Sofi Greek Restaurant & Garden
(323) 651-0346
8030 3/4 W 3rd St
Los Angeles,
CA
90048
34.0718
-118.3646
Neighborhoods: Central LA, Beverly Center
What People Are Saying About Sofi Greek Restaurant & Garden
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
Watch for falling leaves in the sunny patio, which is cocooned from the street in trellises, geraniums and hanging bougainvillea. The more formal, white-walled dining room is equally peaceful, as Sofi rarely fills up, despite its devoted clientele of neighborhood regulars. Just like at a real Greek taverna, service is unimposing and relaxed.
The Food
There aren't any bizarre fusion-fueled concoctions on the menu, just satisfying renditions of traditional Greek favorites, like a big bowl of tangy, pale-yellow avgolemono soup brimming with orzo and tender chicken. Scoop up taramasalata (creamy caviar dip) or tzatziki (garlicky cucumber-yogurt dip) on soft pieces of thick, warm pita. Classics like pastitsio, moussaka and souvlaki are fine, but try the lemon chicken, served with thick-sliced rounds of roasted potatoes that are as addictive as buttered popcorn. Finish with super-fresh rice pudding or fragrant baklava, with walnuts and almonds that aren't drowned in the typical excess honey.
User Reviews
dissapointeddiner
March 06, 2009
The food was overly expensive- and they give you small portions- there's barely any food on the plate. the chicken and lamb were both bland tasting and the service was verrrrrrrry slowwwwww. we will never go back there again!
read full review
TylerMcHenry
February 16, 2009
I took my wife here for Valentine's day, and while it was not the best restaurant we've ever been to, it was a pleasant and enjoyable evening with very good food. We had reservations just after the restaurant opened for dinner, and so for us, service was well-paced. Service did get progressively slower as the restaurant filled up over the following two hours, but it was never annoyingly slow, even on such a busy night. There was a live piano player (indoors, where we were) and live guitar music outdoors. The volume was perfect to enjoy the music while still being able to have a conversation. Additionally, my wife was given a complimentary rose for the occasion. The food, for the most part, was excellent. We both ordered lamb entrees and the meat was well-cooked, well-seasoned, and delicious. Strangely, though, the entrees (Souvlaki & Arni Bouti) were very simple dishes compared to the appetizers that Sofi offers. Half of the entrees were rice, which I'm not sure warranted their $25 price tags. The appetizers, on the other hand, were both interesting and delicious. We had the meze appetizer sampler for two, and we enjoyed that even more than our entrees. The Keftedes (spiced beef meatballs) were the highlight of the appetizers. The only item on the appetizer platter we didn't like was the tarama, which tasted like little more than mayonnaise. We drank the Naoussa '03 greek red wine, which was an absolutely perfect complement to the dishes we had - in fact one the best wines we've had at a restaurant that does not specialize in wine. Finally, for desert shared one of the Galactoboureko (custard in fillo pastry), which was superb. In short, Sofi has fantastic ambiance, and the food is great, although the entrees might be a bit simple and over-priced compared to their other offerings. Definitely try the appetizers.
read full review
corfusian
March 01, 2008
I saw some negative reviews (dated 2006) about this restaurant and could not believe it. I have been there twice so far in 2008, and on each occasion, everything was superb! The ambiance is fabulous, especially on the outdoor patio. The food and service were uniformly stupendous. One diner with me commented that, of all the restaurants she had been to on the continents of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and North America, she liked THIS restaurant the very best! I have nothing but accolades for this restaurant. Please. It doesn't get better than this.
read full review
