Had a wonderful experience at Oliver's Trattoria. Everything was a perfect 5/5. Our server Gio was friendly and funny. We had a great time and enjoyed delicious food. Chitarra Pomodoro & Burrata - perfectly al dente pasta with a bright and fresh tasting sauce. Pizza from the Black Truffle menu - umami truffle flavor with a good amount of truffles and perfectly caramelized onions and savory cheese. Tiramisu - beautiful and tasty. Great ending to an awesome meal. read more

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Why 3 stars? At first the ambience looks like an early 2000's decoration with very little resemblance of an Italian restaurant. Service is charming with a few Italians serving and making all the right suggestions however a lack of communication and organization can keep you requesting water and other simple things without results. Detail is, went on a quiet time. The most important is food, good ideas but bad execution and a very "American" taste added to each servings. Lots of room for improvement specially because the location is very good. Maybe the fact they have a large community close by means that they will not change due to their loyal customers and why improve if it's working. read more

Oliver's Trattoria - Outside sunset with south 405FWY - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

I visited this restaurant because of its beautiful interior and inviting ambiance. My friend and I started with the calamari, which was excellent--I loved that it included shrimp and zucchini in addition to the squid. The complimentary bread was also delicious, especially with the chopped olives soaked in olive oil as a dipping sauce. For the entrée, we chose the uni shrimp creamy pasta, one of their specials that evening, and it was absolutely delicious. We also ordered the fungus mushroom pizza, which I found a bit heavy alongside the rich pasta. To balance it out, I added a side of arugula, which helped cut through the heaviness. That said, the pizza crust was thin and fresh, just the way I like it. In hindsight, I wish I had gone with the margherita pizza instead. Our server was very pleasant and even treated us to a complimentary chocolate ice cream dessert, which was a thoughtful gesture. My only complaint is that our entrées took over 40 minutes to arrive, and by then, we were already starting to feel full from snacking on the bread, appetizer, and water...I think the kitchen forgot our order because they started serving the party of 20 people next to us first even though we got seated before them. read more

Oliver's Trattoria - Calamari - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

Been coming here for years (Laguna Beach too) with my family, honestly I think I am done here and my wife agrees. Why? The Menu is repetitive, overpriced, the pasta is not fresh like it used to be. The sauces are 90% tomatoes based which is an example of the same old. Botegga Angeline's in. Laguna Niguel is far superior and diverse and actually cheaper. Their pasta is far fresher. Frankly the menu always appears the same or near identical. Sad, was a great place once. read more

So many choices I will need to come back many times. Staff are super attentive and our waiter was a gem. We dined as a party of ten and service was smooth as silk. One of the specials was wild boar ragu over pappardelle. I loved it. My wife went with the lasagna and it was a meaty joy with Bechamel as is the standard in Europe. For dessert we went with the classic tiramisu. Our other guests also enjoyed their meals. I ready to go back tomorrow. read more

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The service here was top notch! The ambiance is lovely. The "Speck and Fungi" pizza was out of this world! The calamari appetizer was yummy too! Such a nice dinner. I wish I was in Irvine longer so I could enjoy the restaurant more often! I forgot to take a picture, but trust me, you'll love this place. read more

Food is awesome from appetizer to deserts... Service is awesome, food served hot and delicious Place is simply awesome read more

Discovered this spot during lunch break at the quail hill shopping plaza in Irvine. It's a sister company of Oliver's in Laguna. Cocktails very delish. They have a weekly happy hour that I have yet to try. As for variety of food, think of all traditional Italian dishes: pizza, anti-pasta, pasta etc. I tried the cacio Pepe with rigatoni. It was quite filling. The focaccia bread is amazing. Super warm, fluffy and comes with a tapenade. As for cocktails, they had traditional cocktails with an Italian twist. I tried the Negroni spritz and enjoyed it more than an aperol spritz. The whiskey sour was great too. Service was pretty quick and we were able to be seated fairly quickly. There is both an inside and outside option for seating. Love all the open space. Great spot for work meetings or date. read more

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Great authentic Italian food is so hard to come by, but because of this place's reputation, my expectations were high. My party of 10 was seated promptly at our evening reservation. Our waiter was very polite and had a warm nature, making sure to answer all our menu questions in detail. I really loved the romantic setting but the paintings seemed questionable for it being marketed as upscale. The restaurant seemed to be as if Italian dinner was being served at a Pottery Barn open-house. As for the food, I ordered the Pappardelle al Cinghiale, which caught my eye because of the wild boar ragu, aged ricotta salata, and rosemary. I wanted to be experimental, especially since the homemade pappardelle dishes are on a rotation. Unfortunately, my pasta was dry, which some may call al dente, but really it was too tough for my liking. Surprisingly the sauce was lacking and tasted a little more gamey than regular beef ragu. In summary, it wasn't an impressive dish even though it was something one could still consider yummy. I truly am not a picky eater and will always finish my plate, but I did get bored of this dish easily. As for appetizers, the soft garlic bread with the olive tapenade went beautifully together. The Fritto Misto came with calamari, zucchini, shrimp, smelt, and arrabbiata sauce, and was crispy and not too oily. With this occasion being a birthday celebration, I decided to do a three-way split of a bottle of Palazzo Nuovo red wine, and it paired well with all these dishes. The birthday girl got her complimentary panna cotta, and all was well. I think this place is ideal for dates, birthdays, and business casual occasions. I wish I could give this a higher rating, but for the high price-point, I was slightly disappointed by the lack of spirit in the food. Although not my best experience, I think it's still a promising place if you're craving a warm, sit-down Italian dinner. read more

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We made reservations for date night on a Friday evening and the restaurant was busy! They didn't even seat us right away because they had run out of menus - kinda odd because they had a giant stack of drink menus sitting at the hostess stand so not sure how they got that ratio off. The ambiance inside and outside the restaurant was so pretty and cute. We sat on the patio which was well-insulated. Honestly, I felt like I was surrounded by a ton of rich people so I guess this was the restaurant to be at haha. We ordered the bolognese and prosciutto pizza which came out super fast. The fresh pasta with hearty and meaty bolognese was amazing, I wish the dish was bigger! The pizza was also very good, with the freshest yellow cherry tomatoes (I wish they had put more on the pizza!) and plenty of prosciutto. Of course, what's an ideal Italian restaurant without complimentary bread??? They brought out some warm focaccia with an EVOO dip which we devoured two plates of. Our total bill for the two dishes (no drinks) was a little under $70 after tax and tip. Plenty of food to feed two people, especially if you take advantage of that free focaccia :) read more

Oliver's Trattoria - Tagliatelle alla Bolognese Prosciutto Pizza - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

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From the hostess's to the manager to the young man serving water and our wonderful waiter we had such a great time here. When walking in the first smell that hit my nose was the tomato sauce that they use on their pizza. Ordered 2 right away. Hostess suggested a couple and got them both. Also the roasted chicken was very tasty. The best part here is how attentive everyone was and how much they care for their customers. Just as simple as a handshake when walking in/with a great to see you made us feel right at home. We don't live close by but will make it a point to return. read more

We went during Christmas Eve, and we were extremely lucky to get a reservation same day. Food was amazing. We ordered several dishes and the tomahawk steak. My family all enjoyed our meals. Our server, Victor, was great. He was knowledgeable about the menu, attentive, and had a great personality. Loved the service! Ambiance was also wonderful! Perfect for the holiday season. What a great restaurant and we're so glad we chose this restaurant to celebrate Christmas Eve. read more

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Hands down some of the best Italian food you will be finding around Irvine. I've been coming to Oliver's for my fix of pasta ever since moving here for school and never been disappointed with the quality of the food nor the service. Great place for a date or casual night out with friends. read more

The ambiance is very modern upscale restaurant and for a Friday lunch for a large group, we're easily able to fit us in. The appetizers tasted great and the bread was fantastic! The entree pasta was salty and there were a couple of us who had that same case. The lamb chops were also not the best. There was a mussels and squid pasta dish that I know others really enjoyed. Overall, seems like some items were great while others were not as great. The desserts were all excellent! The service was interesting, overall good but the waiter didn't feel too friendly and we were slightly scared to ask any questions. Overall, still a great lunch :) read more

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We came in for lunch on a weekday and it was surprisingly busy. Upon arriving, we were quickly welcomed by the hostess, there are two good options for seating, outside and inside. Both were very bright and comfortable. We opted for indoor seating and you can really tell that this restaurant is quite new, everything just feels new, which was nice. Our server Cristina was great, very attentive, patient and we never had to flag her down, she was always checking on us and made sure we got our food quickly as we didn't have much time to eat. Food itself was good, we got the two fish entrees which were tasty. The green salad was sizable, I just wish it had a little more flavor, more toppings such as nuts or fruit, or if there was a few more salad options. We also tried the coffee/espresso gelato, and this was one of the highlights, loved it. While it's not cheap, for this style and quality of restaurant, it's not as expensive as other places you might find in nearby Newport Beach, and not even as expensive as a typical Korean bbq, hot pot or sushi, you can easily spend $100 for two entrees with sides/appetizers with drinks, a little steep for lunch, but very happy to support this local business and recommend it for any special occasion or just a nice time out. read more

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We were greeted by friendly front door staff as we got in. The decor was very modern and clean. The chef recommended fantastic appetizers, which we ordered the meatballs and the octopus. Both were very tender. For our main we ordered pasta as well as the risotto. I would highly recommend the chef risotto as there were chunks of tender lamb. The Branzino was served and plated tableside with a show. The highlight of my wife's dinner was the Aperol Spritz. read more

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Came here for Christmas Eve dinner. It was a wonderful dining experience. Service- 5/5 Chef came to say hi (parents are regulars at his Laguna beach location) Our server Victor was attentive and friendly Food-5/5 Always love the whole branzino here It's perfectly cooked and great presentation! Decent price point too and generous portion Love how they offer to debone it table side The sautéed spinach is great and the potatoes (wedges) were good too Wine- 4/5 Paired it with a glass of vermentino. Crisp and dry and refreshing Ambiance- 5/5 Cute decor and love the walls and light fixtures They have a private room (10 people?) which is great for a small party Patio also looks nice but we sat indoors at a booth I'd highly recommend checking it out! I will definitely return. read more

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This place is homey and has a nice ambiance; the waiters are friendly and give food recs! Everything is made in house as well. I recommend the Cacio e pepe and any pizza. After coming here you feel full but not bloated like some other Italian places. read more

Oliver's Trattoria - Gnocchi pesto - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

Pizza, pasta and the ribeye are excellent! The wait staff is very attentive and they are quite the characters. Makes for an enjoyable experience and atmosphere. Also, the crème brûlée is sooo good. The candied orange on top were just so gosh darn good! I write this in hesitation as this place is just a hidden gem. read more

Overall: 4.2/5 Good place to go to with some tiny imperfections. Return: Yes, for the overall good food, good service and good environment feel. Recommend: Yes, go for the pasta and pizza dough sandwich for sure. Maybe also the pizza if done properly with some nice spotted char on the crust. Taste: 4/5 Pizza dough was slightly undercooked with no char spots. Salad dressing was so so for both our appetizer shrimp salad and side salad with sandwich. Pasta and pizza dough sandwiches were delicious. Quality: 4.5/5 everything seemed fresh and good quality, except salad which was kind of "off" maybe it was the dressing Service: 5/5 for our very friendly server Fernando. Value: 3.5/5 not bad but also not low prices. Most items in the 30-40ish range except for the 20-something pizzas X-factor: 4/5 beautiful indoor/outdoor space. We "love" the original Oliver's in Laguna Beach, and can only say we "like" this new location too. It needs a little bit of kitchen dish execution adjustments. read more

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Great food and service! Ambiance was very pleasant. I look forward to coming back again and would definitely recommend!

I have enjoyed eating here a few times. The food is consistently good but service is hit or miss. The Tonnarelli ai Crostacei and Spaghetti allo Scoglio are delicious and the pastas always come out piping hot. Drinks are also pretty good. Overall, a very good Italian restaurant with consistently good food. read more

whenever we go to italian spots, we always have to get the bolognese and margherita pizza -- and oliver's did not disappoint. both were so good, super flavorful, and clearly made with quality ingredients. service was really good too -- friendly and attentive without being overbearing. the whole vibe of the restaurant was perfect, whether you're coming for a cozy date night or a nice family dinner. definitely a new favorite! read more

Oliver's Trattoria - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

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Came for Sunday lunch and were seated right away. The service was friendly and prompt. The bread service foccacia and olive tapenade was really good. We ate too much bread and was basically full from the bread and calamari. The calamari was pretty standard. It's not the best calamari I've had but it's not bad. We also got the homemade pasta pomodoro with burrata sauce and the lunch branzino to share. The pasta was super flavorful and it was like a pink sauce after you mix the pomodoro sauce and burrata sauce together. I took a star off because the pasta was too undercooked. I don't know if that's what the texture is supposed to be, but it was beyond al dente and I usually like my pasta al dente. Still finished it because the sauce was delicious. The branzino was very well cooked and flakey. The kids penne pomodoro was very standard. This was cooked al dente which was perfect for me but I think my daughter would have preferred her pasta more cooked. Will have to ask them to cook the kids pasta more next time. I'm glad there's a new trattoria in Irvine. I think it'll be a great place for large family dinners. read more

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Food and service... both very good! Ambiance is bright and white. Complaints... when I walked in (both times I've been there) it smelled like fish, not Italian food. This past time, I ordered one of the specials and the vegetables that it came with were not the vegetables that I was told would come with it. Unfortunately one of those vegetables I don't like so it kind of spoiled it for me. read more

Visited Oliver's with my family for a big group dinner and had an overall great experience! We sat in the lovely outdoor patio which was large, well-lit and cozy, and were helped by a friendly server. We ordered a variety of appetizers to share along with our own entrees. The appetizer portions were rather small, but tasty. The entree portions on the other hand were large, but average. Net-net the food was good, but nothing special. It's a bit pricey for what it is -- I've been in New York for a few years now so the price tag doesn't surprise me at all, but I will say that if I were still fully local to OC that this place would be frequented only for special occasions. read more

Oliver's Trattoria - Cacio e Pepe - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

Fabulous food and AMAZING service by Athos!! Such a charmer. Perfect timing, perfect recommendations. read more

Oliver's Trattoria - Passion fruit margarita - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

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It was alright for a Michelin star restaurant. I expected more. Or maybe I just don't have a palate for "fancy food". read more

Oliver's Trattoria - Salmone all'Aglio Nero - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

The pasta was good, the chicken was dry, cute restaurant but overpriced. Staff was friendly.

The food and ambience is amazing. We started with the zucchini flowers, an appetizer on the specials list. I had the branzino, which they flambéed and filleted at the table. We ordered the crew brûlée for dessert. Our waiter was attentive and kind. We never went it out drinks or bread. It was a wonderful experience. read more

Aò Eric, grazie mille pe' 'sta risposta che m'ha fatto scompisciare dalle risate! Me so' divertito un sacco, altro che tragedia... mo' è 'na commedia all'italiana! Grazie pe' l'autoironia: upgrade confermato a 1.5 stelle! Magari so' stato un filo troppo duro, ma er vostro reply m'ha salvato l'umore. Te dico la verità: mia nonna, che era siciliana doc (pace all'anima sua), m'ha insegnato la pasta vera, col timer sacro e zero pietà sui tempi. Quanno diceva "tre minuti e se scola" era come er Papa che dà l'urbi et orbi: se sbagliavi il tempo te guardava come se avevi ammazzato er cane de famiglia! Al dente o morte, niente gommosa! E la salsa al pomodoro? Roba che pure li dei approvano. Vorrei tanto insegnà ar cuoco un par de cose in cucina, haha! Ve faccio vede' di persona come se fa 'na pasta al pomodoro da far piange' d'emozione: al dente perfetta, salsa da Olimpo! Grazie ancora pe' le risate e pe' er cameriere-gladiatore. La prossima volta punto a cinque stelle d'esperienza! A presto! Steven Mezza stella - Delusione totale - Me so' rovinato er compleanno, aò! Aò, ho scelto Oliver's Trattoria pe' er mio compleanno perché m'avevano detto ch'era 'na bomba: er cuoco annato a studià in Italia, cucina vera de l'Emilia-Romagna, pasta e pizza fatte in casa, tutto er pacchetto. Mamma mia che fregatura! Tutta 'sta serata buttata, me vergogno d'ave' speso er giorno mio speciale qua invece de cucinà a casa mia. Non se po' magnà, ve dico! Avemo cominciato co' la pizza Speck e Funghi. È arrivata cruda, molle ar centro come 'na ciabatta bagnata. Hanno scordato er Gorgonzola che ce doveva sta', quindi sapeva de niente. E la presentazione? Che schifo! Tutti li funghi ammucchiati in un angolo come se l'avessero buttati all'ultimo, e er prosciutto steso sopra come 'na coperta pesante. Niente equilibrio, niente gnente. Pareva fatta de corsa. È immangiabbile, sul serio. Poi er piatto speciale, rigatoni co' sugo de pomodoro e pecorino. La pasta era cruda da fa' schifo - gommosa e dura, je mancavano almeno uno e mezzo, due minuti de bollitura. Altro che al dente, questa era mezza cruda! E er sugo? 'Na bomba de sale, quasi non se poteva magna'. Ammazza che schifo! Mia fija de otto anni ha dato 'n morso e subito: "Papà, la pasta tua a casa è mejo, questa nun vale gnente." Dai bambini esce la verità, eh? Ha capito pure lei che non ha sapore 'sta roba qua. Er cameriere meh, bono bono - ce l'hanno tolto dar conto dopo che avemo rotto, er minimo sindacale. Ma er cuoco se deve vergognà! Se davvero ha studiato in Italia co' credenziali vere, boh, che è successo? 'Sta roba pareva Olive Garden, Buca di Beppo o Spaghetti Factory - roba industriale, buttata lì, deludente. Da buttà tutto quanto. Nun ce torno mai più, e nun lo consiglio a nessuno. Fateve la pasta in casa come famo noi, ve viene mille volte mejo. Risparmiateve i sordi e er compleanno pe' 'n posto che rispetta er mangiare che porta in tavola. Che pizza 'sta serata - noia e spreco totale. Mezza stella solo perché er cameriere ha provato a rimedia'. Daje! read more

This is a hidden gem at quail hill shopping plaza. Recommend their truffle menu. The truffle mushroom pizza and pasta are delicious. Other dishes are great too. We have come back 3 times within a month! read more

Been here on two separate occasions within three months. First time by myself, second time with my coworkers as a team event for the holidays. Both times the waiters were rude. The first time I was "pushed" to get the seafood pasta with a garlic sauce instead of tomato -- the resulting dish was disappointing and greasy. When I kindly mention this to the waiter, got a sassy response. The second time the waiter, embarrassed me in front of my entire team as I was ordering coffee. Each of these waiters were different, just generally very pushy, opinionated, very loud. read more

Came here for a lunch date with my wife. The service was friendly and very attentive. Our server was very helpful in answering our questions. The food was delicious, we ordered the meatballs, calamari, seafood pasta and a salad. The portions were generous and we enjoyed the leftovers the following day. It was a pricier lunch, but good for special occasions. Definitely coming back. read more

OMG! I love their seafood pizza! It's amazing to have this in US! It's so good! You should order it if you like pizza and seafood!!!! read more

Amazing ambiance with a upscale but casual vibe to it. Service is always incredible, friendly, and full of laughter and absolute amazing host! The food is authentic Italian and has so many flavors with every bite! One of my go-to dishes is the Lasagna, you won't regret it! read more

Oliver's Trattoria - Lasagna Classica - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

Food was on point and for the first time there were no leftovers. Risotto was very well done, all the pasta seems made in house, service was great and ambiance is nice as well. Everyone loved all the dishes no weakness here. Closest to eating in Italy I've been at for a while read more

Excellent service, easy parking, good food and cocktail all at reasonable Californian prices.

Food was very good. Service also good, but a little agro for our tastes. Waiter yelling - like really yelling - at hostess in Italian made for interesting entertainment. Reservation request for a table (no booth) not honored until we complained. Patio is very loud. Not great if you want a conversation. Worth the price for a weeknight meal? Not for us but it was busy so we must be the weirdos. read more

I have enjoyed many meals at the Trattoria but only recently discovered their L'Apertivo Hour [Happy Hour]. It's a great deal and the gregarious bartender not only makes excellent drinks, he provides plenty of smiles and humor too. L'Apertivo Hour is Monday thru Thursday 3:30 to 5:30. When you go, be sure to watch the professional pasta lady behind the glass enclosure while she deftly makes the daily fresh pasta. She is fascinating to watch and you will be impressed with the many machinations necessary to create perfect pasta[s]. read more

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