Sovana BistroGood fun in Kennett SquareIn the area for a long weekend celebrating our 45th and had a fun dinner here. We didn't even have mushrooms. We both stuck with the specials. The strawberry and arugula salad was good enough that I am already sniffing around for a like recipe as it had pickled shallots in it. Wonderful. My wife had the barrel fish special and she said it and the sides were really good. I had a pasta special with baby shrimp. The shrimp were perfect but I found the pasta slightly gummy and not hot enough, but certainly passable.
Best of all, the bourbon on the rocks was the best pour I have ever had. All in all, a fun evening and we would go back in a heartbeat.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful as usual!!My hubby and I hadn't been here in awhile, but we weren't surprised to have had another wonderful dining experience here!!6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat as usual!We've been going to Sovana Bistro since 2000 (- that's 13 years!) and have always enjoyed the food, service, and (changing and expanding) ambience. Sovana Bistro is an outstanding restaurant in the Kennett Square area.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a treatWe had an early dinner before a performance at Longwood and, as usual, had an excellent experience at Sovana. The service was unobtrusive but thorough, the food was delicious, and that early in the evening, the sound level was moderate. We particularly enjoyed the tuna tartar, and it's always nice to find that the house plonk is an unoaked French chardonnay. My only complaint is that the chairs could be classed as instruments of torture, though the booth are fine.6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMSpecialty Cocktails are DE-LISH!Sovana Bistro's bar menu offers up some decidedly unique and oh-so-tasty cocktails, for a great start to a lovely evening out. The only trouble I had was deciding which cocktail to get because they all sounded so good. The food at Sovana is superb, and once again I had a difficult time deciding which appetizer and entree to select. The good news is you apparently can't go wrong with any selections - the food is so good! I had the pan-roasted salmon with red quinoa, which was done to perfection. We'll definitely be back for more... soon, I hope.6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways Awesome!We are frequent diners here for several reasons. Food, Service and friendly excellent staff!
Menu changes often with the seasons and is never disappointing. Wine selections and bar mixology are unparalleled. Adam, our favorite sommelier and mixologist creates and thoroughly tests new versions of classic cocktails and has a palate for a wide range of wines to suit any customer.
The staff are the icing on this cake, as without them Sovana would just be a good restaurant with great food. All of them, from the runners to the waitstaff are what really makes this place our "go to"!6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMSecond ExperienceWe live in Virginia and this was recommended to us. It is a wonderful find in Kennett Square. We enjoyed it all the second time as much as the first...6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat an excellent experience!Love how knowledgable the sommelier Adam Junkins is. The bar scene is great: fast service and awesome cocktails. All waiters and waitresses are friendly, polite and smart, memorizing the menue and specials of the day by heart.
Food is excellent, with a French and Italian touch.
Hope they will return the couch setting on the patio soon, which gave the outside scenery such a homy atmosphere.
I would recommend Sovana Bistro to all my friends and colleagues!6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMGemSovana Bistro is without peer in Chester County. It is our little gem, and a virtual world-class dining establishment. Like the state of Montana I hope it stays hidden from the broader public view for years!6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMUnderstaffedFood and beverages were outstanding as always. Service team was severely short-staffed on a lovely Wednesday evening. Reservations were not seated in a timely manner despite available tables sitting empty all around. Once seated service was quite slow as well. The team clearly tried their best but management was unprepared for the level of business.5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMI've dined at Sovana BistroI've dined at Sovana Bistro many times and never have been disappointed. Last Saturday's dinner (celebrating a friend's birthday) was no exception. It was the birthday girl's first time at SB, and she loved it.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMOff night- but very good foodThe service that night was slow, but good. We were put in room we have never eaten before and was a little loud. We love this restaurant and I think we caught them on an off night as we were there for a 45th Wedding Anniversary and they forgot to bring out the special dessert we had told them to provide after the meal.
The food was very good as usual and the wild board papardelle was good, not great. This will not deter us from coming again, but I hope this is not the trend!5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMFit for FoodiesWent with a group of friends. Good was excellent. The specials were delish and dessert was excellent. Was the perfect spot for a group. Specialty cocktails were excellent. Highly recommend.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways creative, seasonal,Always creative, seasonal, delicious menus. Bar, food and dessert. Always the local freshest ingredients. Great sommelier. Can't say I've ever had a poor experience. Worth the drive!5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMI absolutely love this restaurantI absolutely love this restaurant and consider it one of my favorites. The food is excellent and the service is always great.5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent meal from start to finishFrom the grilled octopus and wild mushroom tart appetizers to the lamb sirloin and chili-glazed tuna entrees and rhubarb compote with sherry ice cream, our dinner was absolutely terrific. The side dishes were well matched to the entrees and every single thing on our (multiple) plates was prepared perfectly. The Pennsylvania albarino (who knew?) was excellent, as was the cannonau di sardegna. Service was attentive but not intrusive, and our server was extremely knowledgable about the menu and food and wine in general. We've been raving about this place since our dinner earlier this week. I would definitely, definitely recommend to others and return.5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMIt's a firstHostess & wait staff were extremely gracious and accommodating. Like the look of the place although tables are closer than I like and I am not a fan of sharing a bench with the other diners.
Nice wine list and it is fun to taste the chef's samples of the day.
I would like to go back, but may try the bar to see if I like that atmosphere any better.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AM2nd visit as good as the firstAbsolutely nothing negative to say about this Restaurant, they even offer BYOB along with their wine, beer and cocktail list.
We like to do the Prix Fixe - you get so much for the value!5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMWe found the soft shelledWe found the soft shelled crab appetizer to be exellent and the salmon entre was delicious. We had both the brownie and rhubarb desserts and they were a wonderful ending to a great meal. We would definitely recommend...5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMFour for dinner and we allFour for dinner and we all thoroughly enjoyed the food. Service was great and prompt - we had the tuna, pan trout, steak and a meatball pizza w/ Cesar salad - all very tasty. Cream broule and deconstructed brownie for dessert - highly recommended!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMtry the fried calamariDelicious fried calamari, mixed with aioli, greens, and slices of batter fried lemon, amazing! A good sized NY strip in a savory sauce with a luscious cake of mashed potato topped with hollandaise and little cubes of browned cured ham of some kind, really well made! Also a nice amuse bouche and bread slices and sticks included to start5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMMiddle of nowhere findTucked away in an eclectic shopping center on 82 and 926 in Chester county horse and mushroom country. Interesting menu well prepared dishes. Service was friendly and attentive. I had a salmon dish that was excellent.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat local spotTable was waiting on a very busy night. Service was exemplary, drinks arrived quickly. The Cheese flight appitizer excellent, as were the salads. However the fish special of the night was overcooked and dry. Key lime tart for desert was right sized and a wonderful blend of sweet and tart. If the fish had not been overcooked this would have been 5 star but not the first time here that the entre' fell short.5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMMushroom SoupHad a good time there, tuna app was awesome as pretty much everything else.
I was shocked that the mushroom soup was barely OK considering the location.5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMMothers Day BrunchAs usual, Sovana Bistro was absolutely excellent! It was my moms first visit to Sovana and she was blow away by how fantastic the food was. The service is always 100% on-par; they have perfect timing, never too fast or too slow.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways goodThey keep the menu fresh and creative with regular seasonal adjustments and truly noteworthy specials. There is definitely a bistro feel to this place, but it also passes for romantic fine dining. Service is very good, great ambiance, delicious food. This particular visit was Mothers' Day brunch. Creative touch with Bloody Mary Flights and also very delicious and healthy (and reasonably priced) children's menu items. There are dozens of restaurants I love...this one is my favorite of all.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMA Favorite RestaurantI've been coming here since 2004. It's my go to restaurant when it's my pick as to where to go out to eat in the area.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMTasty cocktails and a menuTasty cocktails and a menu for everyone with a little of everything all done with care and thoughtfulness.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat start, poor finishMy friend and I were in for happy hour and everything was great. Drinks were good, food was very good. Even the service was good. We closed out our tab and then decided to have one more drink and that is when our waiter went down hill. He did not seem happy that we wanted to stay for one more. Other than that, we had a good time.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is a wonderful restaurantThis is a wonderful restaurant -great food and great service. The fixed price special had much to choose from and all four of us loved our choices.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMBetter from withinLook of the place from the outside is less than pretty. Chairs are very uncomfortable. On the other hand ,the food was delicious. Every morsel was better than the one before.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMInspired bartender and fabulous fooThe Ginger Sage Sidecar was remarkable. The food memorable. Service crisp and prompt. We love dining here. You will, too.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMWowIt had been a few years since we've been to SB and we were really pleased with how great it has become. Food was outstanding. Only thing they could do is add more reasonably priced wines. Lots of high end choices but limited on the low price point choices.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat lunchTheir daily lunch special is the perfect collection of soup, sandwich, salad and desert! Also the coucous mac and cheese is amazing. Love this place.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMCouldn't have been a betterCouldn't have been a better experience. Service was excellent and the food was outstanding. Pricing was absolutely reasonable given the product. I would highly recommend Sovana to anyone looking to enjoy quality, fresh, thoughtful food. Delicious from first to last course.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful!After spending the afternoon at beautiful Longwood Garden, we had the good fortune to dine at Sovana Bistro for the first time. My husband's fish entree, a nightly special, was superb in its complexity of flavors and textures. My fava bean-English pea-feta cheese pizza was also delicious and also a delightfully different and creative combination of flavors and textures. We look forward to returning when we're in the area again.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food at lunch. I wantGreat food at lunch. I want to go back for dinner.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was my first visit andThis was my first visit and I was very pleased with the menu, service and food quality. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMA Must in Kennett SquareEverything was deliciously fresh and the server couldn't have been nicer. We sat outside enjoying a very leisurely lunch with all the courses for over three hours and were never rushed!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMnice and tastyNice prepared food. Every meal has its own delicate taste for it to call french. The cook combined specific polar flafors like sweet and sour or spicy and flat or berry and cheesy for the meal to become complete. The service is good even in busy hours. A little bit noisy though at the bar area. It looks also the place is popular among locals. Overall will recommend to visit to my friends and family.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a favorite. InterestingAlways a favorite. Interesting and delicious seasonal menus. Always our go-to for a special occasion.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMNice spot for lunchI have taken clients here for lunch several times. Always a nice meal. The patio is nice when the weather is warm.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMDuring a recent day trip toDuring a recent day trip to Brandywine River Museum and Longwood Gardens, we had lunch at Sovana Bistro. Our sandwiches were fresh and flavorful and the soup of the day--a carrot-fennel bisque--was delightful. Alcohol is not normally part of the meal on the rare occasions when we take time from work for a special lunch, but the descriptions of Sovana Bistro's special cocktails were too tempting to pass up--and did not disappoint!4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, overly efficent serviceExcellent food and innovative menu. Atmosphere was warm and inviting. Service staff was very knowledgable and attentive but at times too anxious. Seemed like staff hovered around the table waiting for you to finish a plate.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were happy with everythingWe were happy with everything we ordered for dinner except for the fish dish.. it was a pan-seared Stripped Bass but the skin wasn't crispy as it should be for pan-seared Bass and the freshness factor in the overall taste of the fish left something to be desired. For the price of the dish it should have been better!4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMNot. To be missed,The best French Onion Soup I've ever tasted in my life! If you like great sevice with professional and an attractive staff exceptional plates!4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a reliably innovativeWe had a reliably innovative and delicious meal at Sovana. Food and service were excellent. However, we were seated at a cramped little table in a busy area of the restaurant so I rated our experience only 4 stars. We were not expecting a soothing, romantic atmosphere at one of our favorite bistros, but unfortunately bustling and noisy close to the front entrance best describes our meal. I will be more intentional and request a quieter location next time. And there will certainly be a next time.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Neighborhood standbyA lovely dinner with great service, always a reliable neighborhood place. Can't wait for the patio to open up.
Excellent Veal - Pizza could have used some cheese ... not the best. Great cheese plate.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent, Excellent, Excllent.Excellent, Excellent, Excllent. That all I have to say. Sovava Bistro has never let us down.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a wonderful experience!We had a wonderful experience! I would highly recommend the establishment. Can't wait to go back. U4/5/2013 12:00:00 AM