Decades of service and a passion for doing things right
In 1984, José María Solano arrived in Sotogrande at the request of Federico Arroyo, then Financial Director of Puerto de Sotogrande, S.A. His mission: to launch and keep the El Octógono Beach Club open year-round—not just in summer.In October 1987, he returned to Sotogrande with a new idea: to open Restaurante Midas in the newly inaugurated Marina. And so, in March 1988, the now-legendary Midas of Sotogrande opened its doors. This year, it celebrates its 37th anniversary.
Together with his brother and inseparable business partner, Luis Solano, they began an entrepreneurial journey that even today, more than three decades later, continues to leave its mark and bring joy to thousands of people who live in or spend their summers in Sotogrande.
But they were not satisfied with the success of Midas —their restaurant and the much-loved bar and music venue, a pioneer in combining dining and nightlife in the same space—. They soon began opening other leisure venues that would shape the social life of the area.
They started with a beach bar on Torreguadiaro beach, next to the staircase from the port, where they stayed for two years. Later, at the request of Sotogrande’s management, they moved to the namesake beach, where they spent eight summers. There, for instance, the Hobby Cat World Championship was successfully held. However, suddenly and without prior notice, the Town Hall handed over the management of that beach bar to Sotogrande S.A.
At the same time, in 1991, they opened a Midas branch at the Sierra Nevada ski resort. With the same name and a menu adapted to the mountain setting, this restaurant allowed them to balance Sotogrande’s low season with Sierra Nevada’s high season until 2015.
While still operating the venue at the Marina, they took over the restaurant at the “El Cucurucho” Beach Club during the summers of 1994 and 1995. From there, they continued to drive Sotogrande’s nightlife. First with a nightclub at Cucurucho itself, then with “La Khama,” a summer terrace in Paniagua. The latter, however, had to close due to noise complaints.
That was when they proposed to Sotogrande S.A. the creation of a nightclub that would not disturb the neighbors. This gave birth to “La Iguana,” a beloved venue for many, which also featured the Italian restaurant “La Palmera” and a flamenco tablao in its courtyard. Despite all these ventures, Midas always remained the ultimate meeting point, with its restaurant, drinks, and great music.
For three years, they also ran “Pototos,” an artisan ice cream shop with its own terrace, designed for younger visitors and children.
Between March 1998 and September 2001, they once again took on the management of the El Octógono Beach Club, an experience they resumed from June 2004 to the end of 2009. During this period, they also decided to open a Midas in Seville, which operated for two years.
In 2000, together with other partners, they opened the restaurant “Zaldía,” offering a more refined culinary proposal, which remained open until 2005. That same year, after 18 years in its original location, they were forced to move Midas to its current premises—now solely owned by the Solano brothers—due to the previous landlord’s refusal to renew the lease or sell the property at a fair price.
The name “Zaldía” was retained for the cocktail and lounge area, which opened in 2010 as a “lounge bar.” In the same corner over the years, they offered various complementary spaces: a delicatessen shop, a small tapas bar, an ice cream parlor, and a pizzeria.
Also in 2005, they launched “Midasound,” a nightlife venue in Pueblo Nuevo where, in addition to drinks and dancing, they hosted live music—rock, jazz, blues, flamenco—and even comedy acts from “El Club de la Comedia.” This venue closed in 2011.
