Solano's Bistro in Old Town La Quinta

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Address:
78075 Main Street
Suite 105-106
La Quinta, CA 92253

Neighborhood:
La Quinta

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Cuisine:
Contemporary American

Price: $30 and under

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Solano's Bistro in Old Town La Quinta Details

Dining Style: Casual Elegant
Website: http://www.solanosbistro.com
Phone: (760) 771-6655
Hours of Operation: Dining Room: Monday - Saturday, 5 pm - 9 pm, Closed Sundays
Bar: 4 pm - 10 pm
Happy Hour: Summertime, everyday in our bar all night!
Closed for Lunch, will reopen October 1.
Payment Options: AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Contemporary American, Californian
Executive Chef: Francisco "Paco" Solano
Dress Code: Casual Dress
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Counter Seating, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Takeout, Wine, Wine Bar
Private Party Facilities: Our patio and bar are available for private events nearly any day of the week for parties of 20 more. For these events, we require 2 weeks notice and a small deposit. Our indoor dining room does not feature a private room, but we can accommodate parties of 14 or smaller at our larger tables.
Private Party Contact: Emma Seitz (760) 771-6655

Getting there

Cross Street: Desert Club & Avenida Bermudas
Parking: Street Parking

A word from Solano's Bistro in Old Town La Quinta

Solano's Bistro is chef owned and operated on Main Street of Old Town La Quinta. Dine inside or outside on our patio, browse beautiful pieces of art from local artists, and feel like family while enjoying the delicious flavors created by Executive Chef Francisco Solano.

Foodspotting photos

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Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerContemporary American
Diners' Choice WinnerNeighborhood Gem

Diner Reviews

"This was our third dinner - again the service was excellent, and the food delicious. We ate outside, which was a treat to enjoy the evening in the fresh air of La Quinta. Our happy place!"
Dined on 4/10/2014
"Food was good and our waitress was very nice but a little slow."
Dined on 4/7/2014
"The food was excellent. Great flavour and best of all the meal was hot when it arrived at the table. I had the scallops and they were not over cooked which is something that frequently happens with seafood..the service was great..we will definitely go back again the next time we are in town..our first time staying in La Quinta and loved it."
Dined on 4/5/2014
"Been eating there for the last three years and normally love it, but it wasn't anything special this time!"
Dined on 3/31/2014
"Six of us had dinner at Solano's....four were friends on a short vacation from Florida. The food was fantastic and the service was great. Five of us had fish dishes that were delicious. The other had pork tenderloin which was also excellent. This has become our favourite restaurant in the desert!"
Dined on 3/30/2014
"The food was very good and abundant. My husband had at least 4 dozen mussels in his order. The noise levels in the restaurant and patio were very high. We were glad to be able to eat in the cozy bar area and have the dinner menu available to us. Our server was terrific."
Dined on 3/29/2014
"food was pretty good, with generous portions and nicely presented although not exceptionally flavorful, pricing for al a carte soups and salads a bit extreme."
Dined on 3/29/2014
"Mu husband and I went twice this week while vacationing in la Quinta. The first time we Sara at the bar and ate and there was a geat musician playing. Food was so good we went back another night. Again the food and service was great. Our only complaint was the seating. Both times we had chairs / booth that were saggy and felt like our blood flow was cut off. A real concern for our age group."
Dined on 3/29/2014
"Enjoyed a before dinner drink in the bar where Martin did a great job. When the rest of our group (6 total) arrived, our table was ready. Sevice was fine and friendly. Servers mixed up our appy's but no big dea -we just passed everything around to the right person. One of our group was disappointed that her main menu selection was unavailable - not told in advance so she had to make a quick second choice while the server stood waiting. Overal - food was ok but certainly nothing exceptional -in fact relative to the reviews, it was disappointing. Overall though, the staff, location and ambiance made the evening enjoyable and raised our rating from fair to good. Given the choices in the area we would try another spot next time."
Dined on 3/27/2014
"Have dined there many times and come away always impressed with their consistency. The menu has a number of good seafood dishes which are not always easy to find in the desert."
Dined on 3/25/2014
"Delicious food. Good wine by the glass. Great service."
Dined on 3/23/2014
"We can always depend on Solano's when we want something a bit upscale but not overpriced. Could use some more options - menu doesn't change much except for a couple of daily specials."
Dined on 3/15/2014
"We visit Solano for lunch frequently when we come to CA for tennis week. We decided to try it for dinner on St. Pat's Day. Sitting outside is always nice, but they seemed to be overwhelmed by serving a group of 28 women on the patio. Our simple meal of soups, crab cakes and sole took nearly an hour to receive. My asparagus soup had a film over it and was lukewarm, apparently from sitting for a while. The crab cakes tasted very fishy. (As an aside, I tried crab cakes at 3 different locations this week. Pacifica's was wonderful! Solano's - I wouldn't try it again.) It was a very disappointing experience, but we will try again when they are not so busy."
Dined on 3/17/2014
"Dinner service was very spotty. Food was good, but not special and there were five of us and the plates all came at different times....about 3-4 minutes apart. Had a better experience the previous time we dined. Much better experience at lunch"
Dined on 3/14/2014
"We brought two small groups of young twenties Grandkids during Tennis week and had great experiences both times. Affordable wine, great food from pastas and salads to filets. Friendly, professional wait staff, and nice ambiance. Great waay to enjoy the charming little town of La Quinta. Pleased Grandparents"
Dined on 3/14/2014
"Absolutely delightful. Beautifully decorated in quaint Old Town La Quinta, CA. Our reservations were timely…our waiter was exceptional and the food epicurean. Thank you for this quality establishment. Did I mention 'lively'? Nice."
Dined on 3/8/2014
"My husband and I spent my birthday dinner at Solano's the other evening and were quite pleased with the overall experience. Our food was delicious and prepared the way we like it. The wait staff and service was excellent. Our one and only previous experience there was with friends for Happy Hour which we all raved about, thus our decision to select Solano's for my birthday dinner. We highly recommend Solano's for a great dining experience. and ambiance."
Dined on 3/8/2014
"Love this neighborhood Old Town La Quinta Restaurant... My favorite is the Scampi (and I can get it with gluten free pasta)! Dishes are delicious; reasonably priced for the quality of the food! Lovely atmosphere since all newly decorated; interesting art work; cool little bar with local (low-key/mellow music ) ;charming little patio... definitely one of our local FAV's!"
Dined on 3/3/2014
"Had a last minute increase in our numbers, and the staff at Solanos managed to fit our two extra diners in, on a very busy night. Thank you so much. As usual, the food and service were outstanding....this is one of our favourite restaurants in the Valley. The short ribs melt in your mouth, and the fish is always cooked to perfection. Enjoy!"
Dined on 3/1/2014
"We started with the crab cakes with an orange aioli which was very good. The next dish was a Caesar salad which we asked Francisco our waiter for extra anchovies. Our entrees were beef short ribs in a red wine sauce that you could cut with a fork and grilled salmon with a citrus sauce also very good. Desert was a apple and cherry crisp served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Great service and very good food."
Dined on 2/23/2014
"Dishes ordered included: Pork chop, white fish, ravioli, mahi mahi and all diners in the group really enjoyed their choices. The server was knowledgeable, but seemed overwhelmed by the numbers of people. The assistants need some training in providing fluid service and when serving should know who ordered what dish."
Dined on 2/21/2014
"Consistently great food and service. A perfect place for an evening in La Quinta, with a great interior and doors fully open to an outside patio. Love this little gem in the desert and have since it opened around the corner years ago."
Dined on 2/22/2014
"had 7:30 Sunday reservation...seated promptly...restaurant full...quite noisy (hard to hear across table due to background noise) restaurant started to empty about 8:15...huge difference food and service both very good..prices reasonable"
Dined on 2/22/2014
"We have found Solano’s to be very inviting and accommodating over two recent visits. The food has been very good and presented well with creatively combined ingredients. They accommodate vegan as well as gluten free diets. It is a place that my food loving children request. The wine list might not win awards but is more than ample for most. They have very reasonable corkage policy if you can't find what you want on their list. On our last visit the service was a bit slower than expected, but still attentive. Don't expect super-precise Michelin star service, but for a relaxing fine dinner with excellent food and friendly service, you don't have to look any further. Highly recommended."
Dined on 2/17/2014
"On a Saturday evening with the door to the lounge open it was nearly impossible to talk due to the band noise. On the plus side, our waitress was one of the best, so enhusiastic about the food and eager to please, but not intrusive in any way."
Dined on 2/15/2014
"The white beans & buschette salad was great EXCEPT it was really lacking in the beans and buschette. The waitress quickly got a side of each after we asked."
Dined on 2/15/2014
"Solano's in sleepy Old Town La Quinta is one of the most enjoyable spots in all of the Palm Springs area. Food is truly exceptional and the service never fails. Smallish compared to many of the top spots in the general area but that is part of its charm. Menu is creative and spot on with many tasty dishes. We'll be back many times to this restaurant!"
Dined on 2/12/2014
"Not much else to say then every speck a food was eaten. Plates completely cleaned. This isnt somethin that occurs veryoften and evey part of the three-courses fell into this description. Attentive server and fun ambiance. We will definitely be returning."
Dined on 2/15/2014
"Solano's offers something special in the desert---a restaurant with casual elegance, the feel of a neighborhood spot, and the food of a gifted chef. Great for lunch, dinner, parties (large and small). Always, always great food!"
Dined on 2/14/2014
"Great food. Nice bar. Great band ( Joan Jones). When will they be back?"
Dined on 2/15/2014
"Solanos is the first place we visit when we come back to the desert. Absolutely love it"
Dined on 2/14/2014
"The four of us had a great time celebrating an 18 yr anniversary!"
Dined on 2/10/2014
"Overall we liked our experience at Solano. I fluctuated about the service from fair to good because all went pretty well until dessert. One waitress came and asked if we would like dessert and brought the menu. We ordered and waited AND waited........no dessert. Then our original waitress came and asked if we would like dessert and we told her we had ordered but had been waiting a while. After another wait, the first waitress came by again and asked how our dessert was...................we were STILL waiting! Dessert finally arrived and was OK, nothing earthshaking. Bill arrived promptly and was rather surprised they had charged us for the dessert and all the ridiculous amount of time waiting."
Dined on 2/8/2014
"Our experience here was great. All 4 entrees were excellent. The fish dishes were cooked perfectly. The service was outstanding. We had a delightful waitress( Nora) who was very friendly and helpful. We will be back!"
Dined on 2/8/2014
"We've been to Solano's a number of times and the majority have been positive. Our last visit was probably the best with a cheerful server and a table that was much quieter than the main dining area which is too loud to really converse with a table of four. That being said, we each ordered different entrees and aside from the pork chops being a little too salty and heavy, the food was fantastic. The filet was done perfectly with great flavor. The server mentioned you could substitute asparagus for the broccoli, however didn't mention an up charge until the order was placed and I think that could have been stated at the time of mentioning the substitution. Just a little thing, but it was all very nice."
Dined on 2/7/2014
"WE'VE BEEN TO SOLANOS'S ON MANY OCCASIONS AND HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED THE FOOD, SERVICE AND ATMOSPHERE. IT WAS ALWAYS A DEPENDABLE SPOT TO TAKE IMPORTANT BUSINESS FOLKS AS WELL AS FRIENDS. HOWEVER, OUR LAST EXPERIENCE WAS NOT GOOD. UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS WITH A CLIENT AND IT WASN'T IMPRESSIVE. HIS MEAL WAS OVERDONE AND THE SERVICE WAS TERRIBLE. WE THINK THE WAITER HAD TOO MANY TABLES. WE HAD TO ASK SEVERAL TIMES FOR OUR WINE AND EVEN FOR OUR PLATES TO BE CLEARED! THE MANAGER WAS OVERLY CASUAL IN RESPONSE TO OUR SITUATION. WE WILL PROBABLY RETURN BUT WE CAN'T TAKE BACK THE IMPRESSION THAT WAS MADE ON OUR GUEST!"
Dined on 2/7/2014
"The butter lettuce salad was a fabulous starter. The pancetta prawns were very good."
Dined on 2/3/2014
"It was our first visit, a quiet birthday celebration. Our GPS took us to the "old" location, we walked the couple of blocks to the new location and were a minute or two past our reservation. Reception seemed mildly annoyed by this, until we mentioned the GPS. Our table for 2 was in the middle of the floor and so maybe seemed noisiel. The waitress was very enthusiastic about the wine list and menu. The food was good, though a let down from the hype. e.g. my winter salad featuring roasted beets had exactly 2 thin slices of beet. While dining many staff worked the room, unfortunately for us, we were between two very valued parties. Multiple staff members greeted, hugged, chatted with and doted on the tables. We felt like intruders."
Dined on 2/1/2014
"I've eaten at Solano's a lot, but last week both the food and service were not so hot. Two of the orders at our table were wrong, and the fish (which they are usually really great at cooking) came out underdone. The "salsa verde" on our salmon was orange. I expect that they ran out of whatever was supposed to make the salsa green, and so whipped up something else instead. When we asked about it, they just brought us more orange salsa (which was delicious) but gave us no explanation as to why it wasn't green. My mother (who had ordered the salsa verde salmon) still thinks they brought her the wrong dish. Eventually she just gave up and ate it anyway, since the service was so bad we didn't think she'd be able to get it fixed."
Dined on 1/31/2014
"We always enjoy our evenings/dinners at Solano's. Food is outstanding and the staff are very personable. Solano's is well known for the short-ribs; but don't miss the scallops and shrimp. Outstanding. Our party enjoyed every entree."
Dined on 2/1/2014

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