Very good. Would highly recommend. I had a really fun cocktail with tons of fresh berries. Our shrimp and grits app was really good. We should know being from Louisiana. I just wish they had used real gulf shrimp instead of the small shrimp for the dish. My salad was dressed perfectly and tasted great I only wish the lettuce was a little more crisp and cold, minor detail would still order it again. I had the half chicken and my husband had the crab ravioli as mains both were fantastic. Will be back. Service was great too! read more

Menu is extensive and food was fabulous. Service was great and waiter was very attentive and patient as we were 4 ladies chatting up a storm and in no hurry to order. Wish we had know. It is still a BYOB ($8 corkage). Kinda pricey too. Still a favorite. read more

My husband and I went for the first time this week and I have mixed feelings. We were told it was a must try. Some of the positives were they are a BYOB with a 8.00 corking fee plus a full bar. Their scenery is very trendy and pretty. The wood fire pizza that I had was a home run around with the truffle Mac and Cheese. We started with the Tune Tartar which was a little too salty and uneventful. My husband had the soup which he was not a fan of. But his entree was the Amaris's chicken and he said it was delicious. Pretty price tag but good. Over all nice date night! Looking forward to going back! read more

Came in for dinner. Our server, Kara, was spectacular. Food and service were perfect tonight. This spot never disappoints.

Talula's Table gets all the raves in Kennett but less than a mile away in a little shopping/office center is Savona Bistro...and it's wonderful. To me, bistro connotes a small, rustic-type place. Savona Bistro is nothing like that. Clean lines, slate walls.. fresh and modern, it's a warm but up-to-date environment. In addition to fresh, local and organic food, they have a 100-mile beer menu and I heard they were adding a 100-mile wine menu. We've been for lunch and dinner and had delicious food both times. A nice place to go on a date or with a group. read more

We went here to celebrate my birthday last year - wonderful service and good food. I didn't like my meal as much as I had hoped, but would still recommend Sovana Bistro for a special occasion. read more

One of my favorite restaurants. Whenever I'm in the area, I always make an effort to go to Sovana. I typically order from the prix fixe menu. I like the tuna tartare, which is some of the best that I've had anywhere. Then whatever seems fresh. The fish is usually a good choice and the wild mushroom ravioli are delicious. And, the molten chocolate cake is awesome! The only downside to this restaurant is the seating. Big room, lots of tables. Makes for a loud dinner and sometimes you feel like you are in your neighbors' conversations. read more

Really enjoyed our meal here, great service and ambiance!! Nice vibe at the bar for a drink then great selection of fresh food! Scallops with morels starter was great as was the butterscotch dessert!! One of our favorite meals since moving back from the bay area. read more

One reviewer wrote couldn't do it better and that sums it up!!! Perfect meal...perfect service....we started with fried green tomatoes...amazing...perfectly cooked...still crispy...fabulous coating...along with the scallop appetizer...wonderful....cooked to perfection...and then a flight of five cheeses....simply amazing!!! For dinner I had the steak....cooked exactly how I like it...my husband had the seafood pasta and requested the homemade rigatoni instead of spaghetti...they were more than happy to accommodate his request...we eat out frequently and we both agreed it was the best meal we have ever had...impeccable service...beautiful surroundings....well worth the price!!!! Go...eat and enjoy you will not be disappointed!!!! read more

The appetizers were great,the salads as always were great, the wine was delicious and the drinks were amazing. The entrees were not so good. It was pretty pricey for mediocre food. The coffee and chili rubbed lamb neck tasted like pot roast, bland pot roast. The pasta special tasted like leftovers, mushy creamy concoction with mushrooms and meat and whatever else they needed to use up. The fish and steak dishes were OK but at more than $30 a plate I expect more than OK. I would stick with the pizza here. Don't want to end on a bad note, our server was simply awesome. read more

This is our second visit to Sovana and it was as amazing as the first time. We were a group of six wine lovers. We love that we can bring our wine and the corking fee is extremely reasonable. Center stage though is the amazing menu. We loved all our dinner selections, except the suckling pig dish. Definitely the chef is extremely creative. They did not have the Couscous Mac & cheese, which are to die for, but had truffle mac & cheese which were just as delicious! Last but not least, the service from Risk was awesome!!! He was very knowledgeable about the menu, but also a wine connoisseur. I strongly recommend Savona! read more

Game Set Match! Sovana Bistro is a game changer! Perfect flavorings and pairings make every plate a hit at Sovana Bistro. Great pizzas and apps and perfectly sized bar with great variety. Need a meal? Need a snack? Need a place to meet up? Hit up Sovana Bistro. You won't regret it! read more

Ate there last night we had the calamari and tuna Tatar apatizer, my wife had the salmon and I had the short rib,everything was Perfectly cooked and tasted , wonderful would highly recommend read more

We had dinner on 5/17/2018. We have dined here many times before, but unfortunately this was a disappointing experience. Very slow service, and mediocre food. No one offered or brought us any bread. My husband ordered a Caesar salad and the meatballs appetizer. The meat balls were cold, and the salad came with croutons although he had ordered it without. I had the wild ramps appetizer, which was quite good, and the hamburger which was overcooked and served with limp French fries. We'll give it another go, but if we repeat our most recent experience, we will not return. read more

The 5 stars is going to my server. His name was Sam. If it wasn't for him I'd say this place is about 3 stars. Food was sub par and over priced. read more

Love this place! The margarita pizza is fabulous!

A friend and I visited Sovana last Saturday night to celebrate her birthday. We were impressed with the freshness of the food and the quality with which it was prepared. Great local foods used in many of the dishes. We were given tiny cups of absolutely delicious butternut squash soup to taste. I liked it so much that I ordered it with dinner. I didn't realize that it was not available on the menu. The restaurant did accommodate the request though and served a nice size cup of steamy, decadent soup. Our server was delightful. She was professional, personable and offered spot-on recommendations on the cheese plate and entrees. We finished with the Apple Crisp which was just right. The ONLY downside of the experience was that we were seated at a very tiny table and very close to two other parties. It felt a bit cramped and the volume in the restaurant was very loud. That being said, it was 7:00pm on a Saturday night and we were seated immediately after walking through the door. Overall, a wonderful experience! read more

Perhaps my expectations were too high. For starters, the food was very average, especially considering the expense and tiny portions. Presented nicely, but just didn't taste like anything special. Service was outrageously slow. I am all for an enjoyable, non-rushed meal, but 2 hours to get your food seems excessive to me, especially when it is nothing special. I won't go here again, too many better places out there. read more

Had a great time here with family. Not very knowledgeable about cheeses but our waiter made the cheese plate very enjoyable! The chef was able to prepare a vegetarian tasting plate for us which was excellent! Also had the manicotti and a pizza which were done well. Will plan to go back once the wallet recovers ;) read more

Terrible service. Mediocre food. I loved the atmosphere and really wanted to like it here. Unfortunately the whole time we were there it felt very unwelcoming. We arrived on time for an 8:15 dinner reservation and were told it would be " just a few minutes". We were sat at 8:45. No one ever apologized for a delay. Our table was very close to other tables so we were able to hear at least 2 other couples had the same issue. I don't mind the close quarters, but beware if you do. The table situation is more like a crowded ny or center city restaurant than out in the burbs. We barely saw the waitress. She came over once about 10 sec after we opened the drink menu, again to take our order and we did not see here until about 10 minutes after our dinner plates had been cleared by a busboy. Good thing we didn't want a second drink. Food was mediocre. The presentation is Fancy so I think that impresses people, but it wasn't awesome. I had chicken that was pretty good. We had potato leek soup that had this pretty good foam on top, but the rest was totally bland. The table next to is had to send something back. By the time we sat down, 2/3 specials and one desert were unavailable. I eat out often and I can't tell you the last time I had such an experience. We will never go back and we are upset we paid to be treated like crap! read more

My boyfriend and I came here on a Wednesday night for our one year anniversary. We made a reservation and had our table within a few minutes of arriving. It was a great experience from start to finish and we were both impressed with what excellent service we received. Our waiter, Jason, was particularly professional, attentive, and knowledgeable. The restaurant was quite full the night we went, but we never had empty drinks and dirty plates were taken away promptly. There were clearly plenty of staff to help keep things running smoothly, which was an enormous plus and is something that is lacking at many other restaurants. The decor was very nice, however the lighting was too low for our taste and we found it a bit difficult to read the menu because of this. It was also a bit loud for our taste, however we were seated very close to the bar and there was a particularly loud group there. This made conversation somewhat difficult while we were there, but that seemed to be more of a reflection on our particular table and the specific group at the bar. Our food was perfectly cooked. We ordered from the prix fixe menu and had three courses each. The calamari was tender and had just the right amount of aioli sauce on top. The apple salad had the right balance of fruit, lettuce, and crunch. The mahi mahi, which was the fish of the day, was cooked thoroughly, but still gave way easily to my fork. The rice and cauliflower pilaf it was served on had just the right spices to compliment the fish. My boyfriend found his pork milanese was cooked perfectly and was juicy, not tough. The bitter greens served with it complimented the pork flavor. For dessert we order the molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and the white chocolate/orange ice cream. The ice cream is made in house and was to die for. It had a rich texture with a little bit of crunch to it and was hands down the best ice cream either of us has ever had. The chocolate molten cake did not have much of a lava center, but this was a plus as the rest of the cake was quite rich and would have been too rich with a gooier center. We also had an intermezzo and amuse-bouche which were just the right combinations of flavors for single bites. To acknowledge our anniversary, and which was truly a cute touch, our waiter brought out a single candle on a dish for us to blow out before our desserts were brought to us. It was a small gesture, but it showed that they truly acknowledged that it was a special occasion for us. Overall, it was a very pleasurable meal with exceptional service and we would certainly go back and recommend it given the opportunity. read more

Sovana is a Philadelphia quality bistro in the Chester County suburbs. The food is uniformly wonderful and locally sourced whenever possible. The bar cocktails are great and Beau is a wonderful bartender. The place is packed so somewhat noisy on weekends, but so worth it. read more

One of our favorites near Kennett! The local and seasonal menu is always a hit. Waiters are friendly and knowledgable.

Having been someone who worked at Sovana Bistro for a few years, I have had the pleasure of continuing to go as a patron. I can honestly say that the quality of food, freshness and level of service have sustained the test of time. While I miss getting to enjoy the delectable dishes of Nick Farrell and his team on a daily basis, we now enjoy Sovana as a specialty spot for an occasion since we have a toddler and don't go out as much as we used to. Kudos to Sovana's crew for continued success! read more

Three of us had dinner last night (7/21/2018) to celebrate my husband's birthday. We had a wonderful time. Our waiter, Nick, was perfect, always available and knowledgeable, but never intrusive. The farro and bean salad was amazing, and the kitchen kindly split it for two of us. My husband had the short ribs and they were tender and delicious. Our son and I shared a pepperoni pizza, which was lovely -- the pepperoni was especially good. My husband was offered a free dessert because it was his birthday, and it even came with a candle! Nice touch. I had the s'mores dessert which was perfect. There were so many other yummy sounding things on the menu, we decided before we even ordered that we'd have to come back to try other things. A most successful celebration. read more

I have been here a lot over the years. Food is terrific. Service is solid but at busy times can be spotty. Can be very loud so don't expect a quiet dinner. My only gripe is the chairs which are very hard and uncomfortable. Love that it stays a byob even though they have a full bar and wine list. All in all a really good choice. read more

great craft cocktails. good beer. great food. one of my favorite places in the area. heck, I even take the kids there.

We love independently owned restaurants and try to support them wherever we go. Love, love, love to eat at Sovana Bistro whenever we are in the area. We absolutely love it- were bummed when we tried on a Monday though! :( The pics here do not do this lovely restaurant justice. We've eaten indoors and out, and the atmosphere is great either way. Beautiful food presentations- again, the pics don't tell the story. Highly recommend!! read more

I moved here from a city in West Virginia in which the best restaurant in town, literally, was the Red Lobster. My mom was classically trained in cooking (Cordon Bleu), and my brother used to manage the Hampshire house, overlooking the public gardens in Boston. I may not have the most discerning tastebuds, but they're pretty good, and I really missed good food. My wife's tastebuds are even more finely tuned (her Scandanavian grandmother was a pastry chef for some of the wealthy families whose "cottages" line the Rhode Island coast). Discovering Sovana Bistro a mile from my new home was like a fresh spring after a parched desert trip. I have eaten at this restaurant, with my wife and guests, at least 100 times over the last ten years and have never had a meal I didn't enjoy. Everyone I've taken there has loved the food. Craig Laban (Phil. Inquirer's excellent food writer) reviewed the restaurant and gave it 3 of 4 bells (an extremely good rating, and rarely awarded). In fact, I've stated that there have been only one or two meals that were notable rare exceptions to usually superb food: they were merely good! The restaurant has gone from serving very large portions many years ago (used to be you almost had to share a salad) to smaller ones. I think "realistically sized" is probably apt. If you expect a McCormick and Schmick-sized porterhouse, you'll probably be disappointed. If you want to enjoy incredible taste combinations prepared expertly, and want to be able to walk and not have to be rolled to your car after your meal, I suggest that you give Sovana a try. If you want to calibrate your alignment with my review here, my other favorites are in the other direction: Keens Chophouse for steak and Balthazar's for brunch, both in NYC). Regarding cost, for years Sovana was BYOB, and one was charged merely for corkage. Predictably, the food was not cheap. But I don't think it was ever way out of line compared to other excellent restaurants. It now has a full-service bar (yours truly was the bar's first customer!), but you can still BYOB. I feel that it's excellent food at reasonable (not cheap, but reasonable) prices. The Tuna tartar (raw sushi tuna with avocado in a lime vinagrette) is terrific. The Calimari with deep-fried lemon slices and chili aioli, the hanger steak, and the apple crisp are my 6'4" son's favorite (he eats the calimari, I eat both the squid and the lemon slices). I've enjoyed the hanger steak, the local duck, short ribs, halibut, and the "local" pocono trout. We often order the goat cheese-prosciutto pizza. Brocoli rabe is a good side dish. The creme brulee is as good as I've had. Obviously, I'm a fan, but as I've said, everyone I've ever brought here over the years (including my mom and brother, who should know) have loved it. I hope you do, too. DISCLOSURE: My son has worked, as a food runner, at Sovana. read more

We have been taking clients to lunch at Sovana Bistro for over 10 years. The Express Lunch is unbeatable. Always tasty and inventive it's a crowd pleaser. They also have a great selection of salads,sandwiches and pizza. The staff is friendly and informed. Love Sovana Bistro! read more

Sovana Bistro - Express Lunch - Mediterranean Near Me - East Marlborough, Pennsylvania

Overall, meh! With an attitude that focuses on food, the execution isn't really there. Overcooked pasta and a cramped atmosphere aren't lending well the experience. To bring this idea of cuisine to Kennett is a great and needed idea. However Sovana doesn't nail it down just right. The food is just OKAY. Expect to be wowed by some of their menu's items, but afterwards find yourself questioning the meal and experience itself. Ask the locals, as a foodie, their's definitely some better spots. Nice effort though. read more

Most amazing food I have ever had.. If you enjoy pairing wine with food ask for the flight of wine with whatever you order.. they do not disappoint! read more

Excellent food. Consistent and unique dishes. We've eaten here many times and plan to in the future. Really a top notch establishment with a very good gluten free options. I highly recommend and was also pleased to lean on our last visit that their gluten free wood fired pizza is truly gluten free. It's cooked in a way to prevent cross contamination. I haven't had the pizza yet but intend to in the future. I was offered gluten free dinner dinner rolls which I declined. My husband is not gluten free and loved their regular bread. I do recommend reservations. Their salads are amazing. I had the beet salad and others in our party had Caesar salad and some sort of apple salad. The Amish chicken was a hit as was the special fish of the day. My husband loves their burgers. One of the best things about the menu besides the gluten free options is that you can have a very expensive meal or not. You can order cedar plank salmon or less expensive items like pizza or a burger. read more

I'll start off by admitting that I consider myself a spoiled little foodie. Living in Philadelphia, we have a plethora of restaurants at our fingertips and we definitely take advantage of it! I'm not dissing suburban restaurants, I'm just trying to be fair in saying that I have high expectations. That being said, Sovana was soooooo disappointing. Our food was bland and way overpriced. So disappointing, in fact, that by the time we were ready for dessert we decided to just cut our loses, get the bill and go elsewhere. On the positive: our server was quite sweet and accomodating. She did her best to be attentive, even though she was quite busy with tables outside. We had other staff repeatedly peek around the corner into our dining space, literally, twenty times or more, (and we were the only ones in that section for the first 45 minutes or so) but no one ever refilled our empty water glasses, cleared our plates or asked us how we were doing. Not sure exactly what it was they were so frequently "checking" for (?). Another postive: I started off with a watermelon basil margarita that was quite refreshing and something I've never had before, always a good thing. Sadly, that was the first and last thing I tasted all night that was tasty. We started off with a five-piece cheese plate. How can a cheese plate not be what you expect? Well, it disappointed. Mostly, because the portions of cheese were insanely small. Literally, two small bites of each cheese (=1 bite each, for both of us). Also, the temperature wasn't quite right on all the cheeses. Namely, the La Tur, one of my favorite cheeses, was almost warm when served, it was really unappetizing. Where's Jose Garces when you need him? He needs to teach them a thing or to. Next I had the watermelon salad. The watermelon was perfectly ripe (thumbs up) but unfortunately the arugula was soggy which really killed the texture of the dish (soft watermelon + soft feta + soggy arugula = mushy food). My husband ordered the tuna tartar, it was GRAY...enough said. For an entree I ordered the gnocchi with morels and fava beans. I was excited, as this entree combined three of my favorite things all in one! What could go wrong? Weeelllll, apparently lots could go wrong. The biggest offender was the bland sauce that covered everything. Basically browned butter that wasn't browned effectively, it really drowned the dish in a sea of bland. I had to ask for salt, which I feel is insulting and very rarely do; but desperate times call for desperate measures. Also, the gnocchis were off, they didn't have that 'melt in your mouth' quality that makes gnocchis what they are. (I was even open to forgiving this, given that I live in south philly and have a very high standard for gnocchis) but read on... As far as the morels, fava beans and aged goat cheese: they were missing in action. There were, literally, about 2 morels: chopped into tiny little bits, too small to savor, about 5-6 fava beans and the goat cheese....maybe that was the scant sprinkle on top, certaintly too small an amount to add any appreciable flavor. The real offender, though, was the price: a staggering $26 dollars for a vegetarian pasta entree is a lot, especially when all the side-kicks are missing from the party. My husband had the fish du jour and it was criminal. I don't even eat fish and the first thing I noticed was that it was ridiculously over-cooked. He said it tasted as bad as it looked. It was especially shocking given that this was the special. Overall, I would have been disappointed to eat this food anywhere, but given the amount of money we spent, it was just wrong! There was nothing seasonal or fresh about what we had, with the exception of the watermelon. There were two morels in my pasta entree...we're in Kennet Square, for God's sake! I feel that the menu massively misrepresented the food. read more

We were toying with going to Newton's on State Street but opted to take a look at Sovana instead. Glad we did. Sovana is more upscale and has a varied menu ranging from humble pizzas for one to quail served with a foie gras "scrapple." The wine list is extensive and there are several fine choices by the glass (Pinotage: $8- excellent!). I began with the apple salad which was served with gorgonzola cheese, raisins, spiced pecans and arugula. Super good. My H had the Sovana mixed greens which was very pretty, crisp and fresh. We opted for pizza simply because that's what we wanted. I had the Corn pizza and, as the name implies, it had corn. It also had salami, jalapeno, cilantro and feta cheese. Really very good. My H had the Fran's Meatballs pizza, not as great but still tasty. It had no cheese at all and the meatballs, well let's just say, hard to tell if they were good since they were applied so sparingly (maybe two sliced up). We passed on dessert. Abby was our very wonderful server. Total cost without tip: $71. read more

Service outstanding . Portions small and the food was overpriced. Nice atmosphere but nothing special . Very average.$8 cork fee. W

My wife and I have been longtime patrons of Sovana Bistro and have eaten here hundreds of times since it opened in the late 90's. Even though occasionally, you will find that you will get an exception meal, the probability that you will get a mediocre meal is increasing with frequency. Over the past year, the meals have been getting much worse. This is a shame because, It had been my favorite restaurant. If Sovana Bistro would go back to offering some better dishes as they did 10 years ago, I hope they can improve. read more

Okay so what I think a lot of people forget is that when this place opened up in the 90's and before it got all the hype from their NY Times reviews, this was just another run of the mill pizza joint. For anyone who has been in its current state it will probably be hard to wrap your head around, but Sovana not only had typical townie pizza place menu items, they also delivered! The restaurant slowly evolved into what it is now and while obviously they're very successful in how its running now, there yuppy atmosphere and insane prices are a little bit too much. I have been to Sovana countless times, in all of its stages of progression and there were pros and cons to all of them. Most recently however, I had what will probably be my last ever experience with Sovana Bistro.. I used to order their chicken Caesar salads alllll the time in high school, college and after I graduated and they were always really delicious albeit on the pricey side, I knew that I'd be spending more than I would for the same thing at pretty much any other restaurant in a 10 mile radius, however last week when I called in a to-go order for my fav chicken Caesar salad I was super excited, that is until I got to Sovana to pick up my lunch and the little high school girl behind the counter rang up my total $22.48!!! That's right over $22 for a fricking salad with chicken! That is more than the cost of a bag of three full hearts of romaine, a quarter pound of gourmet parmesan cheese, a pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts at the grocery store combined. Ever since they got there big name reviews, the prices have sky rocketed along with the egos of whomever is running this place. Charging that amount for a salad with a very very small amount of chicken is robbery, especially when the chicken has more char on it than when I forget about something that I left on the grill. I paid for and ate the salad because I was hungry and didn't have time to order and wait for something else at a more sanely priced establishment, but you'd think for that price it would be the best G-D salad in the world, but nope. I will not be going back any time soon if at all. read more

This used to be one of the top restaurants in the area. I have been here many times but the food creativity has deteriorated to the point it is obvious they are attempting to make dishes that are clearly lacking flavor or adding too much salt to cover up the lack of flavor. The ingredients are not blending well. I don't know if they have changed cooks. Not sure if I will go back. read more

I went to Sovana hoping for a fabulous meal. Instead I got terrible service, hostile attitudes, and everything looks rushed. Overall makes me want to talk to the manager. The service made me feel like I wasn't even there. My server, Becky, smelled bad, looked unkept, and her uniform wasn't together. She also made us seem like an after thought. I don't like to call out others and I definitely don't like to write reviews because maybe they were having a rough day but It was so outrageous. It's happened more than once too. Another time, my busser, Jordan, didn't fill our waters, I could see him stand in the back talking to other workers, and he didn't clear any of our plates. These two experiences make me want to talk to the manager and make sure me, my family, and friends never come back! I do have to say I had this busser, Logan, he always had a smile, always on top of his work and made sure our waters were filled and plates were cleared. read more