- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Sofra Istanbul
Categories: Restaurants Mediterranean Restaurants Turkish Mediterranean, Turkish [Edit]
3330 Steeles Ave WVaughan, ON L4K 3C4
(905) 532-0054
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
2 reviews for Sofra Istanbul
2 reviews in English
-
Review from Alyssa G.
Toronto, ON
1/11/2012
After looking through different Turkish places to grab a quick bite I landed on Sofra and loved it! We ordered take out over the phone after browsing their menu online. It was ready right on time (she even called us back as soon as it was ready), still hot and everything was absolutely delicious. The food was spiced perfectly, the meat tender and the portions plentiful. And the complimentary salads and house dressing that comes with each Turkish appetizer was a yummy surprise. I was also really surprised by the baklava because I find it too dry in so many places, but Sofra's was perfect and so yummy we wished we had ordered more.
The staff was really nice even if we had slight difficulty understanding each other on the phone, but they got everything in the order right!
The interior is casual and bright with fast food style seating and very, very clean.
I wouldn't say this is a cheap eats place, each main dish was $12-$15. But you get a huge helping that will last more than one meal unless you're starving.
I'll be going back! -
Review from Anna T.
8/29/2011 1 photo
Why does this place have no reviews?
I was given a choice between pumping my stomach with meat, grease and Cajun fries (Five Guys burgers...and I mean that in the kindest way possible. It's an experience all of its own) or taking a chance on this new Turkish restaurant. I cannot express how glad I am to have chosen the latter.
We walk in and, despite being slightly intimidated by our own unfamiliarity with the cuisine, are quickly seated by friendly staff with a massive, beautifully illustrated menu. There's clear photos of everything and numbered items to order with, so there's no anxiety or uncertainty about the less-familiar items on the menu. Having never had Turkish food, we settled on the grape leaves appetizer, the Cokertme kebab (a beautiful beefy sunburst of fried potatoes and tenderloin) and the special pide - appropriately contextualized as a Turkish pizza.
The waitress surprised us with complementary salads, which appear to be standard with any order here. The salad was a wonderfully fresh mix of romaine lettuce, a nest of shredded carrot and grape tomatoes - no corners cut on the produce quality here or the size of this "side" salad. It came with this amazing, apparently homemade dressing on the side (always considerate) - a nice sweetly tangy yogurt-based dressing that I continued to crave long after receiving my entrees.
Food arrived fresh, fast and YES - as good as the photos in the menu. Trust the photos on their website: presentation definitely does not play second fiddle to taste here. And everything tasted just as good as it looked - the kebab and pide both reflected the copious amounts of fire you'll see erupting in the kitchen. Meat was perfectly spiced and cooked nicely, and the cushion of yogurt it arrived on was the perfect complement.
In addition to the salad, I felt that despite the meat-heavy menu, this place is pretty vegetarian friendly and labels the many options as such. Additionally, the quality of the produce, meat and preparation made for a meal that felt satisfying and robust but not belt-looseningly heavy or self-hatred inducingly rich (see also: Five Guys, my other Vaughan/Woodbridge/YorkU area go-to.).
Decor was clean and minimal: a brightly lit suburban eatery that would just as easily accommodate a large Sunday family feast as it would a quick solo weekday lunch break. Orders were fast, staff were sweet and helpful despite how busy the place was, and every plate coming out of the kitchen looked utterly delicious.
Do yourself a favor: don't walk in here, and sell yourself short with a shawarma or some lame chicken fingers. Pick yourself the coolest looking picture of a meat-sunburst or point at a fan of kebab skewers and get that. You won't be disappointed.
