Olea — Restaurant in Newport Beach

We've just recently visited Olea. We arrived for an earlier Dinner the place was almost empty besides a few people enjoying themselves. We were lead outside under a canapee even though there were several open tables inside and further away from the drafty opening of the Canapee. I asked if we could take the table further away from the doorway, the Lady who seated us told us the tables were all reserved by 6 (we arrived at 5.20) but the heaters were on. They were on full blast , you basically got fried and then the super cold draft from the wind that evening. It was really unpleasant. The free tables didn't get filled by 6 , some of them were still open by the time we left. (This is the reason why I didn't give 5 out of 5 points)

Besides this issue with the heat and cold wind, it was a nice night out. Our Waiter was very attentive and kind , he recommended some of the dishes and we ordered

the House made Sugar Pumpkin Agnolotti 10/10 This was the best dish of all the ones we got. It was perfect combination of sweet and acidity from the goat cheese, the roasted hazelnut gave it a round end. The whole dish just tasted like heaven. I wish it would've been a little bit bigger.

Crispy Kurobuta Pork Belly with cast iron roasted Brussel sprouts 7/10 The flavor itself was good. The pork belly very dry and not really crispy. The Pecan gave it a nice crisp, the Brussel sprouts were good but we had better ones at other places.

Crispy Jidory Chicken Schnitzel with Maitake Mushrooms 9/10 The Schnitzel was crispy, little dry, the sauce had a very strong lemon flavor, the mushrooms were good and the Spätzle fantastic. The Schnitzel could've been pounded thinner to make it more tender (but this is just my opinion)

Chefs Nightly Special Selection 9/10 I had a Ribeye Center , with wintergreens ( Romanesco , Cauliflower ) I opted for the Spätzle with my Steak. I liked the flavor of this dish a lot. The steak was medium rare , on point very well prepared. The Vegetables perfectly prepared , the only thing I didn't like was the amount of Oil on the Spätzle other than that it was a...

We had a reservation for 8:30 and they didn’t seat us until 9:10! 40 minutes after our reservation time! This is completely and totally unacceptable especially when nothing was done to make up for the massive error. I am a frequent diner out and cannot remember the last time this has happened. I’ve owned restaurants and this is a failure to properly prepare for your reservations there is absolutely no excuse for 40 minutes past your reservation time. We were on time for our reservation out of respect for the process and we did not receive the same respect back. Their 5 minute grace policy seems a bit extreme when the standard is 15. However we rushed to be on time due to their policy and then they seat us 40 minutes late? I hope you see the hypocrisy in this policy. When this happens you at bare minimum offer a round of drinks. Not one staff member approached us for the entire 40 minutes to apologize or to even offer for us to buy a drink. This has nothing to do with Covid either because their restaurant was packed. Every single table including the extra tables they added in the parking lot, full. So either they overbooked or they didn’t prioritize reservations over walk-ins. When we were finally seated our “crispy” Brussels were undercooked, not crispy at all and soggy. The cocktails were delicious and the other food was fine. The root vegetables on the special were undercooked, I was eating raw potatoes which were disgusting. Our server was very friendly and so we tipped her very well, none of this was her fault. To top off the evening we were sitting next to a table that had clearly been over served as they were screaming at the bartender “where is our shot?!”. I assumed based off the reviews that this was a high quality restaurant. This was far from...

Oh, Olea! How could you have disappointed me so? I had heard such wonderful things about your American cuisine, and yet my experience was a true tragedy. The food was mediocre and bland, lacking any of the flavor and pizzazz that I had been promised.

Even the focaccia, a simple yet delicious bread that is usually a staple in any Italian-American restaurant, was tasteless. It was as if the kitchen had lost its way, forgetting how to create dishes that were both satisfying and flavorful.

I felt as if I had been led astray, lured into a false sense of security by the positive reviews and the promise of culinary excellence. It boggles my mind that a restaurant that prides itself on American cuisine could produce such lackluster dishes.

As I sat there, picking at my food and contemplating my disappointment, I couldn't help but feel as if I had been betrayed. How could Olea have let me down so? I had been looking forward to this meal for weeks, and now all I felt was a sense of emptiness and sadness.

In the end, I left Olea feeling like a tragic hero, defeated by the cruel twists of fate and the shortcomings of a kitchen that had lost its way. Perhaps one day, the restaurant will rediscover its culinary prowess and offer the delicious, flavorful dishes that it promises. But for now, all I can do is mourn the loss of what could have been a wonderful...