A friend had introduced me to this charming and quaint Italian restaurant in the heart of Kensington and the food is phenomenal. This is one of the Italian restaurants in San Diego, that completely nails a carbonara every single time. The restaurant decor is lovely and the staff are also very friendly and inviting there is both indoor and outdoor seating. read more

Loved my experience! We came for a work dinner and they were very accommodating. Our server, Tyberius, was very nice and managed us really well (a very lively bunch). They determined a pre fixe menu for us, which for a group of 25, I'm sure made it easier for them as well. It was served family style and I thought this really was genius from a planning standpoint. Liked didn't love the cucumber e Pepe drink, was happy but switched to wine. All of the food I ate was delicious!!! Restaurant itself is very cute. There's bar seating and a patio when the weather is nice. We were visiting for work, though I'd recommend this to friends for sure. read more

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I've experienced repeatedly horrible customer service with a condescending attitude - details below . . . . I arrived for lunch 20 minutes before their advertised (on the door) 3 PM closing-time (to prepare for dinner) - waiters were still taking orders from tables (some recently seated) - so, I clearly was in time to be seated. After waiting over 5 minutes at the abandoned hostess stand, a lady walked up to me and said that they were still serving, but I would have to sit at the bar, which I said I could not because I needed a chair with a back and noted there were lots of empty tables and, again, waiters were still taking orders from recently seated diners and, according to the clock, they were still open as advertised - I said I knew what I wanted and could order immediately upon being seated or, if needed, right there and then -- she said she'd have to ask the manager about not sitting at the bar and then left. The manager appeared five minutes later (pushing us closer to 3:00 PM through no fault of mine) and told me (before I could utter a word) that the restaurant "was closed to prepare for dinner" (it was still before 3PM mind you) with a wildly condescending smile on her face while wholly avoiding eye contact with me (she was putting up menus) - I told her (actually, mostly to the back of her head) that I was confused because I not only arrived in time as advertised on their door and had waited now for almost 10 minutes, but it was still before 3PM -- I'd been made to wait, waiters were still taking orders, and her employee had just told me they were open - I tried to explain that I could order quickly, but I was told I had to sit at the bar, which I could not do because I needed a chair with a back -- she continued the condescending smile while avoiding eye contact, refused to speak to me, and walked away. I note that this is not the first wildly bad customer-service experience (full of apparent lies) I have had there. The first was over Mardi Gras a couple of months ago. We were seated outside, because we were told nothing was available inside despite seeing a couple of empty tables --- after the third person harrassed us by walking up to our outside table (immediately next to the door mind you) begging for food and/or money, I asked the waiter if it would be okay to sit at one of the empty tables I saw inside. He said he would ask - then, about 20 minutes (and more harrassment) later when he did/had not responded (though having visited the table since), I asked again and was told (after he again asked the same manager), that there were "no tables." Hot on the heels of that obvious lie, two separate sets of diners walked in off of the street and said to the same hostess (within earshot of me) that they "had no reservations" and wanted to be seated and then were seated at the empty tables I'd just requested. I then asked the hostess why we had been refused one of those tables when I indicated that I would gladly pay and tip the waiter outside and then they could just bring the food we had ordered to the new table inside and I also gladly would pay and tip the waiter inside - to avoid being harassed multiple times by people begging for food and money in front of their front door mind you. I got the same condescending smile with no eye contact. So, I will never darken the door of this place again. I suggest you do not either based on my experiences. And, if you do, I hope you are treated better than I was - TWICE. This place has good food, but it's not cheap, and there are lots of places with good food that hopefully will not treat you like they treated me on more than one occasion for simply asking for something not out of the ordinary and apparently available. read more

Sofia - Hours of operation clearly stated on their webpage. - Italian Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

The food was amazing, and Tiberius was so delightful! Look him up as a voice actor. Thanks for being open Christmas Eve!! Loved both the Risotto and the squid ink shrimp pasta. Took home leftovers and they were just as great the next day. read more

Had a excellent time dining at Sofia while vacationing in New Orleans. We started off with the bread dish, the recommendation of our server . It was soo so good , we decide to get the Ragu pasta and the Spec pizza. The Ragu pasta was by far , the better entrée option. Sofia had a fun late night vibe. Service was amazing. Our server was super knowledgeable and even gave us city recommendations for other types of food options. We will definitely be back! It's definitely worth the visit. read more

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Oh wow. Where to start? Visiting for a conference and decided to check out places nearby. Stumbled upon this gem and fell in love. Ambiance is cozy, service was on point and the food was divine! The crab risotto I still dream about- creamy and luxurious. So good. The pasta was filling and full of flavor and a good kick to it! My coworker got a cocktail and raved about it. Would be a great date spot or after work and just relax and unwind from The day spot. I can't remember the name of the dessert I got as I asked the host to surprise me with his favorite- but I did add a picture- it was fantastic. Can't wait to come back and explore the rest of the menu. read more

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Still a wonderful experience. We went back here recently to celebrate another milestone. Our baby will be born in 2 weeks! They have some nice sidewalk covered seating now like NYC restaurants. Carbed up- see pics read more

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Enjoyed the two dishes we have and the lavender lemonade. The piccante pizza was a 10/10! Flavor was perfection and just the right amount of each ingredient. Really sad to be from CA knowing this pizza exists and I can't have it often. read more

Sofia - Piccante pizza - Italian Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Food was delicious as always. The kale salad is so fresh and tasty with chunks of yellow squash, slices of tangy beets, and added hazelnuts for crunch... all topped with grated Parmesan! The alla vodka pasta is perfectly Al dente with great portion sizes. Love their aperol spritz. Service is consistently good and the menu changes seasonally. The ambience is light and bright with fun photos of Sofia Loren throughout. Sofia is truly one of our neighborhood go-to's! read more

Sofia - Pasta Alla Vodka... delicious!! - Italian Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

The bartender was able to make me a delicious hugo spritz which was much appreciated. Food was good but I have to say not being able to split checks when on a work trip is really frustrating and I would probably only come back solo bc of it on my next work trip. This seems to be a new policy because I came here for work last yr and I'm pretty sure my colleagues and I were able to get separate checks. read more

What an amazing Sunday brunch spot! Out waitress was fully of good energy and make the day fun! And the bottomless mimosas didn't hurt either! They offered the choice of cranberry or orange for the finish! Food was delicious. We started off with an order of three meatballs (Polpette) which consisted of a mixture of pork, brisket, amatriciana, and Parmesan cheeee. Then we went family style and shared the Ricotta Appetizer Platter. A very unexpected surprise with this dish. I highly recommend both of these appetizers! For the next course, we had the Crab Cake Benedict and the Cinnamon Waffle. And to top off for ambiance ... there was a DJ! Music was fun but was just loud enough to hear without interference with table conversations. Will definitely return to try more of their menu. read more

Sofia - Crab Cake Benedict. - Italian Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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We went at night to eat and when you walk in it's a warm lively atmosphere with music playing. The service was not that attentive when we first walked in especially for not being that busy, but throughout the meal it was okay. We were seated, and we ordered the ricotta, vodka pasta, and pizza. The ricotta was a perfect harmony between sweet and savory. Perfect appetizer and kept me grabbing for more. As for the vodka pasta my first impression is that the presentation is nice, and when you take a bite you're hit with a kick of spice. Besides it being spicy, it did not have much going on in flavor. It needed salt, and more seasoning. Otherwise it was just kind of a spicy and bland. As for the pizza it was good. It was thin crust and cooked in the large fire stove in the back of the store. It is really pretty, and hard to miss. It came hot, and was cooked perfectly. read more

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Delicious unique salads, try the celery walnut salad. We ordered it by mistake and everyone loved it! Great apps, homemade pasta and bread. Prepare to be in a fabulous carb comma! Easy walk from from The Higgins Hotel. Loved the pizza Oven. It was a work of art. read more

Food was good, server was rude. She told us when we were seated that the restaurant was busy and we could not expect the same service. When the meal was over, she took our plates. My mom went to the restroom. Server came over told us it was time for us to leave because she had other reservations. The restaurant was empty. I assured her we would leave as soon as my mom returned from the restroom. read more

We thought the food and drink were all . Such a lovely dinner and the family style serving was great too! Everything we ordered made us say "this is the best X I ever had" read more

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My friend and I both got yummy pizzas. My wine was a perfect match as well. Reasonably priced for a tourist area. Extremely friendly servers. Though, this might be the norm in the south. Im from Los Angeles and people here expect big tips for mediocre service. The people here were attentive yet un-intrusive. read more

Delicious! Cute space and great food. I had the ricotta appetizer and the picante pizza. The pizza was phenomenal. Our server was attentive and the meal was paced well. Will definitely revisit! read more

Sofia - House Ricotta - Italian Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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For Italian, go to Sofia. On our first night on a six-day-trip to New Orleans, we walked into Sofia on a Friday evening around 8 p.m. and got a table for four on their outdoor patio. Service was attentive and kind and the food was amazing. To feed four, we ordered the meatballs (for our seven-year-old daughter), the crispy potatoes, bruschetta, and picante pizza, and the pizza with blackberries on it. Everything was full of flavor, but the pizzas stole the show with its unique ingredient combo and hot, chewy crust. We also enjoyed the cocktails. The cocktail with pear puree was balanced and refreshing on a warm evening. Our glasses were also kept full with cold water. Compared to Washington, D.C. prices, our meal and drinks cost less. read more

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We had a great meal here. It started w cacio e peppe it wasn't like others I've had but good. Nice cheese tasty a bit undercooked it had a bigger bite to the pasta then I'm use to. But overall good. We then had the commandetore pizza. It was a great crust and the chili oil our amazing waitress brought add to the flavor. The cheesiness of this pizza was great. Our waitress was well versed w the menu and gave great advice. The best thing I ate as dessert my son had the ricotta pie w a pistachio cream was amazing the crystallized orange slices were great to add brightness to the dish. But the stand out for me was my dessert. I had the chocolate budino OMG was that great. It was like the best chocolate pudding/fudge/mousse the Carmel just added to its greatness. I wish I had a scraper to get every bit out of the cute glass it was served in. This place is very cute inside. It has a picture of Sofia Loren but the pizza stove steaks the room all glittery in the corner perfect colors for being in NOLO. My ice tea was also good nice flavor. And an attentive waitress made sure it was never empty. read more

Sofia is beautiful with really tasty food! Casey was a wonderful server!! For an appetizer we ordered meatballs which had a great flavor and texture, but could have been hotter. We also some bread that isn't mentioned on the menu but was super delicious and piping hot from the pizza oven. The pesto pasta, with the addition of shrimp is one of the best dishes I've ever tried. The zepoles were also light and custardy! I cant wait to go back. read more

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I really did not expect to find this gem of a place in the middle of my NOLA adventures but Beli recommended it to me and I thought it was worth trying out. Happy to say I was pleasantly surprised and loved the food. The whipped ricotta and alla vodka pasta are must get items if you go here. The flavors and textures of the two really stood out as my whole family made a point to mention how good the two dishes were. The pizza we got was alright but was primarily overshadowed by the other dishes. We were sat in this outer covered seating area that was minimally set up. But from walking into the restaurant to use the bathroom, the inside looked really nice and looked like a nice place to grab some food and drinks with friends and family. read more

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I couldn't even get a good picture of my pasta before eating it all up!! Took my self on a nice solo date and I had to go with the Alla Vodka pasta and a refreshing glass of Lambrusco. Date night, girls night, or solo night -- Sofia is always a good idea! read more

Sofia - Alla Vodka - Italian Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

We came here on New Year's Eve with two travel weary hungry kids and no reservation. They were able to seat us immediately (which was a surprise). The kids got the Margherita pizza and liked it so much they got a second. We got the risotto, Brussels sprouts, and mista salad. All very good. Service friendly and fast! Would highly recommend. read more

Sofia - Risotto - Italian Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I decided after eating such fantastic New Orleans food with goodbyes to MoPho and Maypop closing both yesterday and fabulous oysters, I would just have a gluten-free pizza. I read the recommendations and decided that I would walk to Sofia that is in the CBD. I thought it was just a pizza joint and had no idea that it was a fine dining Italian restaurant that serves pizza as well as other wonderful dishes. I got there without a reservation at 9 o'clock and I had to wait a half hour just to sit at the bar. The restaurant has beautiful artwork and above the main dining room a pop art picture of Sophia Loren, which I did not connect until later after I saw the picture that this restaurant was in homage to Sophia perhaps with a different spelling. The baseline for all pizza is a Pizza Margarita and I ordered the gluten-free one along with a wonderful cocktail. The bar servers, Jolie and Alice, were wonderful and indulged my gluten intolerance and story telling. The pizza was great and I was forced (untrue) to try the Panne cotta dessert. This was sublime. This is not a pizza joint but a marvelous restaurant that does have GF pizza and pasta. Grazie Mille, Sofia. read more

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My favorite restaurant. Never had a bad dish. This was green goddess pasta with shrimp. Forgot name of pizza. Of course paired with espresso martinis. read more

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The food at Sofia is exceptional! Sitting at the bar, we enjoyed the U10 Scallops with olive puttanesca. It was very tasty and cooked perfectly. Even better was the red snapper with capers in a great lemon sauce. The food here is 5-Star good! Unfortunately, the service we received at the bar was not even close to five stars. Our bartender was more preoccupied in talking to an acquaintance also sitting at the bar. It was difficult getting her attention to order wine and then had to remind her we hadn't received it many minutes later. Another bartender, Michael, who was friendly with a wide smile, came over to help us a couple of times which we were very grateful for. read more

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I really enjoyed my meal at Sofia. The inside is super cute and small (highly recommend getting a reservation). My only real complaint is that (i'm assuming this) because it was a smaller restaurant it got a bit smoky at times and I have sensitive eyes and the smoke was really starting to affect me (making my eyes tear up and become agitated). I went with four people and between us we split the ricotta (dip), margherita pizza, alla vodka (pasta) and the risotto. My recommendation is to get the risotto. Everything we ate was good but we were all blown away by the risotto. I also got the fog of piedmont drink and personally found it to be amazing. Our server was amazing and she was super attentive and talked to us about the menu. read more

I know. We're in NOLA, and we're at an Italian restaurant? Well, YES! Sofia Loren (hubby's first crush) was a friend of the owner's parents, so the artwork makes sense. North by Northwest (one of my hubby's favorite movies) was playing on the TV while we were dining. Service was incredible. Pasta and pizza was out of this world. I gave 5 starts because of the ambiance, nostalgia, and amazing food. We highly recommend!!! read more

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Food and service was excellent! Went back for a happy hour a day later! Definitely recommend for brunch or dinner and even happy hour

The pasta here was SO delicious that we considered coming back here for every single meal while we were in NOLA for the weekend. The staff were all so friendly and welcoming (shoutout to Ashton and Beaux for amazing service and great recos). Starting off with drinks and apps: we got the honorable mention porron, which was fun and engaging. Came out to about 5 drinks-- not very strong, but still tasty. Also tried the fiesta italiano and loved it. Got bruschetta without the pine nuts (they are very accommodating for allergies/ dietary restrictions)-- that focaccia is heavenly! Highly recommend. For our mains, we got the piccante/ spicy pizza, and substituted broccolini instead of pepperoni. Has an awesome little kick to it and very flavorful. Last but certainly not least, the alla vodka. I will be dreaming about the pasta and its vodka sauce for months to come!! Wish we had room for dessert, as that looked amazing too. My #1 New Orleans reco!! read more

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Reservations at Sofia are strongly encouraged -- and with good reason (there was a bit of a wait, while I was in town). Despite not calling in advance, my colleague and I were seated within 30 minutes. This place is vibe-y. The decor unsurprisingly featured many eras and pictures of Sofia Loran. I'd describe the atmosphere as moody, yet vibrant - it's dim in there and quite rambunctious - but it's just what I'd expect. We tried the margherita and salsiccia pizzas. Both were decently sized (and very shareable!) The margherita was fairly standard. The garlic confit was very rich on the salsiccia - which while enjoyable in the first few slices, quickly became a bit much. I was a tad bit disappointed with how quickly the pizza became soggy though. If I were to come back, I'd switch up the items we ordered (esp since it's intended to be shared family style). read more

Sofia - Margherita Pizza, Salsiccia Pizza - Italian Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

The Food!!! As a celiac this can be a struggle, I have been to GF restaurants all over the US, NYC, LA, Dallas, you name it... this was the best. The GF pasta was superior. We shared the wedge and the flavors of pickled and spicy onions and v tomatoes with the Gorgonzola was unmatched. Seriously the best wedge I've had anywhere. read more

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Sundays are for brunch !! We took a while to try to find a good brunch that had great food and we decided on Sofia. Best choice by far! 1. Amazing food 2. Great Service 3. Fresh food that is NOT deep fried 4. Perfect drinks We loved it so much that we can't wait to have it next time we are in town read more

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Quick check in by a cordial hostess as soon as we walked in. The lighting was warm and a nice background ambient music was complementing it. The food was exemplary. Fresh, and rich flavors. An overall delightful experience. read more

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This place was incredible. The Pesto and the Manzo dishes were masterpieces. The pizza was perfection. There are not many places doing what this place is doing. Does New Orleans know what it has here? read more

Sophia is always a good experience! The Arts District is such a chic part of the city to dine in, and Sophia has a casual yet cute ambiance that's great for date night, girls night, or family night. I think the food is good! I do believe it's overpriced for the portions, however. Especially when it comes to pasta dishes: you don't have to give us more protein, but give us some more noodles and sauce for $25-30! Otherwise, always an enjoyable time. read more

Sofia - Alka vodka - Italian Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Sofia was excellent. We tried the salad, whipped feta, alla vodka pasta, pesto pasta, and broccolini and none of it disappointed. One of the best meals I've had in a long time. I will definitely be going back. read more

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My uber driver recommended Sofia to us so we made it our sunday brunch. We got seated shortly on a game day sunday, so we were very pleased. Starting the breakfast potatoes, those were sooo good. Super garlicky, some parmesan, and they were so crispy. Also got the meatballs, which unfortunately were a bit cold inside. For mains I think we got most of the pasta, the carbonara was my favorite, I got a perfectly poached egg on top. It wasn't too dense either. The alla vodka was probably my second favorite. Desserts slayed as well, and I think it's hard to make a Good single serve tiramisu, so I was impressed. My only warning is, if you come on the weekend for brunch they have two 'DJ's inside playing tiktok's greatest hits... so be aware. I think it's an interesting choice, they definitely didn't fit the vibe. I would come back on a weekday night and try their pizza! read more

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Headed over to @eatsofianola for wine Wednesdays! Every Wednesday Sofia has select wine bottles half off...yess I said half off! Now that's a deal! Great way to try that wine you were eying!! While you are there don't forget to try their delicious eats..they are Known for some amazing pastas, pizzas, and so much more! wine of course! sardines...I was pleasantly surprised. That pita bread was and I loved how they made the dish interactive with the butter, lemon, and home made hot sauce! Ricotta dip...always a favorite! Alla Vodka Pasta...that hint of spice was perfect! This is a seasonal one..we got the Peaches! The peach and the Gouda were definitely a perfect pairing! Get it! read more

Had family in town for Easter and wanted to try some good Italian food. Sofia was booked and busy so our reservations were at 9pm so make sure to book ahead of time. Our waiter was very attentive. All the food was delicious. The ricotta dip was fabulous. The alla vodka was pretty spicy! Still great but should be noted. Would definitely recommend and return. read more

Sofia - Cocktail - Italian Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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