Cafe Ole
Whenever we go to Food Bazaar, we always frequent the area right across Northern Blvd to see what other restaurants might be decent. Some highlights around here include: [Pig Beach BBQ]({{ relref “pig-beach-bbq” }}) and SVL Souvlaki Bar. I saw that there’s this little quaint Spanish restaurant Cafe Olé even closer to the market, so we checked this place out. We were able to walk in without reservations around 3 PM on a Friday afternoon.
Ambiance & Service
This restaurant didn’t have much of an ambiance since it was early afternoon on a weekday. There was just 1 server/host. Regardless, the service was very attentive. Once they took our order, the food came out pretty much within 20 minutes.
Food
The complimentary bread was good. They gave us a vase of olive oil and balsamic vinegar that you could pour on your plate to dip.
The Pulpo a la Plancha ($24) was imported octopus from Spain, marinated with garlic and olive oil, served on a hot skillet. The octopus was surprisingly very delicious but perfectly cooked. It was bouncy and not chewy, and the amount was decent.
The Langostinos a la Plancha ($23) came with three prawns, marinated with paprika, garlic, and olive oil, grilled on a hot skillet. After you take off the head, the rest of the shell is very edible. The prawns were plump and tasted fresh.
The Lubina Chilena al Horno ($39) came with 8oz oven baked Chilean sea bass fillet marinated with lemon, garlic, and olive oil. The sea bass portion is on the smaller side, but when we shared the above between the 2 of us, it was good enough. The sea bass was nice and flaky, and tasted really good.
Final Verdict
Overall, this restaurant despite its smaller menu of tapas was surprisingly pretty good for what we ordered. If you’re around the area and desiring for Spanish food, I actually prefer this over Boqueria.
Yelp Jabs
Octopus was barely cooked through and even I asked to refry with some kind of yellow sauce it was still taste like raw and sauce wasn’t that good either.
This Yelper from Sunnyside may prefer their octopus overcooked. The octopus that we received was really good, but I can definitely understand if some people feel it’s undercooked.
I made a reservation for a birthday party here and then noticed a yelp review that indicated the restaurant adds a 22% service fee.
I checked my bill, and I don’t see a service fee. Generally, restaurants will add gratuity for larger parties. My bill reflected a suggested tip that was on the subtotal pre-tax.
Revisions
- Jul 13, 2024 - Initial revision.