Sorellina
“I unexpectedly found myself in Hoboken this weekend and was lucky enough to stop by Sorellina this Saturday for brunch with a few friends.”
“The highlights of the evening were Nonnas Meatballs, the Octopus and the Cod Cheeks.”
“the roasted carrots had an amazing yogurt sauce (I literally licked off the plate) and the Octopus.”
Sorellina
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
6 reviews
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There's definitely a lot of mixed reviews on this restaurant so I had to give it a try. I came here on a Saturday night. The place itself is stunning. Great space, nice lighting, and great service as well. We started with a bottle of red (not a wine drinker so not sure what it was) and it was very good to the liking of the whole table. For my appetizer I had the clam crudo oreganata. They seemed fresh and were cleaned well. A refreshing way to start the meal. My entree was the Rigatoni Bolognese with pork, veal, and beef. I really liked this dish. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the meat sauce was seasoned well and tasty. For dessert, we got homemade ice cream sandwiches. The snickerdoodle cookies were great and the ice cream was delicious.
For the most part, I really enjoyed this place. Is it the best Italian food ever? No, but it's definitely worth a try and maybe you'll enjoy it more than others.
I had a nice time here, but if I'm being honest I was a bit underwhelmed. I love love love the decor and vibe, and as they are a new restaurant they have lots of staff on hand.
We arrived, put in our names, and were told to wait in the bar area until a table was available, which was totally fine with us. We ordered a bottle of wine and partook in good conversation.
The wait ended up being a very very long wait, over an hour and a half. We were checked on periodically, but there did seem to be a bit of disorganization amongst the waitstaff. The "chef's compliment" hummus sticks were a nice touch, though.
We ordered some cheese and charcuterie while we waited, and while the meat plate was lovely, the cheese plate was really lacking for the price. The pieces of cheese were so small, and the cheese itself really wasn't good enough to justify ordering it again.
After we were finally seated we ordered food. I found it interesting how drastically the portion sizes varied on the dishes- the steak was huge, and the veal was very very small comparatively. We ordered a number of dishes (I had the grilled branzino) and they were all pretty good, but nothing was so delicious it really stuck out to me. The roasted carrots appetizer was probably my favorite part of the meal.
It would be really nice if wine flights were offered, since we ended up not loving the second bottle of wine we ordered.
Checked out this place a couple of times. Taking over the old Helmer's spot they didn't change too much inside. Not a bad thing it all works pretty well.
Sort of a mixed bag, so I can understand both the positive and negative reviews.
The cocktails I tried were great. Some creative items made with quality ingredients.
The wine…. well between sampling and ordering 5 or 6 different glasses between the multiple visits, it was hit or miss. Some nice selections and not less than nice selections.
The food…. Meat and Cheese plates were both good to very good, as was the branzino. However, this is where the big problem came in…. tiny portions for the money.
Four drinks, a meat plate, a cheese plate and 1 entree all split between 2 people – was over $150 with tip. The cocktail was the only thing I'd say was great. A $15 glass of wine was also good but for $15, it had better be.
Service was friendly and complimented the experience.
Overall, though having left still a bit hungry I was a little disappointed at that price.
What can I say about this place. Awesome location,but sucky food. It just wasn't hitting on any level. And by that, I mean – flavor/taste, presentation, or plate portion just wasn't there.
They must be from that part of Italy where they are afraid to use any herbs or spices; it just couldn't satisfy my palate, and definitely not my children's palate. For my children, I ordered them an orange juice b/c they ran out of apple juice; the o.j. was fresh squeezed w/pulp so of course they hated it. Luckily there was a convenient store next door, so hubby ran over to grab them an apple juice. For food, I ordered them what I imagined to be the safe choice, which wasnt even on the menu, but figured what every Italian restaurant should make and/or know how to make – Spaghetti with meatballs. There were two things wrong, okay maybe three things; the plate portion was super small, just enough for a toddler. But the flavor, OMG, bitter as hell. The meatballs slightly sweet, but probably was the only good thing on that table tonight. The lightly fried mussels, were so so. The grilled octopus, eh :-/ And the ceasar salad w/anchovies, which was made up of some fresh and some browning leaves, anchovies, which tasted like they soaked in vinegar and super hard to get down.
Cocktails ordered – the Basilica and Mr. Amore. Bartendar, where was the alcohol at??? It was a damn Iced Tea and Lemonade for $12 each. I initially ordered a glass of vino, wish I would have stuck with my first decision.
In total we spent $88 (minus the gratuity).
The service was ok, the only touch of fine dining was the manager stopping by the table to see if everything was okay. But she had this aura about her that just seemed ingenuine and dead. The waiter was a young kid, he came around when it mattered, like bringing the food and the check.
Probably more of a 3.5, but rounding up because it's a vast improvement from the depressing Helmers.
Food was solid, but nothing spectacular. We stayed pretty safe/boring, so it will be interesting to see what the more adventurous options are like. Just 2 apps – meatballs & rice balls – and 2 pastas – bolognese and spicy crab. All good, but really only the crab dish was challenging and yes, still good. But better than the dozens of cheaper, low scale BYOB Italian joints? To warrant high prices? Nah.
Vibe/scene is cute enough – same big bar with some extra tables next to it to stand at too, so will definitely return for drinks. Think Bin 14 but more spacious. Booth seating elsewhere. Will be cool in the summer too with the outdoor seating.
Service was weird…they're going for more upscale but our waiter was so bored and uninterested in being there it was a bit off putting. But food and drinks came out speedily enough so no real complaints.
Wine was STELLAR! We got a $56 bottle (mid range for there) and it was fantastic. In total, bill was $120 without tip. All in all – food is too expensive for what you get, should def knock off $2-4 or increase portions, since the food is not amazing enough for the price tag. Only negative, albeit a big one. That said, this is Hoboken, land of mediocrity for a premium.
Will be most likely to come back just for drinks/snacks.
SO excited to see Sorellina open up in this space. We live around the block and were very much looking forward to trying it. Came on a Saturday for lunch and were quickly seated. The staff was friendly and accommodating – I was very impressed with the service. I ordered the Chittara ala Carbonara for lunch and it was very good, though a bit too heavy on the salt. My husband was less impressed with his Pizza Rustica, which is not a "pizza" as we envisioned it but more a pie. We shared the Arancini, which was delicious and rich. We will be back to try more food.
What I wasn't super impressed with was that I ordered a Brooklyn Lager on draft and it was pretty flat. Also, the pricing is a bit high for the portion size – I left somewhat hungry, which is a shame considering we spent over $80 for 2 on lunch (including drinks).
Still, Sorrellina is quite a solid addition to the neighborhood!