Ole Tapas Lounge & Restaurant
1126 Capitol Trl, Newark, DE, 19711
Ole Tapas Lounge & Restaurant Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Newark for healthy meals suggestion.
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Visit below restaurant in Newark for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1126 Capitol Trl
Newark, DE, 19711 - Phone (302) 224-9378
- Website https://www.oletapaslounge.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm
- Mon : 11:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Romantic
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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John W.
We came for a birthday weekend to get away from Baltimore. We knew we would fine rest and relaxation but we were surprised to fine such wonderful food. At first glace walking in the decor and multitudes of empty wine bottles can be a distractions but the food and the staff make up for it completely. One quickly notices this is a place were locals and non-locals alike eat, but the friendliness and promptness of the staff one would have thought we were VIPs. Menu is well organized and developed for both tapas and non-tapas guests. The great thing is the menu also offers selections for large parties to eat family style (paella and whole pig) but also wonderful dishes for a party of 2 to enjoy. Our server (Alex) was amazing. Gave great recommendations and spot on discriptions of the food beyond just the menu. There was never any surprises when the food came out. Drinks were uniquely created and great. Must try the cocktails inspired by the in house infused vodka. Dishes were simple, fresh ingredients prepared well with tons of flavor. Presention was excellent. Only complaint was any bread presented with the plate often got soggy because of the wonderful sauce but Alex made sure we had plenty toasted bread to have that extra texture. My wife and I ordered the scallop ceviche, mixed ceviche, Gambas al Ajillo, white asparagus and Almejas en salsa verde. Must try if you like tapas!
(5)Ethan J.
We made unnecessary reservations for a Friday night. We were seated right by the door and when we asked to move back further, we were told "sorry we're booked". The place was and continued to be half full. We did some research and looked up the menu before hand just to find out that it didn't match the one given to us. The chef sent out two pieces of bruschetta, which ended up being one of the best things of the night. We had- The pollo picante, (which ended up being random chicken scraps tossed in buffalo sauce and drizzled with bleu cheese) The fried eggplant (very crunchy, almost over cooked) The patatas bravas, (which had good flavor but were not executed traditionally. Unfortunately they had a spicy mayo drizzle, not romesco) The yucca cheese bread (which was very good) We finished with the churros (very thin and crunchy, the "ganache" was hot Hershey's syrup) Ole was average at best. When you order small expensive plates you want to be wowed. This was boring. We probably wont be back, just too many other date night options around.
(2)Roo V.
My first visit to a Spanish restaurant ever! I was dying to try tapas and here it was right next door.. Finally forced all my friends to try this place and it was a radiant surprise. I really liked all the different tapas dishes, the one that stood out was the dish with dates in it - can't remember the name ! But I did definitely feel each dish had goat cheese. So after a point it did get monotonous. But as a veggie I did see a lot of options and thoroughly enjoyed it. Special mention to the. Patatas Bravas as well. I also liked the paella, though initially shocked to see one order of paella was 50$ but on talking to the waitress she happily obliged to get the chef to prepare the lunch portion which was 10$. Overall was a good experience, but not sure why it was empty on a Friday night, looked like it had a perfectly good bar and One of the only Spanish restaurants in the region...!
(4)Ju L.
My sister and I stumbled upon Ole Tapas Lounge and Restaurant one afternoon when the restaurant we wanted to lunch at was closed due to electricity outage. The place was empty and we were quickly seated. From the lunch menu, my sister and I decided to share the Paella Valencia for $15, and the ceviche from the regular menu. Our server brought us 2 pieces of complimentary bruschetta which was very considerate and hospitable of him. The bruschetta were delicious and quelled our hunger for a little, though our food arrived quickly as well. First, the ceviche was fresh and yummy. Prices are reasonable for the amount of scallops we were getting in our ceviche!!! Definitely ordering this again next time. Next, the Paella Valencia had the right amount of seafood, the mussels were plump, there were little neck clans and shrimp too. Definitely one of the best paella I've ever had, except there was a little piece of plastic in it. Other than that, this was a superb meal. Oh yeah, they also hosts flamenco nights on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month, and all you can eat paella for $15 pp all day on Sundays!!!
(4)Ron T.
We enjoyed a fabulous dinner of tapas and drinks. The service was exceptional and especially the bartender!
(5)Jessie H.
They have an extensive tapas menu (meat, seafood, veggies). They gave us a free plate of bruschetta- thought that was pretty nice. Here's what we got: Mussels- great flavor, tons of bacon! Get the one on their specials menu (not the one on the regular menu) Gambas al Ajillo (shrimps with garlic)- my favorite dish! Pato a la Manzana (duck breast)- this had too much of a mango/fruity flavor going, I wasn't a fan. Hummus de Calabaza 7- tasted like carrots, it was different! Albondigas estilo Marroqui (lamb meatballs)- loved the orange sauce! It goes really well with the rice (order a side of the rice). Patatas Bravas - bunch of potatoes with some spicy mayo on it- not bad Pintxo de Steak (steak skewers)- The flavor was pretty good on this as well (came with 4 skewers) Lamb chops (comes with two)- Excellent flavor, cooked medium rare! I wanted to try the goat cheese but they ran out :( The service was super friendly! If you check into yelp you can get 10 bucks off 60 bucks or more.
(4)Fawn P.
I've been to Ole Tapas numerous times since they opened and I love it more and more everything I come. The food is always delicious and beautifully plated. The staff are funny, knowledgeable, and ready with suggestions. My favorite dish is the gambas al ajillo (sp?)...shrimp in olive oil and garlic.....incredible! The decor is lovely...very warm and inviting. Perfect date spot! Definitely check it out if you're in the newark, de area.
(5)Jamie L.
Food was pretty good. It's a bit expensive, though. Nothing I had in the large group of people that ordered tapas really blew me away. The paella that we ordered was probably the best thing that we ordered.
(3)Bill W.
Food: Yes really good, seems like a lot of stuff is 'made to order' and they tell you it will take a few minutes more. Pretty extensive selection with lotsa different type flavor combo's. Service: Outstanding. Dude knew whole lot 'bout the food, had to bring and clear a ton of plates during our lunch and even had developed a pretty authentic spanish accent. Atmosphere: I'm not a big atmosphere guy, I can eat in the garage as long as the food is good. Can get little expensive with all those small plates (tapas are like $7-12) and I could eat about 10 of them by myself (...they are kind little). Plus I don't like sharing my food....sorry. Sangria was a little weak.
(4)JohnAnthony C.
Six dishes, each better than the last. And service to die for. To kill for. The kind of service that makes you want to write your servers name in on the next electoral ballot. As long as he works here, I will come twice a week & spend thousands of dollars. That name, you ask? Caitlyn? No. Clancey? No. Casey, was the name of this man. This man that redefines service. This man is the face of the industry.
(5)Jane A.
My parents and I were here to celebrate my birthday this year. Service was friendly. Food was good. We shared the Solomillo, Gambas al Ajillo, Arroz Negro, Espinaca a la Catalana, Serrano, and Cieras con Tocino (but without the bacon). Solomillo was awesome. Espinaca tasted like thanksgiving. It was so good. Gambas was good as was the Arroz and Serrano. I didn't have the Cieras but my dad enjoyed that they were able to do it without the bacon. We had a few drinks and were able to enjoy the night with little interruption. It was hard to hear in the restaurant, even though it wasn't overly busy. Full bar and wine.
(4)H B.
Recently went for Tapas and had a gluten free friendly meal at the same time! Great service, great good, and wonderful sangria! Highly recommend the dates!
(4)Brigit B.
A must stop when galavanting through the flourishing region of....Newark De. Started out with the Patatas bravas. Translation -bravo potatoes! The aioli drizzled over....mmmm. This dish is a must order, not to mention potatoes are great for your figure. Next up, Col con cabrales. Translation: order this. Kale, lentils, sun dried tomatoes & shallots in a cream sauce, served with crostini. Quite rich, but high yum factor. Also ordered a seafood dish. 4 mussels and 3 clams (who's counting?) served in a wonderful broth with ramen. This dish was my favorite, can't recall name. Full of flavor. Our last dish was a flatbread pizza. Called...something fancy. It was tasty, but nothing to text home about. Fun experience. Informative, chatty bartender with solid recommendations! Will go back.
(4)David S.
Wines. Tapas. Service. Variety. These things all come together to make Olé one of my favorite places in Delaware. The wine list features Spanish selections but is cosmopolitan enough to have selections from other places that make great pairings with the foods on the menu. The tapas menu has varieties of styles and sizes of dishes - some for one person and some for sharing. There is also a separate daily features menu of specials not found on the main menu. Everything is prepared fresh! The service here is friendly and paced according to diners' needs - no rushing if you want to linger, or immediate if you're in a hurry. The waitstaff are knowledgable and welcome questions - they enjoy serving informed diners. The quality of the wines, tapas, and service make the experience well worth the prices, which are reasonable for the sizes of portions. This is a truly great place to dine, wine, and experience the flavors of Spain!
(5)Shelly C.
Saturday was a sister date and this is how it went down. Willy Wonka and his maniacal oompa loompa's kicked my heiny at De Park. Feeling sorry for me my sis let me choose our next stop and Ole Tapas was next on my hit list. Ole appears to be a small no frills joint from the outside of it's strip mall location, next to a Dunkin Donuts. Inside however there is an intimate romantic ambiance with candle light, live flamenco music, and warm orange walls. Initially I wanted to drown my sorrows in sangria but server Jose and live flamenco music were so cheerful and upbeat I couldn't help but be happy. Jose saw we were seated in a small two top table in the middle of the restaurant and swiftly moved us to a cozy half moon shaped booth. After the seat upgrade Jose brought us some delicious bruschetta, "compliments of the chef." I just love feeling special :) Jose then proceeded to go over the menu explaining tapas and making recommendations. I listened to Jose and picked the priciest scallop dish at $14 and filet at $16. My sis ordered a steak dinner. My steak tapa came out first, on a bed of mashed potatoes, adorned with onion strings and accompanied with vinegary carrot peels. They put the dish in the middle as tapas are meant to shared. The portion size seemed large for a tapa and I felt like this dish would be a complete meal for one person. I enjoyed the dish well enough but I probably wouldn't order it again because the meat was on the chewy side. I will say I loved the carrots as they were unique in preparation and the mashed potatoes were also well executed. My scallops came next in a bright flavorful citrus sauce with a fried risotto ball. The scallops were well cooked but not well washed as I kept biting down on gritty pieces of sand. Risotto ball was blah. My sister's dish lagged behind my tapas so I shared with her. When her dish came she said her meat had great flavor but was a bit fatty and she didn't care for the red sauce on the plantains. I tried one and thought the plantains (minus the sauce) were delicious!! Two glasses of the red sangria chock full of apple cubes rounded out the meal. Unfortunately I missed the $20 a pitcher deal by 30 minutes so I paid $10 a glass. For the grand finale we split an order of crispy sugar cinnamony churros with a decadent chocolate dipping sauce. Probably the best churros I've ever had. Take that Wonka! I ended up spending $60 for the two of us after using the Yelp 20% off tapas offer. The discount was hassle free which earns bonus points IMO. I debated between 3 and 4 stars, but decided the service & ambiance pushed them over the edge despite some food flubs here and there. I'm eager to try the paella & I thought the mood of the place was incredibly romantic so I will be back!!
(4)Linda T.
Came here twice for lunch because they were 1,000 point table on OpenTable. The place was really empty for lunch on a Saturday and very dark inside. The service was friendly and the food was just decent and can't compare to the fresh tapas I had in Barcelona. I was excited to see squid ink paella on the menu but when I ordered it they said they were out of squid ink.
(3)Laura F.
We dined here because they were on my list of restaurants to offer US Airways Mastercard bonus points, and had good reviews. So glad we dined here! We ordered all kinds of tapas and each was very good. The duck tapas was the best one - SO GOOD. We also got pumpkin hummus, scallops, fried green tomatoes, and calamari. Everything was cooked perfectly and packed with flavor. The prices were good for tapas and the portions were larger than some other tapas places I have been. We ordered 2 each, if I remember correctly, and it was plenty for the 3 of us to share. The service was really good, too - our waitress was quick and friendly. There were other servers who brought out each dish as it was done. I liked this because it ensured that nothing got cold. Don't let the location fool you, it is in a random shopping center. This place is quite good.
(5)Lorraine A.
Nice variety of tapas. Seem to be made to order so they don't all come out together. The filet sliders were delicious. So were the stuffed dates. We'll be back.
(4)Jason L.
Ordered a few tapas with my fiance. Have to say. The food here is pretty impressive and service was good
(5)Melanie B.
Meh. Most of the food was okay but some was flavorless, had the salmon ceviche per recommendation of the server. The fish was fresh but had no taste, the calamari was flavorless and oily as well. Also had the steak and truffle potatoes, Spanish omlette, and empenada. Now those were FANTASTIC. Overall the food is okay, some dishes are hit or miss. Not worth the price in my opinion.
(3)Brian A.
Amazing. It's the only word to describe ole' tapas. Great food, great service, thanks scott! It is by far our new favorite restaurant from this point on.
(5)Jeff S.
Wow.... I travel a lot and eat at lots of restaurants. I normally use Yelp to find great places to eat but generally do not leave reviews. After eating at this place I needed to leave a review. What amazing food from the Tapas to the dessert I enjoyed eat plate. The service was phenomenal. When back in the area I will definitely come back.
(5)Joe M.
If you are looking for a nice idea for a date, you can't go wrong with sharing tapas, and Ole Tapas does an amazing job with them. First off, you can tell with their dishes that they take pride in presentation. They have a well balanced menu with meat, seafood, and vegetarian tapas. The menu also changes seasonally, so you could find new menu choices every time you go, depending how often you visit. One of my favorite dishes is the Gazpacho. Also, the Setas con Chorizo and Lentejas Morunas are on point as well. The service is almost always excellent, and they regularly have specials and sometimes live music to fit the theme of Spanish cuisine. The prices are typical of higher end tapas in my experience, but well worth it in the end for a nice intimate outing. Tapas work well for an intimate date or even for a sizeable group. Just make sure to share!
(5)Marina H.
Went here for my 21st birthday celebration. Perfect dining experience! We had a wonderful waiter (Justin or maybe Dustin) who was well versed in the menu offerings and had great recommendations. Started off with the calamari with apple, onions, and artichokes. Then we had the pumpkin hummus and the daily flatbread which was goat cheese, onion, and ham. The next few we ordered, which I would highly suggest getting, were the duck and the flank steak. We ended with the fried green tomatoes and the Spanish omelet (which wasn't my favorite... Marginally bland compared to the rest of the plates). At the end of the meal, our waiter brought out a plate of churros and chocolate ganache with a flaming torch sparkler in it. It went wild and he almost caught on fire, laughing the entire time because his coworkers had warned him haha. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a meal out somewhere a little nicer. It was very well priced and I even had a 20% off tapas coupon from yelp because I had "checked in". It was an amazing start to my birthday festivities!
(5)Nunca A.
My significant other and I were in the area and wanted something to eat. This place is amazing. Everyone was professional and friendly, very informative, and we especially enjoyed our waiter John. S.? (There is another John but he goes by Jake LOL). The initial plate was a free taste of bruschetta and then we went on to the main courses. I had a tapa of lamb meatballs before I moved forward to my main dish which all I remember was "yummmmmm". I then had dessert of a traditional Argentine cookie with rasberry ice cream. The portions were smaller than my stomach prefers but so valuable in quality that it was worth the price and our time. I was significantly impressed and am surprised there wasn't a line outside of the door. WELL worth the visit. Great for a date, a business meeting, a lunch, fits all occasions. And the traditional flamenco-like music played was a GREAT ambiance.
(5)Colleen H.
Had a phenomenal time last night at Ole Tapas! Was our first time there and will certainly be going back. The food was great (I thought the prices were favorable) and the ambience/ atmosphere is beautiful. The owner and waitstaff were extremely personable. This truly is a hidden gem in Newark!
(5)Denver G.
We had a small birthday event tonight here. It was just with a few close friends that was planned, however Manuel Aguinaga's team and crew made the event short of spectacular! The crew set up the back area to become an intimate event. The food was awesome: several varieties of tasteful tapas, cooked to perfection conchillo (whole suckling pig), wonderful paella valenciana, and sumptuous parillada Argentia (grilled meats). All my invited guests were truly satisfied at the end of the evening. Most of all my wife, the celebrant, felt special! This won't be the last I will plan an event here. Thank you again to Manuel and staff!!!
(5)Angela C.
AMAZING!!!! Excellent service, food is phenomenal, beautiful and elegant atmosphere! You don't feel like your in Delaware. Highly recommended!!
(5)Vince P.
Hands down our favorite restaurant in Newark! The tapas are very traditional (I.e., patatas bravas, Fabada Asturiana,etc.) to seasonal and modern and extremely delicious; drinks are good and atmosphere is comfortable and relaxing. It's a great place to get an appetizer and drink before heading out for the evening or an awesome choice for a special night out. You can't go wrong eating here!
(5)Sam S.
Great place love the tapas and the service is wonderful. Nice bar and love the nights with live spanish music. I really enjoy going here with my girlfriend always a great time.
(5)Tom S.
We went there on a Saturday night with no reservations after trying to go to a Tapas place on Main Street that had no tapas on the menu. Although all the tables were booked, the hostess was extremely accommodating and brought a table up for us. The live music was great, the food was delicious, and most of all, the service was top notch. We'll definitely be back!
(5)Cyan P.
Paella is THE BEST!!! I really made myself hungry before going here so my Paella cravings will be satisfied. Even the price is a little to high, you will still enjoy and take home a lot that you can share. Will go back there soon. Need to save up. Lol
(5)Jay W.
I had a great time at Olé Tapas. The menu is expansive and delicious. My favorite dish was the octopus with potatoes. The octopus was cooked just right and I loved whatever the seasoning was. The short ribs were also very good (served with cheese balls on top) as well and the crab croquetas. The spinach with chick pea dish had a terrific, thin sauce with a little bit of spice to it that I enjoyed. The only dish I wouldn't recommend is the calamares en su tinta (squid with squid ink). It taste was a bit off for me. Though I AM coming to the conclusion that I prefer octopus to squid in pretty much all situations. We ordered pitchers of the red and white sangria. They weren't bad, but also weren't my favorite sangria. The fruit wasn't as ripe as I had hoped it to be, and I wish they didn't use shaved ice. Tre leche cake was terrific. Moist and flavorful. French pressed coffee wasn't as dark as I would have liked. Service was attentive and friendly, she offered some great suggestions.
(4)Johnny D.
I was in Newark visiting a friend when we spotted this place. The menu was unlike most tapas. The calamari appetizer was exceptionally delicious . I've never had green apples in the mix. The roast pig was very good. Salmon croquettes exellent. My friend had mussels with black rice,also exceptional.
(5)Scott H.
Hi, stopped in for first time, bartender was as gracious as an owner. Had many great tapas and drinks to knock our socks off . We are on the high off this incredibly gem. Luv this place can't wait to see Scott again
(4)Christine G.
We went to Ole Tapas a few days ago because I got a coupon in the mail. My fiancé and I have never been to a Spanish tapas place before and received excellent recommendations from out waiter as well as super friendly service. The food was good, but pretty expensive. We only had about 4 tapas and a soup (French Onion at a Spanish Restaurant? Why not!) but the bill racked up to over $70 between that and the alcohol..plus some of the supposed to be warm dishes were on the lukewarm side . Highly Highly Highly recommend the churros and they have french pressed coffee....they're covered in chocolate and I would gladly go back there and just to have a plate or two of the churros. Only giving an A-OK because we were still hungry when we left, but I'm looking to go back and try it again sometime, and hopefully that rating will go up!
(3)Michele M.
The lamb meatballs ates to die for! And the staff is very friendly. If I'm back in town, I would definitely come here again.
(4)Andrea H.
First time dining at Ole Tapas and the experience was great! I was there with my hubby. Food selection was wide and what we ordered was delicious. Started with an eggplant special dish served with melted cheese and thin sliced tomatoes then we had asparagus which was warm and cooked through just enough to leave a little crunch which I like. Next we shared a peanut chicken dish that was flavorful and tender and best of all were the broiled scallops that just melted in our mouths. Our server was very friendly and well versed on the menu which he explained very well since we has never eaten tapas style before. My hubby doesn't tend to be very adventurous when it comes to dining out but even he warmed up to the delicious food and agreed that this is a restaurant he will come back to again.
(5)Matt V.
Im giving this place 3 stars bc they promote vegan & gluten free options. I don't know if they deserve a better review but this was my first time having tapas & I really wasn't into it. The staff was great but the ambiance is pretty generic which made this seem like eating at an Olive Garden which wasn't what I expected. (There's nothing wrong with Olive Garden if you're in the mood for it)
(3)Roger B.
This place offers more than just tapas, but I ordered 6 tapas dishes: * Croquetas - basically 4 crab cakes in the shape of meatballs * Albndigas Estilo Marroqu - lamb meatballs * Patatas Bravas - like an expensive version of regular and sweet potato home fries * Tortilla Espaola - potato and onion binded with egg, served with a guindilla aioli * Calamares Fritura - calamari with artichokes * One more dish that's not listed on their online menu - basically ox tail cooked with carrots and onions Overall, all were good, but the artichokes (in the Calamares) were very sour. I don't go to Newark, DE that often, but if I returned to this restaurant, I'll probably order the Patatas Bravas again. The other dishes are good, but I'd want to try some other tapas. Note: I think 2 tapas dishes per person is good. The waiting staff said 3 - 4, but I think you'd have to be really hungry to eat that much food. Note: the dishes are a bit on the expensive side, but the presentation of the food is really nice and the general ambiance of the restaurant is very nice. FYI: Aioli is basically like a mayonnaise with some other flavor added.
(4)Steve T.
Remember that Seinfeld episode about the paella? George's mother made this huge pot of paella for Jerry's parents, who didn't want to come. Well, ever since seeing that episode I've been jonesin' for paella. Finally, I got my fix at Ole Tapas. Ole Tapas doesn't set the paella pot on fire, but it does offer good food at good prices. We ordered three mojitos and two margheritas, all for $5 a piece...major score. Primarily a tapas joint, all the plates were good; I lost track of what we ordered, my mind numbed somewhat by mojitos. The star of the evening was the seafood paella, served with black rice made even blacker by squid ink, calamari, and mussels. This bad boy could easily feed a starving orphanage; I show food little mercy and there was enough for three servings the next day, after feeding three. $50 might seem steep, but it is a huge plate of food. This is the place you want to come to have fun, drink mojitos, and be loud. If you are on a first date, be warned as that squid ink will stain your teeth and you'll have this weird black smile. Works for me, for the record.
(4)Kristina D.
Food was good but service was horrendous. Each dish came out when ready and drinks were the highlight of the meal. Our server was not entire with it and it took over 35 mins to pay the bill. All in all, mediocre meal.
(3)Jessica D.
It was our first experience at this restaurant and for trying tapas.The food was so delicious and our server Maria was very attentive and pleasant.We especially loved the cozy tables. Hands down one of the best restaurants my husband and I have dined at in a very long time, can't wait to come back!
(5)Yingbo W.
This is my third time at the restaurant now and I now conclude this restaurant is hit or miss and not worth the money for repeated visits. I went here for my birthday with my mom and a Saturday night. We ordered maybe 7 tapas between the two of us. Most were tapas I have not tried before. I'm not going to bother to remember the spanish names but they were: cilantro chicken skewers, plantains and fritters, squid with squid ink and fried paella ball, littleneck clams and chorizo, spinach and chickpeas, roasted beets with goat cheese, and a seasonal roasted duck on pumpkin puree. After I tried these dishes, I realized quality control is very poor. I'm guessing everything here is pre-made (especially the sauces and broths) and heated up when you order. Depending on how busy the kitchen is, they might over heat or under cook your food. The clams and the spinach tapa was super salty drenched in this white wine sauce. Some of the spinach in the tapas was all wilted and brown by the time it got to us. I was appalled by the overcooked spinach and the salty wine broth that it was drenched in so I sent it back. The waiter seemed shocked but did not argue and took it off my bill no problem. The roasted beets, which I've I had before and liked wasn't cooked as well done as the last time. The chicken skewers I've also had before too but this time it was drenched in way more sauce than I remembered. I also realized that despite their seemingly extensive tapas list, they reuse the same ingredients and sauces over and over again! By the end of the 7 tapas, I was sick of seeing the salty wine broth, olive oil, green and cream colored aioli, and the sweet red paste that seem to come drizzled over every other plate! These ingredients seem to make up the flavoring to every dish they serve here. Despite having 6 tapas (we sent one back), my mom and I were still not quite satisfied so we ended up sharing a tres leches cake for dessert as it was recommended by the waiter. The first bite was good but became too rich and cloying after that and soon tasted more like mass produced sheet cake which would be okay if the cake wasn't so darn expensive! I especially did not like that the frosting on top was Cool Whip mixed with confectioner's sugar instead of whipped cream like it said on the menu. It gave the frosting an ashy, gritty texture. I've had better tres leches cake in hole in the wall mexican restaurants at half the price. Bottom line, I would recommend you try this restaurant once just to experience tapas or maybe the paella if you have never had spanish food before. However, don't keep coming back here because you will be disappointed at the lack of quality and the lack of variety in their dishes once you realize their extensive menu's an illusion. Unfortunately, the quality and the amount of food you get from this restaurant does not match up with the prices they charge. You could very well spend $30 to $40 a person and leave unsatisfied.
(3)Weixuan F.
I found this restaurant by chance with a friend. I like the Spanish style here. We ordered lamb meat ball, duck comfit and paella mixta. Lamb meat ball was very good appetizer, but too lean. Duck comfit was cooked with sweet sauce (maybe including honey), very tasty. Paella mixta could serve more than 4 people, so we 2 people could not eat it all. But it is still very good dish including a lot things, like clam, shrimp, tomato, rice, sausage and so on. The restaurant is a good place for dinner with many friends.
(4)Bridget S.
My husband and I went for an Anniversary dinner and had a great time. The atmosphere was fun and the service was great. Everyone was genuinely friendly and really seemed to enjoy working there and recommending dishes. We especially liked the Calamari with artichoke (Fritura de Calamares), and Lamb Meatballs (Albondigas estilo Marroqui). But the two standout dishes that we enjoyed more than we expected to were the Fried green tomatoes (Tomates Verdes Fritos), and the Fried Plantains (Tostones Gratinadoes.) The Sangria was just ok, and if we went again, I'd probably opt for a bottle of wine instead. They had a very nice selection. The dish that was my favorite was the desert! They had homemade Alfajores and they were amazing. Alfajores are a traditional Spanish desert but are also popular in Argentina, where I first heard of and fell in love with them. These were as good as any Alfajor I had in Argentina!
(5)Jim C.
Made reservations for a UD graduation. The atmosphere is loud with a lot of energy this is not a place for a quiet meal. We were seated immediately and the attentive and cheerful waitress came to greet us. We ordered 2 chef's boards for 7 people when i asked about the boards she commented that we would be fighting over the last few pieces. When the boards arrived we saw why, for 25.00 each they were extremely sparse. While we were waiting for the boards we ordered 2 Paella's we asked how many they feed and were told that we would take a little home with us which was fine.The Paella's arrived and they were enormous, we wound up taking an entire one home with us. The food was good and much enjoyed by all. It would of been nice to have a bit better direction so we did not order so much and spend an extra 50$. during our meal i saw several deserts go by with a sparkler in them and since this was a graduation celebration I asked the waitress to bring one for my daughter. My experience has been that for occasions such as these one desert would be complementary, especially with a total bill of 300.00 however there was a 7$ charge on the bill. Overall the food and service were good to very good but be careful not to over order and over pay.
(4)Xin L.
Great selection of tapas! Can come back again!
(4)Salvatore M.
Tapas. Wine. Cheese plate. If I were I millionaire, I might spend some of my time trying to help others, but this is the food I'd be eating every day. If you go the tapas route, they are bigger than some other places, so if you are used to tapas in Philly or D.C., you can definitely leave Ole with a smaller bill than you are used to or at least a sizable doggy bag. That being said, the food is so delicious I have no trouble running up a decent price tag ordering a variety of plates. The wait staff is honestly very helpful, so if you're a little unsure what to order, they'll give you some good guidance. I recommend _not_ skipping the cheese plate; they have these little delicious sauces to complement the cheeses. ¡Salud!
(5)Nick N.
Food is great but the wait is intolerable. We waited a long time to be greeted by our waitress. Took over 20 minutes to get our food. Would benefit from having more staff.
(3)Wenyu M.
Food is good, but not sure how good it is cause I don't have a lot experience. However, it takes almost an hour to prepare our big papilla. Yelp has a 20% off coupon, but we only had tapas 20% off which is like only appetizers discounted not the entrees. Kind disappointed by this.
(2)Dorothygale T.
It's times like these that I'd wished I'd relied on the bad reviews instead of the overwhelming positive reviews. This place was terrible. We tried 8 different tapas, 2 of them were good and the others were just bad. There is something about the quality of the food that makes the place seem like a chain and that the food is prepackaged and pre-prepped. Like someone else said, it's the portions, sizes and uniformity of the food. It was very strange. One of the dishes was flambéed chorizo, it was the oddest chorizo I've ever eaten and the server didn't light it on fire (as we saw him do at other tables) so it was like eating sausage that was laid in a pool of rubbing alcohol. Our server was horrendous, which didn't make things better. He was inattentive and barely came to the table...he seemed busy and flustered, which was odd bc they had runners for all the food. All in all, if you've had REAL tapas anywhere else...this place is going to be a BIG disappointment.
(1)Tim W.
The food was very good, but I thought way over priced. If we hadn't had some 1/2 off coupon my wife got on Groupon or of the same ilk I think I would've had to leave. It wasn't just that the bill was high, the ratio of cost to food was high. We had a cheese sampler plate where there was only enough of a type of cheese for one person, so it wasn't like you could share and compare them. I will say the servers were very knowledgable and pointed out each item on the mixed plates without prompting. I think this should be a standard with such types of menu items or where you are trying "new" foods, but is often so lacking. Maybe we'll try it again when there the happy hour specials are on.
(3)Paul H.
Have been back twice in the last month. Last night, tried some great (interesting!) red wines, and had an excellent light meal! I appreciate the big flavors and small portions - best of both worlds!
(4)Christine S.
We'll....I went because I had a Groupon coupon. I will say everyone is very friendly but the Sangria had no flavor and the food was disappointing. I won't be returning.
(1)Kate A.
Went there with some friends for my birthday and had a great time. We couldn't make up our minds about which sangria to get so the server let us sample all three and they were all really yummy! Everyone picked a couple dishes which we all shared and I enjoyed them all...even the bacon wrapped figs which I was really nervous about. My favorite was the fried calamari and artichokes with saffron. The whole dining experience was great and I will definitely go back, especially for another pitcher of that sangria!
(4)Sherry J.
My friend and I used to come here regularly for over 2 years for the 1/2 price tapas and pitcher of Sangria for $20 from 9pm-11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. We still managed to spend over $100 each time. It was fantastic, the food was amazing, the service at the bar was great (Seth), and it would have been 4 stars at least. Then they changed the 1/2 price menu to a list of tapas you could choose from, none of which we would purposely eat, and replaced the bartenders with some guys that really sucked at service. What used to be a packed house for 1/2 price tapas turned into just the 2 of us, and we still couldn't get decent service. We asked why they changed the menu and they said they were losing money...really?? I would think the empty bar and lounge as opposed to the previously packed house would be losing money....Then they stopped offering the Rose Sangria, and only had Strawberry which was disgusting. The final straw was when we both ended up with food poisoning. We couldn't narrow it down to what it was, because we shared all the tapas that night. It's a shame this place went from fantastic to suck in 2 years.
(1)Jamie N.
Best tapas in Delaware! Dishes you should always get: patatas bravas, gazpacho, fritura calamari, and flan.
(5)Aaliyah P.
Ole- Tapas hasnt changed much since the last time i dined here other than the prices. After a long drive from below the canal i decided to meet CB at the bar for some sangria and comida. Started with a glass of cava and waited almost 40min for the boy to arrive. Luckily the bartender was super friendly and kept checking in on me. At CB's arrival we did a pitcher of the rose sangria which was amazing! not overly dry not overly sweet a great balance of flavor and a steal @ 20.00 for a pitcher (during the nightly HH) Gambas aijilo , bistec alijio, mussels in a spicy sauce, empanada of the day (steak and potato and the tortilla espangola were our starters . Everything was as i remembered, fresh ingredients , flavorful spices and it reminded me of my trip to spain last year. The atmosphere was still bustling well into the night. My biggest issue was prices the tapas..most had increased SIGNIFICANTLY and the portion size seemed smaller then before. This is newark de and these prices were up there with amada/tinto. Though the food was good this def wasnt a garces joint and i felt slightly ripped off. I probbably wont come here too often unless its during hh since (half priced tapas take over the bar area). Service was great, food was great just overpriced.
(3)Lauren W.
This is a great place if you're in the mood for tapas. I strongly recommend the tinto sangria (red), the patatas bravas (fried potatoes w/ a spicy aioli drizzled on top-really large enough to share between 3 people) and a new thing I tried tonight which was small but great: Piquillo Relleno (Piquillo pepper stuffed with goat cheese). Always a good experience for me here AND there's a 20% off tapas check-in offer on Yelp currently! I used mine tonight!!
(4)Matt R.
My wife and I stopped by here the other night to try something now. One can hardly go to a tapas lounge without going for the tapas, so that's what we did. Our four tapas did us in for a full meal, but before we start on the meal, the waitress brought out a small appetizer: crostini with a carrot spread. This small dish disguised the taste of carrots with a complex mélange of spices that wonderfully confounded my sense of taste - I'd love to know what's in it. After this apetite-whetting mystery mini-dish, the four tapas began to arrive. -"Pan Con Tomate", a bruschetta-like dish with roasted tomatoes, loads of olive oil, and what I believe was fresh basil. Scrumptious. -Lamb meatballs (I don't see this on their current menu, so they might not be offering this any more). The sauce soaking these beauties was also tomato-based, but it tasted different from the bruschetta - also quite tasty. -"Patatas Bravas", a plate filled with fried potatoes, seasoned with a generous amount of what I believe was kosher salt and paprika. We asked if the chef could be generous with the spicy aioli to kick this one up a notch on the heat level - it was, in my opinion, the best part of the meal. -"Pato Al Jerez", consisting of duck bits lightly seared (read: cooked rare), with butternut squash and some cherries. This was our least favorite part of the meal. I was OK with the duck, but the butternut squash isn't generally my favorite, and I didn't think it fit in with the cherry / duck combo. The sangria (we got the blush-wine sangria) was great. The service was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive (but not too attentive). We enjoyed the food and atmosphere immensely - on a Monday night, this place wasn't at all crowded. We're really looking forward to our next visit here.
(4)Lillia Sanura G.
Hubs and I decided to go back to Ole Tapas about 2 weeks ago for a second go at the place, further swayed by the limited time ceviche festival they were having at the time. It was around 6 or 7, and we were surprised it wasn't filled up since it was on a Sunday night. Well, not long after we entered and seated, it did start to fill up a bit, so I guess our timing that night was just right. Once again, the hostess at the front was very nice and seated us quickly, this time in the back, where we got a new view of the place. A back corner table with a nice candle, and we had some very nice ambience. Our waitress, very friendly and easy to talk to, took our orders. Not too long after, we had our first dishes, getting a nice taste of two different yummy ceviches that hubs and I eagerly shared. The rest of the meal was very good, especially the fried yucca dish I ordered. Smooth service, no problems. When all was done and gone in our tums, we had a luscious dessert. I absolutely loved the Tres Leches Cake the waitress suggested. Amazing! Paid and left, satisfied and full. Hubs and I both agree that we'd like to return again in the future. Ole Tapas gets a two thumbs up from us.
(5)Miles B.
I can understand why there's so many fours. The food's alright and so is the wine list. However, the food is lacking vibrancy, freshness, and seasoning. A friend and I went in on a Tuesday which just so happened to be half priced tapas. So we got a wide range of flavors. Would I return? Maybe on a Tuesday. Any other tapas craving, I'll head over to Orillas.
(2)Mark P.
Good food, artistic presentation. A bit expensive for tapas, but we haven't had a bad plate. This was our second visit. Our first visit, two years ago, we found the food overly salty, even by tapas standards. This time, the salt was toned down, to good effect. The wine list is really good, and works well with the tapas. We wanted to try the batatas bravas, which is a favorite tapa of ours from way back, but their version has the puzzling inclusion of sweet potatoes, so we skipped that. We have never tried the paella, but there are only a few truly exceptional paellas I have ever had, so I tend to avoid those while eating out. We had some bread with fig paste, olives, and a cheese plate. All of the flavors were fairly complimentary. We split our tapas between vegetable and meats, and we were happy with everything. Desert were good. We shared the churros con chocolate and the pastel de chocolate (Daddy loves him some chocolate). Service is slow, which is a good thing for a restaurant like this, and follows more of the European standard for restaurant service, rather than the American tendency of turning tables. Some people might find issue with the slow service. My only complaint is that the best tables face the bar and the kitchen. Otherwise, it is pretty good. They lose a star because I believe it is overly expensive based on our experience and the table layout. Otherwise, this is one of our top restaurants.
(4)Cathy H.
I was not impressed. Just not my kind of food and the service wasn't that great.
(2)Michael S.
One of the better places we have dined at in the Newark area. The service was spot on. We ordered a handful of different tapas and were happy with the portions and quality. Did not try the paella yet, perhaps the next trip. We will be back.
(4)Connie R.
Great food - and $5 tapas from 9-11? Amazing! Be sure to listen to Scott at the bar - he won't steer you wrong!
(4)Sheena J.
The tapas, paella, and drinks are delicious. The staff is very friendly and hospitable. The prices are average. I just wish they offered more/intermediate options that aren't as small as a tapa dish and not as large as the paella (besides the sandwich or steak).
(4)Sarah L.
A friend of mine has been wanting to go to this place for a while and because of all the yelp reviews we decided to check it out for lunch. The staff was friendly and place was clean but I didn't expect it to be so fancy (their plating). I wasn't too impressed with the pork belly sandwich that I ordered. The bread was so tough to chew, it ruined the sandwich and because of the price of everything I probably won't be going again.
(2)Ralee M.
A lot of other reviews have commented extensively on the tapas, and since I don't eat pork and that pretty much rules out most tapas, I'm going to skip that portion of the menu. My bf and I went here because I had a hankering for some paella. And boy do I love paella. For those that feel the same way, take my advice, and do NOT go here for paella. 1. It is huge. Menu says it serves 2-3, but in reality it would probably be a good portion for 5-6. 2. It is $50. Paella can be expensive, but it's gotta be good. 3. Absolutely no flavor or seasoning. Salt, people! 4. Absolutely no crisp on the bottom. The crisp is what makes it a paella and makes it delicious. 5. The meats (in this case chicken, shrimp, shellfish) tasted like there were precooked and then added after the dish was finished cooking. They had absolutely no flavor. 6. The red peppers tasted like they came from a jar. So overall, this is a bad paella that is not worth trying. I will say though, that I took that giant thing home, added some seasonings, charred the bottom and it was delicious! I give myself 4 stars on the reheat. That being said, the atmosphere and the service are wonderful.
(2)Wayo Y.
Forget Amada in Philly. This place is where tapas are at in the greater Wilmington area. Oh, and for the love of all that is sacred, you MUST have the chocolate churros for dessert! You say you don't like chocolate? Have the churros anyway! You say you don't like churros? Have the churros anyway! You say you are violently allergic to cinnamon? Well, OK, but at least have your friends order them. Pro-tip: Skip the entire entree menu. You want tapas. I know the temptation is there to try to paella, but you WILL be disappointed (and grossly over-stuffed by the massive portion).
(4)Barbara W.
Hands down the best meal I've had in Delaware. Although tucked in a strip mall in Newark, this restaurant could easily compete in any major urban area. We sampled from the Tapas menu, rather than ordering entrees. A few of my favorite items were the Chupito de Gazpacho Andaluz, spicy Patatas Bravas and the Queso Jerezano...although it's a hard call because everything was fresh and prepared wonderfully. I was impressed with the speed of service, too. The place was packed, but all of our dishes came out within 10 minutes of being ordered. Staff were friendly and attentive. They have a great daily specials board, too (like1/2 price tapas and sangria Tues and Thurs from 5-7 pm), which would be a great opportunity to sample to your hearts content without going over budget. On busy nights, I recommend trying to sit in the bar area, because the dining room seemed crowded and a bit noisy. We had a booth in the bar, and it was perfect. The only food complaint I can think of it to avoid the filet mignon. It was the highest priced tapas item (at $12), and the taste of the filet was overpowered by the strong cheese and onion it came with. Go here!
(5)R S.
Great place for parents visiting udel and their srudents
(4)Dan L.
Fantastic food. I've had the pulpo (octopus) several times and it's always amazing. The lamb meatballs are also great. Decor-wise, you definitely do not feel like you're on Kirkwood Hwy next to a Dunkin'. The only thing keeping me from giving the fifth star - service (although very pleasant) can sometimes be on the slow side.
(4)Kara T.
Consistenlty excellent food, great service and atmosphere. Brought my foodie friend from NYC here with the kids. We asked for a "out of the way table" so we wouldn't disturb the grown up diners and were kindly accommodated. Both of us were in awe of the duck, which is one of my favorites with its butternut squash and cranberry accents. The calmari in spicy paprika and chorizo with mushrooms were also fantastic. Although I'm not a big potato eater, the potatos bravas are so darn good. the only disappointment was the oxtail, which was bland and fatty. One recommendation for Ole - put your chorizos con chocolate back in the demi serving glass. The dipping tray (which also holds less of that divine chocolate) cools off too fast and is hard for dipping. Our server, Julia, was fantastic and we had the pleasure of the team approach, where several servers brought us our tapas. We must have had 5 or 6 people drop something off. Made us feel very pampered. if you haven't been to Ole Tapas yet, you must go. It is one of the best restaurants in the Newark/Wilmington area and the food is far better than tapas I've had in Philly and Baltimore.
(4)Poyz C.
Great atmosphere. Nice decorated and great service. Their tapas menu is awesome; range from $4-8. They use high quality produce for their main dishes. Oh.. Don't forget to leave a room for their desserts! This is a nice place to sit down and chill out with good food+wines.
(4)Alycia M.
Order a pitcher of red sangria and white sangria, both are yummy, the white was extra special though. We ordered a lot of food (9 of us). The ox tail was super tender and not too fatty, also the patatas bravas was superb the spicy aioli was perfection. Also make sure that you try the pork belly sandwich was excellent as well. We also had lentils with chorizo, tortillas de patatas If I go again I wanna try the paella. The atmosphere at Ole was so great, not expected on Kirkwood Highway. The staff was very attentive, and very familiar with the menu (that is key). Great place to stop in and get some great small plates.
(4)Earl E.
They have great food and even better service. I like to go around 9pm on Friday to sit at the bar and enjoy thier $5 Tapas with my girlfriend. All around good place with a great atmospheare.
(5)Leah S.
My date and I were there in the late afternoon and the place was empty. Fortunately our waiter didn't bother us too much, which I appreciate, and he was also very helpful in explaining the menu, which my date appreciated. The food was tasty-- I liked the flatbread of the day which was a surprisingly good combination of a lemon cream, onions, and olives. My date fell so in love with the chorizo & lentil stew that he ordered two to go and then forced me to make it for him a week later. It was an easy enough task because the stew was straightforward and simple, but well executed. I think it's a little pricier for the amount of food you get compared to Orillas, in Wilmington. And while all the food was good, I didn't like it as much as Orillas either, which is why it only gets 3 stars.
(3)Ben D.
Was supposed to have dinner with my wife at Chifa in Philly, which is hands down my favorite tapas place but they called and told me they weren't opening because they had been without power all day. Totally bummed but found this place in a yelp search and decided it would be a suitable replacement. We weren't disappointed. They have a wide array of tapas items available, maybe 50 or 60 total, or something like that, so you could definitely find something to please anybody. Everything we had was cooked well and plated nicely. I thought the prices were reasonable, almost all the tapas dishes were under $10 and the sizes were typical of what you would expect for tapas as well. The atmosphere was nice, just the right amount of fancy for me. Big dining area with plenty of room between tables to move around. Our server Steven was fabulous, just attentive enough, friendly and just about perfect as far as that goes. On that note, everyone who worked there was very friendly, and for me, that goes a long way in making sure I have a nice time and will come back in the future. Not much on the negative side, but I will say the food was definitely not Spanish. Maybe Spanish inspired or Spanish American. Not bad necessarily, but nothing very adventurous or anything out of the ordinary. I think some of the tapas were a little bland and boring but not bad as a whole. If you have some some friends who only frequent chain places and you wanna go out and show them something a little different this place would be perfect. I'll definitely be back at some point.
(4)Mike M.
Oct 2012 -- We really used to love this place, but hadnt been in about 3 months. In our last visit, the food was just ok no where near the flavor and you can clearly see they are changing the size of the portions. Service was also just ok -- I left the write up we used last year as reference. Dec 2011 -- 4 stars Really like this place - great food and the flavor is incredible. Sangria is really good, and comes in a couple of flavors. They also have a few really nice beers, including one from Manila (San Miquel).
(3)Kaitlin L.
I was really impressed with Ole Tapas: great food, service and decor. Prices are pretty darn fantastic too. As the name implies, the restaurant serves tapas, or small plates that are meant to be shared. I went here after 9 on a Friday to take part in the 1/2 priced tapas (there was also $20 pitchers of sangria). We couldn't make up our minds so we just told the server to surprise us with some plates. The server didn't disappoint. Everything was cooked perfectly and really hit the spot. We ended our meal with churros con chocolate and couldn't keep ourselves from sipping out the last drop of chocolate. We all left discussing when we can all meet up again to come back. Really glad to see a Spanish restaurant in the area.
(4)Oscar D.
The deal is you have to buy 2-3 Spanish appetizers per person and then every body at the table nibbles off of each other's plates. They bring out the plates every 5 minutes or so. Each plate costs between $6-$10. So plan on spending $25+ per person. Pretty pricey. They have mostly imported beers from Spain that run $6 a pop. None of the beers are anything special. I ordered 3 dishes. A seafood stew that was fantastic-- great broth, assorted shel fish and sausage slices. I struck out with a flank steak (tough) and a lamb sandwich (gyro meat). If you want to broaden your horizons, definitely a good time. Probably a very good time if you have a larger party. Bottom line-- pretty pricey for what you get. Might do this 1x a year just for fun. Service was very good. Just wish they had a better selection of beer at more moderate prices.
(3)Gary C.
This is an UPDATE to one of my prior reviews. Chef Manuel and his staff CONSISTENTLY provides Excellent Service, and Mouth Watering Tapas dishes to suite any palate! This place is deceiving on the outside. It's Warm and Romantic on the inside. I suggest the White Sangria to accompany your dishes. I can't say enough good about Ole. It's a Great place to Celebrate any occasion. Try as many plates as you can fit. They're all Great! ENJOY! Be sure to check out any Special Events they may be having. Chef G.
(5)Melissa N.
Great tapas place! Great service, beautiful presentation of dishes. Loved the pato en BBQ de cereza, albondigas estilo marroqui, and the coca del dia (chorizo con pineapple) dishes.
(4)Sidd S.
Some Spanish flavor for the Delawarean palate. Ole Tapas Lounge is a good place to go if you've got a very mild hankering for some tapas, but don't want to break the bank or drive out too far. If you're looking for authentic tapas, this ain't the place to find them... but that's not necessarily a bad thing: Ole Tapas offers a great selection of safe, Americanized entrees that make dining out with risk-averse non-foodies very easy. Their drink selection is great: Spanish wines offered by the bottle, full glass, or half glass, imported and domestic beers, and of course: sangria. One quick note: the food here runs a bit on the greasy side. Our patatas bravas very quite oily and the chorizo had a bit of a burnt bacon flavor. We really loved their Moroccan-style lentils, but they too were sitting afloat on pool of olive oil. All in all, this is a good place to visit from time-to-time -- a fantastic alternative to Wilmington's staple chain-restaurants.
(3)Brad B.
For the Newark/Wilmington dining scene, Ole is great. It doesn't compare to some of the Philly tapas restaurants, however. (but it's not as pricey, either!) Food is good and imaginative. They usually have some interesting wines, although their list isn't extensive.
(4)Sarah C.
I've been here about 10 times, and it's always amazing. By far my favorite restaurant in Delaware. Unfortunately, they've gotten rid of my favorite tapas, the escalibada (roasted seasonal vegetables with toasted bread- so simple and perfect and tasty) but maybe they'll bring it back. The lamb chops are great, and the chorizo with mushrooms is fantastic. I haven't tried the paella yet, I'll wait until I go on a Sunday, when it's half price :-). The food alone would be enough to make it a favorite, but the cocktails are a very nice bonus. It's hard to find a restaurant with great food and great, original cocktails in a major city, let alone Delaware! The White Dove (grapefruit, cayenne pepper and something...) and the Fig Martini (fig-infused vodka, American Honey, orange) are great. Also a nice selection of Spanish wines and Cavas.
(4)Peter C.
Pretty good. A bit pricey, like any tapas places.
(4)Tatyana M.
After 4 visits this restaurant now becomes one of our favorite places for Spanish tapas. Definitely better then Philly's Amada. Everything we had was FULL of flavor and delicious. The BBQ Duck was outstanding. The service is great and the ambiance is nice and quiet when we are their around 5pm, but could be louder later. We live in Baltimore, Md area but make trips to Newark 4-5 times a year just for a taste of OLE Tapas. Wish they would open something similar closer to us.
(5)Stephen M.
Great food. Nice atmosphere - not too loud, good service, nice furniture. Interesting knives. Great sangria, a bit strong. Lamb chops were wonderful. Sauce on chicken w/winter squash was amazing as were the steamed mussles w/lemon. One of the best in New Castle Cty.
(5)Brie K.
Went here on a whim for a fun date on a Saturday night. Had heard about this place from fellow Yelpers, and I had been craving Spanish food, particularly piping hot tapas. Walking in, we were immediately seated in a lovely booth shaped such that we could not see any other diners, but had a full view of the bar and kitchen. Coupled with a friendly and knowledgable waiter, the effect was that it seemed like we were the only diners in the restaurant, despite it being almost full. We started with a glass of the Rosada sangria (delicious, fruity, light) and a glass of peppery red recommended by our waiter, Brett. We stuck with tapas and went with the patatas bravas, pulpa de gallega, bocadillo de panceta, and chorizo (which our waiter said was "bangin'" nonironically). We were pleasantly surprised by the large number of potatos on the dish, and with the creaminess of the pulpa. We were not so pleasantly surprised by the pork belly sandwich. It came out cold and gelatinous, despite looking crisp on the outside. To their credit, Brett responded right away and brought us the higas as a replacement. They were so much better! The richness of the blue cheese, the sweetness of the dates, the smokiness of the bacon, I could go on and on!! They are worth a return visit all on their own. (We actually almost reordered it, no joke) We finished the meal with the olives, which are house made with a delicious, bright, citrusy flair. We also want to give a shout out to Brett, who was friendly, fun, and gave us some of the best service we have had in a while! We will definitely be back, with more people to enjoy this great experience.
(4)Andrew E.
I always think of tapas places being located in big congested cities and at first I was a little surprised to see this place in a shopping center, but in the end it made no difference. Once you step into the restaurant it has a trendy, has a good layout and good decor. The food was great! We were daring with a couple of the dishes we got and they all ended up being delicious. I think the restaurant was priced fairly for what we got. I will go back.
(4)Anne M.
Sat at the bar for half price tapas (every Saturday night from 9pm to close). We started with a pitcher of white sangria, which was very sweet- in a good way. Husband also had a glass of Paco & Lola white, and a glass of a rosé Cava. We ordered an array of tapas- scallops in a lemon pasley sauce, roasted potatoes with cheese, the empanada of the day (roast pork, peppers, tomatoes), chorizo with Mahon cheese, roasted figs wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cheese, a plate of assorted sausages, octopus, and the pork belly sandwich. We also ordered a pepper stuffed with herbed goat cheese, which was probably the only thing that wasn't great- tasted like, frankly, grass. The herbs overpowered the cheese. Everything else was excellent! Ate our faces off and had a ton to drink for $80.
(4)Lyndell W.
Met friends here for dinner. We had a wonderful time! The service was excellent and the food was fantastic! Great place to meet to catch up. Great meal in Newark. We will be back for more!
(4)Susan B.
We had a really wonderful, relaxed dinner with excellent food! It was parent's weekend at UDel and we were looking for a somewhat out-of-the-fray place to take our freshman daughter and her roomate for dinner. I made reservations (easily through Yelp!) and we walked in as a group of 6 without a wait (though the place was packed!). Our waiter gave wonderful recommendations on wine and tapas and we dug in. Our favorite tapas were the pumpkin hummus, the bacon-wrapped figs, and the empenada of the day - which was filled with pork and was delicious. The mussels were also great. The atmosphere is way more sophisticated than one might expect for its strip mall locale but it wasn't snooty (heck, we were in our sweatshirts from the football game). Perhaps best of all, we didn't feel rushed and lingered for several hours eating and visiting. It was the perfect way to spend parent's day.
(4)charles k.
Great food. I was VERY surprised, its in a little strip mall and its something you don't expect there. Highly recommended. My best experience dining out in newark yet.
(4)Rick K.
An awesome experience - the right ambiance, and the food and drinks were excellent. I'm very picky when it comes to paella, and they did a wonderful job. The sangria was unique and excellent. I'll be back!
(5)Amy H.
I am an out-of-state visitor (staying at the Hilton-Christiana), and went to Ole Tapas on a Tuesday night for dinner, as a solo female. Honestly, I am not usually very comfortable dining on my own, but, WOW -- I could not have picked a more perfect place to do so than Ole Tapas. Not only did the staff give me directions via telephone when my GPS led me in the wrong direction, but when I arrived, they promptly and warmly greeted me and, after I expressed an interest in a local microbrew, immediately offered me a generous sample of it. The kind bartender/server, observing that I was the only person in the restaurant dining alone at the time, made a special effort to go out of his way to keep me company and see to my culinary needs. I had a plethora of questions regarding the myriad of food and drink options (I live in a small city with a very poor representation of tapas-style cuisine, so I was quite curious about certain items), but the bartender/server, although clearly busy with his other duties, took the time to thoroughly explain everything, and even advised me on wine/beer pairings with my selections (and didn't attempt to upsell me in the process). I ended up trying three different two-ounce samples of wine, for a very reasonably price. Ok, so the service -- 100% A+, obviously! But, the food? 100% A+ as well!!! (I don't think I've ever written a review in which two such high ratings coexist.) So, I had a kale-and-bleu cheese tapas appetizer, and for the main course, a pork belly-and-kaleslaw sandwich with a chili glaze-- both of which were out of this world. Even though I only ordered a microgreen salad to accompany my sandwich, the server and chef presented me with a complementary side of their potatoes bravas, because I simply "could not miss it", in their words. I have plans to spend tomorrow in Philadelphia, but, Ole Tapas was so extraordinary, that I almost wish I wasn't going to Philly, so that I could just go back to Ole instead!!! Oh, and I shouldn't forget to mention this: the staff also gave me explicit directions regarding how to get back to my hotel, and when I misunderstood the first time, they kindly re-explained them until they were certain that I wasn't going to get lost. Overall: superior food, superior service -- I cannot overemphasize what a wonderful experience this place is! (P.S. If you are dining on a weeknight, note that their last seating is at 9 p.m. -- but, they definitely won't rush you if you arrive before that time; in fact, they go out of their way to be hospitable.) If you're anywhere near Newark, DE -- go to Ole Tapas!!!
(5)Scott K.
I love this place! I can't believe this place is on Kirkwood Hwy, what a hidden gem. Ole is cozy and comfortable with a menu that has something for everyone. I loved the shrimp and garlic, the seafood salad, the potatoes bravas and the lamb chops. I wouldn't get the flat bread again, but I can't wait to go back here.
(4)G D.
It was delicious. The food was quick, fresh, and savory. Each plate had beautiful presentation and everything tasted fresh. The food is not heavy, but having the smaller plates forces you to talk and it really fills you up. They have a large selection of meats, seafoods, and wines. Dessert was also to die for. The plates usually serve about 4 people, and they recommend at least 3 tapas per person. While not cheap, the prices are reasonable. Tapas range from $6-9. I would highly recommend if you like to try new foods and can't decide on a single dish.
(5)David Z.
Folks, if you think this place serves good tapas you don't know what good tapas are. I lived in sourhern Spain-the birthplace of tapas-for two months and have travelled many other places in the country, including Valencias, noted for its paella. This stuff is poor. The "pizza: was limp. The lentils with chorizo was clearly made with low grade, food service meat. The salad was ho-hum, with mushy canned tuna. And if you are tempted to get the paella, don't. First of all, it says serves 2-3. 2-3 huge eaters maybe. In fact, any two people who could finish off this dish would need eating counseling. In any event, it was tasteless. No seasoning whatsoever, and very oily. The squid and shrimp were clearly not fresh. You can tell low-grade food service ingredients by their uniform size. Even the pimientos appeared to be from a can. A total waste of $49. The service was also only so-so. Get yourself to Amada or Tinto in Philadelphia if you want to experience good tapas.
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