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Sol y Sombra's signature Paella - Sol Y Sombra, Cathedral City, CA

Sol Y Sombra

4.4
4.4
325 Reviews
$31 to $50
Traditional Spanish
Palm Springs’ iconic restaurateur, Chad Gardner, created Sol y Sombra restaurant to offer up a true taste of the desert! Located inside The NEW Paloma Resort's historic Adobe, Chef Gardner has developed a tapas-style menu that celebrates the Coachella Valley’s agricultural roots, lacing Spanish-inspired dishes with citrus, dates, chilies and other locally-grown ingredients. Paella fans can sample several versions of the signature Spanish dish, ranging from traditional to vegetarian.

Cocktail aficionados will love the tableside Bar Cart, where the team's mixologists create custom drinks with the freshest ingredients and top-shelf spirits. Rounding out the beverage offerings is an excellent selection of Spanish and Californias wines -- plus, one of the desert's best tequila lists!

To make the most of your dining experience, come hungry and bring friends so you can try everything!

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 15 times today
Experiences are available.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style

    Casual Elegant

  • Cuisines

    Traditional Spanish, Tapas / Small Plates, Speakeasy

  • Hours of operation

    Daily 8:00 am–3:00 pm Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm

  • Phone number

    (760) 864-1177

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Dress code

    Business Casual

  • Owned/operated by

    LGBTQ+

  • Executive chef

    Daniel Felix

  • Neighborhood

    Cathedral City

  • Cross street

    Cree Road and Carrey Road

  • Parking details

    Valet

  • Public transit

    Public Transportation Line #1

  • Additional

    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Poca Sombra - Private Dining Experience

    $75.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    The meticulously curated 4-course menu stands as a testament to the culinary mastery of Executive Chef Daniel Felix, whose commitment to employing only the freshest ingredients results in an artful fusion of Spanish flavors. Whether you are a wine or tequila connoisseur, you'll be delighted to know that our prix fixe menu can be paired with either. Our exclusive 2-hour private dining experience is available for 6 to 12 esteemed companions, luxuriating in the epicurean delights of Sol Y Sombra's hidden speakeasy. With only two seating’s available on Fridays and Saturdays, seize this moment to reserve your seat at the table for $75 plus tax and tip. This is an opportunity not to be missed.

Popular dishes

What 325 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.2Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Palm Springs / Palm Desert Cities

    Innovative

  • Palm Springs / Palm Desert

    Innovative

Sort by

  1. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Food was great, but we made a roomie mistake and made 9pm reservations. Last call came shortly after I had my first glass of wine and the kitchen was out of one of the dishes we had ordered.
  2. AGreco

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall1food2service3ambience3
    Food not worth the cost. Friendly staff and nice ambiance.
  3. CynthiaH

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Arrived a bit early just to check out the ambiance. Sat at the pool bar and the staff behind the bar was very welcoming and had great energy! Checked in for our reservation. Tapas were mouth watering! Every bite was enjoyed. I can tell you... the great stuff is always worth the wait. I hate to give out this gem in our town. But truly amazing!
  4. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    vip
    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall3food4service3ambience3
    Food was good - Iberico tartar, claims, braised pork were all delicious. Service was average when they finally made it to our table. All servers seemed busy zooming across the dining rooms but to our table. Kitchen seemed disorganized. We had to wait for more than one hour in between dishes (claims, mussels that didn’t take much time to cook). Scanning the dining room, we didn’t seem the only table waiting long time for food either while some diners that arrived after us concluded their dining before we were served. Make sure you have ample time if you wish to dine here.
  5. markp

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall1food1service1ambience4
    the worst service ever, 2.5 hours to get our food and still didn't come correctly. The food portions were for our child and overall worst ever
  6. Lotti

    New York Area

    4 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall2food2service2ambience4
    Staff was literally running thru restaurant! They forgot entrees at out table and table next to us. Food is hit and miss. Some Tapas dishes were terrific and others not good. I’ve been three times and probably won’t return. Seems like a major management issue .
  7. rola

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Every time we come here we have the best service and amazing food. It feels like traveling and being home at the same time.
  8. ErinE

    Palm Springs

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    The food was so delicious and we absolutely loved the ambiance. I would definitely recommend.
  9. MaggieD

    Palm Springs

    19 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent authentic Spanish food - clams, paella, pardon peppers, everything was wonderful. The outdoor patio is perfect this time of year. Thoroughly enjoyed our third Sol y Sombra meal.
  10. TheDesertFOODIE

    Palm Springs

    62 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    62 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    This place is awesome! A little sleeper of a GEM in Cat City. We brought friends from out of town to share this delicious experience w/ them, and everyone loved the atmosphere and delicious food, excellent service.
  11. CeliaN

    Palm Springs

    20 reviews

    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on May 25, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience4
    This was our first visit. The grounds and building are beautiful. The restaurant is comfortably spacious. Daniel, the waiter, was most helpful in describing the various tapas options. He was "right on" as the 6 that we shared were amazing. The green beans and the chorizo stuffed dates were great. The corn was outstanding. Jordan, the manager, stopped to chat and was very gracious in answering our queries. Overall, we can't wait to return with more friends.
  12. SRBboy

    Palm Springs

    16 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on May 21, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    This was a new restaurant for us and we had a wonderful time. The venue was delightful and vibrant. As a part of 4 we order both from the Tapas menu and the Paella menus. Both were extensive and the orders we received were very good. One very nice change from other places, as a party of 4 if we ordered a tapas that was only going to be three, the waiter asked us if we would like it to be for 4. Most places would tell you to make two orders. This was a special treat as we wanted to try many items. All of the courses were delicious and served promptly and hot if suppose to be and cool is suppose to be. Very nice. Our table was visited by both the manager and the chef during the evening to be sure everything was good and we were happy. The manager was present in the dining area throughout the evening.
  13. Nickibar

    Palm Springs

    104 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    104 reviews

    Dined on May 21, 2023

    overall1food5service1ambience4
    Hands down the worst service I’ve ever had in a restaurant. Not only was it slow the waiter was rude and when he brought me the correct drink after bringing me the wrong one and I said thank you, he ignored me and never returned to the table. We watched three tables leave without ordering. The table next to us was there for 75 minutes and never got food. This was our second time there and the first time was so good- food and service. This time the food was good but the service was unacceptable and we won’t go back because there isn’t a meal anywhere that is amazing that would make us tolerate such poor service and rude treatment.
  14. OpenTable Diner

    Sacramento

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 20, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We were greeted by friendly staff, asked our dining preference and were seated inside a lovely area with cool hanging lamps. We were advised to order the paella (if were having it) when we ordered appetizer or tapas, as it is made fresh and takes -40 minutes. We ordered the ham and cheese croquette, chicken empanadas, and Tierra y Mar paella. The tapas came out first, the croquettes were tasty, and the empanadas delicious. The servers were attentive, refilling our waters, and wine/beer when requested. The paella came out hot in the pan, cooked perfectly, and just as I remembered from Spain. We added the dates on, and they did not disappoint. They were not what you typically get. Don't get me wrong, I do like bacon, but these took the date to a new level. The dates were split and stuffed with a cheese mixture, I believe some Spanish chorizo, and the mix of flavors was perfect. We were advised to try the cheesecake, so we did, another delight. Crustless, baked perfectly, served with merengue and orange marmalade. It was a very large portion and we ended up taking half to go. Wish I had pictures, a nice experience for our date night.
  15. CCGirl

    Palm Springs

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 17, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Service was perfect. Lovely staff!!! Food was fantastic!
  16. Jeff

    Palm Springs

    5 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall2food2service3ambience3
    It's OK, nothing special. As semi-regular patrons of 849, we had high hopes for Sol y Sombra. The space at the Paloma Resort is nice enough, and since the desert is somewhat lacking in great Spanish dining options, we were looking forward to trying Sol y Sombra. Sadly, it did not live up to our expectations. There were 4 of us, and we tried quite a few items, including 3 varieties of the croquettes (which all sort of tasted the same and all appeared to be served with the exact same aioli despite the unique aiolis highlighted on the menu), the chicken empanadas (really really dry), and the $56 starter "Iberico de Bellota Tartare" (incredibly disappointing). Iberico de Bellota is usually a lovely delicacy in Spain and elsewhere, and one of the finest hams in the world. But, when chopped up in a tartare with overpowering truffle oil and other ingredients, the beauty, delicacy and flavor of the ham is totally lost. For a $56 starter, you should expect something special. It was not. Interestingly, the Ejotes Fritos (fried green beans) were the best of the tapas we tried. The Paellas were also pretty good. Perhaps we just made poor menu selections overall, but I'd be hard-pressed to say that any seemed authentic or tasted great. Given this is a Spanish-y restaurant, the menu is also lacking in good Spanish wines by the glass. Again, disappointing. Lastly, Sol y Sombra is one of those restaurants that requires a credit card guarantee. I knew we weren't going to skip our reservation, so I wasn't concerned about any charges. Still, it's odd that when booking there is no indication of what you're "guaranteeing". Most places indicate, for example, a $50 no show fee, or a $25 per person guarantee. I couldn't find anything at the point of reservation to clarify this--not sure if that's an issue with the restaurant or Open Table. On the whole, this was neither a good nor terrible experience. Sadly, nothing was really great. Probably would not return.
  17. JulieP

    Los Angeles

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    Delicious food, especially the tapas and paella. Decor delightful, lots of menu choices. It’s a hidden gem!
  18. Moreover

    Palm Springs

    73 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    73 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Great unique place tucked into boutique hotel. Pretty murals to look at while walking up to restaurant. Lots of tapas to try. Everything was tasty. The tapenade tapa we thought was going to be mixed together with anchovies but the anchovies are served whole next to tapenade. The paella was delicious although they don’t serve it with a crusted bottom like a traditional paella has so we missed the scraped up bits of that.
  19. BrianM

    Los Angeles

    27 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    27 reviews

    Dined on May 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    My fourth time here and it consistently delivers excellent food in a very cool space. Always great service as well.
  20. ToddS

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    vip
    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 13, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    We dined off the tapas menu and loved everything we ordered. Generous portions and everything was delicious. Enjoyed the outdoor dining space and the service was great.
  21. docsid

    Palm Springs

    31 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    31 reviews

    Dined on May 12, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience5
    A hidden oasis nicely landscaped and maintained with a charming patio dining area as well as quiet well appointed indoor dining rooms. The tapas menu is gracious with many tasty selections listed and at quite reasonable prices. Some come with three pieces such as the empanadas but one can easily add a few more to allow sharing in greater numbers. The paella requires 45 minutes preparation so if interested place your order as you are seated. Most of the tapas offerings are high in carbohydrates so dieters may have to be selective. Our party of four thoroughly enjoyed our meals and drinks. Next time we'll try the paella
  22. DavidM

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 12, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience5
    Cheese plate was horribly overpriced. Paella was indifferent and a little pricey. Staff was terrific, but they were short-handed, so slow.
  23. LoveDogs

    Palm Springs

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 12, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We were wanting a good Paella. We found it at Sol Y Sombra. We ordered the Paella we chose for two people and then we ordered the chicken empanadas and Spanish corn on the tapas section of the menu. Everything was very good. We were eating early, 5:00 p.m., so not too many customers at this time. We had a wonderful time talking with our waiter, Aaron. He was able to answer any questions and make suggestions to help us decide. Excellent personality and made dining at this restaurant even more enjoyable.
  24. txmn

    New York Area

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great service and great paella. Warning! The tapas are the size of an entree!
  25. RichardH

    Palm Springs

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Amazing food. Nice place, nice service, and TRULY AMAZING FOOD.
  26. keka

    Las Vegas

    242 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    242 reviews

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Restaurant is in an 1880's Adobe house inside the grounds of the Paloma resort. Beautiful setting. Outdoor courtyard is separate from the pool area and well shaded. We focused on tapas. Both chicken and black bean empanadas were tasty and came with their own sauce. Mussels in a tomato, onion, chorizo broth were plentiful and tender. We soaked up the broth as much as possible. Calamari was with crisp coating came with a yummy aioli. Basque cheesecake finished the meal wonderfully. Very cheesy and not overly sweet
  27. OpenTable Diner

    Palm Springs

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 6, 2023

    overall3food5service3ambience4
    The food was excellent, but there was one server between the restaurant and the pool. The server was very nice and hardworking but was all on their own.
  28. AGR1

    San Francisco

    13 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on May 6, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    What a wonderful new surprise in Palm Springs! Not Mexican, Spanish tapas - perfect for sharing with several people. It is a cute hotel restaurant with fabulous food: papas, jamon tartare, empanadas, etc. Next time I would order more seafood as it looked delicious - paella! The manager came to our table to ensure we were happy - the server was pleasant and seemed truly happy to be there! I felt we were on someone's back patio, small, intimate and fun! I can't wait to come back!
  29. claudiar

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 6, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Best Tapas outside of Spain. Great ambiance and really nice staff. Enjoyed talking with the new manager. Highly recommend and can’t wait to return
  30. ToddH

    Palm Springs

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 6, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great tapas. Salmon dinner was excellent. Nice specials during the week.
  31. Barry

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 6, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience5
    Service & ambience great. Food quality wonderful. Portion size of paella skimpy for the price.
  32. AdrienneNY

    New York Area

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on May 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Sol Y Sombra has become our favorite restaurant in the valley. This was our second visit and it was just as perfect as we remembered it. The ambiance in the patio area where we dined is lovely and the heaters made it very comfortable to dine outside. The staff were terrific and attentive. The meal was paced just right. We ordered four tapas for the two of us and shared one small paella marina. Our waiter advised that would be the right amount of food and he was right. All of the tapas were terrific and a great and varied combination. We equally enjoyed the jamon Y queso croquetas, the dates with cheese and chorizo, the gambas, and the Bowie robes with achovies and olive paste. Sipping our delicious glasses sangria and Tempranillo added to the overall experience. We look forward to returning to Sol Y Sombra during our next visit to the desert in the fall.
  33. BrandonK

    Seattle

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    The food was amazing. Everything I had was fantastic!
  34. GeorgiG

    Palm Springs

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    An out of the way spot in the midst of mid-century resort lodging. A bit off the main drag. Can't wait to return. We had tapas and were going to enjoy the paella as well but filled up on the delicious tapas. Excellent service staff. Daniel our waiter made suggestions as did the food runner. All were superb.
  35. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food, service and charming location. Great atmosphere too and have been multiple tome, and definitely will be back
  36. SteveM

    Chicago

    9 reviews

    4.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on May 3, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience5
    A really lovely restaurant. Outdoor patio is beautiful and quiet. Service is very attentive. Food was excellent. I did have one small problem. The filet was $45. There's an Oscar add-on (crab) at $50 so I ordered it. Turns out there is a tiny plus sign by the add on meaning filet with shredded crab is $95! I was shocked, so watch out. Otherwise a very pleasant experience.
  37. Wendy

    Los Angeles

    61 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    61 reviews

    Dined on April 30, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Unbelievable!! The food, service, and wine was fantastic. What a desert gem!
  38. OpenTable Diner

    Las Vegas

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 29, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Outstanding service and food! The place is in a darling boutique hotel.
  39. OpenTable Diner

    Las Vegas

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 29, 2023

    overall1food1service2ambience2
    Service was extremely slow. Had a few tapas plates and honestly did not enjoy a single dish. Very disappointed because I heard good things about this place.
  40. MarkS

    Las Vegas

    3 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on April 29, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Delicious food and gracious service! We will be back!

Safety precautions

  • Cleaning & sanitizing

    • Surfaces sanitized between seatings
    • Common areas deep-cleaned daily
    • Contactless payment available
  • Screening

    • Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

Sol Y Sombra is rated 4.4 stars by 325 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 15 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Sol Y Sombra

67670 Carey Rd, Cathedral City, CA 92234-6405

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street

    Cree Road and Carrey Road

  • Neighborhood

    Cathedral City

  • Hours of operation

    Daily 8:00 am–3:00 pm Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm

  • Cuisines

    Traditional Spanish, Tapas / Small Plates, Speakeasy

  • Dining style

    Casual Elegant

  • Dress code

    Business Casual

  • Parking details

    Valet

  • Public transit

    Public Transportation Line #1

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Owned/operated by

    LGBTQ+

  • Executive chef

    Daniel Felix

  • Additional

    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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