Sofia's of Little Italy — Restaurant in New York

My boyfriend, Nick and I visited New York from Pittsburgh PA for the weekend and one of our first stops was a little Italy when we got off the plane, Day one we didn’t wanna actually sit down and have dinner we wanted to look around look at prices see what was cute and pick the spot the next day! When walking around through little Italy, we saw the cutest, most beautiful PINK little outdoor area with beautiful faux flowers(which we love,-allergies lol) everywhere! Which is already a check in my box lol. Now in New York I know a lot of places have people standing outside trying to get you to come in ,showing menus stuff like that, and it can be very pushy and intimidating at times right? However, The doorman outside of Sophia’s, Francesco was so polite, professional, and has great conversation! He was one of the main reasons we came back! He made us actually want to come back and come inside because there was no pressure and the food looks incredible. The vibe was just as authentic as everyone who was working there, it made me feel great, eating real Italian food from real Italian people , as we are Italian. We ordered : The garlic bread $6 Amazing quantity and quality, couldn’t even finish before the food because it was such a great size. It was a 10/10 perfect for us , highly recommend!!! It was smothered in some kind of aïoli buttery,, garlic, delicious, thick paste almost. WE ORDERED A SECOND ONE TO GO BACK TO THE HOTEL HAHA

chicken Parmesan $24 This was the best chicken Parmesan I’ve ever had the noodles were to a perfect al dente the chicken was perfectly cooked and it was MASSIVE and so delicious!!!!!

Oricheita Al barese (I BELIEVE! Lol) $22 Nick said this dish was absolutely amazing. The flavors were so delicious. The sauce was sort /tasted like of like a thinner version of whatever paste was on the garlic bread. And the sausage was absolutely amazing

All of these dishes came out looking and tasting. Absolutely incredible. The service was absolutely amazing. Honestly, the best restaurant service experience I’ve ever had. Our server was so attentive, so nice and extremely helpful when we had any kind of questions. Not only him, but the bartender and the people also helping run the food were extremely sweet and helpful!

The tip was included in the check, which we personally love , it kind of relieves a little bit of stress off everyone I feel.

When we were finished as we were leaving, everybody said goodbye, and thank you as we were exiting when we went outside Francesco another super nice worker Pepe and the head chef we’re outside having a chat so we got to meet the head chef! They were all extremely nice, super helpful. We went into one of the little rooms outside and made a video(we ate inside it was too cold for me lol) we had a great conversation outside and they told us if we ever came back to New York come back to Sobeys and we have a shot on them! Which I’m such we will be returning because this was definitely one of the best experiences I’ve ever had at any kind of restaurant.

WE HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHHHLY recommend you come to this restaurant If you love anything, authentic Italian or you’re looking for some really incredible food this is the place!

People, place, decor, food, service 100000/10 for us honestly Thank you so...

If I could give Frank a million stars, I would.

Let me paint the picture: It’s a warm summer evening in Little Italy, the kind of night where the air smells like garlic, basil, and pure magic. Twinkling fairy lights are strung across the street like stars, the faint sounds of Sinatra drift from a corner accordion player, and there we are — seated at a charming little trattoria we stumbled upon purely by fate. And then came Frank.

Oh, Frank. Our server, our guide, our angel in an apron.

From the moment he approached our table, we were captivated. You know how in movies, everything slows down and the music swells when the protagonist meets someone special? Yeah — that happened. Frank had the kind of energy that makes you feel like an old friend walked into the room. His smile was warmer than the fresh focaccia, and his charisma could probably broker peace talks.

He knew the menu like he wrote it. No, like he dreamt it. I asked him what he recommended, and without hesitation — “The gnocchi, handmade this morning. Pillow-soft, with a slow-cooked tomato sauce that tastes like Nonna herself kissed every tomato.” And dear God, he wasn’t exaggerating. I’d eat that gnocchi for every meal for the rest of my life, and I’d still whisper “thank you, Frank” between every bite.

Frank was attentive without hovering. He appeared with water before we even realized we were thirsty. My friend dropped her fork — before it hit the floor, Frank was there with another. My napkin fell? Frank picked it up with the grace of a Broadway dancer and replaced it with one warmer than my childhood memories.

We joked once — once! — about wanting dessert before dinner, and you know what this saint of a man did? He brought us a tiny spoonful of tiramisu “just to set the tone.” Who does that? Frank does. Because he gets it.

And don’t even get me started on how he remembered our names. Not just ours — he greeted everyone like they were coming home. Tourists, regulars, grumpy old men, kids with sticky fingers — they all adored Frank. He’s not just a server. He’s a legend. A maestro of hospitality. A symphony of grace and charm and menu knowledge.

By the end of the night, we were genuinely emotional saying goodbye to him. We left a tip that could’ve covered another dinner (and I’d do it again tomorrow). We took photos with Frank like he was a celebrity — and honestly, to us, he is.

So if you find yourself wandering the cobblestone streets of Little Italy, hoping for a night to remember — go find Frank. Sit at his section. Let him guide your evening. And trust me, you’ll leave happier, fuller, and wondering if maybe Frank was actually sent from the heavens above just to serve you pasta with unparalleled excellence.

Frank — if you ever read this, you are the reason we’ll talk about this dinner for the next 10 years. Grazie, from the bottom of our sauce-stained...

This place is special! One of the best dining experiences my family and I've had together. The food was amazing! The service was excellent! We felt welcomed from the first moment, like being welcomed home, well... if we were Italian. I cannot truly rave enough about our experience, I do not think I have the words to describe what an amazing night we had here, but I will certainly try to convey this as much as I can in the following review:

Going to start off, the ambience of this place is inviting. It's a small, intimate restaurant. We had reservations, through Resy, so we were quickly saw once we arrived at the restaurant. Like I said, the service was top notch. Our waiter, Jacinto and the runner, Ronald. They busted their behinds keeping us happy. They were affable and patient. They took a picture of us, which I greatly appreciated it, while still getting our food and drink orders.

We all had alcohol. My mother had a glass or two of Pinot Grigio. My brother and I both ordered (several times) the Sofia's Espresso Martini, which is composed of Vodka, Kahlua, Baileys, Espresso, Simple Syrup. We also ordered some Pane al' Aglio to start. When we had some of that bread, we were blown away. Yes, we were blown away by the bread! I remember remarking to my family, if this is just the bread, what's the rest of the food like? The answer was sublime.

My mother ordered some Lobster Ravioli, which she swears was one of the best, if not the best she ever had. I had a difficult choice with my order, so many dishes I wanted to have. I finally made a decision and went for the Vitello alla Saltimbocca. I love veal, so I succumbed to the temptation. I am glad I did, the taste popped! I cleaned the plate! My brother was thinking about getting the Spaghetti Carbonara but decided to be different and went for Shrimp Risotto alla Carbonara. The dish looked like a work of art. He let me try some of it... it was incredible! Absolutely incredible! We also ordered several more Pane Al' Aglio, and we ate with gusto.

At the end, the waiter gave us all three shots of Lemon Drop on the house. They were too strong for my brother and mother because they are light weights, so I downed the three in succession. I was rather happy that night.

The night was incredible. I am so glad I did my research and found this wonderful place in the heart of Little Italy! I would do anything to come back and have another meal here! Amazing experience for my family's first night on our trip...