The Olympia Tea Room

We only came to have a light snack and a cocktail so I can only judge the menu on that. We had a frisée salad and alcoholic lemonade cocktails. Both were excellent as was your server. She was bright, smiley, attentive and speedy. The interior is pleasant and the view of the harbor is nice. Sitting outside gives you the advantage of people watching. Definitely want to go back.

This place has a picturesque location in the heart of Watch Hill, and in reality, that’s why the prices are a bit higher than they probably should be.
The food is good, but we will only stop here when in a time-​crunch!

If these people are interested in your business, they surely don’t show it. On a Friday at 4:15 PM, after an afternoon of shopping, our party of 4 thought it would be nice to sit and have a drink. We entered the restaurant and saw a full bar, but at least ¹⁄₃ of the tables were empty. Our greeter said «4 for lunch»? We said, no, we’d just like to have a drink, but the bar is full, so we can sit at a table. She told us that no, tables were reserved for those having lunch (it was 4:15, remember — not exactly lunch or dinner time, and many empty tables), but we were welcome to get a drink at the bar and sit on a park bench with it outside. Thank you — no. We left, and will not be back.

Rude people. Terrible service. So many wonderful people/​places to go so avoid at all costs.

Like crowds? Like waiting? Like being seen as an imposition the minute you walk in –from the hostess with her back turned to the door? Like standing at the bar and remain unrecognized for minutes while regulars get served and you get jostled by waitstaff trying to squeeze through the crowd?
It’s a decent sized dining room with outdoor seating but unless you HAVE to sit at a table, stalk the bar for an open seat. Then be prepared to wait some more.
I was sitting next to some regulars who chatted me up so the bartender (one of two who could barely crack a smile) noticed me and warmed up a bit.
Good wine list, decent menu. and quick kitchen moves this up a star from the one based on first impressions. Don’t go here if you can’t wait at least 35 mins to be seated.
Also alittle pricey but then so is the Ocean House.

Leave the kids at home.
This is a grown up restaurant and I (despite having 4 kids) am totally fine with that.
The restaurant is intimate with attentive service and a menu that offers great mixture of modern American, super fresh seafood and some great Italian pastas.
The Manager is not rude, in fact she came over and chatted with us and asked us how we were enjoying everything. Unilocalers listen carefully — DO NOT BRING YOUR KIDS —– you will have a whole different dining experience.
My only compliant about the joint was that for a «tea room» this Englishman found their offering to be very weak: o)
Lovely romantic night out with food that was perfectly portioned and pace perfectly so we were able to enjoy the night. Being European we dine on the later side so those people who think that just because they can afford to bring the kids here that they should, well they were leaving shortly after our first glass of wine arrived.
Eat Well Providence… and know that sometimes you need to get a babysitter

Great food and menu. Very expensive but worth the atmosphere and it is Watch Hill after all! Eat outside and it’s worth every penny! Good date night… Great people watching. Staff is good.

Have eaten here several times over the past year and my conclusion is: average food propped up by a great location. Inside is dark and feels a little old, salty and a little cramped. Outside is more enjoyable due to the western view over the harbor. The menu is predictable and simple for a New England ocean-​side location. Service has been good enough but inconsistent.
They’re not the most friendly place. One night my son (age 12) was asked to leave their bar area while standing with me as I ordered drinks. He was there to help me carry what was going to be a 5 drinks outside while we waited for our table. We skipped the order due to the rudeness.
They don’t take reservations unfortunately and not interested in accommodating large parties, even with plenty of notice. We made reservations elsewhere.
Biggest asset is location. Reminds me of too many Cape Cod restaurants that have become «institutions» of their respective towns that rest on their location laurels and not interested in pushing high service or quality that you’d hope comes with the longevity.

The manager was extremely rude yesterday.
Why can’t children eat at the restaurant?
If the kids were chilly outside you should have moved them inside.
This lady obviously has never had children.
We have been spending money in this restaurant for years…
Learn how to speak to paying guests or go get a desk job at a computer.
Shame on you!
PS– Liar Liar pants on fire!
The kids did NOTHING wrong!

We went to this restaurant for a dinner. We had Bahama salad with additional chicken and fish and chips. The salad was very good, but cost us $ 22. Fish and chips were below average. Our Big Y makes much taistier and juicier fish with the same unpleasant taste french fries, but at least they don’t charge $ 20 for it.

I never had the opportunity to eat here so I can’t give a full review, however I can tell you the customer service is lousy. My husband and I tried to go here on a Sunday night with our one year old son. The place looked somewhat busy — I approached the hostess stand and was greeted by a young girl. I asked if they had room for 2 and a highchair. Her reply was «we don’t have highchairs» and continued to stare at me like I had 5 heads.
I understand it’s a nice restaurant but it’s in a beach town– I don’t understand how they do not have proper seating to accommodate children. I was hoping this girl would give me a second option but when she just stared at me I turned away and left.
I don’t think I’ll be back to this restaurant anytime soon. I felt A little discriminated against for having a child!

I have been holding back on writing a review for a while. Visited this restaurant twice in the last two weeks. And hoped my experience the first time was a fluke. **SHOCKER** it was not.
Ordered a burger and calamari the first visit which were deserving of a 3-​star review on their own. However, the waitress we had was not very pleasant. She was curt and flippant likely because we shared 1 cheap entrée and appetizer between two people, but that’s no excuses for being rude.
Our next visit the waitress was way better but the hostess was pretty nasty. We requested to be seated at one of the tables next to an outlet so we could charge one of our phones, once she realized this was the reason we wanted that table she removed the menus and scurried us to another table while muttering something about not being allowed to charge phones. I was confused, and after she reseated us I sat there for a minute very confused about what just happened.
After replaying the scenario in my head, I was convinced she must have miss heard me and it this was just a miss understanding. So I walked over to her and asked if there was anyway I could charge my phone, perhaps not at the table but anywhere. She arrogantly responded that she couldn’t allow me to do that because it is a liability. I laughed because I genuinely thought she was joking and light heartedly asked if instead of them plugging it in I could take the «liability» and do so somewhere. Again I was shot down.
I understand if that is your policy as ridiculous as I may find it. However, there is no reason to talk to a customer like that. I don’t care how good your food is, or how expensive your Patagonia.
I would recommend another high nosed place to eat in the area but they are the only sit down and the only restaurant period open late. So jokes on you, they can pretty much treat you however they want I guess!

Food is good. Many great choices. Lobster roll w butter is on a croissant. The croissant took all flavor from lobster. Lobster was plentiful tho. Food was average worth trying. A little pricy for the ambiance. Good music

I LOVE THIS RESTAURANT! We have been coming here for years and have never been disappointed. DO NOT BELIEVE THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS RE: CHILDREN. It’s not that they are «unwelcome». If you see the layout of the dinning room you will notice that there is no room for high chairs and other baby gear. Waitstaff and customers would have no room to pass by tables. We have been taking our children here since they were old enough to sit in a normal chair and behave. They have ALWAYS been treated well. The location is perfect. Beautiful Watch Hill, surrounded by summer boutiques, shops and art galleries. The menu is excellent. Varied and delicious. Their Tuna Tartare on crisp chip as a special was incredible. The Bolagnese Sauce is fantastic. The service is attentive and pleasant. Perfect New England atmosphere.
Great selection of Martini’s and cocktails. It is our «go to» place in the summer. It is a very popular restaurant so unless you go early be prepared to wait a bit. It’s well worth it.

First, the food is…and always has been. .. very good. However, it has always been difficult getting past Olympia Tea Room’s shabby treatment of customers. We have felt poorly treated here before and still do. The two stars are only because the of the good food; none for how they behave toward customers.
If an establishment states they do not take reservations, why is it every time we visit there are tables with RESERVED placards on them? On a recent visit (Friday, May 8), my wife and I were compelled to stand and wait while one empty table of six sat RESERVED as the staff set another table for a different group of six. I asked the hostess who, after attempting to shuffle first my wife and then me to the bar, about the restaurant’s reservation policy. She said they take none. When I asked, she stated the RESERVED table was for «friends of the owner.»
So when we visit and there are two or more reserved tables (as we have observed in the past), are these ALL for friends of the owners?
We were there last week (2015 opening night); we waited while a couple who arrived after us were seated before us. When I asked why, I was told that the couple «had called to put their name on the list.» Excuse me, is this unlike taking a reservation? So I thought I’d try this and called on May 8 and said we would be arriving in 15 minutes and asked to be, «put on the list» and were told no.
Their treatment goes beyond poor policy and customer service and touches on snobbish elitism. You’re good Olympia, but you’re not THAT good.
My wife and I left and went to the Watch Hill «house near the ocean» up the hill. We got top-​notch food AND treatment.
Looking through other Unilocal reviews, I cannot help but notice that Olympia has a long history of crummy treatment of customers.

My wife and I had heard good things about Olympia from a friend, so we wanted to try it while we were in the Westerly area.
We went for dinner on a Thursday night, and the place was crowded but not too loud. We were given a 15 minute wait time for a table, and that was more or less accurate. All of the staff who we dealt with in the restaurant were friendly and attentive, and we were very happy with our waitress.
For appetizers, my wife had a tomato salad with mozzarella which was lightly dressed in balsamic. It was a nice, light start to the meal that highlighted the tomatoes. I had the clam chowder which was solid — very creamy with a sufficient clam flavor (i.e. you didnt feel like you were having a generic cream soup).
For dinner, the hanger steak with horseradish cream was very solid. My steak was cooked to order, and the flavor of it played well off the cream. Dessert was excellent as well.
Overall I was happy with the meal and service, which went beyond some of the reviews here.

I have taken my young family here three times in the past few years, we like to visit the beach at Watch Hill as it is a place my wife visited as a young child. The Olympia Tea Room has been a constant part of that story, and of several generations before that (as the beer mats labelled clearly with the year the place was established will testify).
My major problem with this place is that it seems to be trading on that history/​heritage. That and the almost complete lack of local competition. Our visits have always been tainted with the same lack of care on behalf of pretty much every server. Attitudes have been surly and uncaring, basics — such as water — are often forgotten, the vibe is very much our way or no way.
Their refusal to provide highchairs for our kids — remember this is a beach town, families come here — seems grounded in some ancient past. I sense the owner refuses to keep up with the times (we have been to a lot of very fancy restaurants in NYC etc. who have all been more than happy to provide highchairs) due to some ill-​advised determination to stick with tradition.
The other sense we get is that tourists are bit of an inconvenience. Like they figure out that you are ‘not from around here’, and then assume the worst.
We will continue to return to Waverley but there’ll be no more Olympia Tea Room visits. If the food was fantastic it would be a much harder decision, but its not, it’s very average.

I had never been to the Olympia and convinced my family to go. On the positive side, the linguini with clams was good, the prices were fair for Watch Hill, and the calamari was good. My only warning is that they do not take reservations so be prepared to wait — we went on a Monday night and waited for 40 minutes. The hostess was quirky — she was not warm and welcoming the night we were there and lacked people skills. Maybe she was pissed that we weren’t Taylor Swift. The server was friendly but the bar service was slow — had to wait for a LONG time for our wine order.
It is loud inside, hard to have a conversation. The tables are tight. I don’t know if we will go back.

I gladly visited the Olympia Tea Room for the first time. Growing up spending my summers in East Matunuck, Im surprised that I have been missing out on a nice sunny people watching spot not too far away.
I tried the zucchini ribbons, they were thin and light even though they were fried. They were served over a fresh tomato and herb salad with balsamic and loads of shaved reggiano. I would have been good with just that but I also ordered the ceasar salad with two grilled huge shrimp. They were grilled perfectly, not too over done. I wish I took a picture because they cut the romane vertically and put the whole half of the head of lettuce on the plate with the dressing on the white stems. Looked cool but I will say it was more work chopping it all up but the housemade warm crutons won me back over.
I loved sitting outside top half shaded and bottom half in the sun tanning. Sipping my drink and watching the crowds. Didnt wait for a table and our server was very nice. Overall had a great meal and experience.

I’ve been here a number of times over the past years and would have agreed with the 3 star rating but today’s visit showed me a different hand in the kitchen and significantly better output so I’m going to 4 stars.
Had both a simple and complex dish — fish and chips and a flounder with curried quinoa and asparagus, plus string beans with pancetta, roasted tomatos and prosciutto. All excellent and super fresh, cooked lightly leaving freshness and crunch. I would not have seasoned the quinoa but would have the fish with the same curry sauce. But flavors nice and clean. French fries were terrible however. Cheap and not worth the calories. Some nice things on dessert list but my partner and me skipped them. Great wine list by the glass but a bit pricey, not terrible tho. Service friendly and knowledgable, very professional.
I always liked it here — now a bit more so.