Sophusion — Restaurant in Lansdowne

My wife took me to Sophusion for "Father's Day", and for the most part it was a truly exceptional meal. We are long time Lansdowne residents and have been waiting some time for a new "fine dining" establishment since Sam Jacobsen left Sycamore for South Philadelphia. So a big welcome to Sophia, chef/owner of this new venue! We were long overdue. On the basis of our first meal there, she has brought back what I have longed for- an exciting, special meal out in Lansdowne. We started with the sweet chili calamari which was exceptional! Clearly made on the premises, the batter was tempura light, and the sweet chili coating perfect. A large order for two and we brought some home. We skipped a salad, in part because we were told they were large (a neighboring table friend had the Caesar and the parmesan crouton was impressive- I will certainly order the salad next time), and went to the main courses. My wife had the miso-glazed salmon which was prepared perfectly for her (she likes her fish cooked thoroughly, and the salmon was perfect without being dry- kudos to the kitchen!). I ordered the lamb chops- actually a reasonable price given they were four double-cut chops; perfectly medium rare, and some of the best lamb I have had in sometime (including the Colorado-lamb chops I had last week in an exclusive restaurant in Sedona, AZ). Again kudos to the chef! I did share with Sophia, who came out to greet us, that I thought the parsnip puree that went with the salmon, would've also worked with the lamb (the carrot puree, coupled with the cherry-honey sauce with the lamb was almost too much sweetness for me- a small, picky "complaint"). I know some will complain of the price, but it was a lot of lamb at an excellent price (I took two of the chops home). Impressive! We also had a side order of truffled potato wedges. They were the best I have had- perfectly done and seasoned! So the reason I am giving 4 stars for the service is because it was Night Three for the restaurant and they are working out their "kinks". The young waitress was very professional, engaging, and friendly, and open about her lack of knowledge, but didn't quite know the intricacies of their menu yet (my wife is a pescatarian and mostly eats vegetarian meals, but the vegetarian options were not adequately described, thus the "safer" salmon order- some friends arrived who are vegan and I was able to see their orders and was impressed). The service hovered attentively, but seemed unsure of themselves. Small issues- overall the service while having room to grow, was professional and more than adequate. My only other small complaint was the desserts. The beignets were not yet available. The rice pudding Crème Brule, which I took home with me, was delicious, and had a lot of berries with it, but I thought the $19 price point was a bit too high for rice pudding and fruit. Well conceived but... The dessert menu is small- three items- and all cost $19. Dinner was expensive, but compared to a similar meal in Center City, not really. Quality was exceptional, and given the BYOB, we spent less than we would've in similar meal in CC (in fact some of the items were much better), the Mainline, or Media. Overall, all things considered, and the third night open, it was a memorable meal. And in Lansdowne....! My wife agreed. We will definitely be back and strongly encourage readers to give it a try. You won't be disappointed. Thank you Sophia for bringing a real dining experience to this part of...

The aesthetics and ambiance encountered at Sophusion Fine Dining from the concrete of Lansdowne Avenue is breathtaking. You're literally transported into a luxurious haven.

It happened to be my Birthday Celebration and by indicating that on the reservation, I was met with a Birthday Card signed in gold and confetti on the table. It was a wonderful surprise!

What was Well Done:

The hostess who greeted us had a beautiful smile and was very welcoming, the ambiance, the Birthday decoration on the table and the R&B playlist that entertained us.

What We Ate:

Tropical Paradise French Toast - Sweet pea flower creme anglaise, and pomegranate syrup. (5/5)

Crispy Bacon (5/5)

Brioche French Toast w/mixed berries (5/5)

Crab Fried Rice (5/5)

What was Medium:

Truffle Potato Wedges - The flavor was good; however, we expected potato wedges and not steak fries. (3/5)

What was Blue:

When we arrived and were seated, one of the tables was wobbly. As a result, when the hostess attempted to pour water in my friends glass she spilled it on the table and her pants. She was very apologetic, cleaned up the spill quickly and retrieved a leveler to put under the table leg. It just wasn't a great start.

The service from our waitress was slow, it was difficult to hear her because she spoke low and we had to call her over to clear dishes from the table.

Since I read previous reviews about the oxtail dumplings being delicious, I attempted to order them but they ran out the day before. That then meant the oxtails and grits I was considering as an entree was out and I had to pivot.

What We Ate/Drank:

Coffee (2/5)

Calimari - It was super salty and we sent it back with only 2 pieces eaten. We advised the waitress the dish was too salty. We were still charged $19 for an inedible item. (0/5)

Chicken and Waffles - The chicken unfortunately was very dry. (1/5)

Turkey Bacon - My friend asked that it be cooked well done. They served a lot of slices; however, a lot were under cooked. (2/5)

Eggs w/Mystery Cheese - It's never good when the conversation turns to, what kind of cheese is that? The cheese clung to the sides of the dish. We thought it may be Cheese Whiz or Velveeta. A Google search lead us to images that resembled scrambled eggs with Cheese Whiz. I do not consider Cheese Whiz or Velveeta fine dining ingredients. (1/5)

We did not partake in the $7 bottled water or the $9 to $11 Mocktails; however, our check was $178 (20% gratuity is...

Omggg where to start !?!?

Valentine’s Day 2025

Arriving at Sophusion immediately first thing was parking was a breeze! (There’s a parking lot next door) Now, upon entry into Sophusion we were met with classy, romantic, soul vibe and jazz music was wafting through the air timeless songs played GREAT atmosphere !! The hostess was very pleasant and kind and knowledgeable a true professional and sweetheart!!

The restaurant is set up with two dining rooms and we sat in the second one . There is an open kitchen but you don’t notice it and it doesn’t t take away from the dining experience.

Our server this night was CRISTAL and man oh man she was the absolute best! She was on point with EVERYTHING! This was our first time here so naturally there was a lot of questions and she had zero problem answering them ! This whole experience was AMAZING ! and she made it that much better ! So when yall go ask for her and say Candice sent yall !!!

Now yall the absolute best part …,,, the food!!’

I had the 5 course meal and my man had the fried red snapper! I had the red chili calamari it got the sauce on the side but either way you eat it it’s gonna be amazing! Next was the Cesar salad …. Fresh ass ohhh mah gawwdd ! Then I had the 20oz ribeye cooked medium and that was some of the most tenderest steak I have ever had ! I had a side of Brussel sprouts and that was a great life choice bc that balsamic glazeeee I think it’s made from scratch bc I was floored that flavor was top notch . Now we also ordered the mash potatoes but they ram out but no biggie Cristal told us the crab fried rice is a must so we got that instead….. BEST FRIED CRAB RICE I EVER HAD IN MY LIFE !!!!!! I didn’t even swallow my first bite before I snatched another spoon foul and fed my man and he had the same reaction I did !!! That rice came from the ancestors there’s no recipe you can follow to make that on your own that’s somebody’s great great great great grandmama recipe that she never wrote down and is passed down from generation to generation by one person and that one person is in that kitchen cooking that. Lawd have mercy !! Now for my finally dish I had the vanilla beignets let’s just say they made it in a doggie bag but they did not make it home . They were so fluffy like pillows on the inside but still had a nice crisp on the outside.

This by far was my best and favorite dining experience! I cannot wait to come back which...