Octapas Café was an outstanding dining experience and one of those places where every dish seemed to hit the mark. We started with the patatas bravas, gambas pil pil (butter garlic shrimp), oysters (both raw and cooked), and a hummus platter, and everything was excellent. The true standout, however, was the smoked salmon Alfredo--an absolutely incredible dish and one of the best pastas I've had in a long time. We added some chopped jalapeños for extra heat, but honestly, it was fantastic even on its own. The dessert was equally impressive, with a cake that was incredibly moist and the perfect way to end the meal. The wine selection deserves special mention as well. They offer a great variety of Spanish wines that pair beautifully with the menu. Service was fast, friendly, and attentive throughout our visit. The atmosphere is one of Octapas Café's biggest strengths. The restaurant features a beautiful, spacious dining room, plenty of outdoor seating, and even a private event space for larger gatherings and celebrations. Whether you're stopping by for tapas, seafood, pasta, or wine, Octapas Café delivers a memorable experience from start to finish. read more

Sat 11:30 am - no reservations. Restaurant not too busy. The older female hostess was not welcoming to us or the party of 2 that walked in behind us. I've encountered her before -- she isn't rude, just not at all welcoming. She asked us to wait for a moment for'something' which turned out to be stocking water bottles and napkins. We felt like an intrusion to tasks she could've worked on after seating us. We asked to sit on the patio in the sun - she seemed annoyed by this but acquiesced. The patio was quaint and the weather helped make it enjoyable. We were greeted by our server (wish I had her name - older lady in tie-dye shirt) she was welcoming, helpful with the menu, and very friendly! We ordered cocktails and brunch and enjoyed both! Dishes (Smoked Salmon Lox & Goats do Roam Tart) & Drinks were all good - see photos for more info. So go -- get past the hostess and you'll enjoy the rest!!! PS - I do remember from a past visit, the Beignets were good! read more

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We tried this place while in Olympia looking for something new, and it was definitely worth the walk. The interior is amazing--honestly such a surprise compared to the outside, which doesn't really hint at what's waiting inside. You have to go in. The food was great, drinks were good, and everything was so enjoyable that my guy and I honestly don't even remember exactly what we ordered. Not because it wasn't good--but because we completely finished everything. No takeout boxes needed. The service could have been better, but it also felt like they were short-staffed and doing their best to keep things moving. Overall, a great find and we'd go back again. Thank you. read more

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Came here with friends for brunch--our first time visiting. We loved the sea theme and all the wall décor throughout; it gave the place a really fun vibe. We made a reservation, so our table was ready when we arrived and we didn't have to wait, which was great. The menu isn't huge, but it has solid brunch options. The beignets were a big hit with both the kids and the adults! My meal was good--nothing spectacular, but a solid breakfast overall. The only downside was the service. I understand brunch can get busy, but my coffee was only refilled once before our food arrived, and no one came by to refill our water during the meal. Overall, a nice spot with good food and a fun atmosphere--just hoping for more attentive service next time read more

Octapas Cafe - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Food is amazing I had the crab Mac and service was really good and the outdoor seating is amazing! And my girl got shepards pie read more

Have been here several times. Its been a few years. Grabbed lunch here today with my cousin. We got salmon salad, mahi mahi tacos, wings and shrimps in purgatory. Overall service was friendly and quick. Food was tasty and well seasoned. All the seafood was fresh. The decor is always beautiful here. Super cute spot. read more

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We came for lunch recently and were underwhelmed and disappointed. This happened at another lunch a year ago. We found the food to be uninteresting, poorly crafted and overpriced for what it was. One example was hummus with vegetables. A very small portion of hummus lacking in tahini, proper texture, and quality olive oil. I can only assume canned chick peas was used. One vegetable typcial of the others on top was a soggy unmarinated artichoke heart from a can like you can find at trader joes. You need to enhance these artichokes not just pull them out of the can! If a restaurant will charge $15 for a tiny dish of hummus with vegetables then each ingredient should sing and be meaningful in the overall combination of ingredients. It's too bad because we used to like this place. Never coming back. read more

The food here is wonderful, fresh oysters, well-spiced and succulent mussels, juicy pork chop and really quality mushrooms (side-dish). Good portions also, and large enough to share. Service could use some work, we were very surprised by how long we had to wait to be seated with a reservation and what that wait looked like. Greeted then told to wait, okay, no problem, but I have a feeling that the person doing host duty wasn't the regular person and perhaps even the manager, and to tell us that they had to set up real quick and then do none of that and stand with their back to us while they greeted and had a long conversation with other staff, was a big turn off. Also, the place was only maybe 20% full. I don't understand and wouldn't presume to know what's going on behind the scenes, as we're just the customers, but it was a hard start to an otherwise great dinner. The place itself inside and out is a gem, little touches everywhere and a fun octopus display for taking pics at the waiting area is so cute. I really liked the fact that they keep their cakes under glass to view, but also to ensure the icing doesn't get that too hard or frozen taste, nice. Drinks could also be improved, just an opinion, the espresso martini was watery tasting, almost like made with coffee vs espresso, and other ones we ordered just weren't it for us. But, we were ordering off menu vs signature drinks, so this could be an us thing for sure. All in, we had a good time and would come again. read more

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Delicious lunch experience relaxing chill atmosphere, got to eat and do some work. Staff were friendly and helpful and Chef salad was perfect. Right by water walkway to enjoy after eating. Ashley was my server and she was lovely read more

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This place was a miss for me. I love trying places downtown but I probably won't be back. It's pretty pricey for what you get. Food was a miss for me. Service was okay. The decor was not my vibe. :( read more

Octapas Cafe - A miss for me - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Olympia, Washington

We walked over from Olympia Yacht Club. A really great experience! First they accommodated us (4)and our two small dogs in a very protected patio!! Secondly, waiter was awesome,friendly and knowledgeable about their fare. attentive but not smothering. We enjoyed their starters Pork bellyw/ginger Asian sauce and a Brie and rhubarb served with toast triangles. The special,Prawns carmelized onions with homemade noodle, delicious. Pork chop was very good. Our waiter was helpful in wine pairings which was always appreciated. Lastly the Ginger Carrot cake to did for!! I'm just waiting to get hungry so I can go back!! read more

Octapas Cafe - We walked from Olympia Yacht club - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Olympia, Washington

The food here is next level. You can tell the person preparing it really thought about every detail and what flavors would make the best meal. It's unbelievably clear that the chef has so much passion for food. The interior is incredibly adorable and the patio is perfect rain or shine. Right next to the park so you can have a little walk around the water after you have an amazing meal. We have the same server every time we go and he does a phenomenal job. Never had our meal incorrect or come cold, the staff here is great attentive without doing too much. I follow them on TikTok and every week the specials look amazing, can't wait to go back for another date night! read more

Great food. One of my favorite breakfast places to go too. Always something new on the menu. Unique meals which you can't get anywhere else. A real chef that created them too. Love this place! Also very cool inside! read more

Enjoyed Fathers' Day Brunch on the patio this morning! Amazing menu, including some specials, and tasty beverages! GREAT service! Attentive and friendly, without hovering. Enjoyed the harissa gravy chicken fried steak special and the salmon lox. So delicious! read more

This is a great local restaurant that should not be missed! You can tell the owners have a passion for making delicious fresh food. This is always a lively and fun place; I often meet friends here for drinks and appetizers. Their dessert menu is also wonderful! read more

Good food, good service and ambiance was nice! I'd go again but maybe at dinner! Theres not a-lot of food choices for brunch.

What a cool concept for a restaurant! Just driving through and found this gem on yelp and decided to come try it out. We got oysters, the dip, and the octopus. The oysters were, well fresh oysters so good job. The dip was really good I thoroughly enjoyed it and we even asked for more bread. The octopus was done well, but sadly it was not to my liking. Overall I would say the place is definitely a 3 star on food. But why the four stars you say? Well the inside is just so cool! All the different art work and how the restaurant was laid out inside and out it was really a good experience. Also, our waitress was just so on top of it. Always filling our drinks, making polite banter, and overall attentive to our needs. Check it out, if anything the food is ok but the decorations are really cool! read more

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I wish I had checked the online menu beforehand--I didn't realize Octapas only serves their brunch menu on weekends, not lunch, which honestly was a disappointment . Had I known, I would've planned our visit for a weekday to try what I originally came for. That said, since we were already in the area for cherry blossom viewing and I was set on giving Octapas a try, my family and I stayed for brunch. We ordered the purple lemonade, beignets, fresh oysters, the Goats Do Roam Tart, and the Smothered Burrito. Unfortunately, they were out of the puff pastry for the Goats do Roam tart (a key component!), so I didn't get to experience the full dish--though I still paid full price. The burrito was pretty standard. Decent, but nothing memorable. I wouldn't return for brunch, but the lunch menu still has my attention. If I find myself in Olympia on a weekday, I might give it another shot. read more

Nice warm place in rainy Olympia. I came here on a Thursday afternoon. The shepherd's pie was a little bland. The Cesar's salad was light with any protein of choice. I had the anchovies. read more

Octapas Cafe - Cesar salad with anchovies - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Held my mother's 80th birthday brunch in the lake room at Octapas.... Wonderful service, great food, and they took the best care of all the 80+ year old guests' read more

Their Veggie Benedict was fantastic. Great flavor and attention to detail, I was expecting a tomato and avocado, and it came with a medley of peppers, spinach and tomatoes. My wife loves their Lox Plate, and raves that this is her favorite breakfast place in town. Even when they are busy, the vibe is always very good, and the service is excellent. We have had several servers and they are all friendly and accommodating (we have young children, and that can be an experience). Their Hummus Plate is also surprisingly good, and a sleeper on their lunch menu. Worth checking out. Get extra olives and extra bread. read more

Octapas Cafe - Veggie Benedict - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Definitely making this gem a "go to" in my book of eateries. Had the octopus and also the steak. Both cooked and seasoned deliciously. Ambiance is upscale comfortable, welcoming and quirky. Service was friendly (as always). Come for the food, stay for the people. read more

Wings were top notch. They clearly do some sort of brine before frying which is appreciated. Mac and cheese was decent. Just get regular Mac don't add the crab. Steak, let's just say don't get it. Waitress and manager were beyond kind. I would come back and give them another shot read more

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A somewhat big group of us reserved a table here for brunch. The room they say is in was cute and quirky. Our server was nice, and food was brought out promptly. We kind of ran past 2 PM, which is when they close, and it felt pretty short for Sunday hours. I ordered the goat cheese quiche-like item, which tasted good but reminded me more of a dutch baby pancake. The fries were good, the coffee was simple. It wasn't bad, I just can't say I would be back for brunch. read more

this was an unexpected amazing find. Walked in, and the ambience was set at a very conversational zone. There was mood lighting, but it wasn't dark enough that you couldn't see what you were eating. It's very cozy, comfortable seating, not a lot of seating on the inside, but they have also seating on the outside as well that has heaters close to the table so that you're warm. We sat inside, cause it's kind of cold and wet the night that we went. you do need to do reserve seating if you're gonna go during a very busy day just to make sure you can sit and eat when you want to, but other than that, it was great. The food itself was amazing! I recommend everything that we ate that you see in the photos, the drinks were also very good, I was driving so no drinking for me, but the nonalcoholic drinks were still something to go to. The Portuguese tart was so good! it was recommended by our server who provided very good service for the entire night. She seems like she was busy, but she still was able to do a fantastic job the entire night. I would 100% recommend this place. read more

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This is the place to go for brunch!! The service is wonderful, the food is DELICIOUS and the drinks are great! There aren't too many drink options on the menu for brunch, but the ones they do have are great. The waitress was so nice and was very knowledgeable on the menu. I will absolutely be back! read more

Octapas Cafe - Eggs Benedict on a gluten free bun with Brussels sprouts. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Pros: they know how to prepare octopus properly!!! Yay! They serve good food at reasonable price. This is such a cute place with friendly waiting staff. Cons: not much! Maybe I'm hoping for a bigger menu eventually but menus at tapas restaurants are usually on the smaller side. read more

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There is only backed in street parking. It's also kind of hidden but it's quite a gem of a place! We went for Sunday brunch and was seated within 10 minutes. I got the beignets, which were fluffy and delicious, and the crab cake Benedict. Mmm delicious. My kid got the stuff french toast and enjoyed it very much. My husband got the traditional Benedict and enjoyed it also. They also have a very spicy homemade sauce that went well with the hash browns. I did wish the hash browns was crisper but next time I will ask! Overall I will be back. Everything was great! Wish I had taken more photos but enjoy the pic of the beignets! read more

Octapas Cafe - Beignets - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Olympia, Washington

The octopus was AMAZING! We went here on date night and I don't even remember what else we had because the octopus was that good. I'll have to go again so I can try other things but if you're looking for good octopus this is the place. Atmosphere was so pretty and warm on a winter rainy night as well. We sat by the fireplace. Romantic! read more

Still a solid place to get breakfast and for a Saturday morning, it was super easy to get a table since it wasn't too busy. I'm giving them an extra star though because I tried their Browned Butter Meringue pancakes with maple syrup and I will be coming back for that. So tasty and subtle, but perfect. I've had meringue pancakes that were a delightful little cloud in my mouth and this isn't that, but the flavor of these pancakes make me want more. read more

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Came here part of a group after visiting the nearby capital. A nice Cafe with but of course, Octopus decor all around! The Cafe is spacious with a lot of types of seating be it a couple or a 10+ group like ours. Starting with a drink I had the Seasonal Shandy. Normally great in the summer, but this shandy was dandy. If I wasn't driving, probably would've had another. Not wanting to get anything big I just settled for a couple shareable items - the Dijon Brussels which I can honestly say are some of the best Brussels appetizers I've had! Crispy, and with a nice Dijon flavor, doesn't stop there it comes with some nice bacon bits thrown in! Definitely recommend. It's available without bacon as well to make it veg. Friendly. The chili wings were standard, sauce on them really pulled the weight. The hummus plate was alright. Has a variety to it, hummus was just ok. Service was great, she accommodated our table well and had no problem splitting the bill all different ways, although during our visit it was pretty quiet. Still though she did great. I'd definitely come back here. If you're in or around Olympia I'd recommend, double so if you like Octopuses. read more

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I had a fantastic visit to this cute cafe in Olympia recently. Met up with some college alumni who had made a reservation ahead of time but it was actually really quiet on a Saturday afternoon. The happy hour is a great way to go if you just want some drinks and light bites. There are some good deals! We ordered the Brussels sprouts and it was quite large. I especially loved how flavorful the Brussels were, coated in a yummy mustard sauce and tossed with crispy bacon pieces! The crispy chicken wings were great, and came with a tasty dipping sauce. I also tried some of the hummus and it came with a good deal of sliced veggies and specialty crackers. I didn't realize there were two sides to the happy hour menu so make sure to flip it over! The other side had some interesting cocktails that I would have liked to try. I had a glass of house white wine which was delightful. Great service to boot! read more

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If you are looking for a place for dinner in Olympia this is a great choice to go. It has great options with fresh choices to pick from. A group of use decided to try this place out and it did not disappoint. I had the Dungeons Crab Cakes with the Oxtail and Lamb Birria. We also ordered oysters on the half shell and the prawn tacos. The service was great and super helpful they knew the the menu which helped in picking what to get. This is a great date night spot, to hang out with friends or just try something new!! read more

Octapas Cafe - Oxtail and lamb birria - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Olympia, Washington

I came to Olympia for the 1st time and came to this restaurant with my family. Dinner was going great until the waitress accused us of stiffing her on the tip. We asked for change and left her a $50 tip on a $250 bill. There was clearly cash attached to check. This turned what would have been a great experience to an awful experience. She didn't even apologize for her mistake. read more

I really wanted to love this place, I was so intrigued by the menu and absolutely love octopus. The interior is so eclectic and has art that I really loved. We didn't have a reservation, which is highly recommended, but we're early, so they seated us in the bar, no problem. The service was provided by the bartendender, who gets 5 stars for attentiveness, information, pleasantries, and service. We ordered a variety of items from the menu and the fresh sheet. I will start with the baked oysters. We ordered 6 each of the chorizo and the chili crisp. I think the topings were very tasty, but honestly, I lost the oyster, which should be the star. One of the was a bit too spicy for me, and all were undercooked as a grilled oyster. This will be a theme. The goat cheese fritters from the fresh sheet were okay, just not elevated at all and more like pub grub than a tapa. We also ordered the beet salad. This was my favorite dish of the evening, and we both devoured it. The dungy crab cakes were our next favorite, but again, the sauce was a bit too spicy and overpowered the cakes, which could have used a bit more time in the pan. The Buratta from the tapas friasmenu was decent, and we also enjoyed these flavor combos. I had to look up what zhug was, but it was a nice compliment. Finally, we ordered the octopus, grilled. I was underwhelmed, and this is one of my favorite things to order in Greece. It was undercooked, I know not a typical complaint, very few charred spots which enhance the flavor. The sauce was used on many things, and I felt everything had spice. Maybe it was what we ordered. I think I would try this again, but pass on the oysters and ask for my octopus with a bit (lot) more char. read more

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Oh my gosh! Decided to try this place for hubby's 61st birthday! Our children (30 & 31) joined us. It would take me so long to tell you what a wonderful experience we had! 5 out of 5 on everything! Sophia was so kind and accommodating we will always ask for her. Food is amazing, whatever you order. Please check them out! read more

This is one of our family's favorite restaurants, we come here all the time for birthdays. The food is great, lots to choose from. Great service, it's always a cozy and friendly atmosphere. read more

Love the location and decor of the restaurant. We decided to take my mom out for Birthday Brunch and she chose Octapas. The food was delicious and the portions were just right. The service was attentive and pleasant. We were asked if we had reservations which we didn't but we were seated quickly. read more

Lovely brunch on the weekend. I have yet to go for dinner, but am happy to say it's on my list to try! The decor has a fun aquatic theme that is done nicely, and the service was solid. read more

I have been wanting to try Octapas Cafe for a very, very long time. In fact I tried to go here last year and due to a summer heat wave a lot of downtown businesses in Olympia were closed on a particular day which included this cafe. But I finally got to try this place a few weekends ago and I wasn't disappointed at all. The size of the dishes are tapas or small plate sizes but I still left quite satisfied. We ordered off of the brunch menu and I got the Huevos Rancheros which were simply out of this world. Fantastic food! Ingredients for this dish were very fresh and so very tasty. There was just enough heated spice to it but not too much. I can't quite recall what Steve ordered but he was equally impressed with his meal. That much I do remember. The inside of the restaurant has a nice decor with various scenery all over the state and it says where the photo was taken which is really cool and there is a great outdoor patio with lots of seating for typical summer days. Reservations apparently are recommended more for the evening crowd but we got in without any for the midmorning brunch. read more

Octapas Cafe - My extremely delicious Huevos Rancheros! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Olympia, Washington