03/21/09

The food was good the ambiance loud crowded, service bad!

by dreamnducer

I had been going to this place with a friend for a while adn really enjoyed the Tapas, drinks and small live latin music band on the weekends. I decided to bring a professional group I organize and the placed turned on me. We were 16 people, when we asked they said they would split the bill in two for us but in the end decided not to and gave us one huge bill we had to split ourselves creating issues within the group, the service was poor, the place very crowded, the host rude, and the music over the speakers made it impossible to hold a conversation at less then shouting volumes. Bottom line, go here to eat, drink, not talk, don't bring more than three people with you and wear earplugs if you cherish your hearing.

• Pros: Tapas and main dishes were tasty
• Cons: Service for a group was terrible, noisy, music too loud.

03/06/09

Expected so much more...

by EmC651

After reading great reviews of Oliva and hearing about the place from friends, I was excited to try it out. I could not have been more disappointed. Not one dish we had was special or interesting in any way. As a past reviewer mentioned, it's also extremely crowded- it was impossible to get out from where I was sitting to use the restroom without having the woman at the table next to us get up, move her chair, move the table out, and crawl around...only to repeat the process on the way back. I really cannot understand why so this place attracts such a crowd! In the end, our bill came out to well over 50 dollars a person- for mediocre food, which we had to eat yelling at one another to be heard. Not worth it. The only positive thing I can say is that we had great service from a very sweet waitress who was patient with our larger group and even brought us a shot at the end of our meal. Still, I won't be making a return visit...

• Pros: Sweet Waitress
• Cons: Everything else...

02/21/09

Amazing tapas and a great lively atmosphere.

by mellowny

Oliva is my favorite tapas restaurant in the city. The food is amazingly tasty. When you go there, you will notice that there is no salt or pepper in sight, and that is because the food is perfectly flavored if you appreciate the taste of a wide variety of spices in your food. I cannot count the times that I have been there. Since discovering it with my boyfriend a few years ago, it quickly became our special treat when we wanted to go out. They also have a band that plays almost every day, and it does get very loud in there, but it creates a wonderful and fun atmosphere. The staff is friendly and pleasant, and they do not pester you with the constant ?how is everything?? that one tends to get from most other restaurants leaving you to enjoy your meal, your company, and the lively band. I love it there.