Sovana Bistro

Chicken liver pattie, squid ink pasta, creme brulee. Service was great. We'll be back

As someone who has the palate of a child but loves a good dining atmosphere, I definitely recommend this restaurant. The staff were friendly, and our server was attentive without being overly annoying. The Artisanal Pepperoni Pizza was filling, and the Black Truffle Mac & Cheese appetizer was absolutely delicious

Came in last night to celebrate my 5 years anniversary with the boyfriend. We were seated by the hostess right away. It took a few minutes for our server to come to our table and asked if we wanted water. A few minutes later, she came with water to drop it off and left before taking any orders. A few more minutes went by, she came to get orders for our drinks. By then, we've already figured what we wanted for our entire meal. It was surely a busy night for a Tuesday but it doesn't excuse the fact that we were there for 2 1/2 hours for mediocre service and food. I wanted to rate this place 5 stars... I really do because it was highly recommended by a lot of my clients. The few things I enjoyed was the margherita pizza, watermelon crush cocktails, and the duck confit with fried rice. The crispy calamari was good but wasn't great. They tried too hard to make it different. Would've been perfectly fine with laying it on a bed of arugula and chipotle and garlic aioli sauce but they also added capers & pickled onions (which threw the flavors/texture off).The bolognese wasn't impressive either. The pasta was way undercooked. It tasted like school lunch. Even school lunch tastes better. The side dishes (such as the Brussels sprouts, potato latkes, and mushrooms) were too salty. No one asked us if we were celebrating anything. No one came by for dessert menus. It felt like we were playing the waiting game for each of our courses/drinks to come out for the evening. After spending $260 (including tip) for a mediocre experience, don't think we'll be coming back.

Let me start by saying I'm usually stingy with my five star reviews but Sovana Bistro really deserves it! We tried this place for the first time tonight to celebrate a birthday. I had done some research and was looking for a new place to try and this place had gotten some nice reviews. The reviews were right! This place was really great! To start, it's new and clean inside and has a quaint ambiance. Adding to that, the staff is super friendly and attentive. Our waitress Francesca was outstanding! Great attitude, great smile, great listener, knowledgeable - a rare find! The food is farm to table so it is super fresh. They even make their own pasta. Early on the waitress made note that we were celebrating a birthday and later in the evening even circled back to that fact when she asked the individual if he wanted some dessert for his birthday. One really nice touch was that our waitress let us know that each course would come out separately (it's a pet peeve of mine when the main course comes out too close to or even at the same time as the appetizer). It made me comforted in a way and she did not disappoint! Everything was timed to perfection! We had a carafe of water on the table, which I think is also a nice touch and eases the burden of the waitstaff while making sure customers have something to drink at all times. As a pleasant surprise our dining experience began with amuse-bouche "gift from the kitchen" gazpacho shooters which were super tasty. We then had a cheese board and a bread board as appetizers. The raisin bread was a standout, but it was all delicious. For dinner (there were four of us) there was pizza, rigatoni and meatballs and a Sovana double burger (with egg and bacon). The meatballs were soft and flavorful and the perfect blend with the homemade pasta. I didn't try the pizza personally but the individual who ordered it ate the whole thing! As for the burger, I got to try a bite and it was truly amazing, as were the crispy, salty string fries that came with it! We managed to save room for dessert and there was crème brûlée that was rich and velvety and delicious, a s'mores bowl (chocolate, graham crackers and seared marshmallows) that was rich and gooey and amazing, and also a yummy chocolate cake with a coffee ice cream. In fact, one of the crème brûlées even came out with a birthday candle on it, showing their attention to detail! Overall, I definitely recommend this place for a celebration or a date night for sure! I am looking forward to going back!

Came for New Year's Eve and reserved a high top in the bar area. We arrived early and were seated immediately. Our server was Matt and he was awesome. We ordered champagne to toast the New Year and ordered a few appetizers to start. Apps came out fast and were so good. We had the Tuna Tartare and the Carpaccio of Wagyu Beef and scallops. For dinner we ordered Butternut Squash Ravioli, duck leg confit, short rib and steak. The ravioli was very good with plenty of flavor and the short rib was melt in your mouth good. Both the steak and duck were cooked perfectly. We love the atmosphere here and the service was excellent. Great start to the new year!

Wow, amazing from the moment we stepped foot in this place. From being greeted by the door to having impeccable service, 10/10. We had Michael as our waiter and he was helpful and very nice. We ordered drinks similar to an old fashioned and Pisco sour. Then for appetizers we had the split pea soup which was the soup of the day and a warmed goat cheese board. Everything was delish and just enough to get us to the next course. Our entrees were 10/10 as well, ordered the chicken piccata, NY strip steak special, artisanal pepperoni brick oven pizza, and a kids rigatoni with meatball. I can't express how amazing the food tasted and how lucky we are to have this gem nearby. We will be back again. Thanks Michael for great service!

We came here for the vegan menu! First of all- this place is adorable! Second- the service is top notch. Third- the food is great! We had the vegan grain bowl and vegan pizza and both were awesome! The manager suggested to try the vegan Caesar salad and the vegan tacos next time! We ended the meal with the peach crisp and it was perfection! We will be back!

I've heard such great things about Sovana and I was so excited to try it out. The inside is gorgeous with a boho/farmhouse vibe. The bar is a cool curved shape with super comfy chairs. The libation menu is pretty huge and they had pretty cool flights to choose from. The cocktails are pretty pricey but look delicious! The truffle Mac and Cheese was absolutely creamy and delicious! The Brussels were extremely underwhelming. They weren't crispy at all and tasted kind of burnt. The mushroom pizza was a hit (obviously near the mushroom capital)! I'd come back for a few of the menu items but I was as impressed as I intended to be!

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.

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.