Olive Italian — Restaurant in Stafford

I have read the recent reviews on this place and thought I would add some feedback as I really hope the owners will read this and take on board a few small suggestions which would really make a huge difference. I ate here last night (Thursday) with a friend. The restaurant was full and had a nice vibe, good temperature and the decor is lovely. THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS COULD NOT FAULT IT. Here are the small negatives - waited by the door a little too long to be seated but not a big deal. Waited a long time to have our drinks order taken. The food was a little slow BUT I was absolutely ok with that because the food is super fresh and made to order. I could see a couple behind me chasing their food and what I do think would be a better way of approaching the issue would be this. When you seat guests say 'we are a small restaurant and we cook your food fresh to order so do please bear with us and be patient, great food takes time to create' Or something along those lines, I am sure you get the picture. People don't mind waiting if you are told this up front. Serve the drinks quicker so that at least you have something in your hand whilst you are waiting. Waitress was ok but scarce and if I am honest front of house really could be friendlier and a bit more approachable/happy. I didn't have one but the cocktail list was good and they looked great. I really hope you take on board some of the feedback as we need small restaurants like...

Having read the almost rave reviews, we visited this restaurant with high expectations. The food was good, but not exceptional. A slice of bruschetta had a burnt edge. Chicken linguini and sea bass were tasty and well-presented. The tiramisu had more of an English coffee shop taste rather than Italian restaurant. Similarly, the coffee didn’t have the flavour that one would expect from an Italian roast, which was particularly so for the espresso. Our main disappointment, however, was the dining area. The restaurant appears to occupy what was the front of a shop, and with the number of tables is cramped. The conversation of the diners next to us was clearly audible and inhibited our own. The waitress had to squeeze past us to serve the adjoining table. The tables were more the quality one would expect from a café than a quality restaurant and the coffee was served in what appeared to be plastic cups, with no saucers. Overall, an...

We had heard a variety of reviews for Olive Italian, but we always like to make our own decisions. We went here tonight for my birthday. As we walked in, we had a friendly greeting from the waiter. We were seated quickly, and our drinks order was taken by a very friendly waitress. The food arrived,it was served in warm dishes and well presented.The linguine Frutti di Mare was gorgeous, but by the time my husband was halfway through it, he thought it had too much chilli. But it still tasted amazing. The Risotto Autunnale was the best risotto I have ever tasted. It was well presented, and I would go as far to say as it tasted better than one I had had in Rome. The wines are a little pricey, but the Pinot Grigio was delightful.Great service,lovely atmosphere, and I would definitely recommend this place for a meal out. We will...