olea - kempinski hotel mall of the emirates

excellent food and excellent service. kudos to our mr. mark for serving us extremely courteously and with a cheerful demeanour smile. thank you mark!

i vomited after eating the maklube it was too heavy, and not recommended i dont appreciate calling the hotel to beg them to put me on the line with the manager. never visiting again

went here on invite for their friday brunch opening along with my lebanese plus one and we both really enjoyed it. she confirmed that it was very authentically levant as is its aim. 

there was a wide selection across the restaurant (you almost had to go searching for food in some areas - i don't think the counter near the bar works as most people seemed to have not even realised it was there), including outside where my favourite falafel were being freshly fried.

big dessert selection too. the music/entertainment was a bit unusual i found but of course on the day of my visit as i said it was an invited opening so the restaurant was full but i would be interested to see what the atmosphere is like on a regular friday.

located in the kempenski hotel mall of the emirates. it serves levantine cuisine from falfel, mansaf, maqlobe, kebe neye, lentil soup, msakhan, nakanek (sausage) and many more. the food was pretty good and cooked properly. they had a variety of good salads as well. the only thing i was disappointed by was the dessert. the knafe was the only great dessert they had, thats all. the ambience and the setting were nice as well.

i personally wouldnt go again unless i was invited, especially since i am big on dessert.

cheers,
khulood

olea at kempenski hotel, mall of the emirates has such an expansive menu offering that it could almost be exhausting. we were already exhausted from the super busy day at the zomato blogger conference. interacting with fellow bloggers was exciting and tiring after 5 hours. we were treated to a massive feast at olea for which a review would not do justice. will be writing a detailed blog soon but know this. 

olea, specializing in levantine cuisine which has heritage in the ottoman era but adds a contemporary twist to the modern arabian taste. fans of middle eastern cuisine, will most definitely like the fine-dining experience of olea without a doubt. though the place is massive in size, they have managed to keep the ambiance intimate and you do not feel lost at any point.

the dessert menu was insane with an entire room (the size of a studio flat) being dedicated to it. tried a lot of dishes from the open-spread but my favorite bit of the evening were the sweet endings. 

-- a drop of ink may make a million think. 
@ayaashpaw

just loved the ambience , the staffs are very friendly and the food in here is great

we were invited by our very close friend and colleague . at first we thought we won’t really enjoy our iftar but to our surprise everything tasted amazing .. we had one of the best iftar party in here ❤️

with great zomato conference, came great food by olea at kempinski hotel; a restaurant serving levantine cuisine (traditional cuisine of the levant)

on entering, we were warmly greeted by the staff who held our welcome drinks which refreshed us in no time. as we settled on our table, there came a jolly man dressed in a traditional dress holding a huge pot of tamarind juice. he wouldn't leave until each one of us tried the drink and trust me, i would have regretted not drinking it.

i couldn't help but notice how fantastic the copper interiors were. being a lover of everything copper, it was a treat to my eyes. the ambience felt just right with vibrant vibes and the lighting too was perfect. they have a bar at one end with amazing display of drinks and glasses. 

the buffet was a wide spread consisting selection of salads, cheese, breads, grills, main course and desserts. since i did not notice the salad and cheese spread at first, (who notices the salads anyway? not me) i began with some mixed grills and falafels. the grills were very good. loved the crisp falafels. i found some to be cold and soft though. moving on the mains; i absolutely loved eating the hashweh (rice with mince and nuts) and maqlooba. also, there were raw kibbeh which i dared to try and the rest is history.

for the desserts, what grabbed my attention was the super cheesy kunafa on the massive vessel. i asked the server to give me a little but he served me a big fat chunk of it (not that i'm complaining) i instantly fell in love as i took the first bite because it had the right amount of sweetness. there were other popular middle eastern desserts too but since they are too sweet for my liking, i skipped those. noticed the flowing fountain (half chocolate and half strawberry) but sadly there were no sticks for dipping the fruits and madeleines. the pretty cupcakes then caught my eye. however, these weren't as good as they looked.

overall, i had a good time but i wouldn't return any sooner.

amazing food ! one of the very few restaurants with a wide range of variety to choose from.
many choices of breads, salads desserts and what not. would hight recommend
also, the warm hospitality of kempinski staff is amazing!!

after booking for a business diner & confirming the reservation, the restaurant calls me the next day only 3h before dinner to tell me they will give our table to other guests!! not recommended place!

specialty : mediterranean and arabic dishes  

option : very well laid out buffet with arabic sweets and alcohol

location : large spread out space with both outside and inside seating 

dishes : from falafel to biryani to kunafa the place has it all to attract the crowd.

service : 4.5/5

olea is many places in one place. the breakfast buffet and dinner offer very different dining experiences. the friendly chefs, staff and guest relations are top class. so is the décor and food. even the traditional levantine desserts like kunafa are done to perfection. i am a fan of their al fresco dining at night - under the stars, with burj al arab on one side interrupted by the speeding metro, and the lavish open terrace space helping cook up positive dinner conversations. nice. pride of levantine cuisine.

i wasn't so sure about this restaurant and thought it would be average but olea is by far the best restaurant in dubai for middle eastern cuisine. for starters, if you arrive early you can have drinks at the bar. secondly the ambience is absolutely amazing. but more so, the service and food. this is the perfect venue to tease your culinary taste buds. it was a business dinner but the best one and my guests were equally impressed. i can't wait to return with more guests and spread the word!

well done olea team. you totally exceeded our expectations!!

what a great place!! we went there for iftar during last ramadan, and the experience was truly amazing.
the choice of food and variety of dishes will surprise you, and nonetheless, the food is really tasty!
decor and ambiance are on another level as well.
the staff is very responsive and attentive.
it was a great experience! thank you!

dining experience was great. to tell that their desserts are mouth-watering is not an exaggeration. sushi selections are amazing. loved how they used the colors of tobiko and fresh salmon. definitely a must have when you go to kempinski. olea is just a haven for sushi and sweet lovers especially with the high-end service from mr. hany. dining with olea is extremely a remarkable experience.

visited here for their special christmas eve buffet with my brothers, and we sure had an exceptional time!

the buffet spread with a variety of meats, seafood, bread, cold mezze and salads, was an exceptional feast to devour on. the presentation of everything was so well made!

the dessert section was yet another wonder with many options, from a section of arabic delights, chocolate fountains and many christmas favourites.

with it’s lovely ambience and live music, it was an evening to remember!