering a much better experience. I had no hesitation giving constructive criticism after our first visit, and I have no hesitation giving them credit now. We'll definitely be back. read more

Salt & Ember is a welcome addition to the Mount Dora dining scene. I dined there last Tuesday night with two friends. The cocktails were perfectly executed and delicious. I ordered the steak frites for my entree and the asparagus with Hollandaise sauce as a starter, because, why not? Our server, Tamera, was excellent. Very experienced and intuitive. My friends were celebrating an event and received a card signed by the team. It was sweet and made the occasion memorable. A fantastic experience, overall! read more

Tuna and sea scallops were amazing. It was pricey, but the meal was delicious and the atmosphere is wonderful.

Saw this place a few months ago and was excited for it to open. Planned to spend a night in Mount Dora to try it. Was excited for their happy hour menu. No where was it advertised that it was bar only. We got seated at a table and asked for the happy hour menu, told bar only, okay totally understandable, no problem we moved to the bar. Got seated at the bar, gave the bartender two drink orders and she walks away ignoring our third person. We ordered oysters and shrimp, oysters came out and went to another person at the bar. Bartenders and manager were standing around and realized it went to the wrong person, I noticed this and just kind of mouthed to them that it was okay but no one acknowledged me or the mistake. Okay fine no biggie. Our oysters came out shortly after. No shrimp. I ordered shrimp again, never came out. Received our bill and sure enough we were charged $126 for 6 shrimp we never got. A member of our party for the tuna and she said it was so bad she did not even finish it, I'm glad I didn't get it. The oysters were okay, came with a little cocktail sauce and red wine vinegar. The bartender seemed very overwhelmed. The bar was full but there was only one table sat. There was a HUGE issue with flies which I still don't understand since there is no open windows or doors. If it was like that at the bar what is the kitchen like? The flies were all over the people, the drinks, and the food. A table near us got the cheese board and we joked that it came with a fly. It's a nice place, the drinks were good, they need to fix the fly problem and the bartender needs to be trained better or maybe it's not for her. read more

Salt And Ember - Wine Bars Near Me - Mount Dora, Florida

My husband and I went to Salt & Ember while visiting Mt Dora. The food was delicious! The cook was over on one of our steaks but they corrected it and made sure it was perfect. Both steaks were so tender. Our server, Michelle, was top notch and provided a great experience. We look forward to dining here again next time we are in town! read more

Went for dinner. Not impressed. Waitress was subpar. The "bread service" is 2 dinner rolls for $8! Ordered the tomahawk steak, Pittsburgh Medium. Steak came out exceptionally rare. Had to send it back. I have eaten at many fine dining places and a good chef knows how to prepare a steak Pittsburgh Medium. Not here. Came out second time medium but zero char ( Pittsburg). Very disappointed. They charge fine dining prices but it is far from that. read more

Excellent spot for both brunch and happy hour! Ryan was a fantastic waiter- attentive and friendly. We've already been three times since they recently opened, and each visit with family has been a great experience. read more

Service was great, no problem with the young lady who took our order 1 6ounce glass of wine was $17.00 my wife had a salad of green goddess, I had the crispy chicken with mashed potatoes and pesto sauce on the side, very small piece of chicken could have been more crispy,,the bill was $130.00 with two desserts. We found that the food was good, but a little pricey. 32 dollars for a piece of chicken was too much. The other thing was it was a little warm inside and had an oder of a bar , I don't think we will be back. read more

This is a brand new restaurant in Mount Dora. We were very excited to try this. We were very disappointed by several factors. The tables are too close together to each other, very pricey for what you get, particularly for lunch. Our main complaint was that we ordered the bread service which was $8 dollars and we received three slices of bread toasted. There were two of us and I suggested to the server afterwards that when there are two people would be nice to get four slices of bread at which time she gave us a blank look. My friend and I had salads with a small piece of protein and that was $30. I always like to support new businesses, but in this case I will not be returning to this restaurant. read more

New restaurant, beautiful inside, great atmosphere. Had pork chop it was fantastic - the sauce was perfect with this plate. Had the lobster salad (appetizer) pricy but worth the money. It was fantastic. Keylime cheesecake- perfect blend of desert with the pucker. read more

We stopped by for happy hour yesterday and were so impressed we came back for brunch today. American Breakfast, french toast and eggs Benedict were delicious. We sat outside in the beautiful covered patio area and enjoyed the cool weather. Ryan was our excellent waiter! Best coffee in town! We will be back! read more

Excellent addition to Mount Dora culinary assets. The food is great and the coffee is the best I have had in a very long time. The service was excellent - Ryan took good care of us. The steak and lobster Benedict was excellent as well. Mount Dora is a fun place. read more

Don't usually leave reviews but this place gets one. Paid $119 with tip for a 4 ounce Salmon dinner that was immersed in some kind of broth with "dirty rice" and some type of green shoots and a 4 ounce tuna dinner with seared cauliflower and a Caesar salad and no drinks. The food was in my top 2 of all time worst meals in Mount Dora. Also table was right next to clearing station with view of everyone's butt. The place was not crowded enough to warrant that table. Come on guys you can do better than this. read more

Service good. Decor good. Food OK, nothng special for prices that promised more. No plans to return.

We have now been to S & E twice. Both times outstanding. Food, Service, Ambiance all top notch. Good for Mount Dora to have another fine dinning establishment. Recommend! read more

They have a long ways to go to compare to the other options in Mount Dora! Wait times for food and drinks are taking way too long for it to be so average when it does come out! This place could be over before it starts! Management should expect way more from the staff especially the kitchen! We had such high hopes for another option in Mount Dora, and this doesn't look like it! read more