Me, my partner and some old friends had an amazing dinner here! The servers are friendly and very attentive and knowledgeable. Louis took great care of our party. The pasta is amazing, I had the gnocchi and my partner had the ravioli and both were very good. I liked the tomato sauce with the gnocchi and the ravioli was very creamy and cheesey. Our friends split a fettuccine but I didn't get a picture but I heard it was delicious. My friends are pescatarian and they had a great time and they had many options to choose from. For dessert we had the hazelnut chocolate cake and our friends split the pistachio ricotta cake and I wasn't sure which one I liked more. The chocolate cake was a bit heavier, with a very rich flavor and the pistachio ricotta cake was much lighter and sweeter. We should mention that this place is cash only and we had to duck out to grab cash to cover the meal but there are plenty of ATMs in the area, but if you can come with about $50 per person (if you plan on getting dessert) and that should cover the meal. We can't wait to go back and bring more friends.
$ CASH ONLY $Complimentary PITA/HUMMUS/OLIVES - olives were not pitted so my friend was struggling lolARTICHOKES ($16) - favorite! Soft and flavorfulOCTOPUS ($19) - octopus was soft, the potatoes and romesco sauce it came with was really goodBEETS SALAD ($16) - enjoyedGARGANELLI ($19) - cool yogurt was a nice touchFETTUCCINE ($26) - had a nice spice to itSALMON ($29) - salmon was soft, tzatziki sauce was cool which was nicePORK CHOP 14oz ($32) - really liked thisSALTED CARAMEL ICE CREAM - nice caramel flavorAll of that was shared between 3 people. We were expecting a 4th which is why we ordered so much. Glad we got to try everything but definitely could have ordered less!Friendly staff. Good food. Good portion size to share. Would come again!
What an amazing experience. Olea is a cool and cozy Mediterranean restaurant right in the heart of Old City. After two years of being cooped up at home, I went here to celebrate a birthday with my loudest and best friends. We had an absolute blast, and were very well taken care of by the attentive staff. We shared nearly every plate on the menu, and were blown away by each thoughtful dish. The luscious desserts were the perfect way to end a night of spectacular seafood and pasta. That said, if I could eat just one thing again from Olea, it would be the pork chop. That thing is the stuff of dreams.Thank you for such a wonderful time, Luis and Miss Jo! Can't wait to see you again!
This is home. Cozy. Comfortable. Family. I could fall asleep in the banquettes—which they built-in themselves and upholstered—but I won’t.Atmosphere: We arrived on a rainy Thursday evening to celebrate a special occasion—they didn’t know that—but we were welcomed immediately and taken to a table effortlessly decorated with books, fresh flowers, and a jacket as of someone might be joining us. Of course, if you’ve dined at a restaurant with any of this staff before, you know they’ll sit with you to take your order as if you’re the only people in the room, so someone will be joining you. They set the tone from the jump and never let up. They’ll also chat with you from another table as if you’re at a parlor party at grandma’s or something if that’s the kind of thing you want. (I’ve noticed they also have the emotional intelligence to know when it’s not!) I’m not sure I can fully capture the feel, but it’s seamless, never rushed, and feels like home.Service: In case you haven’t guessed from above, the service is amazing. It’s the service from Noord on East Passyunk (RIP) moved down to N3rd and their choreography is complete teamwork. Jo actually recognized us from South Philly and welcomed us to the new neighborhood. It really seems that they love doing this, and they love doing this together.It’s attentive without being pushy. It’s honest without being rude. In fact, we were apparently going to order too much and Luis told us it would be too much. Very appreciated so we could have room for all of the desserts. (No pics b/c we couldn’t dig in fast enough!)Food: please see their Instagram @oleaphilly for much better photos. We had the pita, hummus, and olives. Pita was toasted/charred to my liking. It was just the right amount.Octopus with chorizo, potatoes, Sun-dried tomatoes, romesco sauce was the best-looking and most delicious thing. I wish it didn’t end. Each piece by itself was fine, but when you put all the flavors together-yum!Artichokes (pictured) was also delicious. Nothing unexpected but the presentation and the flavors were on.Beet salad (pictured) was also delicious. The orange vinaigrette was a good cutter for the potential bite of arugula.Ravioli was also really good. The peas were really good and fresh because they popped in my mouth. Love that. And the ravioli was stuffed and tasty in that cream sauce.The pork chop was very tasty. Presented on the bone, it very easily came off the bone. The fat around the edges was crispy and salty for great flavor. The asparagus was charred for a great flavor, and the mustard sauce was very well flavored.Salted caramel gelato affogato was really yummy and a great pairing with the pistachio pie (probably not the actual name).
This place had been open for just a month. The interior decor is so lovely, managing to appear warm and modern at the same time. The artwork on the wall is for sale. The ambiance lend itself well to either a few friends getting together, or a date night. Our server was lovely and just a delight in our every interaction. The owners were active and the restaurant and were also very friendly.We tried two appetizers. The grilled octopus is served with chorizo and diced potatoes. The octopus was perfectly cooked! The romesco sauce was the perfect compliment. We also got the artichokes. They were quite tasty with a light lemony flavor. The menu says they come with anchovies, but we didn't see any on our plate, even though you did get a hint of the flavor from them.For our main course, we both got the Fettuccine, which is a seafood fra diablo. This dish is a nice size, but not huge and intimidating. The seafood was fresh and there was plenty of it. The sauce was a robust marinara style. It has the perfect hint of spicyness: it hits the neck of your throat enough to make your notice, but you won't feel a tingle of too much heat.Dessert was the star of our entire meal. We got a school of gelato with an espresso poured into it. It was perfection, just perfection!We'll definitely be back, and we're bringing more friends!
Olea raises the bar! You must go! The food is PHENOMENAL. The artichoke small plate changed my life. The tortellini is from another planet. The desserts were unbelievable. The atmosphere is excellent too. Fun music & very tasteful mini arrangements on the tables. The owners renovated the entire interior - light fixtures, ceiling, floors, great use of reclaimed wood & gender neutral bathrooms (they have tampons!). The service is also fast and attentive - the moment we took out a bottle of white wine, we were delivered a nice slim ice bucket. The best in the business!
Cute, lively byob with great food (you must try the tortellini) and effervescent service! We can't wait to come back!
The food and service was excellent. The attention to detail is spot on. One of the best Beets Salad I’ve had in a long time, the Salmon was cooked perfect. The tortellini with veal and goat cheese amazing.Luis did a great job with the space. This will be our new neighborhood spot.
Absolutely amazing experience! The food was spectacular, the ambiance was romantically intimate, the staff was incredibly hospitable and made you feel like like family. Felt like we were at a dinner party. Will 100% be returning often. Likely one of the next marquee spots in philadelphia. 10/10
Olea is an indication that the restaurant industry in Philly is coming back. This gem of a find in Old City was fantastic. The atmosphere was cozy, the food incredible, especially the Afagato and the hospitality by Louis and his team was remarkably.We loved the entire evening and you will too if you can get a table!