Olea Cozumel — Restaurant in San Miguel de Cozumel

I wish there were more than five stars to give to this new addition to the Cozumel food scene. My husband and I are experienced food critics and global travelers. We have high praise for the food, beverages, service and serene atmosphere we found in this fine restaurant. Olea offers a fine dining experience at affordable prices that fits the casual ambiance visitors and residents seek on this Island. This is an Italian restaurant with a Cozumel vibe that uses the freshest of local ingredients.

Tonight we met the owner, Alberto. He is from Colorado. Both his parents are Mexican. He is experienced in the restaurant business and it shows in the excellent service offered by his wait staff, manager, bar mixologist and culinary staff.

My husband enjoys a well made manhattan cocktail and found the one prepared in a frosty stemmed glass with frosted cherries to be one of the best. Their wine list will please even a choosy wine connoisseur. I had a delicious Malbec from Argentina.

We shared a well prepared Caesar salad for our first course. For his entree, my husband had the fork tender, short rib osso buco, in a savory well crafted sauce accompanied with asparagus and polenta . I had their milanesa saltimbocca with prosciutto and a creamy vegetable risotto. Both meals were praise worthy. The portions are generous.

We stopped ourselves to take some of our meals home to save room for a dessert. We shared the budino. Budino is a delicious butterscotch pudding and one of our favorite Italian desserts. A budino and their espresso coffee was the final piece of deliciousness for a perfect date...

Last evening I enjoyed an unforgettable evening at Olea. Daniel was our server and he provided exceptional service in both describing the dishes and pacing our meal. Cudos to the bartender for creating a beautiful manhattan. The chilled champagne coupe for the cocktail coupled with frozen cherries on a cocktail stirrer made for a truly amazing drink.

I totally enjoyed the chopped salad for my first course. The ingredients used were extremely fresh and chopped small which aided in eating the salad. It was dressed with a light, but flavorful dressing. I would go back just for this salad.

For my entree I chose the osso bucco. What an excellent choice!! The presentation was incredible only made better by the flavor of the mouth melting short ribs served on top of the best polenta I’ve ever experienced. Accompanying it was crisp tender asparagus and roasted red peppers.

I finished my meal with an excellent cup of cappuccino and the budino pudding. Both fantastic.

To my parties surprise, there was live music which rounded out our fabulous evening at Olea. Thank you to the chef, and all of the staff in making this a festive,...

Amazingly reasonable prices in this incredible restaurant! We went with 6 family members and all were impressed! The ambiance from the time you walk in was so welcoming. Paola was very accommodating for our seating request and although there were a lot of diners we could easily converse and enjoy the music 🎶. The fans in the courtyard kept everyone cool and comfortable, because the inside dining space was full. Daniel our awesome waiter professionally handled our questions and gave impeccable service. Now the food 🥘!! The best part- we had the focaccia- delicious and so fresh, beef carpaccio disappeared in a flash!! The Ceasar salad was so fresh and tasty as were the entrees- Bolognese best ever, Rigatoni- a slightly spicy yummy surprise, Short ribs to die fir and the catch of the day perfectly prepared!! Desserts were the bomb as well, Gelato, Strawberries and cream so fresh, Tiramisu and Crostata al Ciocolata delicious!! And the prices were all so reasonable. All in all a great place for fine dining experience- we...