Both times that I've enjoyed this restaurant, it's been from the same private room upstairs, perfect for parties of 6. Dinner started with appetizers of all sorts, including the most delectable pita I have ever tasted (soft, warm and fresh) with delicious red pepper dip, hummus and a third that I don't recall. We ordered the Sultan's feast or bazaar or something...and there was so much food but my favorite were the prawns...the size of my hand. Dessert was baklava. All amazing, delicious, just perfect. The wine selection was impressive for both reds and whites and some of our party went downstairs after dinner to check out a new wine room in the basement that the owner invited us to check out personally. Service was awesome and our server had a great personality, constantly making us laugh with unexpected quips. Sofra is an excellent choice when you don't want to compromise on quality of food, selection, taste or service. It was a packed house when we went on a Friday night and I recommend making reservations in advance if you want to get in. read more

We've just returned from our Valentine's Day dinner out, and this year's pick was Sofra. I couldn't have made a better choice! I'd noticed it years ago, but when we were out, it always escaped my radar. Never again! Allan G and I are huge fans of all types of Greek/Middle Eastern food, so this was a treat. We'd gone to Istanbul a lot in the past, as it's very close to our house, but lately, the quality of their meats had dropped off, so we decided to try Sofra instead. We have a new favorite restaurant! Al had the Lamb Casserole, and I had the Pasa Kebab (pronounced Pasha). He said his got better toward the bottom, where all the juicy goodness and chunks of lamb were found (under a coating of what tasted like peppers and mushrooms). He was jealous of mine though, and wants to order it next. We both love our lamb. The Pasa Kebab is an amazingly succulent hunk of meat, cooked to utter perfection, with a side of grilled vegetables, bulgur wheat pilaf, and a side salad. I was in heaven. We weren't originally going to order dessert (I'm not a huge baklava fan), but thought we'd take a look just in case, and having been watching our intake, we promised to split whatever we picked. He wasn't choosy, just wanted to help me stay healthy. The Fig and Date pudding was unusual...deep and fruity, with whipped cream to cut the richness, and a bit of tangy pomegranate sauce. Al isn't a big fan of figs or dates, but exclaimed it a winner. Our 2 entrees, dessert, and a half litre of a fantastic Malbec came in at just under $100 before tip. It was worth every penny! Al already wants to return for our anniversary in July, so he can order the Pasa. read more

Absolutely refreshing after some poor experiences in Edmonton. A quaint comfortable room with informed professional wait staff that works together. The main attraction, the chef and his wonderful cuisine. Beautifully prepared Lamb loin with tender succulent prawns, seasoned Bulgar and expertly roast vegetables with a tasty cacik (I believe). The greens and spinach were of the freshest I've had in a while, expertly prepared and marvellously dressed. the handmade in shop baclava should be sampled and I would recommend the turkish coffee (no cream). A truly remarkable repast. Thank-you read more

The Turkish delicacies are delightful. The platter for two or for however many you want, is an absolute must for first timers. The hummus is the best I have ever had and can be purchased to go, along with their insanely good version of pita bread. Beautifully crisped with a little oil. You could get full on that alone. Service is always personable. The food couldn't be more consistent and absolutely of the highest standard. The only request I would have is possibly consider renovating the interior, as it is somewhat old and dated. read more

We went to this place for our anniversary. Excellent food (try the stuffed apricots) in very clean quiet environment. Definitely be back:)

My family had a great experience here. We called only a couple of hours ahead of our arrival to make a reservation. The staff were kind and we did not see any of the snobbishness other reviews complained about. We ordered the Sultan's Sofrasi with appetizers and desserts included, as well as a few drinks. The meal meal took a few hours, but they had appetizers right away and we felt the meal arrived in a timely manner for the quality of the food and with lively dinner conversation. The lamb and swordfish were definitely our favorite items. Everything was moist and flavorful. They give you large portions in the Sultan's plate, you could feed 3 people instead of 2. read more

I was visiting Edmonton from Miami and a friend suggested we go to Sofra. Best decision ever! Our waiter, Winston was amazing. He went above and beyond for us. The food was amazing. The meat was tender. The baklava was a bit too soggy for my taste but over all great food. He also made great recommendations as to where we should go for dancing. read more

Sofra Restaurant - Deliciousness - Turkish Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

The reviews for Sofra don't lie! When you walk in, the decor is welcoming and themed very tastefully, even equipped with a large trojan horse. Perhaps its casual fine dining. Its classy but not stuffy. There are two menus - meze/tapas downstairs and fine dining upstairs. The waitress was super friendly and let us review both menus before we decided where to sit. We opted for the dining room although I encourage anyone to try the meze's because their appetizers are amazing! The chef prepared, seasoned, and grilled all our food to perfection. Everything is so fresh. I have never been to Turkey so I can't speak for authenticity, but they chefs here take their food seriously! It's like, Food Network worthy! So far, I've been so lucky to have tried the stuffed apricots, stuffed grape leaves, the meat platter, the veggie plate, hummus and baklava. Everything was shockingly delicious. The baklava is homemade and fresh. I don't even like baklava but this baklava is amazing! read more

I'm pregnant and about to pop, so we've been eating out a lot and have recently had quite a lot of bad experiences. I had heard great things about Sofra in the past but have always forgotten about it. Tonight we were searching for a place close to home, and not too heavy and when this popped up on Urban Spoon, we decided to give it a try. My dinner companion is by far the pickiest so I was waiting for him to unleash his initial thoughts of disappointment when we walked in, but surprisingly all was good. 1. parking, no problem, we got parking right out front 2. It was clean, and there wasn't heavy food smells in the air considering they had a grill which can sometimes get a bit smokey and then you smell like your dinner after you leave for hours afterward 3. Got greeted and seated right away by friendly staff 4. The menu, not too big or confusing. We decided on the Sultans Sofranis for two 5. Food came out in a timely manner 6. Waitress was friendly and genuine. The food: First course: Grape Leaves - delicious, can't really go wrong here. Second: Pita and hummus. It was different that what I've had before, the pita were thinner and lighter and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds, the hummus was perfectly balanced and had a bit of kick and great consistency to go with the lighter pitas. Main: The main feast: lambchops, meatballs, swordfish, and chicken kababs, all cooked perfectly, not overdone and moist with the perfect amount of char, great flavour. Also came with the bulgar wheat and salad - also both very good. dessert: We opted not to get the baklava (i know, i know) and got strawberry ice cream instead. Even the strawberry ice cream was a nice surprise, rich, creamy and with real chunks of strawberries! I'm sure it was just out of a box, but I wondered if it was made in house. Overall, it was a simply a great experience amongst a slew of recent disappointments, so we were both just so pleased to have checked it out and will be back again! read more

The Sofra Sofrasi was amazing! It's a great sharing size for 2-3 people and everything was super delicious but I loved the grape leaves and the lamb! The staff were absolutely fantastic! The amazing chef came up to greet our party in the private seating area and even took us on a mini tour of the cellar in the basement! My friends and I had such a great time last night and cannot say enough good stuff about this place! I highly recommend it and will definitely be back soon! read more

Went here for the first time this weekend and the food downstairs was delicious. They serve only appetizers style dishes downstairs in the cellar, and I think there is more of a dinner style menu upstairs. The atmosphere was just right for a quieter night out with good friends. We will have to try the dinner menu next time. read more

Friendly cozy atmosphere. Loved watching the chef/owner doing his craft from the glass panel to the kitchen. We tried a bit of everything and were not disappointed. A must! read more

If you have ever had Turkish food before, chances are you won't like this one. I must say that to start with it is very pricey for the quality of the food. We waited about 20 minutes for the appetizer, which was very long, considering it was just bread and dip. Turkish restaurants usually serve a bread called 'Ramazan pide' with dips (ezme). This place serves a store bought pocket pita bread that they have sprinkled with sesame seeds and warmed-up. The dip had a lot of black pepper. I had the Adana Kebap, which was ok, but not the greatest I have had at all.The bulgur was loaded with black pepper as well, was dry and didn't seem fresh. A cheap leafy green (the kind you buy in those plastic containers) with no onions, tomatoes or any vegetables drizzled with a sweet donair like sauce. That was 20$... My husband had izgara köfte. Izgara köfte are usually small sized neatly shaped meatballs. There were 4 huge quickly put together meatballs that tasted blend. The same sides came with his dish. 20$ as well... Must say the ambiance and decor was beautiful, but quality/price was a big fail. You can get a better meal from the food court. Seriously. read more

ATTENTION FAMILIES WITH KIDS OR KID-LOVING FAMILIES: We saw this restaurant featured on Food TV and we went there with our eight-year old son who was very eager to try their food. As soon as we got in, the host said that "kids under 10 are not allowed at the restaurant because kids have had accidents at the bar in the restaurant before." I understand if kids are not allowed at the bar, but not allowed in the restaurant at all???? There was no indication of this policy outside their restaurant or was not mentioned on Food TV or their website. We have travelled a lot and have never been turned down before. This is the first time ever in our years of traveling that we saw such a discriminatory policy!!! read more

This is without question one of the best kept secrets west of Manitoba! The food is consistently great and believe me I have eaten here more times than I can remember! Hand made pita, best lamb sirloin I've ever had and this place knows how to cook a steak! The prawns are to die for and the value for money is outstanding! I eat here at least once every time I come to Edmonton. The rice pudding is delicious and the baclava has the right amount of syrup. Tried the tuna the other night and left me thinking what can't this guy cook!!! The lahmacun is a must try period! Yuksel the owner /head chef puts a great deal of love and passion into his food...I love this place! Lastly, the service is consistently great with the staff ready to help with any questions u have regarding the unique Turkish cuisine. read more

We went there tonight. Not a lot of selections of wine by the glass and a nice limited food menu with some interesting selections which I like as opposed to a large menu of a lot of things that the chef can't accurately cook. We had the three dip bread and I really liked the (heavy on the tahini) hummus. My friends liked the cheese dip and the pepper dip but I thought they were mediocre. It comes with thin bread as opposed to pita so you don't fill up on bread. I was confused as to whether the bread was supposed to be soft or crispy because it was a combination of both. The table really liked their meat dishes (meatballs and chicken). My tuna dish was pretty good but I thought it was a bit over cooked. Each plate comes with grilled veggies which were good and some Bulgar which I thought was tasteless and gave to my husband to finish. The service was friendly but they could have made more money off us by being more attentive. Overall, fairly good but I thought it was pricy for what you get. read more

I really like Sofra. My last visit there was exceptional. My boyfriend and I went for our anniversary. We ordered the Sultan's four-course meal for two. It was incredible and a great way to sample the menu if you're not familiar with Turkish fare. It started with stuffed grape leaves, a duo of dips with Sofra's delicious handmade pita bread, then a platter of meats, bulgar and fresh greens. The dessert is perhaps the most amazing Baklava I've tried, and it was the perfect finish to the meal. The chef and owner of Sofra is Turkish and went back to his homeland to be trained as a chef. The food is always perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned. If you go, be sure to try their pita and dips, washed down with a Turkish beer. Incredible. I've always had great service, and the restaurant is unique and cozy. I highly recommend Sofra. read more

Never eat at Sofra on Friday the 13th! (and certainly don't send anything back to the chef!) Normally a devout and 3-4X a year Sofra fan, I've always ordered the Sultan's Sofrasi, as mentioned in other reviews: a 4 course platter of appetizers, main course of meats and the almighty baklava finish. When eating the lamb portion of our dinner, the lamb was raw of both pieces of meat. Normally, I enjoy a medium or well done cutlet (and the chef/owner ALWAYS cooks it in this fashion without special request to the amazing and professional wait staff). Considering the potential for bacteria and food poison, my bff and I request that the meat be cooked thoroughly. It's returned in only slightly better condition. This game of ping pong is done 3 more times over 2 different selections of lamb (the owner refuses to swap out for other kind of meat such as hamburger patties, chicken or beef that is also served with the dish), before I'm vehemently told that "this is the way that it is always prepared" and that "You're stupid for not telling the wait staff how you want it done". Upon consultation with our two servers, this is apparently typical behaviour for the owner whenever food is deemed unsafe or undesirable by patrons. The owner smugly repeats his aforementionned comments when I pay for my meal with one of our servers for the evening. After 4 years of dining at Sofra, I think it's time to find a new Turkish place. read more

Exceptional Every Time! Pitas fresh out of the oven served with dips prepared daily by the owner who is also the chef, is an amazing way to start any meal. Whether it's the famed Sultan's platter, the chicken kebabs, or the rack of lamb, everything is always cooked to succulent perfection! although every meat selection is always marinated and cooked to perfection, my absolute favourite is the egg, spinach, and cheese pizza. Unlike any other pizza I've ever had and always leaves me wishing there was just one more piece. The cozy Turkish atmosphere is always welcoming. The staff is always friendly as the tend fully to every table. And if you're there later in the evening, as the dinner rush slows, you can get a chance to visit with owner as he stops by your table to ensure everything was perfect. Is one of my favourite places to take new people. I love to share this hidden gem. read more

Delicious food! The hummus with pita is fantastic, we had the rack of lamb and the chicken skewers and both were cooked fantastically. If anything would like for the restaurant to have an online reservation system but would 100% recommend you check it out. read more

I normally hate leaving bad reviews before giving a restaurant a second and third chance but I don't think I'll ever go back here again. We had a party of 8 seated downstairs on a Friday night in the cushion room @ 730 pm. 5 of the party showed up early and ordered drinks. We got them to preorder a dish for us as we were going to be 15 mins late. Upon arriving the restaurant was mid packed. We went downstairs and ordered drinks and food after a 30 min wait cause the server was busy. Well fast forward 2 hours later, not even exaggerating...the time was 9:25 when we got our first dish we pre ordered in the car on the way to the restaurant. The server was very apologetic. We were very antsy at this point and upset. The platter was scarce but food was good, our prawns were stone cold. Not worth the extra cost as the portions were tiny. The server took off an appetizer from the bill and offered free dessert for the wait. Well we were starving at this point so we walked to Old Spagetti Factory and enjoyed a quick good meal. To sum up...2 hrs wait for food, cold prawns, tiny portion size vs cost and starving. Our meal still cost us $30 per person. We won't be back and our group was so unimpressed they swore this place off too. Very disappointed. read more

Sofra Restaurant is a nice place with great service and food! The owner told us that he goes grocery shopping every morning to get the fresh ingredients for his dishes! I have been to this restaurant a few times and the food is always tasty and yummy! read more

Best Mediterranean food in town (grouping Greek, Lebanese and Turkish together). My only complaint is that the baklava isn't very authentic. It seems like something from a package. The fig feta dip is unreal. And they (I think) make their pita bread in house! A very nice dining experience. read more

I ate here a couple years ago and the food was quite good and the service standard. Last year we tried to go here with a friend and her children. There was no one in the restaurant and when we arrived the lady said they were fully booked and that they could not fit us in. She was quite abrupt and not very friendly. We were surprised since it was empty aside from maybe one or two customers. So we called when we got to our car to see if we could come in then and the lady on the phone said it was no problem because they weren't busy. Yet we had just been turned away a couple minutes ago. So obviously they are not kid friendly at this restaurant. I would not return here simply for this reason. The food may be ok but the service and staff are not. read more

Top notch hummus, lamb and swordfish. The steaks bomb diggity too

We were a party of 7 for a mixed age 60th birthday. We preordered and with only the drink orders to deal with, the night flowed smoothly. By the way, what a great way to deal with a larger group. There were lots of positive "This is good!" and "Try the date dip!" Etc. Even our notoriously choosy diner found something she raved about. The food was hot and fresh. I could hear the pride in the chef's voice as he explained absolutely everything on the menu is made in house. I would go back to see what else I can try of my first Turkish cuisine. read more

Excellent service! Thanks Trae Fresh home made pitas with fabulous spreads. Shrimp unbelievably fresh. Awesome portions. Wonderful all around experience. read more

I am Turkish and drove to Edmonton with my son for more than an hour to taste what Sofra has to offer. The restaurant has definitely some good tastes to offer to palates that have not been previously acquainted with Turkish cuisine, but to a true connoisseur of Turkish food, "it was a downhill experience" as my son put it. It started at a high elevation with pastrami sarma as appetizer and continued to satisfy with the Sofra dip (Turkish style cottage cheese seasoned with garlic, herbs and olive oil). When the time came for the main course, though, things began to go down. My son had Adana kebap, minced meat on a skewer with some spicy flavor. Although its taste was satisfactory, texture was way off the mark. I ordered Coban kavurma, but what I was served had no similarity what I last had as Coban kavurma. The dish I was served is actually called "Turlu" in Turkish, which means "variety". Whereas Coban kavurma is cooked with diced lamb in a light sauce without any vegetables (maybe with the exception of tomatoes and green peppers according to taste), the pieces of meat in my dish was three times the size of what kavurma should contain. But the worse part was the concoction of vegetable assortment floating in grease alongside the lamb. Also serving spinach as salad with a vinegar sauce on the same plate with bulgur was nothing less than an insult on both. Hoping to sweeten our experience, we ordered a traditional Turkish desert, Irmik, which was more like a nail in the coffin. It was nothing like Irmik at all. The only consolation was the properly fixed Turkish coffee at the end. And the tab was quite costly, too. But the smiling face and swift service of our waitress Christine was the best part of our experience at Sofra. read more

The best Food you can have in Edmonton! It is always fresh, with the best quality you can imagine, The restaurat is always full even on week days, so that explains a lot! The owner/chef/ master is a very nice talented man whose focus is on the quality. I always enjoyed dining there when I was living in Edmonton, miss my regular dining in Sofra read more

A must try for any of our family or friends that visit Edmonton, everyone leaves satisfied and inspired having tried something new and beyond any taste they could of imagined of deliciousness from this cuisine! The owner always comes over and asks us if we enjoyed our meal... which is always YES! Its nice to see a owner checking in with his customers, shows a lot of passion for his work! read more

I was over at Grant Mac doing some work at the library when suppertime was approaching and I started to get hungry. I love Turkish food, well what I've had of Turkish food, so I though Sofra would be a good choice. The restaurant was quite busy when I got there, and it probably would have been best to call ahead for a reservation, but I was able to get a seat at the bar. It was pretty cold outside when I went so I got the lamb casserole, which was sort of like a shepherd's pie with lamb and topped with cheese. It doesn't look like much, at first, but the dish has lot's of vegetables and lamb and was very filling. So much so that I didn't have any room for baklava (which I love). The only thing I didn't like was that there were bones in with the lamb - the pieces were pretty small and so I wasn't really expecting bone. It wasn't a horrible experience, but it would have been nice to be warned. Aside from that the waitress was nice, and the food was really good. It's a little pricey, but not unreasonably so, and considering how delicious the food was I'd say it was worth it. I do wish that Sofra was open during lunch - it would be nice to go there during lunch breaks at school, but coming here for dinner was a nice treat. read more

If you're craving Turkish cuisine which includes delicious grilled meats/ veggies/seafood and pita with various dips, then look no further. Sofra is probably the best choice in the city for well-prepared food. I highly recommend the pita with hummus, the grape-leave appetizers and the garlic shrimp as appetizers. You can't go wrong with any of the entree selections - there's something for everyone. I've also tried one of their Turkish pizzas, although prepared well - I found a hair in it so needless to say returned the dish but they made me a new one and by that point I was a bit turned off by eating it so it was just okay to me. The interior decor is kitschy but cozy. They are usually quite busy so be prepared to make reso's or try arriving early or later in the evening. read more

Some of the tastiest food you will ever eat. Similar to Greek fare, all dishes are unbelievably flavorful. Go as a group and order a bunch of appetizers to share. Just be sure you make a reservation. There's never an empty table. read more

Delicious food. Lamb and chicken were amazing as well as great hummus. Decent wine list and good service for the group of 20.

Since this was my first experience with Turkish food I don't have anything to compare it to. The lentil soup was fantastic. The freshly made baklava was amazing. I had a spiced beef kabob which I can't remember the name of which again was really good. They also have a kind of pizza/ meat pie pastry?. That was excellent as well and very filling. Parking out front is limited and the name on the front of the business is hard to see while driving by. They open at 5pm so they don't have lunch service. Worth going back to. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Do try the swordfish and the grape leaf rolls. The cute little 'evil eye' carved into the middle of the table adds an interesting touch to the experience. read more

I recommend the hummus as an appetizer and the Pasa Kebab (Lamb and Shrimp) as the entre

This was my first experience with Turkish food, and man was it tasty. I was lucky enough to be there with a large group which meant we were able to order several dishes to share. The dips were incredibly flavorful, particularly the walnut pepper dip. I'd also suggest trying the pizzas, and the chicken kabobs were awesome. Make sure you make a reservation though. I had tried to drop in without a reservation twice before and wasn't able to get a seat. read more

Excellent food, attentive service, big portions. A MUST TRY RESTAURANT IN EDMONTON!!

Intimate atmosphere, delicious food. The freshly baked pita (clay oven!) and hummus are a must try. My favourite little gem in Edmonton