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Sonata Restaurant, St. Petersburg, FL

Sonata Restaurant

3.6 (291)
$50 and over
Contemporary American
400 1st St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701-4341

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 4 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for scenic views
  • Charming
Located within The Mahaffey Theater beside Tampa Bay with breath taking views of the basin, Sonata Restaurant and Lounge offers two levels of fine dining featuring an exemplary wine list, craft cocktails and Chef Ted Dorsey's Coastal Cuisine rooted in southern hospitality. Please join us to enjoy fine food, wonderful shows and visual art featuring world-famous glasswork by Trish Duggan's studio. We look forward to serving you.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sat 10:00 am–10:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Private party facilities
    Waterfront Grand Ballroom
  • Neighborhood
    St. Petersburg
  • Parking details
    Valet
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 291 people are saying

Sonata Restaurant reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.6
3.6 based on recent ratings
  • 3.4Food
  • 3.7Service
  • 4.1Ambience
  • 3.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Sonata Restaurant offers a "convenient" pre-show dining experience with "delicious" food and a "beautiful setting." The service is "highly professional," though some reviews mention timing issues during busy periods. The menu is "unique" but limited, with standout dishes like the "pork burnt ends" and "scallops." Overall, a "memorable" choice before attending a concert.
291 Reviews
  1. John

    Orlando / Central Florida East1 review

    4.0

    Dined on June 13, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We had reservations at 7 for the 9:30 show. There was mass chaos due to the turn over of the show starting at 730. We sat for 10 min before any helped us. But when the chaos died down service was great and we enjoyed the food. It was nice to be able to order drinks to go before the show an missed the lines at the bar.

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  2. Rosalinda

    Coastal Georgia1 review

    2.0

    Dined on June 13, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Not great communication, slow service and disappointing dinner experience. My boyfriend and I got there at 5:30 before our show at 7:00pm. It wasn’t quite full yet and seemed quiet at first. Still, our server took a while to get to us and we put in our drink order, our appetizer and our main all at once. It wasn’t until after our appetizer came out that our server told us that there were no more steaks (our main). By this time, it was 6:36pm and too late to order food and finish before the show. We essentially spent $70 for two drinks and an appetizer and still had to find food after the show.

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  3. Norm VIP

    Tampa / Central Florida West7 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on June 13, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Went before a show. Seated at 5p. Food didn’t arrive until 6:40p. Obvious kitchen problems since we never saw the mgr again after we arrived. Assume he was probably cooking…or quit. Two of the four meals (both steak frites) arrived cold. The bar behind us was lined with dirty glasses for all to see..disgusting. Maybe non-show nights are better, but we won’t be going back.

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  4. Anthony

    Tampa / Central Florida West2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Waitress was very attentive. Greeted by hostess and walked upstairs to the dining room where we were greeted within a minute or two. Beautiful moon and water view. Food was great. Had the octopus and salad. The steak was good. We were too full to have desert. Made it to the orchestra with time to spare. Very convenient. We will be dining there again.

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  5. Francis VIP

    Tampa / Central Florida West1 review

    3.0

    Dined on May 24, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was very good. Service was mediocre. Waitress was slow and inattentive. Almost didn’t make the show on time.

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  6. Karen

    Tampa / Central Florida West4 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on May 18, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Inattentive service, bad food, poor communication. Not a good pre theatre dining experience. I went to Sonata about 2 years ago and had the same experience. It has not improved at all. Too many details to list but, sufficient to say it is all about the look with no substance. Don’t fall for the allure of the pretty atmosphere and convenience. Not worth the money or aggravation.

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  7. Barbara VIP

    Tampa / Central Florida West9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Small number of menu options but the grouper was very good. Service was excellent and much faster than a previous visit.

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  8. Pat

    Tampa / Central Florida West5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    First time but won’t be our last! Service is very good. All staff were great. We sampled a bunch of appetizers but next time I want to try one of their yummy looking dinners! A great experience before the show!

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  9. Susan VIP

    Tampa / Central Florida West7 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on May 3, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Really slow service and the music was so loud and really poor acoustics! The food was good but not worth how annoying and frustrating it was as an overall experience.

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  10. Rick VIP

    Tampa / Central Florida West74 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The martinis, wine, food, atmosphere and the pre Cheap Trick concert party were all awesome - thank you!

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FAQs

Sonata Restaurant is rated 3.6 stars by 291 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Tampa / Central Florida West
  4. St. Petersburg
  5. St. Petersburg

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 4 times today
Google Map for Sonata Restaurant

400 1st St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701-4341

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    St. Petersburg
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sat 10:00 am–10:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Valet
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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