Olivares Tapas Bar

Someone from this business manages this listing.

821 reviews

#35 of 420 Restaurants in Lincoln££ - £££, Mediterranean, European, Spanish

+44 1522 410627+ Add website

Hours

Tue

12:00 - 15:0017:00 - 23:30

Wed

12:00 - 15:0017:00 - 23:30

Thu

12:00 - 15:0017:00 - 23:30

Fri

12:00 - 15:0017:00 - 23:30

Sat

12:00 - 23:30

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

821 reviews

#35 of 420 Restaurants in Lincoln

Travellers' Choice 2023

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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CUISINES

Mediterranean, European, Spanish

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

features

Location and contact

3 Castle Hill, Lincoln LN1 3AA England

+44 1522 410627

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Does this restaurant allow dogs or considered pet friendly?

Yes

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Details

Manage this business?

About

Authentic Spanish food. Home made.

CUISINES

Mediterranean, European, Spanish

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Dog Friendly, Non-smoking restaurants

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4.5

821 reviews

Excellent

565

Very good

149

Average

Poor

Terrible

Sijupo

64 contributions

Tasty tapas, cosy restaurant, lovely staff, what more do you need?

Feb 2020 • none

Visited with a friend for the first time. We had 7 dishes between us which was more than enough. All very nice, we were both happy with the house wine which wasn’t a bad price but would have like it to be Spanish! All dishes nice and hot and tasty, the chicken was particularly garlicky! But very nice. Nice croquettes home made, I think a couple of the dishes tasted similar these were the ones with the tomatoey sauces so try and mix it up a bit with your ordering. We were both completely stuffed by the end so didn’t manage a dessert. Waiters were nice, room was nice and warm and cosy and not too loud like some busy places can be on a Saturday night. Definitely would recommend and come back. Especially as we found the meal much better than the Marco Pierre white grill the night before and it was £50 cheaper! Cost was approx £70

Written 26 February 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Beckyjane87

Dubai50 contributions

Beautiful little tapas bar by the castle !

Oct 2020 • couples

Wonderful service and very cozy setting. The service was faultless and the food was surprisingly good sized portions for a tapas bar. The prawns and chorizo was divine and the sangria was on point ! Attentive service and lovely ambiance, our dishes were reasonably priced and actually preferred the vibe of Olivares to Ole Ole tapas bar uphill. Perfect setting for couples and small groups in the enclosed booth seating. Olivares exceeded my expectations , a little gem in Lincoln.

Written 11 October 2020

Louise H

Buckinghamshire1492 contributions

Fresh Tapas

Feb 2020 • couples

The restaurant were accommodating to our last minute request for a table on a Friday pm and squeezed us in, glad they did, lovely freshly cooked tapas came our way. Try the chorizo braised in red wine, croquet-as, bacalao. All dishes we had were good, great service. Steep steps here at 3 level

Written 28 February 2020

Katrine B

1 contribution

Small portions and poor social distancing

Aug 2020 • none

We visited the restaurant during the eat out to help out scheme and had a very poor experience. I emailed them twice regarding this experience and have not heard back, so I have decided to write it here. Firstly, the social distancing present is very poor, they are still packing the restaurant like any normal night with no spaces. Upon arrival, we were told a variety of dishes were no longer available. We arrived at 8 o'clock, a time requested by them, ordered our drinks at 8:30, and finally got them at 8:45. We then ordered our food at 9, it took a whole hour just to order. When ordering, we were told even more dishes were not available. Being a family of vegetarians, this meant the dishes we could have were even more limited. The dishes that we had were considerably smaller than your typical size. We started with two portions of Pan Ali Oli/Balsamico, we were given one small basket of bread with two small pots of each dip. We ordered two, so were very disappointed to be given such small portions. The manchego cheese dish had three small slithers of cheese, the camembert had no crackers, we were given small slithers of Spanish omelette, the patatas bravas all had minimal amounts of sauce on them. Overall, we were extremely disappointed with the food we received. We ordered 14 dishes in total, and we all left hungry. This should not happen at a restaurant. With the new government scheme, they knew the restaurant would be busy, therefore, they should've stocked appropriately. If dishes were running out so quickly and early in the evening, someone should've gone to the shops to restock, being in central lincoln shops are very close by. If they were running out of food, they should've not taken walk-ins and focused on the bookings they already had. We felt that we were given half the food because of the discount, but they were still receiving the full price, so we should not be given smaller portions. We will not be visiting your restaurant any time soon. It is a shame that our experience there has been ruined.

Written 15 September 2020

bb54del

North Petherton7 contributions

Poor service and expensive for cold tapas.

May 2021 • family

Poor service and expensive for cold tapas as this was ‘all they had available due to chef being ill’. Advised as no chef to cook food - only cold tapas and drinks available. A bit disappointing but thought we would try it. Had two kids with us aged 3 and 8 so limited choices in cold range of options. We ordered some drinks and basic tapas. Kids could have easily had something simple from a menu that was easy to prepare but no option to do this? Could easily have offered a blanked out menu with some basic hot options but again no! Cold platters came out which were nice but limited for two ‘Hangry’ children who accepted what we gave them. Whilst sat at an outside table with four other tables occupied outside, we were disappointed to say the least that the surrounding tables were being served hot tapas and plenty of variety, all a good 20 minutes after we sat down and then more hot food orders to follow. We had no confusion as to what we were told by the waiter when we got to sit down. We just accepted that the chef had been taken ill and no hot food could be offered. Clearly poor staffing and poor service and pricey too for what came out. What a shame as place was recommended to us.. sadly we won’t be going back. Bear this review in mind if you have hungry kids!

Written 3 June 2021

AnthonyonTrip

2 contributions

A lovely surprise!

Aug 2021 • none

Didn't expect to find such an excellent tapas bar immediately located in a square between a medieval English cathedral and an ancient castle! Do not be put off by listings with '££££' - it's worth every penny. Interesting, varied menu, really (I mean, really) generous portions, and friendly, fun and efficient staff team. I had dinner there on Thursday night, sitting outside in the mild air listening to the cathedral bells, and enjoyed it so much I went back for lunch on Friday. Thank you, Olivares!

Written 21 August 2021

Sam J

11 contributions

What a disappointment!

Jun 2021 • friends

This place was recommended to us so we went. On arrival was taken up a dirty dingy staircase to our table. In such a dark cramped room. The menu looked ok with lots of choice. After ordering it literally took 5 mins for our food to arrive and what a disappointment! Generic pre cooked and some overcooked food. Wasn’t presented well or taste very good. This is not authentic Spanish tapas it’s cheap generic pre cooked food. We couldn’t get out the restaurant quick enough. When our waiter came over and asked if it was ok all 4 of us said no. It was basic and ok at most nothing more. He suggested coming back when they were not as busy but like explained this is not going to make the food taste any better. Will definitely never return!

Written 18 July 2021

Julz63

Lincolnshire3 contributions

Night out

Sept 2020 • couples

We ordered 5 dishes, our chicken dish was cold. Melon dish was half a sliced melon with a bit of rocket and parma ham on top! When we complained about the cold chicken dish the chef argued with us in front of all the other diners. No covid measures in place. Awful dining experience, food over rated.

Written 20 September 2020

Robjan

Rochdale410 contributions

Great Tapas

Jun 2021 • none

We had the set meal for two as most of the dishes we would have picked anyhow. We changed one dish which was not a problem. First dishes came fairly quickly, we were asked if we were ready for our next dishes, not rushed at all. Everything was very tasty. We had a bottle of house wine which was good. The stairs to the first floor are fairly steep. Decor in the restaurant wasn't what I was expecting but seemed fairly authentic for a tapas I suppose. Will revisit for sure.

Written 23 June 2021

LouT72

Willenhall5 contributions

Nice food but very rushed

Jun 2022 • couples

We had the set meal and added calamari’s. The sharing board of cured meats and cheese came out first with the bread and oils. As we just started eating it the patatas bravas along with mushroom came out which we thought was a bit strange so we decided to leave the cold platter and eat the hot food but then the meatballs and chorizo came out instantly followed by the calamari’s and cod. Food was going cold before we had chance to eat it. We felt very rushed and totally unrelaxed for a meal that wasn’t cheap. Nothing like eating tapas in Spain. This is such a shame as the food was tasty and good sized portions. If you are in a rush and don’t mind speed eating this is the place for you.

Written 7 June 2022

kathy d

10 contributions

A friendly and welcoming restaurant with great food!

Nov 2021 • couples

We enjoyed an excellent, perfectly cooked meal. It was good value - we couldn't have eaten another thing - and the service pleasant, despite being very busy with a constant stream of people arriving throughout the evening (always a good sign). We'd certainly recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves tapas and will return if we find ourselves in the area in future.

Written 13 November 2021

Alyson P

Birmingham190 contributions

Authentic and delicious

Feb 2020 • couples

What a find! Weekend visit and first time staying at the top of Steep Hill - we saw the sign and decided to investigate. Great decor and atmosphere - was clearly popular as the restaurant was already half full at 12.00. We had the lunchtime deal of two tapas each. Generous portions, beautifully cooked - and just as my own family would have cooked them in Andalucia. All the staff were friendly, efficient and attentive. Loved having the opportunity to have a conversation in Spanish with a lovely young waitress from Malaga. The bacalau was superb and the dessert roulade is definitely highly recommended to finish the meal. We'll definitely be returning on our next Lincoln visit in May.

Written 15 February 2020

EthelSt123

8 contributions

Lovely. Would recommend - Caters for Vegans

Aug 2020 • couples

My partner and I returned here after a lovely meal back in December. Service is friendly and efficient. Food is delicious. We finished our meal and still had some sangria to finish, we were made to feel very welcome and comfortable even thought it was late! Really lovely romantic spot - would highly recommend

Written 16 August 2020

Tim S

Liverpool24 contributions

Friendly, fast service and tasty food

Oct 2022 • couples

Called in without booking at 6.15 on a Tuesday night. Greeted warmly and shown upstairs to a table within a small wood panelled room. We were the only people there initially but by the time we left all bar one table was occupied. This is a tapas restaurant so we chose the set meal "A" for two and weren't disappointed. Drinks delivered quickly and first platter of bread and olives followed soon after. There were several dishes each piping hot and delivered efficiently. The dishes included meat, fish and vegetarian and all really tasty. The serving team were pleasant, efficient and very attentive without being too obtrusive. Total cost less than £70.00 for two people including 1 cider and 2 San Miguel's (and tip). My only slight negative was that the only white wine on offer was a sauvignon which unfortunately is too acidic for me, so I stayed with beer. The nature of the building means that the restaurant tables are on 3 different floors and for us the decor and atmosphere was ideal. If in Lincoln again I would eat here again.

Written 26 October 2022

rob y

Stoke-on-Trent7 contributions

Hidden Gem

Oct 2022 • couples

Limited selection at the top of the hill so after a scan of what else was on offer we decided on this quaint little place between the cathedral and the castle and booked a table . Easy online booking . But there is a phone number also Spread over 3 floors with cute little timber clad rooms gives it an authentic feel and decoration ,helping you to forget where you actually are . Just one thing the stairs are quite steep so if you struggle maybe ask for a table downstairs when booking . Very polite friendly staff and good prompt service . There was only 2 on but they were both very efficient and our waitress was particularly helpful. Food very tasty . Hot and freshly cooked with good flavours. I'm always afraid tapas , small dishes will not be enough for someone with my appetite but there was plenty. Good selection of dishes , the usual kind you'd expect from a tapas . All in all no complaints all nice and clean ,lovely meal and nice experience. Well done

Written 29 October 2022

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