Olive & Ivy — Restaurant in Scottsdale

I so wish this were a 5-star review. Our first dining experience at Olive & Ivy (fall of 2023) was delightful, so much so that we went back multiple times since. The first few times, our customer-facing, in-house dining experience was wonderful. However, the latest dining experience we had there left much to be desired. CAPS LOCK for emphasis below only.

We recently made a reservation for 6, and, after a sitter couldn’t be found for a toddler and a 7-month old, we called a few days in advance to change the reservation to 8. Even after expressing that it was for a toddler in a high chair and a 7-month old in a stroller -- no additional seats needed, really, just a high chair -- we were told that the reservation would HAVE to be altered from 5:00PM to 8:00PM (which of course is not doable for two young ones with a bedtime). And, we were specifically told that “when we (meaning Olive & Ivy) have sat 8 people at 6-tops, we’ve gotten bad reviews online as a result."

What was particularly frustrating was that, after dining there, everyone in our group felt that we would have had ample space for the kiddos without interfering on other guests' space (even though we were told there wouldn't be space). And, a group of nine people was seated next to us. Right in front of us, we watched the staff pull a two-top over to the six-top table in order to further accommodate a group of that size.

Why could a similar accommodation not be made for us? Would a stroller and a high chair been much more of an inconvenience than joining a two-top with a six-top? It didn’t make any sense to us. A parent in our group took one for the team and ultimately stayed home with the little ones, but it was very frustrating to see this inconsistency in policy before our eyes.

That being said, every time we’ve dined at Olive & Ivy, the wait staff is always exceptional. Excellent attitude, always accommodating, and give great service all around. That’s a huge plus for us.

Regarding the food in general, overall we would say it was mostly good to great. The first time we went, it was awesome. This last time we went, at least my dish was lacking in seasoning and technique. I got the Atlantic Salmon with roasted beet, fingerling potato, & horseradish vinaigrette. The beet was not roasted, and neither the beet nor the potato were seasoned by my account. To be completely fair, the salmon was cooked wonderfully and the vinaigrette was unique and tasty. Perhaps it was an off night, but looking at other recent reviews it looks like things are more hit and miss lately.

Overall, we would say 4 stars for the food, based on our experience.

Having worked in the service industry, our household is big on customer service, and that weighs a lot on our decision-making of where we go out to dinner. Olive & Ivy is a great place with terrific ambiance, wonderful location and attentive wait staff, but the management customer service has us going from labeling Olive & Ivy as a staple of our "special occasion" spots to debating if we will come back to give it...

I generally don’t like leaving a bad review because I understand some things are beyond the control of a kitchen or server but I felt compelled to leave one because of all the times I’ve gone here due to being invited by friends and family and witnessing how truly awful we were treated. Consistently awful. Went here for a birthday party of a family member. Our party of 5 had a reservation on a weekday (middle of the week) evening and waited 20 minutes for our table which we didn’t mind. Once seated we were ignored for half an hour. I am not kidding when I say our server did not bring water or bread or take or order until I actually got up and asked someone about who our server was. It wasn’t even a busy evening. The tables around us all were served their appetizers and had their orders taken before we even had anyone inquire what we wanted. Not sure if it was because we weren’t Caucasian and didn’t look like the stereotypical Scottsdale diners. So while we were all hungry we had to witness people who were seated later get their food and be doted on by their servers while we sat in the middle of the dining room completely ignored. When we were able to finally get a server after I asked politely who ours were with the hostess, he was flippant. He didn’t offer bread and made it seem as though we were inconveniencing him. We weren’t offered any small token of a birthday dessert or happy birthday or anything. It was a terrible experience even though we spent hundreds of dollars and still tipped 20 percent for being treated as though we were getting free food from a soup kitchen. Another experience was when I dropped off two family members visiting from out of town there. They were seated in the outdoor patio while I did some shopping. Came back 40 min later and they had not been served. Had to go and ask the hostess who replies nonchalantly that their server left for the day and she will get someone else. No apologies. Nothing to compensate for them sitting at their table for 40 min being ignored. This isn’t just a staff issue, it’s a management issue. I’m sure olive and ivy has enough business due to their name so they are cavalier in the way they treat people but our friends and family will never go back again. We get better service from establishments that charge less or charge more. It’s a shame since we always leave 20-30 percent on our tab so imagine our servers faces when they saw how much we left them despite us always having to flag them down, being ignored, not checked on. These weren’t busy days when we were there so there definitely...

The worst Italian food I've ever had was here.

First, the restaurant served bread and pesto. The pesto was so rich in garlic that the acidity burned your throat.

We ordered salmon bruschetta to start. The bread was good, but the red onions on top had softened in the acid. There were capers in it. We thought the acidity was normal since it was salmon.

Then, we ordered Shrimp & Calamari Fritto Misto. The calamari was tough. It was mostly fried zucchini, onions, and peppers, and there weren't many calamari or shrimp. The accompanying sauce was sour and bitter. We tried to think it was normal because it was calamari and shrimp. Thankfully, the chef added lemon to the sauce, hoping the sourness wouldn't be enough.

One member of my family ordered grilled artichoke flatbread. The flatbread was as hard as the table itself. She barely managed to slice it and eat it. The chef put some jam on top. We couldn't understand the jam because of the artichoke, mozzarella, and tomato. The jam portion tasted awful. We didn't like it.

Another member of my family ordered the Veal & Spinach Ravioli. There was so much ground meat in the ravioli that the spinach was completely unpalatable. We didn't like it.

My order was the Rock Shrimp Tagliatelle. First of all, some of the tagliatelli stuck together. But it tasted terrible. Probably a glass of lemon juice and a lot of capers were added. It was impossible to eat it because of the sourness. Everyone in the family who tasted it had the same opinion. When the waiter arrived, we explained the situation, and then someone we assumed was the restaurant manager came. We told her. Thinking it would improve my taste, I finally ordered the Bruschetta Mozzarella. The chef had obviously soaked the mozzarella in balsamic vinegar when it should have been soaked in milk. The sourness was so awful that it was impossible to eat.

I give the chef zero points, and I would even advise him to change professions immediately. Experimental, fine dining food isn't done this way. Acid isn't used like this. I've eaten Italian food many times around the world, and I've never tasted anything worse. If a chef wants to, they can drink balsamic vinegar with lemon. But they don't add glasses of acid to their food.

A chef should first learn what authentic Italian food is like.

The menu should also remain authentically Italian. There could be a fine dining section on the menu, and customers can order from there if they're interested.

I wouldn't go to this restaurant again, even if...