We went for Mother's Day and got a window seat which was special. The pasta dishes were excellent: agnolotti? my son had the gnocchi and i wish i had ordered that, though mine was prepared deliciously. I have not been to Oliveto for some time and I will be back sooner this time. Only wish is that there were more appetizer dishes to share

Very disappointing. Ordered the ribeye. It was tough and full of fat. Very stingy with the vegetables. I don't mind spending money for a quality meal, but given the circumstances, what I got was far too expensive. I let the management know and they comped my dessert.

Outstanding - superb restaurant in Oakland - among the best of Italian restaurants in the Bay Area.

We came to Oliveto May 8,2018. We were celebrating my wife's birthday. She had dined upstairs previously, I Had not. We had dined together downstairs previously. Our reservation was at 7 p.m. We were going to be delayed. I called before 7 p.m., and asked to move our reservation to 8 p.m. They agreed. So, we arrived shortly before 8, and we were shown to our table by one of the two hostesses on duty. Our table was in the middle of the room next to a pillar. It was very cramped. My wife was not pleased. She spoke to a female server who would be our server later.
The server told my wife that there was nothing she could do for us, we would have to talk to the hostess. So, I went downstairs to speak to the hostess. by the time we had ascended the stairs, my wife was seated in one of the tables against the back wall. this area was completely vacant.
Our server should have contacted hostess for us. She showed no humility. I was facing the wall, my wife could see the entire dining room. When our server wasn't ignoring us, she was giving disengaged, poor service. My wife studied culinary arts and worked professionally in different capacities. So, she knows what good service looks like. Ironically, the best service came from the busboy.I believe our server's name is Pani z. We won't be returning to Oliveto.

Friendly service with locally sourced, sustainable methods. Large wall of windows upstairs.
Our evening server was Joshua, a 'go out of his way' too insure you enjoy your dining experience.

Very inviting atmosphere and good food! The portions are pretty small for some dishes, though, and prices seem kinda high for what you get. Fortunately, we had a gift certificate, so we were psyched, but I think we might've felt overcharged if we hadn't had it. There were several birthday groups there on a Saturday night, so seems like a special-occasion type of place.

It was our first time at Oliveto, and we were very pleased. Excellent appetizers, and our main courses were perfectly prepared. The gnocchi with short rib ragu was one of the best that I have every had, rich, hearty and very flavorful. The halibut was excellent with savory vegetables to go with it. Strongly recommend the restaurant for those interested in first class dining with an extensive wine list, reasonably priced. We had a delightful pinot noir rosé from Sancerre.

The chef that Oliveto really crazy it’s authentic and delicious dishes. Which is familiar yet somehow better than expected. Really creative cuisine in a lovely setting.

Outstanding service, wine list and as always food. The "fritti" was to die for.

Unfortunately I felt sick for 24 hours. Had the steelhead salad. I woul give the restaurant another try though being more careful to order something more cooked.

Wonderful food and service. Helpful with wine and drink selections, accommodated our group share and tasting tradition and our group payment method. A lovely evening with friends!
Thanks you to all staff - front house to back!

We had the best food and service was fantastic! Wait staff were really exceptional

Our waiter was really attentive and knew the menu really well. Our dinners were good, fresh and interesting but not completely “spectacular” . I guess we are spoilt living in the Bay Area where there are so many really excellent restaurants.

We hadn't been at Oliveto for a number of years. We went back after some friends recommended it . Overall we were disappointed. The portion sizes of both the appetizers and entrees were quite small and the flavors were not that great. We ordered a vegetarian dish with a polenta-lie cake that was half the size of a hockey puck with one piece of asparagus cut up and a little salad for $25. The polenta cake also had a metallic taste. The only good thing was the butterscotch pudding.

The food here was amazing but expensive and very small portions.

Although service was a bit too slow on this Friday lunch appointment, Olivetos is still a neighborhood gem.

The experience was very disappointing. We ordered two cocktails which they did not come for a long time. By then our appetizer was on the table and we were waiting and waiting. The waitress came by *eventually* to tell us that the bar was making drinks for a private event and it would take a couple of minutes. I guess the kitchen was handling things but the bar could not? Here, they should be coordinating the timing of things. Later, we order one more cocktail and I asked for the catalog to get a glass of wine. It took for EVER..... I eventually asked her about our drinks and she very quickly brought the cocktail which apparently had been made but never delivered. She did not bring the catalog for the wine until another few minutes later. Lastly, I asked to get more water and she brought a hot cup of water. I had given up by then.... They apply 18% tip on the bill. I wish they did not because they definitely did not deserve it.

Overpriced for what you get, fish overcooked and bland, no salt or pepper on table to save bland food. Also 18% service charge added to bill automatically even for 2 people. I'll never go back, spend 1/3 the price at Outback or Applebees and get more for your buck.

Very overpriced for what you get. Suddenly ordered two pasta entrees not appetizers and get bill and priced jumped 8 dollars. Portions were very disappointing even though food was tasty. Add on service charge is okay but not when food portions were so underwhelming

Was a Saturday night and restaurant was over-crowded, yet staff did excellent job of taking care of us. Manager pitched in and poured champagne and an extra course was served without charge.

delicious food, friendly & helpful wait staff, a bit pricey, but soooo good.....deserts were a bit of a let down and not on par with the rest of the meal.

Never disappoints. Creative, well prepared and delightfully presented food in a relaxed atmosphere. I love the easy BYO wine policy. A favorite!

Had a simple late lunch with a friend. Food was good, environment nice and quiet.

The lunch menu needs to be changed more often.

We met friends and had a wonderful dinner all the way around. Never disappoints.

Creative menu that delivered with taste and presentation. Service was excellent.

Service was painfully slow (we waited over a half hour for our first round of drinks). There were mis-steps throughout (missing dishes, wine issues, etc.)

What could be better than dinner with good friends enjoying excellent food and wine. And a bonus, we could even hear each other talk. The waiter’s recommendations were very good.

Quite average really. Found nothing really to get excited about.....

Always a great place to meet and visit friends

The food, service and ambiance were ok, but the mandatory service fee that they put on my bill was difficult to swallow. I just can’t recommend a restaurant that takes for granted that the service that they provide is going to meet the standards of their customers. Why doesn’t the restaurant’s management just raise their prices by 18%, eliminate tipping, and pay their employees more.
I don’t have plans of returning to Oliveto Cafe. I believe that a restaurant that operates as a meritocracy provides better service.

Perfect dining experience as usual...can't wait to return for another great meal!

Excellent food as always. Service is very competent and unobtrusive. However, the cost is just prohibitive. Over $90 per person (5) for not very extravagant meals (One bottle of wine, two shared desserts, two plates per person.)

While Oliveto's has been around for many years now, we found the food, 2 days ago, to be better than ever. The gnocci were outstanding - the candied walnuts add just the right sweetness - as were the mussels and the fettucini ragu. The wines by the glass are poured from the bottles, a rare but highly appreciated touch. The noise level is lower than usual, ie eminently tolerable. The service was professional - the waiter knew the menu well - and timely. This place is hard to beat.

Got a last minute reservation for four upstairs. It’s always been a beautiful room and it didn’t disappoint. The waitress really knew her stuff and was very friendly about it. Buffalo Trace old fashioned was perfection. Lettuce salad (split two for four), steelhead, spaghetti Neri. All very good.

I've avoided this restaurant for years because every time I've been there, the portions were small, the wait staff surly, and the prices high, even though the food was generally good. So we were very surprised on this visit to be served ample portions of very good food by pleasant wait staff. I don't think much thought went into the menu (why put chirizo/hollandase sauce on steel head thereby obliterating the taste of the fish?), but there was enough to put together a pleasant meal. The wine was fairly priced but, the main attraction was that the room remains quiet enough to talk and be heard. This place isn't cheap, but it isn't absurd either. Great place for a business lunch.

First time at Oliveto and thoroughly enjoyed. Our waitress was most helpful on the wine and menu selections. Food was outstanding. Look forward to visiting again.

We enjoyed Oliveto, especially how easy it was to talk and be heard, but the portions are small and the prices astronomical. Two salads, two gnocchi, two cappuccinos and one biscotti should not cost $140.

The restaurant was cold.

It took a long time for my wine to come, after we finished the appetizer.
The food was okay, disappointing for the price point.

We’ve been here many times and it is hit or miss. Tonight was a miss. Expensive and overly fussy and small portions as well. We will not be going back any time soon.