I'm shocked at the dinner my husband ate here. For an appetizer, we had the octopus, which was below average. I ate the hamburger with fries. I could not order the hamburger medium-rare. The burgers all are cooked at the same doneness. The quality of the meat was great, but but the rest of the burger was not tasty. The fries were delicious. My husband ordered the expensive overly-dry and not too well seasoned chicken. We ate half of it The accompanying vegetables we could not eat. Looking back on our meal, we should have shared the fries, and eaten the meat from the burger. Then, we could have put the rest out to the crows that perch on our deck to see if they would eat it. read more

Nice spot for special occasions. Services excellent. On the appetizer menu, the mezze is an excellent choice with warm pita bread and a delicious feta kale dip. The platter also includes parsnip, hummus, and tempura root vegetables. The salads are superb. Entrées are well prepared and seasonal, usually locally sourced. The only negative was the the wine we ordered. While the wine itself was fine, the pour was quite miserly. There should be four glasses to a bottle of wine, looks like they were trying for six. You're better off ordering a bottle. read more

The food here was delicious! We ordered a bunch of different kinds of food to try a little bit of each. Here's we ordered and our thoughts. Old Fashioned - my husband ordered this and he said it was pretty good except for was too sweet. Appetizers: The SOVANA "MEZZE"- chic pea hummus, grilled baby carrots & asparagus, preserved artichokes, house made pita.... Thoughts- this dish specifically is what caused the loss of a star. We are thinking "grilled veggies" like the menu said. What you actually get is tempura style deep fried carrots and instead of asparagus it's zucchini. Now was this good? Yes, but the description is misleading. EGGPLANT TART tomato conserva, basil, locatelli cheese Reminded us of an eggplant lasagna. A tad bit on the sweet side. Don't think I would order this next time. BREAD BOARD rosemary & fennel seed foccocia, olive oil, roasted garlic, calabrian chili and tomato "jam" We enjoyed this bread and the jams. CHOPPED ROMAINE CAESAR fermented- garlic crusted croutons, shaved parmesan My husband really enjoyed his Caesar salad. The very large slice of thin crispy bread on top was so good! HARISSA ROASTED BEETS arugula, radicchio, spiced walnuts, roasted fennel & pistachio goat cheese "truffles", blood orange-ginger vinaigrette. Really enjoyed the salad! I would get it again FUNGO EPICO wood fired pizza roasted wild mushrooms, fontina, thyme, arugula, black truffle vinaigrette If you like mushrooms get this! The combination with the taste of truffles on this pizza makes it absolutely delicious. *** THE BEST FOR LAST*** CINNAMON ROLL BREAD PUDDING philly cream cheese gelato, whiskey soaked pecan crumble This was our absolute favorite dessert we have had!! You can't go wrong with Philadelphia cream cheese gelato and whiskey soaked bread. So bad but soooo good!! All around it would definitely come back here again and try other items on the menu. Highly recommend this restaurant!! read more

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Sovana Bistro - Kennet Square - This place has been on my hit list for about 4 years. When I told our friends I made a reservation here she said it was her favorite restaurant. ( "Santa " gets her a Gift Card here every year and now I know why. ) The food and drinks are sophisticated but the atmosphere feels casual and not pretentious..... but still nice enough to come here for a celebration. We got the grilled brie, brussell sprouts, sausage and fennel pizza, meatballs, roasted mushrooms, something with eggs ( I didn't order it) , hamburger, butternut squash ravioli, octopus, butterscotch cake with a side of vanilla gelato and chocolate molten lava cake with a side of coffee gelato. Everything was extremely delicious but the highlights for me were the butternut squash ravioli ( made in-house), roasted mushrooms, brussell sprouts and the octopus ( and easy dish to get wrong). I noted on our online reservation that we had a birthday and without having to mention it when we got there, there was a special birthday card on the table and when they brought desserts there was a candle on the cake. I'm always impressed when the place remembers without having to remind them. The only negatives was that service was on the slower side and some of the entree portions also seemed a bit small. This place is 5 minutes from Longwood Gardens so a great option if you want a nice meal nearby. It's a long drive here for us but was well worth and was quite scenic on this beautiful fall day. Overall an outstanding meal! read more

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Really nice spot. Great vibe. Classy, upscale but unpretentious. Food is very good. Fresh quality ingredients. Service was very friendly. Overall a pretty terrific choice. read more

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Came here after the mushroom festival to celebrate a birthday. Place was very accommodating for reservations for a decent size group. Really good cocktails! I had "The Statesman" & another one called "sombrero" or something like that, both were really good. The "Table Shares" dishes were delicious but not exactly sizes for sharing, they were more like side dishes. For the price I would expect them to be larger. We started with the creamed corn and mushrooms. The pizza was just okay and the squid ink pasta lacked flavor. Service was very friendly and attentive. A little too expensive for what you get in my opinion. read more

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The cuisine here is truly exceptional, with appetizers that stand out as particularly delightful. It's easily one of the top restaurants in the Philly area. The ambiance is inviting, perfect for both family gatherings and romantic evenings. Notably, the service is impeccable, with friendly greeters adding to the welcoming atmosphere. read more

If I could give a 6th star I would. My husband and I both agree tonight was the greatest night we've had out in a long time. Staff was incredibly sweet and accommodating. Food was out of this world delicious and the ambiance was perfect as always, lively yet classy. This continues to be our number 1 spot on the east coast read more

We had a lovely meal at the Bistro but were surprised to learn in a note that came with our bill that there would be an up charge for using a credit card. We don't use debit cards due to their lack of fraud protection and didn't have that much cash on hand. When we questioned the charge, we were told a sign was posted at the host's stand - but there was no notification on RESY when we made our reservation. Credit card fees are a part of the cost of doing business and surcharges punish the customers. There are other restaurants that serve food of this quality - we will patronize them in the future. read more

Sovana Bistro - Notice at host stand - I saw the notice about RESY and didn't read further as that is where we made our reservation. - Mediterranean Near Me - East Marlborough, Pennsylvania

Amazing!! We celebrated our 30th anniversary and it was truly memorable. We were greeted at the door and seated immediately with reservations. We were greeted by the owner/manager as well. Our server, Brandon was quick to introduce himself, get our drinks and explain the specials while being friendly and informative. My drink was "Dark like my soul" it was the most interesting drink I've had. We started our meal with the charcuterie board and it was delicious everything was fresh and interesting yet simply savory. My allergies were not a problem which helps to relax and enjoy. My meal was a fish special it was cod in a tomato puree with rice and vegetables. It was cooked to perfection the accompaniments were perfect. My Husband had the NY strip special and he thoroughly enjoyed it, it was cooked perfectly to order. The mashed potatoes were a hit. Our desserts were crème brûlée and brown butter torte both were a perfect ending to an outstanding meal. My Husband left his wallet and the manager/owner rushed out to the parking lot to return it, much appreciated. The staff is attentive and not smothering. The atmosphere is relaxed sophistication with a fun twist. The staff is on it and the time between courses is perfection. The restaurant runs like a well oiled machine. We can't wait to return. Ty for making our day more special. read more

Wow - cannot believe this was our first time here! Absolutely incredible, we will be back soon! Our waitress was wonderful - the homemade pasta and bread was amazing. read more

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Food looked, smelled and tasted good. Not for kids if they are unaccustomed to anything but processed or restaurant chains. the mushrooms are local of course and taste great. Calamari with the greens is a great appetizer and the brussel sprouts delicious. They have a fixed and rotating menu. We tried both. The menu is small in size but big in selection. You are limited only by your imagination to see the combinations. Service was fast, friendly, accommodating and with smiles. We had no reservations, but were seated quickly. The hostesses greeted everyone by opening the doors and with a cheerful smile. The waiters and servers also appeared cheerful and polite. For a Friday evening dinner they were packed and it was so loud that I was impressed that the staff could hear us without shouting. But then they could have hearing aids. we all leaned in closer to hear. The kitchen sent out individual samplings of peach chutney to the table. The reactions were mixed. It's a bistro... had a lumber vibe. Kitchen is plainly visible to the customers behind plexiglass walls. I don't care most restaurant dining tables and the ones at this restaurant are no exception. It was crowded. But it was also Friday night. Overall some of us enjoyed the food and the experience while others were happy with only desserts. I'm sure we'll be coming back and trying something different. read more

Excellent experience. Not only was the food, amazing, but the service was superb. All of the selections that my group enjoyed were cooked to perfection. The steak was amazing, the lentil, eggplant meatballs were the best! The tuna, tartare appetizer was my favorite of the night. So fresh, and you really had no idea that it was Fish. And I mean that in a great way, the wine selection was very nice as well. My wife and I will definitely be back and may make this our new date night location read more

Last night my family and I headed out to eat. We went to eat at Hoods in Unionville only to find it closed. Since we drove all that way we ventured to a place down the street I had been for brunch before, Sovana Bistro. I had not been there since they had a fire but had always wanted to go back. Upon arriving the two young blonde hostesses looked at us and said there would be a 30 minute wait for a 4 top. Seeing no one else waiting and tons of empty 4 tops we were very confused. It was a Wednesday night even. I went to look at their open table app and to my surprise I could get a reservation for 4 within 10 minutes and seemingly the rest of the night if I wanted. My husband approached the front and expressed this confusion. Automatically they said "We can seat you." So curious to go from 30 minutes to right away. As we looked around plenty of people had young children so that wasn't it. Their Google profile said "family friendly" and "LGBTQ Friendly." Their atmospheres listed led with casual and cozy. As we looked around it wasn't even that people were all dressed up. The main difference was we were in a sea of neutral country club colors. Plenty of people were wearing cargos, sweat shirts, and t shirts. But all fit into a uniform color code and blended in. A stark contrast from when I had been there before. Even the attire of people who have posted of themselves in the restaurant was with baseball caps and casual attire. It became obvious to us that we stuck out and didn't ooze wealth. Unable to shake the cold heartedness of it all we spoke with a manager who apologized and wanted to comp our bill. We refused as money was not the issue and they gifted us a gift card. This was a kind gesture but did not negate how naturally the two, no older than seventeen, hostesses treated us. The level of groomed snobbery had them lacking common sense as anyone with eyes could look around and see empty tables and no other person waiting. Being at the mercy of two very hungry children we stayed but typically we would have walked out. Which I am sure would have suited them. I would suggest that in the future you enforce a dress code and change the tone of your restaurant profile. It appears as long as everyone looks the part it does not matter if you have children or are LGBTQ. Honesty is much more refreshing than a passive aggressive "shoo" from a teenage girl wearing a Forever 21 sweater and sneakers. From a food perspective its hard to say. Any attempt to enjoy it was in vain so I cannot give a true telling of what was offered. It definitely was not good enough to shake the treatment we received. read more

The food - the variety of selection, the deliciousness, and quantity did not disappoint. The ervice was very good, but we dined at 3 pm, between the lunch and dinner rushes. However, I think the folks that run this Willowdale / Kennett square staple have become just a tad arrogant. Charging a $25 pp no show.... They dont even do that in NYC or Philly. You're good but not that good. And $11 for ONE bottle of pelligrino. I can get 15 bottles of the same at Costco for $27. Get back down to earth folks. read more

My husband and I had a wonderful dinner at Sovana Bistro. The food was not only delicious, inspired, and creative, but the service was authentically warm, gracious, attentive, and impressively well-coordinated. From start to finish, service was seamless. The interior design of the restaurant is also aesthetically pleasing and tastefully designed, contributing to overall ambiance. We simply loved this restaurant. This was one of the best dinners I have had in years. A few notes about the food and payment options: 1. We highly recommend the mezze, which features familiar fare with a twist (e.g., golden beet hummus, parsnip falafel, artichoke hearts and root vegetables that resembled tempura). It was not only delicious, but beautifully presented, creative, and playful - evocative of Top Chef. 2. We loved the grilled octopus with crumbled chorizo and fingerling potatoes (rich, savory, slightly fatty) that were brilliantly paired with pickled watermelon rind (the perfect hit of acid). This was my favorite dish of the evening - and that's saying a lot, given how amazing the entire meal was. 3. We also enjoyed the eggplant and lentil "meat" balls (that tasted remarkably like meat), tuna tartare with crispy potato chips, the chicken piccata, a refreshing blood orange sorbet, and the liquid center butterscotch cake. 4. When we received the bill, we learned that the restaurant charges a small fee for credit card transactions (the amount varies depending on the credit card issuer). We can understand this dynamic and have a lot of empathy for Sovana, but we were not aware until the end of the meal. This practice may be familiar to Sovana's regular diners, but this was our first visit. It might be helpful for Sovana to include this information on its website and/or on its reservation system (e.g., in the Resy confirmation email). Finally, we would like to give special thanks to Brandon and Jess, who went above and beyond for us. Specifically, when they learned we were in town for my husband's birthday, they gifted us our desserts *and* gave us cookies to go! They even recommended a few restaurants to try on Sunday (since they are closed). We were so touched and impressed with their genuine interest in creating a welcoming and memorable dining experience, their in-depth mastery of Sovana's menu and culture, and their generosity and many kindnesses. We highly recommend Sovana Bistro. This was an incredible dining experience, and we felt welcomed like family. We definitely will be back. read more

We have been enjoying great drinks and great food here for years! Ahead of the curve cocktails and food! Adam and the Team are so very welcoming, friendly and professional! These people are at the top of the heap in hospitality! A very special shout out to server extraordinaire Francesca!! We have never had a bad meal here in all the years we've been coming...back when this was a BYOB! Always a perfect destination for yummy food and drinks!!!!! read more

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What a great gem in Kennett. Highly recommend. There were 7 of us and the service was outstanding. We had several apps, meat board with cheeses and the crustini. All really good and plenty enough to share. I had the papardelle with wild boar... pasta was perfectly done, sauce was excellent, only wish the boar was a little more chucky. My fiance had the steak they were featuring that night. It was cooked to perfection and seasoned beautifully. Drinks offerings were top notch and were nicely done. Highly recommend read more

We found this after searching for places to eat after visiting Longwood Gardens. Our server, Francesca, was friendly and helpful. She and the entire staff were attentive without hovering. The food was amazing. My wife had a grain bowl that was very tasty and I had a Cuban sandwich. Both were very good. For an appetizer we had the grilled octopus. The flavor was complex and perfect. One of the best grilled octopus dishes I've ever had We will definitely be back. read more

Sovana Bistro - Cuban Sandwich - Mediterranean Near Me - East Marlborough, Pennsylvania

Sovana Bistro. Soviet Butcher in English, for those of you who didn't know. I'm just kidding. That is a joke. At this restaurant, the service was mild. Our waitress said that the dish "Basil Fettuccine" was a 4 out of 10 spicy-ness. I don't know what kind of taste buds she has, but that dish made me feel like my mouth was the Chicago fire. Or maybe that was just me. Anyway, that was definitely like a 9, not a four. I couldn't even taste my drink. I don't know if I was having complete thoughts. Besides that, the service was great. It was really crowded, and we got our food in 18 minutes and 2.43 seconds. The ambiance was great, the place looked and felt welcoming and enamored. I felt very delegated to be there. The food was good for the rest of my family. Mine was too, just a little spicy. Be prepared if you get that dish, and don't trust the waitress' spice judgment! read more

I usually go for lunch on a Thursday or Friday, during peak hours. Always good food and service, but noisy,noisy,noisy! Can't hear friend across table. Parking is a hassle. read more

I was highly impressed with the menu and quality of food here. We started with cheese board and latkes. Then had eggs and steak, chicken salad club, Nashville chicken and beet salad with salmon. Dessert was s'mores and bread pudding. Everything was delicious and service was great. I can't want to go back!! read more

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My husband and I came here for lunch and the food was great and service excellent. When we walked in the staff opened the door and greeted us seating us immediately. He ordered the fig and bacon pizza and I had the beet salad. We shared the Mac N Cheese and Bread and it was a lot of food which they kindly packed up left overs. read more

When you visit a place like Longwood Gardens things like fresh, seasonal, and very creative play to the theme of your day while your also looking for a bit of familiar nostalgia. So when you're going for a meal after you're definitely looking for something similar, and for that Savona really delivered! When we were selecting our restaurant for the evening we were instantly sold on their New American cuisine with an Italian twist and emphasis on fresh seasonal ingredients. Their epic cheese selection and and dual cocktail menu that featured some playing to seasons and others featuring signature also helped matters. And overall we were really impressed. Their cheese offerings feature gold standards like Quadrello Di Bufala and Bleu D'Avergne, and locals like Tomme De Linden and Seven Sisters. it being tomato season also meant that we were able to enjoy a salad that featured 3 different versions, and we also savored an incredible pasta special that had fuselli and and smoked bacon which was reasonably priced since they let you order either an appetizer or dinner portion. After reading through the pizza menu we had to grab one too, and the black mission fig pizza with applewood smoked bacon, gorgonzola, arugala, and balsamic vinegar was as incredibly delicious as it sounds. In addition to those there's incredible entrees like cedar smoked salmon and hickory smoked beef short ribs. If you can somehow save room for dessert then options like their liquid center butterscotch cake with vanilla bean ice cream, or their salted caramel rice pudding with rum soaked raisins and bruleed fruit. read more

I went to Sovana Bistro today for lunch with a few friends. The food was very good--the prices were a little on the high side. But I knew that going in. I loved the ambiance. My only gripe is that they are now charging a fee for credit card use. Just know that going in. It could add a lot to your bill. I know more places are doing that but it left a bad taste in my mouth. read more

We ate at Sovana recently and our meal was pretty horrible. We called ahead to do carry out and spoke to the extremely friendly hostess who took our order. When we arrived I was informed that the fries that are served with the burger we ordered are cooked after the customer arrives so that they are crisp. Unfortunately this was really the only good thing we ate. We started off with the Spanish octopus which was a smallish tentacle served with small potatoes, chorizo, romanesco, and an olive and lemon vinaigrette. I didn't see any chorizo anywhere but there were onions on top of the octopus that were not part of the description. Not that it mattered much, as the sauce that was served with the octopus was a smoky gluey mess that did nothing to hide the slightly over cooked octopus. My wife's burger was ok. It was two smaller patties and served smash burger style. I tried to order it medium rare but was informed that they just cook the burgers one way. It was decent enough but for $17 I would not try to recreate something you could get at Five Guys for half the price. As mentioned before, the shoestring fries that came with it were good. For some reason I ordered a barbecued half chicken for $38. In my defense, I tried to order the daily fish special, which was swordfish, but was informed that the fish can't be ordered to go. Why? I have no clue, especially when other restaurants seem to be embracing take out customers. Anyway, my chicken was in a word awful. It was boneless and served with an achiote glaze, a few pieces of picked onion, cucumber, and pineapple, and a corn 'soubise' which is a type of sauce. The chicken was dry and overcooked and despite trying to cover it up with the little sauce that came with it, I gave up and only ate half of it, since to be honest it tasted a lot like the octopus for some reason. Looking back on it, it was the worst BBQ chicken I ever ate at any price (much less $38). It's really a shame that the food at Sovana (or what you are permitted to take out) pales in comparison to the really nice people that work there. read more

Came here for a business lunch. Was pleasantly surprised. The ambiance is pretty cool yet relatively casual. I was there on a Wednesday at noon and had no issue getting a table or anything as place was not very busy. The food was really good and they had an express lunch item which was really good. I exchanged the soup for a full sandwich and they didn't give me any issues about that. I would definitely recommend this place for a good lunch. One I day I might try them out for dinner if I happen to be out that way. read more

Sovana Bistro - Mediterranean Near Me - East Marlborough, Pennsylvania

Ordered the grain bowl, excellent ingredients, however, the jalapeños were overpowering, dish was not edible.

I expected this to have great reviews and the reviews didn't let me down! Came here for a Saturday brunch with a friend and we're met with smiling friendly faces by the staff and escorted to the outside deck area which had an amazing ambience and background noise of a trickling fountain. The lighting is really cool and the table decor is fresh and clean. Our server, Nick, was very sweet and attentive. The brunch menu was delightful because it encompassed a lot of different flavor profiles and the drink specials were great but we didn't order any. I ordered the quiche which surprisingly didn't have mushrooms in it! That would've made it one notch better! Since Kennett Square is the mushroom capital of the world! But it still had an amazing bond of ingredients and a lot of them inside of it! My friend ordered the salmon and she said that it was great! It was exactly what she wanted. The salad that came on the side of my quiche was phenomenal! Arugula, candied walnuts, and golden raisins! It was really really amazing! And the quiche was served at a perfect temperature so the cheese was delectable. We also had the pleasure of Savona pizza at the party we attended the night before, five different ones! And the fig arugula and balsamic glaze pizza it was out of this world! I can't stop talking about how yummy this food was! read more

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Another unfortunate experience for our second straight visit. We were never told the specials, had to flag down random staff for water, drinks, to order food, etc on multiple occasions. No one ever checked on us! Food was okay but it really felt like they didn't want us there. What a shame! For the price, I don't think we will return. read more

The restaurant gets a start for the Services and friendliness of the staff, other than that, it was a big disappointment. The drinks were extremely expensive. $15 per class for Sangria and $17.50 for an Old Fashion. We ordered four drinks, Calamari, a small pizza, two salads with protein and a roasted chicken platter and the bill was $239 plus tip, so $285. We left hungry and very disappointed. The food was nothing to write home about. This restaurant is way over rated and way over priced. However, I did like that they use locally grown foods. TOTALLY NOT WORTH THE PRICE. The Food was definitely not Mediterranean, I have been to several countries on the Mediterranean , several time to Greece and Italy and the food was nothing like their foods. Again, extremely disappointed. I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!! read more

My sister in law suggested this restaurant after a trip to longwood gardens. I had the lunch special. Open face sandwich with pesto cheese fresh tomatoes and prosciutto. Pasta salad with pickled carrots and other veggies....the best white bean and kale soup I ever had and a strawberry scone! My husband loved his double burger. Nice ambiance and great service. Highly recommended read more

One of our favorite Saturday brunch spots, always great food and service. Would highly recommend!

This is my all time favorite place to eat for special occasions. I go here for my birthday, Christmas, Easter, etc. I say special occasion because it is a little pricey but worth the money because of it's high quality. Staff is always smiling and looks genuinely happy to work there because of it's safe and lively environment. read more

Hip like a potato chip, authentic and fun. A great local bistro with nice service, good ambiance, and fair prices.

Valentines Day Dinner, very busy! Regular menu plus some specials. Andrew was a great waiter. Beau is the best bartender! Started with the best cheese plate we have ever had. Their house salad was so lightly dressed it tasted great. They split it very nicely for us. Husband had the spaghetti and he loved the al dente homemade pasta. I had a wonderful piece of salmon with an arugula salad. Yummy! Too full for salad. Great meal for a holiday dinner. Did I mention they were VERY busy? read more

Sovana Bistro - Cheese plate - Mediterranean Near Me - East Marlborough, Pennsylvania

Food, Service and Ambience are all awesome. This is a nice place to dining and drinks with family and friends.

Just an FYI - Don't order a side of $14 chicken. It's half burnt and not worth the price to get extra protein. Do better Sovana. This is pathetic. read more

Sovana Bistro - Mediterranean Near Me - East Marlborough, Pennsylvania

I've had several great meals here recently. Reservations are needed, as it is usually busy. Even at lunchtime on a weekday, I was surprised to see the restaurant quite crowded. The cocktails are delicious, and bonus points for a good mocktail menu as well. The pastas and woodfired pizza are great, though the portions for pasta are on the small side--good to get a starter as well. This is a great spot for a special occasion or a date night. read more

Came here on lunch during a holiday which is a plus and the atmosphere was nice. I liked my sangria with the blend of flavors. The harvest bowl was an excellent choice on a hot day. The deserts fell flat. I did not care for the s'mores, the flavors all blended together and tasted like a chocolate goop with burnt marshmallows on top. The butterscotch cake was ok, should have more cake in it. They had a standard kids menu, but that is way overpriced for $13 and four ravioli. Some other menu items are also overpriced for the amount of food that it is associated with it. They also forgot to bring out the bread basket for our table. read more

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