Layla at MacArthur Place

Loved the food. Loved the decor. Service was excellent. Can't wait to return.

I was excited to see this place but sadly, the experience was not good. I made reservations about two weeks prior requesting outside and noting it was both my and my friend's birthday. We got there early asking if by chance our table outside would be ready about 20 minutes early. They said no. We went to the bar. Ordered a cocktail and tea. Cocktail was forgotten and came about 20 minutes later. Hostess came for us and our table was inside. Incredibly disappointing. Told that the color coding or something didn't go through and all the other reservations were out there. We are not dining room people really and would have been happier at the bar. The food was excellent, our waiter was delightful but they were just horribly understaffed and it showed. It was 35 minutes to get water and we left 2.5 hours later. We really only stayed because I had a gift card. Otherwise would have walked out. I don't blame our waiter or really anyone. I know everyone was doing their best but when understaffed, people can only do so much. So, we were definitely disappointed when it was supposed to cap off a birthday weekend (friend was visiting for quick visit) in wine country.

We went to the bar first and had a couple of drinks. Love the new bar setting and the service was great. the drinks were very good. Next was dinner - from a very tasty amuse bouche to the appetizer to our respective meals it was all delicious, high quality and beautifully presented. The service was excellent. I would highly recommend this restaurant for dinner.

Great and very beautiful place. Small menu but all items that we ordered were extremely good.
Slow service both for food and wine. Staff seems inexperienced but are trying hard. Lovely outdoor eating area.

Gorgeous setting. Very nice menu with choices for everyone. The Parker biscuits were amazing. The steaks were delicious. The wine selection was superb. But the real shining star was the service. Wow! Our waiter Richard was so helpful and attentive. And the younger waitstaff were so eager to please you could tell they were passionate about learning this craft. We would highly recommend.

Thank you Layla for creating a wonderful experience for our family. We enjoyed the fabulous food and amazing atmosphere. Our server Samantha was attentive. All of the wait staff, Bryan, Trevor, Helena were great. Thanks again. We will be back.

I was hesitant to try Layla again because I didn’t care for it on my first visit a few months ago. I’m happy to say the service has greatly improved and the food is better. The portions better reflect their price and the flavors reflect an improved use of seasonings. Two odd things: 1) We asked to save some left-overs. The waiter quickly obliged, but never told us, until we had waited for a bit & finally caught his attention, that our take-home boxes had been deposited with the hostess. If that’s the new norm, fine, but please tell us. 2) Wines are generally listed under varietals, but there are separate sections for red & white “Other.” Under the “Other” sections, the winery is listed, but the grape is not, so you have no idea what these “other” wines really are.

excellent customer serviced and food that surpassed it...highly recommend Layla's!

The roasted beet salad was easily the best beets I have ever had! I grow my own, and the preparation on these were simply incredible. Simply done, but extravagant!!!

It is so exciting when a new restaurant opens in Sonoma and we're kicking ourselves for waiting so long to visit post redo of MacArthur Place! Probably the most upscale and stylish restaurant in town (about time for that in Sonoma), tasteful modern but still wine country decor down to the tableware. We dined for lunch and found a great cross section between breakfast and lunch fare on the menu. The food itself was amazing, fresh and tasteful; I'd say we've found the best place for breakfast / lunch. We're so excited to go back for dinner!!

Enjoyable evening with good food and nice service. Restaurant setting both inside and outside were inviting - we sat outside which was perfect for a warm evening. Menu was varied enough to offer variety, our server Nathanial gave good counsel on what to consider including wines by the glass. Amuse-bouche with goat cheese was a highlight. Parker House rolls were excellent (we're sad because we asked for a 'Doggy Bag' for our left overs but never got it). Baba ghanoush with crudités was excellent as was the beets with yogurt/molasses. Salmon and Lamb were done as ordered. We were celebrating our anniversary and there was no effort to acknowledge as per reservation notes - no congratulations or complimentary champagne or dessert - something we might have expected for the caliber of restaurant. Desserts were a bit simple so we didn't order. Complimentary valet is appreciated; however valet team need to know how to drive a sports car (a.k.a. stick shift). We'll be back - gave it a solid B+ because we had hirer expectations.

So disappointing! Came in as part of a group of 4. The dining room was only about 25% full, but the hostess had us wait before seating us.

Our server was friendly but clueless. Took forever to bring drinks, and when they came there were only 3 cocktails. Never mentioned that the fourth one (a glass of wine) was coming. It took about 10 more minutes for that.

We ordered our mains (3 chicken sandwiches and a lobster roll) and again it took forever for them to arrive. When they did, one of the chicken sandwiches and fries were completely cold. My friend sent it back (which she never does) and when it came back, it was a different sandwich. That’s when the server said they had actually delivered the rest of us the wrong chicken sandwiches.

The amount of fries with each chicken sandwich also varied widely, from a mound to a handful. When we pointed this out, she said she’d bring more but never did. Turned out the fries were awful anyway (overfried but room temperature), so we let it go.

At the end, we were given the check as if everything had been normal. We questioned that, and finally a manager arrived and comped the wrong sandwiches. He was apologetic, but... Too little too late. Our friends were visiting from out of town, and our time together was marred by this unfortunate experience.

Lower outdoor patio is amazing setting. Food was very good. Service started well but we waited for well over 30 minutes after our salad course without any explanation from staff. Assistant did a great job clearing plates, refilling waters etc but server rarely checked our table. Staff may benefit from a small flashlight when serving at night as the single candle didn’t provide much light when they came to the table.

we were warned by people who had left after 1-1/2 hours that “the place did not have its act together”. it took us over 2 hours to get sppetizers then the waiter said it might take another 1-1/2 hours to get our entrees. i have never seen such a terrible resturant experience. would avoid this place

This was our second and last trip to Layla. When I say the service was terrible, I don’t know what else to say when it took almost 2 hours to get the main course. The Manager fell on the sword with apologies but still, 2 hours for food that was mediocre at best is not acceptable. Clearly they had over booked but they should know better. Then the waiter brought 4 desserts to the table - we all felt it was almost insulting to think that would make a bad experience better. It did not. I wish the restaurant success but it will be without us.

Beautiful setting, impeccable service, incredible food. Casual elegance and a little pricey but perfect for special occasion

Amazing meal great service. Our server was attentive and kind, food was well prepared.

Stylish, commodious, good vino and and creative plates.

All was marvelous - really enjoyed our meal, top to bottom!

We had an incredible experience dining here for dinner. The food was delicious, the service was top notch and the ambiance/decor is refreshing and inviting. I’d highly recommend it!

Amazing food, amazing service, great wines all in a beautiful space. I would absolutely eat here again.

The service was truly challenging. Staff need to listen and write orders down. We were 2 people in a time when the restaurant was 10% occupied. One dish was incorrect and it took them way too long to correct, so one person was almost finished before the other dish arrived. Staff apologized but did nothing like a complimentary glass of wine or coffee or crediting the dish that wasn’t done properly. For their pricing, they need to correct these glitches.

Waitstaff was Excellent!

Pretty amazing experience. Love how they cook their fish! Service was great, menu was great, food was amazing. Chocolate cake desert was out of this world. Must Visit! I hear that the neighbors are upset because employees have to park on the street instead of in the lot. This makes it harder for residents to park in their own neighborhood.

They've done a great job of remodeling MacArthur Place and the restaurant/bar area, Layla. It's open, light and airy. The service is attentive, the wine list was a pleasant surprise, the food was fresh and well prepared. I will go back there again!

Excellent ambiance, service and food quality. We had a dog with us and we sat on the patio. All the service members were very friendly, brought ice and a bowl of water. The other clients were super friendly too.
The place is gorgeous and the food is top notch. Well done!

Layla is a fantastic new restaurant in Sonoma, CA. It was our last night and we kept hearing rave reviews about the ambiance, service and cuisine. They did not disappoint! Every staff member was attentive. The food was fresh & DELICIOUS! Chef did a superb job with the menu. I will definitely be returning each time I visit Sonoma.

Beautiful remodel. Menu is not very kid friendly. Our food was tasty but didn’t leave us satisfied; something seemed to be missing. Little overpriced.

The chicken was good. Was disappointed that they were out of both whole fish

Amazing restaurant, dips were from another world, everything done to perfection

I have been there for lunch twice with different groups of friends. The place is beautiful and the service was excellent. But we all felt that the food was so-so and not worth the price that we paid. The lunch menu was vey limited and was more like a brunch menu with a lot of egg dishes.
Hamburgers, while tasty, could only be ordered well done or medium well. I know that this is probably the safest route but implies that the meat may not be safe.
Two good things on the menu were the Greek fries and the donuts with Lemon Curd which was more like a Lemon Creme. Wine prices are way too high for Sonoma residents, although probably the tourists will pay them.

Beautiful room and outdoor seating. Excellent service by the staff.

Beautifully remodeled from top to bottom. The food was spectacular, but the service needs a little work. They will get there. Definitely recommend - very enjoyable.

We celebrated my daughter’s birthday and this was the perfect place. The ambiance was great and the food was even better. I would definitely recommend Layla for any special occasion.

Food is just ok and service needs to be improved. Disappointing because I was so excited about this opening. They should try to work out the kinks ASAP!

This place has a lot of potential. Food is innovative, fresh and tasty. People are super friendly. Only negative was staff flow was off, they came by often but with big gaps between when we wanted something. I am sure they will solve this with time. We will go back for sure. The lamb was awesome.

We dine out regularly all over the Bay Area and without a doubt our evening at Layla's was one of the most enjoyable meal we have had in years.

Check-in and service slow.
Food very nice although the toast in the ricotta appetizer was hardly toasted.
Setting and hotel could not be lovelier

Arrived early for dinner so waited in the bar for our table. Thought we’d get a drink. 10 mins went by with no service... ended up going to our table empty handed. Service was much better in the dining room area, but the food was eh. Halibut had no flavor with beans that seemed as though they were dumped from a can. Pasta dish came out Luke warm at best. They did bring a new one that was hot, so again service was good here. That dish was much better in flavor.

Overall, for the price, the food was so-so and the service hit or miss depending on dining area or bar. As a local there is better in town. It will be awhile before we return.

We had dinner for seven at Layla recently. The outside patio was relatively quiet and comfortable the entire evening. Late in the evening when it began to cool, the heater was turned on and blankets were even provided for a few. But the food was really the highlight: Overall, there were textures and flavors up and down the scale with subtle undertones and resonances. Truly the lamb tagine was world-class. I am not a lamb fan and did not order it, but was fortunate enough to taste a fellow diner's and it was superb: hot and tender, toned with the herbal marinade, scrumptious! My halibut was seasoned with multiple flavors including tiny red and yellow peppers, onions, and mango. Salads and desserts were also delicately wonderful. We shared loukomades and smore at the end of the meal and really enjoyed the entire experience.