Olive & Ember is Leopold’s new Mediterranean chapter on Club Street

Change is in the air on Club Street — and it smells like woodsmoke and olive oil. After more than a decade at Boat Quay, Leopold has shed its old skin and re-emerged as Olive & Ember, a Mediterranean-leaning concept that trades the familiar for something bolder, brighter, and unmistakably more fun.

New flame, same family

It’s been nothing short of tragic seeing restaurants shutter so briskly in the last two years. However, there is hope yet, as others, like Leopold, decide to burn brightly instead — literally, if its new name is anything to go by.

After over a decade of building a loyal following, the team behind the beloved Austrian-rooted eatery has packed up and relocated to a new home in Club Street, arriving with a whole new identity, now known as Olive & Ember.

Helmed by chef Klaus Leopold and his wife Aida, the new concept swaps out old-world Austrian comfort for the sun-drenched flavours of the Mediterranean — think wood-fired pizzas, handmade pasta, char-grilled meats, and sharing-plate culture that turns a meal into an afternoon.

Klaus has long had a soft spot for Mediterranean cooking, and it shows in a menu that leans into big, generous flavours without overthinking itself.

The “ember” in the name, as it turns out, isn’t just for the wood-fired oven doing overtime in the kitchen; longtime regulars might remember Klaus mixing up his signature Amber Bowl cocktail back in his early bartending days, long before Olive & Ember existed.

Consider it a quiet callback, whether intentional or not.

The name change might be the biggest shake-up, but the spirit hasn’t gone anywhere — genuine hospitality, quality ingredients, and a restaurant run by the same warm, hospitable people who made us feel so welcome when we first visited Leopold.

A menu built for sharing, not rushing

The menu at Olive & Ember is organised the way a proper Mediterranean spread should be — built for grazing and sharing. Start with the smaller bites and dips, then move on to the larger sharing plates and grilled mains, if you’re going heavier on meat.

Alternatively, you can dive straight into the coastal plates for its seafood-forward mains. The brick-oven pizzas come highly recommended as well, so if you have space on your table for at least one, that would round off the savouries nicely. 

Oh, and don’t forget to leave room for sweets at the end.

It’s certainly a menu that rewards coming with a group, and ordering across categories rather than sticking to just one section.

We started with the carpaccio (S$28), and it’s a smart way to open. Instead of the usual raw beef treatment, the kitchen grills it ever-so-slightly before serving, then dresses it with pickled red onion, mustard seeds, arugula, chilli oil, and vegetable chips for good measure.

Now that the thin beef slices are briefly cooked, they are admittedly denser than their raw counterparts. We can’t say that that’s better or worse than how carpaccio is typically served — it’s just different.

Texture is the keyword here — moreish beef, crispy chips, subtle heat from the chilli, tangy pickled red onions, and granular mustard seeds all in one bite. It’s a starter that doesn’t take itself seriously in the best way.

The laksa hummus (S$18) stands out on Olive & Ember’s menu, for sure — house-made curry oil, curry leaves, and paprika folded through a hummus base, finished with pomegranate for a pop of acidity, alongside grilled and smashed eggplant.

Chef Klaus wanted to weave in local flavours wherever they felt like a natural fit, and this is one plate it ended up on. It’s an unexpected, but welcome nod to its home turf in an otherwise Mediterranean-leaning spread.

We would’ve appreciated a more robust laksa flavour; the nuance here is mild and only detectable on the finish, which was a letdown. But, as with all recipes, it might take a few iterations to nail perfectly.

From the coastal plates, the seafood linguini (S$32) rounded things off on a lighter but still indulgent note, with grilled black tiger prawns and scallops sitting in a lemon cream sauce, rounded out by a bit of chilli oil for heat and pea sprouts for freshness.

Personally, it was our favourite of the evening. It clung and coated every strand of pasta beautifully, and the lemony notes lent the perfect balance of creaminess and tang.

Not to mention, the al dente cook on the pasta was impeccable — the chewy-soft density was simply spot on.

On the pizza front, the anchovy & olive (S$26) is the one to know about. Beyond the usual San Marzano tomato and fior di latte base, it’s the dough that does the talking. Three days in the making, it goes through a room-temperature rest, a cold ferment, then back to room temperature before it hits the brick oven.

A scattering of anchovies and capers finishes off this pizza before it’s served. We understand olives and anchovies can be divisive for many, but if you have no qualms about either ingredient, you’re going to fall in love with its savoury fishiness that’s hard to replicate with any other ingredient.

The char and blister on the dough make for an addictive carb, so we don’t blame you if you happen to over-indulge in all the crust even after the meal is over.

To close, we had the tiramisu affogato (S$16) and salted creme brulee (S$16). Both had their own shortcomings — the affogato needed better execution and the creme brulee was just a touch too runny — but if you really were looking for one to share, the creme brulee would suit the table better.

Its portion is sizeable — large enough for three to four people to dig in after a heavy meal without overwhelming the tummy. The sprinkling of sea salt was liberal and much appreciated, just the right amount to match the dessert’s sweetness.

The ember’s just getting started

There’s something to be said for a restaurant willing to let go of over a decade of goodwill and start fresh. Olive & Ember doesn’t lean on the Leopold name to carry it — the space, the menu, and even chef Klaus’ own cocktail history have all been folded into something that stands on its own.

Sure, a few dishes still have room to find their footing, but the bones of a solid neighbourhood spot are already there.

This was a hosted tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, check out Shaw Lido’s new all-day eatery, Centro, and these spots for premium Hanwoo beef and Handon pork in Singapore.