Noble Fare — Restaurant in Savannah

I am in Savannah on Business, and this restaurant was the only place that made me say "wow. This deserves a review" the menu was immaculate. The food was expertly prepared. The flavors were fresh and vibrant in each dish. The service was personal and exuberant. The ambiance was cozy and romantic. I walked in hoping to sit at the bar alone. The bar is a service bar only. I was lucky enough to get a small table by the window that had been reserved and abandoned. I had the blackberry bramble cocktail. A delightfully well balanced gin drink that wasn't too sweet or too bitter. The bread came with a really fresh pesto, a home made sage oil with balsamic, and a whole unsalted butter. The sage oil was fragrant and absolutely delicious. My waiter said he believes the chef has an herb garden because it had recently been rosemary, and fennel before that. I wish I could try the fennel. Seasonal freshness did not disappoint with the sage though. I had the wild mushroom bisque to start. This was a show stopper of a rich creamy soup with truffle oil, croutons, and a drizzle of cream. Fresh ground black pepper was offered with each dish. It really wakes up the flavor in some things. It was good with the mushroom bisque. I had the catch of the day for dinner which was a skin on swordfish filet over a corn risotto with green beans and topped with shaved carrot and wilted baby spinach. This was delicious, tender, buttery, flaky, and flavorful. There was no fishiness to the flavor profile at all. The risotto was perfectly prepared and seasoned. The green beans were vibrant in color from a perfectly al dente steam boil. Crisp body but not crunchy. My companion had the scallops for dinner. They were perfectly seared golden on one side sealing in all the buttery flavors. They were soft and melty and fresh. I haven't had a scallop prepared that well in a VERY long time. We finished with the Carmel cheesecake. Very Rick. Very creamy and carmely (I know that's not an adjective technically). Served with a firm cream dollop and some sliced fruit. Menu describes it as with fruit, but there were two blueberries and maybe one strawberry if you put the slices back together. But the fruit was clearly not intended to be the star of the dish. It was meant to add a bright flavor compliment for the creamy carmel flavors and textures. The presentation of each plate was perfect also. "The eyes eat first". A well considered fact by the chef and his/her kitchen team. The server (Ben) was personable, knowledgeable, and fun. His timing and attention were exceptional. Thank you Noble Fare for being the perfect little out of the way finish for my business trip. First time in Savannah, and you...

Placing reservations - the Open Table app is not an option, you must call during hours when they are open.

Parking - the neighborhood is relatively quiet, so there is plenty of on-street parking available.

Arrival - opening the door, there were 6 other adults waiting in the foyer, which made it so my wife nearly stood in the doorway the servers were going in/out of for 1st-floor dining room, and I stood in front of the main entrance door. I had to serve as the doorman for those departing. There was no hostess and those who were walking between all of us said nothing more than "excuse me". It wasn't until we were told our table was ready (15 minutes after arriving) that anyone even acknowledged us.

Atmosphere - my wife and I were seated in the 1st-floor dining room, by the frontage french doors. Even with carpet, window coverings, and upholstered chairs, the room is very loud for the modest number of tables present, approximately ten. To offer a local eatery reference, think 'Rocks on the Roof'. The walls and ceiling are black, with a contrasting wall with patterned black and white wallpaper. A very non-elegant variety of music is playing a bit too loudly - can be heard above the roar of voices. Romantic and easy to carry on a conversation, it is not.

Food - my wife and I had the Crab Bisque, Fillet, and Tiramisu with the wine pairings. The bisque was very flavorful and had a unique flair. The fillet was alright, I just couldn't get past the excessive saltiness and the demi-glace smell (like Dinty Moore beef stew); the mashed potatoes seemed nothing more than instant potatoes. The Tiramisu was good, but very much inline with what is offered at most local eateries, meaning - nothing unique about it.

Wine Pairings - the appetizer pairing was very good - crisp, not too dry, flavorful, a white that went well with the bisque. the 2nd-course pairing was also very good, a Malbec with great body and a spicy finish. The dessert pairing was awful! Neither my wife nor I could drink more than a sip, as it tasted like really sweet cough syrup.

Staff - there was no one at any point in our stay that offered their name or desired to engage in a way to create a comfortable atmosphere of service. We had three different people that would randomly take plates, pour water, deliver food, and take the order. The service and atmosphere seemed very chaotic and far from the well-oiled machine expected for fine dining. Encounters with the staff were awkward, at best.

I recommend anyone should try an eatery to experience it themselves, but hope this review sets your expectations properly...

Oh, Noble Fare...Where do I even begin?!

I am the Marketing and Events Director for an Architecture Firm and we entertain clients often. Finding new restaurants in the Savannah area outside of our tried and true can be VERY stressful, because you really never know how well everything is going to go until the event is upon you. I wouldn't say we are the easiest clients because we often deal with unexpected changes and requests from our guests with little notice leading up to the events.

I emailed to inquire about two back-to-back dinners which would require use of the entire bottom floor and I was answered by nonother than Jenny, the incredibly pleasant cofounder of the restaurant. She outlined our options very clearly and attentively, and then passed me to her event coordinator, Luiz.

I cannot say enough about Luiz. It ended up that we were so overbooked that we had to add a very last minute third dinner the day before the other two, and Luiz made it happen with a snap of his fingers, and with excellent communication DURING his VACATION. As busy as I am, I found myself encouraging LUIZ to take it easy because he was SO hands on and plugged in, even when he was supposed to be relaxing.

Service on each day was absolutely phenomenal. Chef is incredibly talented, Luiz ran things expertly, and with the additional help of Scott, Ben, Jasmine, Jack, and Marissa...our clients were over the moon.

I highly recommend this hidden gem. These employees know their stuff, are seasoned professionals, and are a million miles ahead of others in regards to level of service.

Luiz and I are now on a hugging basis, lol, and I think he is destined for truly great things...namely a...