Taberna Ole - Fort Myers (FL)

5 /5 Lwigy Collado: The tapas/small plate concept at Taverna Ole offers a unique dining experience that everyone should try. We chose Taverna Ole for a birthday dinner, and if you’re a food lover, it’s like being a kid in a candy shop. The menu, though concise, is full of variety and options to suit different palates. I was a bit apprehensive about going because of some of the service reviews, but I’m glad we decided to try it. The service was excellent, and the team graciously made up for a small mistake. As patrons, we should remember that the tapas/small plate concept brings its own set of challenges for both the wait staff and the kitchen. The ambiance, enhanced by live guitar music, was exceptional. The tapas and entrées we ordered were full of flavor. Overall, the experience was memorable and noteworthy. Thank you, Zoe, Junio, and Sharon, for helping make my wife’s birthday a special one. We will definitely be back soon. If you’re reading this, please give them a try!

3 /5 cristal lastra: On Saturday evening my husband, son, and I joined friends for dinner at this establishment. I made the reservation weeks ago and was excited to finally try authentic Spanish food in Fort Myers. Ahead of our visit, I emailed the restaurant through their website to introduce myself and ask about a particular dish, but unfortunately never received a reply. The food itself was good, but the service left much to be desired. We were seated in a side room, away from the main dining area where a performer was entertaining guests. I was not aware of this when I booked, and it made us feel isolated from the lively atmosphere. To make matters worse, we were placed at a fold-out table that shook anytime someone shifted or bumped into it. For a dinner bill exceeding $350, this was especially disappointing. Service was confused throughout the evening. Multiple times we were brought food that belonged to other tables and had to correct the servers. While the staff was polite, the lack of organization and repeated mistakes took away from the experience. Overall, while the food was enjoyable, the poor service, awkward seating, and lack of communication made the evening not worth the cost. Sadly, we left disappointed and would not return.

1 /5 Greg Cooper: If youre looking for a restaurant to enjoy great conversation with friends and family go somewhere else. The atmosphere last night was horrible. We sat as far away as possible from the live entertainment and still couldnt hear a word being spoken at our table. Begging the staff to turn down the volume was pointless. We couldnt even hear what they were saying to us. I love Spanish guitar but that was crazy loud and ruined it. Then came the food. Dry, overcooked and disappointing apps were followed by the main dish - seafood paella. There was more salt than seafood in the dish and it stands as the worst paella Ive ever had in the US. It looked great but I didnt even bring the leftovers home. First visit = last visit.

2 /5 Johnny P: Went with group for the suckling pig, supposed to feed 8 people barely had enough for four men and three ladies, pig was portioned and served, the sides came 15 mins later. And OMG the side dishes were a joke, watery straight from the can black beans, with no flavor, and plain white rice to feed maybe four, I asked multiple times if they would make us fried potato chips (typical to Portugal and Spain) and they brought out wilted fried potato cubes in a tiny basket enough for one person, asked for more, 15 Mins later came back with the same cubed potatoes no more than the first serving "on the house" I will say however, looking at other tables the plates looked appealing and sizable in portions. White and Red sangria pitchers and live entertainment were a couple of positives but the overall experience with the suckling pig fell way short of expectations.

5 /5 Tyler Alty: Incredible food - probably the best meal I’ve had in Fort Myers. All authentic Spanish food and the Iberian pork is out of this world!