Solea in Waltham is a tapas bar with a warmly decorated interior and a format built for sharing, and when the kitchen is on, it makes for a genuinely enjoyable night out. We walked into a space divided in a way that gives tables a sense of privacy despite the larger dining room, and the atmosphere was lively without becoming overwhelming. The tapas format rewards ordering widely. The ceviche is fresh and well balanced, with enough acidity to make it a strong opener for the table. The lamb meatballs and lamb chops deliver on the richness that lamb focused tapas should bring. The beef tenderloin is a reliable anchor for anyone who wants something more substantial, and the shrimp and calamari are both worth adding to a spread if you are building out a fuller table. The paella is massive and feeds more people than you might expect, with the chicken and chorizo version being the more reliable order for flavor consistency. Where the experience gets uneven is in the consistency across the menu. Some dishes land clearly while others fall short, and the kitchen does not always execute at the same level across a large tapas spread. The ceviche and lamb dishes worked well on our visit, but a few other plates did not quite match that standard. Service held up well, though it can stretch thin during busier stretches. Our server was attentive and helped guide us through the menu, but the pacing slowed a bit as the dining room filled. For a tapas dinner in the suburbs with a good selection and a comfortable setting, Solea is worth a visit when you go in knowing which dishes to prioritize. read more

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A bewildering culinary experience. The portion sizes for these tapas are colossal. The beef skewers are massive, and the chicken empanadas might be a light lunch all on their own. But putting that aside, the hit-and-miss nature of each dish sucks the fun out of it. I would not recommend the beef skewers to anyone. While they looked gorgeous, they were downright chewy, with no tenderness or rendered fat to help me out. I almost always eat every bite of a meal, but I couldn't finish them. In contrast, the spinach had crispness, flavor, and raisins for real balance and a decent flavor profile. My spicy Solea (house) margarita was too strong, but worse, it was spicy as in hot, rather than spicy as in flavorful. It was like pepper was coating the back of my throat. On the other hand, the Basque cheesecake had great texture, on the outside and inside, and it was sweet and creamy. I found the service cheerful, and the space is great for large friend groups or for solo watching the World Cup. All in all, though, don't come here for the food. read more

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Came here for dinner with friends and overall was a good dining experience. We were sat at a long table on the street, it was a bit difficulty to sit and get up from the table due to the small space between the divider and the curb but not uncomfortable. Our server was attentive. We got a variety of tapas and paella. Paella was fine. I got tostada's de alcachofas which came with 3 tostadas which were not bad, had a pickled flavor. Had a cholomio con chimichurri which was very tasty although the texture of the meat was a bit chewy. The star was the guava sangria special which was SCRUMPTIOUS. I hope they continue to serve it because as someone that doesn't love wine or drink sangria much I could have drank the whole pitcher. Overall a good dining experience, I didn't come in with a huge appetite so I didn't try as much food as I'd like but what I did have was good. read more

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Solea had a great space, with lots of seating and the ability to accommodate larger groups. The service was quick and they had quite a variety on their menu. The salmon and shrimp specifically stood out as highlights with such great sauces, both cooked to perfection. The patatas bravas were also quite good, and a classic that you truly can't go wrong with. While I think next time I will trade out the calamari for one of their chicken dishes, we were pleasantly surprised with this easy, quick, and affordable tapas experience! read more

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Solea was ok. The dishes were really hit or miss. The tenderloin, broccoli fritters, roasted vegetables, and shrimp were all good. The paella was ok - seafood was tender but I feel this dish didn't have a lot of flavor. The jamon iberico was bad. Super chewy. The service was ok, nothing standout. read more

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I used to love this restaurant, but after tonight and the lack of care for patrons, I will never eat here again. I have written five star reviews so many times, but if you overbook and care less about your customers, I don't want to be a patron anymore. Valentine's at this restaurant has always been great until this year. New owners suck. Service sucks. Three tapas that took 2.5 hours to get was ridiculous. Watching 5 tables eat and leave before we got most of our food and were sat first, sucked. It's unfortunate. Zero stars (I have to give one to post this). I will never eat here again. It's unfortunate. read more

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Nice setting, very good water service. Hubby enjoyed his veggie paella. I chose the wrong dishes for me--octopus and cauliflower that was a little too spicy for me. My friend's salmon looked good. read more

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Friendly staff! Michael was our server he was fantastic! The front room w bar is what u would expect for a tapas bar. We were told it was fully booked and there was never anyone in there. The back rooms are cold and not very inviting. Also incredibly noisy. Would recommend making sure u can sit in the front bar room. Food was ok. Not gr8. Would say about a 6 overall, but some dishes better than others. My two faves were the sardine crostini & baby lamb chops. My mom got bombed off of one margarita, so I guess the bartender is good!! Parking is kind of a pain so get there early if u want street parking. There's a municipal lot nearby, maybe a block or two away. Not sure if I would go back, it's not really the kind of tapas place I like. However it would be a good place for a reception, large party, etc cause the two back rooms a quite large and have a feeling u could make arrangements for the menu to be exactly what u want. Would definitely suggest calling up and asking if that's what ur looking for. read more

Went to Solea today after a long time and was disappointed. Two of the 3 of us were vegetarian so we only ordered vegetarian options. The veg skewers were good, spinach with garlic and pine nuts were OK. The eggplant was rubbery, carrots with almonds and caramel sauce was weird - too sweet. The taco thing was just bad, still not sure which one we ordered vs what we got! The drinks - cocktail (green one) had no flavor, the mimosa came in a plastic glass and wasn't worth the price! The service was suboptimal. We got one dish we didn't order. Another that we're not sure we ordered. In spite of pointing this out we were charged for everything. We were celebrating a birthday but there was no offer of complimentary dessert. The server was rude/loud, service was slow though the place was more than half empty, and the hostess was snippy at one point too! Really sad, we were looking forward to the evening but we won't be going back.​ read more

We hadn't been to Solea for quite some time - and had a nice dinner there again. When we arrived at 6:30, the restaurant was pretty empty but filled quickly. (Although we spend a LOT of time in Spain, I'm evaluating against US tapas restaurants.) We ordered the Bunuelos (A+), Tostadas de Alcachofas (these were actually pintxos - and delicious), and Ravioles en Salsa de Mariscos - with a beer and a glass of the albariño. The service was excellent, despite the waitstaff being stretched a bit thin. There was a mixup with the bill which the waitperson fixed immediately. The atmosphere was great - salsa music playing a good level. I miss their Cambridge location, but it's worth the trip to Waltham. read more

My husband took me here for Valentine's Day on 2/14/26. The food was good. We had the charcuterie mixto, tostones, pulpo, chorizo, and queso. I had the coconut Mai tai (yummy) and my husband had the old fashioned (not good at all). The issue was the service. The server was inattentive and it took a long time for the food to come out. We were ready to settle the check when the last thing we ordered came out. The lights were also too bright for dinner service, especially Valentine's Day dinner service. read more

Inviting, spacious dining rooms. Great menu with a variety of veggie, seafood, and meat choices. Quality ingredients. Friendly and efficient service. But... all the food that should've been served hot was lukewarm at best. read more

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Hubby and I have not been here in almost 8 years. Boy has it changed. The items I use to order were no longer on their menu. Hubby was never too fond of this place but would go for me because he knew how much I liked their tapas of rice and beans. They no longer have that. They use to have a carne con frijoles type tapa I use to get. No longer there. Instead I chose to get a Rice Bowl adding chicken with it. Seasonings on the chicken was pretty good Hubby just ordered a Pepsi. Cheapest somewhat on the menu. Too expensive and nothing to his liking he saw looked good for him. Our server was very nice and attentive. The atmosphere was very quiet. Bathrooms were spacious and clean. Overall, my love for Solea has faded. Atmosphere, service and cleanliness good. Food wise not so good. Not horrible but could do better. read more

We had reservations for 4 for 6:30, which they could not find. We sat for 30 minutes before I got up to find a waitperson to take our food order. The food was acceptable and some of the dishes were quite good. The lamb skewers and the cassava fritters earned high marks. The paella was unremarkable. The drinks were ordinary. The serving staff was very attentive with water and delivering food etc, but the actual waitperson taking orders was not. Not a good experience for the price. Will not be returning. read more

Some tapas were good. Others had no flavor. Far cry from Barcelona across the board. Server tried but not enough servers for number of guests. read more

The food tested pretty bad and burnt. the servers made mistakes with 2 orders but apon asking became confrontational and started yelling at us. overall, between the staff and food just was less than mediocre. Will not recommend this place to anyone. read more

I had fond memories of going to Solea with friends a couple of years ago and was looking forward to introducing my family to the great sangria and yummy tapas. The food was delicious as was the single pitcher of sangria we had. The service, while friendly, seemed overwhelmed. The initial plates (all of them) on our table were distressingly crusty. Finally, the piles of dirty dishes left in front of us throughout and long after the meal and the long wait to even be able to ask for our check never mind receive it, made us decide to skip dessert and after dinner drinks and makes us unlikely to return to Solea anytime soon. read more

Very sad this restaurant has gone downhill. I used to live in Waltham and went to Solea once for dinner and once for brunch about three years ago. The food was outstanding and the ambiance was lovely. I decided to head back here last night for my birthday and was so excited, and left a little sad. The service remains great and our server was kind and attentive. The setup of the restaurant was totally different though. We got seated on the bar side with kind of harsh and awkward lighting. Food came out quickly. The menu seems to have diminished somewhat but I was excited to see empanadas still there. We placed our order and were told one of the menu items (basically just vegetables) wasn't available. That seemed weird. Empanadas were not as I remembered (small tear). The food was all fine or good but not excellent. I'm sure you can find similar food of much better quality elsewhere. What a bummer. read more

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Have been multiple times. lighting is low, there are some larger booths and other tables as well as a bar, and the food is good. Try garlic shrimp, cauliflower fritters, goat cheese in tomato sauce, meatballs. read more

Some of the most underwhelming Spanish food I've had. The empanadas were soggy and did not taste much beyond the tomato sauce. The patatas bravas were not crispy at all, and the crispy spicy cauliflower was neither crispy nor spicy. The cheese and charcuterie plate was the saddest plate I've ever seen, with 2-3 pieces of charcuterie and only two pieces of bread. The cheese was alright. The croquettes has the wrong consistency, felt more like a meatball than a croquette. Service was pretty good and atmosphere was alright. I will not be going back, and Barcelona or Dali are far, far better than this. read more

Service very personable. The Asparagus is delicious and worth ordering. The steak over Arepas is good. Loved the chimichuri sauce. If are fan of Sardines definitely give it a try. Soo good. The cheesecake is light, creamy and berry compote is fresh. read more

Solid 3.5 restaurant had just opened an hour before we got there for lunch so there was plenty of seats to choose from. Our waitress was sweet and although she was the only server on the floor, she got to every table without missing a beat. Everything was seasoned nicely and portions were perfect for the price and to share. The only thing I had to send back was the shrimp in garlic sauce... I'm fairly familiar with traditional tapas and shrimp in garlic sauce is usually flavorful and packed with garlicky goodness. Their version wasn't even sauteed, just swimming in oil and the garlic didn't even look like they tried to date it one bit. Took a flan to go and that was delicious as well. Definitely a solid spot to stop in for a good meal. read more

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Booked on OpenTable and chosen because tapas works really well for us. One on keto (well, not this week), one kosher, one low fat and one anything. So we can make a bunch of choices and everyone's happy. We were seated at a big table in the back and yeah, the big table helped. When you've got five plates of food and we're all reaching and eating, bigger helps. Olives to start was great. I don't usually like olives but these were delicious. And the churros for dessert was great as well, with a small pot of chocolate for dipping. I don't remember what else we had, sorry. Other than the "full" paella and that was huge and delicious. Our waitress kindly split the leftovers in half and that made for a nice lunch the next day. Great food, great service, superb company. I'd return to Solea for sure. [Review 15229 overall, 731 of 2021, number 1091 in Massachusetts.] read more

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We went here for drinks on a friends birthday and sat at the bar. I had the blueberry ginger mojito. I really enjoyed it is was very refreshing and different than other drinks I've had. My friend had gotten the cucumber lime gimlet which I was not a fan of, but I also don't like martinis so it may be right up your ally. The place was really cute and our service was great. I would like to go back for dinner. read more

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

Ordered 7 items on tapas menu. Most were pretty tasty. However, knocking down rating by 2 stars for "value". Example - spent $11 for "chicken skewers". Plate came out with two small pieces of chicken on a stick. We actually asked the waiter if they left some of our food on the kitchen. I understand prices have gone up, but this was embarrassingly small. read more

We hadn't been to Solea in a while. It wasn't busy for a Saturday early evening. The staff was fantastic. The food was just as fantastic as we remember it. Highly recommended focusing on the tapas and particularly on the sauces. The dishes that don't have sauces aren't quite as good but that is likely just us as everything is good. It is not cheap but anytime you are going for tapas you should expect that but for tapas Solea is still pretty much of the game for the region. read more

Disgusting. I don't morally write reviews but when I feel passionate enough I will. This restaurant has a fruit fly problem. There were fruit flies landing in drinks and surrounding our meals. I ended up with about 15 flies in my drink clustered together thinking it was sediment. Im so grossed out and feel the need to do my civic duty and let people know not to eat here. Ew. read more

Really nice service last night. A good quiet place to hang out, grab some food and watch Champions League on my iPad early on a Wednesday night. I got tapas and enjoyed the patates braves the spicy cauliflower and beans and rice. read more

Came back here recently to give the place a second chance, and the service and food have just gone downhill. Don't come here if you want to eat warm food and have decent customer service. We came on a Friday night and got seated pretty quickly! The host outside was very friendly and sat us at a nice table facing the windows. This is the only reason I am giving them two stars instead of one. Within 5 minutes of sitting down, the busser dropped a glass where my friend was seated. Only the busser gave a mumbled apology and neither the server, busser, nor the manager, came to ask if my friend was okay. This should've been our first sign to leave. The customer service was then horrible. Our waitress, Veronica (actually, the same waitress I had last time I was here), judged us for not ordering 3-4 tapas PER A PERSON and rolled her eyes when doing so. I've been here before and I know that for our party of 2-3 people, 3-4 tapas for the WHOLE TABLE is more than enough. She just stood there when we were done ordering our tapas without saying a word. The restaurant ambiance wasn't too loud, but unsurprisingly, our entire party couldn't hear a single word she was saying (this is the second time this has happened with this specific waitress). She looked as if she did not want to be there and didn't want to serve us. The two tables next to us also had a similar experience, where they were sat down and neglected for 20 minutes before the waitress tended to them. This horrible customer service and attitude should've been our second sign to leave. Once we got our food, (about 20 minutes after we ordered), our food was all cold to lukewarm at its best. We got the Patatas Bravas, Tortilla Espanola, and Queso de Cabra Montañes (Baked Goat Cheese in Tomato Basil Sauce). The Patatas Bravas were not crispy at all and were drenched in hot sauce. The only thing hot about this dish was the fact that the sauce was a little bit spicy. The potatoes were cold and there was minimal garlic aioli. The Tortilla Espanola is supposed to be at room temperature, but we should have sent this dish back. It was so bland, dense, and dry. We didn't finish this dish as it killed my party's appetite. The only okay thing we had was the Queso de Cabra Montañes. The flavor was okay, but for the amount of sauce you get, 4 small pieces of bread were not enough. Considering this is "baked" goat cheese, my impression was that they microwaved a slab of goat cheese that sat drenched in tomato sauce. We wanted to get more bread, but I remembered that this place charges you extra for bread. I have never been to a tapas place that charges $2.00 extra for 4 slices of small, stale bread. What a joke. When we were done with our meal, we waited over 30 minutes for our waitress to come to our table so we could pay for our food. We spent more time waiting for our waitress to come to us than eating. She wasn't even in the dining room area, so it's not like we could've flagged her down. At this point, we were debating on walking out to see the host and paying with them instead of the waitress. I understand that it was a busy night, but it shouldn't have been so busy that we waited over half an hour to pay for the food. Overall, the customer service (minus the host) and the food was horrible. My party and I were incredibly annoyed the entire time we were here. I won't be coming back here any time soon, and recommend that you don't either. read more

Great service and very good food. The lamb meatballs were a highlight for me, but everything was delicious from sangria (I'm picky) to chocolate lava cake. Standout: mussels. Very much recommend read more

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Most likely the worst tapas I have experienced. The Lomo de Buey a las Frutus was a bit gamey and tough, pollo a la plancha was over-cooked and very dry. The vegetable dishes were average. I typically would not say this but do not eat here...sorry but for $90 I expect at least something to be above average. read more

Tapas, sangria and paella were quite good. Came on a 1/2 off paella night, walk-ins welcome and easily seated - place has tons of space. Good value in terms of quality/volume/price/atmosphere combination. Pro tip - for a slight upcharge they'll let you make any of the paella's 'black rice' with the squid ink. Overall good time, will come back. read more

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

Stopped in for apps and drinks. Atmosphere was open and comfortable - much bigger than it seemed from the outside. Cocktails and sangria were both delicious. Ordered the Lamb Meatballs in Cream Sauce (Albondigas de Cordero), and they were delicious. read more

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

I have dined at Solea before And I was a fan. I enjoyed the drinks, the vibes, and the Tapas menu. All that being said. I booked an 8:00 PM reservation for Valentine's Day. I show up on time and there is literally 40 people standing around like the RMV waiting to get seated. And every minute more And more people continued to pour in with no one getting seated. There was no room to stand anywhere And no one was getting seated. Furthermore, we had to continuously move for people who were walking by and people who were leaving. This management and service execution was so terrible that I felt the need to write about. The owner has to know that this is no way to run a business. This is not acceptable and I have never seen anything like it in my 35 years of living. Solea needs to do a press release and offer people an apology for this historic blunder. To sum up the night, I ended up leaving after ten mins And went to another restaurant on Moody St and just walked right in. I really need a response And an explanation for this horrific management and service that was seen tonight. I really liked this place and would return if they re-learn how to run a business. read more

I used to love Solea. The Good: Nice staff. Paella was good. The cauliflower fritters were good too. Could have been better: Asparagus stalks needed to be cut better as the hard fibrous were still on. The shrimp was so so. Chicken also so so. read more

I went to Solea for dinner with a party of 3. This restaurant serves Spanish food with some Brazilian food items, tapas style. The inside was colorful with patterns, tiles and huge windows facing the street. My party of 3 ordered about 10 tapas including dessert which was a perfect amount for us. The Mejillones a la Salmorra was everyone's favorite, we ordered it twice! The clams came out rich and steamy, soaked in a marinara sauce. The fried calamari was also delicious. For drinks, we ordered an espresso martini and white sangria pitcher, both were great. However my favorite was their signature drink Blueberry Ginger Mojito, it had the perfect balance of sweet and minty. Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant. There was street parking but also a parking lot down the street from the restaurant that is free after 6pm. read more

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This is more of a 3.5 stars. Came here to celebrate a birthday. Easy reservations can be made on OpenTable. We were seated outside on the "patio" which was great since it was well shaded so it was not too hot. Drinks: Had the Sangria royal which was refreshing. BF had a Cucumber gimlet and he enjoyed it. Tapas: Lobster & crab ravioli probably my favorite dish. The cream sauce was so good to dip some bread in. The spicy mojo rojo sauce from the grilled shrimp was also so freaking GOOD! I want a to-go container of just that! We got the Lamb chops and beef tenderloin. Both were tender but i didn't care too much for the apricot glaze on the lamb. we ordered the garlic shrimp as our last dish and this is probably the reason I'm docking a whole star. It wasn't as good as I expected it to be. I feel like this dish is a staple at any tapas place but unfortunately this one felt watered down. I'm used to the garlic being fried in the oil with the shrimp but the garlic was sort of wilty, and the shrimp had the barest garlicky flavor. def wont order that again. Next half star gets docked because of the Churros. I wasn't that impressed. I think they were overfried and weren't even full churro shapes. Maybe we got the end of the batch but I think they can do better to make some fluffy churros and not be complete crisps. Overall, good but def had better in the greater boston area. read more

Solea Restaurant & Tapas Bar - Churros, very irregular shape and over fried - Tapas Bars Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

So I have a 15 year history with Solea and at one point when The Boston Bookend herself, Hope E Alvarez (now Karma Asian Bistro is fortunate to have the grande dame of Boston GMs, presently )was on point there, it simply revolutionized Spanish styled tapas in Greater Boston. The ambiance with the colorful and warm stained glass lights, the preponderance of wood tones, and convivial servers make intimate dining. Let's just say that the present iteration isn't as interesting, consistent and outstanding as the Iconic Hope/Carlos/Fernado Tripod of Deliciousness. read more

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

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Been a while but got to return for a great New Year's Eve dinner with my wife. Everything from the garlic shrimp to the crispy cauliflower was amazing. Our server, an older gentleman with glasses, was a pleasure. Will be back as always read more

I wish I could give zero stars. Terrible service and mediocre food. Had an 8p reservation and was finally able to order food at 10p (after closing). Save your money and time, go somewhere else. read more