Solterra Winery & Kitchen — Restaurant in Encinitas

My son and his fiancé chose Solterra Winery & Kitchen as the venue for their rehearsal dinner. This was planned long distance via email, my son and his fiancé live in Nashville, we live in New Jersey. From my future daughter-in-law's first contact with Alex, the event manager, to the final clean up, it was a perfect experience!

Our menu included appetizers: charcuterie boards, flatbreads, and beef skewers. Entrees: roasted chicken, short rib, house salad, Patatas bravas, and Brussels sprouts. Dessert- flourless cake. We chose 4 wines: Sauv Blanc, Ainsley Bordeaux, a 2019 Petite Syrah, and a 2019 Tempranillo.

The charcuterie boards had a wonderful variety of items and were as artist as they they were delicious! The beef skewers flavor and tenderness was a delight, and the three varieties of flatbreads, were each unique and flavorful!

The short rib (I'm so thankful we added extra portions of it at our 14 day deadline) was nothing short of perfection! It was served over a bed of beans and garnished! Roasted chicken was good, the patatas bravas had layers of flavor while the Brussels sprouts were crispy and tender and seasoned. Hats off the the chef! We'll done!

Our guests kept commenting that the venue was unique, and how impressed they were by the food.

We arrived in California two days prior to our event and showed up to wine taste unannounced. Initially we were told it might be too late for wine tastings, but without making us feel awkward, Jason, the bartender, helped us out with an impromptu tasting. We were able to quickly narrow down our choices for the event because Jason was knowledgeable and friendly! He suggested a certain number of not for our number of guests and he was spot on!

The day of the event we arrived a few minutes ahead of our contract time. We offered to wait outside, but Alex was warm and welcoming, and invited us in to begin decorating. All evening Alex or another server were there to serve beverages, clean plates, refill food and water. Both were very accommodating and friendly.

Shawn/Shaun, the manager checked on us several times throughout the event to see if we needed anything. His presence was appreciated!

If we lived locally, we would be regulars at Solterra...

I visit this place occasionally since they accept the Passport card. Without the Passport, it's just too expensive for a date night or hanging with friends.

Glass of wine average is $10 so that's not horrible. There are only two gluten free items but both are delicious.

The GF salad is amazing, but at $12 it should be like a mini meal and it's not. It is a light appetizer to share with one other person but just as it's getting really tasty, it's gone.

The scallops, while not GF due to some of the sauces, are fantastic. It came with pork belly (yuck) but my buddy gobbled it up and said it was fantastic. The scallops are barely cooked but seared to perfection. I couldn't eat an entire plate of them, but sharing that dish was good. I just think $34 for 5 scallops and some pork fat is on the high end. It was very fancy and artistic but I think it was about $10 too high and I could do without the pork belly with my scallops.

The chefs paella was also delicious. The waiter said it would have muscles, shrimp, and scallops, but it was mostly just shrimp and 2 muscles. It was very tasty but at $34 also over priced.

The passport gives one meal free so two of us for dinner, one glass of wine, one salad shared, two entrees shared total before passport was over $90 before tip for two. After passport, $76 with an 18% tip bassed on the original $90.00.

Fun atmosphere, nice wait staff, good food. A good place in my rotation of eateries...

Solterra is by far one of my favorite neighborhood gems. Not only is the wine delicious (especially the red cask wines) but the staff always ensures a wonderful experience every time my friends and I come in. Arnold, the manager, is so sweet, and goes the extra mile to make sure birthday celebrations, family gatherings, and even a Friday night happy hour is an exceptional experience for his guests.

We are wine club members and Solterra occasionally hosts very fun member parties with free food, and tastings of the new release wines. The food is also delicious- especially the lamb sausages and the patatas bravas. The ambience is lovely with local art hung all over and windows that open to the fresh air. They also have 2 outdoor patios and a huge warehouse with tables where they make the wine.

Go for happy hour too which is all night Monday, and every other day from 4-6 with a ton of discounted tapas and $5 wines. You will not be...