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Categories: Greek, Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhood: Fort GreeneClinton-Washington Aves (G)
Lafayette Ave (C)
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This place is good.
Good food.
Good service.
Good atmosphere.
Good prices.
Deduct 1 star because it is fairly noisy and crowded.
The seating seems a little tight here, but only a little moreso than average in NYC. I've been here dozens of times and the vibe and service is great. This alone in NYC is enough to make me come back to a place (unless the food is absolute garbage, which it ain't).
I've never been terribly impressed with their tapas, but I've never been at all disappointed. Their hummus seems a little too lemony, but only a touch. The fried chick peas seemed really bland, but hey, they're fried chick peas. You can't really expect much there (though some salt would've been nice). I've had patatas bravas at a few tapas places, but theirs is certainly the best. They also have fried artichoke, which is crazy good. Last time I went, they had gotten rid of the Serrano ham, which is a shame.
One of my favorites. It's unpretentious and doesn't cost a fortune.
Dinner is great - if you like mayo and potatoes (if not, what the hell is wrong with you???) get the Patatas Bravas tapa - it's life changing. Try not to stick your face in it though, that tends to be frowned upon.
Brunch is also on point here. The coffee is strong enough to make you want to talk to people before 1 PM on a Sunday, which is reason enough to make the trip.
I like to sit at the bar on the weekends and drink Marissa's Bloody Marys.. The place is often crowded with people eating things but, there is rarely a wait for the bar at 11 am. I wonder why? I had meatballs once and they were pretty good.. But, my favorite part of the place is Marissa and her bloody mary's,, I like to add ginger vodka instead of regular vodka.
I took my friend to Olea's for a farewell lunch, when she moved to New Mexico. Naturally I wanted it to be a special meal. We were not disappointed. We indulged in assorted tapas, tzatziki with warm pitas, and endive and arugula salad. Everything was very fresh and rich with flavor. The almond stuffed bacon wrapped dates were out of this world. For dessert we shared an apricot infused bread pudding with apricot sorbet. It was outrageously good. We loved the warm ambience and exotic homey decor. Loved the flamenco music and spanish guitar playing in the background. I returned with my boyfriend for a romantic dinner, and once again, was very pleased with the meal, the service, and the ambience. One of my favorite places to eat in Brooklyn.
This is a wonderful restaurant. Laid back atmosphere, friendly and attentive staff and the food is simply delicious. (The wine weren't too impressive.)
Goat cheese croquettes were perfect and creamy in the center. Grilled baby octopus was juicy and tender. M. and I both order different fish entrees and they were so flavorful and fresh. M's side dish of baked potatoes were so good, I wish I could learn the recipe.
This is a great date place, it is not too loud nor too quiet. Surely it is also good for small groups.
I rode my bike over here on a rainy day to meet a friend for brunch, and I sure am glad I did. This is good food. The right amount, well made, satisfying. I opted for the Turkish Breakfast and cleaned my plate more quickly than I normally do. I also went for the pomegranate mimosa which was also pretty tasty. All in all, an excellent brunch experience and reasonably priced. I shall be back.
I thank for the existence of OLEA in Brooklyn. Such a lovely place to enjoy a brunch, or dinner. I've only been to Olea during their brunch hours, but i wouldn't think of it less for dinner/lunch.
-Greek mix dish for brunch
-salmon & salad (favorite!)
-mimosa (tried it first there)
My perfect Saturday afternoon would be:
hitting up Olea for early brunch so that there are no wait, then heading over to Fort Green Flea market to check out vintage/hidden treasures!
I really do love this restaurant.
In a neighborhood where the restaurants are either trying too hard (general greene) or not trying hard enough (cafe lafayette) this one hits the nail on the head for me.
The dishes are uniformly well-priced and delicious. The flavors are excellent and the ambiance is superb. If I were you I would check out their website, as they have special events every night (Tapas Tuesday, Live music).
Also! My main suggestion is to go on Tuesdays (but maybe don't go? because then it will be more crowded) because it is BYO wine night, live music, and special tapas Tuesday. An amazing and wonderful and inexpensive combo.
Love it.
Good for peolple who like Mediteranian food
Not for europeans
Olea is one of the first reasons why I fell in love with my 'hood in the BK.
This tapas joint is ultra-great, all-around.
The wait is not terribly long, but beware, brunch-time gets a little packed so expect to wait a reasonable amount of time (roughly 20 min.), especially on the weekends. It's on the same block as a temple and the Brooklyn Flea Market - lots o' traffic.
The food: yum-o!
Their pasta dishes come in two sizes: half and the whole darn thing.
The half sizes are filling, but I won't discourage you from getting the full -- especially if you're a plate-licker...you know who you are.
Their salads are also worth mentioning because of their tastiness. Filling portion sizes and lots of flavor.
Their brunch platters are infused with some Mediterranean flava, as if to say, "Hey! I'm Mediterranean, sort of." Again, filling portions.
Now the digs -- awesome atmosphere. There's a free-flowing hustle and bustle with an upbeat energy diffusing from the workers, wafting throughout this Mediterranean-inspired, earthy space.
The service has also consistently been 2-thumbs up...oh, excuse me, I meant 4-star material. Throw the price tags into this equation and you've got yourself a loyal patron.
Yum yum yum yum yum.
Having taken the red eye with a middle seat from LA to NY the night prior, I was in dire need of some serious brunching.
I really went for it, and was not prepared to hold back. I parlayed my Los Angeles "why not drink at breakfast?" attitude with the ever classic New York "ALWAYS coffee" mentality. Bloody Mary and coffee in hand, I ordered the Parmesan toast.
OY VEY. yum. It was thick pieces of just that, parmesan toast, covered with 2 poached eggs and hollandaise sauce, and peas and potatoes.
Ughh, it's been 3 days and it's still on my mind.
YUM.
Seriously, over 70 reviews and a plus four rating? Yelp is normally on the money, or not way off it, so we went here last night for some tapas expecting good things. Unfortunately Olea is the prepackaged deep freeze from a can version of Greek food.
I am at a loss to understand how this can be recommended by anyone unless the owners of this restaurant have 70 very good friends or all the prior reviewers have been infected by a case of restaurant localitis.
The hummus and pitta was store bought (and not from Dean and Deluca but Target's discount range). The pittas were just terrible. The sauteed mushrooms had had the sauteed swapped for being poached in cheap oil. The lamb meatballs were so far away from being descended from actual meat I could have used them to patch holes in a bike tire and the salted cod croquette was an off tasting puff of rubbish.
A truly bad meal. Really really bad.
If I had to pick something positive about the place it would be the cosy atmosphere and that the glass of sangria didn't make me ill. The only problem was that as we sat at the bar with our faces contorting in the horror with the shock of quite how bad the food was we had to try to try and hide this from the waiter.
Fun place for brunch, even though it tries a little too much to create "mediterranean" brunch dishes. The result is certainly unique, and by no means bad, but a little heavy handed.
The green eggs and lamb sausage were very good and everyone else seemed to love their dishes as well (turkish breakfast being another favorite). The pita though was overly hot and felt heated rather than freshly made and they ran out of bloody marys but that might be understandable given that we were towards the end of brunch and it may actually mean that it was freshly prepared and not premixed.
If I lived near the Ft Greene area, I would surely come to Olea several other times, as it has "neighborhood treasure" written all over it, but it doesn't otherwise cross the barrier of places worth taking a trip for on their merit alone.
It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and the outdoor seating was perfect.
We started with the falafel-crusted artichoke hearts with Turkish eggplant salad and tahini-yogurt sauce. It was good, but the eggplant was great! I'd rather just have that instead. The eggplant flavor was robust, sweet and tender all at the same time. Yum!
The lamb kefteddes meatballs with feta cheese and tomato sauce were even better. They were so juicy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, three was just not enough! I could have a whole plate full of them.
As for the chicken club sandwich, my dining companion liked it, but thought the chicken was a tad under seasoned. The bread looked really fluffy and tantalizing though. I think it was served with a side of patatas bravas and salad.
I can't wait to try this place for dinner.
Oh, Olea.
I would come here just to bask in the sun-filled space alone. Seriously--lighting matters, and this place has got it down.
However, this place has much more to it's credit than well-placed windows (which really are very well-placed! and plentiful). The mosaic tiles, clay stucco, and wooden ceiling of course do a lil somethin somethin to the overall ambience.
But of course, the Foooood:
I came here for brunch a couple Sundays ago. It was packed, so my roomie and I sat at the bar. No problem with that. We had more opportunity to chat with the gracious bartender (yes, even on a Sunday morning) and get all of her reccomendations.
Speaking of which, everything on the menu is a reccomendation. Very fresh, big portions, and truly unique.
DO try the chocolate croissants. They (comes with 2) come piping hot and the gooey chocolate is melty magnificence. Also, they're a different take on the typical--the outer dough is more phyllo (in keeping with the Greek theme of the place), which to me was an UPGRADE. Mmmm just thinking about em....
And just wait till you hear what I had for my entree--Savory Parmesan French Toast Topped with poached eggs, peas, scallions, pea shoots and avgolemono sauce-- don't even know what that last delectable sauce even is, but the whole thing was a DIVINE and transformative take on french toast.
In addition, the omellettes are spot-on. Good luck with picking just one from all the delicious choices though--Greek? French? Spanish? Italian? Turkish? ALL PLEASE.
Which is why I'm heading back ASAP....
I am so glad I chose Olea as the dinner venue for my Brooklyn-based birthday bash. Especially for my brave and loyal friends who trekked in from Manhattan to celebrate, Olea seems to be tucked away in the "middle of nowhere". Ok, ok, I'll admit Olea is not exactly close to a subway... but when you do finally arrive - you are welcomed by a friendly staff the moment you step inside this rustic oasis. And, let it be known - that by the end of our meal, we all agreed it was well worth the trip.
Rustic it was with chunky wooden furniture, mystical lighting and natural ambiance. More impressively, Friday night at Olea presents an enchanting live acoustic guitar player. Man, I am such a sucker for the acoustic guitar, especially when accompanied by gruffly sung Spanish lyrics. The only thing that kept me from throwing myself at the guitarist was my fervent fattiness; the enticingly eclectic Mediterranean tapas and savory wine kept me in my seat. *
Though simple at first glance, the wine list boasted a long list of diversity by region and price point and the server also sold us on some of the special offerings of the night. This is a great place to order a bottle or two for your table, enjoy the ensuing fluid conversation and not break the bank! Our table was a mixed bag of carnivores, vegetarians and flex-itarians :::shifty eyes::: and we were able to order about six tapas and two main entrees to share that both filled the appetites and met the tastes of the table.
Ordering the pita bread with 3 dips was an excellent choice for the table, freshly diverse and equally flavorful. The plump olives were marinated to perfection and the Turkish cigars were packed with deliciousness! All of our eyes glazed over as we passed around the plates of patatas bravas and herbed goat cheese croquettes. The entrees were also excellent, but daunting to finish after such indulgence in the tantalizing tapas. With such impressively prepared and presented fare, I will definitely be back to sample more of this bountiful menu...and especially looking forward to experiencing the undeniable charm of Olea during warmer seasons.
_______________
*Please note: If you are like me and attempt to tell a "dirty joke" once a year - realize the acoustic guitar strumming stops between songs and your horrible punchline might ricochet humiliating echoes across the restaurant...
Great food! I had a potato and leek soup with nummy seafood in it, and some great tapas before heading down to see a movie at BAM.
Since I love going to BAM, this could turn into a habit. I'll have to work my way through the menu. Brunch is also high on my list, when the weather gets warmer, from the reviews below.
i love olea and have been going to their brunch pretty regularly since living in the clinton hill/fort greene area. i can't speak for any of their dinner items nor many of their brunch items, but i can say that the parmesan toast is amazing. and i usually have entree envy when i see what people next to me are eating, though i've not been adventurous enough to veer from the parmesan toast.
the service is standard, nothing extraordinarily hospitable or prompt, but i go during peak hour at brunch so am not expecting a welcoming committee. they're efficient and take time to refill coffee, which is good enough for me.
the interior is homey and mediterranean with a smattering of huge plants that threaten to devour children left unattended. expect a considerable wait during peak hours, but be sure to while it away with their awesome bloody marys.
And so I realize that Olea might not be the restaurant to impress my parents during brunch.
I tried the yelp-reviews-recommended Turkish Breakfast and My Green Eggs and Lamb, and it did not impress her one bit. The organic eggs were supposed to include red onions, tomatoes and CILANTRO (an ingredient which my mother loves) and we did not really taste the cilantro at all. The green eggs and lamb was a bit disappointing. The lamb being less than a finger shy in length and 0.73th of an inch in diameter (and only 3 pieces none the less). The rest of the plate was eggs, potatoes, and greens.
The Turkish breakfast included a fattoush salad (which is bread in a way), eggplant salad (cold eggplant with tomatoes and onions), pita, the scrabbled eggs again and herbed yogurt.
The goat cheese croquette was pretty impressive. it was rich and had a thin layer of croquette-ness (or breading?). But I would have preferred a thicker breading since it was very dense (and tasty. the spices with it are appealing).
The lamb sandwich was similar to a meatball sub. Though the flavor of lamb, the spices and the tomatoes go well, i was a bit disappointed with it. I expected it to taste better. But my mom liked the bread.
But I guess what I'm trying to say is that, go here for DINNER instead of BRUNCH. The food was good but I figure this place is better if you want to hang or meet than impress for brunch. The service and the setting was beautiful (even if there was only one waiter at 1pm on a thurs. not a lot of people out).
Food: Consistently great. I have been there mostly for breakfast and I really like the ommlettes. I have been there once for dinner and I liked it very much as well.
Service: Consistently great.
Environment: Love it, you feel like you are in another country. The big windows let tons of light in during the day and in the evening it is beautifully lit.
Best brunch we've had in Brooklyn! Green eggs and lamb was amazing!!!
despite a name that reminds one of a certain unappetizing fat-substitute, the food in olea is quite delicious. their brunch is definitely the reason to go. eating the turkish breakfast, the plate was full of a variety of veggies and sauce, each one tasty on their own, but easily mixable for an unlimited number of combinations...add tzatiki to fatoush salad and put it on a pita...delicious. their scrambled eggs with cillantro was also good. it didn't occur to me that there wasn't any meat on the plate--i am soooo healthy!
that said, my bud and i split a side order of bacon. 4 strips for 2 bucks...price wasn't too bad...but i expect a lot from a side of bacon.
their coffee was good too. not turkish, but black and eye-opening.
Fantastic food
organic selection
good service
cozy atmosphere
perfect for brunch
Last weekend, I followed the advice of Tasting Table (http://tastingtable.co...) and trekked down to Olea before an afternoon at the Brooklyn Flea. Lucky for me, I was with the best kind of company: friends who love to share. I have to admit, I was a little dubious about the idea of Greek brunch, but I couldn't have been more surprised.
We tried out the Turkish Breakfast (a platter of eggs, pita, and yummy salads and sauces), Parmesan Toast with Poached Eggs and Peas (a great take on eggs bene), Brioche French Toast ('nuff said). It was a dreamy breakfast with some surprising flavors that made for an original brunch, which is hard to do.
The place is adorable and service great - 5 stars!
Went back for brunch w/ sis and it was great - generous portions and all delicious! Savory French Toast and Steak & Egg dishes both highly recommended! Really close to the Brooklyn Flea Market in Ft Greene on Saturdays and if you go before noon you shouldn't have much trouble getting a table. After that, you're on your own!
This place is such a welcome surprise for the neighborhood! Without Yelp I don't think I would have… Read more »
I took my mother and aunt to Olea last night. They are visiting from Florida and since it rained all day yesterday, I decided not to take them into the city and try a restaurant in Brooklyn. My roommate suggested Olea and the menu looked really good on-line so we decided to give it a try.
The restaurant was cozy and very chill. The menu selection had a nice variety of tapas, appetizers, entrees, desserts, and cocktails. There was something for everyone. For an appetizer we had the hummus and warm grilled pita. The server also brought out a nice bread basket. I had the vegetable pasta, which had organic whole wheat pasta, squash, zucchini, sweet potatoes, oyster mushrooms, and feta cheese. My aunt had pan seared Organic Farmed Salmon with goat cheese ravioli and my mother had the 14oz grilled sirloin, salsa verde, Potato gratin, sauteed swiss chard. We were all very satisfied with our entrees.
This was a great place to bring guests for a nice meal. I will definitely go back again soon!
very crowded for brunch (a party of 3, 2pm), though we only waited about 25 minutes. i had the grilled vegetable sandwich (amazing, delicious! $10) though the turkish breakfast seems like the favorite (everyone around us was having it). my sandwich was tasty, and the side salad was plain. the papas bravas were yummy. the portions were generous.
the friends i was with had the brioche french toast that came with a side of fruit salad, and the french omelette. both said theirs were delicious (and both meals cost less than $10)
the restaurant itself is larger inside than appears from the outside. the decor is cute, and the location is perfect for a lazy saturday brunch then hitting up the flea market up the street on vanderbilt & lafayette.
Went last night with my rents. They think Brooklyn is the red-headed stepchild (like me!) of Manhattan - so it was a pleasure to take them somewhere with such flavors and high quality.
We had delicious tapas, salads and wine. The waitress had a little bit of a tude.. but the food made up for anything that could have happened.
Oh, and news flash: If taking a date, there is a cute, little private table in the back - reserve it. It comes equipped with sexy lighting, privacy and romance.
In addition to everything being very tasty, creative, and delicious, all the raving that my friends did was actually true! The place is warm and cozy with rich colors and textures. Comfortable and homey. The staff were polite but not overly friendly or hurried. I loved how the tapas kept arriving at our table whenever they were ready. As is customary at tapas restaurants, it's best to share a ton of different plates, so you get to try a bit of everything and not feel stuffed! My favorites were the bacon wrapped dates, the warm pita and Tzatziki, falafel-crusted artichoke hearts with Turkish eggplant salad and tahini-yogurt sauce, and the Turkish Cigars (crispy baked phyllo "cigars" filled with ground lamb & feta).
I also appreciated their tasty Lambrusco - it hit the spot with all the spicy flavors. For a drink and many shared plates, it was about $30/person. They take reservations for 5 or more ppl for dinner.
This is a great restaurant for just drinks or with tapas or dinner. It's absolutely lovely with a fantastic menu!
Two of us went to Olea for brunch today, the wait was 20 min but we decided to sit up at the bar and skip the wait. there was plenty of table room, plus hooks beneath the bar to hang our handbags. The bartender was friendly and got us water and coffee right away. we started with the chocolate croissants- they are hand made, oozing chocolate, and toasty warm out of the oven... the only downside was they were more oily on the bottom than most croissants. I had the Turkish breakfast (duh) the pita bread was warm and remained soft throughout the meal, the yogurt dip was on the money, and the rest of it was decent enough to come back. The place is decorated intricately with colorful accents its kinda "homey meets kitsch" making it comfortable and easy to relax with a good meal. the tables are spread out far enough to give people privacy, which is a huge +.
Moved to the area a few months ago and I'm slowly making my way through the neighborhood restaurants. I'd heard a lot of great things about Olea and wasn't disappointed.
Brought the visiting fam for dinner and it really was a fantastic meal. We got lots of tapas, my favorites were the classic patatas bravas, which are topped with a delicious aioli, a simple grilled zucchini and eggplant that was cooked to perfection, and the goat cheese croquettes! God, I love goat cheese. Two different types of shrimp were great, but on the small side, and the salads were top notch! One came with roasted tomatoes, chickpeas and falafel croutons, which I think is totally genius. The salmon was good, but I don't eat a lot of fish, so I'm not the best judge.
Sangria was meh, but the food was outstanding, I'd be back in an instant.
I've only been here for brunch and both times I was exceedingly pleased. The tart Greek yogurt is very tasty and can easily be shared as a side because it is so thick and creamy. Be sure to order a pot of tea with it to wash it down!
The French omelet has Brie cheese in it. Seriously? Could you possibly ask for anything more ingenious? The coffee is hot and strong and the waitstaff is very laid back without being inattentive.
This is also a prime spot for people watching because there's tons of foot traffic that comes through this particular intersection, which makes for good morning conversation while waiting for your coffee to kick in and get your brain going.
The first time I ventured out of Manhattan was to meet with a close friend in Brooklyn. She had heard about this place from a coworker, so we decided to go there. We had one of the best dinners ever; and we both realized that we are truly "foodies".
First off, I've only been for dinner, and I only get the tapas. We heard that the dinner entrees are okay, but we had such a wonderful tapas experience that we decided that's what we'll always get. And every time we've been back, it's been amazing. So get the tapas. Who cares about brunch anyway. Small plates. Tapas.
We love the atmosphere... it's cozy, perfectly sized, with dim lighting, bench pillows and plants. Frequently there is live Spanish guitar. It always seems to be busy, but we usually get a table quickly. I guess it's worth a reservation if you have 4 or more guests.
So, the tapas are Spanish/Greek. I'll order some of our favorites for you:
. pitcher of sangria
. goat cheese croquets (even if you don't like goat cheese)
. gambas al ajillo (be sure to drag your bread thru the butter)
. bacon wrapped dates
. Turkish cigars
. patatas bravas
. haloumi
. pita bread with tzatziki
. yogurt for dessert (Greek yogurt + toasted walnuts + sour cherries + candied orange rind = amazing)
Definitely one of our favorite places; I'm always happy to leave Manhattan to come to this place.
There is nothing more exciting then to see a food composition I have never thought of... because there is tons of food I WISH existed. Olea served us the wildly unique Savory Parmesan (!!!) French Toast to my veggie-french toast-cheese-loving delight. It is topped with poached eggs, peas, scallions, like a quintillion pea shoots and avgolemono sauce (a Mediterranean hollandaise sauce-ish sauce). It not the greatest thing I've ever had but I've never had anything like it before. The restaurant itself is so sunny and cheerful by day and warm and inviting at night.
BRUNCH GOODNESS!
I recently went for a friend's birthday brunch. The wait staff is friendly and efficient and the food is delicious and reasonable.
Beyond the fact that the food & cocktails are excellent ... I just love the ambiance here ... It's a chill, laid back, place and brunch here on Sunday is a great way to start the week. :)
Lovely. I felt like I was back in Barcelona or a warm sunny island even though it's just the start of spring. Great fresh food and cozy atmosphere. Time flew by so quickly!.
My friend and I came here for an early dinner on Saturday. Food : good. We had all tapas and they were more Spanish than Greek. Price: reasonable. Service: excellent. Our waitress was friendly and helpful. Atmosphere: comfy and unique. We loved our falafel-encrusted artichoke and side dish of spring vegetable. The paprika fried chickpeas were new to me and delicious. The sangria marinated steak was very good too. This is a great place to sit and relax and catch up with friends, which was what I did.
This is where I went on my first date with my now-husband, so I have fond memories:)
A creative Mediterranean menu with Italian, Turkish, Greek, Israeli influences will definitely satisfy the palate yearning for something different. Definitely not a fast food joint, you'd want to go here for a long conversational meal with friends, perhaps before or after a film for some of their excellent wine selections (try the Massaya from Lebanon, it's exquisite!!) and some dessert. The decor makes you feel you have entered into a place in the Middle East, with a palm tree right in the center, tiles, mirrors, pillowed-seating on the side...Outside seating available seasonally. Reasonably priced with friendly staff.
Neighborhood: Fort Greene
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