Sona
West Hollywood, CA 90048
Phone: (310) 659-7708
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- Westmount Drive
- Best of Citysearch:
- Wine List 2007, Special Occasion Dining 2006
- Hours:
- Tue-Thu 6pm-10:30pm, Fri 6pm-11:30pm, Sat 5:30pm-11:30pm
Editorial Review for Sona – by Lilla Zuckerman
The Scene
In the foyer, businessmen and swooning couples are greeted by a bubbling stone fountain and a sexy, candlelit bar. The chilly dining room with unadorned, brushed concrete walls and minimalist decor, feels more like a stark sushi bar than a luxurious L.A. hideaway. Service is polite and doting--it's nice to be spoiled.
The Food
Classically trained chef David Myers' superlative menu meshes fresh seasonal ingredients with culinary creativity. First courses blend textures and flavors in unexpected, delicious ways, such as creamy macaroni with crispy, succulent sweetbreads and foie gras terrine with apple butter and pine nut vinaigrette that's simultaneously savory and buttery. Second courses are flawlessly executed, especially Kobe steak paired with a bundle of smoky, melt-in-your-mouth short ribs, and a sweet, meaty duck breast draped over mildly grilled eggplant and a tangy brown mustard sauce. To finish, the chocolate brioche pudding topped with caramelized bananas and macadamia malted ice cream is divine.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
The ExtrasOverwhelmed by the choices for dinner? Tour the menu and order a six- or nine-course tasting menu ($89 and $125).
Know Before You GoThere is a $30 corkage fee--feel free to bring your own special bottle.
User Reviews for Sona
05/12/2008 Posted by zenbaby191
I celebrated my birthday at this suspiciously five star rated restaurant and I must say that I (and everyone else in my party) was thoroughly disappointed! The menu was totally lame and unoriginal. There was absolutely nothing creative about the six and nine course prix-fixe menus. We had the six course menu and the first dish brought out was inherently only "a dish," save for the tiny speck of food centered in the plate. I'm serious one would need to bring a magnifying glass to see the portion. I don't even know what the dish was exactly but I think they were trying to recreate the stuffed zucchini flower, which was absolutely bland. Then they brought out some sashimi which at this point they introduced gender specific dishes. I was served seared ahi-tuna with apple compote. YUCK!! Then they brought out baked cod with miso sauce (wow I've never seen that before). This was followed by venison which required the consumption of copious amounts of water due to the ridiculously high sodium content. Then this was followed by two desserts. A fruit dish and two little scoops of freakin' ice cream! Now I'm no professional food critic but I would predict that this establishment will be going out of business quite soon, unless they can get some more celebrities to endorse the garbage they call food. Please, stay away from this restaurant as it is an expensive joke. You for sure won't be laughing.
Pros: Absolutely nothing
Cons: Service, food, experience, cost
05/11/2008 Posted by junebuginla
I spent some serious time researching a restaurant to take my boyfriend to for his birthday... Sona really talked themselves up and had a lot of press to back them up. We are both serious foodies and the chef was rated "most creative chef in LA" so I figured it was going to be an incredible night. I was also hoping for a very romantic classy atmosphere, where we would be wined and dined properly, getting all the attention we are paying for. The service was absolutly unacceptable for an establishment rated at 5 stars. We were basically ignored the entire time, empty plates lingering for 15 minutes, each coarse taking way too long to arrive. Bread would arrive and then the butter would follow 5 minutes later. NEVER once asked if we would like another glass of wine and NEVER once asked how everything was. I actually was so bothered I tried for five minutes to flag a server down to cancel our deserts and bring us the check and I couln't even get the attention of a busboy. The place was crawling with staff, but somehow they were completely in their own world oblivious to our existance. My food was nothing worthy of the hype. Presentation was poor, there was nothing interesting about the dish at all. My boyfriend loved his food, so it wasn't a total miss, but the desert was completey boring and I had lost my appetite from the horrible service. (yeah, they brought the desert anyway even after I said I didn't want it! ) So the ambiance was not bad, but not romantic because you are too far away from your date to feel intimate... the tables are a little too long and are only inches away from the couple next to you, which makes you feel like you are sharing a table. I will never go back and would not recommend Sona to anyone. The prices do not reflect what you get and there are many better restaurants in LA to go to for better food, ambiance, price, and service. Next time I will remember to read the reviews on citysearch before making reservation!
Cons: service, food, price, ambiance
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