Saga Restaurant - Cigar Coop

If there is one restaurant you must visit in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, it is Saga Restaurant and Cigar Club. During this year’s coverage of the Procigar Festival, I noted that Santiago is home to some exceptional dining options. However, Saga stands out among these excellent restaurants. I have even dubbed it “The Best Restaurant on Planet Earth.”

Cigar Coop doesn’t review restaurants or cigar lounges. However, I feel confident that Saga has all the best elements to earn the title “The Best Restaurant on Planet Earth.”

Exceptional food and drink
Exceptional service
Exceptional ambiance
Exceptional Experiential Elements (ambiance, vibe, etc.)
A place to smoke

“A place to smoke” might not be necessary to some, but it is essential to me as a cigar enthusiast. When you are going to the Procigar Festival, chances are you will want to have a great meal and enjoy a cigar, and Saga provides that piece. This is also “the restaurant” where many of the cigar industry people eat at – and take their clients to.

Saga Restaurant and Cigar Club was founded in 2015 by Augusto Reyes, who still owns and operates the restaurant. During Procigar, you will likely see Mr. Reyes, who plays the role of a consummate and gracious host. Yes, it’s the same Augusto Reyes of De Los Reyes Cigars. The name Saga is also the name of De Los Reyes’ brand of cigars, which was also launched around the same time as the restaurant opened. Of course, Saga Restaurant and Cigar Club offers cigars and a humidor with member lockers. There is an open-air section of the restaurant where you can smoke and some non-smoking areas.

There is a wine room and, of course, a bar area.

The food is amazing. The restaurant is well-known for its 55-ounce Tomahawk Chop steaks served sizzling on Himalayan salt blocks. When I converted the currency, the Tomahawks came out to about $115.00. Each Tomahawk will feed two. The salt blocks not only add flavor, but they keep the entire steak hot. You can also use them to make your steak less rare/more well-done (whatever you choose).

The Tomahawk experience is exceptional, especially when the staff presents the dishes. Here are some video recordings from both 2024 and 2025.

Saga does a great job with seafood offerings. They offer some fantastic sushi.

This Tuna Tartare offering showcases the artesian qualities of the food experience at Saga:

Saga also excels at Dominican cuisine. Ceviche is a staple in the Dominican Republic, and there are several options, from pork belly to shrimp to mami mahi to octopus.

Speaking of octopus:

One Dominican staple Saga makes exceptional is Sancocho (Dominican Stew):

Of course, risotto is another Dominican staple. Saga offers several risottos, but I chose the ultimate Dominican staple, Risotto de Chiva (Goat Risotto).

Covering the whole menu is virtually impossible, but you can check out the restaurant’s website.

There are two ways this relates to Procigar (and you can do both!).

You can book a reservation on your own. My advice is to do it in advance and give yourself a day outside the festival. The festival evening dinners are excellent, so you will want to attend them. At the same time, the Saga experience is well worth it.
Go on the De Los Reyes factory tour. This almost always includes a lunch visit at Saga. There won’t be Tomahawks here, but there is still a fantastic lunch menu that will give you the Saga experience.