We just happened to go to Sofia's last Sunday without plans - what a find! It was so nice to have the front wide open for the feel of al fresco dining without the blinding sun or sidewalk stares. Franco attended to us in a truly friendly professional spirit. My Chicken Sorrentina was the best I've had in years. The pasta with meatballs and sausage was excellent - with a sauce that was not too acidic, nor too sweet. It is now going to be our "go to" Brooklyn restaurant. read more

Went to Sofia's for a birthday dinner last Sunday night. Had a wonderful time. Food was excellent and nobody rushed us. Valet parking is a big plus. read more

It's my new Bay Ridge favorite. I decided that we should dine there based on all the good reviews and the place didn't disappoint. It is not a tiny restaurant, but it is cozy nevertheless and would be a perfect place for a date. The waiters are not bothersome and make great suggestions on wine. We got a bread basket and bruschetta as well (on the house) before we ordered, which was a nice touch. Mussels in white wine and garlic sauce were good, so was the Sophia salad (basic ingredients but the dressing is yum!). My entree was a basic Penne a la vodka (with small shrimps and scallops) and my husband had Veal Parmigiana, which came with roasted potatoes and zucchinis. My pasta was delicious and the size - pretty big for one person. The piece of veal served was also pretty big. Everything tasted like a home-cooked Italian food, so I am certain we will be back when we'll crave some Italian. On average, the cost comes out to $40 per person for a three course meal with wine. read more

wonderful food & amazing service! Franco is a gem will definitely be returning soon (:

With so many Italian restaurants in Bay Ridge I sometimes forget about Sofia's . So we decided to go tonight for dinner and I was impressed! The service was excellent (thank you Franco and the bus boys/runners). The food was great-I had the soup of the day which was ginger carrot with garlic croutons, and a homemade gnocchi-like pasta-excellent! My husband had pasta fagioli and halibut with mussels (also a special) and loved it. A lovely and elegant date night which was very reasonably priced for all we ordered! read more

I can't understand all the positive reviews about this place. Came here for a popular holiday so knew to make a reservation in advance, which was confirmed by the man on the phone. Upon arrival the host (apparently the owner with total disregard for his patrons and poor customer service), upon a half second glance of the sheet tells us we have no reservation. I know and understand people can make mistakes but continues to belittle us saying well whomever you called it does not matter your name isn't here, therefore you have no reservation. Now this man Franco comes along and says no it's okay we have a seat for you. We agree and take the table when get the menus again this owner of a mediocre Italian restaurant again must say it doesn't matter what we say you're name isn't here there is no reservation. Now I can understand why he wouldn't care how he treats people he's the owner and a complete asshole. So that already put a bad taste in our mouths before the moment we sat down. Franco tried to calm us down, but this man is way too touchy feely, borderline sexual harassment. I don't care how nice someone is but made myself and my guests completely uncomfortable. I would never set foot in this place again. Poor ownership and management and Franco needs a lesson on sexual harassment in the workplace. read more

Two stars for the waiter, the rest of the experience was terrible. Food was bland and took 30min for an app in an empty restaurant. Wine was either box or Carlo Rossi. At 11pm, the valet brought the car keys to the table and stated that he was done for the night. All said, disregard the wanna be gangsters out front, this place is barely passable for Italian... Dinner should include "unlimited breadsticks." read more

Last night my daughter and I went to Sofia's for an early dinner. The service was slow. Our waiter, a dour looking guy with bad posture, was unpleasant and inattentive from the moment we sat down. At one point he was so busy talking to a woman at the bar that we couldn't get his attention to place our orders. When he at last acknowledged us and shuffled over we ordered two appetizers; baked clams and buffala mozzarella with tomato and basil. The appetizers took ages to arrive. Two women who came in after we did had received their main courses by the time we got the appetizers. The mozzarella dish had no basil, parsley had been torn into little pieces and sprinkled on the cheese. I presume they were trying to pass it off as chopped basil. I'm Italian and know what basil tastes like; the parsley was bitter. When we called the waiter over he grunted and said that their basil hadn't arrived that day; something he should have told us before we ordered. There was no apology. He then brought another order, sans basil, which was tasteless as the tomatoes weren't great. Our main courses were spaghetti with broccoli rabe, garlic and olive oil and pappardelle with porcini mushrooms. The broccoli rabe dish had so little broccoli rabe that it looked like a garlic and oil sauce - it contained 16 whole cloves of garlic - there were so many we counted them -and they were barely cooked. The porcini mushroom sauce was riddled with gritty dirt. Disgusting. The mushrooms had not been cleaned and the brown sauce mixed with dirt was like eating mud. To top it off, the pappardelle was cut in small pieces. The dish was inedible and was sent back. The only good item was the baked clams But they weren't good enough to bring me back to this place for a meal This dinner was terrible in every way. I know it was a Monday night - but if there isn't a decent cook available and you can't spare someone to get basil at the grocery store - maybe your restaurant shouldn't be open. I'll never go back and will advise everyone I know not to dine there. read more

This is a very classically Bay Ridge American Italian restaurant. Heavy on the kitsch, heavy on the heavily-accented Bay Ridge lifers, and very, very overpriced. This is probably the most offensive thing you can say about an Italian restaurant, but: it's basically a fancy Olive Garden with a little local flavor. The wine is served in large helpings, which is great, but the food, while certainly tasty, is nothing special. If it were 10% less expensive, I'd say yes, go for it, have a great night here. Unfortunately, it's really only so-so, and Vicolo down the street is much better for the same price. I suggest you try this place once to see if your experience differs, but don't set your expectations too high. read more

Excellent food and strong drinks. I'm Italian and I know good Italian so you won't be disappointed. Price seemed normal to me I guess it depends on what you are used to paying. We started with a drink at the bar and we were seated right away (with a reservation of course). Granted it was pretty late for dinner 9:30 ish and the restaurant was still fairly full. Three of us shared an appetizer which wasn't on the menu but they accommodated us. (we got fried zucchini since none of us ate fish) we each ordered out own entrees and it was the perfect amount of food. Not too much not too little. We didn't want to take anything with us and I'd hate wasting food. Overall it was excellent and I would return. read more

Franco is a great, great guy. Very accomodating to our large party for a sit down lunch. The location is ideal and the space itself is lovely. The food was served in good portions and was well presented. The desserts were the best part of the afternoon. Overall a good experience. read more

Great food and service always Really nice bar and the back of the restaurant which has a glass garden is really nice as well.

This place is just plain average. Nothing was overly bad, nothing was overly good (food, service, ambiance). With so many great choices in the neighborhood, there is no reason to return here. read more

We went there for dinner. It was the first time I ever been there. I have been to many Italian restaurants and this one definitely disappointed me. The service was great, but the food was very bland. I will not come back here. The prices were reasonable. read more

I'm confused maybe we went on a very busy night, but I swear I tasted better sauce in a jar! Not that the sauce was BAD!, but it wasn't that good either. Now let me start over, okay we were here for a wedding rehearsal dinner and was seated in the back by the window of the "garden". It was weirdly dark in there and just wasn't what I hoped it to be. The bread at the beginning with the salad etc., was alright I guess. Nothing special or to die for. Next the pasta namely penne with tomato sauce on top. Okay I admit I might be spoiled because my best friends Nonna Teresa makes some kick ass food and she prides herself on her tomato sauce. I didn't expect it to be homemade but at least not tasting like ragu. The penne was cooked al dente and was tossed in olive oil no complaints here! But, then the sauce was added and I surely didn't like it. Just give me some parmesan cheese and I would've enjoyed it better that way. It was just watery and no flavor at all. I didn't taste any herbs or seasonings either. The entree was fish and it was delightful. Some of the party had the chicken with mushrooms which was good and the risotto which also was tasty. The waitstaff was alright, nothing to write home about I guess because gratuities were already added being we were a large group. I will go again without the large group and see how it tastes if everything is ordered individually. read more

Lovely meal with the affable and highly entertaining Franco. In addition to having a wonderful table for my family of 7, Franco charmed my 8 year old with some fantastic magic tricks. Great meal in Bayside. read more

After a screening, while heading back to the car, we saw this nice little restaurant and decided to stop by. Outdoor seating was comfortable and the place looked very nice. My friend wasn't crazy about his dish, but I'm not sure if it was because the goat cheese on his tri-color salad was hot or that it was a bit strong tasting. I sampled it and you would've probably needed to aquire a taste for it. I had the capellini with the "special sauce". When I asked what the "special sauce" was, the waiter said, "It was a little lighter than the penne alla vodka". When the dish came out, the menu nor the waiter said anything about the mushrooms that it's served with. I DON'T LIKE mushrooms. (The waiter REALLY should have said something because as per the menu it was only supposed to be pasta and plain sauce-good thing I'm not allergic) And not surprisingly, the sauce was nothing close to penne alla vodka, but it was okay. The next time I'm in Bay Ridge, I'll have to think about it before I give it a second try. read more

A nice local place with solid Italian and American food. Almost everything was very good--the veal dishes were actually outstanding. The service was friendly and competent. The decor was reasonably attractive and comfortable. The women's room however was hideously ugly. For the price and location, I would go to Areo's right up the block. read more

My friends and I haven't been to Sofia's in quite a while but tonight 7 of us went for dinner. The food was delicious and Franco was an excellent waiter. The service was amazing and is the reason we will all be back soon. read more

From the moment we walked into the reataurant, we were under the care of Mr Franco. An old school professional waiter made the experience really special. From his customized appetizers to his dinner side candor, it was just a great experience. The food was also amazing, the service was really special. read more

My young son and I happened upon Sofias while walking on 3rd Avenue. We were greeted warmly by Franco and had a wonderful meal!! This restaurant is very warm, charming, and feels like old friends. Franco even did magic tricks for my son! We are excited to return. read more

Great food and service was top notch. I felt so special. Would recommend this and I will be back whenever I'm in town. Thanks so much Franco and the entire staff! read more

I had food poisoning here, I just ordered desert and I was sick for a week! also a terribly rude waiter. On top of all that their tv had a documentary on about killer whales that are kept captive and how they have injured and killed their keepers. It was the first time me and my husband went there and its the last. read more

Went to Sofias Ristorante on Tuesday evening with my friend. The place wasn't packed, there were few old couples in restaurant. We ordered two different pastas - Spaghetti Pescatore with seafood for my friend and another - Tortellini Sofia - for me. Food came quickly. Food was good, nothing special. But most of all I liked an eggplant appetizer they served with bread. read more

love sofia's..go there alot..i always get the homemade gnocci bolognese amazing...tried other things also..nothing has let me down..staff is friendly and decor is nice..but im telling you the homemade gnocci is incredible read more

If I could measure this place on service alone - they would be 5 stars easy. But the food was just not good. Not flavored well, very bland, overall just not what I expected from such a beautiful restaurant. That being said, when I've passed by there don't seem empty. read more

I have been here often and will always come back. Service was good, air conditioning was cold and they moved us and came back a couple of times to see if everything was ok. The seafood risotto and the crab cakes are definitely worth the trip. read more

I was there with three of my girlfriends on a Saturday night to celebrate some of our collective birthdays with a girls night out. We sat for quite a while at the table before being greeted by a waiter. There were also several parties going on and the room was so loud that we found it hard to talk to one another without yelling. When we finally put in our order the waiter was a bit condescending and looked like we were taking up his time. The food came and it was OK, nothing special, the same food you could get anywhere. The shrimp were small and the Marsala did not taste like it had any Marsala in it, it was just a bland brown sauce with some mushrooms. With the amount of good restaurants in Bay Ridge, we will never return here, and that is too bad because we usually spend a nice amount of money when we patronize a business and are excellent tippers since we have all been in the service industry at some point in our lives. read more

The food was very good; had the hot appetizer and the steak pizziola; my wife the scallopini. It is one of the noisiest restaurants I've ever been to (sat in the back); our waiter spoke very quickly; couldn't understand the specials but you had to love him anyway. Overall a good experience. read more

90th birthday party (one of the customers) the party of all parties!!! the food was great, and an outstanding job by the staff!!! a great time was had by all!! the family & friends of ann kelly read more

I ate there last night and I loved it. The restuarant is really cute and the service was very good. The food was fresh and perfectly sized. read more

Food was terrible! I had the Rigatoni Anna Francesca and the sauce was "watery," and neither the chicken nor pasta had any flavor to it. My dining companion at the chicken parmesan and she stated that her food had zero taste as well (she continually tried to season it with salt and pepper and she does not usually use salt on her food). When I asked for the manager to complain about my meal, the server became argumentative, loud, and disruptive, arguing with me about if the food was so bad, why had they been in business 20 years and why was my friend eating her food! I have never had a server argue with me because I chose to return my meal! read more

Decided on Sophia's for a late lunch early dinner. The atmosphere helped draw us inside. The service was somewhat slow and our waiter appeared aloof. We just wanted to order and eat so I wasn't sure why the waiter appeared so cold (everyone has a bad day I guess). We ordered from the prix fix menu and I was disappointed with the coke I just ordered (watered down and flat). However, a fountain drink and cold service does not make or break a fine food establishment. The ceaser salad passed as okay but the house salad barely had dressing enhancing the bitter flavor(is it possible to describe a salad as dry?). Okay so it was a miss up to this point but we shrugged it off and anticipated the main meal. The calamari in linguini had no flavor and was very chewy. I'm not a connousier of calamari but I've had much better and for a 20 dollar prix fix I'm not sending anything back to the kitchen. The Atlantic salmon was okay....I can't put my finger on it but it wasn't dry....just not the slam-dunk I was hoping for after a terrible house salad, watered down cola, and lack of hospitable service. I've had better salmon at a Chinese buffet. For 20 buck's I'd be happy with so-so food and this place didn't make the cut. We ordered the tiramasu and the cheesecake for desert. The cheesecake was flaky and dry (I only had 1 bite) but the tiramasu was better. All-in-all we won't be back......ever. We weren't expecting fireworks at this place but the entire 3 course meal couldn't be salvaged by the service or vice-versa. I'll be trying another Italian place next time. read more

Probably the best penne vodka sauce I've had in Brooklyn in a very long time. I've had many evening dinner parties at Sofia's and everyone I invite raves about their food, service and wines. A really great choice for dinner, and located in the hub of 3rd avenue in Bay Ridge. Prices are reasonable and worth it. read more

I was only here once for a bridal shower. The food, drinks, service and atmosphere were all great. We didnt feel rushed. The service wqs attentive, our drinks were nevwr empty! :). I'd definitely go back for a date night with my bf for dinner. read more

Sofias is my home away form home the waiters are like family, the restaurant is amazing. Every detail is always taken care of the staff remembers the type of drinks you like to the way you like your food prepared. When you walk into Sofias its like cheers everyone knows your name and if they don't they treat you like you have been there forever. The food is amazing they prepare it to your taste if you need to change anything they are so accommodating :) Paul the owner he is amazing so professional and inviting. All the waiters are amazing, I really have no favorite they all treat you so great. I've been coming to this restaurant since they open there doors 10 years ago. I frequent Sofia's at time 3 to 4 times a week. So if your looking for great food great great service and a place to call your second home come to this place I love Sofia's read more

Came with a group of 9. Great friendly servers. Had some appetizers: Calamari and Mussels were great. For dinner had the Seafood Penne Vodka with lobster and baby shrimps nice portion with plenty to eat. Would recommend :-) read more

I've heard many nice things about this place so I was rather disappointed. The service was great, the food was not on par. In fact I'm fairly certain my $20+ Veal entrée came out of the microwave. The majority of the table was disappointed as well. I will say this though the fried calamari was very good. read more

I love this place. The staff is friendly, the service is great and attentive and the Italian food is delicious. I've bben thier twice and had the mussels for an appetizer, they were huge and delicious and could've been a meal by itself. The pasta is fresh and the atmosphere is comfortable and the prices reasonable. I will DEFINITELY be going here again. read more

Great Italian food, prices and wait staff! What more could you ask for? They have other places around NYC if you're not close to Bay Ridge so definitely check them out! read more