Sovana Bistro

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.

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.

The classy ambiance is immediately noticeable — but when you get the food, you’ll probably be sold. The fare seems to be a mix of classic American and Italian. I had a mozarella, tomato, and basil toasted sandwich that was topped off with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar — delicious. Looking forward to coming back here again.

Really enjoyed the restaurant with my family after an evening at Longwood Gardens. Excellent service! Cool restaurant design. I personally had the spaghetti with squid pieces in a red sauce and it was delicious! I would recommend it over the parapadelle with the wild boar ragu sauce which my wife had and was less flavorful. My father ordered the burger and it looked incredible. My mother had the mushroom tortellini which she liked but they didn’t seem like anything too special. Excellent and large Caesar salad. The pizzas looked great but we didn’t try any.
Two minor annoying things. One, I ordered my pasta as a main dish and they brought me the appetizer size and then offered to make me some more. Not a big deal but I was surprised they still charged me for the full size considering they sort of messed up.
The weirdest thing was the men’s restroom. When I went to the door, it wasn’t locked properly and I was in on a dude on the toilet. So when it was my turn, I triple checked it was securely locked. Low and. behold, as I was getting ready to wash my hands, someone walked into the bathroom. I am glad it was not while I was using the toilet as that would’ve been more embarrassing. I think they need to check the lock on their men’s room.

Consistently good food. Great for drinks or dinner. Love the interior of this restaurant with warm woods against some industrial/​chic finishes. Would love the chefs to change up the menu a bit more.

I don’t think it is possible to get bad food or bad service in this place. It is amazing how everything is always so perfect.

The cocktail menu seemed good but wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. The apps were good just completely overpriced and don’t get the octopus because that is the worst of them all and the dinners are mediocre and not worth waiting an hour for… And again extremely over priced… I’m all for spending money on good food if its worth it but this place just didn’t do it for me… Btw the beer on tap is good but they serve it warm

Delicious!!! Our first time at the resturant, so it appears that menu changes… not really sure. Nice selection of ‘signature’ drinks and beers. Had the skirt steak. Cooked to exact medium as ordered. If there is a downside, it would be the price. But Unilocal does have it as $$$ so i guess should be expected. But nice evening. Great Service. Called the night before for reservations and left my info on the reservation voice mail. Got a call the next morning at 11am to confirm it. Really appreciated that. Would come back for our next special occasion.

This place is always good. Great menu and solid service. They have delicious pizzas and offer half portions of their entrees. Nice wine selection. Bar area is small and awkward. And while food is great, overall prices are quite high.

I had dinner there with friends on Sunday. I have eaten here at least 6 times so… The food and service is good. The prices they charge are high for what you get and it was fine when they are BYOB but now that they serve a full liquor and wine selection come on! If your running a 20% food cost your killing your guests.

Fresh, creative and exceptionally delicious. Priced very reasonably too. Service was on point and very professional. The décor is charming too. Seats are a bit uncomfortable but go with the rustic theme. I would highly recommend this place. We drove about 40 mins to eat here and will do it again!

If this review was based on food and atmosphere I would give 5 stars. I’ve had many items on the menu I’ve enjoyed… kale Caesar, pizza, Bolognese, cheese platter. However the attitude of the staff can come off a bit brown-​nose.
The last time I went for lunch there were only five tables in the restaurant but our waiter was nowhere to be found most of the meal and our food came out staggered. We also had asked if we could get the lunch special (a half sandwich and salad) but instead have a whole sandwich and the waiter made it seem like we were asking the world of him.
Another occasion our waiter recommended a whiskey to my husband but neglected to mention it was $ 30 a glass! Another surprise on our bill was a $ 3 charge for an ice cube. The waiter asked my husband if he wanted a globe ice cube for his whiskey and he replied yes. Surely we didn’t think we would be charged for a piece of ice!
I’ll continue to go there simply because I love the food but service could use an overhaul.

WOW! If I opened a restaurant, I’d want it to be Sovana! What a beautiful atmosphere.
We went at 7:30 on a Friday night and sat outside at a big farmhouse table under the tent. All the tables were full, but our waiter Phillip was so prompt and attentive, you would’ve believed we were the only ones there. He talked about the specials and local ingredients with the passion and familiarity I’ve only heard on Iron Chef! Later, he offered some spot-​on wine pairings based on what we told him we liked, e.g. «Usually we drink New Zealand Sauv Blanc, but want to venture out.»
So that’s the service and the ambiance. Lively crowd, BTW, excellent first date or private party place. The cadence of the meal, too, was perfect. We were neither waiting nor rushed.
The food. You must order the mushroom side! Kale salad was also delectable and we enjoyed the skirt steak. My father-​in-​law, who never cleans his plate, raved about the Arctic Char on special. And the craft cocktails were unique, well-​balanced and inventive. The only slight disappointment was the ice cream and cheesecake desserts, but will give them a pass since they lost everything due to a power outage that week.
Will definitely be back. In fact, looking for an excuse to return immediately!

Came here for late evening repast after a long day at Longwood Gardens.
Food [A] The duck breast here is prepared quite well. Juicy inside and delicate crust outside with aptly paired sides. The honey BBQ lamb ribs (seasonal appetizer) intrigued me, and didn’t disappoint. Everyone at the table seemed to enjoy their entrees. Pricing was reasonable for the quality of food.
Service [A] There were no hiccups for this price point. Drinks were refilled regularly and food came out at a reasonable pace. Waitstaff were pleasant and enthusiastic, which is always a plus.
Ambiance [A] My initial impression while driving down the two-​lane road became more skeptical the more rural the landscape became. When you arrive at the complex, it’s like a mix of office buildings and strip mall. At that point, I basically had no expectations. Perhaps that elevated my observation. The place was already packed, but luckily seating was available. I think just 10 – 15 min after my arrival, the wait time soared to 1 hour or more. Poisson distribution :) Anyways, don’t let the drive in and the surrounding commercial-​ish area deter you. The interior is well decorated, and has a modern, but rustic feel. The environment is lively with appropriate lighting and reasonable spacing.
All in all, pleasantly surprised by this charming restaurant in the «countryside.»

Sovana Bistro is the perfect spot to have a glass of wine and a bite to eat. I go here often for business meetings. The quality of their selection is consistent and the staff is very knowledgeable and they present themselves with great professionalism. The outdoor seating is perfect during the spring and summer and inside the ambiance is tasteful and relaxed.
Sovana Bistro is always my first recommendation for dining in Kennett Square!

Well I’ve heard so many good reviews about this place so Joey and I tried it out on the way back to his moms.
We entered on a Sunday without a reservation and they sat us immediately. Place was quite around 6 but by 8 when we left it was busy.
We started with a three flight cheese course– it was flavorful and the garnishes of roasted nuts, fig jam, fresh honey comb and grilled bread all came together very nicely.
I had two apps the crispy calamari and the lamb tacos both delicious and flavorful. Presented well.
Joey had a hand tossed pepperoni pie. He loved it.
Food was great, our server and the rest of the service staff executed table maintenance with professionalism… So tell me this, with the menu prices as high as they are, the level of quality is there. What’s the friggin deal with those lousy, very uncomfortable and narrow dining room chairs. I would have enjoyed everything so so much better had it not been for the crapy chairs… Use some of the capital and invest in chairs that provide comfort like the food and service does… Pretty Please with a cherry on top.

My parents and I were being tourists in Kennett Square for the weekend. We found this place online, and it had good reviews, so gave it a shot. It was a busy place — loud and crowded on a Saturday night, which seemed like a good sign upon walking in the door.
If I was ranking on food alone, this place would get 4 stars easily. Unfortunately, we encountered a number of service flaws that left me less-​than-​impressed.
Starting with the food and drinks, we got cocktails at the bar. I would not recommend the Pisco Sour, but I really liked my Negroni. We got a bottle of wine with dinner, but be advised we saw several tables BYOB, so I guess this is an option, just not highly advertised. We had salads, which were quite large for one person, shared the fig and prosciutto pizza, and had the duck breast, skirt steak, and pork loin as entrees. Everything was definitely tasty, the portions were sizeable, and nicely presented.
On to the service…1. took forever to get ice water upon getting seated, finally had to ask. 2. After ordering and waiter telling us bread was coming, bread never came. Once again asked, got bread, and then our appetizers came out 2 seconds later. 3. I asked for my salad to be wrapped up so I didn’t spoil my appetite. Never got the salad back after they took it back to the kitchen to pack up. 4. Took way to long to get our entrees. 5. Never actually got silverware to eat dessert. Went ahead and used our coffee spoons, instead.
I will say, they get some credit for trying to remedy the service flaws. They brought out 3 glasses of champagne, and our desserts were on the house. We didn’t even have to say anything, they just did this, knowing that we waited a long time for our entrees.
If you have good service, this place would be spot on. Unfortunately, I probably won’t be rushing back next time we are in the area.

Sovana has been a family favorite for the last decade — their fare has evolved from simpler bistro standards to innovative gourmet dishes, but their commitment to quality of food and service remains unchanged.
For our most recent meal, we ordered the roasted quail appetizer — the portion was huge (one whole stuffed quail!), the stuffing was melt-​in-​your-​mouth tender, and the black truffle-​carrot purée was perfect.
For our entrées we ordered the Hudson Valley duck breast and the ricotta gnocchi with duck ragù special. The duck breast was lean yet succulent, well-​complemented by the earthy flavors of the celery root purée and braised red cabbage. The duck ragù component of the gnocchi dish was delicious — rich, tender, and perfectly savory. However, the gnocchi… was unlike any other gnocchi I’d ever had before. Rather than the fluffy texture of ricotta gnocchi, I felt the texture more resembled mozzarella string cheese sticks. They were dense, chewy, weirdly bouncy, and looked like they’d been sliced from a tube. I ended up only eating a few bites of the «gnocchi» and instead enjoyed the ragù as a super-​rich standalone stew.
The gnocchi was the only stumble in an otherwise excellent meal. Everything from the service to the food to the desserts (the butterscotch cake is to die for) reflected the ever-​rising quality of Sovana Bistro. It’s thrilling to know each time we come back to Sovana, something will have improved, and somehow, they will have pushed the borders of creativity a little further. Definitely give this place a try.

Ordered the corned beef sandwich for takeout. $ 12 was a little high for a sandwich and it wasn’t as big as I thought it would be for the price but it was tasty none the less. Not sure how I feel about the Rutabaga Sauerkraut. Cabbage sauerkraut is the way to go in my opinion. Ambiance of Sovana was rustic, warm and inviting. Staff were all friendly as I waited for my order. I’ve heard/​read lovely things about Sovana, so I intend to go for dinner in my very near future.

I haven’t set foot in this place in four years-​I had no idea they expanded into another bar, room, and outside terrace.
I had remembered that everything I ate from this restaurant years ago was executed nicely and was creative. This holds true as of last evening.
Beau-​the bartender– provided the best service to us (a group of cackling women enjoying multiple cosmos and glasses of wine). He was friendly and prompt– I was never without a beverage.
Now the good stuff: the food.
We ordered a corn pizza– ugh it was so good, complete with jalepeno, and salami. We also ordered the asparagus and egg pizza which was equally as delicious.
For my main, I ordered the small size of the wild boar papardelle– the flavors were amazing, but the temperature was luke warm. I was impatient so I did not send it back. The smaller of the two portions is the perfect size when ordering appetizers.
This restaurant is very pricey, but the quality of food is worth it. I definitely will be back when I visit my parents.