The new Solé Rooftop Cantina and Tequila Bar in Estes Park, which opened May 14, raises the bar for dining with a view.
Whether seated on the shaded third-floor rooftop on a sunny afternoon, gathered around a firepit after sunset, or relaxing in the elegant second-floor lounge, diners are surrounded by sweeping views and carefully crafted design.
On a recent evening, a party of three visiting from Indianapolis and Detroit arrived after a day of hiking and settled in for dinner overlooking Bond Park, downtown Estes Park, and snow-capped peaks on the horizon.
“It was worth climbing the stairs for this,” said one diner, who ordered the elk burger with shoestring fries ($19) and praised the Solé mango margarita ($15).
Some additional evening specials will soon be part of the daily menu: brisket mac and cheese ($23), with brisket braised for 8 hours; almond-crusted sole ($20); and 6 wings rubbed with a signature seasoning, served with cilantro ranch ($10).
As the sun dipped behind the mountains, two guests gathered around a rooftop fire pit and described their evening at Solé as “pretty wonderful.”
The rooftop setting requires a climb, but diners with mobility limitations can arrange elevator access by calling ahead and meeting a staff member at the rear entrance.
Owners Vladan Boskovic and Una Samardzic Boskovic reimagined the former La Cabaña restaurant at 165 Virginia Dr., expanding and renovating the property before recruiting Michelin-trained chef Vaade Thomas to craft Solé’s menu. Thomas, now based in Vail, remains involved as a consultant as the restaurant continues to refine its offerings.
Boskovic is no stranger to the Estes Park dining scene. He owned the Wild Rose from 2021 to 2025. He revamped the menu, refreshed the décor, and elevated the service before it closed last year following the expiration of its lease.
The entrance to Solé, located on the second floor of the three-story Courtyard Shops and Flats building, opens into an elegant dining room featuring soft lighting, crisp white furnishings, exposed timber beams, and a sleek bar accented with colorful illumination.
Another flight of stairs leads to the third floor and a bright, enclosed rooftop dining room framed by floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping 180-degree mountain views. Outside, the expansive rooftop patio offers comfortable seating, fire pits, and a striking granite-topped bar seating 20, scheduled to open later this month.
The setting may draw diners in, but the food makes a compelling case for a return visit. I enjoyed the guacamole served with deep-fried tostadas instead of chips and two of the six à la carte tacos: the delicious Solé chicken taco with chipotle adobo sauce and the melt-in-your-mouth brisket taco ($4 and $6 respectively).
Other diners I interviewed during my visit were impressed with the steak torta with shoestring fries ($18), the spinach/cheese empañada ($16), the mushroom taco ($6), the shrimp aguachile ($17), and the corn chowder ($8). Diners I interviewed had nothing but compliments for every dish.
The menu also includes other burgers, salads, chicken sandwiches, “small plates,” sides, and four desserts.
Gelato, sorbet, churros, and tres leches cake are priced at $8-$10. One visitor from Detroit described the cake as “to die for.”
According to guests, prices were reasonable, and portions were generous.
One diner from Denver complimented the menu’s variety of vegetarian dishes and praised the service as great.
Watching three beautiful cocktails float by our table on a tray inspired me to check out the cocktail/mocktail menu, which lists five different margaritas – avocado, creamy lemon, prickly pear, lavender, and the signature Solé.
A slushy ice machine makes frozen mango and strawberry margaritas as well as piña coladas. These are generally $15 each and $10 for non-alcoholic versions.
There are 10 other creative cocktails for $18 or less, including a Mezcal Old Fashioned, an espresso martini, and the “F-Train to Brooklyn,” a favorite cocktail from Boskovic’s Wild Rose days with bourbon, rye, smoked rosemary, cherry Luxardo, and Angostura bitters.
The tequila menu includes over 50 tequilas and justifies the restaurant’s title as “Tequila Bar.” Samardzic explained that they buy premium tequilas but discount them to keep drinks reasonably priced.
The Estes Park Brewery makes a signature draft beer here, the Solé Mexican Lager, which a Nebraska visitor described as “the best.”
I was impressed with the service when one of the owners came to our table to answer questions we had asked our waiter about gluten-free dishes.
Unaware of my role as a reporter assessing their business, the waiter and owner just wanted to give complete information about the restaurant’s protocols for gluten-free food preparation.
The competent wait staff consists of about a dozen students with J-1 Exchange Visitor visas from Turkey, Montenegro, Jamaica, Romania, and Serbia.
Both owners first came to Estes Park through the J-1 visa program — Boskovic from Serbia 10 years ago and Samardzic from Montenegro three years ago.
Boskovic decided to make his life in Estes because, he said, “You can have your own peace here.” The two married last July and together transformed this space.
Samardzic had never worked when she started as a hostess in the former La Cabaña, but had studied architecture and interior design, so she saw the potential of the restaurant and helped execute the metamorphosis in the same space, now as co-owner.
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