We only had drinks but the service was great and the drinks were even better. We'll be back!
Myron
My wife and I started dining at Solaire restaurant located in the Paradox hotel in Santa Cruz, California from its original opening in 2012. I gave a 5 star review back then. At first, we were very pleased with the high-quality of the food and the service. However in later years both deteriorated and we stopped dining there over two years ago. Yesterday, we were looking for a restaurant that we hadn't been for a while and decided to check out this restaurant at the hotel after looking at the new menu. It seemed to be completely revamped and had lots of choices. So, we ate dinner there. The lobby and the restaurant were completely renovated with a whole new look. The restaurant had inside and outside sections. The outside section was mostly indoors with the pool side area completely open to the outside. It had infrared ceiling heaters. Very nice. We chose to eat on the inside, where the tables were on both sides of a new large center bar which also juts in to the outside area. We found the food to be excellent and at somewhat reasonable prices in comparison to the old Solaire restaurant. My wife had the tomato basil bisque, and I had the French onion soup. My wife loved the bisque and I thought the onion soup was very good. It had loads of cheese and the onions and had a delicious flavor - not too salty. For our courses, my wife ordered the fresh catch with risotto. The catch was miso black cod , and the risotto had mushrooms and other veggies. She loved it! I had the flat iron steak with fries and herb butter. It was very tender and delicious. The service was outstanding. Our server, whose name is Shirlyn, was terrific! She was very knowledgeable of the dishes and guided us to the ones that we chose. She was pleasant, efficient and had a very positive attitude. The food was served in a prompt manner. And we were attended with water, drinks, and whatever we ask for quickly.
Joanne
We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch with THE BEST mahi-mahi tacos ever!! The staff was very friendly. We had a table next to the doors to the pool and watched the people enjoying the pool on our early December visit. We will return the next time we visit Santa Cruz.
Krista Howell
We had a delicious meal with views of the pool on one side and the gorgeous lobby on the other. The food was very good, and the details of the design of the whole place were inspiring. We had refreshing cocktails and thoroughly pleasant experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
MikeandJim
We were here for a weeks trip at the Paradox. The saving grace of the hotel was the restaurant, the bar, the food and the quality of the staff that works for the bar and restaurant. A few to mention were Rainbow and Jeff. Both masters of their respective fields. Funny, efficient, helpful and attentive. Both remembered us from prior trips to the hotel. There are others at the restaurant, whose names we don't remember were also good. By far, the most pleasant experience of our stay, unlike the front desk "team". The food is good. It's totally what we expected based on previous trips and was completely acceptable. We booked our room with the breakfast package so we ate there every morning of our week long stay. Be prudent though. It took us two calls back to the hotel to have these breakfast charges removed from the invoice and credited back to us. The fault of the front desk, not the restaurant.
Josiah Kelly
Pleasantly surprised in the best way. The design of the space is absolutely beautiful! Styled, modern, and way more impressive than what I expected from a hotel restaurant and bar. It has the kind of atmosphere you'd expect from a trendy standalone spot, not something tucked inside a hotel. The food and drinks were also incredible. The only reason I’m giving 4 stars for service instead of 5 is because my friends and I had a less than desirable experience with one server during breakfast. Pretty rude and not what you expect in terms of hospitality. That said, I have to shout out Susan (the manager or lead) and Iris (bartender) who were both amazing. Super friendly, welcoming, and really made us feel at home. I work in property development and events/marketing, so I tend to notice the details, and these two really stood out for all the right reasons. All in all, this place far exceeded my expectations. I'd absolutely come back and recommend it whether you're staying at the hotel or just in the area looking for a great spot to eat or grab drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Debbie
Very accommodating to my dog. They even had dog choices on the menu! Food was good. Service was good! Everyone was very nice.
Elsie
I was hesitant to book here due to the low rating. But after reading that the low ratings seemed to be one-offs at holiday times, we gave it a try and loved it! We ordered the giant steak, salads and appies. Although they had run out of the salmon crudo, we enjoyed our meal. The salads were especially outstanding and we would order again! The hotel is funky and nice. Great service and bartending! Enjoyed our time!
Laura Bowers
I am loving their current menu. I work next door so it's very convenient. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Tasty food and cocktails
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jackie Just
Our server Renee was great. The burger did not dissapoint! Thoughtful and fun decor.
I was only taking out food, Shirlyn helped me out with her friendly and attentive attitude. Firstly she made sure that I was ok with todays Manhattan style clam chowder, and she even helped with my request to add more vegetables in my sandwiches. Shirlyn was just so delightful!
Dory
Went on New Year's Eve, but did not realize there would be large groups and lots of noise. They were short staffed . The cocktails were good and the dinner was decent . Will probably not return, too many choices out there!!
Molly
We strategically made a reservation for breakfast at Solaire before checkout at the Paradox so we could enjoy our last day at the hotel on the property before heading out. We sat in our room, relaxing, waiting for our reservation to arrive, just to finally go downstairs and be told they'd be closing the kitchen at the exact time of our reservation (the tone from the hostess was definitely not customer service certified either, and I'm not sure why we weren't notified sooner or why we were even able to make a reservation in the first place if that was the case). The hotel was great. This restaurant, true to other reviews, simply does not care for patrons in a way that leaves attempted customers with a good impression. I hope management sees these reviews and feels inspired to step it up, for all involved!
BenBro2309
Disappointing Experience at Solaire on Christmas Evening My wife and I stayed at the Marriott for a special date night on Christmas evening, but unfortunately, our experience at the Solaire restaurant, which is part of the hotel, was deeply disappointing. I want to emphasize that this review is for the restaurant, not the hotel itself. As a Marriott Gold Elite member, I've always had positive experiences, but this was the first time I've ever encountered such poor service. The website menu was not updated to reflect the reduced menu for Christmas evening, leaving us unprepared for the limited options. Upon arriving at the restaurant, despite many empty tables, we were told we'd have to wait 20 minutes due to "the amount of people." This eventually turned into a one-hour wait, even as the restaurant remained far from full. While waiting, we sat at the bar, where the bartender--visibly uninterested and lacking basic courtesy--refused to make eye contact. After 20 minutes of being ignored, we were finally asked for our drink order, only to be told he could only make one cocktail from the menu. Frustrated, we settled for Pinot Noir, which felt like the easiest option. When we were finally seated, the dining area was still mostly empty. We noticed several other diners experiencing similar delays, making it appear as though the staff were intentionally discouraging guests from staying. This experience completely overshadowed what should have been a special evening. As a loyal Marriott guest, I've come to expect a higher standard of service, but Solaire fell far short of those expectations. I would not recommend dining here, especially for any occasion.
Hope
We decided to spend Christmas in Santa Cruz and have a nice dinner. After reading reviews of the restaurant it sounded like a nice place for Christmas dinner. The menu was changed to a few items and most of staff must had the night off. Our waiter was very rushed and did apologize for the service but that did not make up for an unpleasant experience. The best thing was the crispy French fries.
We only had drinks but the service was great and the drinks were even better. We'll be back!
My wife and I started dining at Solaire restaurant located in the Paradox hotel in Santa Cruz, California from its original opening in 2012. I gave a 5 star review back then. At first, we were very pleased with the high-quality of the food and the service. However in later years both deteriorated and we stopped dining there over two years ago. Yesterday, we were looking for a restaurant that we hadn't been for a while and decided to check out this restaurant at the hotel after looking at the new menu. It seemed to be completely revamped and had lots of choices. So, we ate dinner there. The lobby and the restaurant were completely renovated with a whole new look. The restaurant had inside and outside sections. The outside section was mostly indoors with the pool side area completely open to the outside. It had infrared ceiling heaters. Very nice. We chose to eat on the inside, where the tables were on both sides of a new large center bar which also juts in to the outside area. We found the food to be excellent and at somewhat reasonable prices in comparison to the old Solaire restaurant. My wife had the tomato basil bisque, and I had the French onion soup. My wife loved the bisque and I thought the onion soup was very good. It had loads of cheese and the onions and had a delicious flavor - not too salty. For our courses, my wife ordered the fresh catch with risotto. The catch was miso black cod , and the risotto had mushrooms and other veggies. She loved it! I had the flat iron steak with fries and herb butter. It was very tender and delicious. The service was outstanding. Our server, whose name is Shirlyn, was terrific! She was very knowledgeable of the dishes and guided us to the ones that we chose. She was pleasant, efficient and had a very positive attitude. The food was served in a prompt manner. And we were attended with water, drinks, and whatever we ask for quickly.
We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch with THE BEST mahi-mahi tacos ever!! The staff was very friendly. We had a table next to the doors to the pool and watched the people enjoying the pool on our early December visit. We will return the next time we visit Santa Cruz.
We had a delicious meal with views of the pool on one side and the gorgeous lobby on the other. The food was very good, and the details of the design of the whole place were inspiring. We had refreshing cocktails and thoroughly pleasant experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We were here for a weeks trip at the Paradox. The saving grace of the hotel was the restaurant, the bar, the food and the quality of the staff that works for the bar and restaurant. A few to mention were Rainbow and Jeff. Both masters of their respective fields. Funny, efficient, helpful and attentive. Both remembered us from prior trips to the hotel. There are others at the restaurant, whose names we don't remember were also good. By far, the most pleasant experience of our stay, unlike the front desk "team". The food is good. It's totally what we expected based on previous trips and was completely acceptable. We booked our room with the breakfast package so we ate there every morning of our week long stay. Be prudent though. It took us two calls back to the hotel to have these breakfast charges removed from the invoice and credited back to us. The fault of the front desk, not the restaurant.
Pleasantly surprised in the best way. The design of the space is absolutely beautiful! Styled, modern, and way more impressive than what I expected from a hotel restaurant and bar. It has the kind of atmosphere you'd expect from a trendy standalone spot, not something tucked inside a hotel. The food and drinks were also incredible. The only reason I’m giving 4 stars for service instead of 5 is because my friends and I had a less than desirable experience with one server during breakfast. Pretty rude and not what you expect in terms of hospitality. That said, I have to shout out Susan (the manager or lead) and Iris (bartender) who were both amazing. Super friendly, welcoming, and really made us feel at home. I work in property development and events/marketing, so I tend to notice the details, and these two really stood out for all the right reasons. All in all, this place far exceeded my expectations. I'd absolutely come back and recommend it whether you're staying at the hotel or just in the area looking for a great spot to eat or grab drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Very accommodating to my dog. They even had dog choices on the menu! Food was good. Service was good! Everyone was very nice.
I was hesitant to book here due to the low rating. But after reading that the low ratings seemed to be one-offs at holiday times, we gave it a try and loved it! We ordered the giant steak, salads and appies. Although they had run out of the salmon crudo, we enjoyed our meal. The salads were especially outstanding and we would order again! The hotel is funky and nice. Great service and bartending! Enjoyed our time!
I am loving their current menu. I work next door so it's very convenient. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Tasty food and cocktails
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Our server Renee was great. The burger did not dissapoint! Thoughtful and fun decor.
Restaurantji Recommends
I was only taking out food, Shirlyn helped me out with her friendly and attentive attitude. Firstly she made sure that I was ok with todays Manhattan style clam chowder, and she even helped with my request to add more vegetables in my sandwiches. Shirlyn was just so delightful!
Went on New Year's Eve, but did not realize there would be large groups and lots of noise. They were short staffed . The cocktails were good and the dinner was decent . Will probably not return, too many choices out there!!
We strategically made a reservation for breakfast at Solaire before checkout at the Paradox so we could enjoy our last day at the hotel on the property before heading out. We sat in our room, relaxing, waiting for our reservation to arrive, just to finally go downstairs and be told they'd be closing the kitchen at the exact time of our reservation (the tone from the hostess was definitely not customer service certified either, and I'm not sure why we weren't notified sooner or why we were even able to make a reservation in the first place if that was the case). The hotel was great. This restaurant, true to other reviews, simply does not care for patrons in a way that leaves attempted customers with a good impression. I hope management sees these reviews and feels inspired to step it up, for all involved!
Disappointing Experience at Solaire on Christmas Evening My wife and I stayed at the Marriott for a special date night on Christmas evening, but unfortunately, our experience at the Solaire restaurant, which is part of the hotel, was deeply disappointing. I want to emphasize that this review is for the restaurant, not the hotel itself. As a Marriott Gold Elite member, I've always had positive experiences, but this was the first time I've ever encountered such poor service. The website menu was not updated to reflect the reduced menu for Christmas evening, leaving us unprepared for the limited options. Upon arriving at the restaurant, despite many empty tables, we were told we'd have to wait 20 minutes due to "the amount of people." This eventually turned into a one-hour wait, even as the restaurant remained far from full. While waiting, we sat at the bar, where the bartender--visibly uninterested and lacking basic courtesy--refused to make eye contact. After 20 minutes of being ignored, we were finally asked for our drink order, only to be told he could only make one cocktail from the menu. Frustrated, we settled for Pinot Noir, which felt like the easiest option. When we were finally seated, the dining area was still mostly empty. We noticed several other diners experiencing similar delays, making it appear as though the staff were intentionally discouraging guests from staying. This experience completely overshadowed what should have been a special evening. As a loyal Marriott guest, I've come to expect a higher standard of service, but Solaire fell far short of those expectations. I would not recommend dining here, especially for any occasion.
We decided to spend Christmas in Santa Cruz and have a nice dinner. After reading reviews of the restaurant it sounded like a nice place for Christmas dinner. The menu was changed to a few items and most of staff must had the night off. Our waiter was very rushed and did apologize for the service but that did not make up for an unpleasant experience. The best thing was the crispy French fries.
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