Oleana Restaurant Reviews

Great dinner experience at Oleana! The ambiance was warm and inviting and all the guests seemed really happy. Someone was having their birthday there which is always nice to see (that they came to a given restaurant for their birthday).

We got all small plates and most of the dishes were on point. We had the special that night which were lamb chops coated in harissa and dates (sweet and spicy) which was my favorite thing we ordered. We also loved the fatteh, the buttered hummus (wrapped in Turkish pastrami), and the moussaka with lamb. The only thing I was disappointed by was the Turlu Turlu, which they referred to as Turkish ratatouille. The flavor was good but it was cold and I was not expecting that.

We developed a rapport with the waitress throughout the night and found out that she has been there for 16 years! That is very rare for the food service industry and speaks volumes about the restaurant.

Interesting dishes, accommodating to a food allergy, and a nice venue.

Came in with no reservations. They extended themselves to find us seating and were most gracious.
Got a couple seats at the bar.
Been there many times but first time at the bar . It was great! Lots of great food and staff. I've got to say the customers are even great. It's a place that truly inspires good food and good humanity. No hard liquor but lovely selection of wine and aperitifs . That's good because you really enjoy it all so much more.
No cellular phones and no TV or harsh piped in music. It's about us and the food. Xo Oleana.

The dishes with sauces or hummus are the best. Enjoyed the Snap Peas, Baba Ganoush, Green Olives, Almonds - crispy with tangy flavor. Fried mussels with fried Turkish Green Pepper, and the Nettle Borek with Tomato Brown Butter, Yogurt and Turkish Spices were great choices. The Grilled Pita, Red Pepper was too dry - would have been better with a large side of hummus.
Restaurant is always busy, but can usually grab a seat at the bar or patio (in warm weather) which are unreserved seats.

Ever since falling in love with Sofra Bakery shortly after moving to Cambridge, I pledged to make it into Oleana. I made reservations there for an anniversary and could not have been happier. Oleana was undoubtedly one of the most memorable dining experiences I have ever had. We had appetizers with quail, sweet potato and halloumi. The main dish I had included lamb and we had dessert with a salted caramel gelato. The service was very personal and warm and the tables were pretty close with intimate, but audible conversations. My partner and I can't wait to go back here again as soon as we can.

Food was excellent, but our waitress was sub-par. She was not very attentive, didn't tell us the specials and didn't give us the option of flat or sparkling water. I only knew about these options b/c she offered them to table next to ours. Also, when our first dishes came out they gave them to the table next to ours.

Food was absolutely fantastic. Honestly, the best food I have had eating out in Boston, probably ever.
So many choices. You can get tapas-style small plates, or you can get larger entrees. Everything we ordered was incredible.

No wonder it's so hard to get a reservation!

Good restaurant, kind of weird place in the middle of no where in Cambridge. The restaurant is very dim in terms of lights but the food is great. Great choice for Mediterranean.

FABULOUS FOOD and great wine...loved the spinach falafels and the sultan delight...their dessert menu is pretty elaborate,,well thought out and delicious too,,,a must visit for those who love Turkish spices and Middle Eastern cuisine.

Amazing meze, creative, unusual flavors- all delicious. Pretty good service, very knowledgeable. Clean modern ambience. Great date night spot.

It's over priced !!! My shish dish was chewy and over cooked. The Meze dishes were pretty good...even though I don't see charging $15 for 4 ppl pieces of falafel...

A gem of a place. It gets busy so you'll need a reservation. Or be okay sitting up at the bar, which I highly recommend. You'll get some awesome drink recommendations.

The food is fantastic, too. Get a bunch of dishes and eat family style. So you get to try a bit of everything.

Amazing meal. So far, best meal of 2018. The pita to the hummus and to the vegan platter (which is worth every bit of what they charge) was on point. Enjoyed their beer and wine selection and would have been so bummed if I had passed without the dairy free dessert of almond milk gremolata with chocolate olive oil sauce and Orange blossom syrup. Ugh. Would go back just for that.

I had high hopes with Oleana, especially with the great reviews. I will say that this is more of a "Mediterranean" fusion cuisine, if you will. I started off with the sultan's delight and the crispy kale sprouts. I was not a fan of the sultan's delight, it was an extremely fatty piece of short rib, which I wasn't aware of when I asked for a description. I did enjoy the crispy kale sprouts, but they were definitely covered in way too much of the sauce. I was torn between the lemon chicken and the lamb gyro, the waitress steered me to the lemon chicken, and WOW! It was packed with Soo much lemon that I couldn't believe, not just a dash of lemon but it felt like I was biting into a lemon.

Now I was really excited about trying the desserts here. I will try and paint a picture of why I was extremely turned off from ordering dessert. I was seated at the bar, and had a great view of the kitchen (as shown in my photos) I had a prime view of all the kitchen staff working hand in hand, what caught my eyes was the dessert chef licking his fingers after he tasted what appeared to be a caramel sauce or something. He then took a scoop of ice cream and put it into his hands to firm it and add it to the dessert he was making. He would continuesly lick his fingers and touch everything with his bare hands, momentarily wiping his hands on his apron, but at no time after licking his fingers multiple times, did he go wash his hands.

This my friends set me way back with Oleana, not only on a hygiene level but makes me wonder what else is acceptable to do within the restaurant in full view of customers. Thanks Dessert Chef for deterring me from dessert. One and done.

Food was excellent, but our waitress was sub-par. She was not very attentive, didn't tell us the specials and didn't give us the option of flat or sparkling water. I only knew about these options b/c she offered them to table next to ours. Also, when our first dishes came out they gave them to the table next to ours.

I would like to give Oleana another chance, but my experience was not outstanding and I was disappointed because it came with such high recommendations. The Sultan's Delight was great: a cube of tender short rib in a tangy sauce, next to a puddle of baba ganoush. Use the excellent house focaccia to combine these components for an impromptu slider.

The octopus coca, however, was basically a very small personal pizza with a few bits of octopus on top, and an evening's special mezze just didn't work. One out of three isn't good enough at these prices. Tell your server you want the Sultan's Delight and ask for recommendations liked by other people who like that dish.

Great place for date night, graduation dinner, or any special occasion. Highly recommend making a reservation in advanced. Oleana is on OpenTable.

Always tasty and interesting food , perfect service, great ambiance. We never had a bad meal here in the past 6+ years.

GO; EAT -- this is the stuff of memories -- outstanding Turkish-inspired food -- wonderful atmosphere.

Amazing Mediterranean food!! The spinach falafel is a must-get - best falafel I've ever had.

Went here for a group dinner with friends, and loved it. Staff are friendly, menu is robust, and food is fresh and well seasoned. Definitely get starters for your table, and leave room for dessert. As if that wasn t enough, they have a cookbook as well that I recommend investing in. Also great date night spot. Big Romance Energy.

Amazing. Just came for the first time. Super creative. Enough great choices for vegetarians too. Can t wait to go back.

Probably one of the best restaurants in Cambridge! Reservations are recommended unless you show up very early or very late.

A magical patio in the middle of Cambridge. The food is fantastic too.

Great food, drinks and a great patio. Very good and friendly service.

Great experience trying some new types of food. The mezze (which I'm told is sort of westernized) is actually probably the best I've ever had. We tried some Lebanese wine as well.

Our group of four (who can be loosely described as "foodies" from the SF Bay Area) showed up right when they opened (as advised by the host when we called the same day about trying to make reservations and were politely told "not a chance") were promptly seated at the right side of the bar, which we actually prefer because...

Very good restaurant. Fantastic kitchen
And great service. I recommend for a good evening.

One of my favorite restaurants in the Boston area. The food is sublime, they are wine experts, the vibe is really nice, and the patio seating under the stars in the summer is perfect.

I just enjoy their dishes. I always get good service here. The place is neat and the workers are always helpful. I highly recommend this place.

We ordered the vegetable tasting menu plus a few a la carte extras. Just fantastic. The combination of flavors and textures is basically perfect in every dish. I've been here two times about a year apart and it was just as good as i remembered. Super great waitstaff too, which is just incredibly important with a small plate style restaurant. Each plate was perfecrly timed, never a crowded table but we never waited long between dishes.

I will certainly not wait another year before I go back.

Absolutely amazing mezes- one of my favorite places in the Boston area

Awesome backyard eating patio and amazing dishes to share, some of the yummiest food!

The best food i have had in a long time!!! No wonder oleana has been recommended to me so many times. The sultans delight was PHENOMENAL. i can t wait to go back

Last week was the first time we went to this good restaurant. But It is definitely not the last. We enjoyed the evening a lot with the generous service, with the excellent cooking and wine and with the honest charge. We will surely come back soon.

Mediterranean food in Cambridge - one of the most popular al fresco dining during summer

Creative & delicious tapas. Go with a group of friends and have a blast!

I left the restaurant with mixed feelings. I love the food, but for the price, I'd expect to not be rushed out the door so quickly. Just rude. Most likely won't be coming back here for any special occasions...

Great ambiance, impeccably trained staff who were so eager to please they switched out our cocktail because we didn't like it. Not to mention the food was exceptional texture , temperature, colors and taste.

Charming outdoor garden, pleasant live Middle Eastern music, very good service, B+ food. A bit pricey for what you get. Would come again.

Just dined there. The food ten years ago plus was delicious, expertly prepared, Turkish style food. The food served now is truly mediocre, really lousy, untasty spicy sauce on everything. Mousaka was OK, just OK-that is edible, as mezze. But the fish we ordered was horrible. Even the bread and sauce were lousy. Not worth the $100. plus tip and wine. The servers and others at the restaurant were very attentive and polite. A true Cambridge scam.

Very good food. It is advisable to reserve in advance. The location is very cozy. I would recommend ordering lots of starters and sharing them, then you get a tasty mix. You will then quickly become full with several people. The desserts are also very tasty.

I can't say enough about this restaurant. It's no cheap date, but the food is exquisite each bite leaves you wanting nothing but another bite and the staff is knowledgeable and funny. Make sure to call ahead (seating) and, while it isn't billed as tapas, expect everything you order to be promptly tested by your tablemates.

Been multiple times, never had a disappointing tapas. So many excellent flavors, textures, and vegetarian options. Want a wonderful, balanced dessert? Want a cappuccino to go with it? Oleana has it all!

I rarely rave about restaurants, but this place really left me in an ecstatic mood. Service was perfect (our waiter even went surveying opinions in the kitchen and filled a written list of recommendations for us when we asked for other good places to go eat in Cambridge and Boston), the quality of the dishes was second to no middle-eastern restaurant I've ever tried (and I've tried a few, in the US and Europe, Turkey included), the inventiveness of presentation and recipes was excellent. Price on the steep side, but definitely on par with the experience we had.

This restaurant is amazing! Worth every cent. Probably the best one in Cambridge

consistently excellent and interesting, with strong foodie attraction. also always busy.

Delicious food in a cozy atmosphere. Can t wait to go back in the summer and see the patio area.

Food was exquisitely prepared. Wait staff is very professional and knowledgeable. The back terrace and garden are gorgeous. Never felt hurried despite the fall restaurant. Probably the best scallops I've ever eaten.

Get the fatteh and warm buttered hummus. This is the better than Sarma, moona, and all other gourmet Mediterranean places.

Great food and service. Amazing prices. The converted house venue is cozy but not for everyone. Tight spaces, no waiting area and parties seated extremely close to each other.

This is my favorite restaurant in Cambridge. The food was flavorful, original, delicious. There were four of us at dinner - we each loved our meals. I highly recommend Oleana.

Awesome! We got a variety of small meze plates. It is fun to be able to try so many different things in one meal.

Wow. Outstanding middle eastern-inspiref food, to a very high standard, and effortless service!

It's hard to exaggerate how wonderful the food at Ana Sortun's respected eatery in Cambridge is. From the fried mussels to the striped bass to the turkish profiteroles, the richness and flavor of the food is astounding. Worth a long trip out of your way to eat here.

The chef's passion for Mediterranean/Turkish/Middle-Eastern cuisine is offered in an exceptional, lovely atmosphere. The Meze (first courses) are satisfying and delightfully-prepared, especially when enjoyed in the summertime patio. Highlights: Sultan's Delight, Whipped Feta, Falafel, Grilled Octopus, Baked Alaska (dessert).

Outdoor space is a straight up oasis. There's counters and table seats. The counter isn't the most comfortable but in these times there's no need to linger and hold them back from turning tables so it works. Service is always gracious and attentive and helpful without being overbearing. They strike the perfect balance.

Visited Oleana for our anniversary dinner and we were really happy with everything. We are vegan and were able to try several small plates and even a meal plus dessert. It was really easy to get dietary accommodations and the quality did not suffer because of it, everything was delicious!

Recommended by a friend. So glad we went. Our waitress was very helpful. The food was amazing. A bit pricey, but worth it for a special date.

I love Oleana, but recently it was a little lackluster compared to previous years that I ve visited. The food is lovely, just not mind-blowing.

Absolutely amazing mezes- one of my favorite places in the Boston area

Oleana is amazing. We have loved everything on the menu and continue to try new things every time we are there. They also have a great beer listing and the atmosphere is wonderful. Excellent and kind staff.

This place is magical.

Tasty and interesting food, beautiful patio, good service, excellent drinks list. Recommend.

Each dish was so fun to eat, made my tastebuds so happy

Outstanding!
We had a team dinner here with a four course menu pre-selected. The food was outstanding! There were 2-3 selections for each course to share family-style. This is now my favorite restaurant in Cambridge.

We went to Oleana for a date night, lucky to get a Table by walking in since they were packed on a Tuesday night. We tried their Chef's tasting menu with meat (not on the menu, since the Chef's tasting course on the menu is only vegetarian). The Mezze like spinach falafel, Sultan's delight were amazing but the main entree Lamb siniya (lamb baked with Tahinj) was too dry and disappointing. Interestingly a couple on the next table tried it and didn't finish the lamb as well and looked disappointed too.

Excellent food! Did lots of small dishes for a variety of flavors. Definitely a good strategy - ask your server.

We stumbled across this tapas spot after an event and lived the atmosphere. We ordered numerous small plates to share including dessert. The dessert was definitely the highlight with the baklava and honey ice cream. The sweet potato pancakes were slightly burnt (or the oil was) and weren't seasoned. The other dishes like the falafel and calamari were good. Our waiter was fantastic in service and attention. But based on the cost versus value we had to drop the stars down.

Attended a wedding. The food was exquisite and the staff warm and welcoming. Will definitely come again for dinner. Great place!

Oleana is one of my favorite restaurants in Boston. Oleana you are a gem, a jewel, and I heart you. I heart your outdoor patio and your sangria. Your amazing service and ooo your food, the mezes, ooo the mezes - especially the spinach falafel.

This place is classy, yet friendly, unpretentious and low key. The atmosphere is great inside or outside. The service is wonderful. This place is great - best in the summer.

Ana is just awesome at making flavors that kick without relying on just grease and sugar. Even the dessert, the Alaska, is awesome! A must-try for those living in the area.

Food was delicious and surprising - just done well.

Great food and seating with an outside patio view in the backside. The potato hummus and lamb dishes are fantastic

Creative & delicious tapas. Go with a group of friends and have a blast!

Really good food, but a bit expensive. The service was really good. We had Vermont Quail kebob (very tasty, but the portion very small), Sweet potato Dolma (really wonderful, with better portion size), Lemon chicken (loved the cheese pancake part) and Baked Alaska as dessert.

Loved the first come first served patio dining. Delicious small plates (meze) with Turkish inspiration. A wonderful and memorable meal.