We were in this restaurant years ago and decided to come back . A lot of restaurants in the area went downhill after Covid , this one has not! All the meat tapas were exceptionally good , lamb chops were super good in apricot glaze , and I recommend everything from seafood to meat . Delicious restaurant . Paella was great , !!! read more

Great food & sangria. We have had a great and attentive waitstaff/bartender each time we go...

Went here for birthday celebration and it was EXTREMELY dissapointing. The sangria was probably the good thing. The bread that came out with each tapas was cold (not warm or toasted) and was simply white bread. These are the things ordered: 1)Crispy Cauliflower w/ Spicy Red Pepper Sauce--was not crispy at all--basically sauteed with some kind of red hot sauce that tasted very commercial. 2)Artichoke, Mushroom & Goat Cheese Crostini had OK ingredients/concept, but had very little flavor and was not toasted--it was simply cold and limp.3) Sizzling Garlic Shrimp w/ Bread: was NOT sizzling, barely lukewarm. The oil that the shimp was in also tasted somewhat stale or cooked multiple times. The shirmp its self was also rather tastless. 4)Steamed Mussels, Spicy Tomato & Wine Sauce w/ Bread: This was actually not bad--though served a bit lukewarm, again bread was completely limp and cold. 5)Roast Duck Leg w/ Berry Sauce--had some potential--the meat texture was decent, but the meat lacked flavor & the berry sauce tasted like jam that had been diluted. The worse thing was: when we asked for salt/salt shaker. The waitress came over and threw down a couple paper packets of salt! Even diners have salt shakers. Sorry, I don't usually write such bad reviews--it seemed like there was little care given to these Tapas. read more

Underwhelming. Nothing has flavour. I've been here twice now and I won't be going back. It isn't bad but it isn't good. The best thing is the short rib; it is absolutely superb. But it's is quite costly and have been to other Spanish tapas restaurants in Boston that are less expensive and tastier. They are open late which is convenient. read more

Solea Restaurant & Tapas Bar - Tapas Bars Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

We've been eating at Solea for 8+ years. The saffron scallops are to die for! So are the potatos bravas. Sizzling garlic shrimp, mmmmmm....

I'm rarely in the Waltham area and have been here once, a long time ago with girlfriends. Ended up here for the gluten free options, thank you Yelp friends for helping me out. Came here on a Sunday to meet a friend for a quick drink and small plates. Loved the lighting and the atmosphere. The food was great, they offered me gluten free bread but I declined. Impressed they were able to offer me the bread at all. Not many places have gluten free bread for people to have before a meal. Very well done! We ordered the sauted collard greens and the beef tenderloin. Perfect for two people sharing a glass of wine and food in between lunch and dinner. The staff were great, the bartender was more than willing to charge my iphone (helps in finding my way home). They were not busy at all at 2:30pm on a Sunday afternoon. It was worth the trip! read more

Sad to say this place has gone way down hill-gave it 2 stars bc the sangria was delicious but other than that the food had no flavor and just wasn't that good. Especially disliked the $40 Paella, the chicken seemed like it has been frozen, the scallops were rubbery and the rice wasn't even Arborio. Service was ok not great-Sorry but there are better places to spend your $$! read more

Tried the cazador Fideua and loved it. Nice happy place, great service, will definitely return!!

We had lunch for 3 on a Wednesday at 1:15pm. The dining room was empty except for one other table. Food- we ordered a number of plates to share. All were priced between $8-12. We ordered 3 of the days specials - a jammon croquette, a white bean salad and black sausage with spatzel. In addition, we ordered salmon over spinach and patatas bravas. Presentation and taste were top notch for the sausage, the salad and the salmon. The flavor was excellent for the croquette and bravas, but the needed to be dressed up with a splash of garnish. Just a bit of parsley would have helped. Overall excellent dishes. Service - the table was not set, so we waited for place settings before being seated. Only a minute or so, but it seemed odd to wait in an otherwise empty restaurant. The food was delivered at a nice pace - except for the black sausage, which took awhile to arrive. To compensate for the wait, the server took a beer off the bill. Nice touch. Overall decent service. I'd recommend eating here. read more

Solea Restaurant & Tapas Bar - Black sausage and spatzel - Tapas Bars Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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My wife and I went to Solea for the first time after a movie the other night. We were really impressed. Great menu, awesome selection of tapas. A diverse wine list and a nice assortment of local micro-brews. What really set the evening apart was our bartender John. He was personable, attendant, knew the tapas menu in and out as well as having deep knowledge of the wine list. We will most definitely return. read more

Food is really good but pricey for the size portions you get However worth a try for a new dining experience.

This is the place to go, Beautiful, Classy, Delicious!!! You can go with your parents or with your girlfriend!!!! The waitstaff is amazing, very friendly knowledgeable!!!!! I don't have words for the Sangria Royal!!! read more

Ok so I came to Solea with high expectations because I know it's owned by the same people that own Tapeo- which is my all-time favorite Boston restaurant. Solea is a little different though. I mean I know it's Waltham and not Newbury St- but still... it was missing a lot of the charm and authenticity that is prominent at Tapeo. The menu is very similar to Tapeo's however their tapas selection is a bit varied, so that was nice to try some new things that I couldn't have tried at the other location. Our waitress was really nice and responsive, and the tapas we had were absolutely delicious. I had stuffed red peppers and patatas bravas, they were fantastic. One thing that I think adds to the authenticity of Tapeo is that the majority of their staff are native Spaniards (or of Hispanic background in general). I know I know it's not necessary, but that just made the place seem all the more authentic as if I were stepping into a tapas place in Barcelona. Solea did not have such charm, I hate to say. I would definitely go back, but Tapeo will still remain my top choice. read more

2 PM on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Waltham and in the mood for food on moody? Too late for brunch and lunch, too early for dinner, too hungry for a donut ... Solea to the rescue. It wasn't very busy so we got a table close to the open windows with a nice breeze. WHITE SANGRIA!!!! I don't care for sangria, but WHITE SANGRIA made the cut. Excellent paella and a few tapas: sauteed mushrooms, calamari, clams in white wine Perfect Sunday with WHITE SANGRIA. read more

Totally overrated. After several people recommended Solea, my husband and I decided to give it a try. We went early one Friday night without reservations and were seated right away. Right off the bat I was a little annoyed because I could hear the other servers giving their tables the low down on the restaurant but our server didn't, like she just wanted to get it over with. I ordered a cocktail, the pineapple/basil one which was really very tasty and we also ordered a bottle of wine. I will say they had a nice selection of very reasonable priced wines by the glass and bottle. We ordered 5 dished and 2 desserts, it was definitely enough for the two of us. We had: Artichoke and goat cheese crostini - totally underwhelming, the bread wasn't enough toasty and crusty, it was the same bread they serve when you sit down and there was barely any cheese. Scallops in saffron sauce - very tasty, we both enjoyed Short ribs - pretty good portion, not too fatty, pretty good Lobster ravioli - the pasta was a little too al dente for me but the filling and sauce were good Beef empanadas - again, underwhelming, very dry and the dipping sauce was very bland. Flan of the day (Kailua) - my husband got this and I had a bite, I don't like coffee flavored things, but it was good Chocolate cake - it was like a flourless chocolate torte, I liked it very much. All in all, we got out of the for about $125, which for that price I think there are better options around but we may still come back to try the paella because we saw it on other tables and looked good. read more

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The tapas are hit or miss here. You really have to try most of them to determine which ones you would order again. If you're planning on getting a paella, make sure you order that first as it takes time to cook. We tried the lamb meatballs, beef brisket, scallops in saffron sauce (the best one), sautéed artichoke (a bit too sour and oily all at once) and the full seafood paella. The beef and the scallops were awesome. We got extra bread just to finish off the sauce. I tried the lab meatballs, but couldn't ignore the lamb-y taste. The truffle cream sauce was delicious however. The paella was ok but a little bit too wet for my liking and the rice was kind of bland. I tried the pork tapas the second time I came back and it was dry. The duck confit was good. read more

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Been coming here for years and it never disappoints! Best sangria! Everything is tasty but you can't go wrong with the sizzling shrimp, fritters, calamari and lamb chops! Great service, great food and great drinks! read more

I am a big fan of Tapas, so when a friend announced she was having a going-away party here, I was very excited. Especially since I'd been wanting to go to Solea for several years. However, I was thoroughly disappointed in Solea and will definitely not be going back. And unfortunately, this was my fiance's first foray into tapas and left him with, literally, a bad taste in his mouth. A friend & I ordered a glass each of Sangria (which was pretty watered down) and then the table ordered pitchers. The waiter was pretty smart and just kept refilling the glasses without people asking. Some of us only wanted 1glass, but next thing we knew, our glass was refilled! This tacked $120 on to our bill, for something we didn't even want. Strike 1 in my book. The bread was so-so and came only with some sort of spread - which was never explained to us. Usually a fan of these types of spreads, I tried it and did not eat it again! It was dry and almost-tasteless; I almost asked for some oil.The organizers of the party ordered some appetizer plates for the table,which consisted of cured ham, olives, roasted red peppers and assorted cheeses.The only thing I liked were the cheeses. I should have eaten them on the bread! Strike 2 in my book. The party organizer then ordered about 20 different appetizers. Let's see if I can remember what they were. There were a few I didn't try, as they were things I don't eat: Setas al Ajillo (Sautéed Portabella Mushrooms); Higadillos de Pollo (Chicken Livers with Sherry over Garlic Toast); Gambas al Ajillo (Sizzling Garlic Shrimp); and Vieiras al Azafrán (Scallops in Saffron Cream). The ones I liked: Queso de Cabra Montanes (Baked Goat Cheese with Tomato & Basil); Patatas Bravas (Wild, Hot & Spicy Potatoes - always my fav!); Pato Braseado (Roasted Duckling with Berry Sauce); and Pechuga al Ancho (Grilled Chicken breast with Ancho chiles, Tomato, Garlic & Red Wine Sauce). The ones that were just eh, or not-so-great: Empanada de Pollo (Chicken Turnover); Chorizo a la Plancha (Grilled Spanish Sausage); and Solomillo con Chimichurri (Beef Tenderloin with Spicy Herb Sauce). That's all I can remember. The menu selection had way more seafood (and way less chicken/beef) than I've seen on a tapas menu and the food was just not worth the price. The best thing part of the meal was the Cranberry & Champagne Cheesecake someone brought from a bakery in the South End. Which they charged about $30 to cut and plate - Strike 3! read more

They would have gotten five stars if they didn't change the menu up last summer. I literally was almost brought to tears when I was told I no longer could get the ribs with banana sauce (don't judge it unless you had the opportunity to try it) and spinach and artichoke fritters. When I got over my mourning stage I realize they still do have some pretty good things on the menu, I just don't know if anything will compare to those ribs. Some of my other favorites include the goat cheese and tomato dip, lobster and crab ravioli, duck with blackberry sauce, and the spicy potatoes. The ambiance is great here, especially if you can get a table by the open windows in the summer. Unlike other tapas places in the area you have plenty of space and don't feel crowded by the table next to you. read more

The tapas at Solea is delicious. I recently visited Madrid and wanted a reminder of Iberia. It had been a few years since my last visit to Waltham and this restaurant remains popular and fun. The tapas I had were full of flavor; and an authentic, unique selection. Piled high mushrooms, tender duck with berry sauce, crunchy smoked vegetables, Excellent lamb meatballs, quality bread... great Saturday lunch. Attentive service. Spain decor. read more

This place was pretty interesting. I'm a big lover of tapas and try out any tapas place I come across, hence our dinner at Solea. Unfortunately, it came up a little short. Firstly, and unrelated to the food, it's in a totally sketchy neighborhood, so parking on a side street makes you a little uneasy for the duration of your meal. As for the food... everything sounded very inventive, but most of the dishes fell short of being awesome. Baked Goat Cheese with Tomato & Basil - this was basically a bowl of sauce with a nugget of goat cheese in it. It was lucky we still had bread left, otherwise what would we have done with all that sauce?? Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp) - also doused in a bunch of sauce, and this would have been pretty decent until we saw a couple that hadn't been de-veined and then we just saw a string of poo floating in there. Nasty. Lulas Grelhadas (Calamari) - this was good, but the portion was tinier than necessary and between the two of us, we might have gotten four rings each plus a whole lot of garnish. Solomillo con Chimichurri (Beef Tenderloin) - This was good. The big surprise here was the Squid Ink Pasta. It was pretty amazing. Black pasta might freak you out, but it really just tastes like macaroni and cheese, plus some calamari rings on top. By far, our best pick. Overall, I wouldn't go back, but it's worth trying. read more

Solea Restaurant & Tapas Bar - Peppers stuffed with crab, onions and shrimp - Tapas Bars Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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I think this place was okay, it wasn't amazing tapas and nothing super special. They have good outdoor seating but their sangrias were weak and their menu was very limited. I don't think I would come back unfortunately. read more

This place is really cozy and the staff is sweet. The food is not 100% authentic as the menu has gravitated toward local tastes. But, everything is tasty and quality ingredients used. The sangria here is also way better than most of the watered down stuff you'll find elsewhere. read more

We came into town for Head of the Charles. Many family members from all over New England met to have a great meal. The food was quite good, but the service was atrocious. Our waiter was a young man that must have been a relative of the owner. That's the only way this guy has a job, because anyone else would have fired him. He was curt, arrogant, and inept. We had to ask for everything at least 3 times before he actually brought it. We waited 25 minutes for him to bring us bread so we could eat the dish it was meant for. We waited 30 minutes for dessert menus and didn't received all of the dishes we ordered. It was so bad by the end, we didn't have the energy to complain and we paid the check and left. I can not in good conscience recommend this experience to ANYONE, except maybe your mother in law. read more

We decided to give Solea a shot since we were in the mood for tapas. Our server suggested ordering about three tapas per person, which worked out perfectly. We especially enjoyed the salmon, tostadas, croquettes, and churros com chocolate. Everything we ordered was delicious. We'd come back here again. read more

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whats to say, lots of choices, its fun, especially with a group of people, hopefully ones with culture, as in, this conversation: I'm going to the tapas bar... a TOPLESS bar?!? no Tapas... case in point, people in the know will enjoy this concept more than others. prices do add up thou FYI... read more

This was a pretty solid and fun Tapas place. The parking, while not great, was still a bit easier to find than at Dali. The food was on the expensive side (8 bucks a dish x 3 dishes per person + alcohol). Nothing I had was absolutely out of this world good, but it was all very tasty. The waiter was pretty friendly. Atmosphere was jovial. Tapas places like these are always fun to go to with a friend(s). If you're splitting the dishes, ordering is a great commentary on your friendship. I ordered the Blood Orange Mojito. I love Mojitos... but mixing in Blood Orange was a mistake. Stick to the traditional. My final say on Solea: good food, and a less crowded alternative to Dali... but its still no Dali. read more

It was our 2nd visit, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We got 6 tapas - 3 per person. I began with a glass of sangria. Perfect addition to a wonderful, satisfying dinner. My fiancé got the goat cheese in tomato sauce, stuffed poblano pepper, and the rice and beans. He loved it. The food was cooked to perfection, and tasted wonderfully. I don't like goat cheese very much, but he enjoyed every last bit. I tried some of his poblano pepper; the crispy batter and the fillings were AMAZING...all different ingredients and vegetable pieces just explode in your mouth - a must try if you love stuffed peppers. The rice and beans never fail to please us. I got the chicken empanada, grilled shrimp with piri piri sauce, and grilled lamb chops with an apricot glaze. I didn't like the piri piri sauce because it had a very strong hint of clove - I like clove but not when the taste is very empowering and engulfs your mouth. Also, the lamb chops were undercooked when I cut into it, but the waitress was more than happy to ask the chefs to cook them a little more thoroughly. For dessert, we ordered the bananas with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream. A perfect ending to a perfect evening. :) read more

I'm no expert on tapas, so you'll have to forgive me for my ignorance on what makes a great tapas bar. Still, I think I can evaluate the food and ambiance pretty fairly. Basically, this place is fine, but not really worth the money, in my opinion. My friends and I got an assortment of different dishes, and everything was OK, but nothing spectacular. The ambiance was standard restaurant fare, so nothing won me over there either. Our server was attentive, which was nice, and he was reasonably helpful in helping us choose our dishes (which was a lifesaver due to my aforementioned ignorance about tapas). I wasn't underwhelmed by the food, but I wouldn't say I was overwhelmed either. A fine place to check out once, but I feel no great urge to go back. read more

Man, this place is huge. Room after room! The food isn't bad - pretty much your average tapas place. Lots on the menu to choose from, good service, reasonable prices. They have entrees as well as tapas, so if you're not in the small plate mood, you won't be without options. If you are looking for a relative safe bet on Moody street and want to go exotic but not too exotic, this place is for you. In the summer they open the windows and give it a nice cantina vibe. read more

Maybe it's because I live right next to a popular tapas place that I didn't love this one... I went with a larger group of friends and ordered the Tortilla Espanola (spanish omelette)& the Bunuelos (cauliflower and broccoli fritters). The Tortilla Espanola was much drier and potatoey than I thought it would have been (it was my first time having one), and it didn't have much flavor. I ended up using the sauce from another dish to try to inject some flavor into it. The Bunuelos were definitely deep fried and were really heavy. I think it came with 4-6 of them and I could only eat 2-3 before passing them off to others. The sauce it came with was tasty, though. I tried one of my girlfriends empanadas--really tasty! Would order those if I come back. read more

We've been dying to try this spot, we walk by it almost every day and decided to finally stop in for my boyfriend's birthday. The tapas menu is massive and pretty inexpensive. It ranges from about $4.5-12. I'd say two plates per person is plenty. Their portions are surprisingly generous for a tapas spot! We ordered the pao de quejio (Must get), the tortilla espanola, the patatas bravas (Must get), the croquetas, the bunuelos, the gambas al ajillo, the short ribs (MUST GET), and the chorizo a la plancha. Everything was really delicious. They have great classic tapas dishes, but they also have some more unique dishes, which we all appreciated. We had sangria and I also tried their Basil Cucumber gimlet. We all loved the drinks, they were perfectly mixed. The only sour note with dinner was the dessert. We got the tres leches cake, and while it tasted fine, it was not a tres leches. It was extremely dense and chewy, more like cornbread than tres leches. Needless to say, we were disappointed. We'll stick to the flan next time. Overall, decent tapas spot and good drinks. I appreciate their variety of cocktails, as most tapas spots only serve the traditional sangria and wines. read more

Went with my friends to celebrate my birthday, we had a lovely table near a window, the food was awesome but the White Sangria blew my mind. read more

Took my wife here for the first time. The restaurant was cozy and have a nice ambiance. Nice latin music playing on the background. We loved everything we tried from cocktails to the tapas like plato mixto, ceviche, mussels, and beef tenderloins. Like any tapas place, the meals become costly but I definitely recommend this place if you're looking for a fun tapas restaurant. read more

Good Tapas option in Waltham. Their service falls apart a little when they get busy, but is fine under normal circumstances. Great ambiance and good food. I don't know why, but I don't normally think of Tapas for brunch. My mistake, they do a really nice brunch here on the weekend. read more

Solea Restaurant & Tapas Bar - menu - Tapas Bars Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

I love Tapas very much. Solea is a great Spanish tapas place to go for a date or with Bunch of friends. Definitely try sangria. I am not a fan of a red sangria but every one at the table loved it. The white sangria was out of this world. Be careful, it creeps up on you very suddenly. I am not going to describe any dood, you just have to try everything but I must point out sizzling shrimp in butter and lamb chops. Mmmmm read more

Solid just like Dali. I like the energy at Dali in Cambridge a bit better, but the tapas are the same here and it's a perfect place before a movie on Moody Street. We love the duck and berry sauce, and always the sausage with fig sauce too. The sangria is also always excellent. read more

Solea Restaurant & Tapas Bar - Tapas Bars Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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I love to travel. In the last two years I've been to Paris, New York, Hong Kong, SF, etc. I'm not saying this to brag, just so that when I say that Solea is hands down one of my top three favorite restaurants in ANY city I've been to, you'll know I'm not a townie who's never left Boston (although I love it here almost enough to be one). The tapas at Solea are amazing. Broccoli and cauliflower fritters, lobster ravioli, and spicy muscles are among my favorites, but I love almost everything I've ever tried here. The decor is dreamy and romantic, and the prices are extremely reasonable. I also had an amazing experience hosting a private party (I think about 25 people?) at Solea. The service, food, and value were all absolutely fantastic. The small private room in the back was cozy without being cramped. Despite our party size nothing was cold or subpar. Our servers, as always, were lovely and attentive. Due to the size of our party, we had them order for us. Our group was a mix of vegetarians, die hard meat eaters who won't touch anything green, and everything in between, and they did an amazing job of finding the perfect balance of foods so that everyone was happy. read more

This tapas restaurant never disappoints. I've come here a handful of times since 2011 and always had an amazing time with delicious and diverse dishes. I would recommend Solea to anyone. read more

I was here with a work group, and it was my first time. I found it solidly average - sangria punch was pretty good, and we loaded the tables up with a lot of choices. I will say several of the dishes seriously insure no vampires will hang out here, as they were loaded with garlic (to a fault, IMO, but what do I know. I actually like getting kissed by my wife, these dishes pretty much guaranteed that wasn't happening for the next several days). This isn't a bad review - just not a great one. Lots of great places in the area to pick from, so I am not rushing back here soon. You may feel completely different, so don't just take my word for the mediocrity. Check some other Yelpers, and choose wisely. :) read more