We had the surprise Halibut special today for lunch. The portion was less than the size of a deck of cards. And the surprise was it wasn't fresh and cost $48, + tip.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Max Chanoch
This place is fantastic. Great food, service and vibes. Can take your family or go with a few friends. Will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rhandi Lee
Food was wonderful as always. Service by Melissa was perfect. Just got loud with some excited people, no problem.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gina Agderian
Recently ate at Olympia Tea Room with my husband during a recent weekend trip to RI. The restaurant is located in downtown Watch Hill, but unless you have a window seat or you’re sitting outside, you don’t really get much of a view of the water, if that’s something you’re looking for.
The interior of the restaurant is very cool. Dark wood, very old New England. There is history in this restaurant, which we appreciated.
We arrived early on a Saturday and were starving after a long day of mansion tours in Newport. We were seated promptly and got lucky with a window seat. The service, like the food, was “fine.” Not amazing, not horrible. My husband got the pizza appetizer and said it was good…we are from the NYC area, so we are pizza snobs. I had the avocado carpaccio, which was refreshing and satisfying. We both had a burger as our entree, and they were, again, fine. The bun was dry and the burger was well done when I had requested medium, but it wasn’t horrible.
All this to say, the prices for food that is just “fine” are absolutely outrageous. My husband and I live right outside the culinary capital of the country, and the prices at Olympia Tea Room match those of NYC, but the quality is lacking. I understand that it’s Watch Hill, and I don’t mind paying extra for great food and service, but I’ve eaten at many excellent restaurants in wealthy parts of the Jersey shore that, while not inexpensive, deliver in both food and service and justify their prices. I feel like there is such a huge opportunity to make this an absolute knock-your-socks-off restaurant, and it’s really just missing the mark. Our table wasn’t entirely clean upon arrival, my fork was dirty, and while I know it isn’t supposed to be a “fancy” restaurant, the details are important when charging the prices that they charge.
Something that rubbed me the wrong way was that there were two guests that were leaving while we were eating. One was an elderly guest with mobility issues. One of the staff members (hostess, manager, not sure…she wasn’t a server) moved out of their way, but did not take the extra step to open the door for the guest with mobility issues (they had a walker). The woman just looked at them as they left. Not a huge deal, but it doesn’t matter what type of restaurant it is…if you see an older guest (or any guest) who has trouble walking, you should hold the door open for them instead of standing near them and watching them leave.
Olympia Tea Room has a lot of potential, but unfortunately, this is a one and done for us.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Kayla Avery
Surprisingly, I was quite disappointed by Olympia tea room my first time here. We were sat down in a booth towards the back, and this is where the issues started. I’m not sure if it’s just that part of the restaurant, but they seem to have a fly problem. The entire meal, flies were relentlessly buzzing around us and It was very irritating. Secondly, the staff are not very friendly, our waitress was okay this time. However, two of us had been there before and said that their waitress was extremely rude. Third issue was the food itself. I got the halibut special and another person in my party got the duck. The orange sauce on the duck was delicious, but the duck itself was extremely overcooked and nearly inedible. The halibut had a beautiful sear, but the fish itself was extremely bland and the sauce included lacked flavor. The vegetables were also very bland. I really wanted to like Olympia Tea room but I was very disappointed. I don’t think I would return here or recommend it to anyone visiting.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Don DeVries
Really enjoyed our Dinner after enjoying walk around town. Especially enjoying the clam chowder, which I enjoyed tasting everywhere on menus. We also enjoyed the zucchini Ribbons appetizer and especially the watermelon salad. The Pasta with marinara and sausage was delicious. Our waitress, Malissa was very helpful, engaged and added to making our meal memorable.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Christina Fontaine
I'm doing this review for this summer season('25) that we were visiting Watch Hill/ Napatree. I continued to hope for a better experience each time(4 visits) we dined The Tea Room but it consistently stayed the same, unfortunately. This has been the BEST part of our summers for the past 20 years w/ our son. This year it was busy as expected and they do not take reservations so we are not surprised for a 45 min- 1 hour wait. We get a drink at the bar while we wait, sometimes a seat opens at bar, others wise we hang out to wait on our table. Each time we had a wait and each time no one wanted to serve us a drink at the bar. No greeting, no eye contact and it seemed like we were bothering them. Our last visit, the young man with his 4 friends sitting at the bar turned to me to ask if I wanted him to order a drink for my husband & I since it wasn't crazy busy but noticed the lack of service and acknowledgement of us.I said no to see if the bartenders were going to even bother to ask since they were standing around. Finally after patiently waiting we were asked what we wanted but not with hospitality. This was consistently the treatment EACH time we were there this season. If they don't want people standing to get a drink at the bar they need to tell hostesses to make customers aware of that. Then they need to take reservations! Another situation... a group of 5 of us went to put our name in for the wait and we were told we could not put our name in because they did not have room for 5people, not even given the option to wait. Shocking!! Another situation... my son's girlfriend & I were standing at bar waiting to order 3 pear martinis & a beer. We waited and waited to not only get service but JUST to be acknoweded. The man bartending WAS busy but was also chatting for awhile w/ bar customers until it took me to jump in to FINALLY get service. I was so embarrassed since I bragged how great the pear martinis were there. When we got our cocktails, no fresh pairs in any of ours as I watched other customers get a garnish. We have no problems that bar tab totaled $75.00 but for that kinda of service & the lack of. We shoulda just not gone back... So the 2 is for consistency. We get the crispy chicken over greens, pear martinis and swan. Its good, not AMAZING, always the same but not worth the treatment as if we are a bother and not wanted there. We'll get an Uber to Misquamicut next time to spend 20.00 for a martini.
darlene beckett
This cozy and charming restaurant is located in Watch Hill by the Yacht Club and trendy shops. The food is outstanding and our server Melissa, the past three visits was excellent, too. She is kind and friendly and makes you feel at home and welcomed. The Spinach and fresh Fruit Salad with Citrus dressing has fresh oranges and grapefruit in it along with cashews and is my favorite first course. Next, I enjoy the BEST CLAM CHOWDER in New England. Better than Boston's best restaurants. Each entree has been delicious. Being from Florida I appreciate great Key Lime Pie. The Olympia's is as good as the famous Key West recipe and Joe's in Miami Beach. We go weekly to enjoy this fabulous dessert made fresh daily with real key limes and fresh whipped cream. I have not tasted better anywhere! Not only is this a GEM of a place to have a memorable lunch or dinner, but if you time it right, you can also enjoy a beautiful sunset that will take your breath away.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Susan Hiltz
My wife and I had dinner here last winter on a weekend visit. We were there recently and sadly they are not open for lunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jim Meisner
First, a shout out to our server Kalee, who was wonderful. Looking at other reviews, there are a minority of people who had bad experiences, but we must have hit a good night, because the food, atmosphere and service were all top notch. The specials were rather pricey, so we stuck with the menu items. We started with Crisp Zucchini Ribbons, which we both loved. I had the Portuguese Baked Haddock, which was spicy and delicious, and my wife had the roast chicken, which was delectable and so big that I got to finish about a third of it. Dessert was ridiculously good!
Always consistent when it comes to quality food & tremendous atmosphere. My favorite cocktail here is the cantaloupe martini, goes down ridiculously easy & the wife got a blood orange margarita that was equally delectable & btw, both were high potency! Menu items are all great, so it's tough to choose. I opted for the Portuguese haddock & my w8fe got the fish & chips, both were excellent & cooked perfectly. While not cheap, the portions are large & considering where you are....worth it. My only nit pick (& we come here often) is we always seem to get the one server who isn't having their best day, nothing rude of course, just not overly engaging & friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Dawn
The food was amazing!! The wait was horrible, but they were spot on with the time estimate.. no reservations allowed. The WORST part was how LOUD it was! All the patrons were screaming and it was horrible! If that doesnt bother you, then its worth it.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 4
Benjamin Shoemaker
Everything is on point here, per usual. I have been coming to the Tea Room for years and it has always delivered in every way! Nuf said, mike drop...
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joanne McGovern
Great food and wonderful service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maria T
The menu is a mess. It's hard to follow, chaotic, and has prices that screamed pretentious without the quality to back it up. I ordered the Grilled Pizza Margherita to start, and it came out soggy, barely warm, and missing the arugula i was charged an extra $2.50 for. When I brought it up to the waitress, she looked annoyed and dismissive. For my main, I ordered the Caviar Olympia Style, expecting something premium. What I got was a laughably small portion. Food was weak, staff was rude, and the whole experience felt like a waste of money.
We had the surprise Halibut special today for lunch. The portion was less than the size of a deck of cards. And the surprise was it wasn't fresh and cost $48, + tip.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
This place is fantastic. Great food, service and vibes. Can take your family or go with a few friends. Will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was wonderful as always. Service by Melissa was perfect. Just got loud with some excited people, no problem.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recently ate at Olympia Tea Room with my husband during a recent weekend trip to RI. The restaurant is located in downtown Watch Hill, but unless you have a window seat or you’re sitting outside, you don’t really get much of a view of the water, if that’s something you’re looking for.
The interior of the restaurant is very cool. Dark wood, very old New England. There is history in this restaurant, which we appreciated.
We arrived early on a Saturday and were starving after a long day of mansion tours in Newport. We were seated promptly and got lucky with a window seat. The service, like the food, was “fine.” Not amazing, not horrible. My husband got the pizza appetizer and said it was good…we are from the NYC area, so we are pizza snobs. I had the avocado carpaccio, which was refreshing and satisfying. We both had a burger as our entree, and they were, again, fine. The bun was dry and the burger was well done when I had requested medium, but it wasn’t horrible.
All this to say, the prices for food that is just “fine” are absolutely outrageous. My husband and I live right outside the culinary capital of the country, and the prices at Olympia Tea Room match those of NYC, but the quality is lacking. I understand that it’s Watch Hill, and I don’t mind paying extra for great food and service, but I’ve eaten at many excellent restaurants in wealthy parts of the Jersey shore that, while not inexpensive, deliver in both food and service and justify their prices. I feel like there is such a huge opportunity to make this an absolute knock-your-socks-off restaurant, and it’s really just missing the mark. Our table wasn’t entirely clean upon arrival, my fork was dirty, and while I know it isn’t supposed to be a “fancy” restaurant, the details are important when charging the prices that they charge.
Something that rubbed me the wrong way was that there were two guests that were leaving while we were eating. One was an elderly guest with mobility issues. One of the staff members (hostess, manager, not sure…she wasn’t a server) moved out of their way, but did not take the extra step to open the door for the guest with mobility issues (they had a walker). The woman just looked at them as they left. Not a huge deal, but it doesn’t matter what type of restaurant it is…if you see an older guest (or any guest) who has trouble walking, you should hold the door open for them instead of standing near them and watching them leave.
Olympia Tea Room has a lot of potential, but unfortunately, this is a one and done for us.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Surprisingly, I was quite disappointed by Olympia tea room my first time here. We were sat down in a booth towards the back, and this is where the issues started. I’m not sure if it’s just that part of the restaurant, but they seem to have a fly problem. The entire meal, flies were relentlessly buzzing around us and It was very irritating. Secondly, the staff are not very friendly, our waitress was okay this time. However, two of us had been there before and said that their waitress was extremely rude. Third issue was the food itself. I got the halibut special and another person in my party got the duck. The orange sauce on the duck was delicious, but the duck itself was extremely overcooked and nearly inedible. The halibut had a beautiful sear, but the fish itself was extremely bland and the sauce included lacked flavor. The vegetables were also very bland. I really wanted to like Olympia Tea room but I was very disappointed. I don’t think I would return here or recommend it to anyone visiting.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Really enjoyed our Dinner after enjoying walk around town. Especially enjoying the clam chowder, which I enjoyed tasting everywhere on menus. We also enjoyed the zucchini Ribbons appetizer and especially the watermelon salad. The Pasta with marinara and sausage was delicious. Our waitress, Malissa was very helpful, engaged and added to making our meal memorable.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
I'm doing this review for this summer season('25) that we were visiting Watch Hill/ Napatree. I continued to hope for a better experience each time(4 visits) we dined The Tea Room but it consistently stayed the same, unfortunately.
This has been the BEST part of our summers for the past 20 years w/ our son. This year it was busy as expected and they do not take reservations so we are not surprised for a 45 min- 1 hour wait. We get a drink at the bar while we wait, sometimes a seat opens at bar, others wise we hang out to wait on our table. Each time we had a wait and each time no one wanted to serve us a drink at the bar. No greeting, no eye contact and it seemed like we were bothering them. Our last visit, the young man with his 4 friends sitting at the bar turned to me to ask if I wanted him to order a drink for my husband & I since it wasn't crazy busy but noticed the lack of service and acknowledgement of us.I said no to see if the bartenders were going to even bother to ask since they were standing around. Finally after patiently waiting we were asked what we wanted but not with hospitality. This was consistently the treatment EACH time we were there this season. If they don't want people standing to get a drink at the bar they need to tell hostesses to make customers aware of that. Then they need to take reservations! Another situation... a group of 5 of us went to put our name in for the wait and we were told we could not put our name in because they did not have room for 5people, not even given the option to wait. Shocking!!
Another situation... my son's girlfriend & I were standing at bar waiting to order 3 pear martinis & a beer. We waited and waited to not only get service but JUST to be acknoweded. The man bartending WAS busy but was also chatting for awhile w/ bar customers until it took me to jump in to FINALLY get service. I was so embarrassed since I bragged how great the pear martinis were there. When we got our cocktails, no fresh pairs in any of ours as I watched other customers get a garnish. We have no problems that bar tab totaled $75.00 but for that kinda of service & the lack of. We shoulda just not gone back...
So the 2 is for consistency. We get the crispy chicken over greens, pear martinis and swan. Its good, not AMAZING, always the same but not worth the treatment as if we are a bother and not wanted there. We'll get an Uber to Misquamicut next time to spend 20.00 for a martini.
This cozy and charming restaurant is located in Watch Hill by the Yacht Club and trendy shops. The food is outstanding and our server Melissa, the past three visits was excellent, too. She is kind and friendly and makes you feel at home and welcomed. The Spinach and fresh Fruit Salad with Citrus dressing has fresh oranges and grapefruit in it along with cashews and is my favorite first course. Next, I enjoy the BEST CLAM CHOWDER in New England. Better than Boston's best restaurants. Each entree has been delicious. Being from Florida I appreciate great Key Lime Pie. The Olympia's is as good as the famous Key West recipe and Joe's in Miami Beach. We go weekly to enjoy this fabulous dessert made fresh daily with real key limes and fresh whipped cream. I have not tasted better anywhere! Not only is this a GEM of a place to have a memorable lunch or dinner, but if you time it right, you can also enjoy a beautiful sunset that will take your breath away.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My wife and I had dinner here last winter on a weekend visit. We were there recently and sadly they are not open for lunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First, a shout out to our server Kalee, who was wonderful. Looking at other reviews, there are a minority of people who had bad experiences, but we must have hit a good night, because the food, atmosphere and service were all top notch. The specials were rather pricey, so we stuck with the menu items. We started with Crisp Zucchini Ribbons, which we both loved. I had the Portuguese Baked Haddock, which was spicy and delicious, and my wife had the roast chicken, which was delectable and so big that I got to finish about a third of it. Dessert was ridiculously good!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Always consistent when it comes to quality food & tremendous atmosphere. My favorite cocktail here is the cantaloupe martini, goes down ridiculously easy & the wife got a blood orange margarita that was equally delectable & btw, both were high potency! Menu items are all great, so it's tough to choose. I opted for the Portuguese haddock & my w8fe got the fish & chips, both were excellent & cooked perfectly. While not cheap, the portions are large & considering where you are....worth it. My only nit pick (& we come here often) is we always seem to get the one server who isn't having their best day, nothing rude of course, just not overly engaging & friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
The food was amazing!! The wait was horrible, but they were spot on with the time estimate.. no reservations allowed. The WORST part was how LOUD it was! All the patrons were screaming and it was horrible! If that doesnt bother you, then its worth it.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 4
Everything is on point here, per usual. I have been coming to the Tea Room for years and it has always delivered in every way! Nuf said, mike drop...
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food and wonderful service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The menu is a mess. It's hard to follow, chaotic, and has prices that screamed pretentious without the quality to back it up. I ordered the Grilled Pizza Margherita to start, and it came out soggy, barely warm, and missing the arugula i was charged an extra $2.50 for. When I brought it up to the waitress, she looked annoyed and dismissive. For my main, I ordered the Caviar Olympia Style, expecting something premium. What I got was a laughably small portion. Food was weak, staff was rude, and the whole experience felt like a waste of money.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
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