Like Mary Poppins’ handbag, it seemed bigger on the inside than I was expecting. Maybe this was due to the mirrored walls or the fact that Sofia’s has a mezzanine level, writes Lisa O’Brien.

But on a Friday night, when I was expecting it to be busy, it was surprising to see only a few couples eating along with a family of four while a group of people surrounded one of the larger tables.

There was a lovely little courtyard outside this Italian restaurant while comfy sofas and the smell of incense occupied a lounge area just inside.

As we walked through the door we were immediately greeted by a young woman and led past a pool containing some pretty oversized fish to get to the dining area.

The decor seemed better suited to a Chinese restaurant rather than an authentic Italian, with a large dragon occupying one of the walls.

The fresh flowers on the tables were a nice touch, and so were the fanned napkins in the wine glasses.

As we sat down, one of the waiters came over to light the candle on our table. My first impressions of the restaurant, situated in The Guildhall, were very good.

It was shaping up to be one of the nicest restaurants in Walsall which I’d set foot in. As well as the smaller more intimate tables, there were tables large enough to cater for much bigger parties.

As I started looking through the menu, I noticed the food seemed a bit pricey but the quality of it didn’t disappoint.

To begin, I settled on the homemade fishcake in a spicy chilli sauce which came with a side salad. It was nicely sized and very tasty.

Inside Sofia’s Italian, Walsall

My partner chose the bruschetta pomodore which was toasted bread topped with crushed garlic, basil, tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil. The portion size was quite large but it tasted very fresh and flavoursome. However, the food seemed to be much better than the service with the waitress bringing over the wrong sized drinks and getting the dish wrong for the main course.

Three different waiters and waitresses from the restaurant delivered our food in all and it was obvious some of the staff seemed more experienced than others.

For the main course, I ordered a baked pasta dish with chicken breast, mushrooms, peppers and jalapenos while my partner ordered a calzone pizza stuffed with ham, salami, mushrooms, onions, tomato sauce and cheese. Unfortunately, the wrong pizza arrived and was taken back to the kitchen. A couple of minutes later, my pasta went with it so it could be kept warm until the calzone was ready.

To their credit, the mix-up was resolved in just over five minutes and the calzone was brought out with a lit sparkler stuck in it – something I’ve never seen before. I’ve seen it in cakes – yes, cocktails – yes, but pizzas – no.

The pasta was hot, spicy and delicious while I was assured the pizza was equally as nice. The restaurant has quite a varied menu, with pasta and pizza dishes, as well as steak, chicken and fish meals which are a bit more expensive. A separate menu was also brought to the table containing the special dishes.

We were not asked if we wanted a dessert. Instead we had no choice and the menu was thrust in front of us.

Sadly – because the desserts carried past our table did look tempting – we declined, feeling full enough already.

The bill came to £45.76, including two half-pints of Peroni and a 175ml glass of house white wine. The food was very nice but the service left a little to be desired, especially considering a 10 per cent service charge was included in the bill.

ADDRESS
Sofia’s Italian, The Guildhall, 8 High Street, Walsall WS1 1QW
Tel: 01922 632 223
Web: www.sofiasitalianrestaurant.co.uk