Sophia's Grotto

Outside and inside seatingIt was beautiful night so we set outside.Fairly extensive wines although mostly redsPizza one of their specialitiesOthers ordered specials of eveningPork tenderloin and seafood pastaService great, European style in that they did not hover or rush us but were attentive

Its like stepping into Italy! The outdoor seating is relaxing and makes you feel like you are on vacation. Try the open face ravioli. You will not be disappointed!

I visited Sophia's as part of Boston's restaurant week. We ate on their outdoor patio, which was calming and quiet despite some rather loud children. Our server was knowledgeable about the ingredients in the meals available, which I appreciated - she was easily able to tell me whether specific meals were vegetarian.I started with the arancini, which were rich and light and served with a slightly sweet marinara. The flavors married well together and led to a pleasing feel on the palate.For my main course I had the spinach raviol. The pasta and filling were delicious, as were the cooked vegetables alongside it. My one issue was the sauce, which felt a touch too acidic and didn't quite complement the other components of the dish. It was also a rather thin sauce, which made it difficult to get a good serving of sauce with each raviolo.For dessert, I had the tiramisu. This was rich yet fluffy, and the coffee flavor and the custard-like base worked well together. Overall, I had a great experience here. However, I'd suggest just ordering a la carte off the regular menu - there's no deal to be had by ordering off of the dine out Boston menu, and you'll have many more offerings to choose from, particularly if you are vegetarian.

LOVE LOVE LOVED my Friday night dinner here!!! My best friend and I came here as a party of 2 on a busy Friday night with no reservations, and were luckily able to get seated regardless with no wait. There is ample seating inside and outside, and the restaurant has a modern Italian feel. Parking is a little bit confusing, but we were able to find a small lot right by the restaurant. Service was quick and efficient, and the waitress was so friendly! We ordered drinks, and the restaurant ran out of the regular sized glasses, so we were able to get refills as needed due to the smaller glass size. For food, I ordered the Parma sandwich, which was very good. I was a little bit deceived though, as I thought it would be a chicken parm sandwich, but the sandwich apparently did not come with a chicken cutlet so I had to request it. I was not charged extra for this, which was quite generous. The sandwich was very tasty-- with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, greens, and prosciutto. The fresh mozzarella was one of the best I've ever had-- so flavorful! The fries were also tasty, and the portions were huge. I will so be back!

While I never knew this alley existed w/ various shops, glad my friend suggested it. There is an outdoor patio which is lovely. They thankfully have some veg*n options which is good. Good drinks, good food, & good ambiance but pricey. I would say the service was good too but the server spent a bit too much time w/ their resident skunk that comes out every evening & steals the show. I think more time should be spent on customers so we can order dessert, get check, etc. It took longer than it should have so maybe just depends on who & when you go.

Tucked away in an alley way in the middle of Roslindale Square, Sophia's Grotto will transport you to a trattoria in Italy. Food, service and atmosphere are great. Not included in our photos are pictures of the Torino, a thin-crust pizza filled with mushrooms and drizzled with truffle oil, fried calamari, and cheese ziti with meatballs for our 3 year old. I highly recommend this place if you're in the mood for Italian.Pro tip: You can find free municipal parking just across the street next to the Citizens Bank parking lot.

Great spot! feels like Italy when you walk around the corner and see the lights. Hidden gem. Wonderful food! Great staff!

The food was quite good.The service was disappointing to say the least. - drinks arrived after we finished with the entree and the "mocktails" are served in a can (not even poured into the glass)

Unfortunately the restaurant produced a below mediocre dinner for us on the evening after Thanksgiving. We came at the end of the night and I suspect that the restaurant's A-team had gone home leaving behind the cleaning staff tomake our meal. The inside dining room was casual and cute but as patrons left the restaurant cold gusts of wind blasted our table. Our waitress was pleasant and attentive, the rest of the staff not so much. We had to ask for the complimentary french bread and were given the stumps of the loaf because "they ran out of bread." Yum!We started with sangria that was below average, lacking any visible fruit in the carafe. Burrata appetizer was uninspired and the fried artichokes were burnt and lacking flavor. Both appetizers were overpriced, not particularly generous portions, and lousy to my taste.We all had pasta dishes and mine was the worst; linguine with meatballs that tasted like it was homemade by my mother (who didn't qualify for "The Worst Cooks in America" reality show because she doesn't know how to turn on an oven so she boils everything until it dissolves). The linguine was so overcooked that it was like the pasta you'd give a toddler, and the meatballs tasted like hamburger. Adding a pile of shredded parmesan cheese couldn't hide the overly sweet and monotone flavored plum tomato marinara sauce that bathed the swamp of linguine. I got a big, whole canned plum tomato right in the middle of my plate.Others in my party had a pesto pasta, eggplant parmesan (served over the same pasty, overcooked linguine with the same marinara sauce) and gnocchi with vodka sauce. The consensus was that all of these dishes were average, but my family is really compassionate, so that means the food sucked!We skipped desert having been disappointed by the meal and spent nearly $200 with tax and tip for the four of us.This used to be family favorite place when we came to visit. Now we won't be coming back.

A hidden gem down an alleyway that opens up into a courtyard. The food and ambiance were fantastic. The fresh made pasta was delish!!!