olea - kempinski hotel mall of the emirates

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 thestaffwho 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 kempinskistaffis amazing!!

olea is many places in one place. the breakfast buffet and dinner offer very different dining experiences. the friendly chefs,staffand 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.

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.
thestaffis very responsive and attentive.
it was a great experience! thank you!

dining here was such a delight!
my family and i originally walked in to have a brunch buffet, but even on realizing it was à la cart, we decided to have an early lunch - and it was a great decision on our part.
the restaurant itself is large, and the ambience is calming. thestaffis extremely friendly, they recommended dishes to us (this cuisine is definitely unique) and everything was delicious.
absolutely loved everything, and for such fine dining, the prices were extremely reasonable as well.
do check this restaurant out when you’re in the area!

i recently had the chance of having dinner buffet at olea restaurant,kempinski moe dubai courtesy miss iryna and mr.abhijeet, the restaurant managers. the dinner is generally a la carte at olea but yesterday was a special occasion due to which buffet was served. the food in the buffet was mind boggling - vermicelli rice, dawood basha, mix grill, oriental lamb rice, aloo gobi, a few curries, fruits and tonnes of sweet dishes. dawood basha and small pita breads were the delight of the night for me. mr. gabal, one of thestaffthere served us with moroccan tea which was so digestive and relaxing. on a separate note, moroccan tea is the best tea in the world. dint get much of a chance to interact with most of thestaffsince we were busy enjoying the food, but the hospitality given by miss iryna and mr.abhijeet took the night to another level. they were very polite and friendly and not even for a moment i realized that i was having food outdoors. it felt like home. lastly, if you are a sweet and lebanese food lover, please do go there on the day when they have buffet in dinner.

impeccable breakfast we have tried this place for breakfast. it is large and big but well staffed.
there is a great selections of food and you can eat outside. quality of food is varied.
it is very busy with queues as you’d imagine and thestaffare helpful and pleasant.
thank you very much, mr. hany, for your fantastic services in the morning. it was a wonderful start into the day to be welcomed personally by team members already knowing my preferences for breakfast (e.g. bringing me to a preferred table, serving and topping up indian tea for breakfast and placing a newspaper on my table). you took care that i had an enjoyable breakfast feeling like staying home.

i would like to give my particular thanks to lydia and meriam. you both are really a role model for restaurant personnel with extraordinary guest orientation, attention to detail, high service quality and concern for the individual guests. many thanks also to isroil. one could really feel that each one of you loves what you are doing. the delicious food accompanied by your services was a truly perfect highlight at the close of the day.

i loved this restaurant for its services and authenticity in food . best arabic food .. labenese .staffis very polite and professional. loved the ambience . been there 4-5 times , every time it’s consistent . highly recommended . little expensive.

i do strongly recommend having very nice breakfast at olea restaurant and see how was the food variety and the kids all of thestaffmany thanks to hanni and his team it's a great an amazing experience.

the restaurant has a very nice and soothing ambience. service is up to the mark too. the members of thestafflisten and cater to our needs carefully. i would like to thank mr hani, mr mohammad for being very courteous amd supportive.
we had many things, i would like to mention chicken wings; very delicious. their soft kunafa is also a must have dessert. breads were fresh n crisp. mixed grill items were all properly cooked n soft to the core. amazing food and experience. we would love to visit again soon.

nice surprise! got here for the first time and found the atmosphere very relaxing. food is good, service is smooth and there was always someone to look after us.
we tried the ramadan tent, beautiful decor and ambiance. a bit cold because a lot of ac but thestaffwas very responsive to answer to our request.

definitely recommended!

we spent a lovely weekend afternoon lunch here a few weeks back. extremely friendlystaff(moti). my friends had come with their new born baby and thestaffdid everything to keep us comfortable. delicious food. everything from the lamb shanks, to the tomato shrimps was full of flavour. we had zomato gold, so it was very affordable.

wonderful lebanese restaurant at the kempinski hotel mall of emirates. thestaffwere very friendly and supportive. i was arriving late for dinner and the kitchen was closing at 10:30pm. i arrived at 10:45pm and had called before to let them know that i would be coming and to please keep the restaurant open for a few minutes more. they happily accepted my request and when i arrived they offered exceptionally professional and courteous service. the food was great, the hummus and the falafel were excellent. overall is was a great experience and will definitely go back for a full dinner meal and for some shisha outside.

the best levantine cuisine i have ever had! my 1st experience at this warm and welcoming restaurant , located at the kempinksi hotel, mall of the emirates.

thestaffand supervisor (hasan) were extremely friendly, courteous and very helpful in explaining what the menu was all about.

we finally chose the mixed grill dish (which i felt was a bit too overpriced for the quantity) and spit roasted lamb served in potato stew. i must say this is the best lamb dish i have had in ages. juicy, succulent and tender - 3 words to describe the lamb. the potato stew was absolutely palatable.

would definitely recommend this restaurant to those who have never tried levantine cuisine.

food instagram: @forkingfoodiedxb / personal instagram: @xotina143

review: had my first ever levantine experience here at this restaurant. it was a beautiful buffet with wonderful cuisines from all over the middle east. i love how there were live stations of chefs preparing pastries, and turkish ice cream. i also enjoyed the tamarind drink that was poured table side for us. all of the flavours were outstanding and the two dessert stations were my favourites as i love both arabic and western treats!

rating: 5/5

order: levantine linner buffet - 195dhs

pricing: good value.

service: wonderfulstaffmembers who are polite, and are always smiling.

ambiance: wonderful middle eastern vibe, love the presentation office​ the buffet areas. the buffet is spread throughout the whole place, so that was nice to be able to see food in almost every corner of the restaurant!