Whether it be a long lunch with the work lot, a birthday get-together or solo dinner, Olea Social is the kind of restaurant that caters for anything. With a fabulous location on Upper Saint Martins Lane, it's right in the thick of the West End, making it an easy haunt for after the office or before a show.
The restaurant itself is a large, lofty space with plenty of natural light and decor which takes inspiration from the menu's concept of Mediterranean dining. Think richly-glazed tiles, fresh colours and plenty of greenery - the kind that makes you feel like you're on holiday, if only for a few hours.
Olea Social is inspired by the full breadth of Mediterranean culture and cuisine, plucking influences from Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Morocco - much to the delight of London's foodies. The menu's offer plenty of range with seperate dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a special pre-theatre offering too - which totally makes sense considering its prime location.
On the main menu, you'll find small plates such as prawn croquetas, alongside cured beef with grapes and hazelnuts and a selection of flat breads laden with spinach, feta and chilli, or beef pepperoni and mozarella. For mains, we like the sound of the chicken shish served with grilled asparagus and courgette with sumac, smoked cacik and lavash bread. There's also plenty of vegan and vegetarian dishes like a particularly tasty sounding chargrilled cauliflower with carrot and orange puree, garlic flakes, dried olives and vegan parmesan. If sharing dishes are more your thing, get stuck into the slow cooked Galician octopus with confit potatoes and smoked paprika or ask your server for the fish of the day.
As for drinks, Olea Social has a bespoke cocktail menu with house classics like The Lady of London with gin, elderflower syrup, rose liqueur, grenadine, cranberry juice and foamer. While the wine list offers bottles from across Europe.