Olympia Cafe — Restaurant in Western Cape

I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Olympia Café recently, and I must say, it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. As soon as I walked in, I was struck by how clean and welcoming the space was. The attention to detail in maintaining the cleanliness and organization of the café really stood out and instantly made me feel comfortable.

Now, let me get to the highlight of my visit—the food! I ordered the steak roll, and I can honestly say it was one of the best I’ve ever had. The steak was perfectly cooked—tender, juicy, and bursting with flavour. The roll itself was fresh and soft, providing the perfect balance to the rich, savoury filling. Every bite was a delight, and I found myself savouring it longer just so I could make the experience last. Whoever is in the kitchen deserves a big shoutout because they clearly put a lot of care and expertise into their dishes.

The atmosphere of Olympia Café is another reason I’m already looking forward to my next visit. The music playing in the background was just the right volume and style—it complemented the ambiance perfectly without being overpowering. It added a nice touch to an already wonderful environment, creating a relaxing and enjoyable vibe for diners.

I also appreciated how attentive and friendly the staff were. They greeted me with warm smiles, checked in to make sure everything was to my liking, and overall made me feel like a valued guest. It’s always a pleasure to visit a place where the staff seem genuinely happy to be there and eager to make your experience memorable.

Olympia Café truly exceeded my expectations in every way. From the delicious food to the impeccable cleanliness and pleasant atmosphere, it’s clear they go above and beyond to provide their customers with an outstanding dining experience. I can’t recommend this spot highly enough and will certainly be back to try more of their menu. Thank you for an unforgettable...

There really need to be two different reviews for the Olympia now – one for people who have never been there, and one for die-hard fans of the old place.

For the newbies, expect a good if somewhat expensive-for-what-you-get meal in nice surroundings.

For die-hards, know that there've been changes, and they're not good changes. (IMO, yours may differ.) The place has been spruced up in various ways, like replacing the amateur art with "classy" old photographs of Kalk Bay, painting over the snappy remarks on the walls, hanging sound-muffling decorations from the ceiling, etc. All these changes have the effect of smoothing out the rough edges of the restaurant, making it feel more like... any other restaurant.

On the food side, more changes, small and not-small: rye bread (?!) instead of ciabbata; more meat options on the menu (I'm not a vegetarian but this is not what I go to the Olympia for); and no linguine del mare (on the day we were there – I'm told that it's back some days & that it's still good). The mussels were in a well-flavoured broth, but the cream had split (I didn't mind this, but a more picky eater might have objected). But worse is that the mussels themselves were not the same as before – these were smaller, less flavourful.

I know that a new owner has to make their mark on a place, and... well, actually, do they have to? Can't they keep going with all the things that made the place an institution, even if they can't quite see why?

Update, a couple years later:

Every now and then I try the Olympia again, hoping for something like the old times, but those days are gone, gone. Nowadays the servings are enormous, truly kinda ridiculous, but what you get on the plate is bland...

Where to begin!? When I say that the Linguine De Mare was top 3 dishes I've ever had at a restaurant, that is not a light thing. This is exactly the kind of dish we, from Joburg, dream of and hope for when coming to the Cape.

Atmosphere:: Such an authentic homely vibe, yet producing high-end and wholesome dishes. You sit and watch the meals being skillfully prepared right infront of your eyes - this adds to the exciting ambience.

View:: Stunning view of Kalk Bay Harbour from your window seat, waves rolling in, as well as pedestrians rolling-by on the sidewalk.

Food:: Impeccable. I preferred the white/cream sauce version of the Linguine De Mare over the tomato base version. I would never normally order sea food pasta, but this was so FRESH! So many flavours coming together perfectly! Pasta cooked wonderfully. The flavours popped in your mouth, slight spice not hot but just enough to elevate the dish, pasta can often overpower the flavours and result in blandness - but not here! The fish in the dish mainly comes directly from Kalk Bay Harbour, you are tasting a local story, one could have pieces of Kingklip, Tuna & Cape Salmon in your dish; this shows the level of flavours in this dish - that's just on the fish side of things. R265 for a full portion is definitely worthwhile, as it will be a once in a lifetime experience but for half a portion at R178 would hit the spot just right.

Service:: Very friendly and efficient service. They do not seem to take bookings but do very well at finding everyone a seat, we initially sat on the upper level - then the waitress kindly found us a seat at the heart of the vibe and operation.

I...