Solera Restaurant & Wine Bar

We came here for Valentine's Day. They had a set menu or you could choose from the regular menu. The service was friendly, the bread was delicious and the wine selection quite decent. The cioppino was a bit too spicy, but the veggie dish was good as well as the soup. The place is small and cozy, with a nice atmosphere. Complimentary valet is nice. more

This restaurant was a complete and total disappointment. I don't know that I've ever had such a bad meal. more

My husband and I booked a dinner for two at Solera Restuarant this evening. I had surgery a week ago so it was our first evening out. It was our first time going to Solera and will be our last. Our food took over an hour to come out. The couple next to us arrived at the restaurant 20 minutes after us and got there food 20 minutes before us. I understand that was not the server's fault but the service was less than desirable. My water glass sat empty multiple times, my husband had to ask another server for another jack and coke after waiting for 5 minutes, our bread was not refilled and I had to ask for a knife with my meal. My meal (Sea Scallops with Truffled Mac n Cheese) was good but my husbands came with 3 shrimp. $26 for 3 shrimp is a bit pricey. Not recommended at all. more

Last night, my husband and I came into Solera to celebrate by 30th birthday with a special birthday dinner - which was, sadly, anything but special. My husband, who isn't the surprise/reservation type (that's usually my job) - called Solera earlier in the week to see if someone would brainstorm with him as to how to make the night birthday-worthy. The person taking the reservation assured him that Solera had a certain romantic table on the patio that they used for special occasions like birthdays/engagements, etc. and that they would bring out a surprise dessert. When we arrived at Solera last night, the host looked at our reservation, and said ""do you still want to sit outside?"" - of course we did, because there was a special table waiting for us - right?! We walk outside, and were seated at a table next to a faux bamboo/wicker curtain with the service station behind it and my (very tall) husband's chair nearly fell of the stairs (not exactly romantic). Sure, we could see what we assume was the ""special table"" just across from us with lovely lighting and secluded by tree trunks, but apparently another couple had claimed that honor. To be honest, there was nothing special about our evening (the chef coming out and greeting all the tables on the patio except ours, was a nice touch). The thing is, we would have been happy to pay a little extra for something special - we would have been thrilled to have anything that made this more than just a regular dinner - but that wasn't even an option. My husband chose Solera because I go there fairly often with my girlfriends and he thought that Solera may do something a little extra for my birthday - but he ended up apologizing to me for not going to Twelve, Potager, Tables or Fruition where we knew we would be treated well. Once he told me all this (over the entree), I encouraged him to mention something to the manager or host, but at that point, he didn't really know how to ask *again*. After dinner, he suggested that we try the birthday dinner again somewhere else this week. I think what upsets me the most is that my husband rarely does surprises - and when he does, he really tries to impress me (I'm a bit of a restaurant snob with my girlfriends). However, our dinner at Solera was so disappointing, I'm willing to bet that he'll now think the dinner surprise plan isn't really worth it. I'm hurt, I'm irritated, I'm vocal...and I don't see myself or any of my girlfriends returning to Solera anytime soon. I think it is only fair that a restaurant that prides itself on service and atmosphere should know that staff shouldn't make empty promises to lure someone into the restaurant for a special event when we could have/would have gone somewhere else. more

I took my parents here when they were visiting and we did the wine tasting. It was so much fun! We also ordered the calamari and by far it was the best calamari I have ever had. The perfect combination of sweet and spicy. Pros: Food, atmosphere Cons: Service can be slow more

We went for what we thought was 1/2 price wine last night (Thursday). They stopped doing this promotion, so the bill was much higher than anticipated. They do offer a $52.80 menu on Thursdays, but the food options on it were not that exciting. They ran out of one of the two dessert options and served cake which tasted like it came from a box. more

As a long time fan of this restaurant, it's hard to review them so lowly. What was once a quaint hidden gem has suffered terribly lately. The food still can provide some high points to an evening, most notably the fish dishes. However, the truffle macaroni is runnier lately, the calamari more sweet than spicy, and the deserts more bland than ever. That may be nit-picky, but what is obviously clear is how poor the service has become. 15 minutes passed before we received water, a disinterested host seated us with what could only be called annoyance, and overly amplified music overwhelmed a patio previously remarkable for its quiet romance. A 200 dollar dinner shouldn't make me endure music that most people wouldn't pay a 5 dollar cover to see. It's gimmicky, unnecessary and obviously the sign of a manager out of touch with the elegant vibe of the early Solera. The long time staff members are an exception, and remain attentive and professional, but even they seem to realize their ship is sinking. Pros: Specials Cons: Horrible host, suffering service more

Solera's food is some of the best in Denver. The problem is, their service has suffered over the last few years. It took over an hour to receive our dinners, with no apology from the waiter...it might be common. The live music is amplified on their tiny patio. We counted five different tables that complained to have it turned down, and nothing was done. Who wants to pay $30 plus per plate and not be able to have a nice conversation? (And the music...bad, tone-deaf bad.) Pros: Fish Specials are the best Cons: Extremely slow service, loud live music more

We chose Solera because of the reviews and buzz but were very disappointed. Other than the calamari the food was pedestrian at best. Paella ($24) Solera-style means mussels and scallops with a little overdone tuna and a half cup of rice and not much else. The broth was tasty. Their Mushroom Cannolis ($20 for 2) were 2"" by 1/2"" in size. Premade ~ in this case they'd been sitting around for the better part of a week. were dried out and totally devoid of any flavor including the promised Eggplant puree. The Lamb ($30) was okay but again not very fresh. All in all Solera does not deserve more than a two star rating and suspect Solera is a restaurant on the edge of closing trying to cut costs while charging gourmet prices. Too many other terrific restaurants in Denver with better locations and quality food. Pros: Great Calamari Cons: Overpriced, unremarkable cuisine more

The food was ok, but the service was horrible, the manager was rude. This place refuses to accept the gift cards that they give out. Avoid this place. Cons: Rude staff more

My girlfriend and I visited Solera on New Years Eve and frankly, our experience was FAR below what one would expect out of a ""fine dining restaurant."" I am NOT the type of person who complains or who would go out of his way to write a poor review, but this time I feel compelled to do so because the dinner we shared that night was pathetic. The menu was ""fixed,"" and somewhat understandable being New Years Eve, but the dinner was unsavory (an understatement), bland and frankly, we could have spent a LOT LESS at the Bank Bar and Grille down the street and the meal would have been better ($75 a head is outrageous). On top of that, they ran out of half of the selection on the menu and the valet out front could probably have been more helpful about describing our dinner options than our waiter Jordan who, bless his soul, may unknowingly be suffering from Trisomy 21. I did email the restaurant AND the owner hoping for at least a reply (implied I didn't expect a refund) but received NO RESPONSE, a simple apology or explanation would have rectified the situation. With all fairness, I?ve been to Solera on one occasion before this, and the food was good, which is why I give it a two star rating instead of one. But, with such a HUGE fluctuation in food quality and derth of a viable customer service base, I would recommend steering clear of this establishment completely. Pros: Atmosphere Cons: Chef(s) may have flunked out of culinary school more

It is hard to believe that such great food and wine can be had in this off-beat location on East Colfax just south of Park Hill. Try dining a the bar where you can try some of the large collection of wines offered by the glass. This includes not only high end expensive choices, but also high quality, bargain-priced special finds by the owner. The food is fabulous --each course can be a difficult selection having to decide between many fine selections -- e.g. is the classic Caeser salad made with white anchovies a better choice than the blue cheese and bibb lettuce? In the summer, the outdoor patio is amazingly intimate and surprisingly quiet given it's location near a major thoroughfare. We've always had wonderful food and drink at this outstanding establishment. Pros: great food, excellent wine selection across all price ranges more

My family took me to Solera last night for my birthday. I was somewhat nervous about trying a new place but what a great experience!! I had the Atlantic Salmon and I HIGHLY recommend it!! It was so fantastic even my mom liked it and she never trys fish. We all got different dishes and tried each others and there really wasn't anything we didn't like. It took quite a while for us to get our entrees but they were totally worth the wait! Our dessert was yummy too but we were all overly full when we left! It's a nice little restaurant thats somewhat quiet, but not too quiet to where you have to worry about people at the next table listening in on your conversation! All in all, Solera made my birthday absolutley wonderful!!! It's definitely a restaurant everyone should try!!!! Pros: Excellent food, great service, ambience Cons: nothing more

A couple of good friends of mine (and myself of course) went to Solera Restaurant & Wine Bar (yea the place on East Colfax... GET OVER IT!) for drinks & apps. It was fabulous! We started in the bar with a round of martinis. It was pretty crowded so we had to wait a bit but who cares when you have good company and cocktails (besides, if no one wants to leave, can't throw people out.) We get a great little table outside on the patio (which is AMAZING and we instantly knew why no one is leaving.) There are flowers and herbs everywhere and they have a hottie latin guitar player with a drummer playing softly (nothing cheezy and you can listen OR talk.) We ordered the small calamary (small meaning BIG enough for 3 of us to nibble on) and we had the server order our wine. All we told him was what we liked and what our budget was and he brought us a fantastic bottle of red (and he didn't make us feel lame for not knowing wines.) We devoured the calamari (which I think I'm craving again right now) and after cruising the menu we all had to order an entree (it was too tempting for just apps after all.) OMG Yes! We shared everything and we loved everything. I had the fish (""cobia"" which I have never heard of.) It's my new favorite fish. It was so yummy I had to really try hard to keep myself from licking the plate (so I wiped the sauce clean with my bread, instead.) Everything we had was perfect and we really had great service. I think we were there for more than 2 hours (because guess what, we didn't want to leave.) We will definitly be going back! (Yes, both friends agree,) WE LOVE SOLERA!!! Pros: Free valet, food, ambience, food, service, food, wine and (of course) the FOOD ROCKS! Cons: May be a bit of a drive (but it's totally worth it.) more

We have been to Solera several times but will not be returning. I agree with the other reviewers that the food and wine here are amazing. This used to be my favorite restaurant. However, twice recently when we had reservations, we were told when we arrived that we would have to wait ""about 20 minutes"" for our table (for a party of 2!) We actually waited 35 minutes, and no one apologized for the wait or even seemed surprised by the wait, even when we asked after 30 minutes if it would be much longer. Pros: great food and wine Cons: not worth the wait /service more

Solera Was excellent .I thoroughly enjoyed my service, and the food. The Scallops where cooked to perfection, the risoto was just right, and who can complain about truffle mac? Pros: Food and service Cons: Slightly crowded more

eating at solera is wonderful!! there is not a better chef in Denver. the wine, cheese and service is wonderful. the cocktails are wonderful too, try a fun martini on the patio. we had a really cool one--mango something. goose is hands down the best in the city, if not the west cost. a true hidden gem Pros: food, drinks, wine, service, charm, great staff Cons: maybe the location, it is colfax more

You must experience the tantalizing creations of Chef Goose. The wine list is out of this world and oh, so reasonable. Now that Spring is here ask for a seat on the patio -- you'll forget you are in a city, much less on Colfax. This is truly a dining experience you won't soon forget. more

My husband and I love to eat. We love to eat here. Whenever we suggest to someone to eat here and they have, I always here the phrase, ""Would you believe you were on Colfax?"" It is truly a great dining experience. We have been many times and have never walked away dissapointed. The waiter's are very knowledgable about both the food and the wine. The don't hover but know when you need them to pour the wine or get you another cocktail. You really would think you were in NYC the experience is so good. Pros: Service, Food, Wine more

Solera is one of those hidden treasures where natives flock while the world passes by. The location is not ideal but they compensate for it with the valet parking. The service is always helpful and polite. The food always has unique flavors thrown into a seemingly typical plate (for example- the macaroni and cheese is heaven). I won't even mention the wine selection- you will have to go and see for yourself! more