SO.PA Restaurant

As others have mentioned (& I should have heeded their warning) while Sop.pa is a lovely outdoor restaurant the condescending attitude that permeates the staff is baffling and makes for a very unpleasant experience. So many other reviews on here have mentioned that, one might think management would take notice and perhaps do some training - especially for the prices they charge. The manager made it clear from the minute we checked in that the restaurant was designed for hotel guests and we were lucky to be eating there (even warned us not to disturb the other guests). What a way to start a meal, so awkward. Our server was quite friendly, but we found each of the dishes to be very average. The fish was overcooked, the roasted chicken was dry and the basque cheesecake far too sweet. We have no problem paying high prices for good food and service - but nothing delivered here. Why don’t they open the restaurant to hotel guests only? And if they opt to open to the general public, then don’t treat your guests like a nuisance. We’re very experienced in fine dining and have found if anything the service is much warmer and hospitable the nicer the restaurant. So.pa is in desperate need of a change. For the money, I’d eat at Workshop instead

If you’re 6ft and taller and rich, these are your people. It’s expensive and that keeps the riff raff out. A bunch of tech execs and a staff that’s trying to be a class above. When will they learn you don’t teach in front of the guest to place silverware down. You started reaching behind me then switched and almost wiped my nose placing my new fork down. But the best was Kelly explaining that Ruinart is famous for its Chardonnay grapes and that’s what drives this rose wine. And then states it’s 55% Pinot Noir. Table settings were nice, but please clean the tree dandruff. And no there’s no misters, so summer early evenings will be warm.

Lovely restaurant with fantastic service. Try the tomato salad. I had the stuffed rainbow trout. My husband had the sea bass. I usually do not order fish because I'm so fussy about it, but the waiter raved when he recommended that dish, and he was right - delicious! Refreshing cocktails, nice wine list. Beautiful, intimate setting. Polite, professional, attentive staff. We had a perfect evening!

The setting is gorgeous, very moody and romantic. The food was delicious and our server, Rachel, was very friendly and professional and even gave us a little tour of the attached hotel.

We visited Palm Springs for the weekend and visited several of the high end dining spots.The atmosphere here was the best thing about it. However, the food was the most disappointing. We spent the most here for diner, without drinks and liked the food the least.

I don't understand the bad reviews here. Yes it's pricey but welcome to the world of fine dining. All our dishes were excellent. Highest quality products and tasty too. The service was equally excellent. Our server Colton was on top of everything. The manager Kelly was also very attentive. If you're looking for an wonderful dining experience, this is your place

I heard about the cocktails and amazing atmosphere of SO.PA and begged my husband to go for a quick drink. It did not disappoint. The seating and atmosphere are amazing with intimate tables, fire pits, tons of beautiful greenery, and these beautiful globe lights that put out a wonderfully romantic light. We did not eat, we only had a cocktail and I wish I could’ve had three. The “Infinity Paloma” was so freaking sexy. It had Serrano pepper simple syrup. So amazing. If you like spicy, order this!

Thank you again Kelly & the Amazing Team👏 Unfailing Perfect Service

We stayed at L'Horizon Herman Bungalows. We ordered room service from the restaurant, SO.PA, and the food and service were excellent. The Lobster Salad,amazing and the Roasted Chicken with crazy good brown sauce!! The new Chef is nailing it!! Let's not forget to mention the ambience is off the chart here.

I had dined here years ago and loved it but was really nervous based on recent reviews. It was amazing! Drinks - we had a couple of cocktails at the bar which is located inside the hotel compound. Then we had wine and everything was great. Food - We had gougeres, kambocha, salmon and Alaskan crab. Everything was super delicious and amazing! Dessert was milk chocolate tart and yummy. Service - the valet, bar staff, host and server were ALL super prompt and nice. Can't wait to return. And book a bungalow

Ambiance and atmosphere is lovely. Outdoor setting underneath big trees. Valet parking only. The service and staff are wonderful. Food is delicious. The fish is better than the chicken. SEA BASS is highly recommended.

I have to be honest, I was nervous to eat here given the negative reviews on Yelp. And I'm really glad we did. Though I rarely write reviews, given all of the negative reviews, I thought it was important to let people know this place is really worth your time. Some of the negative reviews mentioned being left still feeling hungry, but we split 3 appetizers, a salad, and an entree, with every intention of ordering dessert and we were so full by the end of our meal, dessert wasn't in the cards for us. The black truffle risotto, kabocha squash, and short rib were all standouts - it was hard to pick just one. Some of the other negative reviews mention poor service. We were immediately greeted, seated, and had water within minutes. We then put in our drink order and had our drinks within the next few minutes. All in - beginning to end of the meal (granted, we would have stayed for longer), we were in and out in 1 hour and 8 minutes. I'm sure every restaurant has their off night, just like every person. I know I would hate to be judged by my worst day. But this was a Saturday night, holiday weekend, prime time seating, and we couldn't have asked for more. Please don't shy away from this restaurant despite all of the negative reviews here. We would be delighted to visit again in the future.

Such a special restaurant. Kelly the manager made wonderful suggestions. We had the trout, steak, and chicken, house made ravioli, plus starters. Each dish was beautifully plated. Each dish was perfectly seasoned and we shared everything with our friends. The desserts were delicious too. The chef came out and was lovely. Can't wait to go back.

Location is gorgeous. Drinks were great. Service was great. Food was so so disappointing. Heirloom tomato salad had zero flavor, tasted like eating just sliced tomatoes with nothing on it. Sea bass was pink inside, they recooked it but then it was over cooked and chewy. For a $200 meal it was definitely nothing special. I'd get drinks there again but never eating there again.

We had a great dining experience last Sunday night. The manager Kelly greeted us when we first arrived and was really friendly and accommodating. The atmosphere was incredible as was our server. The food was prepared by a chef who obviously cares about the product they serve. Next time in Palm Springs we'll be back for dinner.

A complete disaster!!.......While we are well aware of the challenges facing businesses during this time. This restaurant is SO poorly operated that it would be wise to close it down versus trying to operate with no staff and a manager that is clearly oblivious to what is going on. It isn't even worth my time to elaborate on how poorly this property is run, but just beware. This could be one of the worst restaurants experiences of your life!

This was one of the worst dining experiences of my life. Don't waste your time (literally). Our appetizer took 1 hour and 38 minutes to arrive and our main course took 2 hours and 17 minutes (though it came a mere one minute after we finally asked where it was). We were never once acknowledged or apologized to throughout the course of the wait. The manager was rude and abrasive when we finally asked what was taking so long after 136(!) minutes of sitting there. In addition, we asked for a table by a fire tube and were seated next to one that did not work and was never exchanged for one that did - even when we asked again. We ordered Whispering Angel Rosé and were brought a different bottle of wine for the same price that we were told was similar, but it was actually worth $18. This experience was truly terrible and only made worse by the fact that we were never once acknowledged or apologized to despite the significant delay. The restaurant offered us free dessert - which was really the icing on the cake given how long we had waited for our meal. We declined because we didn't want to sit there any longer. There are much better places to dine in Palm Springs. Go anywhere instead.

we had the most magical evening, the craft cocktails were out of this world, the service was impeccable, and our food was perfect

Non-existent service, but fairly good food. We entered and no one is at the desk. After waiting 5 minutes, someone walks up and says that we can pick where we want to sit, but no one accompanies us. After waiting patiently for 20 minutes with no acknowledgement, I ask for help. Apparently our waiter has walked by us many times, but has never even said hello. Another waiter was nice and asked us if we wanted water and I asked to place drink orders. When out actual waiter walks up after another 10 minutes, no smile or hello, he only asks if we are ready to order. The food was placed down with no explanation or cordial words. We tipped and were friendly and left after eating, again with us having to prompt the goodbye. The food and drinks are good, but only decent for the pricing. The service was less than a fast food restaurant. I am not sure how they remain open.

This review is so necessary because I was so reluctant to dine here considering some of the other reviews. I'm sad they had bad experiences because we were so pleased with our evening! Ambiance is amazing. Our server, Mathew, was great and gave us excellent recommendations. The food was delicious, definitely not underwhelming and the portions are just enough. Beautiful restaurant, it was the perfect place to celebrate our anniversary.

So little food, although the presentation is beautiful. Nice appetizer salads, limited entree choices. No bread, no small tastes as a present from the chef. So high wine prices and $40 per bottle corkage. So constant an upsell, "still or sparkling water", "I recommend the filet" (the most expensive entree) etc. Service was competent and friendly. Nice outdoor setting. At these prices I would choose Le Vallauris every time.

Oh my god I cannot believe it's taken me so long to review this gem! First let me state that if you're not already familiar with this place, it can be confusing to locate. We wound up parking just West of the boutique hotel, L'Horizon. There's a parking lot for some run-of-the-mill breakfast diner, no one noticed we walked the other way. There's a valet stand and to the right of it is a patio style gate that will lead you to SO.PA. Or, you can be like us and go to the hotel's front desk and they'll escort you (and you'll get to see the property!) We live in the high desert and were thrilled to see SO.PA on one of Gordon Ramsay's shows; so we went. Second upside for us, before the food even arrived, was learning the chef hails from Seattle. (Which is where my hubs and I met.) The waiter was excellent. Nick ordered eggs Benedict and I got avocado toast... no I'm not a hipster. This toast was amazing!!! It had avocado, duh... and quinoa (first time eating it), a poached egg, other seasonings and what have you, on top of baguette and topped with CALIFORNIA POPPIES! (For the weirdos out there, no you won't die from eating poppy seeds... nor will you get high.) This place is seasonal and does close during the super hot months. We went mid-November and sat outside (because all seating is outside). Absolutely wonderful.

Sea bass was amazing. Service was amazing. Amazing ambiance. Highly recommend !!! 5 stars

All I can say is "AMAZING!!!" From the ambiance under the trees with flame lit torches to delicious food with flavors that played a symphony on my tongue to the excellent wait staff with super attentive service. The perfect date night! We will be back.

Excellent Service, romantic ambiance, superior food for Palm Springs, with amazing cocktails and Winelist. If your looking for portions to stuff yourself like a buffet line, this isn't your place. However, the quality and elegant plating makes this a personal favorite. I have been here 4 times, and only one time did my cocktail take 20min, but they were packed and it was worth the hand crafted mixologist type wait.

I really wanted to like this place more than I did. I found the food to be on the average side. There were a few dishes that stood out more than some, but I can't say it was worth the money as the portions were on the small side. The garden patio setting is beautiful. Especially at night where it's lit up and made cozy with heaters and blankets. I will say the cocktails were quite good. I'm really over the whole mixology craze and option for a gin gimlet that was fabulous. I could have had a liquid dinner with that and been satisfied. Excellent service by all and they brought us a comped birthday dessert which was very thoughtful. I can't say that I would come back. 3 stars for ambiance and service and, of course, the gimlet.

This was a restaurant I will not be returning to nor recommend . First off trees were shedding leaves on the table in my hair and also in the food. The service was very slow and the chubby waitress even slower. The waitress managed to stick her fat thumb in the plate and thought nothing of it nor was she aware. The food was cold and not very edible. I ordered sea bass and it came with a strange foam mixture. In the past this was a great place and outstanding menu. Now its no better than the next door restaurant. Don't bother.......

We visited SO.PA with a large group (30+) for a joint birthday celebration. Large enough to take over the center of the outdoor dining area which gave us a beautiful view of the trees and night sky. Great setting for a dinner. The fixed menu that we had agreed on earlier was well prepared and delicious. The short ribs had a simple presentation and were very tender, while the fish was flavorful and everyone commented on the veggie puree. And the wine selection was very nice without being pretentious or prohibitively expensive. The setting and service allowed for a great dining experience that was relaxed enough to allow our group to mingle and switch seats for dessert so that people could catch up with new seatmates. Great ambiance and evening for our group.

4.5 stars. We celebrated my husband's birthday here during labor day weekend and was so glad we did. This is, hands down, the nicest restaurant in PS. Pros: - beautiful space and the all-outdoor dining is genius - excellent service, right from arrival, where one of the staff members greets you, takes your car and escorts you inside - complimentary valet - impeccable food from a michelin-starred chef - great cocktails - although not really a restaurant to bring kids, the staff welcomed my toddler - reasonably-priced Cons: - liked the caviar service but wish it came complete with all the accoutrements I've found my PS spot!

Everything we tried was scrumptious: the appetizers - prawn croquettes and burrata, entrées - braised short rib and duck leg, and the deserts (particularly Mont Blanc). Service was great, ambience uniquely romantic and the whole experience truly satisfying. Despite some negative reviews for the past, SO.PA easily earned a 5-star recommendation from me.

SO.PA wasn't awful - but it was VERY expensive and uppity. I was a guest at the hotel and I called ahead to make a dinner reservation from the road because I was driving from Kings Canyon/Sequoia and had been in the car for 7 hours. While I know Palm Springs has MANY places I'd probably have enjoyed to dine at I knew by the time I got to the hotel and settled I would not want to get in the car again. I easily made reservations for the evening over the phone and had about 20 minutes after check-in to shower and prep for dinner. This is an entirely outdoor restaurant with a beautiful ambiance and is elegantly decorated and laid out. There are private booths in the back for larger parties which are a bit more covered and there are small tables scattered around under twinkling hanging lights with candles on each table. There is also a large contemporary fire pit in the center with a few seats around it that runs parallel to some of the tables. I sat in the open middle area near the fire pit because the tables for two along the wall have a lot of greenery and I was afraid of bugs. They love to eat me. My waitress was clipped and polite - she answered my questions and made some suggestions. I went with an appetizer and entree and passed on dessert. I also ordered a non-alcoholic drink from the bar that was tiny and delicious and refreshing - LE SPA ELIXIR I believe - but was $16 I think if I remember correctly - and I repeat - it did NOT have the alcohol. So I think I got the same size drink, for the same price, sans alcohol. Come on - you can do better than that. Either charge less, or make it twice as big since I'm doing no alcohol and it was basically some soda and cucumber water. My appetizer was: STRACCIATELA (not the gelato) - $18 Ciabatta, Baby Arugula, Local Dates, Banyuls Vinaigrette. It was delicious and a good size for one or two to share. For my entree I couldn't decide between risotto or short ribs. My server suggested the short ribs since I mentioned being hungry from the long drive with just car snacks. So I went with her suggestion and chose the NIMAN RANCH BEEF SHORT RIB - $36 Potato Puree, Root Vegetables, Black Truffle Sauce. It was a pretty small portion size for $36 but it tasted good. The short rib was moist and delicious. I also ordered a side of brussel sprouts for around $10. My meal was $90+ for just me. It tasted fine - but the portions were very small as other reviewers have noted. I would not have dinner here again for the prices and sizes of the menu - it's not a good deal if you are hungry. I believe this could be an excellent place for a few drinks and appetizers or dessert if you are staying at the hotel or want light fare. The hotel itself is beautiful and this restaurant is elegantly done. Just know what you're getting before you go!

Food tastes good enough, nothing to write home about, but the portions are tiny for th prices. The "lamb chops" was one small lamp chop cut in half for $50. Ludicrous. That's just one example. Rest of the food was similarly expensive and underwhelming. Our waitress was rude and unfriendly. I don't have high expectations for service. Just someone nice, who offers recommendations and makes your experience positive. She seemed disgruntled, much like all the people working at L'Horizon. You can tell a lot about a place and their management or ownership from the way the staff treats customers. We spent $700 there and left hungry and with negative vibes ... We went to eat the Parker hotel the next night for dinner and that was a MUCH better experience. Great service, excellent and unique food and positive vibes. You can tell the people working there are happy to be there. Skip SO.PA unless you want to be robbed and mistreated.

The SO.PA restaurant is beautiful dining under trees and stars on warm PS nights with flame lighting is intriguing, but thats where the experience ends. 2 weeks ago we had a Not so great experience while having dinner there. The manager Heron insisted we return and give them a second chance to make it right and that he would take care of us. Well here we are, graciously we were greeted with a glass of champagne, nice touch. However, as the evening went on we were again disappointed and Heron never made an appearance to say hello or check in. As for taking care of us...those 2 glasses if "champagne" and a 30% discount. Well needless to say this was thier last chance with us

Be very careful what you order and check what you get at the table BEFORE eating. Make sure it's what's you ordered. I ordered a bottle of Prosecco ($50) and was presented (in the dark) - $160+ bottle of champagne. I failed to recognize their mistake in the height of merriment and drank it. Fighting with the manager and wait staff was definitely not the way to end the night of celebration. We were willing to pay for the meal but not the champagne we didn't order. The mater'd called the police before he called the general manager. Super classy. Avoid this place!

Had such a great night here! Came with my family and sat at a booth. The service was great and accommodating. I got the lobster and my family got the chicken, halibut, and short ribs. All meals were delectable! I especially recommend the lobster-- so fresh and tasty. Ken was so nice! Love him. Overall, great food, people, and atmosphere. Definitely will be coming back.

I hate to write this as I've been a huge fan since the restaurant opened. It is no longer the excellent food experience. The service was good so I can imagine if you just like drinks and perhaps a dish I didn't try you might be fine. We had the crab and gnocchi aps which were just too heavy. But I can imagine some people liking them. The real problem was the mains. The pork and the cod. Both terrible. Over cooked and uninspired we didn't even bother with dessert. We can for a very special occasion so we were bummed. When we came to SOPA when it opened we get it rivaled a Michelin restaurant in NY. No longer. I get that it's a difficult time so hopefully they will improve.

Beautiful outdoors restaurant. Perfect for a romantic dinner. Food was delicious. Corkage fee is $45. Service was good, however, it was a very hot night and we had to keep asking to bring us water as the server forgot twice. Otherwise, great spot.

Adorable al fresco ambience with generally well-executed meals. The menu is decidedly middle eastern with a California spin; there's definitely some Persian influences, as well as Turkish and Greek. Really super interesting takes on things - their "beef tartare", for instance, is not the over-done dish you see at every restaurant these days. Instead, it's a well-seasoned beef (think kabob beef) served in a Persian grain salad. Definitely wasn't what we were expecting, but really fantastic and interesting twist. We enjoyed our appetizers a bit more than our entrees; at our waiter's request, we had the squash and roast, which were tasty but weren't playing on the same par as the appetizers. The service was impeccable. Our waiter and accompanying staff were fantastic, friendly, attentive, and informative; and particular props to the floor manager who was keeping a keen eye on our table and swung by when something looked amiss (nothing was wrong; we were just waiting for the waiter to come back with shareplates, but the manager thought we might've been concerned about our dinner because we hadn't started eating). Good to see a manager keeping a watchful eye over his restaurant; probably a big part of why the staff executed so well. Excellent place for a romantic dinner. Definitely grab a reservation after the sun sets, if you can; that's when the ambience really seems to kick in.

What a beautiful time we had the ambiance is amazing true Palm Springs vibe. The food is amazing and what really made this a 5 star rating is the staff they all go above and beyond to make sure you have the best experience

How NOT to spend your Valentine Dinner : choose S.O.P.A. ! The less said the better Ok you want to hear more! Here goes: Service : minus 10 Food : 3 (and we're being kind) The Exec Chef, one Dana Francisco, created a Pris Fixe menu for $140/person that he should be embarrassed about! The last time I had sand in my teeth from improperly rinsed lettuce was in my youth in Venez The bread was the tastiest item on the menu and when we asked for additional bread they said it would be an extra charge - We didn't mind the charge but the bread WAS the tastiest item but nothing SPECIAL! SOMETHING dark was going on in the kitchen - The poor wait staff was so frazzled - Oh well - it wasn't the last supper Nor was it a memorable Valentine Dinner McDonald's never sounded so good (and I'm a vegan!) The End

This is our first and last time trying So Pa Over priced food and service was lacking. It was a hot evening (105°). Its a outside restaurant. They kept turning off the misters and then they lit the fire pits around the patio. We asked about 4 times to turn the misters back on and to put out the fire next to our table. We made a reservation and they didn't have it. Even showed them the confirmation email. They wanted to put us not in a nice area even tho only one table was being used. Had to tell them no, we would like to sit in the shade not in the sun as it's 105°. Again not great staff at all. Food was tasty but very small portions. Much better place to go to.

Ok probably the worst restaurant ever in the history of restaurants. I honestly have to take a deep breath to even begin to write a review. There's just way too much horribleness to even begin. To start oh God I don't even know if yelp will give me enough space to write everything but Here it goes....Blk American Express confirmed an 8:30 reservation so we show up on time to an almost empty desolate restaurant. The dry personality girl at hostess stand says your early your res is for 9:40 so I don't think we can seat you. Remember restaurant is pretty much empty! So I go on Open table and randomly there's an opening at the dead restaurant in 15 min. Lol so I book it and say ok look we have an 8:45 reservation HA! She says I still can't seat you until I talk to my manager!! So after the drama of the can't seat you in our empty restaurant- we finally sit down to the two W's- which is no waiter no water! We ask anyone passing by a few times for water - finally we start the process of getting water - next after a bit we ask - actually politely apolitically beg for someone to take our drink order and food order. We finally get to that step and after ordering - guess what drinks don't come!! We now again stop everyone walking by and politely ask if our drinks are coming. They look in to it and after a long while they finally come but the kicker is we are now out of water! Lol That went on all night! Asking for water was like they were rationing for the end times! Man was it hard to get a refill!! Lol next the food! The salad tasted like a plastic bag!! The main course came out and some steaks were cooked wrong but all steaks were cold so we either ate it cold or sent it back. The food that came back was STILL cold and after bringing it to the mgr Kelly's attention he said I know it wasn't cold because I touched it!! Omg HE touched our food!! At this point we were beyond disgusted. Side note...One of the guys at our table went to the restroom and ran into the waiter- he noticed the waiter didn't even wash his hands!! Health code violation 101!! So that was our experience- I would not consider this a restaurant. It's was more like an unorganized pop up with cold food and a cook that could not cook! Somehow the plate was hot the second time coming out but food still cold!! Lots of other bad stuff happened like one person at our table didn't get his salad a good 10 min after we all got ours! I guess they had to run to Albertsons for lettuce lol the mgr Kelly was a disaster- I wouldn't pay him to run a donut shop!! Just beyond bad and after hearing our complaints really made us feel like we were at fault for the disaster dinner!! So if you want a horrible dinner, bad service, a hostess that feels like an alien from Mars then this is your place. 1 billion percent will not be back or recommend to anyone. One star is too many!! There's more..... but I think you get the point.

Terrible experience. We organized a big dinner for family from out of town (took a dozen emails with 4 different people to set-up). Arrived at 6pm for our dinner, there were only 2 other customers there. Staff was obviously not ready, even though they took our reservation for 12 people. 30+ mins to seat us, another 30+ to take a drink order, they really didn't start service for 90+ minutes. I don't recommend the prefix. Not worth the expense. Food was good and outdoor space is nice but it didn't make up for the experience.

My travel partner and I are here to survey the best of the best in Palm Springs. Of course we did Mr. Lyons, and we asked our server where he recommended we go next. He sent us to SO.PA. We were thrilled, and it can be hard to thrill us. It's obvious the training that goes into the servers here is world-class. Our server, Ken, was a wealth of information, perfectly friendly (attentive without being obnoxious), and took the time to give us personalized recommendations for where to go. Our Caipirinhas were lovely; balanced and not too sweet. The decor was well-thought out and as sexy as one expects the decor to be when visiting Palm Springs. And the misters were a welcome addition on an otherwise balmy evening. We loved it so much I'm writing this review from the next bar; I didn't want to forget to send some praise the SO.PA way. We will absolutely be back!

We accidentally found this place, and it made our day. Food is INCREDIBLE. Best bacon I've ever had in my life. Amazing cappuccino. Highly recommend.

Been here twice, once for my mother's birthday and the second for my parents anniversary. Staff was absolutely incredible in taking care of us. The cocktails were refreshing and well crafted. The food was a contemporary symphony of flavors. I had no idea this place existed but will definitely be back!

If you want to be ripped off and receive bad food and service, this might be the place for you. We waited 2.5 hours for food overall. We had a reservation for 6 people at 7:30 PM and we're seated in an almost empty restaurant after being told they had to check on our table despite no one being seated. Upon seating, we waited for water and put our cocktail order in and waited a solid 20 minutes for a drink. Following this, we were told that "deliveries are hard on sundays" and therefore were out of a lot of the menu. We put in our orders and waited 45 minutes for apps that were cold and all around bad. We decided to do the pre fixe menu, but we're never given the whole menu. Following apps, we waited over an hour for food. We were given our food after we asked two separate waiters where our food was. The first time we were told that "everything is going to plan" then after asking 30 minutes later, we're told "the ticket is in" without an apology or an ounce of empathy. While waiting, three separate families left after not being served. Upon receiving food at 9:40PM it was cold and we got the check 15 minutes after requesting. Overall, we got less than 5% off the entire meal for 5 people. The whole night was comical, but never once have I seen such terrible service and lack of empathy.

Classy and relaxing ambience, great food and outstanding service! Thank you so much Jose for the memorable experience! We will be back.

I'm seeing the other reviews of SO.PA and cannot understand what I just experienced as opposed to some other reviewers experiences? My party had a stellar lunch in a absolutely beautiful environment. I mean everything was great even down to the Valet parking - how strong is that! The lunch menu read like a Michelin Star restaurant and the service was equally impressive. I had an delicious hot roasted turkey sandwich, or SO.PA's take on a turkey club. It was as good a club sandwich as I have ever had. My wives had a Quinoa Salad that was also excellent! Our friends had a local heirloom tomato sandwich and another had a red pepper salad with a naan type bread. They were both crazy good. I mean there were five happy diners at my table. For any restaurant that is as good of a testament as you can get. This very upscale, hip, trendy hotel on Palm Canyon Blvd. has so many good things going for it that it only makes sense the restaurant would be GREAT. And it was!

Loved the setup - pretty empty when we went. Make sure to make reservations beforehand!

Rarely do I give five stars to a restaurant where I've had a "problematic" experience but SO.PA is an exception to that rule. Why? Because the quality of the food, service and ambiance is simply that good. Our problem was that we ordered directly after a party of about 20 diners and waited far too long for our courses---but when the dishes did arrive the food was exceptional: lentil soup, pork, scallops all especially stellar. As for ambiance, best in the Valley, hands down. As for service, extremely solicitous about the extended delay and even comped two entrees for our inconvenience. In looking at other reviews to try and figure out the 3.5 overall rating, it seems to me that SO.PA must have been "fine dining" when they first opened, typically small portions at high prices, but I can tell you from my own experience that the portions were more than generous and very good value for the dollars spent. In any case, we will be back soon and often!!!

The whole atmosphere of this restaurant is amazing. They way it's tucked back in behind all the trees and bushes makes you feel like you're in a forest. The food is second only to a much more expensive restaurant in the area, and I must say I have never been disappointed in any aspect of the quality or quantity of my meal at SO.PA. I would definitely recommend ordering their cheese platter, they provided some fantastic cheese and were knowledgeable about each ingredient on the platter.

Let me preface this review by saying I am a huge foodie and appreciate fine dining/cuisine. None of which you will find at SO.PA. The whole evening was a disaster from start to finish. First, we had a 9pm reservation, and called a couple hours early asking if we could come early to our reservation. We were told no, yet when we got there, literally half the tables were empty. We sat down to our table (ambience is beautiful) and began a journey with one of the worst server experiences I have ever witnessed. Guillaume (who was ridiculously rude all night), informed us that every dish (even entrees) consist of just a few small bites, so each person should order 5 dishes.... we're talking $250 per person easy. Despite us sharing that we had already had appetizers and weren't too hungry, he persisted in reminding us all night that we would only get "few bites". And he wasn't kidding! The beet salad had 3 tiny pieces of beet. The root salad had a few small pieces of root vegetable. The portions were almost laughable. But Guillaume had only gotten started. My friend asked for sparkling water. Guillaume proceeded to pour everyone sparkling water except the person who had asked! I have a dairy allergy and asked if they could remove the crème fraiche from the tartare appetizer. Guillaume's response was first, you should include the crème fraiche, and when I explained I couldn't he told me he would have to get special permission from the chef? Meanwhile the food was not on point. Everything was super salty, especially the root veggies where I think the turnip fell in a bowl of rock salt. Portions were laughable. It's too bad as the location/ambience are fabulous. But we had far better meals and experiences over the weekend, so just can't recommend So.Pa!

I think SO.PA is largely misunderstood. After reading many of the reviews prior to dining here, I had pretty low expectations. But I left pleasantly surprised and hope that others can dine here with an unbias view. The food was superb and yes the prices are a bit steep, but certainly fits the bill for ambiance and service. For those complaining about the portions, this isn't a restaurant to get full but rather to experience the chef's vision on how food should taste. If you're paying to get full, this is certainly not the place. Recall that the executive chef used to work at the renown El Bulli restaurant in Spain and his creativity is certainly reflected in the various dishes we sampled. All in all, pricey but worth it.

Saw this place listed as one of the best restaurants in the area so I gave it a try... I wanted so bad to like this place! Michelin chef I think, so I was expecting the greatest food I've ever eaten. The food, was very tasty. I'll give them that. However, a few things: 1) I like salt, but a few dishes were a tad saltier than I would expect. Not a deal breaker though, the food was still delicious. 2) Extremely small portions for the $$$$. But again, this is not a deal breaker, as we all know these expensive places serve little food. 3) The issue I have with this place, that made it 3 stars and not 4, is the service. Bordering on the horrible side. Especially given how few tables were full at the time. When I pay $30 for 1 mushroom, I expect great service... Did not happen. Some of these complaints will be small ones and some will be larger, but again, service at these places should be spot on. Get some lessons... A) We finished our drinks, the waiter never asked if we wanted another one. Had to wait forever and then ask for it ourselves. Never leave an empty glass if you can help it. Huge problem. B) Waiter asked if we were having wine, we said no, waiter said ok but never removed the big wine glasses from the table... Had to ask. C) Extremely slow service D) Waiter never asked if we were ready to order just kept walking around. Had to ask. We gave our order, waiter walked away. Had to ask him to take the 5 menus off the table when he came by 15 minutes later. E) Finished meal, waiter said would you like dessert, we said sure we will look at a menu. Waiter said ok, never brought a menu........ Doesn't make sense. 10 min went by and I asked the hostess for a dessert menu, she went and got one. Try it if you want, just expect the above. Or maybe it was an off night, but it was Friday night at 8pm. Good Luck.

I was so excited to come here with my boyfriend and his parents as we've heard so many great things about this restaurant. I ordered a pasta dish with short rib. It turned out so spicy to the point where it was inedible. I told the waiter that the spice level was way too high, but he brushed it off and didn't do anything to accommodate me. He made me feel like something was wrong with my taste buds. I overheard the table next to me complain about the same dish I had being too spicy as well. He took their dishes back and came out apologizing and agreeing with them that it was way too hot. I'm extremely upset, because the waiter didn't believe me when I said it was spicy and didn't even apologize. For being such a high end restaurant, I expected way more than this. I will probably never return again.

What a lovely spot to have dinner. Its a hidden gem literally, hidden behind a tall ficus hedge. Not only was it very attractive and romantic but the food was amazing. My friend and I went mid week when it was quite quiet. It was a little chilly the evening we were there so the stuff turned the heaters higher and brought out blankets to put around our shoulders. I can't recommend this place high enough it is fabulous!