Wow, if you want home cooking on a cold DC night, this is your place. Jacqueline is the best host!

Excellent food and service. Ambiance was excellent. First time was a charm. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone. I will return. read more

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Quite possibly the best food on the Woodley Park-Cleveland Park corridor. If there is another restaurant better, please inform me. Tragically poorly lit and signed from the exterior, many a driver and pedestrian has likely passed by Sofra without knowing it is open, or even exists. I among them until this restaurant's (well deserved) five star rating lured me inside. (Even then, I had trouble finding it.) This is a tragedy. The food is scrumptious, well beyond what you'd expect from a $20-$30 price range. The tea is also fantastic. The first time we showed up ae got the Sofra experience, which was just outstanding. Among the best meals I've gotten for that price in DC. We ordered two appetizers, and two entres, splitting both. The appetizers were both eggplant based dipsand came with recently baked loaves of bread. One was merely good, the other gobsmackingly good. One entree was beef, and the other a chicken dish. Both taste and presentation were that of much more expensive food. While the taste and presentation is bougie beyond belief, the aesthetics of the place were more hole-in-the-wall. Like it's not bad, but you get the sense that perhaps the owner is far more keen on good food and plating than creating an accompanying atmosphere. Like the restaurant was only halfway done before he got impatient and started cooking up a storm. Thus the lack of signage. This is too bad, because as a good food enjoyer this place MUST survive. Which is why I'm writing this review. All you Northwest DC residents better get in there and start enjoying brilliantly spiced eggplant dips and exquisitely cooked meat too, because if you don't then I can't. And you guys can't take this away from me. If this place closes its doors it'll because you never knew, but I did. And I'll be so, so sad. Sorry for rambling. tl;dr you all should go here, it's really really good. read more

Sofra - Turkish Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I went to Sofra with two friends. We arrived around 6PM when there were few other patrons and ordered humus, two salads and fish. It took nearly an hour for the humus appetizer to arrive and well over an hour for the two salads and fish to arrive. When the salads did arrive, they did not include the ingredients advertised on the menu. The server was dismissive of our questions about the salad ingredients and the extreme wait for the food to arrive. We asked at least three times for the check so we could leave early because of the very long wait, requests that were ignored. The service was far from friendly and it was insulting that an automatic 20% tip was added to the check. The server did remove the humus from the check, but he neglected to bring an extra order of pita bread that he had promised. We'll not be returning to this restaurant. read more

Nothing great, meeeh... pricey for what you're getting, mediocre at best...the service was ok, nothing special.

Service was top-notch. According to the owner, the restaurant is Farm-to-Table, and all ingredients are from an Amish farm nearby. The Adana kebab, baba ghanoush, and hummus was incredible. Prices are reasonable and ambiance was great. Highly recommend! read more

The service was great, the owner came to the table and helped us with our order. We ordered the falafel and the Yaglama, both were delicious. I even froze the left over yaglama and it tasted great even after reheating. This restaurant is now on my list of restaurants to revisit whenever I am in DC read more

We met some out of town friends here for dinner on a Friday night. We had a great time! Food was all very good, good ambiance and nice staff. read more

The food was amazing and the service excellent. I had the kavurma beef as an entree. We got calamari to start as well as hummus and moutabal with warm pita. We finished the meal with Turkish tea and baklava. I got the rose drink with the sumacwhile my friend got the lavender one. Both were delicious. read more

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We are from the Woodley Park neighborhood and we had to try out our new Middle Eastern restaurant, Sofra. The name means beautiful and that fits because the food is amazingly "beautiful" and incredibly full of "beautiful" flavors. We shared Hummus with homemade bread, chicken shish and Sofra Beyti. Each dish better was wonderful. And then ended the meal with one of the best rice puddings ever. We will return!! read more

This restaurant happened to be near our hotel and while searching for foods we had never tried before, we thought we'd give it a try. What an amazing welcoming experience and my goodness the food is out of this world. I love that the owner/manager said if you don't like it come back and he'd refund our money. No worries! I essentially cleaned my plate as did my husband and our friends who were with us. We happened overhear the table next to us describe a similarly fantastic first experience, and that's why she had brought her friends back to this restaurant. I definitely recommend this restaurant and will seek it out when I'm next in the district. read more

The food is always so fresh here! The owner is so friendly with the guests! Highly recommend. It's such a calm environment, not so loud like other restaurants! Perfect for a large gathering and a romantic date! read more

Sofra - Chicken and rice. So good! - Turkish Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My husband and I walked into Sofra and immediately were warmly welcomed. We ordered the Sofra Experience dish for 2 that was recommended. The dish was perfect as we were able to taste different appetizers and I can not rave enough of the meats on the dish. The lamb and chicken were moist and tasted amazing! I highly recommend this dish! We ended our evening with Turkish tea and baklava. It was a perfect ending to a perfect meal. We highly recommend Sofra. read more

Super good food, very friendly service. Perfect for a casual dinner! Highlight was the baclava and tea to round out a delicious meal.

We had an amazing meal at Sofra. The staff was extremely warm and friendly, and the food was incredibly delicious. There were many great vegetarian options too. Can't recommend the restaurant enough! read more

Sofra - Manti Labneh Moutabal - Turkish Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food was amazing!! Fabulous ambiance! Would definitely come back. Try the manti and kofte.

We were in town from Ohio visiting my daughter and thought we would try this new Turkish restaurant. What an awesome find. We tried several dishes and all were outstanding...Lamb Shish, Lamb Chops, Salmon, Lentil Soup & Ceasar Salad. The meat was lean and tender and a friend noted the salmon was the best she had ever had. The service is efficient and very courteous. The atmosphere is comfortable and the ambiance is perfect for a family dinner. Sofra is on my return list without hesitation. And as a bonus, we enjoyed some Turkish tea before venturing into the snow. read more

It was my first time here and my party was greeted as soon as we entered the restaurant. Got seated and waited on immediately. The atmosphere was quiet and welcoming too. The waitress was extremely kind and we got complimentary food unexpectedly. After we ordered the food was quick to come out. The portion sizes and flavor of everything was fantastic. Highly recommend, everything was more than expected! read more

Excellent food, service, and ambiance. This place is a gem!!! Delicious and authentic Turkish food and it feels like you're in an adorable European cafe. Highly recommend! read more

Food was good and the inside of the restaurant was nice! However, the restaurant did not seem busy when we were there but service was extremely slow. There was a 20% surcharge on our bill that I didn't notice until after we had left (20% is added for parties of 1 or more was the wording???) read more

Great customer service from Gilbert! We didn't know what to expect going in but the food was amazing! read more

Sofra - Chicken shish - Turkish Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We had a wonderful dinner there!! We just moved into the neighborhood and after a very long, rough day wanted to get some food. The restaurant was very nice. The service and food were great! We got the hummus, Moutubal, crispy cauliflower (the last two being the owners personal recipe), falafel, salmon, and a chicken dish from chefs special. Everything was amazing and the fresh bread was absolutely to die for! We also got a Negroni and a violet breeze for cocktails, both of which were fantastic. At the end they gifted us baklava and Turkish espresso martinis which were fantastic (my mom tried to eat my baklava) and it had to be one of the best espresso martinis I've ever had. I highly recommend this place! There's clearly a lot of love put into the restaurant and it was a great first experience in the neighborhood :) read more

what an incredible find! Everything from the food to drink to the service was five stars. Don't miss the branzino!

Best food I have ever had in the DC area!!! The service was so awesome and very authentic food and style!

We stopped here after a day at the zoo. Nice ambiance with light background music. I had the lamb shish and my wife had the chicken shish, both were cooked perfectly and the rice was delicious. Servers were attentive and polite they took the time to answer several questions we had and even explained the technique used to cook the rice. All in all, a very nice dinner. I'd highly recommend giving them a try. Such a peaceful, not rushed, dinner after an amazing day at the zoo. read more

My husband and I were visiting the area so we stopped by here for lunch. My family has a lot of Mediterranean and Caribbean in it. All I can say is WOW. From starting with the calamari and ending with 2 coffees and pistachio baklava, we will absolutely be back again! We own a Sicilian food truck and appreciate quality, delicious and authentic ingredients. read more

Sofra was absolutely amazing from start to finish! They were able to accommodate our large party no problem. The owner tended to our table personally and he was so helpful and kind. He made excellent recommendations and his passion truly shines through. We tried a lot of different dishes and everything was incredible. We were told that you can't go wrong with anything on menu, and it's true. We especially liked the Sofra Beyti- It was absolutely delicious. We loved the restaurant so much we went back the next night for dessert- and let me tell you that dessert is a must! Sofra has, easily, the best baklava I've ever had. Sofra is a DC gem and we will most definitely be back on our next trip to the area. read more

Stopped here for a very late supper on our way back from Zoo Lights. I was immediately charmed by the welcoming atmosphere inside. Service was prompt and amiable, the food was fantastic, and they went the extra mile to accommodate my gluten allergy. A serendipitous discovery indeed. I look forward to dining here again! read more

This place has some of the best food I've ever had. We were a party of five and shared our dishes family style. The falafels were hands-down the best I ever eaten. I had no idea falafels could be that good. The manti were fabulous. I can't praise this place enough. We will definitely return. read more

Review of the Sofra restaurant This new addition to restaurant row at the Woodley Park Metro stop is well worth a visit. The Turkish/Mediterranean food is excellent and so is the service. The four dishes my wife and I shared were all delicious. In order: appetizers Moutabal (eggplant) and Mushroom Casserole, and entrees Manti (mini dumplings) and Kavurma (diced cubes of beef sauteed in vegetables). Please go and enjoy! read more

Very solid place with wonderful and authentic Turkish cuisine. The halloumi is particularly good. Portions are reasonable, but not particularly large. read more

food was ok not good or bad , presentation was very good , service was average. the one thing that absolutely was awful was a 20% service charge. that was not a tip just some phantom number they decided to add to my bill. I was very clear that I wouldn't be paying it and to there credit they removed it. charge whatever you like on the menu don't try and sneak an additional fee on me . read more

We thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant! The food is outstanding and so is the service! We especially enjoyed the desserts and the lamb chops. Highly recommend!! read more

The owner was so friendly and professional. Described the menu and assisted us with our choices. The food was delicious! The freshest ingredients. Perfectly cooked. The ambiance is wonderful- quiet, perfect lighting, warm colors. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Excellent food, wonderful service. Gilbert was our server. He was awesome, and recommended the most delicious foods on the menu. .Thanks to the Chef! I will return. read more

Great service. We had two toddlers with us and they were very accommodating. The burek and warm baklava were highlights.

I was stunned to find a 20% service fee added to my bill. When I told the waiter the I assumed this was a tip, that person said No, It is a fee. While the food was good, I will never go there again because of the management's failure to warn customers in advance that they were going to pay a lot more for their meal than they think when they order. This is called hidden or JUNK fees. read more

This is a newer restaurant with excellent service (Kenan) and a farm to table menu. We had the lamb shish and Softa Beyti which I highly recommend. The Turkish tea was better than most I have tried around the country. If you're in the neighborhood, try Sofia out. You won't be disappointed. read more

Giving the restaurant just 3 stars. One concern was that the beer and wine is absurdly marked-up. A 12 ounce can of Amstel, which probably costs the restaurant less than one dollar, is priced at $10 on the menu, of course, with tax and tip, that works out to about $13. Even much fancier restaurants in Woodley Park are charging "only" $8 for Amstels and similar beers. The wines by the glass are even more out of line, they were just average wines that cost less than $10/bottle in a store, but at Sofra, a modest glass of wine cost about $15, which is about $20 factoring in the tax and tip. I also did not appreciate that a 20% service charge was added automatically to our bill, but then we were still prompted to leave a tip in the 18%, 20% or 22% range (the printout shows the customer what to add as a tip with those percentages included), just like any restaurant that does not add a service charge to the customer's bill. Had someone not mentioned to me that the service charge had already been included in the bill I would have tipped another 20% on top of that, and I suspect that is exactly what the restaurant hopes its customers will do. The Moutabal, an smoked eggplant appetizer, was a generous portion considering it was just an appetizer, and well prepared. Our main dishes, mostly kebab-type offerings, were just ok, not great, and these dishes were served without any rice. (However, when we made a specific request after being served, the waitress did come back with rice for the table, but she seemed to suggest she was doing us a great favor by doing so. I don't think we were charged extra for the rice.) Given that the main dishes all cost between $24-29, before tip and tax, I feel the rice should just have been included, rather than us having to ask for rice. With just the one beer, the cost for basically chicken kebabs, including the tax and a 20% service charge, was about $45/person, which seems high for what it was. Bylbos Deli, in Cleveland Park, though not nearly as fancy, offers similar food for less than half the cost. If nothing else, I think the restaurant should lower the cost for beer and wine. read more

Amazing service from host and owner, Kenan! Atmosphere was great and food was even better. Sharing family style was the way to go! 10/10