A popular Darlington tapas bar has closed after 13 years in town. 

Sol Tapas, on Duke Street, has announced “with regret and sadness” that it has made the “difficult decision” to close its Spanish restaurant.

Manager Zika Nada said that, while the decision had been “emotionally challenging”, the challenges facing the sector and the UK economy meant Sol Tapas is “no longer profitable”.

A full post from Sol Tapas said: “It is with regret and sadness that I write to inform you, I have made the difficult decision to close Sol Tapas.

“For 13 years I have been lucky enough to experience the incredible friendship, support and loyalty Darlington has to offer. Whether you’re a regular customer who has become a lifelong friend or have simply popped in from time to time I am truly grateful for you all.

“The decision to close the restaurant has been difficult and emotionally challenging, but the unfortunate state of the UK economy means from a financial perspective Sol is no longer profitable to me.

“So with a heavy heart, I ask you to keep in touch and don’t forget to always have one for the road.”

Known for providing “top quality tapas” with a range of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes, the restaurant was highly praised online with a 4.5 star rating on Google reviews.

It was even previously awarded a “recommendation badge” by Restaurant Guru based on customer reviews back in 2021. 

One customer said: “Lovely food. I love the freedom to choose small portions of an assortment of foods. The mussels were to die for. Lovely background music and attentive staff. Definitely top of my list of favourites.”

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Another added: “Absolutely fabulous restaurant.  Service is second to none.  The food was amazing. We had tapas dishes which were all delicious.”

The news of the closure has since been met with great sadness online, with punters saying they had been left “gutted”.

One person said: “Hi Zika, very sorry to hear this. We always enjoyed eating in your restaurant and your hospitality. Good luck for the future, and hope to see you soon.”