Mama Sofia — Restaurant in Municipality of Rhodes

So I was on a family holiday in Rhodes. Which I must say has been fantastic. I planned my trip extensively ensuring I fit everything in with precision. On my list was mamma sofias. (The oldest family run restraunt in Rhodes) I chose here due to there brilliant reviews. I arrived at said restraunt at 22:25(potentially my mistake) as there closing time states 22:30 on there website. Met by a middle aged gentleman who was more than polite. He said they were shutting but we would be the last table of the evening. I replied by saying no worries I can return another evening as I did not want to be rushed. I was ensured this would not be the case. Myself a 39 year old British gent with my wife and 15 month old daughter sat down. The atmosphere was good the staff very kind and polite. Inperticular a young man of 22 was my waiter he explained he was new but did a fantastic job. (This review has no reflection on him) We ordered starters and mains and drinks. My wife had Aperol spritz her go to holiday drink of choice. Myself opting for a glass of house red which I must add was very nice and very good value for money. Starters consisted of homemade meatballs stuffed with feta and pitta bread with tzatziki and hummus all of which were scrumptious.

THIS IS WHERE THE NIGHTMARE BEGAN!!

Halfway through our dining experience enjoying our starters chatting away taking in the ambience and beautiful scenery our mains arrived. There was no room for them to be placed on the table. Something I previously had discussed and agreed on the fact I did not wish to be rushed as the kitchen was closing . I went to speak to the man on the till who I presumed and now know to be the owner/manager. Initially he was quite understanding and accommodating. I explained the situation. He seemed to agree and shout some Greek sentences to his kitchen staff. Obviously I had no understanding of this. He then repeatedly proceed to call them BASTARDOS Which I found very very odd!!!! Iv returned to my table and sat down. Very complexed at this stage at what had gone on. I cut into my steak which was meant to be rare which I found to be well done. (Infact like a piece of leather) On ordering I had the premium option of surf and turf which consisted of 200grams of fillet steak and 5 shrimps. It came with a complimentary source and was priced at 52 euros.

I'm a man of the world and have dined in fine eateries all over. The steak was more than below par and the source was cold. My wife's meal (beef stroganoff 36 euros) was ok at best. Maybe my expectations are high but when I'm about to spend 200 euros I want things to be how they should be.

THE GRAND FINALIE

I sent the meals back. (Which I feel more in my right to do so) shortly after a waiter who I had not seen before appeared with a bill demanding payment. I was taken a back to say none the less. I analysed the bill and main meals had been removed.

My whole evening and dining experience had been spoilt. I went to speak to owner to air my views. I approached in a well mannered reasonable fashion more so to clear the air and explain I understood the situation. He became vicious and very ill tempered. The owner as in the picture an older gent than myself then started shouting at me in front of his staff and customers. I have never ever known or been made to feel that way in my life.

Iv taken the time to write this review as I feel I was very badly mistreated and made to feel like I was in the wrong.

If you visit Rhodes I believe the food to be very good at mamma sofias but maybe the rule of thumb is to arrive early. I do not wish to cause this gentleman's business or reputation any halm. He does have to understand though that you can't treat customers in this way.

All the best and best wishes from an...

First and foremost, Mama Sofia's was highly recommended by my hotel's employee, Mariam from Saint Artemios Hotel, so I decided to find out about this restaurant. (She even said that I had to tell Stavros that she sent us, which I did. He was absolutely a friendly and gracious host who felt like he was opening his home to us.) She was correct - it's not to be missed.

We were a party of 5 so reservations are highly recommended because upon arrival, it was certainly busy. If you're given the option, their garden dining was perfect - away from the noise of the Old Town, but with the ambiance of being in the Old Town. We decided to share two platters - Mixed Greek platter & the Mixed Seafood platter (both for 2 people, but can easily feed more than 2). We had leftovers because there was definitely a lot of food.

Both platters had such an abundance of delicious dishes, but there were certainly ones that stood out to me the most. First off, the mixed grilled seafood platter included one grilled lobster that was perfectly prepared along with the shrimp from Symi. They were a great start to my introduction to the seafood options in Greece. In addition to the lobster and shrimp, the dish also had fried calamari, grilled scallops, and a whole grilled fish (which I believe was Sea Bream). There were a few other seafood items, but you'll have to try it for yourself to know what else is included.

Of course, one cannot visit Greece without eating as many Greek dishes as possible so the mixed Greek platter was a perfect choice. My most memorable bites from this platter were the dolmades, the fava beans, moussaka, and the stifado. The chefs at Mama Sofia's made these authentic Greek dishes look very rustic, yet mouthwatering - I mean we eat with our eyes first so... The fava beans were as smooth as butter so I knew they were prepared well. The dolamdes and moussaka were even better than what I previously had upon my initial arrival in Athens. The layers in the moussaka were evenly layered and the crusted edges from the burned top were perfectly presented, adding a slight crunchy texture that I look for in dishes. Lastly, the stifado was the first time eating it, and I would return for it in the future. When a dish from another country reminds you of a dish from your family's culture, that's when you know you're eating a dish you'll remember. That's what their stifado did for me.

Overall, if you're visiting the Old Town in Rhodes, please stop by Mama Sofia's. I can promise you that you won't be disappointed and leave with a full stomach. (Oh, and our gracious host, Stavros, was also so kind as to provide us with some homemade ice cream to compliment and...

After 7 days exploring various parts of Rhodes we bumped into someone (on the other side of the island altogether) who suggested we visit Rhodes city for a day and make sure we go to Mama Sofia. I can’t express how right they were!!

As a big foodie I like to get similar things in each restaurant so I can compare which I like the best and I can say without a doubt Mama Sofia’s smashed it in every aspect!!

The calamari was the best I’ve had here (the batter was very light and crispy with a tasty sauce and salad), the halloumi char grilled with slightly crispy outside with a wonderful chutney to go with it.

For our mains we had the spaghetti bolognese and doner kebab. The bolognese is better than many I’ve had in Italy and the kebab with the tzatziki sauce was unreal, and don’t even get me started on the chips!!!

The staff here have been incredibly friendly and lovely to talk to, notably a lady (due to the heat) seemed to be close to fainting and immediately someone rushed to her aid with an ice pack to help and give her advice on dealing with the heat and making sure she was ok (I’d like to stress again this was no fault of the restaurant she was just dehydrated).

The pricing here is fair, cheaper than many other places which didn’t compare in both service and quality, the only thing I might say on this was that the drinks were a bit pricey however the selection of beer was really good (I paid €9 for 700ml of draft lager which was tasty but like I say a bit much for me personally). It sounds like they are renowned for their wine here so I imagine someone who understands wines much more than me would have found the pricing fair.

All in all I can’t recommend this place enough, it ticked every box in terms of quality, quantity and service. You certainly get what you pay for!

P.S didn’t get a pic for the starters as they went...