Cafe Ole

A little disappointed… the paella was not as how they rave about it… actually, bland and not the best I tasted. Love the lemonade and spinach and cheese empanadas. Overrated. Paid $ 8.99 for a bottle of pelligrino which sells at $ 2.50. The waiter is nice and the place is small but ok. will I be coming back again? No, I wanna find the best tasting paella which is definitely not from them!

Poor good quality for the price bland and tasteless. Mediocre service for the number of waiters in this small restaurant, then added 20% tip to the bill automatically

We came here with my Spanish friends to try their spacialties. We ended up ordering Paella which is a huge serving for 4, Calamari and Shangria. The place is nice, customer service is excellent and it’s was ended a perfect dinner.

Oh man! This place is great! I came here because a friend of mine recommended it and said the food was good and I’m so glad I listened! The food was fantastic! I ordered the filet mignon and had the cheese appetizer. Everything was just made so perfectly and it was so tasty! Also, ordered a few glasses of the champagne sangria which was awesome too! Had a few too many though haha Our waiter was great too! Very pleasant and very attentive! I also like the fact that I wasn’t rushed out after I ate. Actually sat there for a long time. The prices are your average «nice restaraunt» prices. I mean– I’d definitely bring some extra cash haha but it was so worth it! Also, they have great ambience in there– it’s very cozy. It looks a lot bigger though from the outside haha You walk in and it’s like –oh it’s not as big as I thought. Luckily when we got there — there was a table left for two so we got it. We didn’t even have to wait.
I’m definitely going back and trying some more food and more of that delicious sangria!

*BEST RESTAURANT IN ASTORIA*
Was the title too much?
Browsing Unilocal for a place to have dinner tomorrow and coming up disappointed– my best friend and I said lets just go to Café Olé’. We enter it on Unilocal just to salivate and I realize I had not updated my review… even though I have been here probably more times than my fingers could count in the past year. The Sauvignon Blanc is one of the best I have ever had. This honestly, speaks volumes for me. I have stopped ordering wine at restaurants because of the bitterness that I end up receiving. Café Olé? Never.
Manchengo and olives app? Golden. BEST CHEESE EVER.
Grilled octopus? F*cking amazing.
Shrimp in garlic (brown) sauce? MOUTH WATERING.
Seafood stuffed salmon? on freaking point,
Chilean Sea Bass in garlic sauce? OUT OF THIS WORLD. BEST. ENTREE. EVER.
I am a serious fan of Café Olé. Any one that I have brought here has returned and became addicted. The place is quaint and authentic. My dream is to close the place out for a family party… heres to hoping the old man proposes!

Great restaurant I love their paella and sangrias, the deco is very cozy. Is a small restaurant make sure you make a reservation if you plan eat with the entire family. Parking can be a pain to find.

This is the first and last time i come here. I was craving for paella and came here after reading all the reviews. I ordered the paella valenciana with lobster. The paella was so soupy and way too salty and NO socarrat! My husband ordered the broiled tilapia it was so bland, tasteless. The only good thing was the champagne sangria and ambiance of the place.

I Love the food and service! Small but Awesome restaurant! You must order the octopus and the champagne sangria!

We decided to try Café Olé. I had been driving past its façade for a while and was curious to try some Spanish dishes.
We were greeted and took a seat at the bar. The interior was really nice and cosy. The gentleman behind the bar was talking to some guy who was sitting next to us. It took him a while to acknowledge us. We ordered a glass of rioja and were soon seated at a table by the window.
No one came over to us for about 15 min. Water was not served at the table. The busboy brought some cheap sliced hero-​like bread. The one that you find in every deli.
A party of 6 or 7 was seated next to us. It looked like they had a birthday dinner. A waiter was immediately dispatched to them. We were sitting unnoticed.
I had to get up and ask for a waiter. Eventually he showed up after he finished with the birthday party.
We had decided to start with some appetizers and then order a main course, so we chose Manchego cheese and fig jam with olives, home-​cut fries, and croquets with crab meat, ham and cheese.
No water was served. I called for a waiter. No one acknowledged us again. The staff was congregating and chatting by the bar.
I got up and asked for a waiter. He came over and we asked for some water for the table. He didn’t offer a bottle and just brought tap water. That was ok at that point. Maybe they didn’t carry bottled water. I also ordered 2 more glasses of rioja.
At that point the table next to us was already served and the people were having a good time.
The food was delivered. No water, and no wine for us.
I got up and asked for the manager. It turned out that the guy behind the bar was also the manager. I explained to him the situation and he dispatched a busboy to the table with some water. At that moment we had already decided to go some place else.
The wine was delivered shortly. We never saw a waiter or a busboy again.
The food was terrible with the exception of the fries. Well home-​cut fries are good everywhere I guess.
The Manchego cheese appetizer was served with CANNED OLIVES. Yes, those that you can find in any deli or supermarket. Tasteless and stale. I called the water and I asked him if they had real olives. He said that they had some green olives and served COCKTAIL OLIVES. Yes, those that you find in your martini.
Spain is the biggest producer of olives and olive oil in the world, and you don’t have olives? Seriously. Not for nothing, but there is a bunch of mediterranean stores in Astoria where you can buy the finest olives from Greece, Morocco and the mediterranean. Get some Greek olives. In Spain different areas take pride in their olives. A plate of olives is what you are served the minute you take a table in any restaurant, anywhere in Spain.
Unacceptable!
The croquets seemed to be frozen from a box. Yes, those that you find in the frozen food section in any supermarket. Below mediocre. Tasteless. You wouldn’t make a difference between the crabmeat ones and the rest of them.
We asked for the check. That came right away. We left a decent tip but we shouldn’t have. Service was terrible.
Spanish restaurant with Puerto Rican salsa? Seriously.
Prices of the main dishes are also high for the neighborhood.
I will not recommend Café Olé to any of my friends!

Generous portion sizes, nice atmosphere and great service. The veal and chicken served is extremely tender, and the variety of menu options is surprising given how usually there are one or two pages on a menu. Prices are also reasonable. Would definitely recommend bringing a small crowd here!

Dammit, this place is so good! Probably the best paella we’ve ever had — so moist and flavorful, and chock full of high quality seafood. The sangria was just perfect, bread was great (pre-​buttered from the oven) and the service was incredibly on point. We will definitely be coming back!

This place is extremely over rated. The décor and the service is good but the food clearly lacks flavor. For the price I really expected better quality food and portion. Ordered the calamari and the Con Langosta it had no flavor what so ever.

This place is amazing! Its very cute and intimate. The service is impeccable, they were always available. The food was just delicious and mouth watering. I am definitely going back soon and trying a variation of house drinks and margaritas.

This place is cute and cozy. Wish the doors/​windows were opened to street even though there’s a view that’s not so easy on the ojos.
Service was awesome.
Went for snacks before a movie. Yummy marg and Spanish beer.
Mussels were very good, broth even better — wish there was more!
The peppers are great too! 4 is plenty for 2 to nosh on.
Also ordered the grilled prawns. These were over-​cooked and difficult to peel. Heads y todo! The spices sold me on it, but I should have listened to the server who said to go for the other shrimp app (peeled & ready to eat).
I think their dinner entrees would be worth a shot, though you might be surprised at the Manhattan prices for majority of items.
We didn’t even order entrees and our tab was $ 93 after 20% tip.

Machengo cheese platter is a great starter with a pitcher of sangria. Pitcher is worth it very good and fruity sangria! Also has the lobster paella which was a little salty to my liking.

I love everything about this place. Excellent food and service. Definitely coming back for my favorite dish the grilled octopus. I enjoyed a lot the sangria too…

Been here twice and have been very pleased with the quality of food. Both times ordered paella marinara and it has been fresh. Could have been seasoned a bit more but it was delicious nonetheless.
It’s a quaint Restaurant with great friendly service. Prices are a little higher than I think it needs to be. On par with Places in the city but still a great experience.

The ambiance here reminds me of Miami. Sexy, clean cut and the drinks are to die for. Not to mention, the staff always make you feel like familia

The place was really busy and we had to wait about 30 minutes to get seated. While we were waiting we got offered 2 glasses of wine and got to choose what we wanted to order to have it ready as soon as the table was set. It didn’t give that vibe of «we expect you to leave as soon as done eating» though. Service was good and people were really nice.
The food was also excellent! Go for the tostones, the garlic soup or anything in the tapas selection really. We wolfed down the tres leches cake that was also excellent. The place is usually a little above what I like to pay for dinner but quality is worth it. I will be back to try other things on the menu.

After reading the reviews on Unilocal I wanted to try this place. We went early Saturday .It’s an adorable small place with Spanish décor and brick walls. Small little bar by kitchen. Nice big menu something for everyone
Ordered a half pitcher of red sangria very good. They also have champagne sangria if you prefer. We ordered tapas the spanish sausage, stuffed mushrooms, grilled prawns in shell, grilled octopus. All very good but the grilled octopus was outstanding. When cutting it up it was like butter inside. The taste of crunch from the grill and the melt in your mouth inside (yummylicous).This was our favorite dish. When we go back we’ll try different tapas but the octopus is a must. We finished up with flan and tres leaches cake and coffee. We enjoyed the food, sangria, and desserts. The waitor was very friendly and knowledgeable. Thanks Unilocalers for a little bit of Spain in LIC.