Olive and Basil restaurant

A really great patio with a nice view of the ocean. Service was fast and food came out quickly. Would definitely recommend if looking for a spot with a view or a nice rooftop patio.

The good: Great location, right by the water, parks, and shops. Plenty of Mediterranean options to choose from, but we went the classic gyro. The pita was soft, the gyro meat was flavorful, and it was loaded with sauce and feta. Service was friendly and attentive.

The not-so-good: Expensive, but that's also the area in general. Portion sizes were a little on the smaller side. They didn't have lamb for the gyro meat, so we went with beef.

Food/drink: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Service: 9/10

We ate inside because it was threatening rain. Still had an ocean view. Such friendly, efficient service. And the food was delicious.

update: beef kebab is too dry for another visit so I guess the quality is not always consistent. Pita bread, hummus and lamb shank are still great. Something new is the sea gull walkng outside waiting for food. beautiful!

We booked a group dinner and it went really well. Hummus trios were so good that we asked for more pita. Kebob looks amazing and tastes beautiful. Lamb shanks are like volcanoes, soft meat. The only complaint is that the mock tail are too strong in sweet, sour and mint flavor but it could be a personal taste thing. Will definitely go again!

I went here the last weekend of January 2023 with my boo and best friend. We were looking to have a midday snack after a hike along the pier. We all like Mediterranean food, so we drove to Olive and Basil. It was unseasonably cold outside. I was grateful that our server allowed us to sit inside because I would not have been able to hang out on their outdoor patio for long. I'm vegan and truly appreciate when vegan items are clearly marked on a menu, as was the case here! There were at least 5 viable vegan options. I went with the Vegetable-Med Plate (which sounds basic) but was actually very satisfying. The vegetable were seasoned and grilled perfectly. The hummus was thick and smooth, exactly the way I like it. Also, our server, who's name slips my mind, was well suited for his role. He was so kind, considerate, and pleasant. Nice place to grab a snack!

I ordered takeout so I can't really comment on the atmosphere very much. It did take a while to get my food done, but service was professional. Also, there's the TV entertainment 😄 In general, the food was quite good. I especially liked the calamari fritti for its well-combined crispy, tangy, and salty-savory flavors. The tacos were decent but a little small and overpriced for my liking. The fish and meat combinations did taste good though. The nachos had enticing colors representing the Mexican flag- green, red, and white, but the texture was a little too thick for my liking.

Good spot to grab a bite. We were seated upstairs so we had a nice view. Our server Vinny was great! He was always around when we needed him & he had a wonderful attitude. We had the calamari & the Spanish shrimp pasta dish. Great flavor, plenty of large shrimp & the veggies on top were nice. We also wanted to try the Baklava cheesecake that our waiter suggested & my goodness, it was everything!! I also think the prices for the dishes were reasonable. If you ever find yourself in La Jolla, you should def stop by!