La Solana Restaurante Review | Las Palmas | Spain

La Solana Restaurante is a recently opened Restaurant (December 2020) in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The owners had previously another very well rated place called “El Estragon”, and they have embarked in this new adventure where they are trying to take the local gastronomy to a new level.

The executive Chef Alejandro Sosa Suarez has sizeable international experience and brings a touch of innovation and creativity to the Canary Islands.

La Solana is raising the bar of Fine Dining in Las Palmas.

Place

The location of La Solana Restaurante couldn’t be better, right on Las Canteras Beach facing the so-called “Playa Chica”. The Restaurant is part of a Boutique hotel called Chez Abel, a new and fancy construction.

The Restaurant has plenty of cosy spaces, including a semi-private area for a large group. A combination of round and square, large and small tables that allow different types of crowds. I felt really comfortable at La Solana.

At the entrance, an Iberico station with some of the best Ibericos in Spain by 5Js. Right behind a Cocktail bar and then a beautiful open kitchen.

At the end of the Restaurant, there is an actual Solana ( A place where the sun hits during most of the day), covered with a glass ceiling overlooking the hotel corridors.

The plates were colorful and made a great contrast with the food, cutlery was undoubtedly quality (Churchill).

All in all, a Great atmosphere!

You need to book in advance to dine in la Solana, you can do it here.

Service

Something that caught my attention is that the Restaurant is well staffed. That is not the norm in Spain, where you can find many eating places clearly understaffed.

Thanks to that, the service was fast, and there was a good flow between courses.

They were also very attentive and kind. The Executive Chef came to our table several times to explain his creations and how to eat them, which we really appreciated.

Food

The menu at La Solana is not extensive, but that is not a problem at all. You can see several hints to the local cuisine on it. However, they have incorporated other styles that make the menu of la Solana very dynamic.

We left our dinner in the hands of the Chef, who suggested a tasting menu.

Tuna tartare, Sisho Pesto

The tuna was perfectly marinated, a deep taste of Virgin olive oil and a great combination with the Japanese Pesto. Crackers were on the side. I really enjoyed the variety of flavours.

Grilled lettuce hearts, mustard sauce and Don Nicolas

That was the first surprise of the night. Charred lettuce? YES. The lettuce was finished on a Jasper oven, and it has a smoke charred unique test. Inside a delicate mustard sauce and topped up with the very first parmesan cheese made entirely in the canary islands. Don Nicolas. An explosion of flavours in mouth that you don’t expect from a lettuce heart.

CRO – QUE – TAS

Croquetas are one of the flagship foods in Spain. Some people say that you can quickly measure a restaurant’s quality by the quality of their croquetas. The croquetas at la Solana are merely excellent. They come three in a beautiful leaf-shaped plate, hence the name CRO – QUE -TAS. The first one you have to eat is made of creamy cheese, the second one is of Iberico Ham 5J and a mayonnaise produced with the same fat of the Ham, it is almost liquid, so you need to eat it in one bite, delicious! The third one is made of pickled mussels, a very intense seafood taste that puts the cherry on top of the cake for that magic trio. Don’t ever dare to leave La Solana without trying the croquetas.

Meunière Leek with anchovies and Fried Capers

The dish is another brilliant creation of the Exec Chef Alejandro. You might think that Leeks are bland and only usable for soups or fillings, but yet the Chef surprised us with a surf and turf plate of leeks covered on a citrus cream, Iberian bacon, anchovies and capers toping it up. Simply amazing.

Albondigas de Vaca Vieja

And when I was already deciding the top 3 for the night, we got a plate of meatballs that blew out my mind. The meat was impossibly tender, inside melting flower cheese, and a sweet sauce made with Pedro Jimenez wine. The Chef told us that this recipe was created not by him but by his father, who is a sous chef at La Solana. What a brilliant sweet and sour ending. This is another must-have at la Solana.

Dessert

Rhum Baba

A spongy cake topped up with Pannetono ice cream and a thin syrup, it was excellent.

Cheesecake

It was very creamy to the point that it was melting at the top, which I liked for a change from other cheesecakes. Really nice

Profiteroles with salted chocolate and basil

Refreshing and creamy. The combination of the basil’s freshness and the bitterness of the chocolate and the thick salt was something new to my tastebuds. Brilliant.

What I liked from La Solana Restaurante

• Innovation, creative courses, new flavours
• Beautiful decoration and ambient
• Warm service

What I think could be better at La Solana Restaurante.

• Some aspects of the service could be improved, like the drinks service.

Rating ‘La Solana’ Restaurant 

La Solana Restaurante is bringing creativity and innovation to the Gastronomy scene of Las Palmas, a breakthrough place that only in one month has captivated the most select and demanding audience.

We had the opportunity to speak with the Executive Chef Alejandro Sosa, and he took us through his process of creating new recipes from idea to the plate. He dares to do things differently and try with dishes like the leeks that might sound like a challenge on paper. This is something I personally really appreciate because it gives his Restaurant an edge.

Enjoyed the place, liked the service and LOVED the Food. I will definitely come back to try other items from the menu.

How do we rate?