These poor reviews are comical. If the drive to the restorante is not to your choosing, you are not an adventurer. The van was not beat up, it was fine. The driver did not speak much English, but would a driver back home speak much Italian. He made every attempt to be entertaining. The food was very good. Not a five star but it was excellent. The owner lived in New York so he spoke good English. I would recommend this place as a great place to get away from the crowded streets. read more

Food was mediocre at best. Priced well. Had to be there worst service ever. Forgot to take the entree order. Never asked if we needed more water or even more wine. Ants everywhere including the restroom. Don't wait your time or your money read more

Exactly what we were hoping for...... authentic food, drink and attention to detail. We walked to the restaurant from the ferry from Capri looking forward to a great end to our day. We were lost along the way and called the restaurant and they sent a driver out after us. Once we arrived, we were offered drinks and a flavorful plate of breads. The co-owner came over and explained the specials. My husband had the fillet and I had the ravioli. We were very happy with the flavors and would have them again. Waitstaff was friendly and very attentive. Food came in a timely manner. We had an amazing dessert. Very happy with our experience and highly recommend. The waiter for the table next to us was very playful with the crying baby. Excellent customer service. A must see in Sorrento! read more

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This food at this restaurant was delicious. The tuna tar tar is a must. We were a large party of 10 and the service was still exceptional.

This restaurant is outstanding. Great service. Great Food. Everyone loved it. Trust Mario's specials and you won't be disappointed. read more

Donna Sofia - This was the family antipasto appetizer. Was delicious - Italian Near Me - Sorrento, NA

The hotel actually booked us a reservation at 'da filippo' and some confusion led us to a meal at Donna Sofia instead. The 3-stars (I would give a 3.5 if it was possible) are solely based on the quality of food since the crowd in there was all tourists with a minimum age of 65 years old. We were looking for something a bit more local with a bit more energy at Da Filippo but Sofia Donna is the definition of a tourist trap (albeit most of Sorrento is). Regardless the food tasted pretty good. Portion sizes leave a bit to be desired, yet leave you feeling good after leaving the restaurant not being stuffed to the absolute brim. Ordered the prosciutto, mozzarella and melon and carpaccio for an appetizer. Melon was nice and ripe, mozzarella was seasoned well with just enough salt and the prosciutto was of good quality but small in quantity, as was the melon, compared to the mozzarella. Also ordered the beef carpaccio as an appy as well. Was excellent in flavor and came with some grated parmesan that complimented it well. There was a nice crustini that came with both the carpaccio and prosciutto e melon dish. Had the crab and zucchini ravioli special for our pasta course. Came with 5 nice-sized raviolis that were pretty solid but slightly watery. Definitely homemade! After the ravioli we had a chicken cacciatore that fell of the bone. Very moist and tender. I really enjoyed it. Finished the meal off with one of the best creme brulees I think I've ever had. Not a huge portion but I was licking the bowl! House red wine by the glass was excellent. Price point was decent. Maybe on the high end for the portion sizes but I have had a lot less food with a much heftier price tag! Ambience really kills this place. read more

I feel like these other reviews are fake. We have had amazing meals during our time in Italy spanning from Capri to Ravello to Sorrento. We saved Donna Sofia for our last night. The car service picked us up at our hotel and that was nice. As we entered the parking area of the restaurant we were confronted with a little mutt with the attitude of CuJo. We loved dogs so no big deal. However, when we entered the garden seating area we were confronted again with a giant rat crawling threw the vines of the garden. The entire restaurant was looking at this in disbelief. The staff said nothing and did nothing about it. We should have left right at that moment but since they picked us up we felt odd and stayed for the meal. The food was ok at best. We had the over priced and underwhelming antipasta. Worst of our trip & most expensive. Our pasta dishes were ok. Maybe like you would get at your local pizza joint back home in New Jersey. Not even that good. Forget about the main course. A mix of fish and prawn. It was over done, small portion, tasteless and expensive. Guys listen... do yourself a favors. Take a walk into town and find any spot. Any spot will do you better and you probably won't be confronted by an attack dog or giant rats. No joke. It's not worth it. read more

I went on a trip with four other women to Italy. We spent 10 days exploring the entire country and this was by far our favorite restaurant. We ate here twice during our two days on the Almafi Coast! Food was great and the service was incredible. We were treated like queens! The chef himself took our order one night and amended menu offerings to our liking. Everyone should eat here at least once if vacationing in the area. read more

Best quality food in Sorrento. Fun ride to the restaurant from anywhere in town. They are not selling a view of the Mediterranean or center-of-town convenience. They sell great food in a lovely atmosphere. Great service, great wine list, homemade limoncello. Just go. read more

Beware, they double charged me. The waiter was very rude and walked away as I was putting in my credit card code. He then came back and told me to do it again. I told him it had gone through but he insisted so I stupidly did it again. He then handed me two chits with the same amount and I questioned him once more and said that the amount had gone through twice but he walked off. This was our last meal before leaving Sorrento so my credit card balance had not updated. When I got home, I checked and yes... there were two amount of €154 taken from my card. I rang my bank and they told me to contact the restaurant, they gave me the banking codes. I emailed the restaurant with the codes, pic of the itemized bill, pic of the two x credit card chits and asked them to refund one amount of €154. They replied and said they would and they would contact their bank to find out how to make the refund. It is now 3.5 weeks past, I have sent 8 emails. They have not responded or refunded. I wonder if they do this to other customers and those do not notice OR get so fed up chasing them that they do not make the refund. The food was fine. The service was not good throughout and at the end it was uncomfortably arrogant and now I have been scammed into paying twice. I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

This restaurant is outside of Sorrento, but they have a shuttle that will come to your hotel and pick you up and drive you back. Recommended by my guide. Overall - the food is so-so, but way overpriced for the quality. mixed salad was good deep fried baby squid, wasn't my favorite. Too much batter to meat ratio. Lobster Linguine over priced 25 euros. The same dish at Da Dora Restaurant in Naples gives you way more seafood (rock shrimp, crayfish, 1/2 lobster, squid, shrimp & clams) that is fresher and only 18 euros. The pasta dish here only comes with half a lobster, which was not fresh and too overcooked (fresh lobster meat should come right out of the shell and should not come apart all stringy - tried to eat the meat from the claw and it turned into mush in my mouth). salt cooked blue fish was excellent. This was not on the menu, but recommended and reserved for us by our guide. The whole fish (scales included etc) is covered in a thick salt mixture, then baked in the oven for almost an hr at low temperature. Result - the fish cooks in its own juices. For 50 euros, not exactly sure if it was worth it, but the meat was tender and satisfactory. Service -barely satisfactory. The reason behind this is as follows: We arrived with another couple from London who shared the shuttle with us from another hotel. When we received our bill, the server told us - service is not included. I thought this was strange since everywhere in europe, service is included in the cost of the meal. But not to be rude, I tipped the server. Then we went over to the couple from London's table to talk with them and the same server brought them their bill BUT did not mention that service was not included! On top of this, when the couple tried to tip the same server, he declined. I was shocked. Why would the server tell me that service was not included, then tell another party the exact opposite? My reasoning - when we reserved the restaurant, it was our guide who called in for us I believe that the restaurant must give the guide some kick back for recommending them. Thus, by telling me that service is not included, they can make up the commission they give to the guide. I asked the couple how they came across the restaurant and they said they read about it. Therefore, no guide or hotel would get a kick back for recommending the restaurant. How embarrassing for them to be found out like this. It's very skeevy and slimy to see behaviour like this. Just for an extra dollar, they have ruined their reputation. read more

Do not miss this excellent restaurant during your stay in Sorrento! The atmosphere, the food And the staff are absolutely wonderful! We met Mario, the owner whom was very friendly and made us feel at home immediately. Best to take the free shuttle from Sorrento. The ride to and from is an experience onto itself read more

Would never go back. Shuttle was over 40 minutes late. Waiter was rushed and after he took our order we never saw him again. The food was actually pretty good but the horrible service was not worth going. We asked for more wine and it never came. No one came to check on us after our food was delivered, no offer of dessert, nothing! Staff was Very busy with two large groups of almost 30 people. Our comments were met with complete disregard. Don't waste your time, spend your money elsewhere there's plenty of good food to be had in Sorrento. there are other places that will treat you respectfully and appreciate your tourist dollars read more

So the food gets 3 stars but the staff bumped this up to 4. Our server 'Mario' was fantastic!!! He was so nice to us and got us everything we needed. We started with the shared apps. Which was a smorgasbord of apps. Fish, calamari, potato cake, and a few others were included. It was huge, filling, but worth it if you like to try multiple things (think tapas a or dim sum) this will suit you well. I got the spaghetti with meat sauce...it is a seafood restaurant so it went against my better judgment but I wanted a red sauce pasta...I was craving it...so it had to happen hahaha. Pasta was fresh, sauce was good...paired with the house red wine...it was good. Travel partner got the grilled tuna. It was like a steak. Huge unsexy cut of tuna cooked medium rare with veggies. Not very seasoned but decently cooked. We had somethig else in our mind so when it came out we were kind of like 'ehhhhh???' Tasted good tho. Desert we got the white choclate flan and chocolate flan. Desert was good. They also brought us an entire bottle of lemoncello!!! Hahaha it was pretty good too. The staff was very cool tho. Very nice, helped me with my Italian too. Lots Italians in there for dinner tho, more than some other places we had been for meals. Would go there again but order different food!!! read more

Donna Sofia is a wonderful place. Food is delicious and service is beyond excellent. The restaurant also provides car service. read more

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This restaurant was recommended to us by our hotel and the allure was the fact that a shuttle is sent to your hotel so you don't have to walk, great accommodations after spending the day walking the Pompeii ruins! We asked for the shuttle to arrive at 9pm and ended up waiting till 9:30 before someone showed. We asked if it was a long ride, but the driver said its only 5 minutes...not sure why it took so long to pick us up then. The ride itself was quite an adventure. The roads in Sorrento are bigger than other parts but to get to this restaurant, we had to turn into an "ally", which was scary and interesting. Now, on to the food. The reason why I'm giving it 3 stars is because the experience left little to be desired. We had ordered still water which can in a bottle (that didn't seem new) and had a very sweet almond flavor to it. My husband and I asked to switch it to a new bottle (which they gladly did) and ordered a bottle of wine. When the wine arrives and is poured, we realized that they gave us the WRONG bottle of wine. Clearly, the staff doesn't really pay close attention when you order. The rest of the food was average, nothing spectacular. It was worth the try, but it's not something I would crave for. read more

We heard about this place from a local who recommended it as a great place only the locals know about. The place is almost impossible to get to on your own because the streets are tiny and winding but they have a service that comes picks you up and then drops you back off again. Major plus. The service was excellent; very attentive and friendly. The food was good but I wasn't blown away. One of the dishes we ordered was the swordfish (my fav) and although cooked perfectly, it didn't taste fresh. read more

Our favorite meal in Sorrento. From the slightly frightening drive there to the meal in the garden the whole thing was an adventure! Definitely go, I don't think there is any way you will regret it. read more

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Donna Sofia is an amazing restaurant. I would recommend it to anyone going to Sorrento as a must-eat at location. The truffle ravioli, squid ink pasta (especially if you love spice), and house wine were incredible! read more

Oh my gosh, an absolute MUST visit!! Best food we have had in Italy so far, such a wonderful little place with an amazing staff and wonderful experience. We spent almost 4 hours at dinner, from wine (the house wine is delicious!) and antipasta all the way to dessert and a homemade apple digestif (yum!!). The lasagna (with homemade pasta) was absolutely divine! Totally off the beaten path so do NOT try to walk (or drive) here unless you know exactly where you are going... They offer free rides to the restaurant and the ride is definitely part of the experience! We will be back for sure!! read more

I don't think we ate at the same place as the rest of the reviewers because our experience was just not good. The two stars is based on atmosphere alone. We were seated in the garden and it was quite lovely of a space but that is where "the good" ends. The waitstaff was rude and the food was the worst we have had on our Italy trip. Very bland and underwhelming. We were so disappointed and will tell our friends and family to stay away for sure. read more

Wow, this restaurant made our stay in Sorrento unforgettable. The service absolutely excellent, the food was incredibly delicious, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was perfect. By far the best meal I've had in Italy. I would highly recommend the house wine (white), green gnocchi, hunter's chicken, linguini with crab, or fish on a bed of vegetables. The pumpkin flan and strawberry tart were also delicious. I would highly recommend Donna Sofia to anyone looking for an amazing meal. Not sure why there's three euro signs because our entire group spent between 10 and 18 euros each for entrees. read more

We were staying at the Hilton Sorrento Palace and were looking for a local restaurant for dinner. We saw that Donna Sofia was close by & asked the front desk about it, we were told that the restaurant would send a shuttle to pick us up. A beat up van arrived to pick us up & we began to wonder what we had gotten ourselves into. When we arrived at the restaurant we were seated out in the garden section. Every single thing about the meal was wonderful, we started with a delicious caprese salad, followed by chateaubriand for 2, in between was delicious bread, and a small sample of pasta. We enjoyed a bottle of the house wine. Dessert was amazing, warm apple pie with chocolate sauce, after which we were given complementary limoncello. A thoroughly delightful experience! read more

Fantastic meal, mixed antipasti and mixed pasta dishes were amazing, phone them and get the shuttle . Beautiful venue. Will be back

Amazing experience! The staff was fantastic, and the food was beyond comparison. It's a hidden gem and a true Italian experience that you must try. read more

From Rome to the Amalfi coast this was the best meal hands down. Totally recommend if you are in the area. From the ride to the restaurant to the restaurant itself was an amazing dining experience. Chef Mario personally comes out to check on your table only after an amazing staff has you taken care of. As far a price their was 6 of us and it was more affordable than 4 of us in other restaurants that did not hold a candle to Donna Sofia. Totally recommend if you want great food. read more

Five stars. Excellent service as we were the first patrons there at 7 o'clock. Most others did not arrive until 8 o'clock or so. Restaurant named after Sofia Loren. Their meals are as delicious as she was beautiful. They started us off with the Donna Sofia appetizer that consisted of eggplant parmigiana, ricotta stuffed zucchini flowers, calamari, tomato salad, pumpkin flan, polenta, and a few more that I've forgotten. Enough for a meal but we weren't done. We tried pasta dishes: spaghetti with pistachio sauce, lobster fra diavalo, and risotto. INCREDIBLE. I had the beef and a friend had the lamb; both were delicious but we were stuffed. You can't go home hungry here. They feed me like my grandma used to feed me. House wines, both white and red, were bottled and the best I've tasted in Italy thus far. Go! You won't be disappointed. PS. They come pick you up in shuttle van that is a blast. You drink they drive and for that alone it was worth it. read more

Donna Sofia - Carne main course. - Italian Near Me - Sorrento, NA

We LOVED this place, two weeks it Italy and this was the best food that we had. The staff and Chef Mario were great, and we loved it so much the first time we returned for our last night in Sorrento. When we came back we were greeted with hugs and smiles by the staff and chef. The prices are reasonable, the food delicious, and the people and service get an A+. Its a must for your next trip! read more

I had great expectations for this restaurant and unfortunately the experience turned into disappointment. We had a reservation on a Thursday evening, where the restaurant sends a van to pick you up at your hotel as the streets and alleyways are very narrow. This evening the restaurant was less than half full. One waiter took the order, another served it, another poured the wine. The food did not come out together ...we waited until everyone was served. Heres the thing... the food was good however the servers were running around like a ball of confusion...It was difficult to get anyones attention. They constantly spoke to each other and hovered around one specific table. We ordered tea and dessert and the latter arrived but the tea did not. We waited a long time for a check and then told the waiter to take the tea off which never came . We were told the van was outside to take u back and we went out to a chilly evening only to wait outside for at least another 10 minutes. Food and service is paramount to me and one without the other ruins the experience. Thats what happened here. read more

Amazing, incredible dinner experience! The ride up to the restaurant was an experience in itself. The owner and his wife couldn't have been nicer. The food was beyond delicious... the service was wonderful. I absolutely enjoyed every aspect of this restaurant and only wish I lived closer. I will definitely be back one day!! read more

This place is definitely off the beaten path, but worth the journey! We walked from town because we didn't know about the shuttle. The food is great, with some vegetables (e.g, the tomatoes) fresh from the garden. Portions are generous, so consider an antipasto and either a first or second course item, but perhaps not both -- unless you are very hungry! read more

Beautiful, cozy atmosphere and location! Your hotel will call to set up reservation and free taxi service to/from restaurant. If you don't see something on the menu, ask.. They will most likely make it for you. All 5 of our dinners were excellent... We all had different pasta dishes. But I have to say, the tiramisu was the best I've had!! read more

Nice pizza/ italian ristorante at reasonable prices. Try the mozzarella pizza.

It's worth it just for the free shuttle down narrow roads (I won't call them streets) not meant for cars. This building or rather the house converted to a wonderful restaurant was made famous by Sofia Loren in her early days of film making and help to bring tourists to Sorrento. Mario our main waiter is a transplant from Boston. Other reviews are correct DO NOT order specials. We (group of 4) order from the menu, filet of sole, mixed grill fish, prawns, squid and angel hair pasta with crab all excellent. Price was not bad. When in Sorrento go meet off the main square at the Plaza Hotel. read more

One star because no stars are not an option. Tourist trap. People are recommended this place by tour drivers and hotels. They must be getting a kick back. The food was awful. The van that picked us up was falling apart. It was the only restaurant we went to in Italy that had a place on the bill for a tip. Something only a tourist would fall for. There isn't separate tipping in Itay. read more

This was one of the highlights of our trip! What an amazing restaurant, staff and MARIO! Wow - what can I say! This is a MUST for anyone wanting authentic italian food, a great atmosphere and a lasting memory! read more

Where do these reviewers eat? This is an an American Italian eatery. Everything is fried and flavorless. The pasta decent and way overpriced. The restaurant is beautiful and quaint but location not worth the trip. Only real positive is the free taxi. Even the "homemade" limoncello is basically syrup. Far better options in town. read more

A night that started out so lovely but was truly a disappointment in the end. The food and drink are amazing but the servers and wait staff seem overwhelmed, overworked and the end of our meal truly just fell off a cliff. First off, everyone is doing everything. Waiters picking up guests at their hotel and then end up at the restaurant having to open the wine. All of them were running around like chickens with their heads cut off as if they really didn't know what to do. Then, we waited over 30 minutes for simple espresso. Some tables got complimentary limoncello and some didn't, no rhyme or reason. A table of 8, with a high roller (a retired American athlete) came in and then suddenly all focus of the whole wait staff was on them. Over 20 minutes to decant their wine, serve and describe each piece of food on their plate. The whole rest of the restaurant was ignored. Also, the shuttle down took at least 30 minutes to arrive. The only reason this is getting a 3 star is because the food is excellent. But I am not sure that being stuck at the top of a hill and not treated well or respected just to eat good food is worth it. Sophia Loren would NOT be proud. read more

Did not live up to expectations or recommendations. Have had much better meals during our Italian trip so far. This was the first time we left disappointed. Would suggest you look elsewhere for your dining choices. We felt that the meals were bland, over cooked, and generally lacked flavor. Staff was mediocre in my opinion compared to previous Italian experiences. read more

Horrible experience!! We were picked up by there car and had a memorable ride on a street that was literally a few inches wider then the car with its mirrors pulled in. Kind of fun actually. But that's when things changed. We entered the restaurant and were looked at like strangers. After awhile someone finally took us to our table. After about 10 minutes the waiter gave us menus and let us sit for another 10-15 minutes. He finally began taking our order but was very unfriendly. We ordered the antipasti that he recommended. It was very good. My canniloni entree was just ok. The other entrees were good but nothing to write home about. At no time during our long dinner did anyone ask how things were. We had to ask for plates, olive oil and balsamic. They forgot to bring the mixed vegetables we ordered and we couldn't get anyone's attention to remind them and finally gave up trying. When I asked for the check we waited for quite a long time when the guy (not our waiter) came with the check which was scribbled on a ticket and impossible to understand. I asked him to remove the charge for the mixed vegetables and he reduced the bill by 8 euros. I handed him me credit card and we waited another 10 minutes when he came back and said the credit card machine broke and he needed cash. WHAT?? I had just observed the previous customer pay with their credit card! No itemized bill like all the other restaurants and now I had to pay cash. Luckily I had just enough cash to pay. Quite fishy it seems!! Now we left and needed a ride back to the hotel only to find a party of eight also waiting. They told us their service was also bad! After waiting about 15 minutes along came the car and because our hotel was only 5 minutes away the nice party of eight sent us first. We only wish we could have watched 8 people squeeze into the 5 people car. This is the only time I ever reviewed a restaurant primarily because of the service and the questionable billing practice. We had such great and friendly service at all the restaurants in Sorento but not at Donna Sophia. Too bad! read more