El Sol Tapas Bar & Restaurant in Canterbury

Great food and service at a very good price. We dined at lunchtime so it was very quiet. I bet the atmosphere is great in the evening. Recommended.

Ali gave 5 star service. A lovely evening. Thank you.

We chose the place for dinner, but decided to go with tapas. And it was a great choice. Croquettes, chorizo, cheese, prawns, etc... all fresh, tasty, and reasonably priced. We have to come back to try more 😉

OVERVIEW One of Canterbury’s gems, worth a visit for the menu favourites! PLUS + Menu favourites such as the “Pulpo” and“Calamares Rellenos”, are must tries at a 5* level. Easily the best squid 🦑 I have ever had! + Excellent value-for-money menu! 3-4 tapas and sides, including a desert, for around £30. + Complimentary olives were of top-grade you could truly“Taste the Difference”. + Very good staff service: Phil and Sophia makes sure my special orders were prepared to the highest standard. + Asa’s and Sasha’s menu recommendations lived up to expectations and were based on genuine advice rather than formality. + Catered to meal modification requests. + The restaurant’s interior and music complimented the cuisine. MINUS - The menu favourites upheld the reputation of the restaurant, as half of the tapas were basic and bland. - Although excellent in taste, the “Pulpo”and “Spinach & Chickpeas” were both overwhelmingly oily. - The costillitas were overpoweringly sweet. - The restaurants could benefit from a quick, hassle-free table QR code payment method. ADVICE Walk-in lunchtime availability. However, pre-bookings are advised on Friday-Sunday evenings. ORDER HISTORY Tapas: * Pulpo * Calamares Rellenos * Gambas Al Ajilo * Costillitas * Halloumi Patatas Fritas * Gambas Dinamita * Patatas Bravas Sides: * Spinach & Chickpeas * Tomato & Onion Salad Dessert: * Tarta De Queso Con Mango

Loved this place. The food was excellent, the staff were friendly and helpful and the prices were incredibly reasonable. You must try it.

Lovely place, went there tonight for a dinner, everything was amazing, food delicious, very friendly service, all of the stuff was great, nicely decorated and good Spanish music. Will be back!

If you are ever in Canterbury you must visit the El Sol Tapas Bar & Restaurant. This is authentic tapas at its best, wonderful atmosphere and the staff are very friendly and helpful. The food is excellent, each dish expertly prepared and delicious, my sincere compliments to the chef, don’t forget to order a glass of their delicious sangria to make a perfect meal.

Fun place to have spanish food at canterbury

We got lunch special including padron pepper, our favourite! The staff Ali is super friendly and kind. Had a great time here:-)

Very nice and cozy tapas place. We ordered the lunch special plates to try out different tapas, together with the seafood paella. The food is nice and the staff are caring, without overwhelming the customers. We’ve enjoyed the lunch there and thanks Ali who has made us a great time.

Tasty food in a busy restaurant. Friendly helpful staff. First time having Tapas and made the mistake of getting all the dishes at once. Still an enjoyable meal, but next time will order a couple at a time.

When you walk into a restaurant and it's busy, you know you have made a good decision. Very good menu and very reasonably priced. Got served with food a bit too quickly, and whilst the service was good, it got slower as the place got busier. That aside, the food was really good. For tapas, you get 3 of everything, and we had 9 different dishes between 2. This was plenty. We sat downstairs, and i would strongly suggest you sit upstairs. It had more life and atmosphere. A good night out and would recommend.

Visited El Sol on Friday night and it was unforgettablе We didn't book, but we were hospitably received and everyone made us feel like very welcome guests The interior of the restaurant creates an incredibly good impression and the service and food perfectly complement it We had а few plates for two (we ordered chorizo in bacon, croquettes, octopus, shrimps, batatas bravas and hallumi) and they were all perfectly cooked and very nicely decorated The sauces that are served with the dishes are chosen perfectly, we can say for sure that the chef did a good job with the recipe Our server Sasha was very nice and knowledgable, she helped us with the choice and also informed us that this was a new menu and asked for our honest assessment and there is nothing to say here except amazing ! The other servers were very good and unobtrusive and they clearly helped create our mood today The atmosphere that prevailed in the restaurant was very pleasant and we left there knowing that we would definitely come back Thank you El Sol for this wonderful dinner, can't wait to come back

Gorgeous food! We had a few tapas each and all were lovely but particular faves were the Picanha (beef and sea salt) and the Croquetas with cheese and bacon. Our server Ali was great and recommended dishes which didn't disappoint! Such a friendly and lively place. Will be back.

First time here on Sat 15th Feb. A cosy feel and decor. Staff very welcoming and helpful. Food was excellent. We had 7 tapas dishes. Plus some additional sides. 2 drinks. One dish was slightly under par but staff offered us a replacement/alternative dish without us asking, they noticed we had left it. All other dishes excellent. Price very reasonable for what we had . Will be going again.

An excellent restaurant, well priced with great service.

Took the wife for an anniversary dinner - fantastic service and food. Defo recommend

Ali was our waiter and the service he gave was exceptional. He was so kind, friendly and attentive and gave us some excellent recommendations. The food was amazing I would highly recommend this restaurant to everyone. Thank you Ali for a lovely experience.

Nice food and lovely environment. Ali served us really well. Would come back again next time.

Had dinner with my husband here for our anniversary and the food and servers were fantastic. Out server Ali was very friendly and attentive.

Had a fantastic meal for Valentine's. Would highly recommend and will be back.

Highly recomended restaurant so we booked for Valentines Night at 19.45 for our family of 5. We queued in the street for 1 hour along with many other people that had booked. Taylor Swift would have been proud of the queue! Once inside we waited for 5 starters, 4 came and I ate alone. Then we waited 1 hour for our mains, 4 were good and 1 was poor and not eaten. To be balanced, the staff could not have worked any harder and the Manager offered us drinks. A very disappointing experience

Fantastic food, seriously delicious, had the calamari, chargrilled chicken skewers and the pork ribs in apple and BBQ sauce, all incredible. Got to try some of the steak and halloumi too from my friends, all beautifully cooked. Superb service from Ben and the team, nothing was too much trouble. Service was undeservedly not included so we made sure to tip as it was worth every penny and more. Lovely churros and chocolate to finish. Menu is reasonably priced and not extortionate, considering tapas can rack up once you get lots of different ones! Highly recommended

Chef is very social and the food is amazing highly recommend

Good food and good service. Waitress is knowledgeable about the food. She suggested a beer that I had not heard of and it went very well with the tapas I ordered.

Great place for lunch! Food was really quick coming out and lovely quality, even when they were busy. Really good atmosphere with really nice and attentove waiting staff, we had a great little chat with Ali, realising we shared some languages in common when giving us recommendations. We will definitely going back again when next in Canterbury.

Great food and friendly staff, would recommend to anyone!!

El Sol is a restaurant we keep returning to for several reasons. The atmosphere is warm, cosy, friendly and lively, but without being too loud. The food is consistently delicious: some of our regular favourites being: the picanha beef (honestly one of the tastiest things I’ve ever had - we always order one and then always order more!), the manchego cheese with honey and sesame seeds, meat empanadas and albondigas. The service is excellent, nothing is too much trouble for the staff and they are happy to make recommendations. On our most recent visit, our main waiter, Ali, was particularly friendly and attentive. He helped us with the wifi password, checked in on us regularly, but without being intrusive and he even gave us a extra portion of picanha on the house as we’d ordered two already! It won’t be long until we return again - thank you!

Had an excellent dinner at El Sol Tapas! The food was great and our lovely waiter Ali was very friendly and made sure we were well looked after. Would definitely recommend!

Fantastic food and atmosphere. Coming back soon

Our quick lunch went just fine! Our server Sasha gave us good recommendations and we really liked what we got. The ribs were just incredible, the chicken is perfectly spicy, batatas bravas is one of the best we ever had. I will recommend it to everyone.

Very great hospitality lovely food and friendly staff

When I stepped into the restaurant, I was told that I can only give one hour because the table had been booked and they would take the table back in one hour, but the waitress promised to serve my meal in 15 minutes at most so I stayed. But it actually took half and hour to wait for the meal and when I was so nervous to eat my meal as soon as possible before I got kicked out, one of the waiters began to give me count downs though there were still 10 minutes left. Then another waiter came to ask me, anyway you still got 10 minutes, would you like to order some dessert? It seemed they only wanted to make money out of me within the shortest time. I will definitely not come back. By the way, the seafood fried rice is too salty.

Great place with amazing tasty food and great friendly staff , a must to try.

Service was attentive and good. Unfortunately, food was very poor. Padron peppers had a strange flavour to them which tasted like old oil. Pan con tomate tasted like it was out of a jar/tin & similarly patatas bravas sauce tasted very much like an anglicised version of the authentic sauce. The Santiago tart was a rare bright spot - it tasted freshly baked and was very good.

Can only do one paella at a time so if someone else orders you need to wait 90 minutes! And it's a Spanish restaurant!

Best Tapas I have ever eaten brought to the table as it’s ready good size portion friendly service really good find and definitely worth a visit

What can I say except perfect!! Every dish was flavoursome and cooked to perfection. What an amazing chef!! Staff are outstanding and just a fine place to dine. Would highly recommended family friendly and staff so polite and couldn’t attended to us quick enough.

The paella was perfectly cooked, bursting with authentic flavours, and the tapas were delicious. The cosy atmosphere made it feel warm and inviting, perfect for a relaxed meal with friends or family. The service was outstanding—attentive, friendly, and made us feel welcome. If you’re looking for delicious Spanish cuisine with top-notch service in a charming setting, this is the place to go.

We hadn't booked anywhere and it was Christmas Day. Found this lovely restaurant where we were welcomed warmly. Food was excellent. Staff efficient and friendly. Decor was bright and fresh and watching how well the tables were cleaned when diners left was heartening. Definitely recommend and we will return next time we are in the area. Many thanks!

This restaurant is great with lovely Tapas and a very cosy feel. Really enjoyed the octopus, the chorizo and fab padron peppers. Took 1 star off as when it's busy, it's a bit tight for space. Our table on 15th November was right next to the bar area where everyone waits for their table. Try the food though!

Yesterday I took my Japanese students to El Sol in Canterbury as a part of multicultural cuisine experience. Excellent service, delicious food for reasonable price!! Especially Big thanks to the waitress Sasha for her competence and help with the menu as well as warm and friendly welcoming us. We truly enjoyed our lunch and I'll definitely recommend El Sol to my friends.

Great place and the food was really nice

The food was SO good. Great to try lots of small plates. Everything was good.

Food was absolutely delicious! Full of flavour! Quick and friendly service. Will definitely be going again

Wonderful restaurant. Atmosphere was bubbly and the decor lovely. Staff were friendly and helpful and the food was wonderful.

Gorgeous food (a bit too salty for me though) and great service. I will definitely go back!

Had a great meal here! Enjoyed the empanadas, potatoes bravas, and stuffed calamari (our favourite). The lovely server made excellent recommendations. The olives were divine!

15th November. Arrived for lunch and found a hidden gem, food was fantastic, and great selection, and the member of staff named Ben was really friendly and went above and beyond to help.

Very friendly local restaurant. Excellent choice of interesting tapas dishes all at reasonable prices. Wine choice a little limited but something for most pockets and tastes. Excellent service and lovely atmosphere

Super wonderful delicious lunch with gorgeous hostess- make our lunch experience extremely impressive - definitely will go there for more different tapas. The tapas are unbelievably tasty !!! Must go there and try them all

A little disappointed with the food. Red flag when you see humous and halloumi on a Spanish restaurant menu. Patatas Bravas were soggy and burnt, chorizo sauce was far too vinegary. Crème Catalan was an ice cream rather than a traditional custard. That said, the service was attentive and it was fairly good value.

Lovely, friendly attentive staff who were very helpful. Food came out at good times that you were not rushed but also had time to finish the previous dishes. The food itself was to an incredible standard everything was delicious will be 100% coming back on our next visit to Canterbury.

Fantastic food - I love tapas and this was some of the best chorizo I’ve had! Sauce on the mussels delicious, great chicken. Squeezed in some excellent desserts including ice cream with fruit too.

Visited here for a family meal on a busy Saturday evening and it was just fab. Food was tasty, hot and reasonably priced. Staff were so busy but this didn't affect their outstanding service and everything arrived promptly. Great location in the centre of Canterbury. Recommended.

We went early evening midweek and it was almost full by 7pm. Suitable for couples, families with children, and small groups. Good choice of tapas dishes, which arrive as and when they are cooked. Friendly staff and nice atmosphere.

Food was very good. Quirky decor. Went at lunchtime and we were the only people there so lacked atmosphere.

Incredible food, excellent wine, and great atmosphere. Everything was fresh, hot, and full of flavor. Merito brandy was the perfect cap on this meal of octopus, jamon iberico, picanha, chorizo, olives, and tomatoes. This was a truly special evening.

Beautiful Spanish tapas, all of which was just as tasty as we have had travelling round Spain. Light batter on the calamari and so tender, pulpo was delicious and the fried Manchego cheese was perfect. A lovely place for a meal while wandering round Canterbury.

We visited on a cold midday evening in March and were blown away by the warm welcome, amazing choice and really delicious food. Clearly a lot of love has gone into designing to restaurant and menu- which certainly brought a bit of Sol into our hearts and we had an amazing meal. It’s so special that we booked to visit again for our anniversary, though unfortunately one of us was unwell. However as they deliver we were able to enjoy the food in the comfort of our own home, which was a wonderful suprise and made it a really special evening. We will definitely be back to visit in person- it’s worth it for the delicious battered manchego alone! Plenty of scrummy choices even for two Vegetarians like ourselves.

Rosie was phenomenal, absolutely amazing food, and atmosphere. I will definitely be back remembered the party from two months previous. Absolutely amazing

My brother and I stopped by here during our visit to Canterbury, and I was impressed with the quality of the food! The boquerones were exactly like you would get in Spain, and the octopus was tender. The service was excellent - major thanks to Rosie and Phil for their kindness and attention!

Such a great find! Never been to Canterbury before and we didn’t have a clue where to eat. We spotted El Sol and went in to see if they had a table for 2. The young lad was very helpful, even though they were busy he managed to fit us in, so pleased he did as the food was delicious! If you’re in Canterbury and wondering where to eat definitely give Él Sol a try… can’t fault it, the food, service and atmosphere was such a lovely experience. The staff were so welcoming and very happy to help. Él Sol please can you open up a restaurant in Surrey!

Date night took us to El Sol, we were not disappointed. Lovely fresh food, fast service, Staff were fantastic and I hope they are recognised by their bosses as being stand out individuals who are a welcoming front for the business.

Was a spare of the moment visit to grab some food and a drink before an event. What a great choice. A nice small venue, nicely laid out. Classic tapas dishes along some less so. Each dish came out when ready and was lovely. Only had a glass of the Merlot which is nice, it is Merlot so a simple easy option. Had Beetroot hummus, chorizo sausage, hallumi fries and classic croquettes. It was quiet on a Thursday at 7pm, but picked up whilst we were there. Staff were good and easy to get when we wanted get more of a side. Will certainly visit again.

2nd visit here, better than first time. Can recommend the baby ribs, heavenly

Great food, excellent service. Big thank you to Rosie who helped guide us through the menu and recommended some superb dishes.

We had a lovely dinner there on Sunday evening, the servers were all very nice and helpful (especially Vania!!), and when we visited a couple months ago the manager Ben was extremely lovely too! The food is always very gery tasty with good portion sizes for a good price. I recommend people try the manchego, it was so good we ordered a second portion this time! You also get free olives and bread as you arrive, which is a nice extra

We had booked this twice somehow, the restaurant phoned to make sure we only needed the one booking which was very considerate we thought. The restaurant feels very authentic inside and the service was very good. You can either order your food all in one go or just order dishes as and when you want them, we did the later and they come out as and when they’re cooked so it really breaks the meal up and is a nice way to eat. The Octopus was very nice, well cooked and a nice size, all the other dishes we had were very nice, with their own sauces rather than a generic sauce for everything. 👍🏼 Would definitely recommend trying this restaurant if you’re in Canterbury

We came here last night and the food was brilliant. We were seated by Ben and served by Rosie and Ben. Great food, great service.

Food was delicious the atmosphere were lovely staff were very friendly and helpful lovely cocktails thank for the good time

Really wouldn't bother. Thought it would be a nice place based on other reviews but severely disappointed. Shown into little side room that was like being in a toilet. Echoey tiled room with uncomfortable chairs that was so loud with all other people talking to be heard over each other. Starter of Olives and bread have to be seen to be believed. Wish I'd taken picture. Was the tiniest little oval of bread with two olives on a plate. Looked pathetic. Disinterested waitress who couldn't answer any of our questions. Food was not good and took ages to arrive. Ordered a selection of small plates. One turned up and we just prodded at it not wanting to start thinking the others were on the way...nope! Was like a starter and rest turned up long after. Stodgy food and bill came to over fifty quid even without alcoholic drinks. Not even sure what to say about them. The non alcoholic beer was only 10p less than the normal booze and was over a fiver for small bottle. Avoid the place. Reviews are wrong or written by idiots.

Lovely sitting outside the food was outstanding and the service was incredible thanks Elsol for looking after us will definitely be back again

The restaurant is great the stuff are very welcoming and friendly the food so delicious definitely will be back again.

Good decor and tasty enough, if not too authentic food. Prices were not overly expensive, with generous portion sizes on most items. A real shame the paella is not served at weekends, as this is not made clear on the menu and is what we came in for. The staff were attentive and friendly, aside from one, a young lady at the bar, who I presume was the shift manager. She rudely barked at several staff members, in what could only be described as a reverse Fawlty Towers. She bellowed at and gestured rudley at staff who were undeserving of such treatment. She was nothing but a bully, which ruined our experience and I feel very sorry for the young staff involved.

We were looking for a lovely alfresco dinner on a beautiful balmy summers eve in Canterbury and El Sol certainly hit the spot. We enjoyed delicious authentic tapas especially the stuffed squid and wine and our very attentive, knowledgable waitress Angelica. Thanks our evening was perfec

Lovely late lunch sitting outside. The meal was high quality, especially the octopus and steak. Rosie our waitress provided friendly and attentive service. Thoroughly recommend.

Angelica just made our night, what a star 🌟

Perfect tapas, unexpected in the UK! Also many gluten free options. Service was fast and hospitable. Highly recommended

This could easily have been the best restaurant experience in years. When our order did turn up eventually, we sampled the most delicious tapas at great value since my days in Spain 10 years ago. The atmosphere was amazing and bustling. Sadly, although our order was taken, we were forgotten about for over 30mins. The table next to us arrived 15 minutes after us and were served within minutes with food that looked like the one we had ordered . Our neighbour did express surprise at the speed of service and did inform the waitress he hadn’t ordered some of the items to which she replied - hush, don’t worry; just enjoy. At no time did she seem to spot our desperately empty table and we eventually had to walk to the bar asking to be served. To summarise, gorgeous food and atmosphere, spoilt by poor service.

Food was very good staff also brilliant.

Ate a later lunch here after a very long journey to Canterbury. The food was great and the staff lovely, including the excellent Sasha who remembered me the following day when I returned and was thoughtful and attentive. I only put 4 stars for atmosphere because I sat outside as the weather was pleasant so I can’t comment on the atmosphere inside.

Amazing food. Rosie was friendly, professional and made sure we had a lovely evening. Thank you we will be back for sure

Rosie was absolutely fantastic, absolute pleasure, will definitely be coming back

Fantastic food and great service from Asa. Will be returning again shortly. Recommended for all occasions. 👌🏻 We asked Asa to serve items of his recommendation and choosing so we could relax and enjoy the evening and every dish was perfect. Thank you Asa

Best tapas I have had in the UK!

This place would get 6 stars if I could. Everything was great.

We were visiting canterbury for a few days & celebrated my Mum's 75th at El Sol, a large group of 16 including special needs kids ... the staff coped with us brilliantly. The food was great & our waitress was so patient, as they were busy & we had a large group they called their sister restaurant and the manager from over there came and helped out, he was great as well. BUT my BIGGGGGEST praise has to go to Sasha who managed to track me down two weeeks later to let me know that I had left my purse, with all my bank cards & drivers licence in the restaurant. She was so lovely & went completely out of her way to get my purse back to me. Such a lovely lady & I couldnt be more grateful. Thank you

El Sol is a fantastic find near the cathedral, offering a cozy yet vibrant atmosphere. The paella is a must-try—worth the wait and absolutely delicious. The tapas were also top-notch, showcasing a variety of traditional Spanish flavors. The service was outstanding, with friendly and attentive staff who made the experience even better. Whether you're nearby or just passing through, El Sol is well worth a visit.

Love love love. I would eat at El Sol every day. The food is ridiculously tasty. My family and I chose 2 dishes each and shared them. We couldn't decide which was our favourite because we loved them all so much.

Lovely little piece of Spain in Canterbury, bit pricey on the beer, but food was delicious, recommended, but take fat wallet if you are a family!!

Great food the best thing about the place

I booked a table for a birthday lunch with my wife. The waiter showed us to our table and promptly served us 2 glasses of Cava which I had requested when making my booking. The food was excellent. On requesting my bill I noticed the waiter had forgotten to put the 2 glasses of Cava on it. I brought this to the managers attention to be informed they were complementary as the lunch was a birthday meal for my wife. We will without doubt be recommending this Tapas bar to family and friends. Looking forward to our next visit. .

This was one of the best meals I've eaten in years. Great service, amazing tasting food and a nice atmosphere.we were serves by the supervisor Ali,he was very attractive and helpful Would highly recommend!

My family and I loved this restaurant. Had such a cool atmosphere, food was amazing (I recommend the ojo de la costilla), props to chefs!! The service especially was fantastic; my waitress Sophia was so friendly and helpful. Very much recommend!!

I came with a friend who works here as she’d recommended it and it didn’t disappoint. We had calamari with an amazing sauce (I’d never had calamari before and it was delicious), we also had some thin steak pieces which were very rich in flavour (I didn’t catch the name of it😂) The young lady cocktail is lovely as well though I’m curious about the other cocktails they do but Ill definitely find out in the future

I recently had a dinner with friends at a Spanish tapas restaurant. From the moment I walked in, the ambiance transported me to the heart of Spain, with its warm decor and vibrant atmosphere. The tapas menu was a delightful journey through a variety of flavors and textures. We really enjoyed it. A highlight of the evening was the stunning lavender cocktail, expertly crafted by Sasha. Thank you so much for our wonderful food and excellent service :)

Lovely Al fresco meal! All the food was beautiful, came quickly and service was professional 😊 I had been recommended a couple of times to this establishment and definitely was not disappointed 👏 Thank you so much for a lovely evening, will definitely be back!

Lovely food and great service. It felt like you were in Spain eating authentic tapas. We went here for our anniversary date and we put on a single table. The waiter recognised due to the busy service our table wasnt private enough so moved us to a better table without us asking. The food came and was amazing. Recommend most of the menu and tried a lot of it especially the ribs and beef. Great wine selection. Lovely evening and great atmosphere. Highly recommend.

We went to El Sol and had a great experience. The waiters were all lovely and very efficient. The food was flavourful, however was very expensive. For instance we paid £8 for 3 croquetas. The calamari was very tasty as well as the picanha. All in all had a very positive experience.