Oliver's Trattoria — Restaurant in Irvine

Overview:

Nestled in the Quail Hill Shopping Center in Irvine, Oliver’s Trattoria is a delightful Italian eatery that brings the flavors of Emilia-Romagna to life with a contemporary twist. From homemade pasta and wood-fired pizza to classic Italian specialties, the restaurant delivers an inviting and versatile dining experience for families and food enthusiasts alike. Its relaxed atmosphere, combined with exceptional service and a commitment to catering to dietary needs, makes Oliver’s Trattoria a standout in the local dining scene.

Ambiance and Atmosphere:

The moment you step into Oliver’s Trattoria, you’re embraced by its warm and welcoming ambiance. The inviting glass-wrapped patio overlooking a serene fountain adds an extra touch of charm, making it the perfect spot for a relaxing meal. The space strikes a balance between vibrant and cozy, ensuring diners feel comfortable whether they’re celebrating a special occasion or enjoying a casual lunch.

Service:

The service at Oliver’s is nothing short of extraordinary. The owner greeted us personally and continued to check on us throughout our meal, making us feel truly valued and cared for. His humor and attentiveness set the tone for a memorable dining experience, showing the kind of hospitality that keeps guests coming back.

Menu Highlights:

Oliver’s Trattoria offers a thoughtful menu that caters to a wide range of preferences and dietary needs, including gluten-free and vegan options.

My Wife’s Dish: The restaurant exceeded our expectations by crafting a gluten-free vegan pizza that was both flavorful and satisfying—no small feat given the challenges of accommodating such restrictions. My wife, who rarely finds meals that meet her needs so well, was thrilled to return for a second visit in two days.

My Son’s Dish: The Margherita pizza was a hit with my son, who finished every bite—a rare occurrence and a testament to its quality.

My Daughter’s Dish: The plain pasta, her usual favorite, was simple yet perfectly prepared, earning her stamp of approval.

My Dish: I opted for the lamb chops, which were flavorful but slightly underwhelming. The portion size could have been more generous, and the cooking did not match my medium-rare request. While the dish was enjoyable overall, it fell short of the high standard set by the rest of the meal.

Final Thoughts Oliver’s Trattoria delivers on many fronts: excellent food, outstanding service, and a welcoming atmosphere. While my dish left room for improvement, the overall experience was undeniably positive, especially given their exceptional ability to cater to gluten-free and vegan diets without compromising on flavor.

This family-friendly restaurant has something for everyone, and the personalized touch from the staff and owner elevates it to a must-visit destination for Italian cuisine in Irvine.

Rating: 9.5/10

Would highly recommend for its exceptional service, inclusive menu, and...

Nice place, polite staff. Service was mediocre. Waiter, while very nice, polite but between accent and somewhere around Mach 1 or maybe even Warp drive speed of speaking I have no idea at all what the specials were or what the Pizza he was custom making. Salad, beautiful presentation and tasted, well not sure. It had so much salt it was almost inedible. I didn't bother to finish. That was more salt than any human should consume in a week, maybe more. Pizza, best thin crispy crust I've had since leaving NY. 40 years ago. Toppings, were a joke, 1 token Artichoke, 5 mushrooms and 3 or 4 blobs of cheese. The rest was just tomato sauce. Tasty sauce though. Mains, I had the Lamb Chops. 5 on the plate. 2 were so well done that they were just gray and hard. 1 solid Medium-well. Flavor just okay. Nothing to brag about. Vegetables, carrots, and Broccoli. Both were seasoned and warm but not cooked. I had to use my meat knife to cut the carrot, and the only edible part of the Broccoli was the very tip of the crown/flower. Very disappointing. Wife had the fish, SeaBass and she said it was excellent. Desert, I don't know. I asked twice but never got a menu. Waiter never came back to the table. 20 mins. Server brought a vanilla Ice Cream with candle for my wife's Birthday. Asked for Waiter 3 times so she could order a Espresso Martini but no luck. I got up, went to the Waiter at the register and ask him for an Espresso Martini for my wife and the desert menu but quite honestly I was done at that point. I just wanted to leave. Such a shame because we ate at their other restaurant in Laguna Beach and it was amazing. We were very excited about going to the new location but a major let down. I think they have only been open a few months so maybe there still working thing out. I'll give it another try in a few months but for now I can't give a very good recommendation. Sorry. I mean at almost $100 per person I expect at least 3-star service and quality. Update 5/27 As to make my point, manager/owner doesn't seem to care what people think. No response to my review? Clearly they know they have a problem and are shy to reply. Never written a review with detail and pictures with no response. To good or bad review. Some have changed my mind and after returning changed my review. Oh well, other restaurants to visit all...

I just want to. I just want to say that if someone doesn’t review place as you wanted to I’ve never ever your fault. I wanna lie myself with Shahid salami gave you guys a really bad review and all you can come back right at the end is to say we’ll make it up with you next time I think you should go and Offer something better in return for such a terrible evening that she had.. I have you a lot of places and reviewed great five stars four stars three stars two stars one stars the worst. I have a really bad review and then they give me a a link that doesn’t even click on that we as Customer supposed to reach out to the owners I think it should be the opposite way around. I had I reviewed a Business two months ago and all they did was give me a link like I said it didn’t even work to the owner apparently anyway I follow protocols and and it’s a motor to my review next minute I I arrived at the Business it was a rental business for cars and they bow down to me and that’s how it should work. Is the only thing you can send that salami girl is a email writing to info@whoever.she just wrote the email abut it. Did you ever think that it won’t really solve the program properly but at least give the girl a gift card or something? She poured her heart out and you just asked her to write again. . By the way, I had a good meal at your place and everything was fine . I just thought the girl Sini was pretty honest and you threw under the bus Enterprise Rent-A-Car off to give me the worst service arrive the next day and they said Jonathan next time you are a car will give you two or three upgrades maybe you should’ve answered that Salmi question with a...