Reviews
- Thursday, 22nd October 2009From one look at these reviews, I guess Salvador's is a place that you either love or hate. For me, an American living here for 9 years, Salvador's, Moonlight Corner, The Box and Green Kunming just make this city a more positive place to live. And now with the addition of Green Kunming and French Cafe's baguettes, I'm starting to wonder what this town still lacks.
Salvador's is a place you can feel good about spending your money. Things are run thoughtfully, the food is great, service is with a smile and I could happily spend an entire lazy day there. Sure it would be nice to have the owners around more, but they've done well handing the reigns over to and empowering the workers. - Saturday, 14th February 2009i didn't know Kunming existed when the last person posted his comment. So i just got to see the new and improved Salvador's.
its a very layback cool place to eat good chocolaty food. (and general food as well)
the only thing is that the second floor has a ceiling that is way to low for my liking but i am taller than everyone so i guess ill have to get used to that in China ;D - Saturday, 8th November 2008Salvador's is mediocre at best, along with most of the western restaurants in Kunming. We do like some of the new sandwiches but over-all nothing special. Also, I was on my way through the alley last week and I was freezing so I stopped to get a cup of coffee to go. It had to be one of the worst cups of coffee I've ever tasted in my entire life. Nothing fresh about it, had that burnt, been sitting on the burner for who knows how long kind of taste. For a coffee house the coffee could use a little work.
- Wednesday, 22nd October 2008say what you want, but it's amazing that this place exists anywhere in china, let alone kunming of all places... some of the best coffee, food and ambience to be found at any cafe on the mainland OR hong kong, how they've managed to fit so much good stuff into such a small space is beyond me. respect!
- Friday, 11th April 2008As one of the owners, I can assure you that Jared is not one. However, your description of our ice cream recently is regrettably true. There have been problems with our machine that have now been taken care of. But being that we use only natural ingredients, our fruit flavors of ice cream will always suffer a little from iciness due to the water content in fruits. We hope those who have not been impressed with our ice cream recently will give it another try.
As far as our sanitation goes, we try to hold one of the highest standards in Kunming. We have four owners who eat the same food as our customers daily and therefore are quite concerned with Salvador's quality and sanitation. During business hours the kitchen can be a bit chaotic as we are often quite busy. But the kitchen will always retain its sanitation. In addition, we are one of the only restaurants (if not the only one) who washes fruits, veggies and dishware with purified water.
Those who have been customers at Salvador's for some time may be pleased to know that our new menu to be released in the next month or so that may include treats like artichoke hearts, feta, bacon, and sun-dried tomatoes. We are also trying out a new "No Smoking Day" every Wednesday for those who are turned off by the smoky atmosphere Salvador's sometimes suffers from nightly. We highly value this review system and encourage more commentary. Cheers - Wednesday, 9th April 2008Arguably- YES, because i and many others do not agree with you jared. Are you one of the owners?
Salvadors is a mediocre, dirty, mama huhu cafe. As for the mix on the menu, that is what it tastes like-a mix. And if you don't mind waiting forever, i guess that is fine. I hate to say this but when i see your kitchen and your bathroom it makes me worry a bit. For a "western" restaurant your standard is not. I dont even want to say what i watched as i sat on the bar. And of course my favorite item was taken off the menu, and the ice cream is getting a bit icy too. But i do like your chai!
Sure you guys meet a need, and were the first in town but step it up a bit. Not everyone in Kunming is voting for you guys! - Sunday, 20th January 2008Arguably the most popular and best all around Western restaurant in Kunming, Salvador's has been a fixture of the international community since it opened in 2004. Originating in Dali, the café's funky ambiance is very much in the spirit of its namesake, the eccentric Spanish artist Salvador Dali.
The relaxed environment, suave tunes, and top-notch menu are great for anything from a hearty breakfast and coffee to a Friday night drink with friends. Readers of GoKunming.com recently voted Salavador's "Best Café" and "Best Cocktails" for 2007. There's no doubt Salvador's earned every vote.
Nearly every item on the menu stands out among foreign cuisine in Kunming. The mix of offerings is perhaps a uniquely American blend of Mexican, Italian, and even Middle Eastern fare. My personal lunch/dinner favorite is the Deluxe Quesadilla (available with a choice of chicken, beef, or shiitake mushroom, ¥24), served with a side of salsa that actually tastes like salsa. The spaghetti selections are also excellent, one-upping even the city's Italian restaurants. After meal options are just as appetizing, featuring ice cream sundaes like the "UFO" and the "Star Destroyer." Beware though of the milkshakes. Despite the best efforts of the management, the staff routinely over-blends and under-fills them. The result, unfortunately, is the somewhat typical "milky shake" found at many a Chinese Western establishment.
Though Salvador's last call on the early side at 11:00pm, it is in fact one of the better bars around. The best time to enjoy their strongish cocktails is during the generous happy hour (4:00-8:00pm, daily) when Gin Tonics, Vodka Tonics, and Screwdrivers are all available at ¥10. Beer drinkers might be at first disappointed with the absence of the local Dali Beer, but can find solace in the moderately up market – though superior – Lao Beer.
When it comes to coffee, it is obvious that Salvador's takes its Coffee House moniker seriously. With imported Nuova Simonelli espresso machines and a specially selected blend of Yunnan coffee beans, the entire range of their java selection is phenomenal. Until 2:00pm each day you can enjoy a bottomless cup of regular brew coffee (¥12). While free refills go together great with complimentary WiFi access, the real draw is the espresso drinks (¥10-28). Thorough staff training produces a consistently tasty cup. For those that can't get enough, you can take a bag home (¥38 for a small bag, ¥72 for a large).
While Salvador's certainly deserves its reputation among the international resident community with authentic recreations of Western cuisine, the secret to its success lies in its ability to attract ever-greater numbers of local Kunming fans. If you plan on making a first time visit, it is best to avoid the usual lunch or dinner rush and try mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Salvador's makes an effort to be welcoming to new visitors, with menus available in Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, and Thai. - Tuesday, 1st January 2008I like Salvadors. If you can find a smoke free area, then the atmosphere is really nice. Salvadors has wonderful drinks. As I mentioned in my review of the Silver Spoon, I love Chai, and the Chai at Salvadors will not disappoint.
My biggest complaint is that their food is somewhat bland. They pride themselves on their Mexican cuisine, but even their fresh salsa has little flavor. With that said, I'm Texan, and we have more specific tastes for Mexican food than people from some places and I've had people tell me that they really like their salsa. Despite being somewhat bland in my opinion, I still find myself getting the Mexican breakfast more often than not. I do wish they used fresh tortillas though as the ones that they do use (on this as well as other menu items) are often flaky and a little crispy (possibly from being stale? It's hard to tell).
Salvadors should be highly recommended for their ice cream though! It's really, really good.
Overall, I like the atmosphere, think the main food items that I've had were mediocre, but love the ice cream. Some seem to rate these Western cafes and restaurants as compared to establishments in Europe, England and America. I prefer to rate based on their comparison to other Kunming establishments, and as such Salvadors is worth four stars in my opinion. - Tuesday, 25th December 2007OK Bernie,
You are right! I have changed it to a 4. But I have yet to get sick at Salvador's. The rating at Silver Spoon still holds. To make food and leave it out all day is just not Kosher! And then they have the nerve to complain about my complaint - rather than trying to change anything! At least Salvador's is open and receptive about complaints - and they are considering losing the WiFri. (When you start to develop Alzheimer's you might also agree.) Peace!
I have been patronizing this place more recently - I started mainly because I heard a rumor they were going to get rid of their WiFri (your brain), but it has yet to happen. Having said that, I have become addicted to the burritos, which from my experience so far, I would say are the best in Kunming. When they do get around to doing away with the WiFri, I hope that they also make it a non-smoking establishment (or at least in the mornings and afternoons) since it is extremely annoying to non-smokers to have smoke blowing over to where they are sitting when they are trying to enjoy their food. Yes, definitely take Mulga's advice on doing away with the WiFri (your brain). I concur! - Sunday, 23rd December 2007Permit an open question to 'prd34'. You recently awarded The Silver Spoon Cafe a zero rating. But, here, with its WiFi and cigarette smoke that you complain about, you give five stars. I'm wondering if that was a mistake -- because there's hardly any chance of an improvement with a 'five'.
- Saturday, 22nd December 2007The upper deck is a bit dark but the atmosphere is okay for friendly talking but not surfing internet through Wi-fi. Music is good and not too loud (unlike Vintage) and good choices of light music rather than songs and mind-blowing hip-hop music. My suggestion is to set up a smoke-free corner but it could be difficult as I noted that 80% of the customers smoke in the cafe!!! It is too dark to read a book in the upper deck as the lighting is dim!!! It is because the cafe is "long" while other cafes (e.g. Vintage, Prague and Mazagran) are "wide" (if you get what I mean). However, it is a good place for friendly gathering and talking.
- Sunday, 14th October 2007My family and i really enjoy Salvadors. The food is good and generally consistent which is not always easy to find in China. The coffee is also good as is the icecream .More importantly the beer is cold!
For those new to Kunming i would take some reviews about poor service from Salvadors with a grain of salt. You are now living in Jamaica and nothing happens in a hurry. Just try doing business here! My family and i find the service good by Chinese standards and if you happen to get
forgotten ask the girls and they will try and fix the problem.
One complaint: what the bloody hell happened to the wasabi chicken and mushroom bagel melt!
Advice: (for what its worth), get rid of wifi so all the tables aren't taken up by individuals cruising the net and sitting on a cup of coffee all afternoon.
Thought: Have taken an interest in the food and drink reviews. Have noticed that Bernie is not backward in coming forward with complaints about restuarants. Would be good to know what and where you do like Bernie. - Thursday, 11th October 2007The service is not the best, but the food more than makes up for it. I would especially recommend the Mexican food (the cheese quesadilla and salsa is only 14 kuai!), but any of the bagel sandwiches, breakfast meals, pastas, etc. are good. The ice cream is also great and you can't go wrong for only 10 kuai! The Happy Hour specials are great too.
Beware that Salvador's is often totally packed during the main dinner rush, though. You might want to have a back up plan. - Wednesday, 10th October 2007I have always had a good experience at Salvador's. The atmosphere and food is pretty good. The customer service can be hit and miss at times, but the nice fuwuyuans make up with it with their smiles. The work environment is obviously nice for them. Some suggestions would be to clean the bathroom more regularly and maybe a little better lighting to make it easier to study!
