Well Christmas is over and New Year is just days away. It's Saturday night, Date Night. We headed to downtown Gates Mills to dine at "Sara's Place" and enjoy the excellent Christmas light show of downtown Gates Mills. We arrived in the beautiful little "Norman Rockwell" community and the decorations were extraordinary. After an appropriate amount of OOOing & AHHHing we headed into the restaurant. The ladies at the door greeted us with a big smile and quickly seated us at a wonderful window table where we could enjoy the lights all evening long. A very pleasant young lady quickly arrived at our table, introduced herself as Cheri, our server for the evening. She filled our water glasses while taking our drink orders and discussing the nights specials. She left to place our orders and leave us to settle in and scan the menu. When she returned we talked a bit about the options for the evening. She answered all our questions very effectively and made several excellent suggestions. I chose the "Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna" for my appetizer. And the "T.R. Bone-in Pork Chop" as my entree. Both were excellent as always. My wife and sister-in-law enjoyed the "Walleye Special" for the evening and my brother had the "Beef Pot Roast". As has proven to be true every time we visit "Sara's" the food was marvelous. Prepared and presented perfectly. Following dinner was an excellent cup of coffee (including a silver pot at the table for refills). And a "Rich Salted Caramel & Chocolate Custard"... excellent as well. As is true every time we visit Sara's the evening was perfect in every way. If you want to have a guaranteed wonderful evening. This is the place you want to go. And be sure to take the time to enjoy the beauty of Gates Mills. read more

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Great neighborhood restaurant with excellent service and dependable food. I love the Israeli couscous. I prefer sitting in the bar upstairs by the fireplace and usually run into a neighbor or two. It's like a classy, preppy version of Cheers. The dining room downstairs is also lovely and the stained glass piece is a pretty feature. My husband thinks the food is overpriced. I like it there! read more

We've been coming here forever! Sara's has always been a staple that has stood the test of time. Their mac n cheese is a must get. Almost everything is made in house. The quiet dining room downstairs is great for a date or you can sit upstairs at the bar where it's a little more lively. Either way, you can always count on the service and vibe to be as expected (which is fantastic). I always look forward to my next visit home for dinner here! read more

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I've never had more overpriced, horrible quality food in my life... and that's coming from someone who lives in Los Angeles. 3 of us ended up getting sick within an hour of eating there. The Mac & Cheese was florescent yellow, the meatballs were more breadcrumbs than meat, the salad was mushy and watery dressing. The whole meal was gross and not worth even half of what we paid. read more

The food is spectacular The service is top tier If you want fabulous service sit at the upstairs bar with Olivia $ Pam This is a it of the way magical experience Please come see Pam and Olivia 10 out of 10 recommend read more

Had another special night out at the Chagrin Valley's hidden gem Sara's Place. The dinning room is so quaint + beautiful-I thought that I was back home in New England. Not sure why but we had not one but two servers--Hannah + Marie-which made our experience twice as nice. I started off with the Tuscan white bean -ate every drop-phenomenal. My main course was my go to dish Eggplant Parmigiana-just amazing. Wife + friend had the Bone in Pork chop w/ homemade BBQ sauce-15 minutes after being served it looked like the Natural History museum-only bones! Dessert was the homemade brownie with vanilla ice cream-fantastic. We all talked about when we can come back! read more

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I don't understand the fascination with this place. I've been there about 4 times and found it to be just okay. The Food wasn't great. The service wasn't great. The atmosphere is not incredible I don't get it. I will always be open to giving it another chance though. read more

The atmosphere is very cute at this restaurant, its in an adorable location with beautiful white painted buildings and scenery. Inside there is beautiful stain glass depiction of the town. Sadly, the food was just mediocre at best with my watery chef special vodka sauce and the bread brought to the table was stale. read more

I stopped into the bar to get a quick bite, it was one of the most disappointing experiences. first off after sitting and waiting for someone to take my order from behind the bar she was enamored with some people that came in after me took their order first... The only reason I ended up with a drink at all was because the server working the floor sawI was sitting there unserved... I ordered the chicken piccata and it came out so sour I couldn't eat it. But instead of taking it off my bill or offering me a menu to choose something else, I was offered a bowl of soup... And maybe another glass of wine which turned out to be only a quarter of a pour... no manager was notified nobody was told in the kitchen that I'm aware of. The plate was just taken off the bar put in the dirty dish bin and not more than a minute later after telling them it was too to eat they just threw me a . There was no service... And the only time the bar keep decided to have a conversation with is when she thought I was pay my bill and leave. Not cool very disappointed... read more

Let me start w/ the service could not have been better. Marie was excellent & practically invisible. However, the only resemblance to a Ceasar salad that I ordered was that there were 3 anchovies & 4 croutons on it. The lettuce (if romaine) was chopped small and not crisp. The dressing didn't resemble any Ceasar I had ever had before. And if there was shaved Parmesan on it, I didn't notice. The meatballs were just ok & not simmered in the somewhat bitter marinara as advertised. I hadn't been there in a while & most certainly will not return. read more

The whole package...excellent food, great service, and a welcoming, wonderful environment.

Great atmosphere, comfortable, relaxing and welcoming. Delicious food, friendly and attentive service. Perfect.

Food: Ordered the white trout entree. Trout was prepared well. Mash potatoes were bland - no seasoning. Corn tasted like it was from frozen and was also very bland. In short, for the price paid, you would do well to entertain Mario Fazio's (incredible restaurant all-around) as an alternative. Service was average but our server was very kind and a pleasure to deal with. Ambiance was slightly above average being in a cute, (probably) century home with nice lighting, wood accents, and stained glass art. I must say that I agree with some other posts that it is nothing to write home about. Overall, I would have been more pleased with Cheesecake Factory or Mario Fazios in Willoughby Hills, Oh as mentioned. read more

Food is consistently above average and service is excellent. Dessert selection is great.

Ambience is excellent. Quality of food is decent but not magnificent. Prices are very fair. Service is reasonable, but not excellent (had to ask for water to be refilled). Menu is varied and extremely friendly for those that may be gluten intolerant. Wine and customized cocktail menu was excellent. The single biggest challenge was booking -- cannot be done online or through Open Table. This created friction. Nobody answered when calling -- I had to leave a message. And then received a call back which I missed. Phone tag doesn't work for me. read more

Sara’s Place - Italian Near Me - Gates Mills, Ohio

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How are things these days... No reservation, no table. Tables are not that 6ft apart, however, hanging plexi glass is between each table along with hand sanitizers on each table. No sit at the bar service and the bartenders are safely behind plexi glass partitions. Masks required for all u less eating or drinking. Temps taken of staff. Outdoor patio and Dine in safely. Of course, take out and curbside. Yep, I think they have it under control. read more

Sara’s Place - COVID,that's Why!!! - Italian Near Me - Gates Mills, Ohio

The ambiance was very cool but the service was meh. We had a party of 7. We waited for 15 min, so my boyfriend's dad ended up asking where was our server. That was when they came to us. It was horrible that we waited so long for someone to acknowledge us. We got a lot of items. Some of the items were very good such as the rack of lamb, and bean and greens. The meatball appetizer was good but not mind blowing. I also for beef barley soup which was so under salt. I had to add so much salt to make it more flavorful. Like I said before, the lamb was great. It was tender and juicy. I did not care much about the mint jelly. The mashed potato that went with it was meh. It was so dry. One of us got chicken piccata and that was too lemony for me. My boyfriend got the special short rib. It was very tender and too meaty to the point you got tired of eating it. They either need to add more seasoning to it or a little bit of fat to balance out the dish. The stuffed pepper's meats had a weird texture. It should be a bit more firm to hold well inside the pepper. Overall, it was a cute place but the foods were ok read more

heard the owner screaming at an employee in the dining room. food was good but I don't like hearing abuse. read more

a reservation was made to go to this restaurant by an acquaintance. we traveled there only to find the restaurant was closed. i tried to calll the manager to find out if a reservation truly had been made by this person why did staff not tell her it was closed. i think the former is crazy but i wanted ti give them the benefit of the doubt. the manager did not want to be bothered and would not speak to me. i would rather est at mcdonalds atleast the staff is aware of their hour if the latter in this mystery is the problem. i fo question my knowing tjis oerson who i think has no clue what fine italuan food should tasre like si perhaps its for the better i did not dine there read more

We had a wonderful neighborhood gathering at Sara's Place this past Friday evening. Al, our waiter took care of our large party of 15 in the private Mill Room and he did an excellent job. The food was wonderful, especially the chicken piccata and pasta bolognaise. Sara's Place is a little gem tucked in Hunting Valley/Gates Mills and was just the right spot on a cold winter night. read more

Food, service, ambiance is fantastic in this rather quiet restaurant. Usually have the "beans and greens" which is listed as an appetizer but serving is large enough for a dinner - fantastic choice. Wait staff are excellent - long term employees who seem to enjoy their jobs. read more

A miserable birthday experience for my mother, a couple months ago. The menu has sparse, over-priced options that seem to reach toward gourmet but fall terribly short. The 21 dollar Gavi's Mac and cheese was horrifyingly similar to Velveeta. We were seated in a very dark, upstairs area where it was nearly impossible to read the menu. While the server apologized profusely and was very kind, her kindness overall was not enough to make this experience delightful. Not at all impressed. Will not be returning again (ever). read more

Mid week date night perfection in their heated outdoor setting. Fresh ingredients meets rural ambiance. Alice Waters... eat your heart out. read more

Sara's place is reliable. It's great when you go to the upstairs bar for a glass of wine and an appetizer or it's also wonderful in the summer on the patio. I tend to get the kale salad or the chicken Marsala off the menu. The sausage and peppers appetizer is also delicious, as is the soup. Service is always on par. read more

Nice place. Ate in the bar area which had a nice atmosphere. Food was great. Had the rack of lamb which was fantastic. Service was good, we had a party of 6 but she kept up. read more

Sara’s Place - Rack of lamb - Italian Near Me - Gates Mills, Ohio

My wife and I ate here May 9, 2024 for her birthday celebration. We liked the ambiance. The service was excellent. Unfortunately the food was not good. Her salad was not crisp. Mine was good. For her entrée she had chicken picatta with mashed potatoes. The picatta sauce, although lemon and caper in flavor, was very thick and did not seem appropriate for picatta. I had Pasta Bolognaise. The sauce was a pink or Vodka sauce. Unfortunately, it was very, very bland. It did not taste like a Bolognaise sauce. While it had some chunks of meat in it, there was also no meat flavor. We had lemon cake for dessert which was very good. Overall, since both our entrees were off the mark, we were disappointed and cannot recommend the restaurant. read more

Great experience! Waitress was so friendly & the food was delicious! Very cozy place to celebrate our anniversary!!

An out of the way gem. Slightly on the expensive side, this hideaway is a great retreat into old school restaurants of linen table cloth and proper etiquette. The food is delicious with a rotating seasonal menu. The service is wonderful and accommodating. read more

The very best restaurant in the city!!!!Excellent service, food is always terrific, and the dining room is very cozy and relaxing. I always get a smiling face from the staff when I walk through the door. Dave and Mary are always personable and attentive towards guests coming and going throughout the evening. If you're looking for an overall great dining experience, for any occasion, I highly recommend this one of a kind gem. read more

A friend recommended having dinner at Sara's and it turned out to be a real gem. The restaurant is tucked away in a very scenic mid-19th century town in a country setting. The ambience inside is realy nice and lends itself to a comfortable stay. The food was excellent. We ordered chicken parmesan, veal parmesan, eggplant parmesan, chicken marsala, and a couple pizzas. Those who had the pizza and parmesan dishes (including me) all raved about them. Only the marsala dish fell a bit flat. Food aside, the service has been excellent the two times I've eaten here. read more

Great service and outstanding food. Comfortable and casual atmosphere make this a favorite for sure!

Wow what a great time! We went there on NYE for dinner. Had a reservation. Food was great (I had filet) but a little slow due to NYE. I normally do not go there otherwise, but will try again soon. The valet attendants were polite, have a coatcheck. Kinda pricey though. read more

Sara’s Place - Italian Near Me - Gates Mills, Ohio

Way overpriced. I had a large pizza that would be a medium anywhere else, a salad that was far to small for the hefty price and a can of domestic beer for $7. After a $4 tip my bill was over $41. It was nice atmosphere, although too dark and nice waitress. Fortunately I was able to expense it and won't go back if I were paying myself read more

Great atmosphere, great food and the service was impeccable! The menu has something for everyone

Could live on this!! Sour cream was infused with lime and cauliflower pancakes included a side of guacamole. It was an appetizer but perfect for lunch!!! For dinner I'll just have two!!! read more

Sara’s Place - Cauliflower Pancakes with lime infused sour cream and guacamole - Italian Near Me - Gates Mills, Ohio

Excellent eatery off the beaten bath in the quaint village of Gates Mills. My favorite part is the cozy upstairs bar and lounge. Great bar tenders and servers are knowledgeable and pay attention to detail. Everything on the menu is great. Burgers are surprisingly delicious. Highly recommended. read more

Love there marinara sauce. I like everything from this restaurant! I find the food to be delicious and consistently good!

It definitely is too expensive. Chicken Milanese was so so, stuffed pepper appetizer was tasty but $$$ for one! Nice ambiance and service was good but probably not going back anytime soon. read more

Sat on the patio for an evening dinner. Service was excellent. Food was just okay. Had the mushroom pasta with olive oil and it was very watery - kept adding parmesan cheese to give it some creamy texture. Friend had the turkey Bolognese, which she said was okay, not very flavorful. Biggest issue was the patio. Lots of gnats and bugs. People were swatting away, someone had a can of bug repellant on their table. Asked if they had any citronella candles and was told they don't because the scent would interfere with the food. I know you take a chance sitting outside, but if a restaurant is going to have outdoor seating, it should know how to make that experience pleasant. I've been on other open patios as restaurants that did not have a pesky bug issue. read more

Food is of the highest quality. Service is impeccable. Unlike most restaurants in the Hunting Valley, you go to Sara's Place NOT to be seen.