Had read the good reviews and, as a tapas fan (both high end and cheap & cheerful; authentic and inventive), thought I would try Olas out. Decor is basic, though clean and well laid out. Smoking section is well divided from non-smoking which is good for everyone. The level of english from the waitstaff is well above average. Menu consists of a collection of separate laminated pages which is a bit disjointed.

Given where the prices are at, the food is a let down. The chicken croquettes are bland and heavy on the potato relative to offerings elsewhere, the sizzling prawns aren't too bad but the oil is not well seasoned even though there is a lot of it, the mixed calamari and squid is run of the mill - neither particularly good nor bad. After having to ask the same server twice for the rest of my order ("potato in bravas sauce") it finally arrived.

I wish it hadn't.

The potatoes resembled a failed attempt at cooking something from a counterfeit packet of birdseye potatoes - dry, bland, awful in every way. I will swear to my dying day the so called bravas sauce was in fact Kraft Thousand Island Dressing. I had one bite and couldn't bring myself to even contemplate having any more.

The server refused to take the last dish (i was going to say "potatas bravas" but who am I kidding) off the bill. He smiled and said he was sorry, which, as he still charged me for something i didn't eat because it was so awful, requires an insurmountable willing suspension of disbelief to accept.

Given the price range a far better bet for the area is Migas - sightly more expensive though a massive step up in quality (I hesitate to even mention an establishment such as Migas in the same breath as Olas but the prices really aren't that far apart even though its an infinitely more professional, thoughtful and consistently satisfying experience)

Save your time, wallet and palate and give Olas place a wide berth.

The food was OK although hardly what you would call Tapas(risotto)the size of the portions are big by Tapas standards.In addition your order all come's at once allowing dishes to get cold !
The biggest complaint is that the restaurant has no toilet facilities at all, you have to take a round trip outside of approx 15 minutes to visit public toilets, so don't drink to much beer or wine

I've never actually had authentic Spanish tapas but would agree that here they are like 'mini-meals' - two of us ordered five and that was quite enough for a filling dinner.

I'd particularly recommend the ciabatta bread, the camembert and the mushroom risotto.

The service was OK, the waitress dithered around a bit and didn't appear sure whether or not we'd finished - and the neon from Ya Xiu, which is right next door, didn't really add much to the atmosphere sitting outside. Still, if you get a seat facing the street you can people watch and they light candles at dusk. If some in your party fancy ice-cream the outdoor seating at Coldstone Creamery is within chatting distance.

Together with a large jug of yummy sangria (you can choose the wine they make it with; we chose the cheapest, ha) the bill came to over RMB400.

In short, I really enjoyed the food, everything else is OK but nothing special. I'd give it three and a half if I could.