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Sophia's Grotto

22R Birch St.
Roslindale, MA 02131

Phone: 617-323-4595

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Website: http://www.sophiasgrotto.com/

Although the looming photo of Sophia Loren presides over the dining room inside, the trattoria's open-air courtyard framed by stucco walls does a fine job of evoking the loveliness of its namesake. Nominally Italian, the restaurant serves a variety of Mediterranean dishes, the most tempting of which are the zesty paella and the excellent mussels with polenta and chorizo. Sophia's Grotto shares its courtyard with several other restaurants—Birch Street Bistro, in particular, is worth considering if the wait gets too long. You can also pass time browsing through dozens of nearby boutiques, or enjoying a pitcher of sangria at the bar.