Oliva Mediterranean Gastro Bar — Restaurant in Curaçao

We had high hopes for a festive Christmas dinner but left completely disappointed.

We arrived for our reservation at 18:50, and while the restaurant was quiet—only about 4 tables occupied—service was appallingly slow. Over the course of three hours, we were served drinks and just the first three small appetizers. That’s it.

The patio/garden area where we were seated seemed to have been completely forgotten. For 20 minutes, not a single waitress attended to our table or any of the others in the same section. Meanwhile, guests seated in the other area—who arrived much later—had already finished their main courses or were enjoying desserts.

When we eventually decided to leave, there were no apologies, just a vague excuse about being understaffed. Even worse, when we pointed out the disparity in service to the staff member handling payments, her response was simply, “You’re right, but we’re understaffed, 4 people called in sick”

This was by far the most disappointing dining experience we’ve had. Poor service, a ruined Christmas dinner, and hours wasted—only to leave still hungry.

Absolutely would not recommend unless you don’t care about bad service and it taking forever. What we could taste from the little food we did eat...

The food may be good but is not worth the slow and incompetent service. We ordered drinks and they forgot our order. And then after telling us that it was "served tapas style - order 2 or 3 dishes and then order more," we did that. One of the dishes was good, and the other was mediocre. Portions, however, were skimpy so we ordered two more dishes and more drinks. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. The server forgot we had ordered more drinks until we reminded her, but told us the food was coming. But it wasn't. They'd apparently forgotten the order and then another server brought over the tablet screen to show us there was no order that had been placed with the kitchen. Skip this place if service is at all...

This restaurant is located in a 100 Year Old Historic Monastery that still serves as a boutique hotel. Upon entering, the atmosphere is angelic (literally) and the perfect spot for an evening with good food, drinks, and a date. Our hostess/server from Holland, now a permanent resident, was a joy to speak to. She answered all our questions and brought out one amazing dish after the other. I’m not a drinker but these drinks had me ordering round after round. BONUS: a sweet old local man might take you on a tour of the historic monastery after dinner, filled with his personal anecdotes of the property over the years. This is my favorite restaurant on the island after spending a week in...