Solare Ristorante Lounge

Review summary

1. D

   Deborah

   VIP

   San Diego

   21 reviews

   4.0

   21 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Busy night ; Christmas Eve but they managed to provide excellent service . The food was delicious . I had the salmon . The lasagna was wild boar and with a cream sauce instead of marinara otherwise I would have ordered it .
   

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2. D

   David

   San Diego

   15 reviews

   5.0

   15 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We enjoyed a Christmas Eve feast at Solare. We got there early, and were directed to their lounge area until our table was ready. Enjoyed a perfect Prosecco and Chianti and chatted with a few folks sitting at the bar. This place always feels like family, the team at Solare is always helpful and engaging.. We took a table outside and had a fantastic meal. I especially liked the Lamb Porterhouse. So good. The seasoning was very unique. The Owner, Randy, even stopped by. He really seemed to care about how our meal was, and offered a few suggestions. Our server Francois, helped us get the perfect wine, and was extremely attentive, even though this was one of their busiest nights of the year. Thanks to all the folks at Solare for making this a great evening.
   

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3. R

   Renee

   San Diego

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   The service was a little slow but they were so busy it’s completely understandable! Food was amazing! We had a fantastic time!
   

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4. J

   Joseph

   San Diego

   11 reviews

   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Fantastic fixed Xmas dinner! The braised spare ribs were absolutely perfectly cooked - juicy and tender. My mom enjoyed her salmon. The crostene app was delicious as well. Only complaint would be that the tables are really crammed in there, so my elderly mother who uses a can had a rough time navigating around the tables and other patrons to get to our far corner table
   

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5. S

   Suzie

   San Diego

   6 reviews

   5.0

   6 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Food and service was excellent. Lunch in the wine room provided privacy and an intimate atmosphere.
   

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6. j

   joZef

   San Diego

   26 reviews

   4.0

   26 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Food was well prepared especially the pasta dishes which were excellent. Our waiter was just okay and uninspired, putting in minimal effort and seemed unhappy about being there or pleasing us beyond basic service…maybe he was having a bad day or too many tables? We had booked the chefs table but we were disappointed in that it was in the middle of a busy and cluttered hallway that leads to the bathrooms and the chef was nowhere to be seen - felt odd, and not particularly special, so we asked to sit in main dining which was the better choice. Food was the star.
   

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7. J

   Jeb

   San Diego

   2 reviews

   3.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 18 December 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   My wife and I have wanted to try Solare for years, and we decided to have this year's anniversary dinner there. In a word, our experience was disappointing. We started off at the bar and ordered some calamari and drinks. The drinks were great, but the calamari was so extremely chewy that it was inedible. I sent the order back, but the bartender insisted that they make a replacement and also remove the item from our bill. The second order of calamari was better, but still chewy. It had none of the tender texture that calamari is supposed to have, and the tentacle pieces were still as chewy as the first order. On top of that, the sauce tasted like nothing more than tomato juice and sugar. Somehow it was both bland and overly sweet. It was terrible. We would not order their calamari again. Our dinner fared better, but nothing we had was memorable. My wife ordered the Bolognese, and it was good, but it missed something. Perhaps it was the complete lack of herbs on top. Some fresh basil would have made a big difference. It also didn't help that we realized later in the meal that no one came by to offer her freshly grated Parmesan cheese, but everyone else who ordered pasta was also offered freshly grated Parmesan cheese. My Pork Chop was delicious, but parts of it were also bland. I think it's because there was no sauce, just a flavorful herb mix on the outside. That was fine for outside pieces, but the pork was so thick that most of it ended up being bland because it was nothing but pork (the pork itself was very tender and moist). A sauce would completely fix this issue. I did enjoy the blistered tomatoes and sauteed potatoes on the side. I'm not sure how I feel about the corn bread, which was more like a corn pudding. We did get a free dessert to celebrate our anniversary, which is greatly appreciated. All in all, the experience was not bad, but it was also not memorable in the slightest.
   

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8. J

   Jim

   San Diego

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 15 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Many great dinner food, drink, and wine options to choose from and the service is excellent.
   

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9. M

   Michael

   San Diego

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 14 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Delicious food. Being able to order risotto and scallops for me is such a treat. Lasagna was layered with a symphony of flavors. Their pear and gorgonzola pizza was simple yet unique and indulgent. I was not a fan of the arancini special was a tad under and could’ve used some time in the oven. Prepare yourself for a loud dining experience it can get quite chatty. Service was very good never had an empty glass. I would love to come back and try something new or possibly do their pasta classes.
   

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10. A

    Alexis

    VIP

    San Diego

    26 reviews

    3.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on 5 December 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4

    We love Solare, unfortunately it was an off night for the kitchen and server. She brought one entree with the salads and it was barely warm. When the rest of the food came out, 1 out of 5 dishes was hot, the rest were barely warm to cold. Even cold, the food tasted good, just not as good as it could’ve been hot. The owner came over and apologized and brought us a dessert platter which was very nice.
    

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