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    Osteria Oliva

    4.3 (35 reviews)
    ModerateItalian
    Closed 12:00 pm - 3:00 PM, 6:30 PM - 12:00 am (Next day)

    Osteria Oliva Photos

    OSTERIA OLIVA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed

    Recommended Reviews - Osteria Oliva

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    White wine was delish
    Juliana N.

    We stopped in for a late lunch and would definitely recommend if you're in the area and looking for a nice place to relax. We shared a bottle of Chardonnay and enjoyed the outdoors (we even had a little view of the Colosseum!). The owner was very nice and helped make pasta recommendations. The carbonara was remarkable and I've had quite a few carbonara dishes while in Italy!

    Lasagna
    Travis I.

    We went to Osteria Oliva based on a recommendation by our hotel clerk. She said it was one of her favorite places to visit. We didn't have any solid plans, so when she offered to call and make a lunch reservation, we readily accepted her suggestion. Located just down the street from Trevi Fountain, and about a half mile from the Colosseum, this broke our rules for attending a restaurant in a tourist dense area. But, when we arrived, we were confident we were on the right track. Service was slow, but we were on vacation, and why not chill for a while, enjoy some wine, and let Rome happen in its own timeline. Speaking of wine, my wife ordered the house white, and I chose the Peroni draft beer. Both were excellent choices! Peroni is pretty much the draft of choice in Rome, but it's a decent light beer, so no worries! I ordered the meatballs with green sauce, and my bride ordered lasagna. We settled in to enjoy our shady, street-side table and savored our drinks, occasionally glancing over to see if the Colosseum was still on the horizon. When our meal was served, we knew beyond doubt that we'd made a solid decision. The lasagna was great and fully enjoyable, but the star of the show was the meatballs with salsa verde (not chili salsa, but pesto). OMG! How do I love thee? I'll try to describe what we experienced. But, I'll fail. So, it was a deep fried roast beef meatball that was held together by slices of heaven. The salsa verde (green sauce) was magnificent. It was paired with what I think was a hybrid olive oil infused with both honey and vinegar, and it was delightfully tangy and sweet, and mercy me, I need to figure out how to make it at home, 'cause I can't afford to live in Rome, but I don't want to live without that garnish! If you're anywhere near Osteria Oliva, stop what you're doing and drop by to experience these meatballs! And then drop me a line to let me know how much you enjoyed them. #todaysdiscovery #blunderingdiscoverer #traviswinman

    Fabulous place, attentive staff & incredible food! Totally recommend if You are in Rome!!!!

    Lasagna
    Monica R.

    Fantastic! Strolled in late looking for dinner. Stopped here because it was busy and a huge local family seemed to be having a great time. Ordered cacio and lasagna. Superb. The Hugo spritz was too sweet but since it was ice cold, it went down east.

    Pamela K.

    We had the best experience here. So great that we came 2 nights in row. Maria is the best server I've ever had. I love her great attitude, friendly smile and fun rapport! I even recommended it to people on my tour today and they made a reservation!!! Our tour guide is even planning to try it now and provide OO as a recommendation.

    Tiramisu

    Great restaurant. Outside(mostly) and inside seating. Phenomenal lasagna. Carborana noodles were perfectly Al dente. The Negroni and limoncello spritz were perfect, not too sweet. Tiramisu was the best I've had in time. Would definitely recommend this place for dinner.

    Beautiful food, great value and excellent service. We had the stuffed zucchini blossoms and beef tartare to start. Both were excellent. Two in our party ordered pasta- the pasta with mussels was the standout. We also ordered salmon, tuna and chicken saltimbocca. All were great, and the tuna was amazing. For dessert we enjoyed the caprese cake- delicious, just wished for a little more ice cream. Highly recommend if you find yourself in this area of Rome.

    Julio H.

    Fantastic restaurant!!!! Family and I enjoyed dinner at this fantastic little restaurant. The food was just amazing!!! Service was spectacular! Will definitely visit again prior to us leaving this week!! Highly recommend the pork!

    Potato flan

    This is a truly special little place, I am surprised there are not more reviews. Our group of nine enjoyed a wonderful meal. The dishes were inventive and full of flavor. For starter I had the potato flan in which every bite tasted just a little like dessert thanks to the the amaretto crumbs on it. I've never had anything quite like this. The bread came in little tins, and the bruschetta was served this way as well with the accoutrements (tomatoes, pesto, and, pate on the side). We called it "build your own bruschetta")! My husband got carbonara which was called something rather fancy, but the server said " carbonara"? I had fettuccini with crispy bacon and the sweetest most delicious carmelized onions, apparently from Tropea an area known for their sweet cippolini onions (had to look that up). This seemed like an upscale variation on a basic amatriciana and it was just beautiful! Our server was lovely and fluent in multiple languages, she was speaking French to a table near us. It was a bit of a queeze at the table, but not uncomfortable. Our server also took our umbrellas for us. Others in our party enjoyed dishes of chicken, meatballs, and veal cheek. Another plus is that they start serving at 5:30 if you wish to dine earlier that the usual start time. Very carefully timed and deliciously crafted meal.

    Mercy O.

    Delicious food and wine and reasonable prices. The waiter was very fun and friendly. Lol he said I looked like the singer Estelle so I played along and said I was her. The best tiramisu I've ever had

    Ravioli

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    3 years ago

    Wonder suggestions by the host and service was spectacular. Would recommend the tuna and the clam sea water pasta!

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Wonderful service. Cocktails upstairs weee great. Food on the street was perfect for a cap to an exciting day.

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

    I would not recommend this place. They were out of many of the wine selections and the food was not good at all.

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Pasta was mediocre. Tuna tartare sent me to the bathroom for the evening. Plenty of wonderful restaurants in Rome - pass on this place.

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    Osteria Oliva Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Osteria Oliva

    Peroni is pretty much the draft of choice in Rome, but it's a decent light beer, so no worries!

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    Le Tavernelle - Lobster pasta

    Le Tavernelle

    4.5(169 reviews)
    0.0 kmMonti
    €€

    Our first meal in Rome was here, and I'm so glad it was here. We arrived on Christmas Eve and…read morewanted a good meal. Our hotel manager had suggested another restaurant, but I was apprehensive to try, but did later, more on that restaurant review in it's own post. I rather did what I should have done throughout the trip to, which is to search google for local reviews. This tactic I found to be much better than to trust American reviews for restaurants to visit from Youtube or even here, just because the American touristy taste tends to favor bland or Olive Garden style pseudo Italian. The real Italian taste is much different and something one needs to develop. I was familiar with European Italian food, as I had said before in other reviews that Mexico has better Italian food outside of Italy. Additionally, the good restaurants here in Italy do not open before 7 PM. If it does or if someone that looks foreign to Italy is outside trying to lure you in, it's a tourist restaurant with iffy flavor. At this restaurant my husband had the Lobster pasta and I had the spinach/ricotta ravioli, and we both were beyond satisfied. We also had the artichoke as an appetizer, and trusted the waiter with his suggestion for a bottle of wine. He must have been some genius because the wine went well with our meal. The ambience was cozy and very family oriented, however, the rain outside made it romantic for us. Another key point for this restaurant and it traditional flare was that they brought out the olive oil and red vinegar for our salad and of course olive oil for our wonderful home-made bread. I'm so glad we chose this place for those of us Americans who understand culinary cuisine.

    Not bad, but very meh…read more Not worth using up a night of dining in Rome on this restaurant.

    Photos
    Le Tavernelle - Inside dining area

    Inside dining area

    Le Tavernelle - Squid and seabass

    Squid and seabass

    Le Tavernelle - Interior restaurant

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    Interior restaurant

    Osteria Oliva - italian - Updated June 2026

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