Sofra Restaurant - Edmonton

The moment you enter this place you know your in for a treat! It's inviting aromas from the kitchen greet you right at the door.

I love this place and I used to be a regular except that they do not take children under 12 (tip!).

Ah sofraI never knew you were thereI cannot believe sofra has been in its location for 11 years and I go to the hairdresser up the street.

The decor was simple, yet tasteful. The Nazar imbedded in the middle of the tables, was a nice subtle touch which reminded us of our travels to Turkey. It was also the only reminder of Turkey that we saw.The appetizers were very much a taste of Turkish cuisine, and highly recommend the pastrami stuffed with goat cheese and dates, as well as the yaprak sarma (grape leaves with rice and raisins)For entrees, the ground beef kabob was good, but certainly didn't reflect the flavours experienced in Turkey. The lamb kabob on the other hand was cooked to perfection and had the flavours that brought back fond memories of our travels through Turkey.The pleasant surprise was the duck kabob, which looked and tasted as exotic as the region in which it was inspired.The letdown of the entrees was the side salad that accompanied the dishes. It was basically greens from a bag, that you could buy at any grocery store. There were no vibrant colours, textures or flavours like we experienced in Turkey, and the greens actually diminished the plate presentation.Overall, for Edmonton it's a great introduction to the flavours of Turkey, but it would be nice to see and experience a stronger Turkish profile in the food. Definitely recommend this restaurant.

One of our favourite restaurants and on our list when visiting Edmonton.. The owner is the chef, butcher , recipe developer and extremely social with the guests. A family vibe comes across when eating at this restaurant! The servers are fantastic, friendly and very knowledgable about the menu items.