Bar Sofia — Restaurant in Halifax

I arrived at 4:40 PM on a Thursday evening for the Queen's Marque fashion show during Halifax Fashion Week. I was alone initially, with a friend on their way to join me. Upon arrival, I had to wait to be acknowledged as the staff were chatting among themselves. Eventually, I was seated on the front patio, given the day menu, and informed that dinner service wouldn't begin until 5:00 PM.

I waited patiently, but as time passed, the situation worsened. A manager and a waitress came out to set up a table for another group who arrived after me. They were promptly given full menus, water, and drink options—well before 5:00 PM. Despite this, I was still not acknowledged, so I flagged down the staff to inform them that I had been waiting for over 11 minutes without any service.

The manager was very apologetic, brought me a beverage right away, and kindly comped it. I hoped this would mark an improvement in the service, which would have made for a satisfactory response to a frustrating start. Unfortunately, it didn't.

However, 40 minutes after I initially arrived we still had no service. My friends had to go inside to inquire about our situation, only to be told by the waitress that she "didn't know anyone was out there"—despite the fact that she was the one who had seated me and had spoken with me about the menu earlier.

By this point, it was nearly 5:30 PM. We were starving, but it was too late to order and still make it to our event to grab our seats. Even after a different waiter took over, we had to repeatedly flag them down for bills, an additional chair (as yet another friend joined), and basic service.

Overall:

Food: 1 star (because I didn’t get to order any) Service: 1 star (because we didn’t receive any service in the end) Atmosphere: 3 stars (because the setting is pleasant)

Unfortunately, my friends and I will be choosing other establishments in the area moving forward. I hope they work to improve...

I FINALLY made it to Bar Sophia. I read quite a few reviews before attending and asked some other diners for their recommendations of things to get and things to avoid. I was there with two gal pals and will share what we got and our thoughts.

The atmosphere was as expected - lively, chic and welcoming. I found the staff ALL made an effort to great us and attend to our needs. Our glasses were never empty (including water) and the timing of service between courses was great.

Starters/small plates: We shared Anne's Bravas Brussel Sprouts. These were amazing!! Crispy roaster sprouts bursting with fresh flavours - I loved the thin sliced raw jalapenos and the citrus aioli!! One friend had the Gauco Pie Co. Beef Empanadas - she was concerned the olive flavour would overpower them but they did not! We did find them to be quite large so definitely meant to be shared or could be a main plus a salada! The other friend got the Newfoundland Tuna Tiradito and it was a small serving that was also full of fun flavour! It certainly have a ceviche feel to it with a mild coconut undercurrent. I had Lala's Tortilla De Para..... I wanted to love this but it really lacked seasoning. Blander than bland.

Mains/Large plates: One of my friends and I split the tacos - she ordered the Carnitas soft tacos and I ordered the Nova Scotia Haddock soft tacos and traded one. We likely could have eaten a third they were so yummy! We ended up trading again because I preferred the carnitas and she preferred the haddock! I found that the haddock had a strong odor so may not have been as fresh as it could have been. We didn't find it dry though! My other friend had the burger and she was very happy with it!

All of the drinks we ordered were phenomenal. Creative and flavourful!

I...

Tried here on a nice Wednesday evening around 7pm in Aug 2023. I knew that reservations are normally required to get a table, but a friend and I lucked out just walking by and deciding to see. We stepped in and found the inside a bit too loud, so opted to be seated at one of the few outdoor tables on the front side (vs the rear patio which is bigger with a decorative, short wall fencing it in). Service was good, albeit felt a bit rushed. I tried the Rocket slushie, which I don't see on the online menu. It came in a Blue Lobster brand glass (the same as come with a case of beer) and was very refreshing, tasting yes, like rocket popsicles. It didn't have the pretty red, white & blue colors I was hoping for, just white, but the slushie consistency was smooth and stayed that way without melting, not too sweet. We decided to test a few small places vs getting entrees. The Avocado & chips ($17 - smashed avocado, taro + tortilla chips, pico de gallo) were very good, exactly as expected. The Elotes ($9 charcoal-grilled corn on the cob, citrus crema, sofia spice, queso fresco) was delicious. It's one small cob cut into two halves with lots of topping. The Shishito Peppers ($14 newfoundland sea salt, sofia spice) were good. I had to ask the server what to expect, and she described it as a bowl of several peppers with various levels of spice. There were I'd say a dozen, which shrink upon cooking of course, and would describe each one to actually have a consistent heat of medium, which some people consider, spicy. Just right for me, nonetheless). Although I didn't plan to spend $70 after tax on snacks, each item was very good and I definitely will be back another time, perhaps to try indoors...