Don't understand why the ratings for this place is so low. The service was impeccable, we were served by Josh and he was delightful. We ordered the Pollo Funghi Penne and the Marinated Ribs, which came out extremely quickly. The chicken and mushroom pasta was decent, good flavour but nothing too special. But the beef ribs were sensational - the meat was so soft and completely fell off the bone. We also ordered the ice cream tower, which was nice to eat as well. The only downside is it was a little expensive, but if you order the right dishes I can see how it can be worth it. Great view of the beach too.
Came in for a late lunch and we had the pasta for two and a bbq pizza. The portions of the pasta has dropped tremendously and it is a lot smaller than before.
The flavours were still good but you might need to order a few more item given the smaller size.
Not sure why is the review so bad in Zomato.... but we had an awesome lunch here, pizza , pasta and seafood platter were scrumptious with generous portion!! Highly recommended :)
We absolutely love this place. The food is perfection! You will not get a better serve or quality of seafood anywhere else. They are so well priced for what they offer! We are now regulars! Coffee is perfection too!
I honestly just had the mixed gelato/ice cream from here all the time, I believe that it's actually really good and well worth the $12. the scene is awesome; like if you ever visit Frankston - you should come to this place.
Only recommend for those with a large appetites.
huge portions. prawns a amazing. be prepared to take leftovers home if ordering mains.
great view of the ocean if dining alfresco.
very busy so dont expect quick service unless you are prepared to order at front desk.
Visit to frankston beach is incomplete without visit to sofia. Must try their ice creams. Love the portion and taste of potato wedges and nachos.
All the times I have visited the food has been good there's been no real problem. They have the restaurant bit and a take away fish and chips place with ice cream. Good for big groups, the price is average. The staff are nice but when you go up to pay they don't seem to happy about split bill.
I had been to see a friends art exhibition locally and decided we should grab some lunch before driving home. Sofia's was suggested because of the nice water views and sizeable portions. I had the penne pesto which was very enjoyable and super super cheap at $15 for a main. The fare is casual Italian with a menu akin to La Porchetta, nothing fancy but definitely satisfying
Fried Fritto Misto is a must everytime I go to Sofia😋 The American pizza and the chicken risotto were fine. Didn't order Carbonara spaghetti this time but it is certainly another reason to go again!
I been here several times with my girlfriend which lives around the corner. The food is mainstream and also offers large sizes which is why I love it
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Went down for a quiet birthday dinner with the parents. As a member of the frequent diner club you get a $20 voucher in a email to use around your birthday as well as earning loyalty points every time you dine and they swipe your card. I had a frangelico on ice, could have done with a little less ice as it diluted the flavour a bit. Mum had a lovely glass of local sav blanc and dad just stuck with his limoncello! Within minutes of ordering food it was on the table as usual. I had the gnocchi amatriciana (minus mushrooms due to allergy, they are more than happy to oblige) entrée size, which is huge and a side of their onion rings which are in tempura batter and the best around! So light and crispy. Mum and dad both had the seafood baked avocado and both ordered a $6 side salad, not realizing that the side salad could have fed all of us as a side. As usual the seafood in their dish was fresh and delicious. We decided to go thirds in the huuuuuge crème brûlée as not one of us could have managed it on our own and the crunch was perfect and the custard underneath was smooth, sweet and not at all egg-y like some I've tried!
I had so much left over gnocchi they gladly gave me a takeaway container and I enjoyed it the next day, but you must know how to store and reheat properly!!!!
Overall Sofia Frankston is amazing value for money, fast service and because of their location their seafood is always so fresh. I have been to a few other Sofia franchise restaurants and left without eating much or at all!
We will be back if we are in frankston and hungry as they always deliver excellence!
Nice food and the portions are crazy big (trust me, an "entree" size is twice as big as a regular in other restaurants). Very friendly stuff. The gnocchi are different from the ones I know from Europe but were tasty as well. I really enjoyed my pasta with seafood, the amount of shripms was really generous. The place itself is very nice, best when you're sitting on the terrace. Bear in mind that this is not classic Italian food... more like American-Australian-Italian version which I was preparred for. If you're looking for a classic, authentic Italian, that's not the place to go.
the location is awesome the food was great service was great too. overall a family place. A very busy restaurant but service was on time. will go back again when I am there
My family and I really enjoyed our meal here tonight. My mother and I ordered the pizzas which had generous toppings with a well cooked crispy base. My sister enjoyed her prawns which can be a hit miss affair at other restaurants. But the biggest indication that Sofias Frankston is a solid restaurant was the fact that my Father really liked his Gnocci pasta, given the fact that he usually complains at least once at other places. Service when we were at the table was great but my only gripe would have to be the wait front of house to get a table. Other than that we thought this place was great.
(Can the management confirm this place has been changed hands recently? Just heard from friends. 2018 Feb)
Never fails me since 2002. Alway amazing food and service, regardless the place was busy or slow.
Recently been there to try the seafood and steak/ribs and they were beyond my expectations. Well done people.
28 January 2017: was here for the first time. I asked the waiter how long it would take for them to serve barramandi to me. "7 mins" he said although place was quite full. I ordered and sat down on a table he pointed to me. Two other waiters attended to me asking if I had been served. Service was great. Around 7 mins later, I got my pan fried barramundi. It was great. Portions were substantial. To pay, I had to queue at the cash till. I asked if they had a tip box. Sure, cashier told me. You can throw your cash into that bottle of water (after all, Frankston is famous for their "water" (sea water). Would come again if I were in the vicinity. I live 1 hr away.
Had lunch here today with my dad. We had the calamari twisters and the lemon pepper calamari salad. Both were absolutely delicious!! Setting is great, right on the water. Staff were a bit of a mixed bag of extremely good and obviously brand new, but overall pleasant. The only thing i didn't like was the kitchen ringing the bell very loudly, constantly, throughout the whole of lunch. I work in a restaurant and the sound of the bell was extremely stressful for me. I'm sure it didn't bother anyone else too much, but it did take away from my experience a fair bit. Overall we had a great lunch and would definitely recommend.
Had an excellent meal at their $12 steak Thursdays.
Service staff were run off their feet and they made the best effort they could to stay on top of this packed service.
They were lovely and very apologetic about the wait, they've all made a fantastic effort.
The negative I have to say is that never have I seen a CHEF speak worse to the front of house and chefs are notoriously bad.
He is a rude prick. Your service staff shouldn't have to deal with him.
Nice place with great views, we had garlic prawns with nice which was yum! Chairs weren't overly comfortable but sitting outside with the views were worth it, will be back!
Great cheap eat with HUGE meals. Iv been here a couple of times and if you want a full stomach at a reasonable price this is the place for you!
We went yesterday for dinner, family of 7. The waiter was very attentive and patient with all the children especially. We will be back! We ordered gnocchi, lasagne and spaghetti. Very big serves and all delicious! Also the big bowl of gelato was a great end to the meal.
The best pizza I've had so far and definitely a value for money! The perfect weather to have this dish is a warm summer evening, but who's to say that you can't order this in Winter too!
The food is huge when me and my friend cannot finish it all when we just ordered 2 main course. I have admit that the ingredients of dish is really fresh and premium, however,the taste is a bit unbalance that I have to use plenty of salt. The customer servise was good.
Lot of hate for poor Sofia... I personally don't mind their pizzas. For amount of money you will spend the pizza's are good value. Are they the best pizzas you will ever eat...probably not. But not nearly as bad as some the reviews suggest.
Came in a group of 6, had a large pasta carbonara, Large Mariana pizza and a seafood platter. Super full & yum . Friendly service. Great food :)
You can't go wrong with such a low priced restaurant located right on the beach! We only ordered affogatos and a large bruschetta for $13 which was insanely huge, and delicious and garlic-y! Our waitress was lovely and we were served quickly on a busy Saturday. It's certainly not fine dining but I can't fault it for the price.
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Reviews of Sofia weren't great but because of it's great location, we still gave it a try on a busy Sunday (for lunch) nonetheless, with low expectations.
The restaurant was almost full so we didn't get a table outside but the nice waiter gave us a table indoor which still had a view. The waitress who took our order warned us of big portions & indeed servings are huge! Service was prompt & we didn't wait long for our food which came out around the same time.
Spinach, ricotta & sundries tomatoes pizza - crispy crust with nice flavours that worked well together, yum!
Lemon batter fish & chips - fish was good, chips were not consistent.
Fish of the day (barramundi) - fish was a tad under seasoned, there was a bone which is big no no for me, loads of vegetables (there was already steamed vegetables & yet there was still a bowl of salad at the side).
Mushroom & chicken risotto - best of the four mains!
Iced chocolate was a hit with the kiddos. However, the Thunder Road beer was just ordinary.
All in all, lunch exceeded our expectations, food was ok/good but not great.
Loved how it was affordable eventhough it was in public recreational area. Overall their food was good. Always crowded. Great service and price
Had lunch here the other day with family members outside on the deck. The service was great and speedy. Food were expensive but delicious.
We ordered cappuccino ($3.50), café latte ($3.50), 1 lemon pepper calamari ($22) and lemon pepper fish ($23).
The only downside was the prices.
I know Sofia's gets really busy but most the food is really great here even though some times it can take a while to come out really! I haven't tried coffee yet but we definitely would come back. Something to work on would be a quicker service and get some cheerful workers.
Sofia's all round excellent service!. When I entered sofia's i was greeted with a homely vibe, it is a restaurant that truly cares about your customer experience, the way family cares about you. The food portions are huge and the food itself is magnificant! i would highly recommend!
2nd Time Visit. Extremely large serves. Bring a friend and order 1 dish at a time. Staff handle most things- including wild weather events -with a smile. Be back again.
Best Sofias. I had a lovely experience. entree arrived in good time, table was cleared swiftly after entree, once drinks were finished waiters came around and asked if we would like refills. Dinner came out soon after and was delicious. Service from the staff was excellent especially from Daniel who then helped us out with ice creams for dessert. Would defintly dine again
Quick service and a generous plate. The staff member who served us was friendly and considerate. But I reckon playing light non lyric music (perhaps jazz or piano) would create a warmer and more welcoming atmosphere, especially in the heated outside area.
Nice food. Loved the Margherita Pizza though it had a lot of cheese in it. Kids enjoyed the Kids meals too. Some items were a bit too salty.
Found this place while visiting the area and walking along the foreshore. It was a bitterly cold winter evening. The staff welcomed me warmly and were very friendly and helpful. I ordered the veal scaloppini and a glass of wine. It wasn’t fine dinning and it was a huge serve, but it was delicious and value for money. Staff made me feel really welcome and food was good, can easily recommend.
Mothers day luncheon.
Was pleasing that it WASN'T a set menu and we could box up and take home any food we couldn't finish.
Very good staff, super delicious food.
Update 13/6/22: We ordered 2x large The Lot pizzas, and it was still just as good as when I visited two years ago. Generous toppings; very fresh, flavoursome ingredients; piping hot. I particularly enjoyed the crispy onions, olives, and hot salami. Lovely, friendly, welcome service.
June 2020:
Reading the reviews to this place, I was very skeptical about visiting. However, it seems they have been either subject to grave exaggeration or unrealistically high expectations.
I ordered a Small "The Lot" pizza, and was very satisfied with it – served straight from the oven, with layers of well flavoured toppings. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, and the restaurant was clean and well lit. The beach surroundings were a bonus.
Great cafe. Lovely food and the staff are really good. Ordered a large bbq chicken pizza, big size serving enough for 2 ppl.
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