Like sharing toys in kindergarten and popcorn at the movies, small plates are designed to contribute to conversation and suss out people with paws instead of hands. Hone social divvying skills with today's Groupon: for $10, you get $20 worth of Mediterranean-style small plates and drinks at Café Olé, located in the Tenleytown area.

Whether cruising for a light bite or a full meal, Café Olé's menu will fill your empty tank with Turkish, Spanish, Moroccan, Italian, French, and Lebanese fuel. Pass a plate of grilled portobello napoleon, which layers fresh tomatoes and mozzarella with pesto and fresh basil ($7), or gobble garlicky black-bean hummus with grilled pita chips ($5). Hot dishes include the Lebanese celebration: tender, grilled chicken dressed up in hummus and lemon-pepper aioli atop nutty bulgur wheat ($8). Café Olé recommends two to three small plates, or mezze, to fill one human. If you’re whiling away midday doldrums, quicker lunch options are available, as is brunch on weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Live music fills Café Olé with the sounds of blues, swing, and international jams on Friday and Saturday nights. Combined with an extensive beer, wine, and cocktail list, the music makes for a casual, upbeat vibe ideal for intimate conversations and thoughts about an ambergris statue of a whale shaking hands with the president. A patio allows you to rub elbows with breezes, while validated underground parking grants space for cars and saddled cats. Hurry to redeem this Groupon, as it expires after just three months.

Reviews

Café Olé received a 13/20 rating from Gayot and has been reviewed on DC Gastronome. 75 Yelpers give it a four-star average.

• Many folks in the neighborhood declare that this is their very favorite restaurant, a Cheers kind of place with a decidedly Mediterranean flair. ─ Gayot
• My top 3 favorite restaurant of all time. Can't say enough good things about the quality of the food and the variety. ─ Laura S., Yelp, 6/25/2010