Sola Cafe Bar Restaurant

Sola Cafe Bar Restaurant is a cafe by day that morphs into a Bhutanese restaurant (Brisbane's first!) and bar by night, located in Paddington Central Shopping Centre.

The convivial restaurant and bar, which is run by a Bhutanese family, is open from Friday to Sunday nights, and offers an abundance of pavilion garden style seating outdoors or inside the cosy room next to the bar. 

On the menu you'll find traditional Bhutanese dishes which are unlike anything on offer in Brisbane, as well as fusion dishes with a Bhutanese or international flavour.

Recommended to start with are the delicious momo (dumplings) which are handmade in-house, with fillings of beef or cheese mixed with onion, garlic and ginger and served with traditional Bhutanese dipping sauce. Can't decide? Then get a mixed plate or platter.

Bhutanese mains are all served with rice. house made salad (hogay) and lentil soup (dal) and include Bhutanese national dish Ema Datsi Rice (spicy vege stew with tomato, onion, garlic, cheese and red and green chilli); Shakam Datsi Rice (chopped beef jerky in cheesy gravy with chilli, onion & garlic); and Sikkam Paa Rice (thinky sliced pork belly cooked with dried red chilli, onion, tomatoes and sesonal veges).

Bhutanese fusion dishes include Chow Mein (wok tossed noodles with greens, carrots, peas, onions, chilli and seasonings and soy sauce) or Fried Rice (wok-tossed rice mixed with fresh greens, carrots, peas, chilli and soy sauce). Both come with the option to add in mixed veges, egg, chicken, beef or pork.

Otherwise international fusion dishes include a Chef's International Stir Fry, Chicken Adobo or Spicy Barramundi with seasonal veggies, garlic, tomato and capsicum. And for dessert there's brownie, tiramisu, carrot cake or banana bread from the cafe.

Inside, as well as the dining space there's a colourful neon lit bar where customers can sit and enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail (with all the classics on the list), whisky, glass of wine or beer and watch Bhutanese videos. Mocktails and other non-alcoholic drinks are avialble, ranging from soft drinks and milk shakes to iced matcha or chai, juice, tea or coffee.

Good to know - Sola has a kids menu offering cheeseburger, chicken nuggets or crumbed fish, served with fries. Pooches are welcome to join their owners in the outdoor undercover dining area.

Need to know - There is free secure parking available downstairs for Paddington Central customers.

The menu may have changed since our visit.

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