Sopra Bistro

Yay!!! Last night we had a great experience at Sopra. As you can see, I've been dining at this restaurant for a number of years and had some not good experiences. I'm so happy that everything from cocktails to food to service was great last evening. First of all, Ava was an absolute delight. She came to our table with a smile and introduced herself. Her service was impeccable, always checking on us and seeing if we needed anything. Such a vast difference from past experiences, especially just 3 months ago. I think the owner/chef read some of the reviews and made a change to some of his wait staff. It makes a huge difference to receive attentive and friendly service. Kudos to him!There were four of us that dined here for my friend's birthday. Right away, Ava asked who the birthday girl was. It didn't go unnoticed. We ordered cocktails and then shared the burrata appetizer and the grilled Caesar salad. I love that Caesar salad and get it most every time I dine here. For dinner, two of my friends ordered fish, entrées, the swordfish, and the salmon. My other girlfriend ordered the breaded veal chop, and I ordered the lemon bucatini that I had in July. Still really delicious. Everyone loved their entrées.Ava brought a dessert menu and the birthday girl picked out a mascarpone dessert, which was delicious. When we receive the bill, Ava took the time to write happy birthday to my friend. I enjoyed my interactions with Ava in the time she spent chatting with us. I sure hope that this restaurant keeps up the good work. I do love coming here to dine.

Had a wonderful dinner with amazing food and drinks here! Our server, Sophia, was absolutely phenomenal and made the night a total hoot. We got the tuna tar tar to start and thought it was great- nothing out of the ordinary other than the fact it comes with ginger as opposed to some sort of chip to eat it off of. But regardless, was still great. The scallops were so amazing that they didn't even need a sauce! I had gotten the "spicy" thai sauce on the side because I have a low tolerance, but after trying it I realized it would've been just fine. My sister got the vodka gnocchi on the special list tonight and absolutely loved it! I think the vodka sauce was amazing and worth the calories. My father got The Betsy and thought the steak was perfectly cooked and well seasoned. For dessert, Sophia recommended the ice cream dessert drink that has a bunch of different liquors in it- don't remember the name but it was so good we ordered two. Also, I had the dark/milk/white chocolate dessert with hazelnut was 10/10.A nice ambience with a cozy, dark interior and great service. Would love to come back when i'm in town next!

Had a nice anniversary dinner here on a recent visit to Lake Geneva! This cozy little place serves up Italian-American foods, so we were excited to give the menu a try.We of course had to start with the warm bread, which came with a salted butter that was so good we ordered more. We also had the fried goat cheese. It included baby arugula, honey orange vinaigrette, cayenne pepper and a honey drizzle. Tons of great flavor here.For mains we decided to go with one pasta and one entree to split. Off the pasta menu we chose the "dwayne." This dish was made with tagliolini and had loads of sautéed rock shrimp, chilis, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, white wine, and parm. It was pretty good but can't say it was worth the whopping $30 price. "Gettin' piggy wit it" was our other pick, and this were some tasty, grilled double bone, pork chops! There wasn't much too the sides (well-sauced cannellioni beans), as the meat is clearly the focal point. Again, not quite worth the high price, but still a delicious dish. Our server didn't offer the friendliest of energy, but the food runners certainly did. Parking around here is a little scarce, as it's a busy downtown spot, so plan to look for street parking. The overall venue and atmosphere of the night was enjoyable!

I was torn between 3-4 stars but ended up at a 3 since there was nothing super duper special. The service was probably the most enjoyable aspect with our server being absolutely delightful and funny. The cocktails were tasty as well. However, we had to out in our entire order at the same time - appetizers, salads, main course, so that was a little inconvenient. Also, I really wanted a different main course, but they refused to substitute broccoli which I can't eat, so I had to choose my second choice which was the Halibut. It was delicious, but accommodating guests with dietary restrictions is definitely not their thing. The food was delicious, but the other issues we had resulted in a lower star rating.

This restaurant is absolutely delicious. We ordered the fried goat cheese, the Caesar salad, and the steak. Everything was absolutely delicious! Service was great! Ambiance was very cozy and welcoming. We will definitely be back.

4.75* (out of 5)Food: 5*Atmosphere: 5*Value: 4*Service: 5*07/29/2023Our friends made reservations to enjoy this place during our annual trek to visit them near Lake Geneva. Boy, do they know how to pick restaurants to impress us during our visits (we never want to go home...)! From the moment that we were seated until we left (and introducing us to the owner in between), Scot took fantastic care of us!We started with a round of drinks - my wife going for the Cassandra (see picture) and myself going with the Smoke Break (see picture - a Kentucky beer and a shot of Mezcal). We both tasted each others drinks and both found the Cassandra to be delicious. I ordered the Smoke Break because it came with Mezcal and if you follow my posts or see the recipe on my site - I LOVE Mezcal Palomas in the summertime. I'm not a huge fan of sipping straight alcohol though (like it mixed so I can drink instead) and didn't find anything special about the beer...so wouldn't order it again, especially given the price.The Table Bread (see picture) was delicious along with the spread. For starters, our friends ordered the Brussels (see picture) and my wife and I shared the Beets Me (see picture). Both of these salads were unique, fresh and delicious - so I'd highly recommend them.For our dinners, our friends ordered the Sausage & Peppers (see picture), my wife ordered the Greatest Of All Time (see picture) and I ordered the NOLA (see picture). We all shared tastes of each others dishes and I assure you that there was a lot of "that's delicious" after each bite! You absolutely won't go wrong with any of these dishes!We had our hearts set on Ice Cream up the street for dessert and Scot even had a good recommendation for a new gelato store just 2 blocks away (the next review...). You will love a stop here for dinner - just make sure that you make reservations...and say 'Hi' to Scot!If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

Overall it was an okay experience. We got sat immediately for our reservation which was great. Bread costs extra which is a little disappointing for a restaurant like this. We ordered and it took over 30 minutes to get our meal. Our waitress however was extremely attentive and apologetic and checked on it multiple times for us even though we didn't ask, which showed she was paying close attention. We ordered the halibut and the mussels, both of which are seasonal and not on the permanent menu. The seasonal menu did not include prices which was a little bothersome, but we did just ask for prices. The halibut came out and it was a pretty small portion for the cost. The halibut had great flavor, but was overcooked and tough. The veggies weren't anything special either. The mussels were ordered as an entree but are considered an appetizer according to our waitress. However, the mussels were a generous portion and were way more filling and tasty than the halibut was. I had absolutely no qualms with the mussels. The halibut for reference was $47 and the mussels were $23. And it didn't come with free bread for the table. In the end, the check was incorrect and we were given the check for two tables down, but we caught it and got it fixed. Overall for that amount of money and having to wait 30 minutes for overcooked fish, I'd say it wasn't worth it. The mussels were really good, though, so the food may just be a hit or miss. The restaurant was packed and I could tell they were very busy. Half the tables didn't have food for a long, long time. The ambiance was good, very dark and intimate, though so dark that the faux candle on the table was blinding. There were two functional single stalled bathrooms when we got there and by the end something must've happened because one became out of order. The saving graces were definitely the waitress (I believe her name was Diane?) and the mussels (which included truffle fries).

A delightful experience! We had heard positive things about this restaurant and decided to give it a try. It was hard just to get seats and we soon found out why. The appetizer was exquisite. A cheese dish with shrimp cooked to perfection. It may have been the best shrimp I have ever eaten. What made it better as well as the rest of the meal were the exquisite cocktails. Ryan, the bartender, could have mistaken for a 15th century English Viscount - handsome, charismatic, and talented. He charmed us with the first selection, a delightful take on the martini. Deep. Flavorful. Perfection. I did not think it could improve but, alas, it did. To put the rest of the cocktail courses into words would be folly. I recommend attending Sopra's bar by Ryan and have your taste buds and world shattered, rebuilt, and enlightened.

Food was great. Presentation was amazing. Ambience is great. Our server had a lack of an enthusiasm and was quite rude. Did not try to accommodate any allergy or any specific side needs He was doing US a favor by waiting on us also hostesses are awesome. There was no owner or manager there, not great on a holiday weekendIf I was the head chef- I would take my talent to another establishment Totally wasted at Sopra

Should've listened to previous reviews. This place is overpriced and the service was awful. Went here for an anniversary dinner. Requested a small desert as a surprise for my wife. Waitress brought a small chocolate mousse cake or something like that. Was shocked when I got the bill and saw a $10 charge for it!! Waitress didn't even ask what dessert we wanted if any?? I assume they were going to bring something small on the house....I've never had that happen before. I also ordered a club soda and got a couple refills. I was charged for all 3. Also never had that happen before. Food took an hour to arrive. Almost $30 for a pasta dish with tiny bits of Italian sausage. Ridiculous.