Photo: ESAO Image Bank
In the world of fine dining, every detail matters. From the first greeting to the guest to the final sip of coffee, everything is part of an experience your customer will remember… or not.
And yet, there is one element that is often overlooked and has the power to differentiate your concept, elevate the perception of quality, and build customer loyalty: extra virgin olive oil on the restaurant menu.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is not just an ingredient: it is identity, territory, and gastronomic culture. It is also an opportunity to communicate the value of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to convey your culinary philosophy, and to demonstrate your commitment to excellence.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil in fine dining is still a field with enormous untapped potential.
Far from being limited to a simple condiment, it can become a guiding thread throughout the entire gastronomic experience.
Just as a great wine defines a pairing, a carefully selected Extra Virgin Olive Oil can open the door to innovative proposals: tasting menus where each dish interacts with a different sensory profile, guided tastings as part of the front-of-house experience, or even dedicated Extra Virgin Olive Oil menus that surprise guests.
Some restaurants are already creating sensory journeys with different varieties and origins, generating not only gastronomic value but also differentiation in an increasingly competitive market.
Training to master this field is not only a matter of quality; it is a strategy to turn Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the restaurant menu into a branding and loyalty-building element that enhances the restaurant’s identity.
For a chef, sommelier, or gastronomic prescriber, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is far more than a condiment. Its presence and proper communication on the menu can make a difference on several levels:
Real example: At ESAO, we have seen restaurants that, after including the variety, origin, and producer of their extra virgin olive oil on the menu, received specific positive comments about the oil and succeeded in making customers seek it out outside the restaurant.
When you choose an Extra Virgin Olive Oil for your restaurant, you are not just deciding which oil to use. You are deciding which story to tell.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is an ambassador of:
Integrating EVOO on the restaurant menu is, ultimately, a way to communicate the value of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and your gastronomic identity.
Although many restaurants work with high-quality extra virgin olive oil, most make mistakes that prevent customers from perceiving its value:
Coherent Selection
Extra virgin olive oil must be aligned with your culinary proposal:
Menu Presence
Indicate on the menu:
Variety or coupage.
Geographical origin.
Producer or brand.
Awards or certifications.
Front-of-House Experience
Offer a brief tasting at the beginning of the service.
Explain in 30 seconds what makes that oil special.
Serve it in a careful and attractive way.
Thoughtful Pairings
Changing EVOO according to the dish enhances the value of the experience.
Including suggestions on the menu reinforces your position as an expert.
Photo: ESAO Image Bank, Olive Oil Sommelier Certification inValencia, Spain.
Customers do not only buy food; they buy stories.
An EVOO can have:
Investing in a premium extra virgin olive oil and knowing how to communicate the value of extra virgin olive oil correctly is not an expense; it is an investment with return:
At ESAO, we have seen how restaurants that strategically integrate EVOO on the menu increase the average ticket and gain visibility in gastronomic media.
Incorporating EVOO as a strategic element in a restaurant’s proposal not only improves the gastronomic experience but can also translate into a clear economic return.
A well-chosen and well-communicated EVOO adds perceived value to the menu, allowing higher prices to be justified and differentiating the offer from competitors.
In addition, it creates unique marketing opportunities: from appearing in specialized gastronomic media to establishing collaborations with prestigious producers, organizing events, tastings, or themed experiences that attract new customers.
In a sector where differentiation is key, investing in training to master the use and communication of EVOO is not an expense, but a lever for profitability and positioning that very few competitors are exploiting professionally.
But here a question arises: Is your menu really prepared to communicate the value of extra virgin olive oil you serve?.
A checklist can help you detect shortcomings in how you communicate Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but it does not replace a well-designed strategy.
Professional training in EVOO is the key for it to move from being just another ingredient to becoming a hallmark of your gastronomic identity.
Extra virgin olive oil on the restaurant menu is more than oil: it is culture, territory, and identity.
Do not let it play a secondary role in your gastronomic experience.
How are you currently communicating the value of extra virgin olive oil on your menu? Share your experience or questions in the comments.
Turn EVOO into the protagonist and make every customer leave with the feeling of having tasted something truly unique.
Authorship and Review
Content developed by the teaching team of the Escuela Superior del Aceite de Oliva (ESAO), under the technical supervision of Susana Romera, Technical Director and co-founder of ESAO.
Our associated faculty of experts, with extensive international experience in the olive oil sector, is selected on a case-by-case basis according to the topic and project needs, ensuring maximum quality, rigor, and practical applicability.