Fig & Olive
808 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10065
(212) 207-4555

I haven’t eaten at one restaurant in New York more than this amazing destination on the Upper East Side. After working at an Olive Oil store as a taster for a year I’ve become quite the evoo connoisseur and pretty much tried everything that olives can produce. My personal cooking usually revolves around which olive oils I have in stock since I usually have a variety of at least five to choose from. Not only is it healthy to cook with olive oil, but the taste is unbeatable. I’ve had many a friend tell me I should go into the cheffing business, although I’m not that great of a cook, I just know when and which olive oils to use to make food amazing and stand out like none other. Let me just say that no restaurant can cook with olive oil like Fig & Olive. It’s not greasy as some would think, but the right flavoured oil in the right amount can take a good Mediterranean dish and turn it into a delicacy par excellence, and it takes only a mild understanding of the differences in olive oils to achieve.

Fig & Olive is quietly hidden behind three large potted cypress trees on Lexington with a fantastic double sided bar that stretches from the front of the restaurant to the center. Small candle lit tables adorn the walls and a shelf display of Fig & Olive’s olive oils stands at the back of the restaurant for all to see. The dining room has a quiet cozy romantic atmosphere toward the back while the wine bar is great for a night out with a bunch of friends. Everything on the menu at Fig & Olive, not surprisingly, has either figs or olives in it and is it amazing what versatility those two ingredients have. Best of all is the olive oil tasting menus, of which there are three to choose from. Crostini, cheese, or vegetable accompaniments go with choice olive oils and the pairings are nothing but enlightened. I’ve not once gone and been disappointed and even after my first visit when it took 40 minutes to get our food did I think, after eating of course, of not returning. In fact it’s always on my to do restaurant list when I visit the East Coast.

My last visit to Fig & Olive started with the Fig Jamon Goat Cheese Carpaccio paired with the delectable Arbosana Olive Oil from Spain. The strong flavour of the ham and goat cheese is a perfect match for a strong green, vegetal, peppery varietal oil like the Arbosana. Following I had a set of three Crostini oil pairings which were all delicious and done just right. If you do visit at least give one of the tasting menus a go, it’ll make you realise the possibilities of a good bottle of olive oil even on simple dishes. For my main I tried the grilled lamb skewers with fig and scallion couscous. This dish was paired with a fresh, green, fruity Koroneiki oil from Greece that especially stood out in the couscous. Prices at Fig & Olive are also quite reasonable for New York and the caliber of food with entrees in the mid-twenties and appetizers from $10-15.

Fig & Olive’s website has a few recipes worth repeating for sake of delicious food. I have tried making the zucchini carpaccio and had wonderful results with a fruity, green tomato Ascolano from Robbins Family Farm in California. But nothing compares to visiting this fantastic restaurant. Even the wait staff are considerate and well mannered. Whatever is ordered, the dish is always prepared just right, and not once have I felt the food too oily or rich. As I said before, Fig & Olive is an amazing restaurant with an enlightened approach to cooking with olive oil and I can’t applaud them enough for it.