OLIVIA — Restaurant in Tampa

I truly dislike leaving anything less than a 5-star review, especially for a restaurant with such great potential. That said, I’m hoping this feedback is helpful to ownership and can be used to make some improvements.

Today (Sunday, 9/28), my husband and I visited Olivia for brunch after church. Our service ends just before 10:30 AM, which is perfect timing for when Olivia opens. We arrived around that time and were among the first guests—only about four other tables were seated when we walked in.

Things started off well. We were seated promptly, and our server came by to greet us and take our order. He was very friendly and welcoming. I ordered the frittata, and my husband ordered the agnolotti.

About 10 minutes later, I asked for a coffee, which took 10 minutes to arrive. Then, about 15 more minutes passed, and we still hadn’t received our food. At this point—roughly 40 minutes after we initially ordered—we started to feel anxious, especially with our newborn in tow who was about to wake up from his nap. We were surprised by the delay, considering we had ordered eggs and pasta, which typically have relatively quick cook times.

The food eventually arrived 50 minutes after we ordered. Unfortunately, no one offered grated cheese for the pasta, which was disappointing. By then, we were feeling frustrated and just wanted to eat and leave, which put a damper on what we’d hoped would be a relaxing brunch.

We also noticed other tables around us experiencing similar delays. A couple seated before us received their meals 10 minutes after ours and were visibly frustrated.

Another nearby table—a father and three children who arrived shortly after us—waited nearly as long. The children were patient, but understandably kept asking about their food. Also, their arancini appetizer arrived after they had nearly finished their entrées, and the server offered it to-go on the house, which was kind, but clearly not the intended sequence.

This visit was my third time dining at Olivia. On two previous occasions with my mother—once for lunch and once for dinner—we also encountered very slow service. The food took 45 minutes to arrive each time, and while the staff was polite, they never checked in after taking our order or once the food was delivered. Again, no offer of cheese for the pasta, which is surprising at an Italian restaurant. I had chalked those experiences up to the restaurant being busy at the time and chose to give it one more try today, especially since we were considering making this a post-church tradition.

I genuinely want to love this place. The food is excellent, and the ambiance is stunning. But the consistently slow service, even when the restaurant isn’t busy, has made it difficult for us to fully enjoy the experience. It's especially disheartening because we were hoping this would become “our spot” for brunch after church.

A new neighbor we met recently mentioned that service issues are a known concern among locals, which surprised me—I expected more people would have spoken up in reviews to give the restaurant a chance to improve.

I really do hope to return again in the future, with the hope that Olivia can work through these service issues. There’s so much to love about this place, and I’d be thrilled to see it reach its...

I was excited to try Olivia having heard high praise of it in papers and on TV; more over, we hadn't been able to go prior to COVID-19 so the wait was far extended. We chose to go for my birthday dinner with a friend of ours on a Thursday evening. Reservations are highly recommended as even 2 weeks out the first table we could get was at 7:45.

When we arrived the restaurant was packed but we were shown to our table right away. The ambiance was disappointing immediately; even being that it was packed it is incredibly loud due to the brick walls and exposed ceiling. The tables are quite close together offering little to no room or privacy.

The food was the biggest disappointment however. We started with charcuterie, heirloom & mozz and a couple of their craft cocktails. The appetizers were good, fresh ingredients, simple, and well presented. The cocktails were very good. You can't ask them to customize the listed cocktails as they will inform you they are made in large batches for consistency and speed, understandable given the busy nature.

For dinner I ordered the Squid ink pasta with shrimp and scallops (pictured). My companions ordered the chicken milanese and short rib agnolotti. The squid ink pasta dish was a travesty. The 3 shrimp were cut into small pieces and cooked to the texture of warm rubber. The scallops were cooked properly but were the size of a quarter. The soppressata was overly crisped becoming like burnt bacon. The lobster broth in other uses may have been good, but here was drown out by the less than mediocre accompaniments.

The chicken Milanese was not at the same level of disappointment. The components that didn't require cooking, salad, were nicely done, complimentary flavors and textures. The chicken cutlet itself was fried a dark brown under a bed of fresh bright colors. The overdone cutlet had a light taste of oil from frying but was not overly greasy.

The short rib agnolotti was the least disappointing dish. It was presented nicely with a good number of the pasta pockets present. If you are not a quick eater, or you wait to you've eaten your meal before testing your friend's, you can expect them to dry out a touch, leaving the pasta a bit chewy. The bone marrow sauce is good, but not plentiful. The flavor was nice but not exceptional.

We chose to skip dessert, but having overheard that it was my birthday the waiter presented us with a complimentary mini cannoli that was just fair. The service was good, they were well trained and likeable.

Overall, I was very disappointed with this restaurant. The food was subpar, the service was decent, and the ambiance was not redeeming given the price point. As a result, I would not recommend this...

My recent dining experience at Olivia in Tampa was nothing short of extraordinary, and it's all thanks to the exceptional efforts of Chris, the General Manager, and the entire Olivia team. I'd like to share my experience, which took an unexpected turn for the better, prompting me to revise my initial negative impression into a glowing positive review.

Initially, my party had planned a dinner reservation at Olivia, eagerly anticipating a delightful evening. However, a few hours before our reservation, our plans were abruptly derailed due to several members of our group testing positive for Covid-19. Understandably, we had to cancel our reservation, but this decision was complicated by a miscommunication and firm enforcement of policy.

What followed was a rollercoaster of emotions, as we were understandably frustrated and disappointed by the unfortunate turn of events. However, this is where Chris, the General Manager, stepped in, from the moment we explained our predicament, Chris went above and beyond to make amends and turn things around.

Not only did Chris reschedule our reservation, but he also took it upon himself to ensure that our company birthday celebration would be a resounding success.

The food was exquisite, exceeding our expectations in every way. The attention to detail in both the presentation and taste of each dish showcased the culinary expertise of the kitchen staff. The menu offered a wide variety of options to suit every palate, and the quality of ingredients was evident in every bite.

What truly set Olivia apart, however, was the exceptional level of service provided by the staff. They were attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely enthusiastic about ensuring our dining experience was impeccable.

In the end, my party and I were left in awe of the transformation that occurred during our visit to Olivia. Chris and the Olivia team demonstrated a level of customer service that is truly exceptional. This is the first time I've ever felt compelled to change a review from a negative opinion to a positive one, and it's entirely deserved.

If you're looking for a dining experience that not only features delectable cuisine but also outstanding customer service and a dedication to making your visit special, I wholeheartedly recommend Olivia in Tampa. Chris and his team have earned my utmost respect and gratitude for their unwavering commitment to turning a potentially disappointing evening into a truly...