Wow, we're so glad there's an Oliver's location in Irvine now! The food was incredibly delicious and flavorful, and the service was fantastic. You know how sometimes you get the feeling that the staff don't really want to be there? Everyone we interacted with seemed like they were happy to be there. Makes such a huge difference in someone's dining experience! Ambiance was upscale but not stuffy or stiff. Very fun and delicious place to enjoy a meal with friends or family, or even a business lunch. The complimentary house bread was so yummy, especially when paired with their savory olive tapenade. It's hard to resist filling up on bread. We started with a beet salad which was an amazing blend of flavors and textures, thanks to the thinly sliced beets, creamy cheese, and slightly candied walnuts. Fantastic salad that I would order again and again. For mains, we shared: Hokkaido Scallops from Oliver's Trattoria's Truffle Menu: shockingly delicious! The sweetness of the Hokkaido Scallops played perfectly with the truffle (not overpowered at all) and creamy sauce. The sauce was soooo tasty, we dipped pizza crust into it to make sure we didn't waste any of it, lol. A pricey dish but so well-executed and worth every penny. Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese: delicious savory meat sauce that covers nice al dente pasta. Sooo good and a must for Bolognese lovers. Chitarra Pomodoro: a signature for a reason and you can really taste the difference with fresh pasta. Margherita Pizza: sometimes the simple classics are the best, and this Margherita is no exception. Perfect pillowy crust texture on the edges, and a nice thin crust throughout most of the pizza. So delicious and we'll be ordering this whenever we crave pizza! For desserts, we shared 3, and each of us had a different favorite even though we agreed all of them were delicious, so you know they were all good in their own ways! Tiramisu: so creamy and decadent without being too sweet! Probably the best version of a classic Tiramisu I've had. Cheesecake: also not too sweet! Lovely flavors and crust. Tortino di Cioccolato: a chocolate lover's dream! And the gelato is a delicious complement as well. We can't wait to come back!
Elaine G.
OMG! You need to go to Oliver's. Everything we ordered was scrumptious and decadent. We got the Branzino, chitarra pasta, their signature dish, the oxtail pasta and the pork chop. I tried the limoncello spritz-- super refreshing and yummy ! Our server was so prompt and attentive to our needs and helpful with recommendations. You will not be disappointed.
Matthew S.
The food is amazing, drinks spectacular, and Jenna is a phenomenal server/bartender. Definitely going back.
Richard H.
Located in the strip mall with Albertson's, this is a beautiful, award winning Italian restaurant! Outstanding service, great wine selection and drink menu. I highly recommend their Tonnarelli Costacei(lobster with thick spaghetti noodles in red tomato sauce. Loved the presentation on their Tavola Salmumi(charcuterie board)! Excellent selection of cured meats, cheeses, and pickled vegetables. Loved their insalata barbabietol(beet salad with argula and goat cheese.
Diner S.
Left unimpressed. Jenna our server was pushy and a bit rude. The patio was way too dark at night. The food was borderline awful. Burrata was good but the tomatoes served were raw. Calamari and squash blossom lacked flavor. The seafood pasta at $40 plus was awful. I had to ask for Parmesan cheese and chili flakes and seasoned it to make it edible.
JoanneS
Great place for a fancy dinner but today I felt ripped off at lunch! Food is great but not worth the price. $6 for an iced tea, give me a break this is Irvine it's cheaper in LA! Ordered the ravioli with spinach and cheese special when the bill came 8-10 raviolis in a butter Parmesan sauce were $36! That was the ultimate rip off the waitress should have told us prices. Lunch specials usually come at a good price but not here. I came back hoping to feel better the third time I came but unfortunately I left feeling worst. I will not be back. A handicap man came in and someone told him my car was parked in the handicap spot so he came over to teach me a lesson about parking in the spot. Someone from the restaurant must have told him it was my car. I have a legitimate handicap plaque and you don't want to have the conditions I have to have earned it. I felt violated by the staff that they would push this man on me during my most expensive lunch. It was very rude, but I feel good in one way that they thought I looked too healthy to be using the plaque. Thanks for the judgement. Never judge a person in a handicap spot you never know what they are suffering from, shame on you!
Keesh J.
Came here with friends for the first time this week. Tried several items. My favorites were the Salamino pizza and the tiramisu. We had an amazing server who knew the menu inside and out with great recommendations. The restaurant is cute - charming and fresh. I will be back!
Taylor Budnick
Everything was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jessie M.
Olivers is actually magnificent. The food is delicious and I love coming here with my family. The staff are very friendly and treat everyone like family, the bartenders are personally my favorite staff members. The place is sort of dimly lit and well decorated giving it a nice vibe. I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit
The Tonnarelli ai Crostacei was phenomenal! Al dente noodles, heavy chunks of prawns/lobster, decorated with half a head of lobster. Complimentary bread was perfect to munch on before the main course. And the bow on top was amazing service from Victor our server. 10/10 would recommend to a friend.
jack
This is authentic Italian food. I look forward to trying Oliver's Osteria in Laguna. I don't normally eat Italian food out because it is always disappointing. The lasagna was delicious. I hope that the standards stay high rather than catering to a less discerning pallet.
Corky
An excellent restaurant for just about any occasion. While I will not be going there with my son before every Orange County Soccer Club game it was a great way to kick the season off. I went there for my Wedding Anniversary and it was a perfect location. Staff fantastic, food and wine wonderful.
LexiP
Nice new restaurant, but overall it was so crowded. They had tables so close together that we could barely get out of our booth to get up and go to the restroom. It was also so loud we couldn't hear each other talk. Pizza was great, pasta was ok. Drinks were good!
Sara Z.
I recently visited this restaurant and was disappointed by the overpriced and low quality of the food. The tagliolinin priced at $36 and the lasagna at $30 were nothing special and failed to justify their high prices. As someone sensitive to oil, I could taste the overused RANCID "non-olive' oil in both dishes, making them excessively oily! The oil was so unpleasant that it even burnt my throat. The overpriced Bronzino dish was basic, served with potatoes fried in the same rancid 'non-olive oil.' Overall, the lack of taste and quality in the dishes did not match the steep prices, leaving me dissatisfied with my dining experience.
Chef Erik & his team make fresh pastas daily!
Wow, we're so glad there's an Oliver's location in Irvine now! The food was incredibly delicious and flavorful, and the service was fantastic. You know how sometimes you get the feeling that the staff don't really want to be there? Everyone we interacted with seemed like they were happy to be there. Makes such a huge difference in someone's dining experience! Ambiance was upscale but not stuffy or stiff. Very fun and delicious place to enjoy a meal with friends or family, or even a business lunch. The complimentary house bread was so yummy, especially when paired with their savory olive tapenade. It's hard to resist filling up on bread. We started with a beet salad which was an amazing blend of flavors and textures, thanks to the thinly sliced beets, creamy cheese, and slightly candied walnuts. Fantastic salad that I would order again and again. For mains, we shared: Hokkaido Scallops from Oliver's Trattoria's Truffle Menu: shockingly delicious! The sweetness of the Hokkaido Scallops played perfectly with the truffle (not overpowered at all) and creamy sauce. The sauce was soooo tasty, we dipped pizza crust into it to make sure we didn't waste any of it, lol. A pricey dish but so well-executed and worth every penny. Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese: delicious savory meat sauce that covers nice al dente pasta. Sooo good and a must for Bolognese lovers. Chitarra Pomodoro: a signature for a reason and you can really taste the difference with fresh pasta. Margherita Pizza: sometimes the simple classics are the best, and this Margherita is no exception. Perfect pillowy crust texture on the edges, and a nice thin crust throughout most of the pizza. So delicious and we'll be ordering this whenever we crave pizza! For desserts, we shared 3, and each of us had a different favorite even though we agreed all of them were delicious, so you know they were all good in their own ways! Tiramisu: so creamy and decadent without being too sweet! Probably the best version of a classic Tiramisu I've had. Cheesecake: also not too sweet! Lovely flavors and crust. Tortino di Cioccolato: a chocolate lover's dream! And the gelato is a delicious complement as well. We can't wait to come back!
OMG! You need to go to Oliver's. Everything we ordered was scrumptious and decadent. We got the Branzino, chitarra pasta, their signature dish, the oxtail pasta and the pork chop. I tried the limoncello spritz-- super refreshing and yummy ! Our server was so prompt and attentive to our needs and helpful with recommendations. You will not be disappointed.
The food is amazing, drinks spectacular, and Jenna is a phenomenal server/bartender. Definitely going back.
Located in the strip mall with Albertson's, this is a beautiful, award winning Italian restaurant! Outstanding service, great wine selection and drink menu. I highly recommend their Tonnarelli Costacei(lobster with thick spaghetti noodles in red tomato sauce. Loved the presentation on their Tavola Salmumi(charcuterie board)! Excellent selection of cured meats, cheeses, and pickled vegetables. Loved their insalata barbabietol(beet salad with argula and goat cheese.
Left unimpressed. Jenna our server was pushy and a bit rude. The patio was way too dark at night. The food was borderline awful. Burrata was good but the tomatoes served were raw. Calamari and squash blossom lacked flavor. The seafood pasta at $40 plus was awful. I had to ask for Parmesan cheese and chili flakes and seasoned it to make it edible.
Great place for a fancy dinner but today I felt ripped off at lunch! Food is great but not worth the price. $6 for an iced tea, give me a break this is Irvine it's cheaper in LA! Ordered the ravioli with spinach and cheese special when the bill came 8-10 raviolis in a butter Parmesan sauce were $36! That was the ultimate rip off the waitress should have told us prices. Lunch specials usually come at a good price but not here. I came back hoping to feel better the third time I came but unfortunately I left feeling worst. I will not be back. A handicap man came in and someone told him my car was parked in the handicap spot so he came over to teach me a lesson about parking in the spot. Someone from the restaurant must have told him it was my car. I have a legitimate handicap plaque and you don't want to have the conditions I have to have earned it. I felt violated by the staff that they would push this man on me during my most expensive lunch. It was very rude, but I feel good in one way that they thought I looked too healthy to be using the plaque. Thanks for the judgement. Never judge a person in a handicap spot you never know what they are suffering from, shame on you!
Came here with friends for the first time this week. Tried several items. My favorites were the Salamino pizza and the tiramisu. We had an amazing server who knew the menu inside and out with great recommendations. The restaurant is cute - charming and fresh. I will be back!
Everything was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Olivers is actually magnificent. The food is delicious and I love coming here with my family. The staff are very friendly and treat everyone like family, the bartenders are personally my favorite staff members. The place is sort of dimly lit and well decorated giving it a nice vibe. I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit
Restaurantji Recommends
The Tonnarelli ai Crostacei was phenomenal! Al dente noodles, heavy chunks of prawns/lobster, decorated with half a head of lobster. Complimentary bread was perfect to munch on before the main course. And the bow on top was amazing service from Victor our server. 10/10 would recommend to a friend.
This is authentic Italian food. I look forward to trying Oliver's Osteria in Laguna. I don't normally eat Italian food out because it is always disappointing. The lasagna was delicious. I hope that the standards stay high rather than catering to a less discerning pallet.
An excellent restaurant for just about any occasion. While I will not be going there with my son before every Orange County Soccer Club game it was a great way to kick the season off. I went there for my Wedding Anniversary and it was a perfect location. Staff fantastic, food and wine wonderful.
Nice new restaurant, but overall it was so crowded. They had tables so close together that we could barely get out of our booth to get up and go to the restroom. It was also so loud we couldn't hear each other talk. Pizza was great, pasta was ok. Drinks were good!
I recently visited this restaurant and was disappointed by the overpriced and low quality of the food. The tagliolinin priced at $36 and the lasagna at $30 were nothing special and failed to justify their high prices. As someone sensitive to oil, I could taste the overused RANCID "non-olive' oil in both dishes, making them excessively oily! The oil was so unpleasant that it even burnt my throat. The overpriced Bronzino dish was basic, served with potatoes fried in the same rancid 'non-olive oil.' Overall, the lack of taste and quality in the dishes did not match the steep prices, leaving me dissatisfied with my dining experience.