Swiss Bar & Restaurant

Worst fucking pizza I’ve ever had. Still don’t know what I ate. It was nasty. A combination of cheese bread and mushroom soup The only thing they did do was poor my shot of whiskey exta strong so I could forget about the food. I’ve had better pizza in India. Suggestions: they throw the trash out at the local farmers market at 8. Stick with that

Great atmosphere! We had the kale salad and a wedge. The kale salad was the best! Comfortable, relaxing place with welcoming servers.

A lot of people recommended this place, we were kinda disappointed.
Started by calling to make a reservation. The hostess answered the phone with «I have a full lobby» and hung up on us. Alrighty then. She did call us back, to make a reservation, but we were already a bit cautious.
We sat outside. It just looks… tacky. Very outdated. The prices reflect fine-​dining and the restaurant doesn’t fit the bill aesthetically to me.
Steak was overcooked, fish was bland. Wine was just ok. Service was spotty.
Maybe it was just an off night, but I wouldn’t recommend or return.
I know this one is a local favorite, but if you only have a few nights in Sonoma, there are far better restaurants to try out!

Just had drinks and appetizers. Meatballs were perfect and the coconut prawns were really good. Will come back for dinner soon.

I asked a local where to eat and she suggested this place. I also promised her to give an honest review. So… here it is. First off, ordering steak at any place is risky – so I should have probably ordered something else. But, I risked it and ordered the steak dinner. I ordered it medium well. Unfortunately the outside was charred – totally ruined the taste. It would have been decent had that not happened. Second, while the outside patio is cute, there were a TON OF FLIES everywhere. Eating was SO uncomfortable for me. If you go during the day time eat inside. Otherwise wait til night (I suggest the restaurant invest in citronella candles to deter them). Third, I felt INCREDIBLY watched and scrutinized the entire time. I think this is probably bc I was the first (or second) person there for dinner. But the SECOND I finished eating I was asked if I wanted dessert. The second I took the bread off the plate someone came by to take the plate. I had mixed feelings about this… good service or maybe they wanted me out fast? Not sure. I honestly have mixed feelings about this place. It’s probably good… just don’t order the steak or eat outside during the day.

The Swiss has a beautiful outdoor patio with heaters and a fireplace. If your looking for a romantic dinner, make sure and get reservations for the patio. We ordered the chicken and the filet. The chicken had a Rosemary crust which was great but the filet was even better! The filet came with blue cheese mashed potatoes and asparagus. The meat had great flavor.

Classic Italian food with great service and reasonable prices. The meatballs from the wood fired oven are delicious, pasta dishes are classic and desserts delectable. Will definitely return.

If you want to hang out with Sonoma’s «who’s who», you’ve probably come to the right place. The food is consistently good, and the service is great.
But … They really, really need better soundproofing or something to improve the acoustics. It was already dark out and fairly cool, so we wanted to sit inside. The hostess readily obliged, and seated us next to a table with a few drunk and very loud men. I could barely hear my partners talking, so we arranged to move to a quieter table (again no problem), but then we ended up next to a table with very loud and drunk women!
I’m not blaming the restaurant for their obnoxious clientelle, but it did make my experience rather unpleasant, hence the low stars. The food is good, and you wont get any unpleasant surprises, but there are so many great restaurants to choose from that I’m not sure if I’ll be back.

Mind boggling experience tonight. Went for dinner, service was fine. Ordered the steak medium, it came out well. Asked the server to have it re-​done. She comes back asking my husband to accompany her to the kitchen where the chef wanted to speak with him. The chef proceeded to tell him that the steak was done correctly arguing about it, and handed the plate back to my husband to take back to our table. All the while, the manager stood there listening. He did not eat it, and left it untouched on his plate. Never in my life have I ever seen anything like this. If you are not happy with the preparation of your food, you send it back. You are paying good money for this food and shouldn’t have to eat it if it is done incorrectly. The manager never came over to apologize either. This wouldn’t happen at McDonalds! We will never go back. Absolutely unreal!

My Sonoma Square Itinerary…
Lunch at The Fig (The Girl & The Fig).
A Glarifee @ The Swiss (The Swiss Hotel).
Random Wandering around The Square.
Dinner @ EDK (El Dorado Kitchen).
Or…
Dinner @ The Fig.
A Glarifee @ The Swiss.
Or…
Dinner @ EDK.
A Glarifee @ The Swiss.
Ah, the fabulous, fabululous Glarifee. A cold coffee drink that is uniquely The Swiss Hotel’s. It’s a very old, secret, family recipe. And I think everyone should have one.
A family member makes a batch everyday. No one else knows what exactly goes into it.
Oh, the mystique!
This establishment is old & old school. Sit inside or out on the porch overlooking the square. Since I’ve never eaten here, I can’t comment on the food. But I do know that they’ve revamped the menu. About a year ago I was told by the bartender that they were working on stepping it up a notch.
It’s not a visit to the Square without a stop here. For a Glarifee.
4 stars.

We had lunch, waitress was a bit salty, not very interested in anything but going home. Egg plant parma sandwich, beet salad were very good. I had a Italian sausage sandwich and would never have it again. Poor grade sausage and the taste didn’t even resemble an Italian sausage. Been here for dinner many times would be a bit shy about going back for lunch. Love the bar and atmosphere.

Well, the place looks good but unfortunately doesn’t quite live up to expectations. The service on the whole was ok, although the sever that seated us was slightly grumbly that there were only 3 of us when of course the tables seat 4! Even though we had already booked ahead so it shouldn’t have been an issue in the first place.
The starter was ok but main course of pizza which I had was the worst pizza I have had in a VERY long time… soggy dough and just didn’t taste that nice. My dad had the pork chop which wasn’t cooked properly and the bourbon glaze was burnt. Very stringy French beans… Literally pulling the strings out. My mum’s dish of chicken was «ok» but that was it, it was just ok. They both ate it all, they were hungry. Now my parents are British and to be fair the UK does get a bad rep for food but actually it’s very good! Anyway, to make a point, even my parents said it was the worst food they’d had in a restaurant.
We didn’t complain as we didn’t want to make a fuss but really, probably one of the most disappointing meals I’ve had in the last 4 years of living in California. I didn’t Unilocal this place before I booked, wish I had have done otherwise would not have gone.

The Swiss… ahhhhh. I’ve been going to this European style bar since I turned 21. Not only is it a fun bar but they have amazing food, and it’s right on the plaza.
The bar outside has heat lamps and often attracts a large crowd due to being right on the street. It’s a lively atmosphere that often is standing room only. The bar inside is small but sexy and dark with a historic feel and eclectic art. The dining room is beautiful and deserves a more formal attire in my opinion. Prices are a little high, but it’s worth it.

Not sure why great restaurants insist on revamping their menus and not for the better. I love the Swiss! Haven’t been in a while and went for my daughter’s birthday.
Food isn’t what it used to be — and what did they do to their yummy olive oil/​balsamic dipping sauce? It’s now this pasty thing that looks like tomato sauce and has a funny balsamic taste to it. I burped it for the rest of the day.
The rest of the lunch was so-​so. They have changed their polenta dish (was my favorite) to something that is just ok. My daughter wasn’t impressed, and told me she has no desire to go back. Can’t blame her there!
Sorry guys! Used to love you.

I recall my parents propping me up on this bar as a toddler while they drank Glarafeys and played dice. I likely played with the taxidermied bear which was once also propped up on the bar (but which I’m told is now kept in a back storage room.).
Ah, the 70s.
The Swiss is a fucking institution, dammit. Go pay homage at its altar.
Is the place any good?
Wait, what part of «fucking institution, dammit» did you not catch? Who CARES if the place is any good?!

Went in for lunch and both had their burger, which was very good and so were the fries. Sharon took care of us in the best possible way with a great spirit and flawless service. Not my first time there, and have never been disappointed. Take a lunch break at the Sonoma Square and give this place a try.

Attended a private dinner here for about 50 people. We started out in the back yard where there was some crudités, stuffed mushrooms and crab cakes. We then moved into the room right off the yard. It was a room filled with antique-​y items. With 50 people it got quite loud.
The one thing that stands out about this place is lack of consistency, plates served side by side were no where near the same portion size and in some cases not all the ingredients appeared on each plate. The Caesar salad was very over dressed and was soggy; the salmon was served raw and many of the steaks served were cooked very over done, but at least they were tender. The best part of the meal was the nutty caramel sundae.
Overall it wasn’t an impressive meal, but if the kitchen paid more attention to cooking and consistency it would be much better.

Good spot for a couple of drinks on the outside dining area, or in the bar after work. Historic Landmark!

I came here for lunch with my family. Swiss hotel reminded me of an old movie as we were walking to our table.
Service was good.
Food was mediocre. I had the butternut squash ravioli, and all I could taste was oil.
My brother had a pizza margarita and that too was very oily.
The oyster Cesar salad was enjoyable. I would order that again if I ever come back here.
Price was decent. Parking was a little hard to find.
They do take card.

Cute little bar/​restaurant at the Swiss Hotel. The food is nothing special but still tasty. We sat outside for drinks and apps last weekend and enjoyed ourselves. It overlooks the plaza so it’s fun to people watch. We had the calamari and ravioli. Both were good but not great, lacking a little in the flavor. The bread with olive oil was delicious however.
Service was a little slow for not having a ton of customers but staff was nice and friendly. We got there around 4 and at 5 there was a crowd of various groups standing around waiting for tables. A little disturbing since we were trying to enjoy ourselves, luckily we were almost finished. I suggest they have a host/​hostess or one of the servers corral people inside during the peak hours. I’d go back but wouldn’t make a special trip just for it.