Sofia

Stopped by Sofia on our way home from work. It was a Tuesday evening around 6, so not crowded. FYI: The metered parking is free after 6PM in downtown Englewood.
The Unilocal reviews are surprisingly polarized. We did not eat anything, just drinks at the bar, so I can’t comment on food or wait service. Sofia has a really beautiful space, a very elegant bar with many, many liquors. If you like scotch, this is the place for you! Lots of great choices.
I had two different gin cocktails (Corpse Revival #2 and Moscow Mule). Both were fantastic but I particularly loved the Moscow Mule. Our bartender was friendly, professional and great at his job. We had a lovely experience. If you’re in the area I’d recommend Sofia.

I was very happy to see that a promising restaurant was opening in town as there are so few options for a good meal in Englewood. After having dinner at Sohia’s 4 times and surfing around the menu, Sophia is a big disappointment. I’ve had the salmon, steak, pastas, crab cakes, Cornish hen and various appetizers. The crab cakes actually had a metallic taste. Dishes have been lackluster and, at times, over cooked. On a happy note the bar manager makes a great Manhattan. Unfortunately, he moved on to the other end of the bar on Valentine’s Day. We decided on having dinner, against our better judgement, and not only did the food fall short, once again, but the female bartender who took over was indifferent, at best. The bar was not crowded enough to explain her lack of attention. The next time I want a well made cocktail, albeit at Manhattan prices, I’ll head to Sohia’s attractive bar and hope that the bar manager makes my drink.

Bad customer service. Turned me off from the start.
Made reservations for Valentine’s Day dinner which eventually moved to 1pm. I had called them at 2 different occassions to move my time to 1pm without any issues. I showed up at 1, and the place was closed. As per management, they’re not open till 4pm.
First of all, nobody bothered to tell me on those 2 different calls that I made that the restaurant won’t be open for lunch. Secondly, they could care less that my day was ruined, and not even offer to work things out somehow.
Total waste of time.

We ate there last night … Took a very long time for dinner to be served. My veal chopped was very dry on the outside inside was fine. Spinach was cold … Not impressed at all

SOFIA SUCKS. Management sucks. Don’t sit in Garden Room unless you like to freeze. Furniture is from a luncheonette. Smokehouse was so much classier. Food is just mediocre, especially for the price. Have been to all the steakhouses in Northern NJ and NY and this is by far the worst. Their Garden Room was freezing cold and nobody seemed to care. Everyone in the room was complaining of the cold. We begged to be moved to another table however they said they had none. They were not accommodating at all! Maybe they could of bought us a drink or something, not even an apology. Plenty of other good steakhouses in the area. I predict they will be out of business when the new steakhouse opens in Englewood Cliffs. Bye, Bye Sofia.

I have been anticipating the opening of this restaurant for 2 years! We missed the old smoke and chop house. The wait was worth it. 1^st the décor and layout of the restaurant has been completely changed and updated. It’s modern but still maintains the Steak House charm and warmth. The staff was attentive and knowledgeable. The Bar: Great Whisky selection! and a very nice wine list. The Food: Our waiter Christian was informative and helpful. We ordered Caesar Salads and Stuffed long Hot Peppers. Both excellent. Then on to the Oysters and COLOSSAL (U7’s) Shrimp, WOW. Super fresh and delicious. We decided on the Porterhouse for 2 and an additional Strip, with a side of Creamed Spinach and Handcut Fries. Christian our waiter told us not to order the extra steak, that it was too much food, but we knew better being 3 large guys. Well, Christian was correct! We had to choose who got the doggie bag. The Steaks were full of flavor if a bit under seasoned for my taste, but a little extra salt at the table fixed that. We ordered the steaks medium rare to medium. The strip came out perfect, but the Porterhouse was too rare. The staff never hesitated and corrected the steak in just a few minutes and it came back PERFECT. Stuffed and satisfied it was time for a Cigar. Christian found us a table in the downstairs lounge. Time for a Single Malt, a Punch Cigar and dessert. I was really too full for dessert, but a Molten Lava cake was ordered and Ice Cream. Both Great, but not my thing. The downstairs lounge is where all the regulars hang. Seems that everyone knows each other, it’s warmer and cozier. A throwback to a time when you could smoke a stogie in public! We will be back.

This past Friday was my friends and my second consecutive Friday night at Sophia. We just had to come back! Amazing drinks and the food is fantastic! I suggest the Shrimp Colossal and the Calamari. If you want to enjoy a nice cigar head downstairs! The cigar smoke isn’t detectable in the upstairs area which is great for my non smoking friends! From the hostess to the bartender to the servers and the coat check attendant, everything is TOP NOTCH! The staff remembered us from last weekend and made us feel truly welcome! Dave the Manager is one of the best I have seen.

First time to this newly built restaurant. had heard good reports from friends
Very nicely decorated and certainly a buzz
Great bar scene if that’s what you are looking for.
Arrived in time for our reservation, hostess very lethargic, stood around and had to remind her who we were. finally seated .restaurant very noisy but that’s not a problem for me
Waitress was excellent, know her from axia in tenafly
Very professional
I ordered the pasta fagiole to start Luke warm and bland, nothing special
I then ordered the Cornish hen, which I expected to be roasted and all in one piece. came as a oily buttery casserole swimming in oil or butter and full of bones was most disappointing .
Brussels sprouts were hard and undercooked
Didn’t order desert
Other guests ordered Bronzino, acceptable nothing special as was the salmon
friend had the same Cornish hen, same reaction as me
Prices for steak menu in my opinion excessive compared to world class river Palm
Lamb chops $ 48. ???
River Palm $ 27 for the best lamb chops
Wouldn’t return in a hurry

This restaurant was a serendipitous find. We dropped into Sofia somewhat randomly after a trip to Upstate NY, on our way back to the City.
I’m so glad we did.
It’s a really beautiful, charming restaurant but I was in extremely casual clothes (hiking boots, t-​shirt, jeans, fleece) so we ate at the bar. The bar area is as nice as the rest of the restaurant so we didn’t feel like second-​class citizens.
Service was very friendly, attentive and professional; including the valet parking in front of the restaurant, the front of house, the bar staff and the bussers.
The bar is extremely well-​stocked; and the bartenders very skilled. I had their version of a Negroni; my gf had a French 75: both were made with love, and were excellent.
We shared a couple of appetizers and a main course: calamari, stuffed long hot peppers and pappardelle with beef shortrib ragout. All were excellent: I highly recommend them all. The calamari as garnished with pickled red peppers: a tart and tangy surprise. The long hot peppers were filled with a rich herbal, creamy sauce that perfectly balanced the pepper’s heat. The ragout was rich without being heavy or fatty, and the pasta was obviously freshly-​made with a fantastic texture: perfectly al dente. (Beware: the long hot peppers *are* hotter than Jalapeños so if you have a low tolerance…)
You will pay Manhattan prices for this elegance, service and quality so be forewarned.
The only reason I might deduct a star is that there’s a cigar bar downstairs. At one point we were subjected to a strong stench of cigar smoke but I’m not sure if that was due to a customer who came up from the cigar bar (i.e. he smelled) or if it was due to poor ventilation. It won’t put me off a repeat visit.

The restaurant décor is quite amazing. Sofia’s is def unique amongst other eateries in Englewood. The style of the restaurant brings spaciousness and a cool mood… I love the food. Had a great time with my friends having drinks/​food. We had a steak for two and a chicken parm… Highly recommend! As an avid cigar smoker, check the cigar room. They have a great selection!
P.S the manager David is the man! He accommodated us on a busy Friday night with no reservations. I love this guy!

STEAK FOR TWO and the creamed spinach was amazing, service and ambience was absolutely fantastic, we will be back soon, thanx for the great experience!

Second time coming here and all I can say is WOW! Had the filet mignon medium rare and it was just so delicious. My lady had the cognac lobster tail which she devoured. For appetizer, we shared the long hot finger peppers, (sounds weird even as I type it) but they were amazing. Drinks on point with what has to be the largest booze selection in Jersey. If you are looking for some quiet country club, then don’t come here. This place is high energy, amazing food, NYC comes to Jersey. Thanks for the great service Haig (sp)… you were great. The g.m. suggested a tequila, Karma, that just blew away patron. Looking forward to our third visit. Eddy and Dave… you guys got it RIGHT!

Let me start by saying the food was very good. However, we walked in on Monday night at 9PM and after 5 minutes of standing at the hostess desk, I had to ask both of the young ladies if they worked there as neither one greeted us nor asked if we wanted a table. We sat at a bar table and after waiting 10 minutes had to get up and ask one of those «hostesses» to get a menu and waiter to our table.
Our waitress was apologetic and quite lovely. The noise level in Sofia is absolutely unbearable, making it impossible to have a conversation, and in fact was noisier than a Rangers playoff game at MSG.
The manager from walked by our table and looked at us 3 times but never stopped to say hello or ask how we liked the food. I guess if you don’t belong to the «club» you you are not wanted there. There are plenty of good restaurants in Englewood… I think I will stick to those.

Truly as good as it gets, an elegant ambiance, attentive staff, great food. It has the feel of a neighborhood «joint» where everybody will know your name quickly and you can go for a drink or and yet a classy special place to go for an occasion. A testament to the management that in only a few weeks they have created such a home for discriminating clientele. Kudos!!!

Ok. Well, here goes. My husband and I figured we ‘d wait a while till they filled all the kinks. I guess it still wasn’t enough time. We sat at the bar for dinner and drinks. There were 3 bartenders (very pleasant) but only one really new how to make specialty drinks and the other 2 learned as he made them. It was like watching a class being given on a Saturday night. Kind of painful to watch while I waited for the two to be schooled while I waited for my drink. We had to ask for clean plates after the appetizer. I just felt, there is no reason to ask for anything when a small bar has 3 bartenders and only ONE is busy, while the other 2 stand back and watch. It even killed me to watch one use measuring cups to make a Cosmo!!!
My dinner arrived and the steak was cooked to perfection, «hand cut» fries (soggy) and creamed spinach. (Ice cold). They gave me a new hot order when I complained. I then ordered dessert and one of the bartenders recommended the chocolate soufflé and add ice cream and we agreed. The soufflé arrives Cold (chocolate did NOT melt at all) and the ice cream had freezer burn.
Don’t know what else to say. Everyone was pleasant but for a $ 245 dinner, I expect more than just pleasant. Good food and service would be on the top of my list and this just didn’t cut it. Sad to say since I’m always looking for a great new local spot.
NEXT!

Congratulations to Dave for putting together such an amazing restaurant… I’m sure The River Palm misses you… you couldn’t be more personable and accommodating! Rona, a great mixologist… i mentioned that i love spicy Margheritas and lo and behold, there was a homemade tahin powder around my Margherita! Eric is a sweet and wonderful waiter with a great sense of humor! The Dover Sole with brown butter, the Cornish hen and the short rib pepperadelle were all dishes that could easily define any restaurant, but Sofia’s has managed to perfect all 3 dishes. For those who love spicy, the shishito peppers with sausage was a great way to start the evening. Thank you Sofia for bringing an upscale class restaurant to Englewood!

In the space that used to be Smoke Chophouse, is a much brighter, chic offering now. When my wife and I heard the former GM of River Palm Terrace in Edgewater was involved at Sofia, we couldn’t wait to try it out. David was always very accommodating when we’d visit him at RPT, working the room with skill, while keeping his professional staff on point at all times.
We had some crafted cocktails at the bar-​nice to see someone nailing the cocktail concept in Bergen County– a wonderful assortment of appetizers and split a superb Ribeye, seared to a perfect Medium-​at the suggestion of the server, even though I typically take most steak Med Rare. The server knew enough to recommend Medium because the steak has so much marbling running through it, it solidifies best at Medium but retains the juices.
Of course Dave made us feel like we were the center of the universe for the few minutes he’d stop by. He truly makes spending money on a nice meal seem like a no brainer!
Sofia will be a great place to enjoy classy food and drinks in a comfortable atmosphere.

Go in a few months when the have the kinks out. Lots of potential but for the price they charge-​the food and drinks should be on point already. We ordered two drinks. They were both wrong-​the waitress seemed to have no waitressing experience. Wasn’t knowledgable about the menu & just didn’t seem like a professional server in any sense. The food was good. Really, really good. The atmosphere was wonderful. The garden room is really cool so is the smoke «bar» in the basement.
I really really want to like this place. But between the service, bad drinks, and high prices I will defiantly be waiting till I go again-they’re not ready in my opinion.
Give it a try yourself I seriously hope this place just needs some time to get it together.

Finally open! To start, there is valet parking, just stop in front of the restaurant. Where Smoke Chophouse had a dark, cozy feel, Sofia is light, bright and beautiful inside, as is clearly visible from the street. Walking in the amazing doors (which blend seamlessly into the front windows — door is on the left) there’s a bar area with tables and and a nice booth for about 4 – 6 people. I already wish the bar area were larger; this place will be popular and everyone seems to want to hang out at the bar these days even just to eat. The stairs down to the smoking area are to the left when you walk in the front door. Walking past the bar is the main dining area which has bench seating along the walls and tables in the middle. Walking further, past the kitchen, you arrive at the «garden» area/​room on the right which is totally separate, with a different vibe — a very pretty romantic room. The only style oddity throughout the place is the chairs; they’re wicker-​y and don’t really go with the décor except in color I suppose; ivory and black. But over all it looks amazing; just something weird about those chairs.
The staff are clearly experienced and you almost couldn’t tell it’s so new. The menu is a combo of Italian and steakhouse (steakhouse offerings are one one side of the menu). The pastas were al dente and delicious. Onion soup reportedly great too. Grilled octopus was perfectly cooked, but the salad that it was atop was very summery and no dressing at all, possibly a mistake. Tiramisu tasted like a combo of tortoni and tiramisu and was AMAZING. The only — THE only — actual negative about the food, and which I hope is just an early choice that will be changed, was the bread basket. The bread was wrapped in cloth (usually keeping in the warmth) but we opened the cloth to find ice cold bread, as if it had been outside or near an open window. But even if it had been warm, the bread was just not good; so strange given how good the rest of the food was. The bread was served with a nice olive oil. The wine list is separated into «old world» and «new world» selections; not as long of a list as in some other restaurants, but reportedly one of the owners is a sommelier so you can expect the choices to be on point.
Downstairs in the *smoke* area there are private boxes you can purchase/​rent for your cigars. The downstairs is nice but again, I wonder whether they’ll regret making the smoking area relatively small compared to what seemed to be more available space down there. It’s as you’d expect a cigar (and cigarette?) room to be, dark and lounge-​y with a bar, TV and numerous tables. From what I remember it’s smaller than the space downstairs when it was Smoke Chophouse. It’s unlikely that you won’t find your favorite alcohol, especially if you like scotch — I think there were 30 different single malts, and of course everything else you’d expect. The bartenders down there were very experienced. They say there is a «state-​of-​the-​art air filtration system,» but I think the system that Smoke Chophouse had may have been a tad better from what I remember; it was definitely more visible but also I think more effective and from what I recall, my clothes smelled better (less bad) after going there. But nobody who goes there to smoke cigars will care about that :-) (just remember to check your coat upstairs).
It’s a good sign for the restaurant that the owners knew where to find good staff, and trained them well enough that they already seemed like a team so early on.

Amazing décor and food — sure to be a winner in the upscale Englewood scene.
Started off with the mussels which were cooked perfectly, not overdone and rubbery, and very clean. Next was the parpadelle with the braised short rib and was excellent. Finally we had the lobster tail and porter house which again was cooked perfectly and had a great nutty flavor, indicative of a dry age.
Looking forward to the opening, will definitely be back.