Sofia Wine Bar, Cafe

(212) 888-8660

242 E 50th St (nr. Second Ave.)
New York, NY 10022 40.755428 -73.969809

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Neighborhoods: Midtown East (Turtle Bay), Midtown, Midtown East

sofiawinebar.com

Hours:

Mon - Wed: 5pm - 12am

Thurs - Sat: 5pm - 1am

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Restaurants, Wine Bars, Cafes

Restaurant Special Features:

Romantic Dining, Notable Wine List

Cuisine:

Pizza, Italian

ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. The atmosphere is quaint (perfect for dates), the food fresh, and the waiters are knowledgable & friendly.
  2. This cozy little whole in the wall reminds me of this great wine bar I went to in Florence, Italy.
  3. Great atmosphere, great music at the perfect volume, caring staff.
  4. Things I liked: exposed brick, handsome & comfortable wood carved chairs, engraved crystal wine glasses, extensive wines by the glass or bottle ?
  5. The tables, lighting and bar are cozy.
drinks
94.44000244140625% positive
  1. Great wine bar!
  2. What can I say, just the perfect place to go after work with a few friends to chat, snack, drink and unwind.
  3. Highly recommended,even for novice wine lovers!
  4. Nice wine, shame about the service
  5. Things I liked: exposed brick, handsome & comfortable wood carved chairs, engraved crystal wine glasses, extensive wines by the glass or bottle ?
  6. There was a nice selection of wine and little pizza's were great.
  7. am not a wine expert by any means but they have always been able to find me something I like and that is the most important part of a wine bar and that is why this is one of my favorite wine bars.
  8. Lou will make you feel like a VIP, by letting you to sample his incredible wines.
  9. experienced the complete opposite during a week night and savor the free wine tastings that the bartender and friendly staff offered me.
  10. The tables, lighting and bar are cozy.
  11. The best part of this wine selection is that it comes with an excellent staff that is very quickly able to dial in to what taste preferences you have in wine and suggest other great wines to try.
  12. great wine bar
  13. Great wine selections
  14. This cozy little whole in the wall reminds me of this great wine bar I went to in Florence, Italy.
  15. If you like wine and are in NYC you will not be disappointed by Sofia wine bar.
  16. already know that I will frequently be paying a visit to Sofia, both for an after work glass of wine, as well as for full evenings out with my girlfriends.
  17. love Sofia wine bar!
  18. Excellent wine, excellent food, excellent staff, excellent place.
food quality
100.0% positive
  1. Excellent wine, excellent food, excellent staff, excellent place.
  2. They weren't officially serving food yet on Friday, but the small plates that they brought out on the house were incredibly tasty -- italian meats and cheeses, bruschetta, eggplant.
  3. There was a nice selection of wine and little pizza's were great.
  4. The food was very, very good.
  5. love the pizza!
  6. The atmosphere is quaint (perfect for dates), the food fresh, and the waiters are knowledgable & friendly.
  7. The food is amazingly fresh and delicious!
  8. tasty and delicious plates of food - good presentation - reasonable price ?
  9. The charming owners have recipes on the menu that make you feel like you are eating a home cooked meal.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. Things I liked: exposed brick, handsome & comfortable wood carved chairs, engraved crystal wine glasses, extensive wines by the glass or bottle ?
  2. There was a nice selection of wine and little pizza's were great.
  3. The best part of this wine selection is that it comes with an excellent staff that is very quickly able to dial in to what taste preferences you have in wine and suggest other great wines to try.
  4. The charming owners have recipes on the menu that make you feel like you are eating a home cooked meal.
  5. Great wine selections
overall
100.0% positive
  1. This is definitely a great date place or a venue for a nice evening out chatting with friends.
  2. It's a great date place or even a night with friends.
service
100.0% positive
  1. Friendly staff.
  2. Excellent wine, excellent food, excellent staff, excellent place.
  3. The atmosphere is quaint (perfect for dates), the food fresh, and the waiters are knowledgable & friendly.
  4. experienced the complete opposite during a week night and savor the free wine tastings that the bartender and friendly staff offered me.
  5. friendly and informative waiter was very helpful with suggestions, recommendations, and even some "tasting
  6. Nice wine, shame about the service
  7. The staff is so knowledgeable.
  8. Waiter / service was excellent.
  9. Great atmosphere, great music at the perfect volume, caring staff.
  10. The best part of this wine selection is that it comes with an excellent staff that is very quickly able to dial in to what taste preferences you have in wine and suggest other great wines to try.
  11. But most importantly, the staff were all wonderful, from the handsome and charming father-son team of owners, to the attentive and knowledgeable waiters.
value
100.0% positive
  1. tasty and delicious plates of food - good presentation - reasonable price ?
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. mixed with great background music combine for one of the best nights out in a long time.
1 Star Rating: Poor

09/24/10

First and Last Time!

by Italian Lover

When I checked my bill I noticed that the bottle of Cabernet we ordered which tasted like cigar smoke was $20 more than the price on the menu. When I pointed this out to our waiter who was rude from the very start, he became defensive and did not apologize for his obvious wrongdoing. The menu is very limited so there's not much choice other than the heavy crusted pizza with a burned bottom. Hardly one of the the "top 5 pizzas in New York" they claim to have. The place looks nice but is so small I had to get up from my chair every time someone needed to get by and so close to the next table we couldn't hear our own conversation.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

05/24/10

Sofia Wine Bar comment

by yvickery

Will definitely go back!

  • Pros: Lovely place, great wine and staff
  • Cons: Super busy, but that's to be expected
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/11/10

Best Midtown Spot

by JackE

Last night was the third time my girlfriend and I have visited this rustic neighborhood wine bar and as usual it didn't let us down.

The atmosphere is quaint (perfect for dates), the food fresh, and the waiters are knowledgable & friendly. They let us try a few samples of wine each even though we weren't ordering a bottle! The meatball pizza is by far the best item we've had so far. Thank god there is a slice of the village in midtown.

  • Pros: Everything
  • Cons: None so far
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/28/10

Fabulous Pizza and Wine

by Lewis101

Great wine bar! I have been here about three or four times and have loved it every time. I have had the pizza with prosciutto, Mac & Cheese with prosciutto and the chocolate cake dessert. All of these dishes are great and come out of the kitchen in a timely manner. This restaurant was my introduction to prosciutto and I have loved it ever since. The space of the restaurant is exposed brick and has a very warm environment, a perfect environment for a relaxed conversation or date. The music selection that the house plays is perfect and quite varied and definitely suites the environment. I've heard everything from Andy Williams to Radiohead there and it has always worked well in the space.

Now on to the wine! Sofia has a very large selection of wine that should suit most any palette. The wine list is always getting updated with new and interesting wines and the staff will offer you a sample of some of the new ones. The best part of this wine selection is that it comes with an excellent staff that is very quickly able to dial in to what taste preferences you have in wine and suggest other great wines to try. I am not a wine expert by any means but they have always been able to find me something I like and that is the most important part of a wine bar and that is why this is one of my favorite wine bars. If you like wine and are in NYC you will not be disappointed by Sofia wine bar.

  • Pros: Great service and wine
  • Cons: none
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/27/10

Love the Wine Here!

by boyacasha

OK. So I am italian. And I love Italian fare. And I dont think there are many places in NYC that do it right. This place does it like my dad does it. You heard it here first. Best Italian Restaurant trhat I know of in NYC.

  • Pros: Wine, Pizza, Meatballs

The Details on Sofia Wine Bar, Cafe

Place Categories:

  • great wine
  • excellent caring staff
  • great date place
  • very good food
  • informative waiter
  • great sofia wine bar
  • incredibly tasty small plates
  • love pizza
  • recommended highly
  • great music
  • perfect volume
  • perfect environment
  • nice evening
  • nice shame
  • warm s hipbutclassic design
  • great atmosphere
  • best spots
  • decent conversation
  • best nights
  • cozy little whole
  • love italian fare
  • great background
  • great little pizza s
  • great venue
  • cozy lighting
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