CITY GUIDES | WASHINGTON
The Best Restaurants in Olympia, Where There’s Far More Than Politics on the Menu
Fried chicken from former fine-dining chefs, Assyrian flatbreads, and oysters with a local pedigree define the capital’s dining scene.
By Mei Chen | Nov. 2, 2026
Octapas Cafe
AUTHOR BIO: Mei Chen has worked for nearly a dozen start-ups in as many years, taking her to several West Coast cities. While she’s sure her current day job is permanent, she also has her eye on Carmel.
A capitol dome rises over Olympia, and the state's lawmakers gather beneath it. Down at the waterfront, it’s the oysters that are carrying on with business that seems considerably more urgent. Olympia sits at the southern end of Puget Sound, where tidal inlets produce shellfish worth building a dinner around. But the cooks here have other ideas too, including Assyrian flatbreads, Cuban pork and fried chicken with a chef's pedigree. Here are the best restaurants right now in Olympia, Washington, from the oysters raised nearby to lunches that make an afternoon of government business seem almost appealing.
Basilico Ristorante
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There are easier ways to make pasta than rolling it out yourself, but Basilico has been doing it since 2005 and doesn't appear interested in shortcuts. The pappardelle comes with wild boar braised until it gives up, while squid-ink tagliatelle gets clams, shrimp and tomatoes. For a city where fleece counts as dinner attire, this is an excellent excuse to put on a proper shirt.
Best for: Handmade pasta and a long Italian dinner
Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar
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You can order oysters almost anywhere on Puget Sound, but at Chelsea Farms the people selling them also raise them. Second-generation shellfish farmers Shina Wysocki and Kyle Lentz serve Chelsea Gems from nearby Eld Inlet, along with geoduck ceviche, chowder loaded with Manila clams and pork belly. Olympia's waterfront is just outside, although the more compelling stretch of saltwater is on the plate.
Best for: Oysters with a local address
Gardner's Restaurant
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Gardner's has been here since 1983, which is practically a geological era in restaurant years, but the kitchen hasn't settled for serving nostalgia. Scallops arrive with lavender beurre blanc, lamb chops wear a Dijon-hazelnut crust, and a rolling dessert tray introduces a decision nobody needs after a full dinner. Keep this one for an occasion that calls for white tablecloths and a wine list with some weight to it.
Best for: A proper occasion and a dessert decision
Gold Standard
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When Elise Landry and Adam Wagner closed Chicory, they kept the beignets and the good instincts about ingredients, then built a restaurant around fried chicken. At Gold Standard, a Nashville hot chicken sandwich gets pimento cheese, and biscuits come with the option of more pimento cheese, cane butter or seasonal jam. It's a rather happy turn of events when a chef known for ambitious dinners decides to feed people lunch at everyday prices.
Best for: Fried chicken and beignets without ceremony
Mi Luna Cuban Cafe
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The state capital might not seem like an obvious place to look for a Cuban lunch, but Mi Luna has a pretty convincing answer to that objection. Its family recipes put citrus and garlic into slow-roasted lechón, while ropa vieja comes with rice and beans ready to catch the sauce. Order a guava pastelito at the end, or order it first if you're the sort of person who understands priorities.
Best for: Cuban comfort food at lunch or dinner
Nineveh Assyrian Restaurant
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Nineveh started on wheels, selling Assyrian food from a truck, and now has a full restaurant where the menu can take a few more chances. Muhammarajeen spreads red pepper, walnuts and pomegranate molasses across flatbread; duck confit biryani and grilled kufta make the decision considerably harder. Save space for the tahini pie with pistachio and rose, even if it means negotiating over the last forkful.
Best for: Assyrian flatbreads and an ambitious dinner
Octapas Cafe
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A restaurant that does both crab Benedict and mussels with lemongrass can sound like it has trouble making up its mind. Octapas manages the split by giving weekend brunch its due, then turning toward Totten Inlet mussels in coconut milk, ginger and lemongrass and a plate of patatas bravas later in the day. The nearby water is a fine backdrop, but I'd pay more attention to what's coming out of the kitchen.
Best for: Crab Benedict or a table full of small plates
Off Track
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Taylor Vroman spent about two decades running kitchens before deciding Olympia could use a diner with a particular interest in sandwiches. His new Off Track puts ham and brie on sourdough for the big brie, packs Thai pork into a baguette and serves fried cauliflower with lemon-tahini dressing. A sandwich shop doesn't need a manifesto, although getting the bread right is a good start.
Best for: A sandwich worth scheduling lunch around
Rica Cocina
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The address that once housed Chicory now belongs to Maria Bencomo Singh's family recipes, and the change is evident before anyone orders. Rica Cocina sends out chips and bean dip, then lets diners choose from house-made salsas before the quesabirria, enchiladas and esquite arrive. A generous opening act can be dangerous when the main course is this substantial.
Best for: Quesabirria and a serious salsa bar
Streets of Singapore
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Most of Olympia's lunch traffic moves around the Capitol, but Nantawan Leong is cooking from a different map a few blocks away. At Streets of Singapore, the small-batch menu follows family recipes through curries, stir-fries and rice dishes, with specials changing often enough to reward another visit. It's mostly takeout, and some weekday lunches cost about what a sandwich does elsewhere.
Best for: Singaporean takeout and a $10 weekday lunch
Valentina's Lounge
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At Valentina's, Latin America doesn't end at any one border, which explains how pupusas and cashew-poblano enchiladas ended up sharing a menu. There's room for prawns, kale salad and cocktails, too, and a good chance the table will order more than it intended. That seems a reasonable risk at a restaurant whose best argument is the variety on the plate.
Best for: Latin American plates and a lively dinner
Vino Mar Bistro
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Vanessa Valentina already had a following at Valentina's when she took over the old Dockside Bistro address beside Percival Landing. Vino Mar turns toward coastal Latin cooking, with shrimp in garlic and paprika, tuna with cilantro-jalapeño leche de tigre and fish tacos dressed with cashew aioli among the dishes introduced at opening. The harbor views are handsome, but the seafood gives diners a better reason to look down at the table.
Best for: Coastal Latin cooking with a harbor view
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