Oliva al Mare — Restaurant in Baja California Sur

Disappointing Decline in Service and Hospitality (11/29/24 6:30pm visit)

As someone who understands the intricacies of fine dining, I expected more from this establishment. My recent visit, however, was a masterclass in how to alienate loyal patrons.

We arrived promptly at 6:30 PM with a reservation made weeks in advance, specifically requesting a window table. Upon arrival, we were denied the available table we requested — one that comfortably seated four people — because it was being "held" for a reservation scheduled for 7 PM. Instead, we were seated on the opposite side of the dining room at an identical four-top, only to watch a group of three later seated at the desired window table. Curiously, this group could have been placed where we were, leading us to question whether factors beyond logistics, such as age or race, influenced the decision.

This experience was deeply insulting. As a General Manager of a fine dining restaurant myself, I find it baffling that a business would so blatantly disregard the principle that all paying customers should be treated equally. Our money is just as valuable as anyone else’s, and yet we were made to feel like second-class diners.

The issues didn't stop there. Service throughout the evening was sluggish and inattentive, as though we were an afterthought to our server. Plates lingered, drinks went unrefilled, and eye contact became a rare commodity. It was a far cry from the exceptional service I experienced during my first visit — the very reason I decided to return.

While the food itself was competent, bad service has a remarkable way of tainting even the best dishes. I found myself unable to enjoy what was on my plate because of the lackluster hospitality surrounding it.

This restaurant was once a gem, but it seems to have lost its luster. I will not be returning, and I cannot recommend this establishment when there are so many other restaurants that understand the value of their patrons and deliver consistently exceptional experiences.

Sad, truly, to see a once-promising dining destination fall so far.

UPDATE: I received a response to my review from the Owner/Manager from Oliva al Mare. The response was polished but fails to address the core issues I raised in my review.

Deflecting Responsibility for the Table Request: Claiming no record of my window table request shifts blame to me instead of acknowledging potential miscommunication. Their explanation that the table was "already reserved by another guest" contradicts what I observed, as it wasn’t occupied until later. This feels more like an excuse than genuine accountability.

Failure to Address Allegations of Bias: My concern about potential bias in seating arrangements was ignored. A commitment to reviewing seating protocols to ensure fairness would have shown effort to improve. Instead, this omission appears dismissive and undermines confidence in their values.

Ignoring Broader Service Issues: The response narrowly focuses on the table request while disregarding my concerns about the sluggish, inattentive service that marred the entire experience. Addressing this systemic decline would have demonstrated a commitment to improvement.

Lack of Genuine Empathy: Though professional, the response lacks warmth. As a returning customer and industry professional, a more sincere and personal approach would have helped repair trust. Instead, it feels generic and impersonal.

If this is Oliva al Mare’s standard for guest recovery, their priorities have clearly shifted from excellence to mere damage control. This reinforces my decision to take my business elsewhere and my advice to others: dine where your patronage and feedback are...

Good food and atmosphere but we were ripped off on how they charged us.

Food was good but buyers need to beware of how they are charged for their drinks. The bill was double for us at this restaurant compared to other upscale restaurants we ate at during our stay in La Paz. We were a group of 8 people for dinner. The charges for the food were reasonable and we paid for what we ordered. The problem was with the alcohol and how we were charged for this.

We ordered a bottle of Tempranillo to share between 5 people and two people ordered the Pinot Grigio. We looked up the tempranillo on the internet and a bottle sold online for about $17. The waiter poured us 5 glasses of red wine and placed what was left of the bottle on the table. They were small pours as he was able to serve 5 people and there was still some wine left in the bottle. He also poured 2 glasses of white wine. As people drank about 1/2 the wine he had poured, the waiter would top off their glass from a bottle on the table. He never waited for the glasses to be empty and he never asked us if we wanted another glass. He never topped off my glass and I'm assuming there were others he never topped off. Throughout the night, we saw him open 2 bottles of red and 1 bottle of white (which we're not sure we finished). When we received our bill, we were surprised to see, he charged us for our wine by the glass not the bottle. If this was the case, I would have expected him not to leave the bottle on the table or at least ask if we would like another glass before pouring. In the end, we were charged for 10 separate glasses at $250 pesos each ($15 USD) or a total of $2500 pesos for the Red wine (that retailed for less than $20 a bottle), $210 pesos for a glass of cabernet, and $630 pesos for the white wine - a total of over $200 USDs for the wine. This took us all by surprise but with 8 people in a small restaurant, no one was comfortable challenging him and creating a scene. We did ask why we weren't charged by the bottle - he gave us no explanation nor did he or the manager make any. accommodations. When we returned to our lodging, I looked up their menu on the internet and saw the red wine on that menu went for $150 pesos a glass and $630 pesos per bottle. That was the only red wine I could see on the menu posted.

To make matters worse, the waiter knew we had a birthday, so he brought out a tiramisu with a candle that we did not order, then added the tiramisu to the bill!.

During our time in La Paz, we had such great experiences at all the other restaurants we went to. Unfortunately, this was not the case at Oliva Al Mare. As I mentioned, the food was good and the view was spectacular. However, in our experience, we left the restaurant feeling ripped off and really taken advantage of. If you choose to go to this restaurant, when ordering your drinks, I would be clear on how they are charging you and...

Hit and miss...but ultimately a strike out for me. I will start with the good...ultimately great. The location is right on the Malecon overlooking the Bay of LA Paz. The setting is as sensational as the sunset was that night. Secondly, the interior of the restaurant is fine dining 101... very well appointed and designed. It is a very small dining area...some would say cozy, but unfortunately made it very noisy..and not a place for an intimate special occasion which is what I was hoping for. The service was good...very professional, and not overbearing. The server was bilingual. My partner ordered the Diavolo. It was bright and tasty, unfortunately the five U-15 shrimp were overcooked and rubbery...what a shame. I ordered the Rosamarino. This was the menu description: ROSMARINO Fettuccini Hecho en Casa, Ragú Bianco, Hongos, Salsa Crema Blanca, Romero $290

House made fettuccine, white cream sauce, mushrooms, and Rosemary.

My dish also had bacon and a large quantity of fried pork sausage. The sausage was of such a portion that it completely overran the dish. A fatty, creamy, decadent Alfredo sauce...and then you add a bunch of fatty pork sausage? Bad call. Why it was incorrectly described in the menu? Who knows... but I managed to eat half, and left the rest. One of my favorite things in the world is a well executed Caesar salad. It looked beautiful. I added chicken, which was delicious. Sadly, the romaine lettuce was room temp and wilted...a disaster in the world of Caesar salads.. In the baseball world...that my friends, is strike three..

As a side note. This restaurant is not remotely wheelchair accessible. You ascend to the second level via a spiral staircase. Which is cool if you are able-bodied...but a terror to the feeble, faint of heart, or disabled. I am an incomplete paraplegic...and a bit crazier than most...it was a special occasion (a Birthday) so I held my breath and made the climb with assistance...but was dreading the descent the entire meal. This did NOT factor into my review as there is no ADA in Mexico, and I am not one of those 'entitled' disabled people. However, I do think that for the price we should have been entitled to a phenomenal meal...and we didn't...