Great Escape: Olea

The owners behind on Lafayette Avenue claim its happy hour is “a Fort Greene secret"—and they might be right. 

The dark and cozy 45-seat restaurant has one of the best happy hours around, with drinks—including Olea's bigger-than-average beer selection—half price Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

In addition, the restaurant has a a regular menu perhaps best known for its yummy tapas, which are small portions of various treats.

Try owner Dan DeMarti’s favorite, falafel crusted artichoke hearts, or go for the classic tapas dish patatas bravas—fried potatoes in spicy aioli.

The tapas are priced between $4 and $14, but during happy hour they’re all either seriously discounted or half price, so you could pay as little as $3 a dish. You can also grab a couple of oysters at just a $1.50 each.

Also Tuesday brings tapas specials and live music at Olea, with the restaurant offering new tapas dishes not normally found on the menu.

This week it was creamy polenta, crab cakes, clams, and chicken liver crostini, but next week you’ll find something totally different.

And every week is Spanish Friday, when Olea offers classic paella, a Spanish wine special and, of course, tapas specials.

Olea, located 171 Lafayette Ave., is open Mon.-Thurs, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 10 a.m. to midnight; Sun., 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.