so restaurant-bar

forgot to add to my previous review
that although the wine list is great, it is not uncommon for them to only have 1 of the bottle you order. that has happened to us almost every time we have eaten there, which is a lot. but that's the only negative which isn't bad enough to keep me away! i still love the place!


-----17 aug, 2013-----

one of my local favorites! delicious fresh food with good ingredients, great wine list and fabulous atmosphere.

overpriced and underseasoned. i was looking forward to trying this place and expected to spend money. the seafood fondue we started with was very good, but the rest....underwhelming. the food is pretentiously presented but it seems that the chef hasn't head of basic seasonings (both mine and my companion's food had the same problem--it was completely bland!). there is also an automatically added 20% tip, which for a party of two i found insulting. the location is great; the ambiance is good--now they need to work on the food. i won't be going back--for the money there are much better restaurants.

what great dining should be. great experience at so for our group of 8 - awesome food, wonderful service, great ambiance. this was our second time to dine at so over about 6 months time, and both experiences were great!

not so!. last night six of us went to so restaurant for dinner. it was not a success.
the first problem was the smell of cigarette smoke as soon as we walked in. and it got so bad we complained to the waiter. the excuse was that it was coming in from the patio where smoking is allowed. truthfully, it smelled like the people at the next table were all puffing away. i swear we could see the smoke.
after the meal we rated it 2 stars out of 5 and that was being generous. with the menu prices quiet high, wine prices (200% - 300% markup) and a non-negotiable 20% gratuity we expected so much more. the tables were bare and unclean (where were the tablecloths?) and many of the dishes were just awful. the steamed mussels tasted old and overcooked and the crispy fried calamari was anything but crispy. they looked and tasted like they had been purchased battered and frozen. not at all appetizing. and the crepes cherries jubilee was disgusting. we're certain the cherries were canned. so, so disappointing.
the best thing about the meal were the other two couples with us.
for a supposedly upper class restaurant it was a major disappointment. needless to say, we'll never go back not even for a free meal!

so is so amazing. my wife and i celebrated our 26th anniversary tonight at so. it was our first time dining there. we were greeted at the door, called by name, and whisked to a 2 top booth reserved for us complete with flowers on the table. our service staff, joe and matt, gave impeccable and personable attention to us the entire night. bill, the general manager, came and greeted us personally. the other diners chatted and interacted with us as though we were longtime friends. the appetizer, oysters bienville, was delicious and beautifully presented. we had the butternut squash soup (both sweet with nutmeg and savory with pepper and cream) and the french onion soup served in a mini tureen--these soups on a cold winter night did not disappoint. our entrees, bone in veal and the surf and turf (filet and crab legs with drawn butter), were cooked to perfection. the piece de resistance was bananas foster prepared table side by bill. we have found our new "special" restaurant for special occasions. sonny williams, brave new restaurant and the pantry are still some of our favorites. but the attention to detail, the wonderful food, the staff, and the ambiance at so made us feel so special on our special day. you will want to dine at so soon.

spoil me !!. looking for a quaint place to get away from screaming kids and the stress of life? want to get the girls together for a drink because it’s been to long? trying to impress a date or an out of towner? then, i would highly recommend so restaurant and bar then. the staff is friendly and makes you feel like a priority, like you’re the only one in the restaurant even though that is never the case. the patio is a great escape with a beautiful view of a flower garden below. the owner of this restaurant can be easily spotted in glitz and high fashionable outfits and her kindness is overflowing. veo is by far one of the best reasons to dine at so. he is the most consistent bar tender i’ve ever followed around. i recommend the primo louis filet (crab on top of steak) or the surf n turf. if you walk out of the restaurant without a chocolate sack or jeannie’s (owner) tres leche you haven’t completed such a life changing experience. we tell everyone we know, go to so!

the best!. i have been here a handful of times, and every time it has been great. once the steak was overcooked, but they took it back and did everything in their power to remedy the situation. they cook a lot of food, sometimes it isn't going to be perfect and the way someone handles a mistake says way more about them than the fact that they made it in the first place. everyone does. but enough about that, we have come in on nights busy and slow and every time it is fantastic. bill the manager always has cool wines that are not on the list, and the list itself is amazing. the best i've ever seen for such a modelst place. food is always great and the people are usually so friendly. veo at the bar has been a friend of mine for a long time, since he was at cajun's wharf back in the day :) trey usually waits on us and does a fantastic job. he's really knowledgable and friendly. he wasn't in last time and the long haired guy took care of us and did an outstanding job as well. he was personable and very attentive, but not annoying about it. we will definitely be back!!

was in little rock on business. very friendly staff. great bone in steak. so good i went two nights in a row.

amazing!! my fiancé took me here and we shared the seafood fondue...wow!! he had a filet and i had the sea scallops, they were both well cooked. be prepared to spend a little money, but the food is worth it...one of the best restaurants little rock has to offer.

best experience. i recently dined at so restaurant and bar located off kavanaugh. the valet parking made it so convenient for front door service. i was immediately greeted by friendly people willing to wait on me. although it was busy which i expected it to be on a weekend i waited at the bar to have a cocktail with a few friends. our bartender was veo and he was such a delight. we laughed and didnt want to leave even when our table was ready for us. needless to say, we were seated for such a treat from our waiter. he was clean cut and had outstanding manners. we never had an empty glass our anything out of place on our table. the presentation was gorgeous. i have enjoyed my time there ever since and will recommend this place to everyone i meet. i appreciate the southern hospitality this place to offer. whoever is the owner of this establishment should feel very proud. i am thankful for this experience and hope many others get to experience it soon. i will be back!

and the food is good enough to put up with bad service. well, mine was. i ordered the seared scallops with the squid ink linguine. don't be intimidated by the black pasta. it is absolutely delicious and the scallops were huge, tender and absolutely

disapointing. the oyster were really fresh and delicious. that was the high point of our diner. for the rest, it was way over priced for a medium quality food. food was cold (we ask them to warm up our plates and it came back as cold) and a little blend. the gravlax was not a gravlax. the calamari were way over cooked. i cannot believe how awfull the cheeses were. the sea scallop over cooked and dry. the black ink linguini mooshy and cold. the lamb shop served blue instead of medium rare. the creme brule was liquid...seriously like a soup! a risotto is supposed to be creamy and runny, not gummy and absolutly not so thick that is it presented as a tour on the plate! definitly not appropriate for a french palette. for a great diner experience, i will go in a downtown hotel the next time.

did not disappoint!. oysters! all i needed was a little lemon juice and they were just what i wanted. i've had the squid ink scallop dish twice now. i love the briny iodine flavor of the noodles and the firmness was just right. the scallops the second time were a little over done on one side (for $30 yes i'm going to complain a touch). the butter in the dish makes it more filling than it appears. i crave this dish. i've had both the brulee and jubilee for dessert. the brulee had a nice sugar layer (sometimes they are too thin in my opinion), and the jubilee with the brandy and cherries and ice cream... well i don't know how it could go wrong. sadly, i'm not very knowledgable when it comes to wine (i know i don't like yellow tail anything). the wine that was suggested to us i enjoyed very much.

outstanding. we love going to so's. great food, and you really need to try the chocolate sack. i would rate this 5 stars.

wonderful. the beer and wine selection was not huge, but more than adequate in quality. food quality and presentation was top-notch. our waiter, albeit a bit more chatty than i'm used to, was jovial, helpful and... ok, entertaining. the atmosphere is cozy with a hint of modern chic flare. if i lived in the area, i'd be a regular.