El Olivo Gastrobar — Restaurant in Oaxaca

This was a Tuesday evening in Aug 2024 discovery on a rainy evening. Walked in with no research with a family of four for early dinner and a few drinks as this was right next door to my hotel .

The bar staff seemed friendly and English capable. And their menu seemed to offer tapas, which I have also tried and loved in Spain.. so decided to start here because I just needed a few drinks with small plates of tasty protein like octopus or anchovies. However, was a bit disappointed, tapas here were mostly a thin slice of chorizo or cheese with a drop of yummy sauce on an unfortunately large slice of bread.

The taste was good - so credit where it’s deserved but these are not tapas!!!

However Let me be honest.. but the tapas I’ve had in Spain used to be only fish only octopus extremely proteiny and tasty with optional bread.

but this slice of ham/ cheese / chorizo on a piece of bread,was not what I expected .

The music is soft and relaxingI. Lovely candlelight in the evening . However I have a problem with seating. Some terrace seating has no backrest.. and the place is non-smoking, but I guess that’s the scene with all places in Oaxaca. Tried a few mezcals for 90-80mxd - were fine.

So nothing against the staff or the place it’s nice. It’s quaint. It’s peaceful. I tried a few dishes here, which were OK.. the place isn’t very expensive for this area.

(And although I am not very sure due to the language barrier - some servers seemed friendly but some seemed to want to push us out as we were ordering more drinks than food - with questions like do you need...

El Olivo exceeded my expectations, so much so that I went multiple times. The building itself, the staff, the cocktails, and the food were all exceptional.

There’s a well-decorated and cozy downstairs area, as well as an open-air (but covered) terrace with beautiful plants and comfortable furnishings.

The staff were all very attentive, friendly, and helpful. Cocktails were creative and delicious.

The food is stunning. As a Euro/Spanish gastrobar, starting with tapas is a must. They have fantastic pinchos. Our favorite, and a highlight of the meal, was the Res a la Parrilla con Hierbas Finas. For dinner, I had the Triada de Salchichas (three of their homemade sausages), which I’d highly recommend to any sausage lover like myself. They also offer a great selection of steaks,...

We were lucky to have this place next to our air bnb. It looked enchanting when we walked by so we decided to stop in, only to love it so much we came back for a second time.

The cocktails are creative, and they have wine and beer options as well.

The food was what really brought us back. The sheep/lamb sausage is one of the best I’ve ever tasted. I highly recommend getting the trio of sausages and determining which you like best. The ponches (red de hierbas) was was of the best pieces of meat I’ve had in a long time. So simple and packed with flavor.

The servers were on top of it both times we came. Checking on us multiple times. Food and drinks were quick to come out. And the music selection only enchanted the...