Haven't been here in years. I was visiting St. Louis Hills and we ended up carrying out from Aya Sofia on a weeknight. I ordered the Döner Sandwich with rice pilaf on the side. The meat was perfectly spiced, sliced, and crisped up. The bread was fresh and all of the components of the sandwich were as well. I didn't love the rice pilaf. I'm not sure what the spice on it was but I think that's what I wasn't wild about. My dinner dates ordered a fish special, one of the kebabs, and the Kizartma appetizer. I would order the Kizartma, myself. It is crispy eggplant, zucchini, potatoes and bell peppers with tomato sauce and yogurt and kind of reminds me of caponata. Really delicious! I'll be back! read more

Aya Sofia - Doner Sandwich & Rice Pilaf - Turkish Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

My wife and I just had dinner here for the first time and had a wonderful experience. Both of our meals (Mediterranean Chicken and Firinda Kuzu) were excellent and everyone working there was great company. If you're ever in the area I would definitely recommend stopping by. read more

We discovered this lovely restaurant during a Sunday drive. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was great, and the service was top-notch. Both my husband and I ordered from the brunch menu and we're looking forward to going back to try the dinner menu as well read more

Ambiance is great and service was lovely. I was a bit disappointed in the food. Food wasn't as piping hot as it probably should have been.

WE LOVE AYA SOFIA! Such a delicious, amazing restaurant! My husband and I are planning a trip to Istanbul and this was the restaurant that made us so excited about our future travels! We started off with the Shepherds salad as an appetizer which was DELICIOUS, lemony-salty and with a touch of oil. It was superb. They also give complimentary bread. We then got into our main entrees, my husband got the chicken kabob plate and I got the Adana kabob plate. Our server said his favorite thing on the menu was the Adana kabob and I must say it was so tasty. My husband loved his meal so much as well. They give great portions, we were able to have the rest for dinner the next day! We will most definitely going to be back soon! read more

Great restaurant! Easily booked a reservation for 10 people the day before. Excellent service. read more

Aya Sofia - Double Mixed Grill - Turkish Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Aya Sofia was an absolute delight. Our reservation was at 6, but we got there a little earlier so we could enjoy a happy hour drink at the bar. The bartender was kind and funny and made our drinks well. What we ordered: we started off with the calamari and swordfish. Swordfish is one of my favorites and they did everything right. It was perfectly moist and seasoned. The calamari was excellent as well. For our main, we got the aya Sofia salad and added salmon. It was delicious and filling. We ended the night with turkish tea. The owner was lovely. She walked around and talked to all of the guests. I will 100% be back. read more

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Aya Sofia is beautiful and relaxing. The service is always exemplary, and the food is always delicious.

I will tell you it's not turkish restaurant. Tastes so different and not good. All food tastes similar. I would say service is not good at all. Only once been there never visit again. 20% tip for service is already included as gratitude however they want you tip more and will print you out to tip and wait from you as if you didn't tip at all. read more

Aya Sofia - Similar taste of dishes - Turkish Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Excellent food and service. I recommend leaving room for some baklava. I will definitely be a return customer.

I was browsing for a romantic spot to take the wifey and this place had the look and feel that I was going for. To my surprise the restaurant had a phenomenal ambiance and excellent service right from the moment we walked in door. We had the platter with humus, biber ezme and babaganuş for an appetizer. At most Mediterranean places, this would be served with with hot pita bread but here they serve it with tiny baguette slices. Both are good, but if you prefer the pita, you can ask for an order of it and will only cost $1. In my opinion, it was worth the $1 and we really enjoyed it. For entrees we tried the sis kebab and the Iskender. Both dishes were flavorful in their own ways. For the sis kebab you have a variety of options, we choice 1 kebab lamb and 1 kebab chicken. I would highly recommend chicken kebab as it came out succulent and was more juicy and had more flavor compared to the lamb. They have a plethora of wine selections and dessert options if those peak your interest. If the server asks if you are interested in coffee or desserts, it's worth saying yes, because instead of bringing you a menu,they will bring out a tray of everything for you to see visually, which I thought was a very nice touch. While there were a few dessert options that sounded delicious, we were both very full for dinner and had to say no to dessert. Overall, we had a great time. I thought this Turkish spot was a bit over priced. Parking is limited but there are ample street parking available. Make sure to reserve prior especially weekends. Ambience - 10/10 Staff service/ attitude - 9/10 Food quality/portion - 9/10 Location - 8/10 Parking - 6/10 read more

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Life is opening back up and good food has been my way of discovering normal life again. Looking for a tastier casual fare, the Middle Eastern cuisine of Aya Sofia called to me from St. Louis Hills. (Near Ted Drewes) With beautifully decor, the STL mainstay has continued to please the taste buds of the Lou with rich culinary traditions showcasing regional Turkish cooking at its very best. From Chef Mehmet's Haydari, a homemade creamy yogurt dip with garlic, dill, fresh mint, pecans served with Turkish bread to the roasted rosemary Kuzu Portola (lamb chops) the food is fresh and memorable. Some great grabs are the Ottoman Burger, flavorfull pides, and Lahmacun, Turkish Pizza. Light and thin, the pizza has a little kick and cools easily with a squirt of lemon. Blessed with a latern-lit patio, find some summer happiness at Aya Sofia soon. read more

Aya Sofia - Pides or Turkish Pizzas - Turkish Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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The food was delicious. And I enjoyed how fresh the food tasted. The staff was very attentive.Enjoyed the outdoor. We had brunch and look forward to returning for dinner. I would highly recommend this restaurant. I knew definitely get your moneys worth. read more

I had a lot of hope for this place because of the ambiance and menu options. The food was really good , I especially recommend the iskender, so juicy and tender. However, I wasn't a huge fan of the steamed veggie sides (?) and the fact that they didn't offer to do anything to celebrate despite us being there for a birthday. read more

Aya Sofia - Eggplant moussaka, Single Chicken Kebob, Iskender, Mixed Grill - Turkish Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Went in for a takeout order and was completely ignored by the male bartender. He made eye contact with me, said nothing, then took a call...continuing to ignore my presence. A few minutes later a young lady who I assumed was a hostess said hello. I asked if I could place an order for hummus and she relayed this to the bartender. Again ignored. A third employee walks up to type something into the computer. She saw me standing by and politely asked if I needed something. I advised her that I wanted takeout hummus as the hostess stood over us. Not wanting to double order I asked the hostess if my order had been placed by the bartender. She responded "I told him but I guess not." This was a horrible first experience! Not sure what the young man's problem was or how this simple transaction was made sooooo complicated. The decently prepared hummus came out within a few minutes. Pita would've been nice instead of the thick dinner bread but its irrelevant because I'll never go back...based on the service alone. ~Christy read more

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This was my first time at this restaurant...and i loved it. The atmosphere was very cozy and intimate...perfect a group of friends or a 1 on 1 date! The drinks were really good..with perfect balance! I had the Bohca for an appetizer and it was amazing!!!! The flaky crust was light enough to not be overwhelming. I also had the Iskender (pic included) as my entree. I liked everything about this dish except for the pepper. The meat was seasoned and the sauce was really good. There is not a lot parking and the GPS instructions can be a little misleading...but dont get discourged... once you arrive...its worth it!!! read more

Aya Sofia - Turkish Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Not sure if we came on a bad day or something given the previous reviews, but the food was almost inedible. The lentil soup was ok. I had the doner sandwich and the meat was dry and the whole thing was so salty and sour I couldn't eat half of it. My wife ordered musaka and it was just a tomato paste bomb with dry beef. Service was friendly but confusing and awkward. read more

Aya Sofia is an outstanding restaurant! We've eaten there for years. The Ambiance is quiet and comfortable, food is consistently very good and service was perfect. It will continue to be a go to destination when we need good Mediterranean food. Aya Sofia was the perfect night out to celebrate New Years Eve! can't wait to go back read more

OMG! I am in shock. I went to Aya Sofia and didn't order lamb chops. I was all set and ready to order my usual and then Emily our server told us the special of the night. She sang its praises by saying it was her favorite and how she always looks forward to it being a special offering. So glad, I listened to her, the Grilled Swordfish was seafood at its best. I started out with a Mediterranean Mule. It was made just like a Moscow Mule, but instead of vodka, it was made with Milagro Blanco Tequila. To be honest, not my cup of Mule, but I'm glad I gave it a try. As an appetizer I ordered, Kalamar Tava. I kept with a seafood theme for my entire meal. It was lightly breaded calamari, served with homemade garlic aioli. Delicious. I'm happy to say, this was probably the best calamari I have ever had. The pieces were huge, crisp and the aioli would be a great condiment for anything. Wish I could buy it by the jar. The piece of resistance of the meal was of course the, Swordfish. It was a large steak, grilled beautifully. Each bite, flaked perfectly. They served it over a bed of sautéed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes. If this is offered as a special on my next visit, I'll order it again. Service is always top notch. Aya Sofia is a 5 Star experience. It deserves more recognition then it receives. read more

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First time here, the dining room only had two tables occupied. Our waiter was polite, the bus boy was loud, both talking and refilling water with a thunk. I wasn't crazy about the food but my kid liked their stuff. I've lived in the Middle East and have had amazing feasts. We got a bunch of plates we shared and out of all, we picked the hummus as our favorite (even I can make a good hummus at home...). Their shrimp skewer was a bit dry, and everything else for me was forgettable. The dining room is nice but tired. And I HATE that I can't see the menu online because of a poorly designed pick-up/delivery pop-up!!! Argh. read more

Aya Sofia - a dining room with a table and chairs - Turkish Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Delicious food and our service was terrific. It was the perfect place for the vegetarian and the meat eater in my family.

Aya Sofia is amazing! Have been here a few times and the restaurant feels homey and has great service! We get the Adana kebab every time. Other highlights are the ezme platter and Acili ezme, the acile ezme and baba ganoush were probably my favorite. The Mussaka and Turkish salad were great too! I got the Turkish salad with falafel and the falafel came out fresh, hot and crisp. We tried the sigara boreki once too and while they were good the other options on the menu were in my opinion better. Overall, the portions here are pretty big making it a great place to take family/big groups to read more

Very cool that we have a Turkish restaurant here. Nice vibes, the lighting is dim but not too dark, lots of red. Quiet inside, lots of booths. I was expecting something a little more upscale based on the price-point and being told how "romantic" this restaurant is - I didn't really find it romantic, the decor was cool but nothing about it really said "date" to me. Food was very good. I got an eggplant based vegetarian dish. I had plenty of vegetarian options which was great. My partner is a meat-eater and he had a ton of options as well. He enjoyed his meat-based dish. The portions were filling and everything tasted great, though I wouldn't consider it extremely unique/memorable - nothing about it stood out a lot but it was all very good. Staff was quick and very kind as well. read more

The food is beyond amazing! We have gone multiple times and have tried a variety of dishes. The Manti is my favorite, but all good we've had was soooo good! The service is great! The atmosphere is inviting and cozy. read more

Food-5 Ambiance-5 Service-5 A solid 5 star experience- the small but inviting exterior leads into the beautiful curtained dining hall and bar. The food is top notch from start to finish. Shrimp skewers are outstanding.. as is lamb chops, Adana kebab and kedaif/kunafa for dessert. The drinks were great as well. Such a romantic place- if you are planning a special evening, look no further! Next time I will request for the booths with curtains. I am coming back for the kofte and mossaka, you see! read more

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Beautiful restaurant with delicious Mediterranean food and good service. We like to order a lot of appetizers and then share a whole fish. Yum! read more

This establishment is a chef owned restaurant with a passion for great food ! I love the vibe everything I tried was fantastic I will defiantly be back I recommend this restaurant 110% must go here read more

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Parking was a tight little squeeze but we got us one in front and good thing because we brought our baby to eat. Tuan was fantastic and had a chair ready for us for the car seat and a water with a straw because he wasn't sure what age the baby was but it was such a nice gesture. He made sure our glasses were always filled and our table was always clean. The bohca were delicious. Meat was a little more minced then I thought but still tasty. We had ordered baba ganoush but we ended up with hummus which is why I took a star off. The hummus was okay but it wasn't what we ordered. The iskender was good but not hot and didn't taste fresh. It was delicious as a heated leftover though. The adena Kebap was good too and perfectly spicy. Overall a good meal. Not sure how Turkish some of the meals were because the plate had broccoli on it and I've been to Turkey twice and never had broccoli on anything. read more

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I've been meeting to try this place out, as I often drive by admiring Aya Sofia's outdoor decor. I finally got a chance to try it at the International Supper Club. Parking is a little difficult, as there is very limited parking in front of the restaurant, but there are always streets around where you can park for free. The restaurant is wonderfully decorated, a place that I would take my wife on for a date. The servers were very attentive, as we weren't initially given enough menus, but a simple wave and our servers immediately attended to our needs. There were so many food options I was not familiar with that I had a hard time making a choice. Thankfully my friend dining neighbor, Caitlin, was familiar with Turkish cuisine and recommended the Iskender. I initially thought this was going to be some sort of pita wrap, but it more resembles a plate of meat with rice. I really enjoyed the Iskender, with the rice and tomato sauce and yogurt. The dinner portion was definitely enough to feed two. I was really glad to check this place out. I believe it was my first Turkish food experience and will not be my last at this restaurant. Thanks to Sarah S. for setting up this great ISC event! read more

Aya Sofia - Iskender - Turkish Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Aya Sofia was such an unplanned delight of a dinner location! We were originally wanting some barbeque but that didn't work out so we decided to try this place. When we came in, we were asked if we have reservations which we didn't but the host seated us in one of their cozy booths anyway. The place wasn't so busy considering it was Dec 30th, a Friday, and I figured everyone would be going out to dinner. The place has an overall romantic vibe which would be great for a date night, if one exists in your life. It's semi-private in the booths with dim lighting, charming pillow decore on each side and plenty of room to maneuver around. The parking lot is quite small though and looked to fit only about a handful of cars. The food was fantastic! If you enjoy Mediterranean type of foods, then this place will definitely cater your palate. We started with an order of the babaganus (GF according to the menu) served with slim slices of bread. The waiter was kind enough to bring more once he noticed ours was running low yet still had a lot of babaganus left. The babaganus was delicious and the bread was different. Please note, I generally hate breads but I liked theirs especially with some babaganus. My entree was the Moussaka (non-vegetarian kind) served with some pearl couscous and veggies. I did, however, get to try some of the delicious lamb shank which came with some lentils. Wow! That tasted so good and the meat was very tender. I was immediately jealous but once I tasted my dish, I had absolutely no regrets ordering it. The Moussaka was bursting with flavors. I would not hesitate getting it again next time. I tried one of their dessert options and I loved it as well. I can't remember what it was called but it was nutty and just the right amount of sweetness. I wish we had gone during the early weekdays (when I am off) because I wanted to try their Turkish coffee. Alas, I had to make sure I could sleep that night and wake up at 2:30 AM so I did not opt to try it. Service was great! This place is truly wonderful. I can't wait to come back maybe for their lunch, brunch or another dinner! read more

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January dinner club location, 8 of us in tow, first visit for me. We kicked off the evening in the bar area for drinks to allow everyone time to get there. The bar area is very quaint and little tight. So if there's more than 8 folks in that area, you need to do a shuffle to move around. I opted for the Sidecar cocktail and boy was that enjoyable! At first sip, I was hooked. I already knew that I'd have another. It wasn't too sweet or too tart, but rather well balanced with the right amount of heaviness. We were seated in the middle of the restaurant with one side of bench seating and the other side with chairs. I ordered 2 appetizers to try, the Sigara and something else I can't recall the name. I thought that both were very tasty, not too heavy for starters and a good lead up to the main course. The main attraction, Doner Sandwich, I made a special request for chicken instead of lamb and they were very accommodating. The sandwich was huge, I could only eat 1/2 of it, but the most pleasant surpise of all... Fresh Cut Fries! Oh my, bestill my heart! Give me fresh cut fries and I give you a high five! Overall, an awesome night! Everyone enjoyed their meals, food came out timely and hot, service was impeccable. A great experience. read more

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Finally gave this spot a try! Regret not doing it earlier. Great food. Inside was very comfy and their booths were great for a date night. My wife and Intruly enjoyed everything we tried!! Suggest going with a group of 4 to share all their delica read more

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As I delightedly stuff my leftovers into my face, I write this review. I'm a professed addict of small plates, dainty foods, healthy choices-esque restaurants. I just hate feeling ridiculously full and have a conscious weight issue (don't we all?) But after being in STL for 4 years now, I had to finally try this well known establishment. The Mr and I made a reservation for a Friday night, and it's good we did as it was pretty packed. Small little place, with a great patio if the weather is behaving. It's not as dated as some might assume, which was a bit of a surprise to me. We started with babaganoush and borek with olives. That baba was some of the best mashed up food ever. It is the best babaganoush I've ever had, and it came with some cucumbers, which I prefer to dip rather than bread. The borek was also quite good. After these two items and olives, I would have been completely satisfied with no need for additional stomach stretchers. Except, I had ordered the Iskender. I hardly eat meat, especially beef, but I wanted to "go for it" here. Go big, go rogue. No little shrimps, no measly salad. Just order FOOD. Boy is that what I did. That Iskender was the most humongous plate, it could have fed a family, literally (I'm finagling 3 meals out of it) but it was oh-so-delicious. Thinly sliced meat with sauce, rice, and the bread on bottom. Now, I've had this same dish at Sheesh, which was my inaugural experience with Iskender, and was equally blown away. So I suppose it's just my thang. The Mr had the meatballs and soup and cleaned the plate. It was a more manageable portion, but he agreed on the tastiness. Everything was very well liked. Seeing as how I was a well-sloshed woman the night before, I didn't go for any wine or my usual gin cocktail during dinner, but I did decided early on that I would do the nutty turk dessert drink. There is a drink along these lines at Natasha's Cafe (turkish coffee, vodka, etc) that is out of this world yum. It's bitter, rich, yet desserty. Sorry to say that the one at Aya Sofia just tasted like overly sweetened chocolate milk. I even love Bailey's, which was in it, but it was just too sweet. The coffee didn't come through at all, if it was even in there. Work on this one, y'all, after tasting the similar at Natasha's. Doggy bag in hand, we headed out and the place was still quite busy. The menu has a lot of variety, the wine and cocktail list is pretty well rounded and the decor (especially the patio) is cute, albeit cozy. Be sure to get a little romantic booth if you're on a date. We had a table and could hear both sides' conversations. read more

Aya Sofia - Iskender. Nom. - Turkish Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

This is a place in St Louis that I have been wanting to try for months and finally we went out as a group of 4 to try. I had made a reservation for that evening but once we got there we were told we still had to wait. By the time we got seated it was 40 minutes later after waiting at the bar - they had explained to us that they were extremely shortstaffed that day but it still dampened the experience. Once seated, we ordered our food with some hummus and then our main meals which were delicious. The meats were so well cooked and the plates were plentiful. The staff tried to be attentive but you could tell they were somewhat stressed. I didn't love my experience here this first time and was disappointed in how I had to wait despite making a reservation but I would definitely like to give them another chance. read more

Aya Sofia - Turkish Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

First off, I have very little familiarity with Mediterranean cuisine... Our server's name was Garrett, and he was extremely attentive and patient with all of our questions while going over the menu. It really made the evening even more special. The interior of the restaurant is intimate and elegant, so we definitely felt like this was a great date night spot. The calamari appetizer was okay but did not have a lot of flavor on its own. Luckily the dipping sauce was tasty! Garrett recommended the Sigara Boregi, and we are so glad he did. They came out piping hot and had an incredible flavor between the dill, feta, and ricotta. My hubby loved them also, even thought he dislikes ricotta and feta on their own. My hubby ordered the kuzu incik entree and said the white bean sauce tied together the whole dish and even cut through the gamey flavor of the lamb. Do NOT order if you don't like beans! I ordered the Köfte plate; the rice and veg were cooked well and super tasty. I tend to be very sensitive to gamey meats, so I was worried about the lamb, but the balance between the lamb/beef combo was great. The yogurt sauce cut out any remaining gamey flavor in the meatballs, and I loved every bite. The serving sizes were very generous, also! read more

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I live a couple blocks from Aya Sofia and am constantly drawn in and enticed by the wonderful smells coming from their kitchen. The flavors match the aroma... They never disappoint! The food is delicious and powerfully seasoned. You can have a fancy dinner here or a reasonably priced Mediterranean dish. I happened to go on a belly dancing night and was surprised with a free show during dinner! The wait staff are incredibly friendly as well! read more

Excellent restaurant. Wonderful food, service, and atmosphere. Love this place! Try the Osso Bucco!

Fantastic! If this one word isn't enough to convince you to visit, let me share the reasons... The room decor fits with the international theme, but in a classy and understated way. While I was there with a small group, I couldn't help but think - great date spot!! The service was excellent! The waiter was knowledgeable about the dishes and drink choices. He expertly recommended a wine to accompany my swordfish, and both were beyond scrumptious! You know you eat with your eyes first...and the food was carefully and pleasingly plated. My dinner companions all ooo'd and aahh'd over each other's choices, as each plate was presented. The menu has that distinctive Mediteranian vibe, and there are lots of tantalizing choices-including several vegetarian options. Throughout our meal, we were asked by multiple staff how the evening and food was, including I think, the owner. It was such a pleasurable dining experience, I'll be back, with more friends! read more

Aya Sofia - The special, swordfish! - Turkish Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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I am a Turkish guy who live in NYC and in St Louis for business. This the third time I came to this restaurant and everything that I ate was delicious. Only thing that I did not like was music. You should play Turkish music if you are a Turkish restaurant. Service was good also read more

Aya Sofia - Turkish Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

I know I'm going to differ than any other person that has eaten here! My husband chose this place as his birthday dinner spot. We had both read and heard great things. It is very cute and cozy. I don't eat lamb so I chose tilapia. I was unsure whether to get this or something else but it was recommended by the server - "our tilapia is very good." I went for it. My husband got the lamb chops (4 for $25). My tilapia was $17. I was shocked but thought it may knock my socks off. I wanted something different than the other restaurants I had been to since the restaurant is so highly regarded. I didn't want to just get kebabs. My husband enjoyed his lamb. His came with a bed of wild rice. I was disappointed in my tilapia. First of all, $17 for tilapia? No way. Most dishes were around that price point anyway and I love having fish prepared by restaurants. It came on a bed of couscous which was average. I overhead the server at the other table tell them about the specials as I was eating my tilapia. We had not been informed of specials. The other server also brought over a tray of desserts to show his patrons after they finished their meals. Our server asked if we were finished after our entree as if she was heading for the bill. I asked if there are desserts so she said she would go get the tray. We ordered a birthday dessert and I was a little disappointed to see it on the bill after it was delivered with a "happy birthday!" Chain restaurants and fine dining establishments both usually provide a birthday dessert. It is not a dealbreaker but it may have made up for some of the disappointment. Overall, it was a solid average experience. read more

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