The Olive Tap

I love this place! Owner was so sweet and kind. My children were treated wonderfully. Love the concept, and so in love with the sweet basil oil and pear vinegar we got. A great shop to stop in; will definitely go again. Highly recommend — definitely a place you want to check out.

This shop is adorable! Owner is very nice and the samples were to die for, chose to go with a small raspberry balsamic bottle. Delicious!

I was excited to finally make it here and the oils were fun but the prices are incredibly high for what you receive. The high price would have been much more acceptable if you took away some knowledge or experienced some great customer service, but neither happened. Greg the owner wasn’t friendly, helpful or passionate at all, which I thought would have been his approach in a store like this. He never volunteered any info. and when we asked a question he responded quickly as if we were bothering him (and we were the only ones in the store!) In fact, he never even greeted us when we came in and just came out and stood next to the register. I assume the other reviews here which state the owner is friendly and helpful must either be friends of his or, there are two owners and we encountered the unfriendly one without any passion for olive oil. I won’t be returning.

Probably the most unique store ever. Staff hands down AWESOME very knowledgeable and intersted. Having a new concept in the square people are going to have to be educated and that’s what they did. Let me sample what ever I wanted and told me what I needed to know.
Left with bottle of oo bread and goat cheese spread!!!
I’m totally In love w the olive tap!!!

Warm, knowledgeable staff treat you like an old friend. Friday night sampling menu is a gathering of Providence’s most interesting and beautiful people.

Did you know that right here in Providence we have this nifty little store that just sells olive oil and balsamic vinegar? Not only do they have bottles upon bottles of this stuff but you can try before you buy! You better be prepared with your appetite because you’re about to indulge in a lot of flavored bread! Personally, I like the fruity vinegars (peach, apple, strawberry etc) and the herby oils. I had been looking for a spicy olive oil to make a new pizza at home and this was the only place to have it and let me try it before I bought it.
I believe you can even bring your old bottles in and get a «refill» for a smaller amount of money. Parking is always a problem around here but there are a few stores around for you to window shop if you’re up for it!

Super fun to taste in a low-​pressure environment. The owner is attentive and personal but not overbearing.
The vinegars (chocolate especially) are awesome and the olive oil is fun.
A great place to get a gift or an indulgent option for a fun night at home!
We need a cheese shop now!!!

I’ll be back & will bring friends. I have been to olive oil tastings in France & Italy. Nice to know I don’t have to go that far anymore!

A most excellent addition to the scene and to our culinary interests. Genius move.

Even though I live in the neighborhood I went in for the first time with a friend around 6pm on a Monday to get a bunch of gifts. As we entered the only people in the place was one man helping a customer. He looked up but didn’t acknowledge us which I thought was very odd. We looked all around the store and still no hello or I will be with you in a minute. So we decided to take our business elsewhere. Really poor customer service.

I’m so glad to have finally made it to the Olive Tap. This place is fantastic.
My boyfriend and I live in the neighborhood, but typically only venture out to the shops around Wayland Ave if we’re looking for something specific. Today we were on a more leisurely stroll and decided to finally check this place out. Upon entering the shop we were greeted by the owner and another employee, who were incredibly friendly and encouraged us to try the delicious samples they had out– fresh fruit with chocolate balsamic for dipping, as well as some locally baked bread.
As we wandered around the store I realized that from the couple of times I’ve peeked in the window, I had no idea the store went so far back! There is the main area in the front with the olive oils and balsamic vinegars, but further back in the store are some additional attractive displays filled with homemade and locally sourced goods: flavored gourmet mayonnaises, Dave’s Coffee Syrup, and a freezer of gnocchi, pastas, and sauces from Venda Ravioli in Federal Hill! We also noticed some some high quality olive oil soaps and lotions.
After getting a sense of the space we made our way back to the front of the store where we made sure to try some of the delicious balsamic vinegars. I tried the fig and espresso ones, which were both interesting and really tasty.
We ended up getting a beautiful loaf of bread (sourced from Buono’s) and some Venda vodka sauce– but when we run out of our current bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a few weeks, I know where we’ll come next! I also want to keep an eye on their events since the owner said they have a chef and do cooking classes.
Finally, the space is also so warm and inviting. Apparently the owner’s wife was in charge of all the interior decoration, and she did a wonderful job– from the paint colors to the marble counter tops and new wood floors. It’s impeccably clean and perfectly proportioned in terms of the placements of all the shelves and tables, etc. Really tastefully done and easy to walk around.
Overall, the Olive Tap is a wonderful addition to the shops around Wayland Ave. It’s good for getting things for yourself (for cooking, for example), but also great for gifts– get some cheese down the street at Farmstead, and some olive oil soap and balsamic vinegar here at Olive Tap, and you’ll be set for a perfect gift basket.

Went here the other day to check out the Olive Tap. I wasn’t as awed by it as I was by the olive oil place on Hope St. Despite there being like 4 people walking around the store to staff it — not once was I greeted or offered assistance (even though it was an opening event on a Friday night). If customer service was better, I’d be more inclined.

This is not just an olive ok, vinegar shop, it is a super great find! They have a chef there and hold tastings on Fridays. Greg the owner is very knowledgable and has a warming personality. He welcomes each customer with a smile. This is a stop on a food tour that I run and I have to say it was delicious and a great way to start the day! I need to back and buy the chocolate vinegar!

Really glad this place popped up in Wayland Square. Fun place to check out for just the experience alone… who knew that olive oil and vinegar could come in so many great and interesting flavors?!? It was hard to decide what flavors to buy since everything was so good, but I ended up walking out with three different things.

I guess the Olive oil shop is the next trend. The Olive Tap is the 2^nd shop to open in the last year that caters to the artisan olive oil and vinegar customers. This shop is set up very similar to its competition over on Hope street and in terms of options and prices it falls a little short. However, they are also an art gallery and when my friend and I stopped in on a Friday night, they were hosting an opening with free wine and snacks. I think that combining this kind of store with an art gallery is a good move and is a reason I would come back.
The owner seemed very nice and they have pieces of bread to taste the oils and vinegars with. They also sell loaves of bread and other products needed for a complete app platter. I hope there is enough business for 2 olive oil shops in the city, because they both represent local business and are nice additions to their respective neighborhoods.

6 weeks going strong for Olive Tap, an olive oil and vinegar tasting bar in Wayland Square. I liked it: A-​OK. But lots of interesting things brewing — including carrying Venda Ravioli pasta and sauces!
What sets Olive Tap apart? It is a franchise, but owner Greg and his wife are working hard to get lots of customer feedback and cater the space and programs to the «elegance of New England.» While «elegant New England» is not my go-​to decorating style, I do appreciate the deep red walls, portraits for sale, and programming — tonight is the first tasting. Other unique features include fresh bread to buy, delivered fresh every morning from the Unilocal-​loved Buonos Italian Bakery in Johnston. Greg told me that many of the construction workers who renovated the space are Italian and it was a group decision to go with Buonos. The space is large — with a TV in the back. Tons of possibility for entertaining and programming. They have a dark chocolate balsamic which is worth the trip alone!
What awesome experience and product can you expect from both olive oil shops in town? tasting cups and bread to sample the array of oil and vinegar options and pairings, cooking accompaniments like honey and salt rubs, body and bath products with an olive oil base, and an all around awesome experience playing and sampling some heavenly flavors.
In case you didn’t read it the first time, the dark chocolate balsamic is worth the trip alone. Can you imagine how delicious that would taste with a basic EVOO on a simple green salad with strawberries???
My take? Both shops in town bring something different to the table — and I love being in a city that went from 0 – 2 olive oil tasting bars in a 6 month period.
Totally stoked that Providence now has two places to sample olive oil. I encourage you to sample both, support both, and have fun eating in!