Olea - Leipzig

Typical „Italian“ Leipzig place. Avoid if possible. The menu is loaded with tons of dishes which every Italian would not touch if you put a gun to their head. Portions are big so you will be fed. It is greasy, heavy and the average German will love it. If you value quantity over quality this is your place. Otherwise stay away.

On our visit to Leipzig we found ourselves eating in this restaurant many times. Very polite, friendly and welcoming staff and a good selection of Italian and European dishes. The atmosphere in the restaurant is great and there is an open kitchen. The food was excellent and was also great value. Highly recommended.

Sat outside and had the prawn risotto for lunch. It was really tasty with lots of prawns and a side salad. Service was attentive and quick. A nice find in Lindenau where there are not that many nice restaurants.

My husband and I stopped by Olea just after they opened at 12:00. We ordered pasta – carbonara and spaghetti bolognese (photographs attached) – which we were surprised to find were HUGE portions. At the same time, the tasty pasta was also quite cheap; along with drinks and the tip, we paid only €20. My German is as bad as the waitress's English, but extra kudos to her for making light of the situation and making us feel very welcome. A laugh and a smile really goes a long way. Tip: Olea is on the doorstep of the Lindenauer Markt tram and bus stop.

Take trams 7, 8 or 15 from city center and get off at Angerbrücke for a 290 meter walk to Restaurant Olea or go on and pass Olea on left hand side and get off at Lindenauer Markt and walk back 240 m. I was on my way from the hotel to the city center in tram 7 when I saw the inviting candle light from restaurant Olea. I got curious so I got off at the next stop (Angerbrücke) and walked back. Quite a few people had chosen to dine at Olea and, that usually being a good sign, made me come in. Straight away a young woman got me the menu. The menu is quite extensive containing omelettes, salads, risotto, oven baked dishes, pasta, chicken, fish and rump steaks. I ordered pasta and couldn’t withstand to look at the dessert menu and found Schwedenbecher (Sweden cup) with ice cream, applesauce, whipped cream and eggnog if I recall correctly. Being Swedish and never heard of it I just had to try. The bill came to 19 EUR including a glass of wine, which I find very reasonable for a very good meal and friendly service with a smile. I just (9 Oct 2016) looked up their weekly menu and all items but one, roast veal, were priced under 10 EUR. If I were living in the area I’m sure I’d come here regularly. Do try restaurant Olea!