Sol Y Sombra — Restaurant in Cathedral City

Walk don’t run to this restaurant. It’s a hidden gem with incredible food. We immediately ordered the Chicken, Shrimp and Sausage paella knowing it would take 40 minutes. While we waited we had a very tasty cocktail and ordered some tapas. Croquetes de Champion (little crispy crust on the outside and buttery tender mushroom on inside). Know idea how they managed to get it crispy and moist at the same time. We LOVED the boqueribes en diablos (anchovies sitting in a beyond description sauce on crostinis) , We also had the pollo a la brasa con chorizo (chicken wrapped around chorizo on a sauce with a salad that I simply can’t describe how flavorful it was). We ordered a bottle of Spanish Roija at only $44. The paella was simply the best we’ve ever had. Massive FRESH shrimp, chunks of chicken, slices of sausage, perhaps some ham and such well balanced spices. For desert, they make their own cheesecake which thank goodness wasn’t the American sweet thick dense NY style. It was light and fluffy and delicious. Best meal in...

I wish I could give a 5 star review to this lovely location. The four star review is based more on ambiance, staff, friendliness and the decor of the place. If it was based on food only I would give this place a 3 star review. I can here with a big group. We ordered some tapas, the papas bravas (patatas!) and the corn. We also ordered several of the paellas. The one in the picture is the Tierra y mar. Everything was just ok. Having been to Spain and tasting the delicious plates there had created some high expectations for this plate. One of my favorite dishes in Spain is the Tortilla and this wasn’t offered at this restaurant, unfortunately. The paellas had a lot of seasoning (too salty), too much tomato, and not enough saffron, in my opinion. The paella wasn’t fluffy at all it was more wet and sticky like a risotto. The drinks were good. We had wine, sangria and a drink made with Negroni, that was a hit with many of the people in my group. I probably wouldn’t come back but it was a good...

I actually thought I was about to experience a true Ibero-Spain dining experience. Not the case. If you were to set expectations based on the menu - its descriptions AND the prices - your hopes are high.

Instead, a simple, cafeteria-like seating design, an uber over priced menu whose recipes and flavors (.. no flavor) completely missed the mark by true Castilian cooking standards, who’s chefs (apparently called in sick this occasion) send out dry, flavorless paella. Cocktails are not ‘crafted,’ tapas flavorings described were completely absent (breaded calamari?), and a paella presentation in portion size and flavor that did not justify its extreme pricing. Yes, my party was disappointed, .. one of the six of us never received their main entree.

I think a modest dining room makeover, a true Spaniard chef in the kitchen with mama’s recipes and flavors, and an engaged front of house manager just might make a diff here. Daniel, our server, was very nice and accommodating. But, not...