Olea has been a long-time summer favorite of ours with their lovely outdoor seating and great service. It does pay off to come early, as the outdoors is walk-ins only and reservations are also limited inside. The menu retains some delicious staples like the mushrooms and Brussels, while also offering fabulous specials to switch things up. Highly recommend the baby octopus! read more

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I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed by my brunch here. We started with the romesco dip and fresh pita -- which were incredible!! But unfortunately, my main, the savory french toast, wasn't so good. Just felt like it was soggy, not very hot, and lacked a great flavor profile. It was just... meh. It looked way better than it tasted. The same was also true of the lamb sausage. Just very dry. Service was ok. They charge a 3% fee if you pay with card which is a bit annoying. Maybe I caught Olea on an off day, but I don't think I'd come back here. read more

Olea - Savory Parmesan French Toast - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Been here a couple of times for some strong, enjoyable meals. Mediterranean is one of my absolute favorites, and their menu offers some intriguing and tasty options. On our last visit for dinner, I enjoyed my Greek Paella, and my girlfriend loved the sea scallops special, which was served with an avgolemono-style sauce. Our party started with a trio of dips--hummus, tzatziki and red pepper dip--that were exceptional, a true highlight. The kid can be picky, but he enjoyed the Shawarma-Spiced Chicken Sliders a lot. On a previous brunch visit we had the lamb Hash, made with a veggie melange and topped with a fried egg,, spicy tomato jam, whipped feta and herbs, which was savory, along with the spicy Eggs in Purgatory. Both were quite flavorful. Almost too much so... In fact I would say that, as much as I enjoy it here, they could perhaps learn something from the old Coco Chanel dictum and leave something out. For example the paella had huge pieces of dill and parsley, seafood and olives... all good things and flavorful, but at times felt like a bit too much going on. Same with the brunch items. I feel like many things could be a smidge more low-key or refined and this place would just be exceptional. Still and all, food here is tasty and flavorful and filling. Drink and cocktail options are particularly on point. I love their Greek Martini (gin, cheese-stuffed olives) and their white sangria is excellent as well. The vibe couldn't be more charming, from the ramshackle yet cozy interior to the outdoor tables on a bucolic Brooklyn corner--I'm sure I'll happily return and enjoy. read more

I enjoyed dinner here. We made reservations for 5:30pm on a Friday. The indoor decor was charming. To drink, I had the red sangria and it was phenomenal. It had bold, fruity flavor and just the right amount of alcohol. To start, we shared the halloumi cheese. It was pleasantly salty and rich and served with a hearty tomato-based sauce and crisp bell peppers. We also got the hummus, which was creamy, light, and fresh. For my main, I got the vegan kefteddes. These were vegan impossible meatballs in tomato sauce. The dish was quite small, which our waiter did mention to me, so I wouldn't recommend ordering it for an entree if you are very hungry. Still, it was tasty. The meatballs had a nice, chewy texture. It wasn't very spicy but had a good amount of flavor. I would come back again just for the sangria! read more

Olea - Hummus - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Cozy neighborhood Mediterranean restaurant. Absolutely adore the interior and the dishes are fabulous. We ordered the dips, garlic shrimp, seafood paella, short ribs, lamb pasta and warm salad, and they were all delicious. The warm salad is definitely not something to sleep on! Highly recommend and great place to have a long dinner with friends. 5/5 read more

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This place is great. We went for the happy hour deal and we got the oleapolitan and it was STRONGGGG, only $10. We also got the pickled cauliflower which was so good, sweet sour and spicy. We got the 3 dip starter as well with tzatziki, hummus, and the romesco and they were so delicious and they did not skimp on the portion size for the dips. We did ask for extra pita after the first round of bread was brought out. Place is super cute and cozy, especially on the rainy days we've been having. read more

Olea - Dips: romesco, tzatziki, hummus - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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We went here for my birthday after going here 2 years ago and loving it. The ambience of the inside is truly unbeatable - the high ceilings, cozy lighting, and mindfully decorated space makes you forget that you're in a bustling city. Dre was our server and he just completed the vibe. He has a great energy. We got the carafe of red sangria which is a fav of our at any spot, but Olea is especially good at it. The trio of dips was definitely too much for 2 people, but I can't complain about an abundance of the best dips ever. Just come ready with an appetite. THEN we got one of the specials, it was a shrimp in garlic olive oil in a mini cast iron skillet and uhhhh oh my god it was so good. I have been thinking about it ever since. We will be back! :) read more

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I was really excited for this place! Went with some friends on a rainy Saturday for brunch. Maybe it's because I don't really like brunch food, but I thought the food wasn't bad, but it also wasn't anything out of this world. The pita was really fluffy and I enjoyed that a lot tho! The interior is cute, but I think the service was a little rough, maybe I am just sensitive, but when the food arrived, the experience was a little rough. A cute spot in the neighborhood tho! read more

Olea - Lamb Hash - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The food was incredible; the lamb hash was our favorite. The food pictured was more than enough for three of us family-style. It wasn't very busy when we went and the servers were attentive while offering us enough space to enjoy our meal and catch-up. read more

Olea - Lamb Hash, Greek Chicken Platter, Dip - Trio, Patatas Bravas - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

LOVE this brunch spot! I've been here twice in the last month and I will definitely be back. I always get the Olea breakfast and it's amazing! You can taste the freshness in everything you get. I also got the fried halloumi and it was amazing! Such a unique flavor! You can't go wrong with anything on this menu! Literally 10/10 this place is soooo good and has something for everyone's preferences. I can't wait to go back :) read more

Olea - Shawarma-Spiced Chicken Sliders - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I've always enjoyed the food at Olea and the servers are all nice. The one ongoing issue is that they desperately need an expeditor in the kitchen. One person gets their food while the rest of the party waits! It shouldn't be too hard to get the food to a two top at the same time. We keep coming back though because the food is very good. The noise level inside is deafening - a lot of it comes from bussed dishes and glassware. read more

TOP NOTCH. Cannot stop thinking about how amazing every single dish was and what a great time I had. For appetizers, we got the falafel crusted artichokes. For mains, we shared the lamb hash and chicken shawarma sliders. And the dessert... don't even get me started on the chocolate cake with vegan whipped cream, sea salt caramel, and coconut ice cream. PERFECTION! There is literally nothing I did not like about this place, the service was splendid and the ambiance speaks for itself. We sat outside but the inside is comfy and cute. Cannot wait to come back! read more

Olea - Vegan Choc Cake, better than it sounds. TRUST ME - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Olea is a great spot for an afternoon tapas snack.  The décor is eclectic the drinks are refreshing and the food is flavorful.  We particularly liked the brussels sprouts.  The cheese filled peppers were also good and surprisingly spicy.  Good thing we had the sangria and the slushies to cool off.  Service was helpful and quick. read more

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fun ambiance and able to walk in on a weeknight with 4 to be seated without res before 6 PM. they run a HH until 6:30 which is pretty solid (7-8 bucks for house wine, some tapas, dips etc) that you can get at a table and not just at the bar. food is uneventful. mussels were decent but had insanely soggy bread, romanesco + labneh dips were good but the hummus was... really awful? runny and did not taste like chickpeas at all? everyone thought it was a different style of hummus because it was so off-putting LOL. fun kale salad, generic potatoes. would say it's a good spot for HH if you're in the neighborhood, but not necessarily for really great food. $35 pp with 1 drink each. come to yap and not spend too much money with great vibes, eat elsewhere read more

We visited Olea for dinner and while the entire menu looked incredible, the appetizers were really calling out to us, so we ended up ordering more appetizers than entrees but then the 2 entrees that we did order turned out to be absolute bangers. Delicious cocktails and wonderful selection of food. Would absolutely love it if it was my local neighborhood joint. 4.5/5! We picked a trio of dips, including the romesco and roasted beet skordalia, which really hit the spot as a savory dip. For the third- my husband and I are suckers for anything calibrian chili, and we loved the spicy feta labneh, which had the perfect kick paired with a typical creaminess of labneh. We also got the falafel crusted artichoke hearts, and I'm not sure why I was surprised that it tasted so much like falafel but I guess I unreasonably hoping for 70% artichoke hearts with a tiny falafel crust, but instead, it was more like 60% falafel and 40% artichoke hearts. Still delicious. The roasted cremini mushrooms were juicy and flavorful and cooked very well. For our entrees, we decided on the arctic char which was SO good- it was so tender and flavorful without being "fishy" at all. The four of us finished so quickly and I wish it was bigger piece of fish! We also ordered the baked shrimp orzo special of the night, and that was a total banger too. It was like twist on a paella but as a non-paella fan, I absolutely loved this dish and would recommend in a heartbeat if you ever see it on the menu. For drinks, our friend really enjoyed the spanish martini, which had a savoriness thanks to the blue cheese stuff olives. The limoncello collins was allegedly "on the sweeter side" but I actually found it to be really refreshing and I'm a sucker for anything limoncello. The sparkling pear was a bit disappointing because I think it just tasted like a slightly sweet prosecco, and I wish there was more "pear". To round up the night, we shared a dark chocolate olive oil cake, which wasn't as moist as I wanted it to be, but I was still able to enjoy it with the ice cream. read more

Came here on a Sunday with a brunch reservation and was seated promptly. The host and server were very pleasant. The restaurant was charming with its mixed media furniture. Menu had so many good items, we decided to try multiple small plates. To start we ordered pita with Labneh dip and Goat Cheese Croquettes. Both were really rich in flavor. The pita was fresh and warm. We also ordered the Greek French Toast, Chicken Shawarma sliders, empanadilla. Everything was really good. Forgot to mention I got a pomegranate lemonade, which was refreshing! read more

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This spot gets both the cooking and the atmosphere right. Prime location with notably helpful employees. The guest care is exceptionally thorough! The taste stands out completely! Exceptionally flavorful food all around! read more

Good cooking needs no fancy explanation. This place delivers on every level! This is food that satisfies. Team members were both task-focused and relationship-oriented. The atmosphere feels like visiting friends. read more

Very cute interior with exposed brick and plants! The service was also great. We got the Brussels sprouts to start, which was really flavorful. I got the avocado sandwich for brunch, which was pretty tasty. It seemed like a creative twist on your typical avocado toast. While the food didn't blow me away, this place was perfect for a Sunday brunch! read more

Olea - Brussel Sprouts - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

A friend took me here to celebrate my belated birthday for a nice brunch today. I initially checked out the menu the day before like I usually always do and it made me want to order the entire menu. I have always been a fan of Mediterranean food as I believe it is a nice balance between hearty and healthy. I am a big fan of Brussel sprouts and theirs def hit the spot. Must order if you love Brussel sprouts. The drinks were also tasty and mixed pretty well with just the right amount of alcohol that I felt pretty nice after 2 drinks. We were seated in the corner booth near the bathroom and felt pretty cozy. Seats had a nice portable cushion for your tushy! 9/10 I do recommend read more

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Happy hour did not disappoint! My friend and I ordered a few happy hour items to share, and the dip trio is a definite must-try. The hummus was incredibly smooth and perfectly seasoned. The romanesco was a recommendation from our server, and it was my personal favorite. Kinda reminiscent of buffalo sauce because of the tang and spice, goes very well with the pita. The feta-lebneh was interesting, very pungent and strong in flavor but I still enjoyed it. The chicken sliders were seasoned super well, but a little messy to eat since the pita slice buns were thin. The kale salad was a good way to balance out our spread, and the pinenuts and cheese added good texture and flavor. Great place to catch up with a friend or have a date night! read more

Olea - Mango sangria - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Came here after a long day at Prospect Park and was excited to try this new mediterranean spot. We started our meal off with the spicy feta-labne. It was very tart/acidic and tasted fabulous with the house-made pitas. The spice level wasn't too bad, I would rate it level 1. We then had the grilled octopus with some type of bean sauce (fava maybe), and those were cooked to perfection. Would definitely recommend getting these if they are in season. Lastly, we finished off with the braised beef brisket. The beef was very tender, pairing very well with the mashed potatoes and the sauce. I really enjoyed the sauce; the red wine and pomegranate were right there on center stage. Overall I enjoyed eating here and would most definitely come back again. They mostly only take walk-ins so make sure to show up early if you want to be seated quickly. read more

Olea - No leftovers - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Five stars for their really excellent service and accommodations! We were a party of 6 and were able to get onto a table before a 2pm reservation time slot on a Saturday morning!! Ambience: A little small/can get cramped in there but it is a rustic and cute restaurant with paroles hanging which makes it festive!! Food: Green eggs and lamb 10/10 Didn't expect the lamb to come in sausage form but still tasted amazing all the same, very unique that the eggs are green and we were curious what they use to get it there! Autumn hummus 1000/10 Amazing taste and probably my favorite of the three appetizers that we tried!! It had such a great consistency and a little kick to it. I hope this becomes a regular menu item and not a seasonal one! Savory Ricotta Almond Stuffed Bacon 1000/10 Also very, very good but the autumn hummus was slightly above in the consistency/taste prominence Tsoureki Greek French Toast 9/10 I ordered this to split and it was super good!! Very different than an "American regular french toast" as that's all I ever really have tried so it was definitely a unique experience to have. The sesame was a nice touch Overall really good and happy that I got to try here on my week trip to NYC! read more

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Olea is a quaint little restaurant along a residential street, making it quite a hidden gem. The food here is absolutely delicious and way more than I expected. To drink, their red wine sangria is a must and is some of the best I've had: not too sweet, not too watery, just right! I highly recommend ordering "tapas style," trying a few different dishes for the table. Here's some of our faves: -Dip Trio: the labneh was the best, and we love the fluffy warm pita bread. -Vegan Keftedes: so happy they have these on the menu as a nice plant-based protein option. They were delicious! -Brussels Sprouts: dare I say these were my favorite thing we ordered?! That honey sauce they were tossed in was addicting. -Falafel-crusted artichoke hearts: such a unique take on the classic falafel. What I loved even more than the falafel was the yummy eggplant/veggie salad that was served on the side. -Goat Cheese Croquettes: a must, a delicious sweet and savory treat. Our food came out quickly, and the bill was very reasonable. I would definitely come back, as there was not a single thing we tried and didn't like and I so appreciate the variety of vegetarian options! read more

Get all the dips Get the halloumi Get one of the pastas Get a drink This place is really cute. I went here for dinner with my cousins and had some really great food. I'll admit, I ordered the seafood paella and I wasn't a fan. Could just be my palate, but I tried my cousin's pasta and it was just so much better Also, the branzino is good, but it has bones. Ordering depends how much work you wanna do for your meal read more

Olea - Dip - Trio - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Great spot, lovely service and outdoor tables. Had a great tuna sandwich and chicken plate.

Let me start with the good. The food here can be very good. I love that the menu caters to vegan and omnivores alike. I've been here many times before so I am not sure if it was an off night, but the services was not good. They tried to seat us at a two person table when we hadn't told them how many people were in our party. Once seated the waiter didn't pay much attention to us. Took a while to order. Then it took a long time to get our food. A friend in my party is vegan and they brought the pasta with regular cheese and meat even though they had asked for it to be sans animal products. He had already tried it and I said not to throw it away. When they brought the new pasta there was no vegan cheese on it and it tasted bland. Eventually the bill came after waiting even more, and the waiter told us they had comped one of the pastas. They should have comped the entire dish. Sadly we wont be back anytime soon. read more

Came here for breakfast with a girlfriend and we were both surprised by how generous they are with their portions! Our meals were quite large and flavorful, and our server was exceptional. We had requested to sit outside, but there were so many bees (not necessarily at the restaurant, but bees just seemed to be everywhere that weekend). Our server was so attentive every time a bee flew over to us and kindly shoo'd them away. Their bloody was also very delicious. 5 stars for overall experience. read more

Olea - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Gosh, where to begin. We had a wonderful time and meal at Olea. We started at the bar, then took our drinks to our table. We sat outside with a heater overhead and they gave us space blankets for our legs. There were vegan options and easy ways to convert other dishes to began. I had vegan French Onion soup that was delicious. read more

Service was amazing. We are very picky and not easy customers. My little one broke a candle , we were a little messy, bur customer service was so good. Deni, manager, was the best. He greeted us with smile and easy going attitude. Really cherish and appreciate managers like Deni. Highly recommend. Food, drinks , food was outstanding. read more

Olea is a great place to go for tapas-styled brunch. I came on a Saturday without a reservation, and luckily got seated within 20 mins for a party of two. They do take reservations on Resy so I'd recommend making one for weekend brunch times because it gets pretty packed. The food was great. I really enjoyed the sliders and the Brussel sprouts! Our waiter was super friendly and attentive, making our experience at Olea even more positive. I definitely recommend this place to anyone looking to get brunch in the Clinton Hill/Forte Greene area. read more

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Had a really lovely dinner here. We ordered a trio of dips (romesco, green pea, tzatziki) with pita, almond-stuffed dates, and falafel-crusted artichoke hearts. The romesco and green pea dios were so delicious (it was my first time trying them and I was very pleasantly surprised)! The almond-stuffed dates were my favorite; they were wrapped in bacon and so savory and yummy. The service was good as well; the waiters made sure to check up on us and were quite nice. I liked the ambiance of the restaurant. There's outdoor and indoor seating, and it's very well-decorated (with plants)! read more

Olea - Atmosphere - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

We arrived shortly after they opened. The restaurant looked a bit quirky from the outside. We chose outdoor seating as it was a nice and cool morning. The server and staff were courteous and friendly. The food came out at a fair time. Overall, the food was good but not impressive. Not a bad neighbor brunch spot. read more

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It's been nearly 15-years of going to this place and I finally remembered to take some pics and write a review. Has the hood changed, yes. Have the people changed, yes. Am I the only one with a New York accent still eating here, most likely yes. But one thing that has not changed: the quality of the food! Olea Mediterranean has always hit it out of the park when it comes to a solid meal, especially anything with lamb. Last Sunday, the sun was out and the air was crisp in Brooklyn and some of us got together and realized it's a solid day to eat a meal outside. Table service was great, coffee was strong and kept coming, and the food, especially the lamb, wow. Always amazing! The pictures look great but the taste surpasses the photos! Two friends had the Olea Breakfast with all the sides and the Chicken sliders. Me? I had to have some of that incredible lamb hash which hit all the right spots. The lamb, the mint, the carrots, potatoes, turnips, feta and egg.... Seriously... what else can I say?! Get your butts to Olea on a cool day and warm up with a fresh skillet of lamb hash! You won't regret it. read more

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Instant favorite! The happy hour specials at Olea are incredible. A full bar menu of specials from 430-630, with cocktails, wine, and beer. The happy hour food specials are friendly to many different diets. I had the impossible vegan "meatballs" which was super flavorful, cooked to perfection and a great portion size for $11. My partner had the chicken shawarma sliders which he loved as well. We shared three dips and my absolute favorite was the feta. The outdoor seating is on a pleasant tree lined street. I cannot wait to come back! read more

Olea - VEGAN Kefteddes - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I had the farro pasta years ago and I have been obsessed with it ever since. The flavors are unreal! I would go back here just for this dish, whether you are vegetarian or not. Cute atmosphere, they were able to seat us on a Friday night with no reservation. Very nice waiter read more

Haven't been in years and I was happy I came back. A nice cozy little gem on the corner in Brooklyn. I came with 3 others on a weekday night and we waited about 40 mins for a table and it was worth it. Started with drinks (they were tasty and straight to the point aka STRONG) and also had the Dark chocolate olive oil cake with the creamy coconut ice cream. (If you don't know by now I starts with my dessert) The cake is 100% vegan (btw they have a plethora of vegan options) Cake was moist and rich and I could have done without the ice cream. Appetizers We ordered the stuffed peppers 7/10 nice rich cheese blend and VERY SPICY. Spanish style shrimp 6/10 the garlic oil sauce it was served in was the best thing , otherwise mediocre shrimp. Brussel Sprouts 9/10 would of given these a 10 had they been a little more charred but AMAZING. Red pepper hummus 4/10 the star should be the bread and absolutely nothing special about it. Dinner we shared the half chicken from the special menu served with a polenta and spinach. The Sauce and capers were the cherry on top. Dish was absolutely top tier!!!! Recommend! Also we had the Branzino for me it was MEHHH nothing special but wasn't bad. Ohhhh and the potatoes which were crispy and much needed. Overall I enjoyed my time here. Service was great and food was even better! I'll be back for sure. read more

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Loooved this spot! I'd totally recommend it and go back for brunch. Great portions and quality. Super homey interior too and nice staff read more

Olea - Olea Breakfast - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Pacing of items was terrible; they pretty much put everything out immediately even though we ordered quite a bit. I ordered their one whiskey cocktail and the bourbon was rough. The drink didn't really taste like much except for bourbon and melted ice. Merguez dogs were terrible; Sausage to bun ratio was 1:3 in size. The sausage was super dry and tiny. The sauce was overpowering. Even the potato salad was underwhelming. Garlic chips were under fried and chewy which stuck to my teeth. On the flip side, The dips were great; romesco, beet and sheep's milk feta. The feta has a super strong tang. The pita was warm. I really enjoyed the romesco dip! The pizzette was a thin flatbread with cheese and garlic. This was also underwhelming but still ok. I thought the fried olives were also good; well fried but the sauce provided wasn't a great combo. The seafood empandillas were a highlight; it had a salmon and shrimp filling which was moist. The chicken empandillas were not as special, dry and the sauce was super heavy on dill Pickled cauliflower was crunchy and just the right level of pickled. read more

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I came here again recently for brunch and the flavors were spot on! We had the olea breakfast, the patatas bravas and the fried green olives. The fried green olives were definitely a stand out! The breakfast came with herby eggs, yogurt and some other delicious sides but the combination of everything worked so well together. It was raining a little when I came with my friend and we were seated outdoors but they had covers, so it was only a little wet around us. They do have indoor seating as well now. They do enforce a time limit and require you wear masks when talking to waitstaff as per covid requirements. I think this will definitely become a staple brunch spot for me. This is also pretty affordable for being in Downtown BK and it is located a little away from other restaurants im Fort Greene/Park Slope so it's nice because it's a little quieter. read more