Sorrento Ristorante Italiano

As owner of HoustonRestaurants dot com I dine out frequently and when I do not have a new place to try, I spend my time at Sorrento Ristorante on Westheimer sampling their fine food and excellent wines.

I have know Abbas for 20 years and he always delivers. His staff is very attentive and makes you feel like family.

I have very few "Favorite Italian Restaurants" and this is one of the best.

You have to try the Sea Bass and the lamb!

Pros: Fine dining, great wine, excellent food

Cons: need more locations in Houston!

Posted 11/02/09

As soon as we walked in the door we were greeted by a pleasent valet parking staff and the host at the door was very professional and accomadating. The food took a little longer than expected but our waiter was very professional and apologized because our food had been ordered after a larger party which is why it took so long. Other than that the environment and service were wonderful and I will certainly be visiting again.

Pros: Great food, good wine selection, and quiet atmosphere

Cons: smaller restaurant

Posted 10/27/09

We went to Sorrento for our 10th Wedding Anniversary. But the night was pretty disappointing. The foie gras was bitter, and the toast it sat on had been burned (literally black in parts). The calamari was mediocre, but nothing special. My husband's lobster bisque was great. But my butternut squash soup was really bland and very very thin -- almost watery. I had to ask for a salt shaker because it wasn't properly seasoned. Our entrees were okay (a snapper special and the filet/lobster) but for $36 each, I was expecting something that made me say "wow" -- and I just thought, "this is okay -- good, but not great." Finally, we had a chocolate souffle for desert. Again, good but not great (and slightly overcooked). To add insult to injury, the table next to us was celebrating their 11th anniversary. For some reason, they were brought a desert "on the house" and a big deal was made. Our desert was brought with a candle (they knew it was our anniversary) but not comped.

I love food, and I'm usually pretty easy to please. I did have high hopes for Sorrento. But at the end of the day, we had a bill of more than $150 and a big feeling of disappointment. Maybe we just visited them on an off night and got a bad waiter. But if I were celebrating an anniversary or special occasion, I wouldn't take a chance on Sorrento.

Pros: free parking if you get there early; live piano

Cons: bad food; not great service; not good for special occasion

Posted 08/13/09

This place has it all if you want to impress your date or your wife for your anniversary! They had awesome service! Awesome food! Just a great great experience!

Pros: Bring a date!

Cons: None!

Posted 07/16/09

I was very pleased with my entire experience at Sorrento, as were the other 4 people in my party. The restaurant is very nice inside, dim lighting, quiet, and well decorated. The basket of bread they bring out at the beginning is quite impressive and I wish I could have tried more of the varieties. The focaccia was delicious and the roasted garlic garlic in olive oil was a veery nice touch. Our waiter, although very intense and not outwardly friendly, was an excellent waiter. He had good recommendations for wine and always made sure we were taken care of. My meal was delicious. I ordered the beef tenderloin (medium rare) with mashed potatoes and asparagus. My dish was the last to come out (about 30 seconds after the rest of my table) but I could tell that it had not been sitting out at all. It was cooked perfectly, and the green peppercorn sauce was amazing. I tasted the salmon from someone else's plate. It was also close to perfect. For dessert, I shared the almond cake. It was not my first choice, but boy was I glad that's what we got...delicious. It was a wonderful meal from start to finish and I would recommend this spot to anyone for any occasion.

Pros: Atmosphere, food, service

Cons: price

Posted 02/20/09

WHOA, I visit Sorrento frequently, Always a great experience. The Wait staff is very knowledge, professional, and prompt. The hostess is very kind and seats my family immediately, Makes us feel very welcome!!!
-Always Fresh Food and Breads*
-Great Variety Of Wine
-Spectacular Ambience

Posted 08/31/08

My fiance took me here to propose to me. We got excellent service. The bread guy walking around was a bit different (in a cool way). Very nice manager and wait staff. The lobster bisque is very yummy along with all the other food on the menu!. (I just love bisque). Any time I want a romantic date, this is a good spot.

Pros: Good Food, Good Service, Good Atmosphere

Cons: Parking

Posted 06/25/08

What a lovely restaurant. We went for Sunday Brunch (which features bottomless mimosas) and were completely delighted with our experience. The Eggs Benedict were perfect ! The Lobster Ravioli was in a lovely lemon cream sauce that I could have eaten with a spoon if it wasn't so rich. The pianist on the Baby Grand just added to the overall ambience we were seeking on Sunday Morning. We will definitely return - many times.

Pros: Lovely and Elegant Ambience

Cons: Limited Parking

Posted 01/30/08

My wife and I celebrated our anniversary here last night. The service was outstanding. The food was also good. It is a nice, dimly lit, romantic dining room. The butternut squash risotto is really good. Also, we had a sampling of ravioli that was great. I had a salmon with crab and shrip special that was excellent. My wife had lobster, and how can that be bad? And they have a bread guy wandering around all night with a really large selection of breads. Tyr the anchovie and motzellera bread (I know... but it's good. really), and the focacia bread.

Pros: Service, risotto

Cons: nothing really

Posted 01/26/08

This is one of our favorite Italian restaurants in Houston (only matched by Antica Osteria). Food is always excellent and service comparable. On our most recent visit, we tried a Barolo (recommended by the waiter) and matched with 2 lovely meat dishes (steak for me and veal for my wife). The service was excellent and very attentive. We'd highly recommend any of the specials, whcih we normally try, and are yet to be disappointed.

Only recommendation I'd make is when booking, be sure to ask not to be seated on the patio if you are after a romantic experience. The main restaurant is beautiful and a great experience, but the patio is less appealing when you are out to impress - although a great option for casual dining or a brunch.

Posted 12/29/07

Sorrento...........simply the overall best italian restaurant in Houston! Try it once and you will agree.

Posted 11/08/07

We are veteran brunchers and decided to have a birthday celebration at Sorrento, Sunday the 14th. We all arrived at the same time and were seated promptly by a darling hostess, courteous and smiling. The restaurant is beautiful and has a sense of warmth. We had a fantastic waiter, Sergio, who made sure we had everything we needed. We loved the "bread man" who was serving a delicious array of breads. The brunch menu is off the charts in value and taste. The bottomless mimosas and bellinis were enjoyed by all and Sergio and Raul made sure we had all we wanted! We all raved about Sorrento when we left and appreciate the entire staff and chef who made MJH's 45th birthday a spectacular and memorable day.

Posted 10/14/07

Went here in May with girl's night out. The place is gorgeous - very dimly lit - secluded tables - piano bar!
They start off with a server circulating around with a large bread basket with lots of choices. They are very helpful with the wine list and NEVER rush you- yet continually check on you. The food varied for us. Great appetizers - but our fish was not that great. Fishy tasting and very small portions. They will let you split an entree and divide for you. That is nice so you can continue to have room for the great wine selection.
This has been our favorite place in our monthly dining club!

Posted 07/25/07

I was taken here as a first date. Although I was not impressed with my ' date' , I was impressed with the restaurant. I had the grilled scallops with risotto which was excellent. My date order dessert for us to split but when it came he ate the whole thing and by the time I managed to pick up my fork only crumbs and a small bite was left. I suppose it was good. The atmosphere is very masculine, rich dark woods, floor to ceiling high wines, a fireplace room, a man playing the piano. The owner is very friendly and introduced himself to us. Over all I enjoyed this restaurant and would recommend it to my friends. A perfect place for a romantic date.

Pros: romantic, fireplace room, ambiance, piano music, great food, good service, free valet parking

Posted 07/08/07

I wasn't the biggest fan of italian food until this weekend that I had dinner at Sorrento. I went with my husband expecting a nice meal based on the comments that I have viewed about this restaurant but I honestly have to say that they surpassed my expectations. The restaurant is beautiful and very romantic with live piano music, I commented to my waiter one of my all time favorite melodies and shortly after in the middle of dinner they played it. The food was fantastic and full of flavor and their menu is full of choices. Everyone, from the valet to the owner who personally invited us to come back, were all very attent. If you have a special ocassion to celebrate or just out for a terrific meal I highly recomend Sorrento.

Pros: Valet Parking, Food, Service.

Cons: None.

Posted 04/24/07

It was a beautiful restaraunt with fabulous food and great service by both staff and managers. I went alone to check it out for a future special evening. They toured me through the fireplace room,a room off to the side that is sort of like a patio looking out that is lovely and a wine room was fantastic for business or special dining. The bar if wonderful also. I had the Wild Mushroom Risotto which was awesome. They serve serveral types of italian bread warm from the oven with a three or four types of oil for dipping. A very nice bartender named Fernando took care of me. I'm going back for the Lobster and Arugula Tortellini next! A plus is that they serve small portions of some of the entrees for light eaters like me!

Posted 01/08/07

The wild herb rissotto is TO DIE FOR!!!!!!!!!!! They make it table side and is unlike anything you have ever had. Our main course was also wonderful. My fiancee and I went there and found it to be very romantic with the live Piano music. We had fun sipping our wine and trying to figure out which song she was playing. You must go and try. The entrees are in the $20-$30 price range and worth every penny.

Pros: all

Cons: none

Posted 01/07/07

I stumbled across this restaurant while I was looking for a new restaurant to try out around the neighborhood. When we got there, there was valet parking, we walked into a beautiful dining room with a quaint bar and a live pianist. They have a great wine list and a menu that makes you want to come back the next night to order the other meals you were eyeing. Their wild mushroom risotto with white truffels was served tableside in a parmesan cheese wheel, a must have! Their service was wonderful and is a great place for a family meal (perhaps not for younger kids), a business gathering, or a romantic date. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves great Italian food. Where else can you pay $8 for all you can drink mimosas for Sunday brunch?

Pros: Valet parking and additional parking lot, Live pianist, great range of food on the menu

Cons: I did not find this restaurant sooner!

Posted 01/03/07

Went to Sorrento recently with a small group of people, including a vegetarian and one with food allergies. The waitress went out of her way to accomondate our requests, recommended options and rememberes every "odd one"through out the night!
The food is always great and I like their wine menu.

Pros: the staff and the food!

Cons: None!

Posted 09/04/06

I highly recommend this restaurant.
They have AMAZING SERVICE, AMAZING FOOD, LOVE the AMBIANCE! Amazing Everything! I am very very huge on service and Sorrentos blew me away with how wonderful the service was. The owner and the waiters have always been very nice and assertive to all of our needs-GREAT customer service.
Everytime i have been there they have given me and my boyfriend complimentary desert.
I have been there a few times and my boyfriend is taking me to Sorrentos for my birthday-I can't wait!
The first time I went to Sorrentos I could not stop raving about how wonderful this restaurant is, I have recommended Sorrentos to everyone I know, and I will continue to praise them as I am a very happy customer an will continue to go to Sorrentos.

Posted 08/08/06

I have always been a lover of good Italian food and this place has so many great dishes on their menu that you are hard pressed to decide what you want. Everytime I go, I find another favorite. I happened to walk into this place on a Sunday for brunch and was very impressed. The waitstaff was attentive and knowledgeable. It was such a fantastic experience for both me and my girlfriend that we decided to go there for our anniversary. When I called and set the reservation, they asked if there was any special occasion. We were in the middle of another delicious dinner and they had the piano player play a song just for us, and gave us desert (which happened the first time we were there as well). The extra effort they went to meant a lot to us. The last time we went back I brought my whole family. My father is a man of decerning taste and has a worldly palate, so I was interested in hearing his opinion. He can also be turned off very easily if things aren't exactly right (especially for a nice restaurant). After an another stellar experience, everyone understood why I had been singing Sorrento's praises.

Pros: ambiance, variety and quality, service

Cons: nothing

Posted 08/07/06

My husband took me to Sorrento the other night for a romantic dinner. It was perfect. The atmosphere was wonderful and the food even better. This will definitely be our place to go from now on when we have a night out away from the kids!

Pros: Ambiance, food, great wine list

Cons: NONE!

Posted 07/12/06

We had high hopes on our first visit to this restaurant. Ambience is pleasant and the menu comprehensive. Roasted garlic garnish served with the several choices of bread further piqued our gustatory interest. We ordered the 5 course "Chef's Dinner" ($45) to let the chef show us his wares. First course mushroom pasta was tasty if a bit rich for a first course; Caprese salad (roma tomato/mozzarella) good but average - and then the big disappointment- Sea Bass that unfortunately was aged longer than the cheese and both tasted and smelled spoiled. We sent the dishes back basically untouched with no enquiry why by the server (perhaps used to it?). We asked the head waiter to notify the chef as to the fishes morbid condition which he said he would. No further comments forthcoming from the chef, the waiter or the management. Poorly handled, spoiled fish, spoiled evening. Too bad...

Posted 05/25/06

I think these last reviews must have came from another place called "sorrentos" because this place is beautiful, great ambiance, everyone was so helpful, from annete, the day time manager, to the the wait staff, to the bus boy, they all made this such a special night for me and my girlfriend, they accomated everything i asked for, and than some, this is truely the best place i have ever been ,and i think i will go back here to propose to her

Pros: Wait Staff, Romantic, Everythign

Cons: not to itialian, none, none

Posted 02/12/06

I requested a special table, and they sat us at a fantastic quiet table in the corner with excellent ambiance. All of the food we had was great and highly recommended. My wife and I had the seared foie gras & escargot appetizers to start. I had appetizer portions of the wild mushroom ravioli and the lobster ravioli as my main course, while my wife had the prosciutto wrapped-beef tenderloin. To drink we had a nice 1998 Amarone that was not outrageously priced. Dessert was a birthday cake for my wife. Abbas, the owner, came by to introduce himself and chat--a very nice guy. All in all, a wonderful experience. Will definitely return.

Pros: Food, Ambiance, Service

Posted 01/21/06

The owner is horrible!! I called after spending $100 at this restaraunt and the owner yelled at me when their computer over charged me. Instead of being a professional in the service industry he completely started yelling saying it was my problem and hung up on me. Regardless if the food is good, this kind of treatment should not be given to customers! there are much better places that will actually treat you with respect.

Posted 12/15/05

Bad food. Bad prices. Bad staff. Nothing positive to say.

Cons: Food, Prices, Parking

Posted 08/30/05

I had dinner last Saturday at this restaurant with most of my friends, they where celebtaring my birthday and they took me to Sorrento. I have only seen this restaurant in passing but you can't imagine what's inside until you walk in, it's beautiful. The bar was very comfortable while I waited for the rest of my party, we had some great cocktails. Then the food and the service where impecable, and I go out to eat at least 3 times a week. To top it off they had an awsome pianist, she played Happy Birthday when dessert came. What a wonderful evening. Thank You for making my Birthday so special.

Pros: Great food, Professional service, Ambiance

Cons: None

Posted 08/28/05