Olesya's Wine Bar

I'll have been there few months ago with my friend. We took a bottle of wine and the cheeseboard. I'm a really big fan of cheeses so for me that was very tasty evening. Big choice, very well presented and most important fresh. I had cheese that I've never tried before, all comes decorated with the fruits and we've got lots of bread and crackers. We had French Fleurie, which can be also really good.

I’ve wandered past Olesya’s wine bar many times when strolling through Exchequer Street. During the warmer months the front windows are often opened out giving a real holiday feel to it. When I saw a deal pop up online I was delighted. For just €35 they offered 2 starters and 2 mains with tea or coffee. So last bank holiday weekend on a nice enough Sunday evening myself and E dropped in to try it out. 

The restaurant is small enough but all well spaced out tables and has a lovely interior.

As I’ve been put on a low FODMAP diet (nightmare!) I had already looked over the menu to see what suited me. I chose the smoked salmon to start and E decided on the basket of bread and dips. Of course when the bread arrived my good intentions went out the window and I scoffed a load of it. The bread was beautifully warm and fresh, just out of the oven and with the delicious pesto and other dips it was heaven considering I’d been restricted all week! I also ordered a glass of Argentinian Malbec at €8.50 which was gorgeously heavy, just how I like it!

My smoked salmon was delicious and served with some capers and a potato salad with mustard seeds… may sound strange but it was super tasty!

Onto mains and I went for the prawn and chorizo dish, large succulent prawns served on top of a slice of chorizo and roasted potato with a bed of spinach and pickled carrots. The prawns were so well cooked, tender and juicy.

E went for the Dry Aged Hereford Rib-Eye Steak (he always orders steak!). This came with caramelised onions and pepper sauce and fab roasted baby potatoes. The pepper sauce was definitely one of the best I’ve had and certainly had a kick to it!

We decided to take a little break here and moved to sit outside and enjoy a drink and do some people watching on Exchequer Street :-) After we’d let our mains digest we decided to share a dessert and chose the cake of the day which conveniently happened to be Death by Chocolate – that worked out well!

I have to say I was surprised at just how good the food was in Olesya’s, I expected a wine bar with some average food but it offered really fantastic food and wine. If it’s one of those places you have always walked past and peered in, I recommend you try it. They also do monthly wine tasting events so that is a “must do” for me next!