- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Oliveto Cafe & Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
5655 College Ave(between Keith Ave & Ocean View Dr)
Oakland, CA 94618
Neighborhoods: Rockridge, North Oakland
(510) 547-5356
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 7 am - 9 pm
Fri 7 am - 10 pm
Sat 8 am - 10 pm
Sun 8 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Validated
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
504 reviews for Oliveto Cafe & Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Their Bittersweet Chocolate cake is AMAZING."
(in 17 reviews)
"The truffle dinner was absolutely amazing."
(in 17 reviews)
"Bread pudding with orange-caramel sauce."
(in 6 reviews)
Loading...
504 reviews in English
-
Review from Nicolas M.
Oakland, CA
The only reason that you wouldn't come back to Oliveto, is if you should never have entered the door in the first place. Sure, I may sound like the so called pretentious person so many brain dead Yelpers claim to frequent the establishment, but come on folks, isn't it about time some of you realized that a restaurant is not your own dam personal dining room, and that you are coming to dine on something that the Chef has prepared, and experience REAL service and hospitality? Well, if you are too stupid to figure this out, let me sound an alarm in your head reminiscent of an air raid siren in the heart of London during WW II, its time for you to either learn how to cook at home, meet your friend Burger King, or shut up and enjoy some good food.
My affection, and respect for what this restaurant does has inspired me to vent some of my frustrations regarding the myriad of "foodie" cry babies out there that complain about how the risotto wasn't to someones liking, or how the ossobuco was too "rich", or the feeling of "so little value" in the portion sizes, or my favorite: "it's too loud", or better yet, "they didn't have anything for me" Let's get something straight, its a restaurant. It's a dining experience. There is a menu right outside the door for you to look at. There is a website with the menu that is updated daily after 5PM. This is a nose to tail style restaurant. Every part of the animal is open season, pun intended. So, if you want to taste food the way that it was meant to be prepared, then this is the place. If you are calorie counting tree hugging hippie that cared about the feelings of the freshly slaughtered animal, and all its parts that will be used for the upcoming weeks menu... this restaurant isn't for you. Ohh... let it be know that if anyone or place makes you "feel" less than someone, you have a self esteem problem... get help and grow a pair. Now... on to the food!1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
7/10/2011
The approach is no nonsense, and the execution is flawless. Period! Folks, there is just one… Read more »
-
-
Review from Dan L.
San Ramon, CA
1/23/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Good food, not great. Extremely pretentious from top to bottom. The waiter was very up to speed on the menu, but not very helpful. I asked about Italian dishes I did not understand, and the waiter just repeated the dish in Italian - as if I should know all the dishes in their original language...
I had the angel hair pasta with crab. Only ok, not great for a $25 plate of noodles and "some" crab.. A friend had the pork porterhouse, she had to send it back because it was way underdone.
Comfortable table, but a bit cramped for my taste.
So, 3 stars for food, 1 star for high amount of pretension. -
Review from Joanna S.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/16/2012
I normally don't go here because of their meat focus, but had lunch upstairs with two friends today. Ambiance is lovely and was fairly quiet, making conversation actually possible. Service was attentive, but the food took a long time to arrive.( Not so much an issue, as we were not in a great hurry.) A very limited menu offered (4 salads/starters) and 4 entrees). Salads were as fresh as can be, and delightfully dressed. Main dishes (Bolognese pasta and a vegetarian kale roulade with farro) were fresh and tasty, but not remarkable. Coffee was delicious. Total tab for lunch for three (shared salad, no wine or dessert) was $100. A tad high for a dining experience that was fairly ordinary.
Just as we were about to leave, an extraordinary thing happened. For no reason, and with absolutely no warning, a ceiling tile crashed to floor just three feet from where I was seated. And this was no ordinary, lightweight acoustical tile, but rather one that was faced with a veneer of something resembling marble! It came down with a loud "thud" and would surely have knocked a person in that seat (which was thankfully unoccupied) out cold. It was an unsettling way to leave. Maybe wear a helmet if you dine here? -
Review from breana c.
Berkeley, CA
1/24/2012
Wow, what a disappointment...
Overpriced, underwhelming. I guess if you have a lot of money, dropping $180 for 2 people for a mediocre dinner isn't a big deal. My advice is to skip it and go to Wood Tavern. -
Review from J E.
Oakland, CA
2/3/2012
The food was divine and I think it's hard to find classy places sometimes like this where you feel obligated to wear something other than sneakers. Service was awesome. And make a reservation-it got packed on a Saturday night-even in the cafe downstairs (which you can also make reservations for). My one complaint was that our table of 2 was literally (yes literally) 2 inches away from the table of 4 next to us. We basically dined with them. So if you do go and you are smart enough to make a reservation and you have 2 in your party, request a table next to the window, trust me. (Also cool eating in the dining room because you are elevated on the second floor and feel like you're looking down on all of College and if you get the right table, can see bart going by right outside your window-no noise though... whew)
-
Review from Snuffles B.
Boston, MA
12/13/2011
Apparently this place is business meeting central, I came here twice in one week and had no wait, great service, and none of the usual FUBARs associated with accommodating large groups.
They have a constantly changing menu, fresh pasta and charcuterie made in house, and all of it was done well. East Bay, I'm starting to like you. -
Review from Janice C.
Oliveto holds a special place in my Yelp world since I had so many "firsts" here:
This was the first restaurant where I dined by myself.
This was the first restuarant where I had duck prepared in a different way other than Peking duck. Don't laugh, my foodieness has to start somewhere! ;-)
This was the first restaurant that inspired me to write a yelp review, I'm deeply grateful for the place that ignited that spark for love of food and love of writing.
So enough reminiscing and on with the review.
Well, the reviews seem to be across the board lately for Oliveto, but I've been here a few times off and on the last couple of years and all my experiences were good.
I came here for dinner a month ago and happened to arrive a bit early for our reservation, so I headed for the bar and ordered a Negroni. This drink isn't made the traditional way, having Hendrick's gin and being heavier on carpano antica, which I prefer for that sweeter taste anyway to conteract the Campari. For a really stiff negroni (ratio of gin:campari: vermouth is 1:1:1) go to Nopa or Slanted Door in sf.
Written on the menu are farms and vendors that the restaurant closely works with to procure the freshest ingredients from the market. And as expected, the menu changes often. It didn't take long for us to decide what to get. We entrusted our server with a recommendation for a white wine and he was on point when we said we wanted a crisp Sauvignon Blanc -- Capture from Healdsburg.
It wasn't long before we received our appetizer. We shared a mackerel with farro which flaked easily with a fork, but it was lacking something. (salt?) However, my pappardelle with braised cornish hen was fantastic! Their buccattini with prosciutto and cream is also a great choice. Oliveto does pasta as it should be: al dente, so you can't go wrong with that, but don't make it your main course because pasta portions are small. Chose something more substantial like their flank steak with mashed potatoes.
We each ordered dessert and on the table were: a warm apple tart, raspberry beignets with chocolate sauce and figs and cheeses. I don't know what's wrong with my girls, but they each took three bites and announced that they were done. Are you kidding?!? they pushed the plates toward my way and I polished everything off. [fattie alert]
Service was ok, it could've been more friendly but maybe he just wanted to leave us alone. Pricewise, don't make Oliveto an everyday habit, it'll certainly cost you. But you can delight in the fact that it's located across the street from Rockridge BART station.
Oliveto has treated me well over the years and you know what they say? you never forget your first.Listed in: The Write Kind of Love, SCORE!, La Dolce Vita
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
11/7/2006
Definitely one of the better Italian restaurants in Oakland. You get more for your money than going… Read more »
-
-
Review from Tonyette H.
Oakland, CA
12/2/2011
So I feel really bad about writing this review...
I took the man here for his birthday - which we were both super stoked. The menu looked amazing. The waiter suggested the pasta for a first course - at which point I made it a point to let him know that I have celiac - an extreme allergy to gluten.
I had the pork the boy had the beef. Food was delicious...
The dessert (sorbet) came out with a cookie... no bueno for the celiacs...
long story short - I spent two days confined to my bed missing a day of work.
I emailed them and asked what could have happened... they were going to check on something and get back to me... that was three weeks ago...
so yeah the food was good... but no restaurant is worth losing two days of your life over...Listed in: For the love of God - do not…
-
Review from Ginger Z.
Van Nuys, CA
12/1/2011
Disappointing.
I chose this place after reading about how it is the restaurant of the year in Diablo magazine. Visiting from L.A., I was looking for a really great restaurant experience during my short visit. The merguez sausage was dry and overly salty. The spit-roasted rabbit wrapped in pancetta with Madeira-truffle cream entree was overcooked to the point that the rabbit was chewy (octopus texture) and the pancetta was limp as opposed to crispy. Plus, there was not a note of truffle to be found.
On the bright side, the dungeness crab salad was very good - extremely fresh and light. The agnolotti dal plin was also very tasty.
Conclusion - way to pricey and buzzy for the quality of the food. -
Review from jerry k.
Emeryville, CA
2/8/2012 Seated via OpenTable
been coming here off and on for years when there's a visitor to impress with the rockridge vibe...not the most fabulous food or service in the world but always satisfying and i would return
-
Review from Jesse L.
Berkeley, CA
11/18/2011
This is my fiance's favorite restaurant in the bay area and she's been raving about it since we met. Last night she took me for a late meal, part of the annual November truffle dinners thingy.
I've worked in restaurants in the front and back of the house and realize that for any given night a few customers may fall through the cracks and not get the desired experience. Last night we were those people and I'm gonna go out on a limb and give the credit to our server Libby. This isn't really my style, but honestly, her service was so incredibly bad that we actually considered leaving under a 10% tip. I think straight out neglect would've been much better than the abrupt and curt service we received.
What took the cake was when we ordered the poached egg with hen hash and black truffle and she told us that the house recommends 5 grams of white truffle shaved on top of it. Five grams? Are you kidding? At $10/gram? That would turn our appetizer into a $66 affair. Plus, we'd already told her we didn't want additional truffles, but she wasn't listening. I'm down with a little upselling and I'm also down with getting overlooked because the night is busy and we're not the only people being served. But Libby took it to a whole new level.
For dinner we had the flatiron steak and pigeon, which I'm afraid this is going to make me sound like the ultimate complainer, but were both way over-salted. Fortunately, the drinks were amazing and I had the best possible company, but as for the meal and service.... I think we had an off night at Oliveto. -
Review from Delya S.
11/10/2011
(By way of quick disclosure, a friend of mine is a manager here. I don't think I'm sufficiently impressive enough to have had a dining experience that is not representative of their norms, however! I'm pretty sure my editorial integrity will still be intact!)
I had a late lunch under a heat lamp in their café area yesterday. I want to go back today! Why does the Bay Area boast so much amazing food and why am I not independently wealthy?
I ordered the warm beet salad dish, the savory tart, and a glass of a nice dry Italian Rosé. My friend ordered some tender beef in a sauce, the warm beet dish, wholegrain polenta and fresh orange juice. Our server was Jessica. The beet dish is fantastic. You owe it to yourself to try it. The savory tart was also incredible. It's a crisp wholegrain crust topped with a warm cheese and some olives. I'd order my entire my meal again, no doubt. I tried my friend's polenta. I normally don't care for polenta, but I was intrigued by the wholegrain take on it. I'm converted! It's WAY better. It's not so sweet and has a pleasant nutty flavor. We wrapped our luscious lunch up with two cappuccinos and the pumpkin bread pudding. So well served we were, that some remained on the table, despite its wonderful taste and texture.
The prices are fair, especially considering the locally and responsibly sourced ingredients. The portions are small, which I like. It's nice to try several small bites. The atmosphere is lovely. Check it out. -
Review from Miya N.
San Francisco, CA
11/20/2011
So I have wanted to splurge on one of Oliveto's favorite dinners for some time; in particular the Truffle dinner. After 3 years I went with a friend the other night. It was not cheap (and we don't drink!), but I knew this going into the meal. I went all out, ordering everything I wanted to try (yes, three desserts!!) and took the chef's suggestion on the truffle usage. There was a mishap with one of my dishes, but it was quickly taken care of.
All of the dishes we tasted were great, with some being wonderful. The dishes were just the right size so that I an average size diner could eat from all three sections of the menu (appetizer, pasta, main) ... which the dinner was designed for. My friend (female) ordered a pasta and main and helped me try the desserts. I ordered two warm and one cold app as well as a pasta.
It had taken me so long to dine during one of these events due to my dietary restrictions (no, I am not one of those ... it purely medical). And having worked in a restaurant, I hate those diners that want to change up every single dish, just because they feel it is their right (why eat there if you are going to make up your own dishes?!) However, the waiter and chef were great in helping me navigate through t he menu so I knew clearly my options were. Regardless of my restrictions, our waiter was quite knowledgeable and answered all our annoying questions pertaining to the menu as well as his opinions of some of the dishes that he had tried.
The ambiance was refined elegance. The restaurant had a busy energy without being loud ... quite possibly because the tables were generously separated from each other. We were never rushed and each meal was brought to us and cleared at a good pace.
Both my companion (who can eat anything) myself thoroughly enjoyed the meal and can't wait to see what is in store for us next year.
Though I have to point out that a previous meal at the cafe was not so pleasant. The food was average and the service so cold that I felt that they would have appreciated it if I left. I definitely would not return to the cafe on my own dime. -
Review from Seth F.
Oakland, CA
11/14/2011
Overall, Oliveto's food was yummy, but one important factor I look for when reviewing a place for Yelp is value. Unfortunately, Oliveto lacks it.
We ordered two salads: one with duck and prosciutto, and another with orange and zucchini. I enjoyed both, however I can't say it would be hard to make those on my own at home. The same goes for both the ravioli and vegetarian wrap we ordered -- while they were flavorful and fresh, the portion sizes left me hungry and weren't anything that couldn't have been accomplished in a home kitchen with some simple ingredients.
The chocolate cake we shared for desert was interesting, but a bit dry.
If Oliveto can find a way to be less pretentious and less expensive, I might be able to bump the rating up a star or two. But for now, If I'm in the area I will avoid Oliveto in favor of À Côté or any other of the slew of restaurants along College Ave that offer a better value. -
Review from Michael U.
Dublin, OH
9/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
With many days of eating including a long Labor Day weekend now behind me, my second sit-down meal with my host would be at Oliveto, a large café near the BART line apparently known for vegetable themed dinners and solid mid-priced Italian fare focusing on what is local and seasonal. Arriving early, before the doors even opened, we browsed the small store nearby and being the first to walk in the door of Oliveto were greeted promptly and pleasantly before being sat at a nice two top near the window. With my counterpart having eaten there frequently no menu was required for him and on browsing the limited selections my I just opted to replicate his order replacing the toast with a house made croissant.
Sitting and chatting while we waited coffee was poured and kept full - a relatively dull organic blend with a bit too much acid for my preference - and with the restaurant largely empty aside from a couple of regulars food arrived quickly in the form of 2 Poached Farm Eggs, a puffy golden croissant, and house made fruit compote plus Orange Marmalade.
Beginning first with the eggs - all I could do is shake my eggs when the overcooked formed orbs arrived. While I realize poaching an egg is not as easy as scrambled there are many diners that can do it appropriately and as such for a rather upscale café to use a mold and then overdo it seems to be poor form. Tasty and a bit runny I will say the egg sourcing was good, but the execution needs serious work.
Moving next to the croissant - perhaps my standards were artificially inflated by my April trip to Paris and the outstanding versions at Knead and B. Patisserie but like the eggs the croissant was blah - no better than any average Midwest bakery and although buttery far too dense on the inside with a shell that certainly did not crack but rather just sort of "squished" on mastication. Noting the poor quality of the croissant I will note that it did serve as an adequate delivery device for the excellent admixture of raisins, figs, and currants as well as the slightly bitter marmalade.
Acknowledging that this meal was certainly not a "destination" but rather to talk business (for us) while others ate a quick healthy breakfast or read the paper before hopping the BART to work I will hold my judgment of Oliveto overall because the dinner and dessert menus actually sounded quite impressive, but given the limited menu and high prices (albeit for good ingredients) I'd rather prepare my own breakfast at home where I can appropriately poach an egg. -
Review from Carey W.
San Diego, CA
8/28/2011 1 photo
What a delicious way to spend a lunch in Oakland! Nestled on a cozy corner in a nice little area, this cafe gave me everything I had wanted for an interesting meal.
We started with the beets that game on fresh spring greens, which I was a little apprehensive about at first, but was pleasantly surprised. The beets were delicious and I kept going back for more. Whatever dressing that was had a little kick to it, but I liked it.
The larger portion of our meal was the pizza with ricotta sauce, panetta, and braised spring greens. It was soo good with the fresh, thin, and crispy crust and I loved the homemade ricotta sauce instead of marinara. I shared both the beets and the pizza with my mother and felt fully satisfied and happy.
If I went back again, I would only change one thing: getting fresh lemon to put in my water! -
Review from Elise H.
Davis, CA
1/23/2012 Seated via OpenTable
The food and ambience were great and service exceptional. Best ribeye steak I have ever had as well as the rabbit was superb. I would definitely recommend!
-
Review from Bryce L.
San Francisco, CA
11/21/2011
Last night we went to Oliveto for a birthday celebration. There were five of us. We were seated on time. That was actually the only on time portion of the meal. It is not clear to me whether this was a waiter issue or an overall restaurant issue.
First let me say that the food quality and taste was good. Not excellent, but good.
About 10 minutes after being seated the waiter came by to assist with the menu, but took about 5 minutes going over the benefits of buying white truffles at $10 a gram on most dishes. He then disappeared before taking an order for wine. When he returned 10 minutes later, he took our order for food and wine. 15 minutes later the starter course arrived, though three of the dishes were served (not by the original waiter) to three of the wrong people out of five. The next wait staff was on time to shave the truffles. Half way through the starter the glasses of wine arrived to accompany the meal.
The most annoying part of the meal came next. Our daughter got up to use the ladies room and was gone about 3 minutes. Three of the five main courses were served immediately upon her departure. My wife suggested that we begin because otherwise the meal would be cold. Not a problem because mine was cold. We began the meal, not mentioning this to the waiter. Finally six to seven minutes after three of us had been served. The other two in our party were delivered their meal. Both of their sliced steaks were cold. For the first time in the thirty seven years that I have been married, my wife sent the plate back because it was so cold. Oh, yes, and then the second wine arrived.
While I am sure that ours was not the normal experience, when you are paying in excess of $100 per person dining, this is an area that should be fixed.
We have been to other comparably priced restaurants recently (Acquerello and Boulevard) who I would rate as 4 - 4 1/2 stars, each worth the experience. Oliveto is a restaurant that I will not take others to in the near future again.
12/3/11- I received a follow up note from Shane Walker, genaral manager from Oliveto. He included a hand written note with a gift certificate to use on a follow up visit to Oliveto. The note was more important than the certificate, but both were appreciated. I perfer doing business with people who care about what they do. He clearly does. -
Review from Andrew C.
Oliveto continues to be a mixed bag for us. We had a dinner upstairs where we waited over 1/2 hr with reservations and then a lot of their items were sold out at 8pm on Saturday. Really good scallops & pasta. Mediocre pork dish.
Last weekend we went downstairs to the cafe (not sure why they're combined here in Yelp) for a quick dinner before meeting up with someone. I went with the Red winter wheat penne alla bolognese ($15) and the g/f had Cannelloni of chard, cauliflower, and Grana Padano cheese ($15).
The cannelloni (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) was pretty good, if a bit under-seasoned. My penne was scorched on top (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) with burned, hard pasta. No one noticed that?
No time to send it back so I tried mixing to moisten (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). It looked better, but didn't soften the burned pasta. I thought I'd chip a tooth so ended up separating the burned parts (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). The non-burned section was actually very flavorful with a delicious, rich bolognese.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
12/21/2009
Came here to belatedly celebrate a friend's birthday. Oliveto had some hits as well as misses.
It… Read more »
-
-
Review from audie b.
Oakland, CA
8/7/2011
Breakfast at the downstairs cafe. EEEK. I have bee meeting friends here for many years. We always order the same thing. Poached eggs and toast. It's not a really big menu, in fact it's a pretty limited selection.Basically you can have poached eggs, poached eggs with prosciutto, breakfast pizza, bakery items and oatmeal or yogurt. That's about it. We love this place for many reasons, but today they drove me up the wall. After establishing with the waitress how we would like our poached eggs ( "ya know, not too hard and not runny, anywhere in between is good, thanks") we got 3 plates, that would be 6 eggs, 3 runny, 2 almost hard boiled and 1 medium. I was told by the waitress and a management type person that it was the fault of an unpredictable egg poaching device.
Hmmm.
So then don't ask me how I want my eggs done??? Oliveto ,do you just not care anymore??? -
Review from david d.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 9/5/2011
It's been some considerable time since I was last to Oliveto. In the interim there have been changes, most particularly a new Chef. So I had to re-try it. The long and short of it is the Oliveto is on top of its game. The food is outstanding.
I started with a salad of heirloom tomatoes that came with eggplant purée,
watercress, barilotto cheese and sherry vinaigrette. Simply stated: yummy.
For pasta a got tajarin that came with corn, butter-poached sand dabs, and squash blossoms. Again yummy, although I could not make out the squash blossoms. But the corn was sweet, the sand dabs perfectly poached and the pasta al dente.
Finally, a charcoal-grilled pork porterhouse with fresh cranberry beans, oven-roasted roma tomatoes, and pork sugo. What made this plate was the fact the the pork was perfectly prepared. It was remarkably moist and tasty.
My server was a bit standoffish. She was friendly enough but never checked on how my meal was progressing. My suspicion was that she was in need of some training.
Overall, a really good experience.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
12/28/2008
Hop the BART and get deposited a block from Oliveto or drive. Whatever, make sure to visit this… Read more »
-
-
Review from David D.
Berkeley, CA
6/10/2011
DON'T GO UPSTAIRS!
I really hesitate to write critical reviews. I'd rather tell you about places I love. But Oliveto changed my mind, because I had a horrible dining experience. I went with the Ms. on a Sunday. We ate some appetizers down stairs, which were OK, but overpriced. Then we climbed the stairs to the main dinning room. It was not crowded and our service was fine.
However, we were served entree's which had no spices, no herbs, no sauce, no seasoning...basically no flavor.
Ms. had the pigeon (a dark meat bird with very little fat). One steadfast rule for cooking them is to leave them whole, otherwise the meat will quickly lose heat and become dry. So Oliveto served the plate with the meat completely in pieces, arriving at the table at room temperature. Accompanying the bird were a few wrinkled kernels of previously frozen, flavorless corn. No herbs, no sauce, no spices, no seasoning. The joker who prepared the plate placed one pigeon leg so that it's scrawny claw was sticking straight up in the center of the plate.
I had the Halibut. The small piece of fish was properly cooked and placed on a bed of creamy white polenta. Apparently, they ran out of the red flint polenta. The combining of two foods which are bland in character was like a playful recreation of cafeteria food. No contrast, no herbs, no acid, , no sauce, just a small piece of fish on a bed of wallpaper paste.
These were some really amateurish dishes with extraordinary prices. My advice, don't climb the stairs. Eat little pizzas downstairs.
Frankly, this restaurant has lost it's way. -
Review from Brian J.
Pleasant Hill, CA
Updated - 11/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had a great dinner last night at the Oliveto Cafe with friends - great spot to stop in after work. Came in from the cold outside to the warmth of the cafe. While the menu is limited, I was able to find a great vegetable minestra with pork that warmed me up immediately. I followed that up with a creamy polenta and fried egg - just the right light dinner. Superb cappuchino to top off the meal. Service was top notch with our waitress knowledgable and friendly. The only disappointment was the Pino Noir - didn't have much body or flavor - otherwise all is well at Oliveto and I will definitely be back...
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
5/22/2011
Walked in on Saturday, May 21 for a 7:30 dinner with no reservation. The Cafe was full as was the… Read more »
-
-
Review from Mike H.
Oakland, CA
6/12/2011
Two years ago my wife and I had a great experience here. Both food and service were what we expected and paid for. Recently, a friend got us a gift certificate for Olivetto's so we went back to try it out with some friends for a birthday.
Embarrassing to say the least. We arrived at 7:45 for our reservation, were seated promptly. The friendly waitress greeted us nicely, helped us order a bottle of wine and that's about the last good experience of the night. She told us they were out of one dish (7:45 on a Friday night?!?!) but having worked in restaurants before, I know that happens. It got weird when they ran out of the next 2 dishes that were ordered as well. We were good sports, ordered what was left on the menu, and waited. The waitress said it would be a while for apps, so we knew we'd have to wait a while, but we waited almost an hour! They came, they were good, not great (Scallops in Squash Blossoms and Morel's stuffed with Pigeons).
My friend an I both ordered Sea Bass, and when the food finally came, it was severely overcooked. We waited almost 7 more minutes for our wives dishes to arrive before we even tasted them to find this out. They both got pasta dishes which were by contrast, perfectly cooked (the only reason I'm giving this two stars). We both sent the fish back and ordered pasta. I'm not the kind of person to send back food, this is probably the first time I've done so in almost 10 years, but it was really that bad. My jaw still hurts from chewing.
I know that restaurants have bad nights, but this was a different restaurant then the one I visited a few years back. The waitress seemed downright mortified at all that was happening to our dinner (which was partially comped) but still didn't show up for a while after the meals. She also disappeared after dessert was ordered. She then forgot to bring my wife the tea she ordered. The manager never came by to apologize, and we all left disappointed.
All in all, we spent 4 hours in the restaurant, spent almost $300, had food on the table for a total of 20 minutes, sent 2 dishes back, and left with a bad taste in our mouths. Thank god for the delicious pasta and the fact Phillip Seymour Hoffman was 2 tables away, or this would have been a complete disaster! -
Review from Rina W.
San Francisco, CA
7/18/2011
Just about everything on the menu made me salivate as I perused through the selections. I don't think you can go wrong at this establishment. Their food is well executed & delicious. I had the squid ragu pasta and would recommend it to anyone. Desserts are just as good. Prices fairly reasonable for what they offer, most of which are locally caught fish & seafood. Service impeccable.
In Oakland's Restaurant Row, close to Rockridge Bart. I might hop out there from SF again someday just to enjoy their food again. -
Review from Monica S.
10/30/2011
I had high expectations of Oliveto, but our meal was lackluster. I could tell everything was fresh, but the experience reminded me of the difference between 'simple' and 'bland'. I'd rather be at Baywolf, which does the same "Chez Panisse knock-off" style for the same price but with a better result.
-
Review from Rich H.
Second Mesa, AZ
I've been here several times over the years. Sometimes it's been good, never great, and sometimes a disappointment. This last visit was a disappointment worth updating a review.
I eat out a lot while traveling and generally get really good service, even at cheap Asian restaurants known for crap service. For whatever reason, while the food was ok, the service was really terrible. The consensus of the 3 people at our table was that it was as if we were imposing on the staff by dining there.
Don't think I'll return anytime soon. Should have gone to Corso, Rivoli, or A Cote (or Gordo's, Thai Noodle, Oscar's).1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
3/23/2010
Summary based on multiple visits to both upstairs restaurant and downstairs cafe over years:
--Food… Read more »
-
-
Review from Mollie F.
San Carlos, CA
11/22/2011
We went on Saturday for their Truffle dinner. The place did not wow us considering it was the special truffle menu. As Jesse L. said, the pork dish was way too salty, I could barely eat it. They gave a limited "by the glass" wine list. The server whisked away wine glasses without asking us if we wanted wine while taking our food order.
They pretty much ignored you if you did not ask for the pricey white truffle shaved on your plate...they fawned over people who bought a whole truffle.
All in all, it was not worth the drive and money; and not worth the time and effort to describe a pathetic experience. -
Review from Elizabeth R.
Oakland, CA
11/20/2011
Oliveto is one of my favorites, upstairs and downstairs. We went last night with last minute reservations, and coincidentally it was the last night for the Truffle dinners. The food was great - we had the crostino appetizer with truffles, which made for very expensive cheese bread but also very memorable. I had the penne alla bolognese, which I've had before and it's delicious. My husband had the ravioli gigande. (Neither are large servings, so I'd recommend an appetizer or two to round out the meal if you aren't going the main entree route.) Both were fabulous. I am usually very happy with the food at Oliveto, though it took a little time for me to adjust to the new chef. My experience with the service is mixed and unfortunately, last night we had mediocre service. It took a long time for the waiter to take our order, though he stopped by several times briefly but would scurry away without taking the order. The food came out to us in a reasonable amount of time. But when I wanted a glass of wine to go with my pasta, the waiter was too busy to notice and I just skipped it. (I love a glass of nice red wine with pasta!) I tried several times to catch his eye but just gave up. It looked like he had 8 tables to cover but with the service expected at Oliveto, that is probably too many tables for one person.
The last time we went there, about a month ago, I had a similar experience that we were somewhat neglected when we were ready to order wine. We looked over at the server and who I assume was the floor manager noticed us. He sent her over to check in on us.
I don't want to give up on Oliveto. I love the food and ambience. I am hopeful that the service can improve. I would give it 5 stars but until the service is more consistent, I'm sticking with 4 stars. -
Review from David K.
Moraga, CA
11/7/2011
A favorite! Great diversified menu and a awesome wine list. The service is always attentive, but not overwhelming.
-
Review from Michael K.
Berkeley, CA
Updated - 12/23/2011
This review is for the downstairs cafe. I think this new chef has done a great job improving the food. I stopped coming here for a couple of years, because the food got so bad and the servers were mean, snobby and incompetent (both upstairs and down), but about 9 months ago, I decided to try it again. First for coffee and pastry and then little by little for other food-- pizza, salad and apps. All of the food has been great. Prices are similar to other places that have a worse atmosphere and worse food. It almost seems like prices at other restaurants have gone up, while the prices at the cafe have stayed the same. The charcuterie is the one exception, which is a high price for a few small slices of meat. The servers downstairs try hard and are nice people. I don't ask for more. The pizzas are always amazing. Tonight we had the cod, which was cooked perfectly and the chicken which was delicious. The broccoli cauliflower app was quite possibly the best cooked version of these vegetables that I have ever had. Something happened with our chicken order and we were waiting and waiting until we were offered a dessert menu and had to say that we were still waiting for chicken. But it was not a problem, because we were having fun talking, relaxing and enjoying a leisurely dinner and the waiter was cool about it. It was just a slip up. Downstairs the environment is aesthetically appealing, the food is delicious, prices are reasonable, it is casual, the customers tend to be pretty low key and the servers are nice.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
-
1/25/2009
I return to Oliveto downstairs, because it is a nice place to sit, have a poached egg and toast, a… Read more »
-
-
Review from hag a.
Oakland, CA
5/4/2011
I've been here a couple of times now, and have mixed feelings about it. The food is mostly very good, but not always. And the service has been lacking.
This last time that I went was part of a party of 6. We had an 8 p.m. reservation, and weren't seated until after 8:30. After another 10 minutes the waiter came by to take our drink order and give us the run-down of all of the items no longer available. My top 2 picks were among them. That really narrowed down what was left for me to choose from since I don't eat meat or poultry. After waiting so long this really added to my disappointment.
That said, I tried the scallop appetizer which was very good. It was cooked well and the accompanying sauce was quite tasty. My entree was a pasta dish that was basically glorified mac and cheese. But it really was the best mac and cheese I've ever had!
My boyfriends pork was cold and the waiter took it back no problem, which was followed by a luke-warm pork dish. He did comp the entree.
But it would have been nice to get a drink or a couple of desserts on the house for the table to share after such a long wait and limited menu. I might try the cafe sometime, but don't know about going back to the restaurant. -
Review from emma d.
Berkeley, CA
8/4/2011
Oliveto Cafe
I met my friend here for breakfast last week. I'm not normally a go-out-for-breakfast kind of person, but I wanted to sit at their outside tables, drink cappuccino, watch passersby in Rockridge, and do puzzles in the newspaper, all the while pretending that I was at a sidewalk cafe in Europe. Mission accomplished. The oatmeal was overpriced, but the fruit compote I mixed into it was delicious. Cappuccino was perfect. And my server didn't seem to mind that I lingered for about two hours after only ordering oatmeal and coffee. -
Review from Curtis L.
Sacramento, CA
5/21/2011
I've heard tell that their dinners are amazing, but this review is really only for the cafe during the day time. The food is fantastic, and not too hard on the wallet; it makes for a nice spot for a Cal kid to take a date who enjoys good food. The lunch menu always has a fluid selection of sandwiches and small pizzas, and there is always a delightfully interesting tart for the day. Sandwiches are neatly and simply prepared, with a very flavorful garlic aioli accompanying. The meats are nicely framed by the bread and minimal greenery; whether it be game hen, rabbit, or anything else, the flavor shines through nicely. The real star is usually the tart, with firm, toothsome, flaky, and ridiculously buttery crust supporting and interesting cheese and some manner of seasonal vegetable. And if you have room for dessert, pretty much all of the choices have bold, pleasing flavors.
The interior of the cafe is rather plain and simple, done in muted colors and with rather minimal furniture of moderate comfortableness. On a cool, clear late morning, it can be pleasant to sit out doors at one of the little fenced-off tables below the heat lamps. I seem to recall a flower vendor a little ways down the block, which made the scent of the carrying breeze rather pleasant. Service is rather casual and average, and tends to be quite slow for lunch time. It's not something that bothers me, as I rather enjoy spending time on the food, and I tend to take people whose extended company is enjoyable.
I hold a lot of fond memories with Oliveto; thinking of it always makes me remember crisp spring mornings and being young(er). When life brings me back to the Berkeley area with pleasant companions in tow, I'll visit here again. And maybe that time for dinner. -
Review from Jamie L.
Oakland, CA
7/15/2011
Oliveto's is one of my all time favorite restaurants and yet...four stars. The overall dining experience is fantastic and worth lingering over. I have had countless meals here with old friends and chatted the night away. The interior is sumptuous with low, warm lights and muted tones. Service is buttoned up, helpful and friendly. I have always been pleased by the knowledge and ease of their servers. I am truly surprised to read that folks have found the service to be pretentious.
And so the food: pastas are homemade and full of integrity. This is why I come here. The main dishes are, well, heavy handed and over salted. Every now and then I order a main dish and, with my heart full of hope, am only disappointed. Over the years I feel that their menu has become too ambitious and unfocused. They are at their best with the simple and classic offerings.
This is an Oakland establishment - go here and order a bottle of wine, a charcuterie spread and pasta and end with their flourless chocolate confection and espresso. You will leave happy. -
Review from K W.
San Francisco, CA
4/1/2011
After dining at Oliveto twice, lunch and dinner, my impression is that the name is to remind the diner of the olive. Two reasons why: 1) they serve you a couple olives with dinner and 2) the portion of the entree is about the same size as an olive.
Staff is very friendly and cheerful, ambience is pretty good, food is about average except for the portion size.
Not likely to patronize again. -
Review from Ezequiel R.
San Francisco, CA
6/17/2011
My adventure friend and I decided we wanted to try this place out.
We got there right as they started serving and we got seated right away with our reservation. The decor was modern and easily romantic as the eating area is on the second floor while the bar is on the first. It was really quiet which was kind of awkward but the first pour would easily lighten up the mood. The pour was disappointing however. A usual pour sits halfway or a third in a wine glass and this one (regular red glass size) sat maybe a quarter. O well!
On to the food, hmmmm... It was good but definitely overpriced. I got one of the wheat small portions and boy they weren't lying when they said it's a small portion. My Bolognese was good but over salted by a lot.
Overall it was an OK experience. Nothing wow'd me. Probably won't be back again but it was good to say I've been here now! -
Review from Ellen F.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 12/16/2011
I am sincerely sad to say that Oliveto seems to have lost its mojo. We went last night for the 3rd time since the chef we loved left a year ago. This was the third strike. We went for a special night out and were rushed through drinks, olives, bread, appetizers and main course in less than an hour. The food was only average and quite overpriced for the portion sizes and quality. Bummer!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
9/26/2006
I have rarely had a bad meal at Oliveto, and I've been dozens of times. It can get pricey if you… Read more »
-
-
Review from Cindy F.
San Francisco, CA
5/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I waited about 18 months to come here... finally tried it Oliveto's "upstairs" restaurant.
I thought the food was good, but nothing memorable. We shared the ceviche, uni spaghetti pasta and halibut. The rubharb tart was delicious.
The service was very pleasant. Our server was just so warm and polite.
Not super good value - tab (plus two glasses of wine) was $120 with tax/tip. Not eager to go back. I'd rather go to A Cote down the street for yummy food and drink. -
Review from Vera W.
4/17/2011
What I tried:
Gnocchi with asparagus, Pecorino cheese,
and black pepper
Durum wheat strozzapretti with bok choy
rabe, green garlic, chili, and breadcrumbs
I was expecting Oliveto to be amazing. Got there, took a bit a time to get us seated even though I made reservations. The hostess was nice though. The atmosphere in the upstairs restaurant seemed to be for snobby, stuck-up and rich folks. I should have just chose the cafe. The atmosphere seemed more chill.
The bread they gave us in the beginning sucked, but it was free, so whatever. We got the gnocchi and strozzapretti dishes, and I was expecting the dishes to be moderate sized. We got our dishes, and it was so small. I swear! Smallest dishes I've ever had for an entree. They weren't that great either. Well, the gnocchi was actually above average. I usually don't like gnocchi's, so I think that this one was made well.The strozzapretti tasted like something I could make. They were both expensive ($14 each) for the portion we were given. It was ridiculous.
Also, the service is slow. It took us the same amount of time to eat the dishes (which was pretty quick, I guess, due to the small portion) as to get the check.
If you want good Italian food, go to Trattoria La Siciliana. At least they give you great bread and dipping oil and more than enough portions that are QUALITY, too. Never coming back here again.
