Sol Y Sombra in Medway

Popped in on the off chance as had tried to email but with no reply. We got a good table and ordered our food and drink. There was the usual choice of tapas and a few more unusual choices which was good. The food was tasty and arrived when ready which is usual. The price was reasonable and had a good meal. Hope to return.

Excellent service and we were on a time constraint so the team kindly cooked our paella in advance for us so it was ready when we arrived. Very tasty and excellent vegan options too.

Great selection of food well prepared and presented with excellent service. We really enjoy coming to Sol Y Sombre and will visit again quiet soon.

Frequently eat here..... sometimes with daughter and grandkids. Always been good well prepared food as close as you can get to Spanish without the hell of Gatwick. They recently changed their beer to a genuine Spanish beer actually brewed in Spain.

We celebrated my mother’s 92nd birthday. The food was very good,and great value. The service was excellent with a couple of lovely touches for the “birthday girl’ completely unsolicited and much appreciated. Will be back and recommend wholeheartedly.

Lovely food, great value, friendly service. Glad we stopped

Good authentic tapas. Recommended.

We have been trying to come here for a few months now but keep on coming when closed. The food was really tasty. We ordered a wide selection and what was absolutely stuffed. Brilliance service and the guy there took some time to chat with us and he took some feedback from us around the lighting upstairs which was our only criticism, to improve the ambiance

Chose restaurant last minute and completely happy with our choice. Chose all our usual dishes and the food was excellent. Great service and relaxing atmosphere (no loud music that drowned out your conversation. A definite plus).

Really friendly staff and atmosphere food was amazing plus has a lunch time deal

Great food, great service but unable to Tip?! Note to owner/ management: Tips should be accepted when your kitchen is located UPSTAIRS meaning your servers are up and down stairs the entire service.

Lovely meal last night, food was really good, nice wine and great service. Chilli mussels were the highlight! Will definitely be back.

Very nice decortive place , great tasting food , friendly staff too

Great Tapas and brilliant service. Will definitely return Asap, Paella was excellent.

One of our favourite restaurants, had lunch deal on Tuesday which was great. Food cooked perfectly and plenty of it! Jug of agua de Valencia is a must!!

Beautiful evening with lovely friendly knowledgeable staff. Food lovely, had tapas and the Spanish rice was delicious. Yet to try Paella but noted returning customers ordering it. The sangria was not as exciting as I expected but tapas dishes varied with perfect spicing and fresh bread. Will definitely return.

The prawns were delicious and the service superb. Can’t wait to come back.

Went to this restaurant with my mum on Saturday, we got seated up stairs. Right by the window. And had it to ourselves, which was rather lovely! Honeslty, the customer service was 100 out of 10, what absoulty lovely staff that work there. So attentive, chatty, polite and nothing seemed to much. The food was also absolutely lovely. Would absolutely recommend to anyone passing.

We went with a group of 9, including my 95 year old grandma. The service was very friendly, they were super accommodating, and the food + drinks were fantastic! Also a very nice atmosphere. Would definitely recommend - thanks for having us!

No atmosphere For a Saturday night it was dead No front of house welcome had to go find a waiter/waitress Food was hot but flavourless Paella was SPICY way too hot to eat spoilt it, paella should not be spicy Was in there nearly 3 hours & only 2 more people walked in. Its overpriced and will not be returning. Such a shame it was brilliant when the previous owners had it! Always busy & great atmosphere.

Lovely place. The food is amazing. ❤️❤️❤️

I had the black pudding wasn't impressed, my wife had prawns in garlic it was ok

So me and husband came here today for an anniversary lunch, we were the only ones in there, the lady that served us was friendly. She took our order which was 3 tapas dishes each and 2 glasses of wine, you expect to wait awhile for your food, but oh no it came out within 10 minutes of ordering! Now if it was fresh you would be waiting for more than 10 minutes , we even could hear the microwave pinging, the food was rubbery and cold in the middle, the lady asked how the food was and we just said it was OK, as we were hungry we just ate it and got out quick, so very disappointed and we shall not be returning again, the only thing was nice was the wine, I knew we should of went to the other tapas restaurant in the High Street as the food there is amazing! , but we thought we try here as we haven't come across it before, but we were so wrong, so if anyone reads this, please avoid this place and don't waste your money!!

Absolutely fantastic, authentic food, made from the highest quality ingredients. Pleasant, professional service, and very reasonable prices...We loved

Lovely place to go for a relaxed environment. Service was fine, we had the seafood paella which was 8/10, chicken wings 7/10 and patatas bravas (10/10, best ive ever had). We ordered olives too but they were a 0/10 i would not recommend, they were not fresh and only thing that let down our experience. There was not a lot meat options for non pork eaters like us. Some spanish restaurants might have at least one lamb or beef option but there was only pork and chicken. Drinks were nice!

Great food with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. A thoroughly enjoyably evening. Highly recommend the cheese board and the churros.

My friend and I met here for a midweek dinner. Really lovely place, the person serving us was extremely welcoming, the tapas was really tasty. I always love it when the food arrives piping hot, which it was. Really good value and will definitely be back.

Delicious tapas and such a great selection. Amazing vegan selection for a friend in our group. Great, friendly service too. Highly recommend and will definitely be back!

Really enjoyed the food and drinks here this evening. Friendly service, tasty food and the drinks were made great. We enjoyed the dinner offer, 3 tapas dishes for £19.99, ordered 6 plates and omg we were stuffed! Portions were generous for a tapas restaurant and everything was cooked and tasted so nice! Will be back and would recommend

Great service and atmosphere, but the food should be a lot better for the price. We had the lunch time special - 3 Tapas (small plates) for £19.99... 🤔

Our experience mirrors several of the reviews already listed on here. Music was perhaps out of sync, it was more like now 95 rather than authentic Spanish music. We started with some Cava Sangria, bread/Aioli and Olives. The Cava Sangria came out red in colour, we asked the young waitress why it was red, she explained they basically mix a bit of cava with the pre-made sangria mix they have, slightly odd considering Cava sangria is usually white in colour but we drank it anyway and it was fine but not great. The jug was just left on the table, no attempt to pour it for us, the same for sparkling water, I had to open the bottle and pour it myself. The Ciabatta type roll that came with the Aioli was very soft and had no crunch to it at all, the olives strangely very wet, perhaps serve them using a slotted spoon to let some water escape. For mains we had a mix of 8 meat and vegetables tapas. All were ok but none were great. Overall everything was well cooked but lacked any real depth of flavour and lacking authenticity. Chorizo lacked flavour Pork belly was soft and not crispy at all Chicken Skewers were tender and well cooked but lacked flavour. Croquets were ok/bland. Patatas Bravas - Bland - tomato sauce lacked flavour. Tortilla - Bland Mushrooms in White wine - loads of garlic not much else. Padron Peppers - undercooked but ok. The meal came to just under £100 which was fine but I’d have hoped for a little better quality. Overall I’m not sure if it was poor quality ingredients or perhaps the food was cooked by Peter rather than Pedro but we came away thinking we’d had a decent meal but it wasn’t quality tapas and we likely wouldn’t return or suggest people visit unless it was for a cheap set menu meal.

Absolutely loved our Saturday evening at Sol Y Sombra. Great food and service with a really authentic flavour. Very attentive service and a good wine list. There was even a good selection for the vegetarians.

Overpriced, slow service, worst tapas in Medway, avoid avoid avoid.

Had a lovely first time at Sol Y Sombra. The staff were very helpful, attentive and friendly and the food was absolutely delicious. We'll definitely be back and would highly recommend!

Great restaurant. The food was incredible. Damien was very attentive and friendly. We will definitely come back.

Fantastic evening at Sol Y Sombra Tapas. Great atmosphere, friendly staff and delicious food. Highly recommend.

Went here last night, ( Saturday 13th April ) in off chance, we could get a table without booking. And luckily, the staff, was accomodating, and showed us to a table instantly. The staff here are lovely, and are very polite. We ordered food, and drinks. Which we're served promptly. We ordered 5 different dishes, and all of which, was lovely, and tasteful. We didn't feel rushed like we have in other places, and quite happily would of stayed all evening. The place is very clean, and tastefully decorated. The music was chill. Overall this is the best place for food, that we've been to in a while. I would definitely recommend people going here! You would not be dissatisfied. Paid with cash, although card payment is also available, I assume the ( owner/manager?!) was happy notes we're being used. Sure its a rare occurrence these days. Would highly recommend this place. Cant give enough stars. The Pound Note Tattoo Artist. :)

We were a bit disappointed overall with the whole experience. For a Saturday evening there was a clear lack of staff which meant the wait for food was excessive and came from the kitchen at different intervals. The food was ok at best and just had that blasted in the microwave before coming to the table feel about it. The style of music didn't fit the type of restaurant and could hear a number of other parties complaining. I really wanted to enjoy this one as the reviews in general were quite good, but alas. Maybe just a bad night for them?

The WORST " Spanish Tapas" in Medway, Kent!!! Very very slow service. the food it was NOT TASTY at all 👎🏻 we ordered paella -was burnt and worst I ever try. Prices for this food and service not worth it! Definitely me and my friends we will not go there again!

One of my worst experiences was visiting this tapas place!!! Service- 0/10 Food 0/10 I would never repeat it again!

The restaurant has nice atmosphere. The drinks menu is very good, happy with sangria, wine and cocktail that we ordered. Food is decent as Spanish food is difficult outside of Spain. The olives were plump, sardines were good, but a bit bland. The Spanish tortilla was bland. What saved it for us was the Spanish cheeseboard and the créme catalana, both were really nice.

Took 45 mins for the bread to come out. None of the food tasted fresh. Had to return to collect my deposit for the table reservation on Valentine’s given it was forgotten to be taken off the bill. Will not be returning

Great valentines meal. Knowledgeable, friendly staff. Great food and wine. Loved it all. Thank you

Great staff , didn't rush you, food was amazing. (Toilets no stairs ) You felt like in Spain out doors.

Food was not great but people were lovely

Bit overpriced for what you get. Food was nice but left restaurant still feeling hungry after 6 dishes & desert for two of us.

Tasty and big portions, fast service!

Had a lovely meal in here staff friendly food lovely

My party of 11 were massively let down by another restaurant in Rochester and hungry. We decided to chance our luck (with no booking) at Sol Y Sombra, the team were so welcoming and offered us the upstairs area at short notice. I must say the food was plentiful, well cooked and just kept coming. Customer service was excellent and all staff massively friendly. Thank you so much for looking after us, we will definitely be returning for more of the same. Brilliant.

Incredible food and very friendly servers, quick service, and extremely cheep for a 6 perspn meal. Came a few months ago and it was so good we instantly booked a tsblw for a furture trip for the dickens christmas festival to bring more family along.

The food and staff were amazing. we had the seafood paella for two and was more than enough.

Wonderful service & great food! We had a lovely cosy evening and would definitely recommend. Extra 5 stars for the Christmas decorations, well done 👏

Such a shame but gone downhill under new owner - portions MUCH smaller and prices MUCH higher - Saturday we returned 3 of the 5 dishes as being inedible and while the meatballs were OK 5 tiny meatballs the size of a grape for £8.95 is not acceptable!

This place has a fantastic ambience and atmosphere. The food is excellent, well presented, tastes delicious and plenty of it! Greeted in a very friendly manner and the service was faultless all evening. Can't recommend this restaurant enough and will definitely be back.

Everything was absolutely fantastic! Service, food, atmosphere. We fell in love with Tapas again. And the fact that they have a massive Vegan menu is insane. Definitely coming back!!

Went with my partner and our daughter, first time tonight. Lovely food, very polite staff. Will definitely be back.

Service was alright, the waitress was kind and offered us a full menu even if it was only noon. Food however was absolutely underwhelming, l ordered broken eggs with ham. There was one egg and the only broken thing about it was my soul. Ham was served in chunks, not the thin slices you'd associate with serrano ham. Absolutely unedible!

Used to be great new owners have ruined a great restaurant

Amazing tapas, great service, friendly and attentive staff. Lovely ambiance and highly recommended.

The food was more ‘Spanglish’ than Spanish, it was tasty nevertheless. My only other comment is that portion sizes were very small for tapas.

I was very shocked with food portions, they were the tiniest tapas that I have ever had and so pricey, it was just ridiculous. It's more spanglish tapas than other thing, and I'm spanish! If you are looking for a place to have genuine tapas don't go to this place. If I could give 0 stars I would have.

Great little place for tapas, pretty authentic, good value, Cruz Campo on tap is brilliant. My only gripe would be to cook fresh churros, the ones we had seemed frozen and they are not difficult to cook in a deep fat fryer. You would clean up if you finished with those.

An amazing place for Spanish cuisine/tapas, food was amazing and full of flavour, mix of spice and sweetness, service was excellent and fast and atmosphere is wonderful, isn’t too busy that you can’t hear but isn’t too empty.

Really disappointing. Been here a few times, just for the vegetarian paella, which was amazing, but (after ordering drinks) were told that it "wasn't authentic enough" and "the vegetables go off to quickly" and no longer on the menu, maybe try the (more expensive) tapas menu. The vegetarian options were limited, probably not authentic enough, but out of the 8 or so dishes, three were unavailable, so a really lonely looking meal, with loud (unauthentic) 80s music and some super bright lights to accompany our meal. £90+ seemed expensive for 6 dishes and some drinks This used to be one of those special little places that really understood it's customers, I'm not sure if it's under new management, but eight couples squeezed into a window setting, with plenty of seating elsewhere? Maybe take a look at it from the diners viewpoint and make some changes

This is not somewhere to go if you are looking for the comfort of authentic, nostalgic (real) Spanish food, i appreciate the effort from the cooks but it is not somewhere i would recommend for people who have previously lived in non-tourist areas of Spain and like the authentic flavour of the food. Paella isnt even made with arroz bomba! Something about this place gives me a sort of “cultural appropriation” vibe….. idk :/

Horrible experience. We ordered paella, we waited 40 minutes and they served us something that is NOT PAELLA, boiled rice with garlic sprouts, a lot of coloring, no saffron, no fried vegetables,no chicken or seafood, canned peppers for garnish, tasteless and sweet... this is not paella and other dishes are not Spanish either, lousy quality. The place smells bad, the bathrooms next to the tables, loud music that forces you to speak loudly, the only good thing is the waitress, very nice. This fashionista uses the name Spanish/Spain to get money easily but it is a scam, every summer we travel to Spain and I have never seen such a bad food and place as in SOL Y MAR. We will never go back.

My second visit to this restaurant. This time we chose the 'Introduction to Tapas' which was a great selection and very tasty. The staff were very friendly and accommodating considering we arrived just as the kitchen was about to close. All in all a lovely experience.

Had an unpleasant experience today as we found two hairs in two separate plates of food. At first we were happy to overlook this as the first hair we found wasn’t directly touching the food and we didn’t want to cause a fuss but on finding the second I spoke to the waiter and politely asked for a discount (at no point did I ask for free food, as my partner and I were both aware that we had eaten some of it and expected to pay to cover what we had eaten), very generously our food was given to us for free. Despite this my partner offered to pay for our drinks as she was aware it is a small business and wanted to contribute towards what we had. Sadly the manager was agitated and rude towards us, suggesting that we had deliberately eaten the food and wanted it for free, she also sarcastically told us not to put up any negative reviews- something we had not planned to do until she reacted so rudely. I am not someone who usually likes to complain in restaurants and my partner and I tried to go about it in as respectful and understanding a way as possible. Disappointingly we still experienced negativity from the manage, although I would like to note that the waiter who served us was very friendly and helpful. Due to these events I would not visit again.

We visited sol y sombra after my partner had a good experience previously. However, we were very disappointed with our meal today. There was a hair on the side of our padron peppers (on the handle) so we decided to not make a fuss. Our meatballs were then brought out but we found ANOTHER hair in the sauce. We raised this to our lovely waiter and said we could no longer continue eating and if possible to remove the dishes from our bill. The decision was then made that our meal would be complimentary. I approached the manager offering to pay for our drinks at least as I thought this would only be fair. I was then met with agitation and impoliteness. She then made the statement ‘ as long as you don’t write bad reviews all over Facebook’. My intent was never to write a bad review, however after snide comments were made towards myself after this - I decided it was only right to warn others of this establishment.

Our first time coming here and overall, we were impressed by the service but underwhelmed by the food. Olives were big and delicious and the selection of wine is very good, enjoyed the Rioja. Cosy seating and a feel of a bar in Spain with the decor and music. The food menu is large and with lots of veggie options, however, we wonder if downsizing might be a good move to focus more on quality and being able to cook more fresh dishes. Would definitely prefer less selection with dishes based on the available good produce. We ordered all vegetarian tapas: patatas bravas, halloumi, padron peppers, breaded mushrooms, tostada tomate, Spanish tortilla. For us, all of the dishes were cooked well but overall all a bit bland. The padron peppers were decent as could tell they were cooked fresh and there were a good amount, the rest didn't pack much flavour (the tomatoes for example were bland, which on a simple dish really showed up) and the garlic mayonnaise on several of the dishes tasted processed (either a pre-made sauce or bottled mayonnaise with garlic added). Portion sizes were quite small for the price, we had 6 dishes between 2 and still had space for dessert. The churros as dessert were the best dish, although we think hot chocolate sauce would be an improvement here. Our waitress was very attentive and friendly and was helpful with recommendations (spot on with the amount of tapas to order), she definitely represented the vibe of the restaurant well. However, it was a bit off-putting when we arrived to have 2 staff members smoking sat outside at by the restaurant entrance. Think this could be a great little restaurant and hopefully our experience was a one off dip in quality of produce.

Where do I start? We used to come here almost weekly and the food, service and atmosphere was brilliant! But since the new management come in, the quality and portion size has reduced. The only thing that has improved is the profit by the looks of things.... Smaller portions, lower quality ingredients and higher prices seems to be the new company motto. We were given a small bowl of complimentary nuts instead of the 5 thick pieces of bread and aioli dip (that is now £1.95 should you wish to pay for it - that's even if it's the same size portion, as we decided against paying for this!). The only positive was the quick and friendly service from our waiter. To give you an idea of the poor portion sizes, we paid £7.95 for 5 prawns in a garlic and chilli sauce. We're local to Rochester and frequently visit multiple restaurants along the High Street. This is the 3rd visit to this establishment since the new management (we gave them the benefit of the doubt the first and second time round as they had only been managing the restaurant for a short period!) But we feel really let down by the food. We have come to the conclusion that we do not intend on returning. Overall we give this restaurant a 1 star rating. If it wasn't for the friendly waiter, it would have been worse. We really are sad to have seen that its lost the wow-factor that the previous owners gave it :(

Absolutely brilliant place. Took a last minute reservation for 6 people, whole place looked and felt great. Quick and courteous service with the right amount of servers personality coming through. Drinks came quickly and well presented. Food was amazing. Great communication from the server on food expected delivery times. The range of food on menu was outstanding. Great flavours and presented exceptionally.

Paella was ok, choose the sea good, which came a lot rice and not really sea food.. ah forgot mentioned that you can only order as a minimum for 2 people.Tapas are very small portion.

Just soooo good! New owners are just the best people! Go here, you won't be disappointed

Staff were brilliant and service was at a good pace. Love what they’ve done with the place. Reminds me of being in a bar/ restaurant in Spain. Food was delicious. Would recommend to friends

We were seated downstairs and ordered a range of Tapas dishes. Every dish was really tasty, two of the three of us said it was their favourite restaurant so far and we've been to quite a few! Lots of vegetarian options too. It was a Saturday night and it still felt relatively quiet and intimate even though it looked full from where we were. We had the most amazing strawberry daqueries and we followed up with orange cake, churros and poached pairs for desert which was all delicious. The service was friendly and efficient, didn't feel rushed or stressed at all. The whole atmosphere was super relaxed, unhurried and friendly. Would definitely recommend!

The food was delicious, service was fantastic.

Lovely Tapas Bar, good authentic food, polite and attentive staff all helps make an easy and relaxing evening out with friends. We stuck to ordering and sharing just about every Tapas on the menu, followed up with double cheese board. Really must try the paella next time as well, it looked really good.

Good food, the best croquet potatoes I think I have ever had

Not good. Food was way below par. Mussel main course consisted of around 15 mussels! Mixed meat paella was overcooked and small amounts of meat and with no veg other than 4 strips of green pepper. Asked for another piece of bread and was charged 1. 95 p . Owner was rude as we asked for plates after paella had already been served and mumbled do not moan! Will not be going again

Food wasn't as good as the first time we came, but burnt potatoes were replaced quickly when I mentioned them to the waiter. Overall its a nice little place, quirky and friendly. The cheesecake was very nice.

Lovely evening meal, relaxed service with a smile. Food good, and well priced for Rochester. Happy to recommend. Veggie options good. Wine options good.

First time visiting this restaurant. We was sat out the back which was very nice. It gives the impression of being in a garden. Service was good as was the food. We will be visiting again.

So disappointed by our visit this evening :( This used to be our favourite restaurant but new owners seems to mean smaller portions, the wonderful patatas bravas smaller and slathered in a different tasting sauce (we sent the first lot back as they were undercooked and usually fight over these but we left some), sardines that were tiny and 80s music blaring.....we couldn't wait to leave to be honest. The owner couldn't even be bothered to turn his head to look at us as he grunted 'good night'. Everything about it was just off - we were told the chef has changed. Such a shame! We were still hungry though so went somewhere else! We won't be going back.

Gorgeous authentic food with lovely service and a really nice atmosphere. Wish i took pictures, but we ate too fast lol. Definitely will go back as so many options and stomach not big enough to try all at once.

Great tapas, wide selection and good prices

In definite need of a makeover. Dislike hearing a business meeting between owner and client when trying to have a meal...take it away to an office.

The best thing about this place is the staff. Very good and personal service. There are 2 tapas places in Rochester high st. This one is more cosy and a family feel and in one of the old traditional buildings. Like eating at a friend's house. The other is more polished and runs like clockwork but less personality. Food is probably slightly better at the other one but it's always rammed and less relaxing. Both nice places and you wouldn't be disappointed with either.

Had a great time .. the staff were friendly and fantastic and food was excellent.. thank you for a really nice night , we will be back.

Had a great meal there last night...the was great and the staff were lovely..it has a real family feel about it. Will be back

Came here Christmas Eve with the family. Managed to get an early evening table, we sat in the back garden area, but it's all covered and warm more like indoors really. The food was lovely. We had several tapas choices off the menu and considering it was very last minute they were very accommodating.

Brilliant night with superb food and drink.

Fantastic restaurant. Best tapas restaurant in Rochester. We are a family of 4 and even with a 6 month gap between visits, the manager remembered us (he remembered one of the kids was good with whole chillies and one was not)and it is little things like that, that separate lovely restaurants from big chains.

food was amazing ,and service was impeccable . Had an amazing time ,we were upstairs.They must have we were going to be noisy, lol Can't wait to go again .

I’ve been here twice now and both times the food has been delicious, the staff friendly and attentive. The restaurant has a lovely ambience with a pretty enclosed garden area in the back. So far my favourite my restaurant on the highstreet, highly recommended!

We have eaten here several times, the food is excellent and staff attentive, with a warm welcome from the owner. With most the tapas priced at £6.95 you can't go wrong. Would 100% recommend. Pete

Good welcome. Friendly staff. Yummy food.

top spot for a geezer such as myself, get down and dirty with the food. my wife loves a bit of meat in her mouth (trust me *wink wink* 😉) so the chorizo and red wine filled her up good. sol why sombra gets 5 stars off me

i was slapping my meat on the table. Unfortunately the waiters did not join in but the paella felt nice on my balls

Good food Excellent friendly staff