Restaurante Oliva — Restaurant in Málaga

I came here after reading a lot of good reviews, but it turns out that Google ratings can't be trusted anymore. I thought I came to a tapas restaurant, but after seeing the prices (that are similar to prices of main courses in other similar restaurants), I thought they must have changed the concept to main courses. So I was extremely surprised by the small portions that arrived. And the taste and quality of the food was no different from restaurants in Malaga that serve the same portion at almost half the price (even if the owner likes to point out the fantastic quality of their food as an excuse for the high prices as a reply to some reviews). I had to go to another restaurant afterwards because I was still hungry.

After reading some more reviews, and replies from the owner, I understood directly that something is not right here. It's one thing that the portions are extremely small for the price, there are always some tourist traps around. But there is no excuse for the defensive, sarcastic and sometimes outright rude tone of the owner to any customers who dares to leave a bad review. And it seems like the owner tries to find out exactly who they are also, which is a bit creepy. Someone who genuinely believe that their customers get good value for money in their restaurant would not write like that. I wish I had seen those replies before I went to the restaurant, because I don't like to support that...

We were drawn here because of the positive reviews, and Oliva taperia did not disappoint.

With our wine and vermut, we had tapas (on the house), including jamon, queso, the tortilla and salchichon. We also ordered the Patatas Bravas (the best we've had anywhere) and the Iberian Secret. Maybe a tiny bit more food than two people needed! but it was without exception, utterly delicious! Malaga is a little more expensive than other Spanish cities we've been to, but this was very good value for money.

But even more so than the food, the warmth of the hospitality from the moment we walked in the door to when we left was really remarkable. As non Spanish speaking tourists, we've sometimes felt a little bit on the outside, but we felt so welcomed here.

Tonight was our last night in Malaga, but if we're ever fortunate enough to return, Oliva taperia will be high...

I really wanted to give this a higher rating but I have to be honest. Let’s start with the positives. Our waitress was lovely, very kind, smiling and helpful with the menu. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is also cute, and despite its size they made good use of the space.

Unfortunately, the food and drinks were not the best. The Pimientos de Padrón were fine, but our drinks tasted a bit stale, and the mini tapas that came with them were not only poor but also very greasy. Perhaps if we ordered more food we’d have a different experience. I understand that the mini tapas come free with the drinks, which is great, but for this quality it’d be best not to include them in the first place.

Finally, the service was very slow. The waitress was doing the best she could to attend to everyone, but it affected our experience...