Cynara Restaurant & Lounge - American restaurant in Olympia - 500 Columbia St NW, USA

First time visit. Our server, Jamie, was understated elegance. She understood the menu, made appropriate suggestions. The fried artichokes were so delicious, we nearly decimated the appetizer before taking a picture of it.

Delicious! We visited for lunch and our server Kristy was so efficient and kind. Very comfortable seating which is important since I was lunching with my Mom. Get the mushroom soup - you won’t regret it! Overall a pleasant mix on the menu of comfort and unique. Only thing I would suggest is that they would benefit from a few more non-alcoholic drink options. All the beautiful glassware is going to waste at lunchtime.

Stopped by here for a team dinner (approx 10-12 of us) on Tuesday evening and this place did have some crowd for a rainy day in Olympia. At first the ambience was nice and upscale. We were promptly seated and ordered the following: 1. Lamb Skewers - This was tasty but the lamb was chewy. Flavors were good but the rubbery texture vs melt in your mouth feel ruined this for us. 2. Cynara Toast - This was delicious and we all enjoyed this platter 3. Prawns Romesco - This was again delicious and we enjoyed the prawns. Wish they served more per plate but we devoured this one. 4. Cauliflower Entree - This dish lacked flavors and seasoning and did not seem well cooked either. My colleagues who had been to Cynara in the past remember this dish being way better and were disappointed with how it tasted on the day we went together. 5. Wild Salmon - The salmon was charred and dry. Once again overcooked and ruined the taste for us 6. Mushroom Risotto - This was delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed the risotto Apart from this we ordered a couple of bottles of wine and they had a good selection which we all enjoyed. We also ordered their old fashioned and it was too sugar syrupy for us. We skipped desserts this time. Service was great, staff was polite and the dishes did come out pretty fast. Unfortunately, since their dishes are a hit or miss I am not a fan.

Nice spot for a nice dinner out. I had the shrimp, artichoke appetizer, and the caprese salad. All were super tasty. I ordered the garden party cocktail, and it was light and refreshing. Price was higher, but good quality experience. I paid about $68 before tips, splitting the artichoke appetizer. Patio was nicely shaded. Quiet enough that it was a good place for conversation. Parking would be easy to get. I'd leave the kids at home for this one, save it for a date night. Vegetarian options were good. Gluten free options were available.

We were gonna go to Anthony's to celebrate our 1 year anniversary, but saw Cynara on the way. The building looked interesting, and not too busy so we stopped in. This restaurant is in it's infancy stage, being just over 2 years old from what we were told. Our server, Jamie, was super nice and lovely to talk with. I honestly look forward to meeting the owner because that man is a dang genius. From the atmosphere to the food, all of the details were phenomenal. I only wish I could afford to come more, because it's a great experience. My only negative take is that it is on the pricier side, but only because he wants to make sure his staff are appropriately compensated, which I love. Having worked in terrible conditions at low paying jobs myself, I understand why it's so important to charge the amount they do, which is another reason I give 5 stars. Keep doin what you're doin. We will be back when we have more special occasions.

Dined here today at 4:30pm and everything exceed our expectations. We opted for multiple appetizers over entrees and can't recommend it enough. Lamb kabobs & prawns were perfectly cooked - delish! Charcuterie board was gorgeous and well-balanced. The fried artichoke hearts were superb!! Burrata flavor & texture were divine. Attentive, friendly service with just the right amount of good conversation. We will be back again, and soon. Happy to add Cynara to our Oly favorites!

Came with a large group of people. The atmosphere was very nice and newer. The food was good except the ribeye steak. It was very thin, overcooked, and certainly not worth $57 (he had shrimp, too). The vegetables included with all the meals were pretty skimpy. Our group had chicken, short ribs, salmon for dinner, lamb skewers, and pawns for sharables. The food was good, but there are cheaper options in Olympia that are just as good.

Such a great price for food during happy hour! The Mac was small but delicious. The burger was huge and it came with fries for $3?! Great service cute atmosphere. Got very busy for HH in the bar.