In a 2021 overview of the city's "wildest" gay bars, she and Conner Reed described Santé as a "narrow, elegant space" with "solid" drinks,[5] and the website's Alex Frane called the bar "cozy and low-key" in his list of "essential Portland cocktail bars where you can sip something exceptional".[6] In 2020, he described Santé as an LGBTQ bar with "elegant" cocktails.[7]
In his 2019 overview of the city's "best in LGBTQ+ nightlife, bars, parties, comedy, and more", the Portland Mercury's Andrew Jankowski described Santé as a piano bar "serving cocktails, live jazz, TV musical viewing parties, and open mics with everything from storytelling and poetry to live, music".[8]
In 2019, Willamette Week said, "This swanky cocktail bar might not look like much from the outside, but its vintage vibe, romantic lighting and fancy drinks are a welcome shift from the standard westside LGBTQ bar experience."[10] Kara Stokes and Maya MacEvoy included Santé Bar in Eater Portland's 2022 overview of "Where to Eat and Drink in Portland’s Pearl District".[11]