Always great! Our favorite restaurant in the area. Food and service area always wonderful. Took it down one star because sometimes the portions are really small (or maybe I'm just a big eater but I like to see slightly larger portions of salmon in particular). No other restaurant around is as good as Solstice!
(4)
TP M.
"A wonderful find that we stumbled upon!" A great local restaurant. We started off at the bar with appetizers and drinks then finished off the evening with dinner at a table. Friendly, kind, helpful staff. Enjoyed talking to the locals at the bar. Innovative and fresh menu. Food was fabulous and the drinks were great. Extensive wine list and lots of unique beer and liquor offerings.
(5)
Mark P.
Stopped by while passing through based on other Yelp reviews. All three of us enjoyed our meals very much. I ordered Shrimp and Grits and found the contrast in flavors to be delicious. The ambiance was classy and the service was attentive yet unobtrusive. Would definitely go back if I'm ever in the area again.
(4)
Brian D.
I had dinner at the bar tonight. The rib eye was delicious, and cooked perfectly. The dinner menu isn't very big, but what's on there sounds good. I was a bit disappointed in the wine list. The wines in the list weren't bad, but there isn't a lot of variety. If you are looking for a cab you will find something acceptable. If you're in the mood for a tempranillo, nebbiolo or grenache you will be out of luck. This restaurant has a lot of rules. There are signs on the wall telling you not to be late for your reservation, and that to-go orders are not accepted at certain times. The menu says "Please limit your substitutions", and then goes on at length to tell you what the charges are for substitutions, for splitting entrees (you may NOT split appetizers!), for parties of more than 6 and for bringing your own dessert. They all combined to give a less than friendly feel.
(4)
Isaac S.
The food here is pretty good however they are not customer friendly as the manager would not allow us to sit in the section we want even if we wanted to wait. She was extremely lethargic and almost totally spaced out. She does not believe in the customer is always right. The host staff seems to follow her lead - as a result will not be returning!
(2)
Harry P.
Since we're big fans of their sister restaurant (Mr. Friendly's in Five Points), our expectations were high. The four of us ordered from the Restaurant Week menu, and we sampled a wide array of items. I had Oysters Espana: nice idea, but the presentation was destroyed by the difficulty of separating the oysters from their shells. I wasn't really expecting them to be on the shells, but more "en croute". Wife's fried green tomatoes were undercooked to her, but I thought the taste was really great. Kids (teenaged, but discerning) had the tomato bisque and enjoyed them. Entrees: Mahi Mahi and flounder each got five stars for flavor and presentation. Son and I both ordered the fried chicken breast: breading was a little heavy and salty, but good flavor. I would have liked more tasso ham gravy. The Gruyere mac-and-cheese and green beans were top notch. So overall, the entrees were the highlight. Desserts were the bigger disappointment. The cheesecake and fudgecake were very good (hard to go wrong there). The artisan cheese plate - very small bits of cheese augmented by one little strawberry. Maybe I'm ignorant, but don't you need something else to set against the cheese to bring out the flavor? I had the Krispy Kreme bread pudding, a huge letdown. Not at all a bread pudding, more like run-over warn donuts in a souffle dish. Of course, hot Krispy Kremes taste great in any form, but there wasn't anything unexpected in this dessert. Just the flavor of flat, warm Krispy Kremes. Other factors: it was rather dark, music was somewhat annoying but not TOO loud - clearly going for a certain ambiance that would appeal to the "older with $$$ but want to feel younger" set. The pricing was in accord with that vibe. Thought the prix fixe cost was about $5 too high, and a $9 glass of wine that's 1/3 full was annoying. We had an enjoyable night out, but just felt let down by the unevenness of the food.
(2)
Zach N.
The first impression walking in was very friendly and welcoming, we (my girlfriend and I) were asked if we had a reservation and I said no thinking we'd be turned away but their response was "ok no problem just give us a minute to clear something off". Once seated our server was very friendly and the service was speedy and attentive without the hovering feeling you get in some places. She ordered the filet mignon and I ordered the pork shoulder confit with an appetizer of fried green tomatoes with pimento and bacon garnish. The food was the kind of thing you think to yourself "man this is so good" with every bite.
(5)
Ronda B.
8 restaurants into the year and we found 1 we will return..from the hostess to the bartender everyone was great. Just sitting at the bar you could not tell who owned the place because everyone took ownership. We started w the oysters. Loved them. I had the chicken w Mac and cheese best ever. Hubby had shrimp and grits he ate them so fast I barely got a taste. If you have not tried this restaurant this is one to put in your phone directory.
(5)
Sid N.
Saturday night, spur of the moment, we sat in the bar area. Wife likes the girlie drinks and they had the watermelon splash with jalapeno. Lights out, she had two and loved it. Perfect for summer. Pork belly tacos give you savory with a touch of sweet and then the main dish. Hawaiian wahu described perfectly by a server and highly recommended and Pork steak with bacon mashed potatoes. A little comfort food and a little something you don't find everyday. Both home runs. Big comfortable booths in the bar area and a server who was spot on with wine rec's and dinner choices. Had the special butterscotch pudding/chocolate cake dessert that was excellent as well. By far our favorite place in Columbia (Terra is 1a). Highly recommended.
(5)
Jessica A.
One of my absolute favorite places to eat in Columbia. The Gouda Mac & cheese is to die for. You also must have the Krispy Kreme bread pudding.
(5)
Josh B.
After reading a number of reviews, I felt well prepared for what to expect here. I can happily say that none of worst things that I read happened to me. In fact, it was a pretty good experience. The only bad that I can report is that the food wasn't up to the quality level that I would expect of a really nice restaurant like this. With that said, I must say that I haven't even heard of another place in the area that is as good as this. This place holds great promise as the atmosphere and concept is excellent, but just not very polished on the delivery. One of the odd things that I heard during my dinner was that they ran out of one of their standard menu items, the scallops, at about 7:10p, which seemed very early to be running out of anything on the menu, much less a standard item. An unexpectedly popular special item, I could understand, but not a standard. I personally hate scallops and wasn't going to order them anyway, so it didn't really bother me other than to strike me as very odd. Their wine list was average for a very nice restaurant. A better than average offering of wines by the glass, but average variety overall and certainly no top shelf selections. I did find a decent Chilean Pinot Noir by the glass that was to my liking. As a business traveller that often eats alone, I appreciated more extensive than average by the glass options. I selected an appetizer and entree off their daily specials list, so they weren't something that appears on their regular menu. For an appetizer I had their interpretation of fried calamari. The calamari was not bad, decently tender, but just a tad on the chewy side. It was served with a medly of sauteed herbs and vegetables, including artichoke hearts, over a slightly over-astringent chunky tomato sauce. The preparation was slightly off on several levels, including the breading, which abandoned the calamari at the slightest touch, but it was better than average. The over astringency of the tomatoes combined with the natural bitterness of the artichoke hearts to bring out some licorice flavors in the pinot noir, which didn't thrill me. Certainly not a problem with their dish, but I'm not a fan of licorice or the overall bitterness of the dish. Also, the excessive accent flavors really detracted from the natural flavor of the calamari instead of enhancing it. Again, it wasn't bad, but I can't say it was amazing or even great. It was well presented and looked very appetizing, but had substantial room for improvment. For an entree, I ordered the roasted duck with a hash of andouille sausage, onions, and yams, and something else that I forgot. This dish was also well presented, and quite tastely, but still some technical flaws that detracted from the whole of the dish. The duck was brilliantly prepared with crispy skin and med. rare flesh that was nice and moist and resting on a pinot noir/merlot (if memory serves) reduction that had a pleasantly sweet and herbal accent. Now, the duck is a very strong flavor and fought with the equally strong flavor of the andouille sausage in the hash. The yams had a nice mellow and complimentary starchy sweetness to the overall profile, but something in the hash was very harshly salted and provided occasionaly bursts of hyper saltiness. Again, a much better than average dish, bordering on great, with some a few serious flaws in overall execution. For dessert I tried their home made chocolate truffles: champagne milk chocolate, mocha dark chocolate, and ammaretto milk chocolate. To accent them, I selected their best port wine, a '77 Quarles Harris, with wonderful cherry and chocolate notes. Absolutely no complaints here. It was a divine pairing. The truffles were perfectly blended to be not overly sweet and not overly bitter, and very satisfying to the most hard-core chocolate craving. Being by myself, I ate at the bar and the service was pleasant and friendly and I didn't find myself wanting anything for more than about 30 - 60 seconds once or twice only. The atmosphere and ambiance was very relaxing and some extremely pleasant jazz was playing throughout the evening to enhance the mood. All in all, a very good dining experience, and I wouldn't hessitate in going here again or heartily recommending Solstice to any of my best friends.
(4)
Jennifer C.
I wish I could give this place 6 stars. I've been there 3 times now. My mom lives in Columbia and when I visit from Maryland it's at the top of my list of "go-to places". In my most recent experience, I had planned a dinner for 7 for my mom's birthday. I special requested the table in the back left hand corner of the restaurant and wanted TYLER as our waiter. I had balloons delivered from the florist next door to the restaurant. When I got there they had everything set up, balloons tied to the chairs too! Tyler is the most awesome waiter. He kept our drinks flowing and the food coming all night. I really appreciate how well he handles a demanding female crowd. I love the chicken fried steak and gouda mac & cheese. Amazing. Thanks for making our evening perfect, Soltice.
(5)
Christa C.
We are so thankful to have such a wonderful restaurant just .5 miles from our new home! It definitely makes the suburbs more palatable, dining-wise. We've had several wonderful meals and look forward to many more. Standouts include the skirt steak and pomme frites, all desserts and the wine list and cocktail specials. We've had good luck with some fish specials/entrees too, but I'm blanking on what we loved most (bad yelper). Awesome bread and butter goodies too. I'm taking off a star for the service: it's been a little spotty. My main issue was just feeling too rushed! This despite saying really clearly upfront that we wanted a bit of space between courses...and the place was 1/2 empty so we weren't hogging a table or being ridiculously slow or anything. For $200 for dinner for two (bottle of wine, appetizers, 2 entrees and usually 2 desserts boxed to go), I just don't want to be done in an hour flat. But we love it and will be back soon!
(4)
Aaron K.
I visit this area of Columbia every year or two and it used to be a dead zone if you were in search for a great restaurant. Once Solstice Kitchen gained some Yelp love I tried it a couple of years ago and loved it. No surprise the next time I came to Columbia 1.5 years later this was on my must visit list. It's easily the best restaurant in the area, but it's also a restaurant that would be great anywhere, not just here. The menu has choices for everyone, a lot of fresh local fish and some great meat choices as well. I've had different preparations of short ribs on the 2 visits I've been here and they are always fantastic. Fork tender and belly warming. A standout on our last visit was one of the fresh fish specials with an artichoke pesto. The pesto itself was delicious and a great complement to the fish. The fried oyster app is good and gives you tons of oysters for the price. All Dishes are generous in portion, and very high quality. Now I'm just counting down the days until I come back to Columbia (and Solstice).
(5)
Jeremy C.
Really nice restaurant. It doesn't look like its going to be as good as it is from the outside either. They had $20 wine bottle specials going on that night too. We tried one of the bottles and it was decent, not great (and we tried it BEFORE the other more expensive bottle) but good. The food was great! We started off with BBQ pull pork spring rolls. perfect texture (Not as good as Lexington BBQ, but certainly well constructed as was the gnocchi bolognese! They also certainly know how to cook a steak, a perfect med rare. We also ordered the pork shank and it was surprisingly good, moist and great flavor. Definitely was a great night out when so far away from home. If you are in the Eastern Columbia, SC area this is a definite stop for you.
(4)
Erin L.
Wonderful! Great atmosphere, wonderful food, excellent wine!! Portions are large, well worth the cost!
(5)
Lisa C.
Sat, 815, Hubby and I had mahi, scallops, garden salad, bread, diet coke and hot tea. Salad and bread were delish! The entrees were very good. My hubby and I don't eat a lot, but cleared our plates, which means the portions are small compared to most places, but probably closer to what they "should" be. Atmosphere is nice, nothing special. Service was average. We emptied our drinks without an offer for another. Server brought our food to table when he knew we were outside smoking (he did tell us it was there), not much "teamwork" by the waitstaff, which is unfortunate but common. In sum, we weren't "wowed" and would probably go back...after we've sampled the many other spots we haven't tried.
(4)
Edwin C.
Always a great choice for last minute late evening or a planned dinner date or even with clients. Food is excellent, drinks are great, service is always great. A very consistent experience. The chef isn't afraid to take chances, so try it all. Highly recommended.
(5)
Mikayla M.
My boyfriend and I tried Solstice for the first time tonight and we loved it! We will definitely be returning. (And we're coming from 30 min away). Our server's name was Kyle B, and he was great at explaining the menu to us and suggestive selling. I had the flat iron, the boyfriend had the vegetarian meal of the day, and we shared the bananakopita. It was all amazing!
Food was delicious. Everything is fresh and cooked perfectly. Even their salad tastes like they were made with home grown veggies. The green vinaigrette dressing they made there was really good and unlike anything I have had before. Took one star off because their fries are too limpy/mushy, greasy and fried in old oil. Lunch prices are good but dinner prices are 2x higher. Recommend for lunch only.
(4)
Candace B.
This restaurant is fairly new, but I definitely enjoyed dinner. The steak was cooked perfectly, so much so, that I ate it as slowly as possible to savor every little piece:)
(5)
Dawn R.
This was our first visit to this restaurant and we were pleasantly surprised. It has been the best restaurant, by far, that I've visited in Columbia. The Wait staff were very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. This is always helpful to Patrons. The oysters were lightly battered and perfectly fried. I ordered the chicken breast and it was the most delightful first bit of food that that I've had in a long time. It was perfectly fried to perfection and maintained it moisture throughout. The downside of this order is that the gravy was extremely salty to the point of inedible. So I was unable to eat the entire piece of chicken. I do believe that without gravy this would have been the perfect meal. One of my friends had spinach that was also way too salty to eat. I brought this to the attention of the one of the people who attended to our table as she requested to remove the plates. The dessert menu was enticing but after the salty gravy I just wanted to drink a lot of water. Overall, this was a really nice restaurant with great ambiance. I would return but would not order anything with gravy, or spinach.
(4)
Shane B.
Loved dinner by candlelight. I had the pork chops and my wife had the scallops. The menu is a bit pricey. Great selection of wine.
(4)
Crystal T.
Funny how my review got deleted .. Any how., the food is def not up to par!!! Only thing I got that I liked was my salad.. The fried chicken was burnt.. Bojangles is way better.. My husband and I eat fine dining almost every night and this place let us down.. We are new to this area and was hoping for a good restaurant in the area..
(1)
Tracey R.
Delicious! Chef and management at this place are top notch. Great place for date night! Try everything at least once! Still having dreams about the chocolate truffles and delicious deviled eggs. Wonderful wine and beer selecton as well.
(5)
Magan C.
I decided to have a surprise party for my mother's 50th birthday here and it was absolute perfection. The staff more than accommodated the small touches to make my mother's night special and the food...man oh man the food was simply superb. Try the Macaroni and cheese, the duck (SO succulent), there was some sort of truffle corn chowder the chef brought out for us to sample that was also just ...biblically amazing. It is a little pricey, but worth every penny and is the perfect spot for a special evening out. I wish I could give it 6 stars!
(5)
Ellisa V.
Definitely one of the top three meals out the hubby and I have had in recent months. The restaurant is definitely more ritzy (very well decorated and dimly lit, with candles on the tables during dinner service), but they had no problem serving people from all walks of life (some dressed up, some dressed down) while we were there. The service, presentation, and food were all top notch. My hubby had the ribeye off the weekend special menu and I had the salmon dinner. We shared a side of the mac and cheese as well. All of our food was excellent and the flavors worked so well together. Hubby isn't a huge fan of spinach, but he ended up eating all of his because he enjoyed the way it was cooked so much. We aren't very knowledgeable when it comes to wine, so our server was able to help us pick a wine that would work well with his steak. I tried the house made gingerale, and although it had a bit of a kick, it was definitely good.
(5)
Cody B.
Great restaurant, really enjoyed the food and wine. We were looking for somewhere nice to eat and decided to check out Solstice Kitchen. I had the fried chicken breast and my fiance had the pork tenderloin. Both were very good. We would totally go back again
(5)
Dick W.
One of the top restaurants in Columbia. Great food, wine, service. Neighborhood feel. Interesting menu which changes frequently. One of the best places in Columbia for new and interesting wines. Bartenders are pros and very knowledgable, friendly. Local, fresh, healthy food, cooked right. The fish is always very fresh and cooked simply and to perfection. It can be busy. Casual dress ok.
(5)
Theron T.
Everything from the service to the last morsel of food was excellent. I would highly recommend to anyone for special evening out.
(5)
Fabio C.
Food and service are first rate, brought few customers for business dinner all left with great comment about food, wine selection and especially desserts. The Krispy Cream Bread Pudding is an experience per se.
(4)
EC F.
Given all of the great reviews here and elsewhere, I was beyond excited to try this place. Maybe my expectations were too high, but first I was bored and by the end of the meal I was deeply disappointed. Normally, I would just leave it at that and not write an unfavorable review, but given the almost unanimous adoration for this place, I thought it would be helpful to offer another view. First, the ambiance. My husband and I felt like we were in a cheesy hotel restaurant, everything was very corporate, boring and safe. The servers were fine. Not particularly knowledgeable, but nice and reasonably attentive. The real problem was the food. Oh, the food. Most of it was not just ho-hum, but downright unenjoyable. The pork belly tasted like nothing other than the oil it had been deep fried in and was paired with this sickly sweet sauce that didn't work with it at all. The bouillabaisse was really a fish stew with overcooked fish in a boring chunky tomato broth. It came with cheesy (and this time I mean cheesy as in cheese) toast that would be great at an olive garden, not so cool at an expensive "farm to table" joint like this. The fried chicken was good. The drinks were good. But so good that I would recommend the place to, well, anyone? Sorry.
(2)
lee m.
Great restaurant. I took my parents here for their 50th wedding anniversary and they were very accomodating. The gave us great service, dealt with my parents who are hard of hearing, gave our table a nice appetizer and glasses of champagne on the house. The service, food and hospitality were very good. The ribeye steak was good.
(4)
Jeff C.
My wife and I just recently moved to Cola and were looking for a last minute place to celebrate our anniversary. I found this place on Yelp and we rolled the dice based on the mostly good reviews. Lucky for us, we couldn't have had a better anniversary experience! From the ambiance (classy but comfortable, low lighting, nice background music) to the service (attentive, genuine, friendly but not over-bearing) to the food (sort of a southern twist on classic American food ala people like Tom Colicchio). Emphasis on using local fresh ingredients and keeping it simple and not too complicated resulted in some amazing flavors. I had the hanger steak with fois gras butter while my wife had fried chicken with gruyre and bacon mac n' cheese. Mmmm . . . hard to decide which dish was better but my wife's probably won out. I will agree with one of the more slightly negative reviews that the skinny frites are a bit hard to pick up and dip in the handmade ketchup. I used a fork which sort of made that easier. If I were to criticize anything else it would be that in both our cases the greens that were served (spinach on mine and green beans on hers) really paled in comparison to everything else on the plate. Nothing wrong with them, but when everything else shines so brightly it might almost work better to leave them off than to just put out something that is so obviously on a lower level of flavor. The dessert list too left us wanting more. Why such an emphasis on white chocolate? Anyway, those nitpicky criticisms aside, our overall evening was fantastic! Oh, and great daily specials (include $20 wine specials) and a great wine and cocktail list too! What really won us over though was seeing that they did a babysitting night (I think) every other Monday (which is why I checked the "good for kids"m box). Drop the kids off in the private dining room for 7 bucks and they get fed, watched and entertained while we dine in the next room. Brilliant!
(4)
Shamika O.
If you ever have a date night please go to Solstice. The lighting was dem and romantic with candle lights. The food was amazing, I ate the crisp pork shoulder and it was good. I also like how nice the waitress was being. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants the best food and a great date night!
(5)
Aric D.
Unique, original, local, upscale dining. If you are one to go weekly or the one who saves every 6 months for a wonderful experience out, great choice. Rotating menu as well as a standard, both are excellent. Great service and its always fun to dine at a location where someones' imagination has spilled over on to the food that is prepped.
(5)
Dan C.
We were in the area and was looking for a good place to eat and we found it!! The waiter Tyler was fantastic, he was very friendly and knowledgable about the menu. You have to get the Mac and cheese!! It is a must when dining here. The good was cooked perfectly and was delicious!! This was probably the best meal I have had in a long (except when my wife cooks of course). If you are ever in the Columbia area you have to go to this place!!
(5)
Allison H.
The evening started off on a bad note when the location proved difficult to find and the hostess I kept calling clueless to help. Our server Tyler, however, proved more than able and escorted us along a lovely, reasonably-priced, locally-sourced meal sensation. The whole mood bit the dust when I saw my bill did not reflect that I had asked to sub out somewhat-uninspired mashed potatoes for the squash and was then charged for them. So I essentially was cheated out of one of my sides.. not too pleased with that. The special bourbon (sent out for herbal treatment and brought back - amazing!) is worth it for any fan of bourbon. The duck, savory and succulent. The spinach tasted like FRESH spinach and a generous helpful of such. The scallops with corn cake and succotash was incredible.. and I don't even like seafood - the spicy lowcountry seasoning gave us a much-needed taste of South Carolina cuisine. I'm curious to go back and try more, and I might even have money left over to try one of their delicious-looking desserts! (let's be real, I'll have another bourbon).
(4)
Cynthia M.
I usually don't write reviews but this I had to this time. I made reservations to celebrate my friend's graduation. Party of 12. Upon arrival I was informed that I was not allowed to bring any type of items from the outside. I had fresh cut flowers. After speaking with the manager she finally approved it. The meal was good. However....When time to pay I received a $10 cake fee on my bill. I asked to speak to the manager again and she informed at the end of the night that any cake from the outside is a $10 fee. Say what???? I have dined at finest and never heard of such. I informed her that no one told me it was a $10 fee at the beginning as they store the cupcakes for me. Her response to me that it's on the menu!!! Wow.. Customer service the worst ever there. It was the fine print on the menu I am assuming. We are a group of professional women who dine throughout Columbia and I will do my best to spread the word about this experience. It was awful!
(1)
Oliver S.
Menu has changed and they are back to being great at their meals!!
(5)
Thomas V.
Overall this restaurant is not bad. I've only been here once and got the ribeye special. The vegetables were somewhat cold and the cut of steak was less than ideal, As was the preparation of the steak. The potatoes were plenty whipped and they let you know you were in the south (south = butter). Overall it wasn't a bad experience and it seems they definitely have the potential. I'm sure I'll give this place another chance one day. But their sister restaurant Cellar on Greene has been consistently a solid place I would recommend over Solstice.
(3)
Cathy H.
Having recently moved to Cola, been having trouble finding any good restaurants - especially if I don't feel like making a trip downtown. This place scores, as does its sister (brother?) restaurant Mr Friendly's. I would say I like Mr Friendly's a tad batter, but it is much further. Solstice is very relaxed, service is great and the food yummy. The times we have gone, they bring out a little something from the chef - nice touch. So - you guys - how about opening up a cousin restaurant over in Lake Carolina? :)
(5)
Swetha G.
To me the reason this place gets five instead of four stars comes down to their unbelievable mocha chocolate truffle, which my friend, gotta love her for her food expressions!, described it as "stole my soul," "pure euphoria," and "chocolate bliss." Thank you Ricky Mollohon for your heavenly chocolate creation! And the crazy part is, we got it for free! More on that later... As for the rest of our experience, we both had their three course price fix dinner which starts at $25 and got to enjoy an appetizer, entree and dessert. The favorites for me were their veggie parmesan and stuffed yellow squash entree (delicious!, and made with excellent and not messy, thin angel pasta) as well as their chilled melon soup (light complimentary pre-appetizer that is perfect during hot weather!). My friend liked all her dishes - short rib spring rolls app, and bronzed pork tenderloin entree, but she was over the moon when she took a bite of her pineapple passionfruit springrolls dessert. She loved it so much she actually, I kid you not!, cried with joy! It was a priceless moment and something I will always love Solstice for. I've never witnessed a person cry with happiness b/c of something they ate! That was a first for me and I have to say, it was pretty cool. Throughout ever step of our dining sanctuary, our server Shige, was on top of everything and just super awesome. He checked in with us the right number of times, not over bearing, and helped us understand the menu and what to order. For me, at the time we got our checks, I was happy with the place, but I wasn't feeling it was five stars, if you had to give it a grade, I was feeling a strong B+. And then something happened. My friend told me, after we both had paid, that it was her birthday. She is such a sweetheart and told me she didn't want to tell me beforehand because she didn't want me to feel obligated to pay for her dinner, she just wanted the company (meeting for dinner that night was her idea). She told me this and mentioned that she was very happy with the place (my pick) and that she had a great birthday. I was super happy that she had a great birthday and liked the place, but I felt terrible that I didn't do anything for her birthday. I excused myself as if I was going to the restroom and found Shige and told him that I just found out it was her birthday and was there anything they could do? Such as bring a cupcake with a candle or a slice of cake, or something. He didn't bat an eye and said he would take care of it. In minutes Shige came to our table with one of the most beautiful desserts I've ever seen, the mocha chocolate truffle (oh YEAH!), and a birthday wish to my friend. When I offered to pay for it, he said it was on the house (thank you Solstice!). Honestly we had no expectations on the taste, by that point we both were full and had already had dessert, but we still took bites nonetheless. And that's when we had as my friend perfectly described yet again, "rapturous joy around my tastebuds!" On my end, I heard hallelujah singing, felt my heartbeat go up, and most importantly got my first foodgasm for the night. And we did not have to pay a penny for it! So that's how I got to the five, and that's why I will be glad to go back to Solstice anytime.
(5)
Ginger J.
We chose this place to celebrate our anniversary. We were very pleased. We made reservations on line and were seated early. Our meals were fabulous and the service was spectacular. A very unique menu. Enjoyed a one of a kind place. We will visit again soon. Highly recommend!
(5)
M. P.
The food was OK, but definitely way overpriced. Certainly not Columbia's best or anywhere close. They overcharged by $20 (math "mistake"), but also did not charge for a dessert that was terrible and we couldn't eat. Worst part was the oysters or something caused food poisoning and a very unhappy 24 hours following our visit. Even assuming this does not happen to you, none of the food was exceptional. Waste of time and money - a LOT of money (figure $75 per person).
(2)
Emily E.
Loved the pulled pork bbq eggrolls. Bread was delicious as was my salmon entree. A+ service too. Try it!
(5)
Michelle S.
Overrated. However, I wish you could give an extra 1/2 star for the cocktails and wine list! They serve St. Germain cocktails, yum. They also have a house-made gingerale. Hello bourbon and ginger? You will probably be happy with your meal at Solstice, but I've had way better versions of the dishes, and at a better price. In fact, their sister restaurant, Mr. Friendly's seems to do a better job of the same fried green tomato dish. When we last went, the mussels were dirty/muddy tasting, not enough white wine and garlic, and the frites were kinda pathetic. They were too tiny for a proper broth dipping. I rather enjoyed my wedge salad, but again, I've had better? The buttermilk ranch dressing was good, but it almost tasted store-bought. It didn't compare to the fresh buttermilk dressing at Hunter Gatherer. Actually, the mussels didn't either! The desserts are redeeming, though. They have a krispy kreme bread pudding. wow. If we come back, it will be for the alcohol, appetizers and dessert. I found the entrees boring or lacking.
(3)
Kam O.
I love this place. The food and ambiance was wonderful. Very trendy with a taste of the South. I started with the Buffalo Pork Chops (not on the menu anymore). For the entree, I indulged in the Provencal Herb Seared Duck Breast; very tasty. And topped the meal off with the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding. And to weight my whistle, I had the Cable Car; and it was not a Sunday drive (lots of alcohol but tasty). The service was very good. This would be ideal spot for romantic date with that special someone. I would caution parents with small children; not the place for kids even though the restaurant tried to accommodate children. Had no trouble finding it, located in Northeast area of Columbia. Only negative, the seating was a little tight & I could clearly hear the conversation of the people next to me. I plan visit the Solstice Kitchen in the near future.
(4)
Aaron Z.
I was not a fan of the seating, I made reservations and had a terrible table. The food was unique but the chef had a salty palate, even for my taste buds. I will not return.
(2)
Mini K.
Very nice restaurant. I came to South Carolina from New York City for a business trip, and client suggested this restaurant. The food was southern, unique, and tasty. I especially liked the fired green tomatoes and the duck breast with BBQ sauce. The portion was good, and waiter was very nice and friendly. The atmosphere also was beautiful. It was quite enough to carry a good conversation. I would recommend this restaurant, and if I ever come back to South Carolina, I will come back here.
(5)
Mary L.
This is a very nice restaurant in the suburbs (just outside) of Columbia. For a wine bar, I thought the wine selection was short, but the prices were reasonable by the bottle. I had a slighly blah spinach salad, and then I had the Oysters on the half shell. Let me tell you about the oysters! They were VERY fresh and delicious. I also really enjoyed the cucumber topping that was paired with the traditional cocktail sauce. For an entree, I really enjoyed the bronzed jumbo sea scallops. They came in a seafood chowder, but that was very thin. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the Old Bay seasoning gave a great flavor. I really loved the taste. Our waiter seemed new and slightly nervous and he brought us out the wrong oysters at first (fried instead of on the half shell), but this was quickly remedied. Wait time was longer than quoted, but the food was very nice. Overall it was a nice dining experience.
(4)
Crystal C.
Upscale, great for a date night. We stupidly came in with a group of 5 on a Saturday evening not realizing reservations would have been a good idea (first-timer, didn't know what kind of place we'd stumbled on). The manager got us seated faster than I have seen with some places with reservations. The food was wonderful, the atmosphere was upscale but you never felt stiff or out of place. Everyone was very warm and attentive. Definitely a great spot for a food adventure.
(5)
Spencer S.
Best Food in Columbia, Period. I was surprised there weren't any reviews on Yelp yet of Solstice (I guess its pretty new). I recently tried it after hearing ads for it on the radio all the time, and boy am I glad I did. The location is out of the way for me downtown (it's up in the northeast of cola) but it well worth the drive. The food is very eclectic and the wine/bar list is superb (650+ wines!). The service was great and the ambiance was also. The food is where they really shined. In my party, no one had any complaints about any of their food. They have something for everyone; from the picky eaters (burgers) to the upscale connoisseurs (foie-gras). This is my new favorite restaurant in Columbia (better than my previous favorite, Motor Supply Company) and I suggest you check out their website for their specials (think they do 3 course meals at a set price on most nights).
(5)
Chris C.
Ok. Had the cheese tray, glass of cab, filet (better than Ruth Chris btw).., chocolate truffles, more wine, and coffee & baileys. Perfect. Highly recommend. Eat outside in the evening... 5 stars.
(5)
Sean A.
If there was a way to tag on a half star there would be one on this review. But here is the reason why: Food was great, Both the wife and I tried things outside our comfort zones and were pleasantly surprised. The duck was amazing in a cherry sauce and the scallops were great too. The portions are smaller, not a bad thing, equal with traditional Haute cuisine but that only means that with is set up as a higher standard dining experience, traditionally you have a drink and a appetizer then a soup or salad, main course then an aperitif along with a sweet dessert. Or a main course at the regular American national chain in size equivalent. The wait staff were helpful with suggestions but being a bit younger then the usual patron at this establishment I felt a heavily judging eye from our waiter. The decor was fair but the building didn't add to the overall environment. It was like fancy decorations hidden in a plain square box. But that isn't any of the reasons for the reduction of a half star. They like to appear a slightly higher class so they only take reservations. If you are thinking about going try the reservation button on yelp and hope it works, I haven't used it so I can't say it does or not. The other and major down fall is the restrooms. This is one of the most overlooked portions of most places and this one isn't only overlooked but shamefully hidden. There is no Mens/Womens but two unisex and the arrangement is counter intuitive. A full length mirror in from of the toilet seemed like a females nightmare and the doors opened outward allowing no room to wait for a open room, much like waiting in the isle in an airplane. But still, it could have been a little cleaner. Over all a good place to eat ( I'd take away two stars for the douchey self important pompous business class loud talking tacky dressing a-holes but that isn't their fault) Highly recommend... enjoy
(4)
Squirrel G.
I love this place! The atmosphere is awesome, its fine dining but many people wear jeans or are dressy and it does not matter. The couches are comfortable and the food is AMAZING! The chef is always coming up with new dishes that are surprising and delicious. The service is good if you have the money to come you should!:)
(5)
Caleb G.
This place is is suprisingly nice. The atmosphere is a little more upscale so i was thankful i went right after work and didn't have time to change into my usual t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops before going to dinner. They offer certain specials that change nightly, I know this because my coworkers and I were so impressed with the dinner on Thursday that we came back on Friday. For the type of restaurant, the price seems reasonable (take into consideration that I am from California). During weekday meals excluding Friday, you can add $2 to your entree and pair it with a salad/soup and dessert. The first night I got a bean soup, grilled S.C. sea bass with curry sauce, and peaches and cream spring roll, the price was around $27 w/o tax or tip. Friday night, I ordered pulled pork spring rolls (i tasted beef short ribs spring rolls the night before and they were better but our server told us that the price had nearly doubled on beef short ribs so the restaurant transitioned to pull pork. They should still offer the beef short ribs w/ a marked up price, because they were something to remember). For the entree I got fried chicken and mac&cheese, which was honestly the best fried chicken I have ever tasted (again, please take into account that I am from California). No dessert on Friday, but my meal was somewhere around $23 for the fried chicken and $9 for the pulled pork spring rolls.
(5)
Miriam A.
Modern, creative fare with a Southern twist. Introduced to Solstice by a couple of friends, the first time I went I just got a couple appetizers (like salad and sliders) and was disappointed. But wait, why 5 stars? Because I tried my friends' dishes and they were phenomenal! I've been back a couple times since, and everything has been a hit! I highly recommend the steak with your choice of 2 toppings and 1 side. The gouda and bacon penne mac-and-cheese is creamy wonderful, but you may need to be rolled home after choosing that. The autumn flavors were executed superbly this year! Certain weeknights have a 3 course meal for a fixed, affordable price and you can choose most items on the menu. The seafood, pork, steak, and seasonal items will keep you coming back. It's worth the drive from downtown.
(5)
David C.
***An apology to a Ricky M, who I suspect I know what you last name is... and Kaitlin. I had a copy and paste error on my review of Solstice, Cellar and Gervais & Vine. The star rating is the same but I cleaned up the mistakes I had mis-pasted. This is a place in Columbia like, Gervais & Vine and Cellar on the Green, that people seem to think is amazing and creative but in truth, they are just good for Columbia. I suspect none of these places would survive in Chicago, NY, LA or even Kansas City. The Good: The atmosphere is dead on, it;s like your funky eclectic friend got rich and did the interior design. The wine list is excellent, although I wold like to see more sparkling wine additions. The staff is super friendly and more than happy to share their opinions on the menu. The Bad: I find this place interesting for a handful of reasons. I believe the same people who own Cellar on the Green/Mr. Friendly's own this place. It is OBVIOUS that the chef is only interested in cooking half the items on this menu. For example, this place serves about the worst burger in the U.S. but I have had beef carpaccio that was amazing on the same night. The staff seems very committed to this place, which is rare but the food is just so so for the money. Sorry Ricky, that''s the way I see this place. However, I would be more than happy to take you up on an opportunity to prove me wrong about my lukewarm review of your place. Shoot me a few times next week, I am out of town this week, and I would be more than happy to have your kitchen prove me wrong... so long as there is an end to the name calling.
(3)
Epicurious E.
Solstice Kitchen is definitely one of the better high-end restaurants I've been to here in Columbia (as a side note, I would refrain from comparing the higher-end restaurants in Columbia to higher-end restaurants in cities like Atlanta, Charleston, and elsewhere - Columbia is a smaller city, and its higher-end restaurants are comparable in flavor/experience to middle tier restaurants in bigger cities); it specializes in dishes that I think are best described as modern, dressed-up Southern cuisine, with a touch of American Fusion cuisine here and there. The location is a bit out-of-the-way though, in Northeast Columbia off I-20, about 25 minutes from the center of downtown Columbia. Solstice Kitchen is run by the same owners as one of my favorite restaurants here in Columbia, Mr. Friendly's . The restaurant has a relaxed, warm atmosphere, and is a great date place, if you are looking for a private place with good food. My only criticism of this restaurant is that they need to vary their sauces more (see my blog for more info), but all in all, I enjoyed the good here very much! For more details, as well as photos of the restaurant and the great food here, you can visit my food blog, epicurious-eats.blogspot…
(4)
Ryan N.
I've been here twice. I thought the food was fantastic, the restaurant feels like a top tier gourmet spot, but price wise, I didn't think it was too bad. If you opt for the special 3 course menu (weekdays only) it is just $25 for a starter, entree and dessert. I love this option because of the variety. I had their New York strip off that menu that was fairly small but enough for me and absolutely superb. It had foie gras butter on it and something else, it was delicious. I would definitely be back if I lived nearby.
(5)
Paul B.
Best restaurant in Columbia by a long shot. Have traveled a great deal and this restaurant stacks up to any I've been to. Menu is inventive, service is top notch and food has met or exceeded expectations. When we have business or personal guests in town, this is where we go. You will not be disappointed.
(5)
Timothy M.
My wife and I ate dinner at Sostice on New Year's Eve, and everything about the experience was wonderful. When I made reservations, I was told that we got the last slot before 9 p.m., so when we arrived a little early, I was worried we might have to wait to get seated. No problem. We were seated right away. Our friendly waiter came and took our wine away to decant while we enjoyed some champagne. We each got a sample of a sweet potato bisque that was very good. For appetizers, we shared the fried calamari. We've had calamari at lots of restaurants across the country, and this was the best. Tender and flavorful, not tough or greasy. It also came with oregano-basil pesto and lump crab. Big plus! My wife got a mixed greens salad that she said was great, and I got a Caesar salad that was huge, delicious, and not very expensive. If you don't like the bite of anchovies, this is the salad for you. I ordered the filet mignon medium rare. It was perfectly cooked. I haven't had a steak in a couple of years, and I enjoyed every mouthful. It practically melted in my mouth. The steak came with garlic mashed potatoes and "portobello fries". Slices of mushroom breaded and fried. My wife said she could have made a meal out of them. I would go back just for those! My wife had sliced chicken breast served over pasta with lots of ingredients that she couldn't identify. Maybe she didn't have her reading glasses on. I tasted the chicken: moist and perfectly seasoned. For dessert, I had the caramel pecan fudge cake. Delicious! And it was only $7. Most restaurants in Solstice's league would have charged nine or ten. My wife ordered a glass or port, thinking she would get a small glass. Instead, the waiter brought out a wine glass that was about half full of port! I wasn't about to carry my wife out, so after about fifteen minutes of sipping, we got a "to-go" cup for the rest. The waiter was attentive, but just OK as a waiter. When the time comes to celebrate again, we'll be going back!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Average Music : Live Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Allison L.
Always great! Our favorite restaurant in the area. Food and service area always wonderful. Took it down one star because sometimes the portions are really small (or maybe I'm just a big eater but I like to see slightly larger portions of salmon in particular). No other restaurant around is as good as Solstice!
(4)TP M.
"A wonderful find that we stumbled upon!" A great local restaurant. We started off at the bar with appetizers and drinks then finished off the evening with dinner at a table. Friendly, kind, helpful staff. Enjoyed talking to the locals at the bar. Innovative and fresh menu. Food was fabulous and the drinks were great. Extensive wine list and lots of unique beer and liquor offerings.
(5)Mark P.
Stopped by while passing through based on other Yelp reviews. All three of us enjoyed our meals very much. I ordered Shrimp and Grits and found the contrast in flavors to be delicious. The ambiance was classy and the service was attentive yet unobtrusive. Would definitely go back if I'm ever in the area again.
(4)Brian D.
I had dinner at the bar tonight. The rib eye was delicious, and cooked perfectly. The dinner menu isn't very big, but what's on there sounds good. I was a bit disappointed in the wine list. The wines in the list weren't bad, but there isn't a lot of variety. If you are looking for a cab you will find something acceptable. If you're in the mood for a tempranillo, nebbiolo or grenache you will be out of luck. This restaurant has a lot of rules. There are signs on the wall telling you not to be late for your reservation, and that to-go orders are not accepted at certain times. The menu says "Please limit your substitutions", and then goes on at length to tell you what the charges are for substitutions, for splitting entrees (you may NOT split appetizers!), for parties of more than 6 and for bringing your own dessert. They all combined to give a less than friendly feel.
(4)Isaac S.
The food here is pretty good however they are not customer friendly as the manager would not allow us to sit in the section we want even if we wanted to wait. She was extremely lethargic and almost totally spaced out. She does not believe in the customer is always right. The host staff seems to follow her lead - as a result will not be returning!
(2)Harry P.
Since we're big fans of their sister restaurant (Mr. Friendly's in Five Points), our expectations were high. The four of us ordered from the Restaurant Week menu, and we sampled a wide array of items. I had Oysters Espana: nice idea, but the presentation was destroyed by the difficulty of separating the oysters from their shells. I wasn't really expecting them to be on the shells, but more "en croute". Wife's fried green tomatoes were undercooked to her, but I thought the taste was really great. Kids (teenaged, but discerning) had the tomato bisque and enjoyed them. Entrees: Mahi Mahi and flounder each got five stars for flavor and presentation. Son and I both ordered the fried chicken breast: breading was a little heavy and salty, but good flavor. I would have liked more tasso ham gravy. The Gruyere mac-and-cheese and green beans were top notch. So overall, the entrees were the highlight. Desserts were the bigger disappointment. The cheesecake and fudgecake were very good (hard to go wrong there). The artisan cheese plate - very small bits of cheese augmented by one little strawberry. Maybe I'm ignorant, but don't you need something else to set against the cheese to bring out the flavor? I had the Krispy Kreme bread pudding, a huge letdown. Not at all a bread pudding, more like run-over warn donuts in a souffle dish. Of course, hot Krispy Kremes taste great in any form, but there wasn't anything unexpected in this dessert. Just the flavor of flat, warm Krispy Kremes. Other factors: it was rather dark, music was somewhat annoying but not TOO loud - clearly going for a certain ambiance that would appeal to the "older with $$$ but want to feel younger" set. The pricing was in accord with that vibe. Thought the prix fixe cost was about $5 too high, and a $9 glass of wine that's 1/3 full was annoying. We had an enjoyable night out, but just felt let down by the unevenness of the food.
(2)Zach N.
The first impression walking in was very friendly and welcoming, we (my girlfriend and I) were asked if we had a reservation and I said no thinking we'd be turned away but their response was "ok no problem just give us a minute to clear something off". Once seated our server was very friendly and the service was speedy and attentive without the hovering feeling you get in some places. She ordered the filet mignon and I ordered the pork shoulder confit with an appetizer of fried green tomatoes with pimento and bacon garnish. The food was the kind of thing you think to yourself "man this is so good" with every bite.
(5)Ronda B.
8 restaurants into the year and we found 1 we will return..from the hostess to the bartender everyone was great. Just sitting at the bar you could not tell who owned the place because everyone took ownership. We started w the oysters. Loved them. I had the chicken w Mac and cheese best ever. Hubby had shrimp and grits he ate them so fast I barely got a taste. If you have not tried this restaurant this is one to put in your phone directory.
(5)Sid N.
Saturday night, spur of the moment, we sat in the bar area. Wife likes the girlie drinks and they had the watermelon splash with jalapeno. Lights out, she had two and loved it. Perfect for summer. Pork belly tacos give you savory with a touch of sweet and then the main dish. Hawaiian wahu described perfectly by a server and highly recommended and Pork steak with bacon mashed potatoes. A little comfort food and a little something you don't find everyday. Both home runs. Big comfortable booths in the bar area and a server who was spot on with wine rec's and dinner choices. Had the special butterscotch pudding/chocolate cake dessert that was excellent as well. By far our favorite place in Columbia (Terra is 1a). Highly recommended.
(5)Jessica A.
One of my absolute favorite places to eat in Columbia. The Gouda Mac & cheese is to die for. You also must have the Krispy Kreme bread pudding.
(5)Josh B.
After reading a number of reviews, I felt well prepared for what to expect here. I can happily say that none of worst things that I read happened to me. In fact, it was a pretty good experience. The only bad that I can report is that the food wasn't up to the quality level that I would expect of a really nice restaurant like this. With that said, I must say that I haven't even heard of another place in the area that is as good as this. This place holds great promise as the atmosphere and concept is excellent, but just not very polished on the delivery. One of the odd things that I heard during my dinner was that they ran out of one of their standard menu items, the scallops, at about 7:10p, which seemed very early to be running out of anything on the menu, much less a standard item. An unexpectedly popular special item, I could understand, but not a standard. I personally hate scallops and wasn't going to order them anyway, so it didn't really bother me other than to strike me as very odd. Their wine list was average for a very nice restaurant. A better than average offering of wines by the glass, but average variety overall and certainly no top shelf selections. I did find a decent Chilean Pinot Noir by the glass that was to my liking. As a business traveller that often eats alone, I appreciated more extensive than average by the glass options. I selected an appetizer and entree off their daily specials list, so they weren't something that appears on their regular menu. For an appetizer I had their interpretation of fried calamari. The calamari was not bad, decently tender, but just a tad on the chewy side. It was served with a medly of sauteed herbs and vegetables, including artichoke hearts, over a slightly over-astringent chunky tomato sauce. The preparation was slightly off on several levels, including the breading, which abandoned the calamari at the slightest touch, but it was better than average. The over astringency of the tomatoes combined with the natural bitterness of the artichoke hearts to bring out some licorice flavors in the pinot noir, which didn't thrill me. Certainly not a problem with their dish, but I'm not a fan of licorice or the overall bitterness of the dish. Also, the excessive accent flavors really detracted from the natural flavor of the calamari instead of enhancing it. Again, it wasn't bad, but I can't say it was amazing or even great. It was well presented and looked very appetizing, but had substantial room for improvment. For an entree, I ordered the roasted duck with a hash of andouille sausage, onions, and yams, and something else that I forgot. This dish was also well presented, and quite tastely, but still some technical flaws that detracted from the whole of the dish. The duck was brilliantly prepared with crispy skin and med. rare flesh that was nice and moist and resting on a pinot noir/merlot (if memory serves) reduction that had a pleasantly sweet and herbal accent. Now, the duck is a very strong flavor and fought with the equally strong flavor of the andouille sausage in the hash. The yams had a nice mellow and complimentary starchy sweetness to the overall profile, but something in the hash was very harshly salted and provided occasionaly bursts of hyper saltiness. Again, a much better than average dish, bordering on great, with some a few serious flaws in overall execution. For dessert I tried their home made chocolate truffles: champagne milk chocolate, mocha dark chocolate, and ammaretto milk chocolate. To accent them, I selected their best port wine, a '77 Quarles Harris, with wonderful cherry and chocolate notes. Absolutely no complaints here. It was a divine pairing. The truffles were perfectly blended to be not overly sweet and not overly bitter, and very satisfying to the most hard-core chocolate craving. Being by myself, I ate at the bar and the service was pleasant and friendly and I didn't find myself wanting anything for more than about 30 - 60 seconds once or twice only. The atmosphere and ambiance was very relaxing and some extremely pleasant jazz was playing throughout the evening to enhance the mood. All in all, a very good dining experience, and I wouldn't hessitate in going here again or heartily recommending Solstice to any of my best friends.
(4)Jennifer C.
I wish I could give this place 6 stars. I've been there 3 times now. My mom lives in Columbia and when I visit from Maryland it's at the top of my list of "go-to places". In my most recent experience, I had planned a dinner for 7 for my mom's birthday. I special requested the table in the back left hand corner of the restaurant and wanted TYLER as our waiter. I had balloons delivered from the florist next door to the restaurant. When I got there they had everything set up, balloons tied to the chairs too! Tyler is the most awesome waiter. He kept our drinks flowing and the food coming all night. I really appreciate how well he handles a demanding female crowd. I love the chicken fried steak and gouda mac & cheese. Amazing. Thanks for making our evening perfect, Soltice.
(5)Christa C.
We are so thankful to have such a wonderful restaurant just .5 miles from our new home! It definitely makes the suburbs more palatable, dining-wise. We've had several wonderful meals and look forward to many more. Standouts include the skirt steak and pomme frites, all desserts and the wine list and cocktail specials. We've had good luck with some fish specials/entrees too, but I'm blanking on what we loved most (bad yelper). Awesome bread and butter goodies too. I'm taking off a star for the service: it's been a little spotty. My main issue was just feeling too rushed! This despite saying really clearly upfront that we wanted a bit of space between courses...and the place was 1/2 empty so we weren't hogging a table or being ridiculously slow or anything. For $200 for dinner for two (bottle of wine, appetizers, 2 entrees and usually 2 desserts boxed to go), I just don't want to be done in an hour flat. But we love it and will be back soon!
(4)Aaron K.
I visit this area of Columbia every year or two and it used to be a dead zone if you were in search for a great restaurant. Once Solstice Kitchen gained some Yelp love I tried it a couple of years ago and loved it. No surprise the next time I came to Columbia 1.5 years later this was on my must visit list. It's easily the best restaurant in the area, but it's also a restaurant that would be great anywhere, not just here. The menu has choices for everyone, a lot of fresh local fish and some great meat choices as well. I've had different preparations of short ribs on the 2 visits I've been here and they are always fantastic. Fork tender and belly warming. A standout on our last visit was one of the fresh fish specials with an artichoke pesto. The pesto itself was delicious and a great complement to the fish. The fried oyster app is good and gives you tons of oysters for the price. All Dishes are generous in portion, and very high quality. Now I'm just counting down the days until I come back to Columbia (and Solstice).
(5)Jeremy C.
Really nice restaurant. It doesn't look like its going to be as good as it is from the outside either. They had $20 wine bottle specials going on that night too. We tried one of the bottles and it was decent, not great (and we tried it BEFORE the other more expensive bottle) but good. The food was great! We started off with BBQ pull pork spring rolls. perfect texture (Not as good as Lexington BBQ, but certainly well constructed as was the gnocchi bolognese! They also certainly know how to cook a steak, a perfect med rare. We also ordered the pork shank and it was surprisingly good, moist and great flavor. Definitely was a great night out when so far away from home. If you are in the Eastern Columbia, SC area this is a definite stop for you.
(4)Erin L.
Wonderful! Great atmosphere, wonderful food, excellent wine!! Portions are large, well worth the cost!
(5)Lisa C.
Sat, 815, Hubby and I had mahi, scallops, garden salad, bread, diet coke and hot tea. Salad and bread were delish! The entrees were very good. My hubby and I don't eat a lot, but cleared our plates, which means the portions are small compared to most places, but probably closer to what they "should" be. Atmosphere is nice, nothing special. Service was average. We emptied our drinks without an offer for another. Server brought our food to table when he knew we were outside smoking (he did tell us it was there), not much "teamwork" by the waitstaff, which is unfortunate but common. In sum, we weren't "wowed" and would probably go back...after we've sampled the many other spots we haven't tried.
(4)Edwin C.
Always a great choice for last minute late evening or a planned dinner date or even with clients. Food is excellent, drinks are great, service is always great. A very consistent experience. The chef isn't afraid to take chances, so try it all. Highly recommended.
(5)Mikayla M.
My boyfriend and I tried Solstice for the first time tonight and we loved it! We will definitely be returning. (And we're coming from 30 min away). Our server's name was Kyle B, and he was great at explaining the menu to us and suggestive selling. I had the flat iron, the boyfriend had the vegetarian meal of the day, and we shared the bananakopita. It was all amazing!
(5)L H.
I had 8:15 reservations...8:20 still waiting...8:25 still waiting. I'm thinking to myself what's the point in having a reservation if you will not be seated at the time of your reservation? 8:35 the hostess came over and apologized for out wait and sat us in the private dining area and I was pleased with that. Our waiter for the night was very attentive and nice. We placed our orders and it took a while for the food to come. However, we had a steady supply of fresh bread being brought over by our waiter while we waited for our entrée's. Due to the long wait time our waiter surprised us with a small complimentary dessert. I thought it was considerate of him because at that point I honestly was tired of eating bread and butter. Finally out entrées arrived and I must say it was worth the wait. The salmon, grits, and spinach I ordered was absolutely delicious. Every thing was cooked to perfection in my opinion. The food was perfect! - I cannot think of anything that I did not like about the food. This was my first time visiting this restaurant but I feel pretty confident that I will return.
(4)Linda K.
Food was delicious. Everything is fresh and cooked perfectly. Even their salad tastes like they were made with home grown veggies. The green vinaigrette dressing they made there was really good and unlike anything I have had before. Took one star off because their fries are too limpy/mushy, greasy and fried in old oil. Lunch prices are good but dinner prices are 2x higher. Recommend for lunch only.
(4)Candace B.
This restaurant is fairly new, but I definitely enjoyed dinner. The steak was cooked perfectly, so much so, that I ate it as slowly as possible to savor every little piece:)
(5)Dawn R.
This was our first visit to this restaurant and we were pleasantly surprised. It has been the best restaurant, by far, that I've visited in Columbia. The Wait staff were very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. This is always helpful to Patrons. The oysters were lightly battered and perfectly fried. I ordered the chicken breast and it was the most delightful first bit of food that that I've had in a long time. It was perfectly fried to perfection and maintained it moisture throughout. The downside of this order is that the gravy was extremely salty to the point of inedible. So I was unable to eat the entire piece of chicken. I do believe that without gravy this would have been the perfect meal. One of my friends had spinach that was also way too salty to eat. I brought this to the attention of the one of the people who attended to our table as she requested to remove the plates. The dessert menu was enticing but after the salty gravy I just wanted to drink a lot of water. Overall, this was a really nice restaurant with great ambiance. I would return but would not order anything with gravy, or spinach.
(4)Shane B.
Loved dinner by candlelight. I had the pork chops and my wife had the scallops. The menu is a bit pricey. Great selection of wine.
(4)Crystal T.
Funny how my review got deleted .. Any how., the food is def not up to par!!! Only thing I got that I liked was my salad.. The fried chicken was burnt.. Bojangles is way better.. My husband and I eat fine dining almost every night and this place let us down.. We are new to this area and was hoping for a good restaurant in the area..
(1)Tracey R.
Delicious! Chef and management at this place are top notch. Great place for date night! Try everything at least once! Still having dreams about the chocolate truffles and delicious deviled eggs. Wonderful wine and beer selecton as well.
(5)Magan C.
I decided to have a surprise party for my mother's 50th birthday here and it was absolute perfection. The staff more than accommodated the small touches to make my mother's night special and the food...man oh man the food was simply superb. Try the Macaroni and cheese, the duck (SO succulent), there was some sort of truffle corn chowder the chef brought out for us to sample that was also just ...biblically amazing. It is a little pricey, but worth every penny and is the perfect spot for a special evening out. I wish I could give it 6 stars!
(5)Ellisa V.
Definitely one of the top three meals out the hubby and I have had in recent months. The restaurant is definitely more ritzy (very well decorated and dimly lit, with candles on the tables during dinner service), but they had no problem serving people from all walks of life (some dressed up, some dressed down) while we were there. The service, presentation, and food were all top notch. My hubby had the ribeye off the weekend special menu and I had the salmon dinner. We shared a side of the mac and cheese as well. All of our food was excellent and the flavors worked so well together. Hubby isn't a huge fan of spinach, but he ended up eating all of his because he enjoyed the way it was cooked so much. We aren't very knowledgeable when it comes to wine, so our server was able to help us pick a wine that would work well with his steak. I tried the house made gingerale, and although it had a bit of a kick, it was definitely good.
(5)Cody B.
Great restaurant, really enjoyed the food and wine. We were looking for somewhere nice to eat and decided to check out Solstice Kitchen. I had the fried chicken breast and my fiance had the pork tenderloin. Both were very good. We would totally go back again
(5)Dick W.
One of the top restaurants in Columbia. Great food, wine, service. Neighborhood feel. Interesting menu which changes frequently. One of the best places in Columbia for new and interesting wines. Bartenders are pros and very knowledgable, friendly. Local, fresh, healthy food, cooked right. The fish is always very fresh and cooked simply and to perfection. It can be busy. Casual dress ok.
(5)Theron T.
Everything from the service to the last morsel of food was excellent. I would highly recommend to anyone for special evening out.
(5)Fabio C.
Food and service are first rate, brought few customers for business dinner all left with great comment about food, wine selection and especially desserts. The Krispy Cream Bread Pudding is an experience per se.
(4)EC F.
Given all of the great reviews here and elsewhere, I was beyond excited to try this place. Maybe my expectations were too high, but first I was bored and by the end of the meal I was deeply disappointed. Normally, I would just leave it at that and not write an unfavorable review, but given the almost unanimous adoration for this place, I thought it would be helpful to offer another view. First, the ambiance. My husband and I felt like we were in a cheesy hotel restaurant, everything was very corporate, boring and safe. The servers were fine. Not particularly knowledgeable, but nice and reasonably attentive. The real problem was the food. Oh, the food. Most of it was not just ho-hum, but downright unenjoyable. The pork belly tasted like nothing other than the oil it had been deep fried in and was paired with this sickly sweet sauce that didn't work with it at all. The bouillabaisse was really a fish stew with overcooked fish in a boring chunky tomato broth. It came with cheesy (and this time I mean cheesy as in cheese) toast that would be great at an olive garden, not so cool at an expensive "farm to table" joint like this. The fried chicken was good. The drinks were good. But so good that I would recommend the place to, well, anyone? Sorry.
(2)lee m.
Great restaurant. I took my parents here for their 50th wedding anniversary and they were very accomodating. The gave us great service, dealt with my parents who are hard of hearing, gave our table a nice appetizer and glasses of champagne on the house. The service, food and hospitality were very good. The ribeye steak was good.
(4)Jeff C.
My wife and I just recently moved to Cola and were looking for a last minute place to celebrate our anniversary. I found this place on Yelp and we rolled the dice based on the mostly good reviews. Lucky for us, we couldn't have had a better anniversary experience! From the ambiance (classy but comfortable, low lighting, nice background music) to the service (attentive, genuine, friendly but not over-bearing) to the food (sort of a southern twist on classic American food ala people like Tom Colicchio). Emphasis on using local fresh ingredients and keeping it simple and not too complicated resulted in some amazing flavors. I had the hanger steak with fois gras butter while my wife had fried chicken with gruyre and bacon mac n' cheese. Mmmm . . . hard to decide which dish was better but my wife's probably won out. I will agree with one of the more slightly negative reviews that the skinny frites are a bit hard to pick up and dip in the handmade ketchup. I used a fork which sort of made that easier. If I were to criticize anything else it would be that in both our cases the greens that were served (spinach on mine and green beans on hers) really paled in comparison to everything else on the plate. Nothing wrong with them, but when everything else shines so brightly it might almost work better to leave them off than to just put out something that is so obviously on a lower level of flavor. The dessert list too left us wanting more. Why such an emphasis on white chocolate? Anyway, those nitpicky criticisms aside, our overall evening was fantastic! Oh, and great daily specials (include $20 wine specials) and a great wine and cocktail list too! What really won us over though was seeing that they did a babysitting night (I think) every other Monday (which is why I checked the "good for kids"m box). Drop the kids off in the private dining room for 7 bucks and they get fed, watched and entertained while we dine in the next room. Brilliant!
(4)Shamika O.
If you ever have a date night please go to Solstice. The lighting was dem and romantic with candle lights. The food was amazing, I ate the crisp pork shoulder and it was good. I also like how nice the waitress was being. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants the best food and a great date night!
(5)Aric D.
Unique, original, local, upscale dining. If you are one to go weekly or the one who saves every 6 months for a wonderful experience out, great choice. Rotating menu as well as a standard, both are excellent. Great service and its always fun to dine at a location where someones' imagination has spilled over on to the food that is prepped.
(5)Dan C.
We were in the area and was looking for a good place to eat and we found it!! The waiter Tyler was fantastic, he was very friendly and knowledgable about the menu. You have to get the Mac and cheese!! It is a must when dining here. The good was cooked perfectly and was delicious!! This was probably the best meal I have had in a long (except when my wife cooks of course). If you are ever in the Columbia area you have to go to this place!!
(5)Allison H.
The evening started off on a bad note when the location proved difficult to find and the hostess I kept calling clueless to help. Our server Tyler, however, proved more than able and escorted us along a lovely, reasonably-priced, locally-sourced meal sensation. The whole mood bit the dust when I saw my bill did not reflect that I had asked to sub out somewhat-uninspired mashed potatoes for the squash and was then charged for them. So I essentially was cheated out of one of my sides.. not too pleased with that. The special bourbon (sent out for herbal treatment and brought back - amazing!) is worth it for any fan of bourbon. The duck, savory and succulent. The spinach tasted like FRESH spinach and a generous helpful of such. The scallops with corn cake and succotash was incredible.. and I don't even like seafood - the spicy lowcountry seasoning gave us a much-needed taste of South Carolina cuisine. I'm curious to go back and try more, and I might even have money left over to try one of their delicious-looking desserts! (let's be real, I'll have another bourbon).
(4)Cynthia M.
I usually don't write reviews but this I had to this time. I made reservations to celebrate my friend's graduation. Party of 12. Upon arrival I was informed that I was not allowed to bring any type of items from the outside. I had fresh cut flowers. After speaking with the manager she finally approved it. The meal was good. However....When time to pay I received a $10 cake fee on my bill. I asked to speak to the manager again and she informed at the end of the night that any cake from the outside is a $10 fee. Say what???? I have dined at finest and never heard of such. I informed her that no one told me it was a $10 fee at the beginning as they store the cupcakes for me. Her response to me that it's on the menu!!! Wow.. Customer service the worst ever there. It was the fine print on the menu I am assuming. We are a group of professional women who dine throughout Columbia and I will do my best to spread the word about this experience. It was awful!
(1)Oliver S.
Menu has changed and they are back to being great at their meals!!
(5)Thomas V.
Overall this restaurant is not bad. I've only been here once and got the ribeye special. The vegetables were somewhat cold and the cut of steak was less than ideal, As was the preparation of the steak. The potatoes were plenty whipped and they let you know you were in the south (south = butter). Overall it wasn't a bad experience and it seems they definitely have the potential. I'm sure I'll give this place another chance one day. But their sister restaurant Cellar on Greene has been consistently a solid place I would recommend over Solstice.
(3)Cathy H.
Having recently moved to Cola, been having trouble finding any good restaurants - especially if I don't feel like making a trip downtown. This place scores, as does its sister (brother?) restaurant Mr Friendly's. I would say I like Mr Friendly's a tad batter, but it is much further. Solstice is very relaxed, service is great and the food yummy. The times we have gone, they bring out a little something from the chef - nice touch. So - you guys - how about opening up a cousin restaurant over in Lake Carolina? :)
(5)Swetha G.
To me the reason this place gets five instead of four stars comes down to their unbelievable mocha chocolate truffle, which my friend, gotta love her for her food expressions!, described it as "stole my soul," "pure euphoria," and "chocolate bliss." Thank you Ricky Mollohon for your heavenly chocolate creation! And the crazy part is, we got it for free! More on that later... As for the rest of our experience, we both had their three course price fix dinner which starts at $25 and got to enjoy an appetizer, entree and dessert. The favorites for me were their veggie parmesan and stuffed yellow squash entree (delicious!, and made with excellent and not messy, thin angel pasta) as well as their chilled melon soup (light complimentary pre-appetizer that is perfect during hot weather!). My friend liked all her dishes - short rib spring rolls app, and bronzed pork tenderloin entree, but she was over the moon when she took a bite of her pineapple passionfruit springrolls dessert. She loved it so much she actually, I kid you not!, cried with joy! It was a priceless moment and something I will always love Solstice for. I've never witnessed a person cry with happiness b/c of something they ate! That was a first for me and I have to say, it was pretty cool. Throughout ever step of our dining sanctuary, our server Shige, was on top of everything and just super awesome. He checked in with us the right number of times, not over bearing, and helped us understand the menu and what to order. For me, at the time we got our checks, I was happy with the place, but I wasn't feeling it was five stars, if you had to give it a grade, I was feeling a strong B+. And then something happened. My friend told me, after we both had paid, that it was her birthday. She is such a sweetheart and told me she didn't want to tell me beforehand because she didn't want me to feel obligated to pay for her dinner, she just wanted the company (meeting for dinner that night was her idea). She told me this and mentioned that she was very happy with the place (my pick) and that she had a great birthday. I was super happy that she had a great birthday and liked the place, but I felt terrible that I didn't do anything for her birthday. I excused myself as if I was going to the restroom and found Shige and told him that I just found out it was her birthday and was there anything they could do? Such as bring a cupcake with a candle or a slice of cake, or something. He didn't bat an eye and said he would take care of it. In minutes Shige came to our table with one of the most beautiful desserts I've ever seen, the mocha chocolate truffle (oh YEAH!), and a birthday wish to my friend. When I offered to pay for it, he said it was on the house (thank you Solstice!). Honestly we had no expectations on the taste, by that point we both were full and had already had dessert, but we still took bites nonetheless. And that's when we had as my friend perfectly described yet again, "rapturous joy around my tastebuds!" On my end, I heard hallelujah singing, felt my heartbeat go up, and most importantly got my first foodgasm for the night. And we did not have to pay a penny for it! So that's how I got to the five, and that's why I will be glad to go back to Solstice anytime.
(5)Ginger J.
We chose this place to celebrate our anniversary. We were very pleased. We made reservations on line and were seated early. Our meals were fabulous and the service was spectacular. A very unique menu. Enjoyed a one of a kind place. We will visit again soon. Highly recommend!
(5)M. P.
The food was OK, but definitely way overpriced. Certainly not Columbia's best or anywhere close. They overcharged by $20 (math "mistake"), but also did not charge for a dessert that was terrible and we couldn't eat. Worst part was the oysters or something caused food poisoning and a very unhappy 24 hours following our visit. Even assuming this does not happen to you, none of the food was exceptional. Waste of time and money - a LOT of money (figure $75 per person).
(2)Emily E.
Loved the pulled pork bbq eggrolls. Bread was delicious as was my salmon entree. A+ service too. Try it!
(5)Michelle S.
Overrated. However, I wish you could give an extra 1/2 star for the cocktails and wine list! They serve St. Germain cocktails, yum. They also have a house-made gingerale. Hello bourbon and ginger? You will probably be happy with your meal at Solstice, but I've had way better versions of the dishes, and at a better price. In fact, their sister restaurant, Mr. Friendly's seems to do a better job of the same fried green tomato dish. When we last went, the mussels were dirty/muddy tasting, not enough white wine and garlic, and the frites were kinda pathetic. They were too tiny for a proper broth dipping. I rather enjoyed my wedge salad, but again, I've had better? The buttermilk ranch dressing was good, but it almost tasted store-bought. It didn't compare to the fresh buttermilk dressing at Hunter Gatherer. Actually, the mussels didn't either! The desserts are redeeming, though. They have a krispy kreme bread pudding. wow. If we come back, it will be for the alcohol, appetizers and dessert. I found the entrees boring or lacking.
(3)Kam O.
I love this place. The food and ambiance was wonderful. Very trendy with a taste of the South. I started with the Buffalo Pork Chops (not on the menu anymore). For the entree, I indulged in the Provencal Herb Seared Duck Breast; very tasty. And topped the meal off with the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding. And to weight my whistle, I had the Cable Car; and it was not a Sunday drive (lots of alcohol but tasty). The service was very good. This would be ideal spot for romantic date with that special someone. I would caution parents with small children; not the place for kids even though the restaurant tried to accommodate children. Had no trouble finding it, located in Northeast area of Columbia. Only negative, the seating was a little tight & I could clearly hear the conversation of the people next to me. I plan visit the Solstice Kitchen in the near future.
(4)Aaron Z.
I was not a fan of the seating, I made reservations and had a terrible table. The food was unique but the chef had a salty palate, even for my taste buds. I will not return.
(2)Mini K.
Very nice restaurant. I came to South Carolina from New York City for a business trip, and client suggested this restaurant. The food was southern, unique, and tasty. I especially liked the fired green tomatoes and the duck breast with BBQ sauce. The portion was good, and waiter was very nice and friendly. The atmosphere also was beautiful. It was quite enough to carry a good conversation. I would recommend this restaurant, and if I ever come back to South Carolina, I will come back here.
(5)Mary L.
This is a very nice restaurant in the suburbs (just outside) of Columbia. For a wine bar, I thought the wine selection was short, but the prices were reasonable by the bottle. I had a slighly blah spinach salad, and then I had the Oysters on the half shell. Let me tell you about the oysters! They were VERY fresh and delicious. I also really enjoyed the cucumber topping that was paired with the traditional cocktail sauce. For an entree, I really enjoyed the bronzed jumbo sea scallops. They came in a seafood chowder, but that was very thin. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the Old Bay seasoning gave a great flavor. I really loved the taste. Our waiter seemed new and slightly nervous and he brought us out the wrong oysters at first (fried instead of on the half shell), but this was quickly remedied. Wait time was longer than quoted, but the food was very nice. Overall it was a nice dining experience.
(4)Crystal C.
Upscale, great for a date night. We stupidly came in with a group of 5 on a Saturday evening not realizing reservations would have been a good idea (first-timer, didn't know what kind of place we'd stumbled on). The manager got us seated faster than I have seen with some places with reservations. The food was wonderful, the atmosphere was upscale but you never felt stiff or out of place. Everyone was very warm and attentive. Definitely a great spot for a food adventure.
(5)Spencer S.
Best Food in Columbia, Period. I was surprised there weren't any reviews on Yelp yet of Solstice (I guess its pretty new). I recently tried it after hearing ads for it on the radio all the time, and boy am I glad I did. The location is out of the way for me downtown (it's up in the northeast of cola) but it well worth the drive. The food is very eclectic and the wine/bar list is superb (650+ wines!). The service was great and the ambiance was also. The food is where they really shined. In my party, no one had any complaints about any of their food. They have something for everyone; from the picky eaters (burgers) to the upscale connoisseurs (foie-gras). This is my new favorite restaurant in Columbia (better than my previous favorite, Motor Supply Company) and I suggest you check out their website for their specials (think they do 3 course meals at a set price on most nights).
(5)Chris C.
Ok. Had the cheese tray, glass of cab, filet (better than Ruth Chris btw).., chocolate truffles, more wine, and coffee & baileys. Perfect. Highly recommend. Eat outside in the evening... 5 stars.
(5)Sean A.
If there was a way to tag on a half star there would be one on this review. But here is the reason why: Food was great, Both the wife and I tried things outside our comfort zones and were pleasantly surprised. The duck was amazing in a cherry sauce and the scallops were great too. The portions are smaller, not a bad thing, equal with traditional Haute cuisine but that only means that with is set up as a higher standard dining experience, traditionally you have a drink and a appetizer then a soup or salad, main course then an aperitif along with a sweet dessert. Or a main course at the regular American national chain in size equivalent. The wait staff were helpful with suggestions but being a bit younger then the usual patron at this establishment I felt a heavily judging eye from our waiter. The decor was fair but the building didn't add to the overall environment. It was like fancy decorations hidden in a plain square box. But that isn't any of the reasons for the reduction of a half star. They like to appear a slightly higher class so they only take reservations. If you are thinking about going try the reservation button on yelp and hope it works, I haven't used it so I can't say it does or not. The other and major down fall is the restrooms. This is one of the most overlooked portions of most places and this one isn't only overlooked but shamefully hidden. There is no Mens/Womens but two unisex and the arrangement is counter intuitive. A full length mirror in from of the toilet seemed like a females nightmare and the doors opened outward allowing no room to wait for a open room, much like waiting in the isle in an airplane. But still, it could have been a little cleaner. Over all a good place to eat ( I'd take away two stars for the douchey self important pompous business class loud talking tacky dressing a-holes but that isn't their fault) Highly recommend... enjoy
(4)Squirrel G.
I love this place! The atmosphere is awesome, its fine dining but many people wear jeans or are dressy and it does not matter. The couches are comfortable and the food is AMAZING! The chef is always coming up with new dishes that are surprising and delicious. The service is good if you have the money to come you should!:)
(5)Caleb G.
This place is is suprisingly nice. The atmosphere is a little more upscale so i was thankful i went right after work and didn't have time to change into my usual t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops before going to dinner. They offer certain specials that change nightly, I know this because my coworkers and I were so impressed with the dinner on Thursday that we came back on Friday. For the type of restaurant, the price seems reasonable (take into consideration that I am from California). During weekday meals excluding Friday, you can add $2 to your entree and pair it with a salad/soup and dessert. The first night I got a bean soup, grilled S.C. sea bass with curry sauce, and peaches and cream spring roll, the price was around $27 w/o tax or tip. Friday night, I ordered pulled pork spring rolls (i tasted beef short ribs spring rolls the night before and they were better but our server told us that the price had nearly doubled on beef short ribs so the restaurant transitioned to pull pork. They should still offer the beef short ribs w/ a marked up price, because they were something to remember). For the entree I got fried chicken and mac&cheese, which was honestly the best fried chicken I have ever tasted (again, please take into account that I am from California). No dessert on Friday, but my meal was somewhere around $23 for the fried chicken and $9 for the pulled pork spring rolls.
(5)Miriam A.
Modern, creative fare with a Southern twist. Introduced to Solstice by a couple of friends, the first time I went I just got a couple appetizers (like salad and sliders) and was disappointed. But wait, why 5 stars? Because I tried my friends' dishes and they were phenomenal! I've been back a couple times since, and everything has been a hit! I highly recommend the steak with your choice of 2 toppings and 1 side. The gouda and bacon penne mac-and-cheese is creamy wonderful, but you may need to be rolled home after choosing that. The autumn flavors were executed superbly this year! Certain weeknights have a 3 course meal for a fixed, affordable price and you can choose most items on the menu. The seafood, pork, steak, and seasonal items will keep you coming back. It's worth the drive from downtown.
(5)David C.
***An apology to a Ricky M, who I suspect I know what you last name is... and Kaitlin. I had a copy and paste error on my review of Solstice, Cellar and Gervais & Vine. The star rating is the same but I cleaned up the mistakes I had mis-pasted. This is a place in Columbia like, Gervais & Vine and Cellar on the Green, that people seem to think is amazing and creative but in truth, they are just good for Columbia. I suspect none of these places would survive in Chicago, NY, LA or even Kansas City. The Good: The atmosphere is dead on, it;s like your funky eclectic friend got rich and did the interior design. The wine list is excellent, although I wold like to see more sparkling wine additions. The staff is super friendly and more than happy to share their opinions on the menu. The Bad: I find this place interesting for a handful of reasons. I believe the same people who own Cellar on the Green/Mr. Friendly's own this place. It is OBVIOUS that the chef is only interested in cooking half the items on this menu. For example, this place serves about the worst burger in the U.S. but I have had beef carpaccio that was amazing on the same night. The staff seems very committed to this place, which is rare but the food is just so so for the money. Sorry Ricky, that''s the way I see this place. However, I would be more than happy to take you up on an opportunity to prove me wrong about my lukewarm review of your place. Shoot me a few times next week, I am out of town this week, and I would be more than happy to have your kitchen prove me wrong... so long as there is an end to the name calling.
(3)Epicurious E.
Solstice Kitchen is definitely one of the better high-end restaurants I've been to here in Columbia (as a side note, I would refrain from comparing the higher-end restaurants in Columbia to higher-end restaurants in cities like Atlanta, Charleston, and elsewhere - Columbia is a smaller city, and its higher-end restaurants are comparable in flavor/experience to middle tier restaurants in bigger cities); it specializes in dishes that I think are best described as modern, dressed-up Southern cuisine, with a touch of American Fusion cuisine here and there. The location is a bit out-of-the-way though, in Northeast Columbia off I-20, about 25 minutes from the center of downtown Columbia. Solstice Kitchen is run by the same owners as one of my favorite restaurants here in Columbia, Mr. Friendly's . The restaurant has a relaxed, warm atmosphere, and is a great date place, if you are looking for a private place with good food. My only criticism of this restaurant is that they need to vary their sauces more (see my blog for more info), but all in all, I enjoyed the good here very much! For more details, as well as photos of the restaurant and the great food here, you can visit my food blog, epicurious-eats.blogspot…
(4)Ryan N.
I've been here twice. I thought the food was fantastic, the restaurant feels like a top tier gourmet spot, but price wise, I didn't think it was too bad. If you opt for the special 3 course menu (weekdays only) it is just $25 for a starter, entree and dessert. I love this option because of the variety. I had their New York strip off that menu that was fairly small but enough for me and absolutely superb. It had foie gras butter on it and something else, it was delicious. I would definitely be back if I lived nearby.
(5)Paul B.
Best restaurant in Columbia by a long shot. Have traveled a great deal and this restaurant stacks up to any I've been to. Menu is inventive, service is top notch and food has met or exceeded expectations. When we have business or personal guests in town, this is where we go. You will not be disappointed.
(5)Timothy M.
My wife and I ate dinner at Sostice on New Year's Eve, and everything about the experience was wonderful. When I made reservations, I was told that we got the last slot before 9 p.m., so when we arrived a little early, I was worried we might have to wait to get seated. No problem. We were seated right away. Our friendly waiter came and took our wine away to decant while we enjoyed some champagne. We each got a sample of a sweet potato bisque that was very good. For appetizers, we shared the fried calamari. We've had calamari at lots of restaurants across the country, and this was the best. Tender and flavorful, not tough or greasy. It also came with oregano-basil pesto and lump crab. Big plus! My wife got a mixed greens salad that she said was great, and I got a Caesar salad that was huge, delicious, and not very expensive. If you don't like the bite of anchovies, this is the salad for you. I ordered the filet mignon medium rare. It was perfectly cooked. I haven't had a steak in a couple of years, and I enjoyed every mouthful. It practically melted in my mouth. The steak came with garlic mashed potatoes and "portobello fries". Slices of mushroom breaded and fried. My wife said she could have made a meal out of them. I would go back just for those! My wife had sliced chicken breast served over pasta with lots of ingredients that she couldn't identify. Maybe she didn't have her reading glasses on. I tasted the chicken: moist and perfectly seasoned. For dessert, I had the caramel pecan fudge cake. Delicious! And it was only $7. Most restaurants in Solstice's league would have charged nine or ten. My wife ordered a glass or port, thinking she would get a small glass. Instead, the waiter brought out a wine glass that was about half full of port! I wasn't about to carry my wife out, so after about fifteen minutes of sipping, we got a "to-go" cup for the rest. The waiter was attentive, but just OK as a waiter. When the time comes to celebrate again, we'll be going back!
(5)