FOOD AND MUSIC WITH A LIQUID CONNECTION: WINE
THIS CONCEPT, WITH AN AUTHENTIC TAVERN ATMOSPHERE AND ITS OWN UNIQUE IDENTITY, IS LOCATED NEXT TO THE CASA SOLLA RESTAURANT
Some places not only stand the test of time; they embrace it, reinterpret it, transform it. Casa Solla is one of them. With almost 64 years of history behind it, this family restaurant has been, generation after generation. A key driver in the development of Galician cuisine; as the house evolved, so did the advancement of gastronomy in its region. For more than two decades, Pepe has been at the helm of the project, keeping the legacy alive while challenging it. Constantly reinventing himself, he remains faithful to one idea that he never abandons: constantly striving for the best version of himself.
That curiosity, that desire to explore without losing his soul, is what has led to his latest project: La Taberna, a new concept that shares a same location but not the same space as the restaurant and has its identity.
According to Pepe, “I had been thinking for some time about giving this space, which used to be a living room, a new life, especially as it has a lareira (Galician word for fireplace). In Galicia, the fireplace was much more than just a cooking tool. It was the heart of the home. Everything happened there, around the fire: cooking, heating the house, chatting, sharing. The fireplace not only provided food with its embers but also forged bonds and built memories. And it was exactly through those memories that the idea for La Taberna was born. I said to myself, why not go back and live in that place where it all began? One day, while working on the concept, it became clear to us: in houses with fireplaces, everything happens around them. That central warmth, that slow cooking, made sense. But we knew that it wasn’t enough to just light the fire: we had to give it a new life”.
For Pepe, “it wasn’t just about creating another menu or changing the price. I wanted to develop a different concept. A cuisine with its identity, that breathes to the rhythm of the embers, without artifice, without breaking with what happens in the gastronomic restaurant, but with the freedom to have its idiosyncrasies. That’s how the idea of setting up a small kitchen next to the fireplace came about. To be able to create something new from the old. An independent kitchen that could have its timing, that wouldn’t interrupt the life of the restaurant, and that would respect that original space of gathering and warmth.”
Today, this cuisine is not just a nostalgic gesture. It is a statement of intent: a return to the origins, but with a contemporary perspective. Cooking over embers, yes, but also with awareness, respect, and a desire to share the essentials. A wine bar in the most honest and pure sense of the word. A place where wine is the star of the show, without distractions. And where a rich, traditional, and tasty menu, cooked over the fireplace, accompanies it without stealing the limelight.
Pepe explains that “it would have been easy to open a new restaurant, or a second branch of Casa Solla. But that wasn’t what I was looking for. We wanted something with a heart and soul, something born out of enjoyment, out of sharing, out of one of my great passions, WINE.
The idea took shape over time, after conversations with the restaurant’s sommelier, Gabriel Vázquez, Gabo, and after tests, intuitions, and a strong desire to recover the essential. We decided to create this concept where wine is the core, and from there we built the rest, and that’s how La Taberna was born, warm, lively, and breathing authenticity”.
At La Taberna, there is no room for trends or unnecessary fusion cuisine. Instead, there are traditional recipes, cooked, as Pepe says, “with today’s knowledge.” The short but fun menu includes, for example, a delicious Galician empanada, whose ingredients vary depending on what’s in the pantry, white asparagus when in season, seafood cocktail, and a delicious custard. All in all, simple dishes that respect the product and tradition. Tavern cuisine, without artifice, born, as in the past, from the hearth. The kind that accompanies a good drink without noise but leaves a lasting impression.
The proposal is based on a carefully selected wine list that originates in the Casa Solla wine cellar. This selection reflects Pepe’s years of relentless searching. He has spent decades buying and carefully storing wines that now make up one of the largest restaurant collections in Galicia and possibly in Spain. Added to this are new discoveries that he and Gabo, the restaurant’s sommelier and his partner in this adventure, continue to find every day. A wine cellar that treasures unique treasures from Galicia, other regions of Spain, and around the world. A lively, diverse wine cellar that surprises and excites. And best of all, now it is not only enjoyed by diners at the fine dining restaurant, but also by those who sit in La Taberna, glass in hand, letting the wine speak for itself.
The idea is clear: let customers focus on enjoying their drinks, freely and calmly. The food accompanies; it doesn’t compete. And the atmosphere, informal but attentive, with friendly service that allows chefs to interact while they prepare their dishes, invites you to stay, chat, and let yourself go.
Although conceptually it is a traditional tavern, the new space maintains the essence of last year’s renovation, reflecting the same attention to detail and respect for fine materials. With the fireplace as its focal point and a central kitchen serving as a chef’s table, it features a black oak table-bar, treated, like those in the dining room, with the ancient Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban.
The use of Galician granite, iron, and carefully planned lighting that changes the mood depending on the time of day helps to create a warm atmosphere that fits with the mood of the Casa Solla restaurant.
La Taberna celebrates fine wines and delicious recipes and showcases another of Pepe’s great passions: music. The soul of the place vibrates to the rhythm of a carefully installed sound system (integrated into the chef’s table next to the ceramic hob), whose star feature is a record player. Every day, customers can choose which vinyl record they want to listen to from a selection of records from Pepe’s personal collection, which changes daily. The experience here goes beyond what’s in your glass or on your plate, connecting music with gastronomy and creating a warm atmosphere that you won’t want to leave. From jazz classics to rock gems and Spanish music from other eras.
But beware! Pepe insists that “La Taberna is not intended to be a more affordable alternative to our gastronomic restaurant. It’s something else entirely. It’s a place with its identity, where luxury is measured in honesty, flavour, and shared moments. In the memories created around a fireplace. Where you can come alone for a glass of wine… and end up dining on six courses, captivated by the music and harmony of the place, without even realizing it.”
La Taberna will have the same opening hours as the gastronomic space. As with the restaurant, advance booking is not compulsory but highly recommended, as capacity is limited in both areas.
In the end, that is the essence of this new project: to keep moving forward, to keep creating, without ever ceasing to be oneself. After more than 60 years of history and 22 under his leadership, Pepe Solla remains certain of one thing: there is no end to this journey. Only constant evolution. And a deep respect for what really matters.