Solaire Restaurant + Bar

Absolutely love this place, food and ambiance is incredible ever since the renovation last summer!! The orange salmon and saffron pasta are my regular favorites, but whatever you get, don’t miss out on the pork belly bao buns or tuna wontons (order split in half to accommodate a gluten free guest)! The chef is very understanding and accommodates any dietary restrictions.

Sit at the bar with the bartender Rainbow- he is the BEST!

Special Valentine’s Day lobster and pomegranate risotto was to die for!

While lodging at Hotel Paradox, I dined at Solaire and enjoyed the relaxing environment. The Manager (Dan) and wait staff ( Rosie, Sherlin and Matt) are very friendly, patient and accommodating. The menu is delicious comfort food if you have time to sitdown and enjoy but if you are in a rush this is not the best place to dine. I enjoyed ordering the Solaire Breakfast it was my favorite with either Bacon or Brisket. 😋

Had breakfast this morning outside by the pool. The food was fabulous. Had the Frenchy — a twist on French toast. Delicious and the service was excellent. Recommend highly.

The husband and I decided to try something new and different in the area. We got both along with a surprise on how beautiful this place was. You walk in and see a nice sitting area, bookshelves along the hall way and walk way. The entire staff was inviting, welcoming and very pleasant. It was such a great experience. I ordered the eggs Benedict and coffee, he order the solaire breakfast 😋. We both really enjoyed our food, experience and the service.

Shout out to our server Lyla she was awesome and made the experience a little more memorable.

Great place for family, friends, gatherings , party's, or just a staycation.

Thank you for a great experience

I was pleasantly surprised to see the hotel pool bar was open. I guess it's not normally open due to covid. It was open for another private event, but they were still serving hotel and pool guests which was awesome. The cocktails were so tasty! Jeff and Rainbow were awesome, and they made some tasty drinks. I was in town for a funeral, not so great, but they both made me smile. Felt nice to sit in the sunshine with great drinks while talking to the friendly staff. Wayne, the chef, was also outside chatting with them and he too was very kind. When you can only handle so much family stuff, it's super nice to take a break and meet some new people. Appreciate the drinks and the conversations! Thanks for taking great care of me!

Ordered take out twice during our stay, delicious no matter what! The kids chicken and fries was tasty even as cold leftovers! The 3 shrimp tacos also so yummy ♡ lastly the chicken wrap, MUST FINISH IMMEDIATELY! served with hot chicken and romaine and croutons, if left to sit, naturally the salad gets mushy. Games to play while you wait! Very fun with my 12 year old. Thank you for the amazing service as always, Solaire! Shout out to the man who distracted my moody 2 year old with a tech deck, literally saved the day.

I absolutely love this restaurant! The ambiance and decor is stunning, one of a kind. Great service, I will definitely come back

I ordered the Smashed Animal burger for Burger Week and it was AMAZING!! Excellent meal from an excellent restaurant!!

Okay, I've known of Solaire for a while now but not about them, boy was I missing out. Located in the Hotel Paradox a former Holiday Inn that did a stint as dorms for UC Santa Cruz when dorm building failed to keep up with student admissions before a take over and complete rehab/restoration turned it into a boutique hotel with sophisticated eco meets mid-century modern aesthetic—the hotels front desk is a 40' length of a fallen 4' diameter redwood salvaged from a nearby forest floor.

So, what kept me from trying it sooner, after all, they opened over a year ago? I mentioned it was a former Holiday Inn right? Then there's the fact that I've generally found restaurants co-located in hotels to be on the pricy end of satisfactory. Finally, it's on Ocean Street, a stretch of pavement many here view as the entrance to the Beach Boardwalk or on ramp to Highway 17 depending which way we're driving.

The menu a is small but inspired selection of American Comfort meets California Cuisine at the beach then re-imagined and manifested from fresh, locally sourced, largely organic ingredients... Divers scallops with chanterelle and celeriac puree, caramelized fennel & apple jus; Thick cut, medium cooked, pork chop with coriander glazed carrots and potato pancakes; Gnocchi, butternut squash, kale, brown butter, sage, & grana padano... Cooked to perfection with a presentation that complemented the decor, everything is wonderful!

Throw in some flavor-forward original cocktails, attentively curated wine list and micro-brew assortment, all too tempting small plates and appetizers, and a health/diet-choice conscious menu that highlighs not only vegetarian dishes but also dairy and gluten free ones as well, and you've got nearly everything you need for a great dining experience save one, that bugaboo of Santa Cruz restaurants for as long as I've lived here and bane of both restaurant owners and diners alike... service.

Well, I saved the best for last, this is possibly the only time in Santa Cruz I've had truly outstanding service. Living here for over 30 years I've grown accustomed to the fact that our service staff is often under-trained, over-qualified university students or graduates— I know of at least two long time servers with graduate degrees in literature—working multiple jobs to afford the ridiculous rents in the area. Here, each of the staff we came in contact hosts, wait, bus and kitchen staff were friendly, to both diners and each other, well trained, and present... I'd say "bright eyed and bushy tailed" but does anyone say that anymore?

It was the sort of service you normally get only in a few big city restaurants or in Asia or Europe... The type where no one is hovering, or asking how things are just as you take a bite, but who magically appear just before you realized they were needed; The type where my plate is not whisked away before I've finished savoring the last bite and my companion isn't asked whether she's "done with that" with half a plate left as she's just moving a bite from plate to mouth; the type of service where many of the staff not only knew some regulars by name, but remembered their pet's name and asked about them out of sincere concern not obsequious gratuity insurance.

Our server, Kristy, was absolutely wonderful and one of the friendliest people you can meet! The buttermilk pancakes and potatoes are also absolutely great if not a little bit pricey.

Had an amazing breakfast this morning. The staff was so good and helpful. The eggs were perfect, the bacon was amazing. Try it!

A very nice restaurant inside a very nice hotel. For dinner, I had the grilled edamame cakes which blew me away with a flavor I never experienced before. Good service, very pretty place.

Everything was great.
But the people turn the hotel special environment. For sure I'll come back again and again and also recommended.

Epic... The meal was half adventure half exploitative nutritional deliGht; overall simply an enjoyable fine dining experience. My compliments to the Kitchen staff @ Solaire 🌝✔💯

I had the pleasure of having breakfast at this awesome resturant. The Dungeness Crab omelette is amazing. The staff is very friendly and accommodating.

This place does not get the ratings it deserves. They provide a delicate balance of great service and freedom for their guests to move about.

Gets better every time I stay,my favorite hotel in Santa Cruz.Modern decor,friendly staff, nice amenities,always clean

Great spot to enjoy with other couples or for a nice cocktail with your friends!

Cozy hotel bar. Great bartenders and drink selections

Love this place and management are awesome!