Olivetta

Olivetta is a restaurant I loved dining at and will absolutely be back to. One of the most beautiful restaurants in the city for sure, it's being added to my collection. However, no photos allowed and I respected the rules of the restaurant. So let me have my words do the photographic build up for Olivetta.We were headed to valet ($20) and somehow lucked into getting one of the very few parking spots right out front, score. We were warmly greeted and walked to our reservation immediately, walking by a rowdy gen x party at the bar adorned in cowboy hats & wanna-be influencers at nearly every table. It's so pretty inside, each room a little different but equally awe inspiring. I loved the vibe and my seat was perfectly placed in front of a giant mirror. My avoidant self did not have to view my reflection, but rather it was like a TV showing me all the hustle and bustle of the restaurant as diners shuffled back and forth to their seats. Watching the crowd was fun. Classy, range of ages, range of demographics but everyone is LA cool. You can be who you want here and Olivetta exemplifies that under their beautiful exterior. We had a perfect server by the way, very friendly and gave just the right level of service, not too much, not too little, just what I like, like I'm Goldilocks of Yelp LA Dining.We started with the squash blossoms, maybe regrettably so, as we had a hard time choosing an app. I'll try something else next time as they underwhelmed me. A nice crisp on the flowers but the stems were a bit much and I just found this dish to be aiight.Now the pastas I absolutely loved. We tried two and just adored them both. I was actually surprised at how good the portions were for such a classy, cute place. The Creste di Gallo was a sensation for the eyes and mouth, with a fun tableside creation of this dish. There's a generous shaving of cheese and delectable bone marrow in the dish, really great flavor and consistency. The Agnolotti was equally, if not even more, creamy and delicious. I was so full but could not stop eating this rich sauce over sage cream sauce and dried sage leaves. The roasted carrots were a nice accompaniment with our meal over a puffed feta bed sprinkled generously with pistachio and dill.Despite being full, we were still able to get through about half of the Chocolate Olive Oil Cake which was fluffy and soft with a chocolate ganache to pour over the top. I wouldn't have minded if this came with gelato or ice cream, just a tad but it was still a solid dessert.I do wish they had some non-alcoholic items like hot tea or coffee or espresso to go with dessert, they only had alcoholic offerings. Prior to beginning dinner, we did order some drinks. They had 3 Mocktails on their menu and were out of 1, so my friend and I ordered the only 2 mocktails ($16 a pop) options on offer. We found them okay - just fine, but wished they were excellent or more NA options were available & more care was intended for those of us who are Cali sober.Other than drinks though, I absolutely loved Olivetta. I'll absolutely be back to try more on the menu and I'm sitting here craving the Agnolotti, omggggggg it was so bomb. I def will be copping that dish again.

I've been a loyal customer of Olivetta for years, always impressed by the exceptional food and ambiance. However, my most recent visit was deeply disappointing. Despite making a reservation for my birthday, I was kept waiting for 35 minutes for a table for two.What made the experience worse was the complete lack of acknowledgment or apology from the staff. Birthdays are meant to feel special, and I was expecting the level of service I've come to associate with Olivetta. Instead, the delay and indifference left me feeling undervalued as a customer.While the food remains stellar, this experience has made me question returning. Great dining isn't just about the food -- it's about the experience, and this time Olivetta fell short.

Came here for a work dinner.For the cliff notes: big portions (but too expensive) and vibey. If I had a dollar for every person I saw there taking a photo I swear.On to the food!Sourdough bread - large, tasty. Nice big chunks and perfect to start the night.Shoestring fries - LOTS OF FRIES. Really great for a large table. Well seasoned.Crispy squash blossom - very refreshing and light.Paccheri - now this is where they lose me. This was okay. This entree wasn't particularly large but it should be large and super tasty for 34 dollars.Brown sugar budino - this was the best thing of the night. Light, airy, flavorful. This is the thing to get!For me everything was okay and not wonderful enough to warrant the price. But it is rather a chic place to visit.Service took long on everything which was kinda odd.They have valet and street parking. If you're street parking make sure to come 15 minutes to fight it out with other vehicles.

Solid place for a date night or special occasion. Really like the decor and ambiance. Our server was great and food was delicious. We were a group of three and got the prawns and Brussels sprouts to start, then vodka sauce pasta, pork chop, and salmon for our mains. It was odd when we arrived at 6:15 to a mostly empty restaurant and the hostess wasn't sure if they could take us without a reservation. By the time we left there were still open tables, but Overall it was a good experience. The menu is limited, so it's not somewhere I'd go back to regularly.

My favorites were the bone marrow pasta and sourdough bread. Fun ambiance and enjoyed the live music on Saturday night. Branzino & vodka sauce pasta were good, but I have had better. Drinks were really great! Service was a bit too slow for us. We waited quite a bit to order. And it took long to get the check even when our table was already cleared from the food.

One of my favorite restaurants in all of LA. Everything from the ambiance, to the service, to the cocktails, and to the quality of food was unmatched. I can highly recommend the: - Vodka & Basil for a cocktail - Caviar Bump as an appetizer - Hamachi Crudo as an appetizer - Burrata as an appetizer - Creste Di Gallo Pasta as an entree - 8oz Filet Mignon Steak as an entree - Tiramisu - for dessert I will definitely be back to try out other menu options. This is the perfect dinner spot, with amazing flavors and menu options.

Highlights: tuna tartare, squash blossoms, lobster pasta, branzino From the entrance to the interior, this place is colorful and beautiful. Contrary to the rumors that celebrities visit often and you can't take photos inside, I found them to be untrue.The lobster pasta and branzino were tasty, but what stood out most was the interior and atmosphere. Our server was not only fun but also incredibly friendly!

I took my friend out to Olivetta for her birthday, and we had a wonderful time! The interior design is stunning, especially the bar, though it was closed during our visit. We ordered oysters, tuna tartare, hamachi crudo, fries, bone marrow pasta, and branzino. While the oysters were good, they weren't the best. The sourdough bread was a bit too oily for my liking, but the rest of the dishes were delicious. The olive oil chocolate cake was rich and indulgent. For drinks, we had the Reposado cocktail and the mezcal cucumber, which I loved! Overall, it was a great experience!

It's about expectations ............. a bit pricey (expect that - it's in West Hollywood), it has a sense of "airs" and formality (when you look at my pics and others, this isn't intended to be fast food or a fav dive bar), the food preparation is very good (which takes time and talent), they charged 20% tip (disclosed in small print, only once), and adults only after 8:30 pm. This was a special occasion for us and so our expectations were set properly. As expected the food and service were very good. Of course, see my food and interior pics. Being in West Hollywood, we took ride share - no traffic or parking issues for me tonight.As you can see from my inside pics, it's an incredibly soft and welcoming environment. While these pics showed a well-lit dining area, the lights are toned down as the evening progresses and the environment changes to a more intimate experience. We started our dining experience about 6pm to a near empty restaurant and it started to fill up about 8 pm - FYI. Yet, the environment was still quiet and peaceful. As simple as it is, the grilled sourdough toast (back to expectations, this alone is $15) was great. There is something about the char on thick sourdough toast, see pic, and the rich butter that contrasts with the crunch that is so good. BUT, this only compliments the Baked Prawns, see pic. The shrimp, heads on, were nicely sized and not overly cooked. The chili was mild which let the garlic, basil flavors shine through.We shared several dishes including their Radiatore, see pic. This is Lamb Bolognese which was incredibly good. The lamb was rich but not fatty. The noodles were cooked al dente. As you can see in my pic, the sauce clings to the noodles which were also quite savory and flavorful. The Grilled Broccolini, see my pic, was still tender and lightly seasoned. The vinaigrette wasn't too spicy or hot, and so the vegetable's flavor came through and complimented the other dishes.As you can see from my pic, the 14 oz Pork Chop had THE sear on it. I find pork chops hard to grill with a sear on the outside and the right pinkness on the inside. This was perhaps a bit overdone; you can still see a hint of pink inside this large chop. It was mildly spiced, but the au jus was incredible. In fact, we asked for a serving spoon so that we could get every last drop of it.We finished with 2 desserts: Brown Sugar Budino and Lemon Tart. The Budino was as creamy as is looks, see my pic. While not too sweet, it was quite rich. Even still the earthiness of the brown sugar was allowed to shine through. Likewise, the Lemon tart, see pic, had a bit of tang, light on the lemon flavor and was a bit sweet. This crust was very light and flaky - which paired exceptionally well with the whipped cream (see pic of its presentation and density).

We joined a friend for dinner on Sunday night. The entrance greeting and service was wonderful from beginning to end. Let me throw in that this is not a place to dine for those on a tight budget. Our modest dinners and drinks averaged just under &200 per person. The restaurant added a 20% service charge (which was very fair considering the above and beyond service), but then taxed the service charge (which was actually the gratuity.Okay, back to our excellent dinner. I started with the Cesar salad. It was super large but so flavorful I easily finished it all. My guests loved their Stone Fruit & Tomato, the famous Sourdough Bread and the Shaved Fennel Salad. Our large order of oysters was fair as the oysters were pretty small, but flavorful and very well presented. For entrees I had the Baked Salmon which was perfectly prepared and cooked to perfection and very well presented. My guests ordered the Half Lobster Bucatini and the Pork Chop. Their plates looked delicious and nothing was left over. Cost to value was a bit high but I hope to return for another special occasion. Sometimes you can't put a price limit on fantastic service and that's exactly what we received.