Sol Ponente - ALASSIO

My wife and I had a superb paella facing the beach. Service was sublime despite a busy lunch time. There are many restaurants along the way but Solente was fab... read more My wife and I had a superb paella facing the beach. Service was sublime despite a busy lunch time. There are many restaurants along the way but Solente was fab despite high winds and a hot sun. We were cosy, in the shade but with sea views. Loved it.

As noted by another reviewer, this place comes with a few of the usual the warning signs; great location and a big and varied menu. However, trusting the good r... read more As noted by another reviewer, this place comes with a few of the usual the warning signs; great location and a big and varied menu. However, trusting the good rating, we decided to give it a shot. The stale bread we received with our drinks was a due warning of what was about to follow. The beef tartar was big, but tasted absolutely nothing. The pasta dishes tasted no better than the ones you can pull out or the freezer in the super market. Not directly bad, but certainly not good and far worse than you'd expect considering the price.

We visited three times during our recent stay. On each occasion our food was hot and tasty. Portion sizes were large and prices were reasonable. Service was ver... read more We visited three times during our recent stay. On each occasion our food was hot and tasty. Portion sizes were large and prices were reasonable. Service was very good. If you like spicy Mexican food, then this is a place for you. Recommended

First impressions are easy. Reflection and experience take time. Running a restaurant is a daily challenge that can only succeed with total commitment and a goo... read more First impressions are easy. Reflection and experience take time. Running a restaurant is a daily challenge that can only succeed with total commitment and a good dose of love. The steady stream of locals and transients here is justified by the genuinely friendly staff and the quality food served at fair prices. I am still mystified, and a bit skeptical, by the breadth of the menu. But we are happy with the respectable paella, a nice bottle of Nebbiolo and a pleasant panna cotta. We will be back. We also enjoyed the slightly retro music, from a time when singers actually could sing and composers knew hot to make melodies.

We have been vacationing in Alassio for almost 40 years. I must admit this is a restaurant that we usually avoid. When local friends took us here for paella las... read more We have been vacationing in Alassio for almost 40 years. I must admit this is a restaurant that we usually avoid. When local friends took us here for paella last night, we were pleasantly surprised. We have spent some time in Spain. Solponente's version is quite respectable. This is a casual, informal sort of place. The service is friendly and mostly leaves you to your own company, checking on you from time to time. That is not careless, but just affording you more space and time, a different style of taking care of their guests than a higher end restaurant. Their menu is very wide, to my mind too wide. But if the rest of their repertoire is on a par with the paella, then hats off to them. The wine list is a little thin, but I suspect many of their customers prefer beer.. We have more favorite choices, but I no longer think of them in strictly negative terms.