10/06/08

Nice Atmosphere but the food wasnt really that impressive

by honee0812

A group of about 8 of us came for a birthday dinner. We made reservations and were promptly seated in a beautiful private round booth. The waiter didnt really come around often enough. The drinks we ordered were a bit too sweet. We were really excited to eat here because of the good reviews we read but we dissapointed when the food arrived. Appetizers: we had the proscuito flatbread, raviolis and the tuna. It wasnt bad but it wasnt great like we expected. The food arrived and it was just plain average. I guess for a 800 bill we were expecting to eat something fabulous. I've been to better restaurants in the city with better prices. Would I go back? Sure, it wasnt terrible just not worth the price. It's worth a visit just to see the pretty decor. oh and ps- to get to the bathroom you have to take a side door out of the restaurant and into the hotel, and up a huge flight of stairs! Dont wait too long when you feel you gotta go cause its a 5 minute walk! But.. the stairs and hotel are also pretty.

• Pros: Beautiful restaurant
• Cons: Average food for an above average price

08/18/08

The food here is fantastic

by toasterbunny4

I went for lunch the other week, and I loved it. If you go early enough (before 1), you'll have no trouble getting a table, and the service is very attentive. Our server was very genuine and friendly, and I appreciated that he never forgot to smile (a good server always smiles!). But more than anything, I really, really enjoyed the food here. The sweet corn flatbread pizza was really, well... sweet. I could eat about a hundred of them in one sitting. The baby octopus appetizer is a substantial size -- no skimping on the octopus -- with a good balance of flavors. Even the tea service was well done, which I really appreciate since normally tea is an afterthought at most restaurants. I was really pleased with my experience here and I will certainly go back again. My only complaint is that the chairs are a bit low for the height of the tables... I'm 5'10, but I still felt a bit awkward. Other than that -- perfection.

06/25/07

Good atmosphere, app's and drinks

by mark

We went to Olives after work for appetizer's and drinks. The very popular place (attached to the W) had a good crowd enjoying themselves and we able to find 2 seats after about 5 minutes. We enjoyed the apps and drinks and the ambiance makes for good people watching. Only word of caution is the the service can be a bit slow.

02/03/07

still thinking about the tapenade!

by enfeil3

My husband and I walked in on Christmas eve and were seated in the bar area, which was cozy and comfortable except for the extremely loud group of girlfriends at the bar (but hey it was xmas eve so we were forgiving). Next time I'd make reservations to sit at a table in the dining room for the full effect of being at the restaurant rather than in a hotel lobby bar-type atmosphere. The basket of bread/focaccia and olive tapanade was addictive! We started with the bibb lettuce salad (yum!) and the tortelli of butternut squash, which was quite sweet but it worked and was out of this world! My husband is still talking about it. I ordered the branzino which was fantastic and my husband got the brick oven roasted chicken which he liked but like I said, he's still talking about the tortelli. Service was pretty good. We'll definitely go back.

• Pros: amazing butternut squash tortelli and foccacia/tapenade
• Cons: bar seating too close to hotel lobby

01/28/07

Excellent!

by city_kat

Went with a friend last night. Service was very good, ambiance was perfect. The lighting is just right, the acoustics in the restaurant were very good considering it is the W Hotel and you expect it to be loud. It was fine, my friend and I weren't yelling at one another. The temperature in the restaurant was nice and comfortable. For appetizers, we had the eggplant/prosciutto flatbread and the shaved brussel sprout salad. Both were absolutely AMAZING! Dinners were excellent. My friend had the lamb which was cooked perfect with a little bit of spice. But, the sauce that accompanied it toned the spice down and was a perfect combination. I had the scallops over risotto. Very good, highly recommend! For dessert we had the chocolate pudding cake? Anyhow, it was far beyond a chocolate lovers delight.

Overall, the experience was 5 star and the chef Todd, lived up to his reputation. We will definitely be back!!

• Pros: Ambiance, acoustics and noise, lighting, food and service!
• Cons: Nothing at all!

01/19/07

Waiter was a disaster

by tksully21

Food is delicious but had a bad experience with the waiter. I was there during lunch and the waiter didn't bring our drinks until after our appetizers were served, this was completely ridiculous as the restaurant was not packed. Every time he came to our table he would chime in on whatever topic was being discussed at the table which was rather annoying. We enjoyed the food, especially the olive paste that they serve with the bread.

• Pros: If you are with a group, the booths are nice and private
• Cons: The waiter

03/27/06

Yum

by sonrisa

My boyfriend lives in Miami, but we go to Olives whenever he is in town. In January, we didn't order an appetizer so the waiter recommended one with oysters (forget the name). Delicious! I also had the Pomegranate Sour recommended by another reviewer. I don't drink due to low tolerance, but I loved this drink. I usually get sleepy, but with the food, atmosphere, and company, I became happy and giddy. Despite being an introvert, something came over me and I got silly with a napkin on my head. My boyfriend was very pleased with our experience. When the bill came, he asked me what 20% was for the gratuity. He misheard me and wrote an amount for 30%. When I told him, he left it. It is pricey and some servings might be small for a big eater, but the food is delicious, and the service is without pretention.

• Pros: Great food, Service, Ambience
• Cons: Price, Some portions small

03/09/06

Great option for a splurge

by gertah

I consider Olives to be a very good Mediterranean-influenced American restaurant. None of the dishes are authentically "Italian," "Turkish," or "Greek," but rather a nice mix of flavors and traditions of those countries. That said, the food is delicious, beginning with the exceptional (complimentary) basket of assorted in-house breads served with olive tapenade. The vegetarian mezze platter is great for sharing, and the braised short ribs are phenomenal. The wine list is pricey, but also very high caliber. I adore the vanilla souffle for dessert. I also really enjoy the large, open space, roomy tables, and swanky decor, including many banquettes, and a few semi-private round booths toward the back. Lighting is dim enough to be romantic, but still lively. Service is rushed at times, however always curteous and knowledgeable. Try the bar, which also serves as a lounge for the W Hotel... good strong cocktails and a happening scene.

• Pros: delicious food, beautiful dining room, mixed crowd
• Cons: pricey

02/13/06

Couldn't have had worse service.

by afusco

Brunch on a slow Sunday ... how hard is that? The food was average for brunch anywhere in NYC, and priced well above average. The atmosphere was strange, to say the least - techno music interspersed with the X-Files theme on a Sunday morning. However, the real low-point of our experience was the service. Fully staffed and relatively slow on a snowy morning, it took 20 minutes to bring out a $9 basket of (tiny) muffins, and 30 minutes to refill water and coffee - after multiple requests, and umpteen staff members walking by a table where everyone's drinks were empty for a while. To make matters even worse, after waiting another 20 minutes for the bill, it was wrong. Spend your $$ elsewhere.

• Pros: Celebrity Chef, Location
• Cons: Service, Service, Service

01/15/06

Delicious

by casey370

Entire meal was delicious. Started with the amazing fig and proscuitto flatbread, which was a meal in itself. (Next time, I will start with one of the salads and order the flatbread as my entree.) Tampanades were great. Garlic crusted roast chicken was moist and very flavorful. My friend had the scallops and she loved them. We were both too full for dessert (which rarely happens). Service was attentive but unobtrusive. We were not rushed at all. Only drawback: we were seated directly behind the partition separating the bar area from the main dining room and the bar crowd noise was very jarring, at times.

• Pros: Great menu, service, ambience
• Cons: Too noisy near bar