I had high expectations for Sofra, based on the local influencer reviews. It didn't quite meet the high bar they set, but it was very good. We had a party of 6, so i was sure to make a reservation in advance. It was midweek, lunchtime, and oddly the restaurant was PACKED to the gills
This location is not large, which I like. But despite being small, the noise in this place is horrendous (its been an issue with every restaurant that has occupied this space. ) Having an intimate conversation or hearing your server is a lost cause. We were seated promptly, but our server apologized that there may be a delay in service due to the customer volume and staffing. I always appreciate a heads up and she was very kind and her coworkers, with one exception were very supportive. There were little hiccups like inadequate water, no silverware, someone's drink being flooded when we did get water refills, and never enough bread for the sheer volume of items orderd. We ordered the Serpme Kahvaltı and pastries and many a la carte items, but were never asked if we needed to order another bread basket after we ran out, so we simply didn't have enough for the spreadable items. So we had lots of inedible items because we had nothing to put them on.
The other thing I took issue with is that the wet items probably should come with serving spoons, and they did not. The bread isn't really dippy the way pita is... and with a large party it gets little tricky when its SO LOUD and difficult to manage the sharing component of mealtime.
And here was my biggest issue. The barista. She was mean. I mean really really mean. I dont know if she was just overwhelmed and having a bad day, but did several things that were clearly deliberately meant to be rude and ruin our meal. The rest of the staff was lovely and handled the crazy busy day like professionals. The food was really excellent as well. I definitely recommend you read about the structure of their menu before you go so you are prepared, as we did. It helped a lot and saved the servers from having to explain very much other than a few minor things.
The prices are very reasonable as well, especially given the Anchorage market. I was a little hesitant to go since my experience at the other location owned by the same lady was horrible. But our party found out she hired a new chef at Turkish Delight. So now Im super excited to go back to the location that is walking distance from my house. Definitely recommend this location. Its still very new and I'm sure things will only get more refined as time moves on. Absolutely recommend this unique dining experience! read more