Quite a disappointment. I heard so many wonderful things about this restaurant but was shocked at some pretty major things when we went last night. Among the disappointments: greens in the house salad were nothing more than boring romaine topped with an unimpressive vinaigrette,
the "wine glasses" were absolutely inadequate to even a novice wine drinker and the "vegetables" served with the entrees were possibly the most boring I have ever eaten.
the steak au poivre and sea bass were pretty good, but worth 25$ a plate? i don't think so.    [30 Apr 2005 15:42:21]

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     ­Anonymous   lvmies at yahoo dot com

A Must While in Gainesville!
What a great place! The building and decor alone set this restaurant above many others. Our server was extremely polite and quite attentive. Those who find the service slow/poor need to calm down. Sovereign is not a "get in, scarf down your food and rush out the door" kind of place. Service here is more European style (this is a good thing): the servers are not in your face every 30 seconds asking if you want more of this or how everything is, but this doesn't mean they're not doing their job. Our particular server watched carefully from a distance, and knew when to come over to clear plates, refill wine, etc. THAT's how service needs to be: leave me alone until I need you. We were also there on a special holiday and didn't need the servers to remind us that it was, in fact, a holiday. Good things come to those who wait: if you want a salad as soon as you order it, go somewhere that simply removes the shrink wrap and drops it on your table.

My mate and I ordered the Chateaubriand which was exquisite...perfectly seasoned and cooked, with wonderful veggies on the side. For dessert: hot blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream, which was too delicious for words.

All told, I would recommend the Sovereign to anyone with a bit of culture. If this is not you, then go eat at Village Inn or somewhere of equal quality, because you simply will not be able to appreciate what the Sovereign is all about.    [04 Aug 2005 14:30:42]

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Recommended Dishes: Chateaubriand

     ­Anonymous   

Great atmosphere
This is a lovely non-cookie cutter restaurant. $$, but the food and atmosphere provide a wonderful experience. I would love to find a similar restaurant in every city I visit on a road trip.

Fortunately, I am a local, so get to visit often.    [15 Sep 2006 14:50:56]

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Recommended Dishes: steak au poivre; lamb chops

     ­jd   

Thank you new ownership
Thank you for the complete upgrade of this beautiful space. The owners of Mildreds have purchased and updated this historic space. They have also upgraded the menu and lowered the average price. The lamb and grouper dishes are amazing. Nice bar and great wine list    [25 Jun 2007 17:32:46]

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Recommended Dishes: Lamb $16 and Gulf of Mexico Grouper $22

     ­Sandy   

Bring back Chef Elmo.
I'm a big fan of The Sovereign having eaten there weekly for over two and half years back when I attended UF. I recently returned to find the Sovereign under new management with boring tasteless food and poor service. Bring back Chef Elmo and Lupe or change the name (false advertising). It isn't the Sovereign without them.    [06 Aug 2007 05:32:13]

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Recommended Dishes: The water was quite refreshing.

     ­Kevo   emorin at bellsouth dot net

Outstanding food
As a former free lance food critic, I must say that this place has got to be in the top 10 that I have dined in, and I have been half-way around the world. The ostrich, venison and wild boar sampler was outstanding. Service is top notch, atmosphere is warm and cozy. I am looking for to another visit in the near future.    [13 Dec 2008 10:16:25]

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     ­Sir A.J. Skrypa