Mediterranean food in Midtown Manhattan just got an exciting boost thanks to White Olive, a swanky new restaurant a few blocks away from Central Park. “The idea for this restaurant came to me while I was traveling [with my cousin] in Greece and Turkey,” Michael Karim Sopariwalla, the owner and a prolific Staten Island restaurateur, says. “I was completely blown away with the quality of the food served at the restaurants.”
Sopariwalla roped in his cousin, Amin Himani, to find a space for their new restaurant once Sopariwalla got back to New York. They landed on The Shoreham Hotel, an ideal location for tourists and office-goers alike. White Olive is part of a wave of new restaurants making Midtown one of the hottest dining destinations in NYC.
Chef Hasan Karci, previously of Ritz-Carlton Istanbul, is well suited to leading the kitchen. He’s created a menu of mezze and heartier mains, highlighting some of the most popular Mediterranean entrees, including pan-fried fish and grilled lamb chops.
The restaurant’s name comes from a rare olive typically only found along the Mediterranean coast and prized for their sweeter, less tannic flavor as well as the purity traditionally symbolized by their rare color. The restaurant plans to use them in a signature salad when they are more readily available in New York.
The mezzes, including spicy white olive ezme with diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and red bell peppers, are among the most popular dishes. Shrimp saganaki, baked with feta cheese, tomato sauce, and anise liqueur ouzo, is another fan favorite.
Chilean sea bass in lemon and white wine sauce stands out among the mains, as does the trenette truffle pasta tossed in a garlic sauce with parmesan, Portobello mushrooms, and truffle oil.
“All our dishes are made from the heart,” Sopariwalla says. “We focus on powerful yet simple flavors with beautiful presentation.”
White Olive currently serves a non-alcoholic drinks menu, with wine and a full bar expected soon. The wine menu will have bottles from Greece and Turkey selected by general manager Baba Yosef. “We will be showcasing wines that pair beautifully with our imported Mediterranean cheeses,” Sopariwalla says.
For now, mocktails center on fresh juice and beachy flavors, such as Mango Madness with mango and lime juices, club soda, and a pinch of tajín seasoning; and Coconut Crush with fresh crushed coconut, pineapple and lime juices, and club soda.
The dining room has a bright, white Mediterranean coastal feel, much more like you’re in Greece than Midtown Manhattan.
Lesly Zamor of Seed Design Planning added earthy tones to the dining room’s interiors, along with gold-accented sandstone walls. It’s a calm, elegant aesthetic with white linens and cream-colored chairs. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out on 55th Street.
A dining room at the back can be booked for private events.
White Olive is open daily for lunch and dinner from 11:30 am to 11 pm.
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner is a writer based in Brooklyn, where she lives with her wife and rescue dog. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
