The Plaza Bistro

Plaza Bistro was a horrible experience for me and my Family. It took over an hour to get our mediocre food. The shared plates were horribly overpriced with tiny portions. In addition, the service was sub-​standard and at times non-​existent. Epic fail!

I took my visiting Swiss friends to Sonoma, and our plan was to eat at the Swiss Hotel. But they were closed, so we headed around the plaza and found the Plaza Bistro. Having never been there, (nor did I check Unilocal first) we decided to give it a try. Bad mistake. The food was nothing special, it was cold and salad was served with dinner. The biggest problem was server who tried several times to remove our plates, and we were still eating. We finally told her that there is a way to see when people are done eating… by the placement of the silverware. I think this place could be better, if the food was properly cooked, and the servers trained. Probably won’t go back, as Sonoma has many more places.

The server tried hard, but needs re-​training from management. The cooks wore (dirty) sweat shirts and baseball caps which I find disgusting especially when you are trying to enjoy the meal and they also need to learn how to wash their hands. Food was poor and not appealing. This was a diner trying to be a restaurant. YUK.

Hold out for another restaurant.
This is an underwhelming and overpriced bistro.
I ordered the special, a New York steak, and it was one of the blandest steaks I’ve ever had.
My girlfriend ordered the clams, one of which was completely muddy, so it apparently had not been cleaned. Cap that off with a Moscow mule that was so bitter and tart that I couldn’t finish it (and I’ll drink almost anything) and you have a seriously «meh» experience at a place with upper-​scale prices. Looks (and fancy-​looking menus) can be deceiving. Don’t be fooled.

No. No. No.
The server took forever to check on our table.
I ordered the clams and there was MUD caked in one of the shells with mud floating in the sauce. The sauce was overly salty with little other flavor.
I also ordered the Caesar salad and lobster thermadore. Both were forgettable and mediocre.
Definitely not worth the money considering the other great restaurants in this area.
I will never go here again.

Would do zero stars if I could. Came in for a quick drink after walking around the square. There were no seats at the bar but the host/​waiter said we could sit at a table and he’d wait on us. That was the end of the good experience. The drinks took 15 minutes, which was cool because we weren’t in a hurry. But the wait was not worth it. My Moscow mule was undrinkable. Literally the only thing I could taste was lime. It was the equivalent of sucking on an entire lime. It gave me heartburn with every sip. Not sure if there was vodka in it or ginger beer. The husband had a sangria, which did not reach the levels of awfulness as mine, but sucked nonetheless. So, maybe they have good wines?

Food was «good». Nothing special or spectacular. It’s a place when you can not get in any where else

Mediocre at best. Coke was flat, we told them that the co2 machine might be low and we were still charged for the flat soda. The sandwich my husband ordered came with condiments that he asked not to be on his sandwich. He asked for extra crispy fries and they were limp.
My sandwich was uneventful.

Disappointed!!!
Have eaten here a few times for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. However, tonight we had dinner and I was very disappointed with the Wild King Salmon that was nothing more than farmed salmon. Didn’t think restaurants still pulled this old trick. Too bad. I will never frequent this place again.

No hostess at station. Bartender seated us. He disappeared. 10 mins. Later waiter appeared. We left. It was apparent they were not into their job! This place had no enthusiasm. Fired. Sonoma is pretty much redneck. No joke.

I was a bit apprehensive to eat here after reading the reviews, but my friends and I still decided to try it. We were outside the restaurant figuring out if we wanted to eat here since it was a bit pricey, though it was what I expected to pay being here in SF. One worker, possibly the manager, came out and asked if we needed anything, he even spoke about other restaurants in the area.
With no wait, we were seated in the back outside, which was quiet and shaded –very nice. The bread along with the oil & balsamic vinaigrette was great. I order the Pan Roasted Chicken Breast, which was delicious. The chicken had no bone and was very moist. My friends got the Grilled Salmon sandwich, the veggie hash, and the French toast.
I’m not a huge fan of salmon, but the sandwich was pretty tasty and not overwhelming. The French toast was also delicious. I did not try the veggie hash but my friend enjoyed it.
The staff was very helpful and attentive. Our water glasses were rarely empty. They also split our bill so we could pay individually. Great experience overall.

I went to the Bistro to hear the John Kalleen Group and was pleasantly surprised to find the quality of the food to be good and reasonably priced. I left nothing on the plate and enjoyed every bite! I would gladly go back just to eat. The staff was courteous and friendly, even if a bit inexperienced. I give them high marks for friendliness.
The venue was excellent for a jazz quintet. The room was small enough to give that intimate jazz club atmosphere that’s virtually impossible to find anymore. I salute any establishment that is willing to engage a jazz quintet and support the art form.

On the square in Sonoma and This looked like a pleasant spot to enjoy a little late lunch and glass of local wine — it did not disappoint. I was greeted with a friendly, «come on in» and proceeded to order the special, a Bay shrimp sandwich and a glass of Vigognier from Cline Cellars, which is just down the road. The shrimp sandwich was excellent, served open-​faced with melted cheddar and Thousand Island. The Wine complemented it well. Pretty close to the perfect lunch on a beautiful California afternoon!

I liked my $ 11 hamburger with an excellent salad. My wife laughed at her salmon on top of her salad as it was boiled pieces of salmon that looked like canned salmon. It was boring and tasteless. But my food was fine but probably will try somewhere else next time.

We decided to try this during our visit to Sonoma and we were not impressed, we would never eat here again.
I got the wedge salad and the dressing was too strong with the mix of garlic and bleu cheese.
My sister was unimpressed with the Caesar, it didn’t have a very good taste.
My mom got the chicken sandwich with fries and the fries were pretty good but the sandwich was just okay.
My son got the salmon sandwich with the salad, that had nothing but lettuce. No tomatoes, no cucumber, nothing but dressing and lettuce.
My mom had ordered a water but the waiter hadn’t brought it when he brought our sodas so she asked again for her water and he brought four.
The waiter didn’t seem very interested in serving us, maybe we weren’t his approved kind.

We decided to stop here, unfamiliar with the restaurants in the area. This was probably not the smartest choice.
The ambiance is great, people are nice for the most part … Just a couple of things that could have been better.
First I noticed the table outside received significantly more wine than we did. Okay. That’s fine. But then …
I ordered the salmon sandwich. Suffice it to say, I could have ordered grilled paper and it would have been the same. Paper thin salmon that tasted like charcoal. When I addressed this to the server, his response was, «Well, you ordered it well done and it shrinks.» Probably not the best answer.
My mom ordered chicken, that was drier than the Mohave desert. Looking at other food being served, it’s dry and unappealing.
I typically give restaurants a second chance but definitely not this place. Never again. The whole package is just not worth it.

Made lunch reservations for 4 about a month in advance. It was a cute little café with a bar inside. Service was great and the environment was nice. The food was good but nothing to go out of my way for. We had the cheese plate, 4 different kinds of cheeses with assorted nuts to go with them. I had the grilled salmon sandwich which was good but not very flavorful. We also all shared the crepes, which had an odd texture but were very flavorful. All in all I had a good experience but it was not much to brag about.

For two people on Monday evening — we experienced good service from Claudia — personable, knowledgeable and helpful. The food was very good: Risotto, Duck confit, Spanish Jamon Serrano orderves, Cucumber martini and wine. Claudia was helpful in suggesting wine which we each enjoyed very much. We also had tiramisu and a sambuca. The tiramisu I do not normally enjoy, but this one was very good!
There were a couple other «table for two» seats by the window that were filled and refilled while we ate. I didn’t care for the ambiance of pulled curtains to hide the kitchen and looking outside to see a row of parked cars. There are subliminal messages that whisper «You are eating in a parking lot» and «We can’t decide what to do here, so we will put up this big curtain.» Can you hear the ambiance whispering?

OMG — I am a local here in beautiful Sonoma and this restaurant is a huge embarrassment!!! You must first look at the management/​ownership and think to yourself what the hell!!! With reservations for 17 people we sat and were ignored and then finally served the worst food/​breakfast we have ever experienced. How could a chef possibly screw up eggs and potatoes as badly as it was? Unfortunately most of us had to return our meals to have corrected and cooked/​re-​cooked and two of us had to return our meals three times for the chef to get it right.
Bottom line, there are a lot of wonderful restaurants in Sonoma and this is not one of them. Is it possible to rate a restaurant with a –5 star?
Management needs to get there act together or close your doors.

I should have known better. My Mom and I wanted go to Girl and the Fig on a Thursday night, but didn’t make reservations. When we arrived at 6:45pm, Girl and the Fig was packed with the earliest seating at 8:45 for TWO! Since it’s my favorite place in Sonoma Square, I should have planned ahead.
Mom recommended we go across the square and check out Plaza Bistro. This place was Deadsville on a Thursday night. 3 people at the bar and one couple on the front patio. That’s it! No hostess. No bartender. We thought the place might be closed, so I checked the hours. Nope, it was open and the hostess finally emerged. How could this place be so empty when nearby restaurants are packed? I’ll tell you… price, food, and service.
We were seated inside by the window. I was trying to figure out how other restaurants were packed and hardly anyone was here. Then, I saw the menu prices. That could be one reason. I asked Mom if she wanted to leave, but she thought she’d try it out. Soon thereafter, the bartender (guy in his 40s-​50s, possibly manager?) opened the front window curtains. I think we might have been used as advertising for people walking down the sidewalk to show that people actually come here.
I ordered a side of Calamari and a cup of soup, Lentil with Bacon. Mom ordered the Pork Scaloppine and a Beet Salad. The Cup of Soup was average… something I could get out of a can and NOT worth $ 5 for a CUP OF SOUP. The Calamari had neither rings nor tentacles, so it was either sliced Calamari Steaks or frozen from a bag. Not crispy, but wiggly. Not good.
The Beet Salad was alright, but not worth $ 8.95 (but a better price than their $ 9.25 iceburg salad… ICEBURG!). The Pork Scaloppine was thin and not tender enough to cut with the provided butter knife. My Mom never complains about food, but she actually commented that her pork was not tender or very good. So, the food is another problem.
Finally, the service is almost non-​existent. The hostess IS the waitress. If she’s in kitchen, you have neither. I watched as people came into the restaurant, waited for someone to seat them, and left when nobody came. I also watched one couple, who was eventually seated outside by the bartender, get up and leave because nobody came to take their order. I cannot entirely blame the staff for the service issue. The management needs one more person to serve as either the hostess or waitress/​waiter. You cannot have an unstaffed restaurant lobby!
I understand that this place has live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Perhaps that’s their selling point because it’s not the food or the service or the price (though people will pay if the food is good). My suggestion would be to turn this place into a wine bar with live music and leave it at that.
Moral of the story: ALWAYS make reservations for The Girl and the Fig!