Bleu Olive

4.9

1310 Reviews

$31 to $50

Mediterranean

Make a booking

2 people

14 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 13 times today

About this restaurant

Neighbourhood gem
Good for special occasions
Good for business meals

For parties of 5 or more, pease give us a call.

A family operated - Mediterranean Bistro serving a fresh & local ingredient inspired menu.

The Papanikas family first opened the doors at this location in 1994 under the name Papas Grille, a fine dining Greek and Mediterranean restaurant. With “Papa” and Sam in the kitchen and Angelika, Chris & Yianni running the front of the house, Papas Grille turned into one of the finest and well-respected restaurants in the Durham food scene. After eighteen successful years as Papas Grille, it was time for a makeover and with that came a new brand as well. The reconstruction took place in 2012 in which the changes brought a more casual setting and modern feel. With “Papa” retiring during the changeover, Sam took over the realms in the kitchen fine-tuning his craft which is highly focused on quality ingredients and consistent execution. The front of the house continues to be overseen by Angelika and Yianni.

Additional information

Location
1821 Hillandale Road, Durham, NC 27705
Phone number
(919) 383-8502
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Mediterranean, Greek
Hours of Operation
Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–2:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment Options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Sam Papanikas
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

CroissantUS$9.00
Fried egg, applewood bacon, ashe county cheddar
Breakfast B.L.T.US$9.00
Egg, bacon, green leaf, tomatoes, herb mayo
Applewood Bacon & Gruyere OmeletUS$9.00
Caramelized onions
Mediterranean OmeletUS$10.00
Peppers, onions, spinach, olives, feta
Florentine BenedictUS$10.00
Poached eggs, spinach, feta, hollandaise
Corned Beef BenedictUS$10.00
House cured brisket, poached eggs, gruyere
Bleu BenedictUS$10.00
Bacon, tomatoes, poached eggs, hollandaise

Mezze

SpreadsUS$11.00
Hummus, tsatsiki, tirosalata, baba ghanoush, pita
Mussels "Krasata"US$11.00
Shallots, fennel, capers, white wine
Bleu MusselsUS$12.00
Bacon lardons, leeks, gorgonzola butter
Garlic ShrimpUS$15.00
Shallots, capers, garlic lemon butter
Crispy Fried CuttlefishUS$11.00
Spiced pepper marmalade, smoked onion aïoli
AvgolemonoUS$4.00
Egg lemon broth, pulled chicken, rice
WedgeUS$8.00
Baby romaine, tomatoes, bacon crumble, olive relish, bleu cheese dressing
Beet TartareUS$8.00
"Prodigal farm" chèvre, pistachio, baby arugula, lemon sesame vinaigrette
GreekUS$9.00
Tomatoes, beets, peppers, cucumbers, onions, olives, feta, lettuces, balsamic vinaigrette

Sandwiches & Entrees

Chicken Salad CroissantUS$7.00
Roasted chicken, green leaf, tomatoes, fresh herb mayo
SpanakopitaUS$9.00
Crispy baked phyllo pastry, braised spinach & feta filling, greek salad
Lamb BurgerUS$13.00
Red beet preserved lemon relish, arugula | "prodigal farm" chèvre, charmoula
B.O.M.B. BurgerUS$10.00
Ashe county cheddar, green leaf, tomatoes, smoked onion aioli
Muffaletta WrapUS$11.00
House cured local brisket, prosciutto di parma, gruyere, arugula, olive relish
Blackened Salmon "Plaki Style"US$14.00
Fennel, red peppers, capers, spinach, parmesan orzo
Spiced Lamb BologneseUS$14.00
Mushrooms, roasted garlic tomato puree, linguine, grana padano
Mushroom LinguineUS$12.00
Maitake, shiitake, cremini, broccoli rabe, mushroom broth

Brunch Cocktails

MimosaUS$5.00
Prosseco, orange or grapefruit
Peach BelliniUS$5.00
Prosseco, peach schnapps
Bloody MaryUS$5.00
Vodka, zing zang
Italian CoffeeUS$6.50
Amaretto, frangelico, coffee
Nutty IrishmanUS$6.50
Bailey's, frangelico, coffee

Extras

Belgium WaffleUS$9.00
Caramelized apples, walnuts pure maple syrup
Applewood BaconUS$4.00
Home FriesUS$4.00
Warm CroissantUS$2.00
Whole Grain ToastUS$2.00

What 1,310 people are saying

Bleu Olive reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9

4.9 based on recent ratings

4.9Food
4.9Service
4.6Ambience
4.7Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill
Best Food
Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill
Neighbourhood gem
Durham
Best Overall
Durham
Best Food
Durham
Best Service
Durham
Best Value
Durham
Neighbourhood gem

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Bleu Olive is a delightful gem in Durham, offering consistently delicious Mediterranean cuisine with "wonderful fresh fish" and "excellent food and service." The restaurant is praised for its "knowledgeable and attentive wait staff" and cozy atmosphere. Despite occasional noise, it remains a "favorite for locals" with "amazing food" and "great dining experiences."

1,310 Reviews

L
Lisa VIP
Raleigh48 reviews
4.0
Dined on 6 March 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was good though too salty for my taste. I had the paella, was too salty but otherwise good. Same with the fried oysters, was good but too salty. The calamari was very good, not rubbery or overcooked and not as salty as everything else.
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B
Benita
New York City5 reviews
5.0
Dined on 2 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
The crab soup appetizer and sea bass specials were delicious. My husband was not blown away by his spinach and feta stuffed chicken but that could be a taste preference. The server was gracious and efficient. We will return!
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M
Monty
Raleigh19 reviews
5.0
Dined on 1 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent menu, nice wine list, delicious desserts and our server, Lila, was exceptional. Highly recommended.
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C
Catherine
Raleigh1 review
5.0
Dined on 28 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
One of the best restaurants in Durham but often overlooked by the foodies because it’s not downtown. Hands down my favorite dinner spot in town.
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G
Gretchen VIP
Raleigh32 reviews
4.0
Dined on 28 February 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
As always, server Cleopatra was efficient and professional. The lunches were enjoyed by all. Only complaint was the noise level which seemed particularly loud today.
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C
Charles
Raleigh6 reviews
5.0
Dined on 24 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Anniversary dinner with another couple. Everything each of us had was excellent--including drinks and appetizers. Wait time for entrees was short, and each dish was served piping hot. Catch of the day and lamb options were our selections and we thoroughly enjoyed the food and our time together there. This was a return trip for all four of us and Bleu Olive will remain high on our list.
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C
Chris VIP
Washington DC34 reviews
5.0
Dined on 23 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Service and food were very good. I would recommend it and will go back.
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D
Donna VIP
Raleigh11 reviews
5.0
Dined on 22 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Food was great! Four of us had a great dinner and delicious as always.
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LP
LaurenP
Raleigh6 reviews
5.0
Dined on 22 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food is delicious! It's always very busy. We keep coming back. LOTS of gluten free options, even many gluten free desserts!🩷🩷🩷
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E
Ella
Raleigh3 reviews
5.0
Dined on 21 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Love this restaurant. Bleu Olive never disappoints. Don't know what to order? Close your eyes and point anywhere on the menu. You can't go wrong.
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FAQs

Bleu Olive offers delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. Bleu Olive also offers takeaway which you can order by calling the restaurant at (919) 383-8502.

Bleu Olive is rated 4.9 stars by 1310 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

14 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 13 times today

1821 Hillandale Road, Durham, NC 27705

Additional information

Phone number
(919) 383-8502
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Mediterranean, Greek
Hours of Operation
Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–2:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment Options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Sam Papanikas
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Bleu Olive

Make a booking

About this restaurant

Additional information

Eggs

CroissantUS$9.00

Breakfast B.L.T.US$9.00

Applewood Bacon & Gruyere OmeletUS$9.00

Mediterranean OmeletUS$10.00

Florentine BenedictUS$10.00

Corned Beef BenedictUS$10.00

Bleu BenedictUS$10.00

Mezze

SpreadsUS$11.00

Mussels "Krasata"US$11.00

Bleu MusselsUS$12.00

Garlic ShrimpUS$15.00

Crispy Fried CuttlefishUS$11.00

AvgolemonoUS$4.00

WedgeUS$8.00

Beet TartareUS$8.00

GreekUS$9.00

Sandwiches & Entrees

Chicken Salad CroissantUS$7.00

SpanakopitaUS$9.00

Lamb BurgerUS$13.00

B.O.M.B. BurgerUS$10.00

Muffaletta WrapUS$11.00

Blackened Salmon "Plaki Style"US$14.00

Spiced Lamb BologneseUS$14.00

Mushroom LinguineUS$12.00

Brunch Cocktails

MimosaUS$5.00

Peach BelliniUS$5.00

Bloody MaryUS$5.00

Italian CoffeeUS$6.50

Nutty IrishmanUS$6.50

Extras

Belgium WaffleUS$9.00

Applewood BaconUS$4.00

Home FriesUS$4.00

Warm CroissantUS$2.00

Whole Grain ToastUS$2.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

Does Bleu Olive offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Bleu Olive restaurant rated?

Is Bleu Olive currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information