Oliver's Osteria

My wife and I went there for dinner last night and everything was amazing. The staff is super attentive, every single member. The food was excellent and they go above and beyond to create yummy dishes with the exact pasta that you want. Excellent wine selection also. Very well done.

Delicious restaurant for authentic Italian and a few chef’s creations. I’m rounding up because the Gorgonzola meatballs is something I’d never heard of or tried before - what a flavor bomb! 💣 The tiramisu and pistachio tart were equally fabulous.

Amenita T

I love coming here for their truffle dishes since I’m a truffle lover. They offer truffle menu and price wasn’t bad at all. Located in Laguna Beach, now they also opened the location in Irvine, Quail Hill. Both locations have outdoor patio which also dogs friendly restaurant that we love taking our fur baby with us. Staffs are nice, cozy ambiance, good food. We usually make rsvp anywhere we go. They do take walk in. There are plenty parking in Irvine location. As for Laguna Beach it’s just a little harder in the weekend but still can find one.

Sofia Maksimova

The best Italian restaurant in the USA! I used to live in Italy for 3 years and I know what is the real italian food. All the staff speaks Italian, including the Italian chef.

JASON NICASTRO

This place was amazing. Chef Eric and his staff were welcoming and warm from the second we walked in until we left. We purchased the chefs pairings and were wowed more by each course. Going back is not even a question, we plan to take the rest of the family. They made you feel well welcomed and like family. The food was the icing on the cake.

Monique McGhie

This is by far one of my favorite Italian restaurants by far in Orange County. The ambiance and intimate setting and the service is always amazing. The servers and the chef's are always super accommodating. I frequent here often and every time it is on point and doesn’t disappoint, the best food and service. It’s all authentic and made from scratch. I usually get the Cacio E pepe or some kind of seafood pasta or whatever the chef recommends. It’s perfect for a date night or a large party for a celebration, I’ve done both from 2 people to 14!

Tommy Justice

My wife and I went there for dinner last night and everything was amazing. The staff is super attentive, every single member. The food was excellent and they go above and beyond to create yummy dishes with the exact pasta that you want. Excellent wine selection also. Very well done.

T

Perfect al dente pasta, flavorful food, amazing service! We rolled in a little late and they were still so kind as to seat and serve us. They even went out of their way to keep one of our party members' food warm when she had to leave for a little. The food was all cooked to perfection, I've never had a more perfect bite to the pasta and risotto. Wonderful experience!

Vipul Singh

Party of 6 went for dinner on a very rainy December weekday. Very friendly staff and they do well to explain the menu to us folks who aren't very familiar with the details of Italian cuisine. We shared a couple of bottles of red, the calamari, the eggplant parmesan appetizer which was fabulous, cheese sticks. I had the day's special ravioli with black truffle, and quite liked it. Great experience overall, and would love to try it again.

Stephanie Labile

Food is always exceptional. Pasta is made fresh, seafood is always on point and super fresh, cocktails are to die for!! All the staff is excellent (we have our favorites, though). They all know the menu and specials very well (it's a pet peeve). They have outdoor seating with heating, indoor and bar seating, the ambiance is just right.

Ghassan Lababidi

Good Italian food made with fresh ingredients. Simple yet tasty dishes good for sharing. I recommend their Parmagiana, Rigatoni Cacio E Pepe, and Chitarra Pomodoro E Burrata. For desserts we tried their Panna Cotta.

Omead Pooladzandi

What an amazing place. Such amazing food. The fish was phenomenal and the oxtail ragu was insane. The ambience was also super nice. The waiters gave a lot of attention as well as great advice. And the drinks were great. The custard Napoleon was phenomenal.

Nestor and Michelle

We had an out of town friend/collegue staying in Laguna Beach and they requested Italian. Oliver's Osteria did NOT disappoint. We can sum it in a few words - QUALITY and Fresh ingredients expertly crafted into delicious creations - authentically Italian. We each ordered something different which gave us the opportunity to try a sampling and each dish was a delight on your palate. This gem is hidden near the sawdust festival and behind the brew house. Take the Extra Steps and go to this restaurant.

Nando: City Walker

Delicious restaurant for authentic Italian and a few chef’s creations. I’m rounding up because the Gorgonzola meatballs is something I’d never heard of or tried before - what a flavor bomb! 💣 The tiramisu and pistachio tart were equally fabulous.

The food and drinks were absolutely amazing. Sergio, our waiter, made the experience even better. Since it was our first time at the restaurant, we trusted his recommendations for both food and drinks, and everything exceeded our expectations. We couldn’t have asked for a better first visit and will definitely be back.

Emma Mercado

The food and drinks were absolutely amazing. Sergio, our waiter, made the experience even better. Since it was our first time at the restaurant, we trusted his recommendations for both food and drinks, and everything exceeded our expectations. We couldn’t have asked for a better first visit and will definitely be back.

This was a good visit to Oliver’s but had some room for improvement. It was a Thursday evening, not packed and we were seated promptly. We started with the peach & burrata salad- fresh summer flavor- creamy burrata, an almost pickled- like peach, sweet balsamic reduction, and I’m a sucker for the light play of arugula that gives that little bite. We also had the octopus appetizer- a bright dish with fresh microgreens atop the squid, another great summer starter. Next, we went for the evening’s specials- both with truffles. I had the scallops with truffle over spinach and light cream sauce. This was good but the cook or sear on the scallop was missing. I had hoped for a nice sear with that light outside crust, and the dark truffles overpowered the dish at times. My husband had the white truffle risotto and this is the dish that shined! Risotto is an art form- too thick and it’s gummy, too wet and it’s soggy. This was neither. An absolute stunner- The risotto was velvety, creamy, rich in flavor and paired perfectly with light/white truffles that adorned it. It was such perfection it didn’t even need a protein. Here’s what took the rating down one notch. We were excited for desert and ordered two affogatos (cup of espresso w a scoop of vanilla ice cream). We didn’t see them for about 25+ minutes. This just felt too long to wait for a simple desert drink at $16 a cup, and made the evening experience drop. We may give it another try and go for the chef’s tasting menu. Thank you 😊

This is some very solid italian food. Came here while visiting Laguna Beach for a quick weekend coastal get away. We say outside in the tent. We started with the caprese salad with the buffalo mozerella. This is a true Italian style caprese with just fresh cheese, tomatoes and a little bit of olive oil. No basil or balsamic. They did throw in some really delicious fresh made pesto under the cheese though which was VERY good. They accommodated an off menu custom gnocchi gorgonzola request no problem. The gnocchi were light, fluffy and very tasty. I had the vodka pasta with smoked salmon. The house made pasta is perfect. The smoked salmon kind of took over the dish and I wouldn't order it again but I would definitely come back to try some of the other things on the menu. The service was okay but seemed a little distracted at times. The atmosphere out in the tent is, well, it's a tent so there you go. The inside of the restaurant is also pretty plain but you don't come here for that. You come here for the tasty food. They do have a great selection of Italian (and others as well) wines. Recommended!

Incredible ragu! Meatballs; soft, cooked perfect… Only not nice thing was the toilets… the place of it, I could see some dirty areas close to the kitchen… the cabinet was dripping water.. They were too busy I can understand that. Still really good and I recommend!

Carrie Peralta

This was a good visit to Oliver’s but had some room for improvement. It was a Thursday evening, not packed and we were seated promptly. We started with the peach & burrata salad- fresh summer flavor- creamy burrata, an almost pickled- like peach, sweet balsamic reduction, and I’m a sucker for the light play of arugula that gives that little bite. We also had the octopus appetizer- a bright dish with fresh microgreens atop the squid, another great summer starter. Next, we went for the evening’s specials- both with truffles. I had the scallops with truffle over spinach and light cream sauce. This was good but the cook or sear on the scallop was missing. I had hoped for a nice sear with that light outside crust, and the dark truffles overpowered the dish at times. My husband had the white truffle risotto and this is the dish that shined! Risotto is an art form- too thick and it’s gummy, too wet and it’s soggy. This was neither. An absolute stunner- The risotto was velvety, creamy, rich in flavor and paired perfectly with light/white truffles that adorned it. It was such perfection it didn’t even need a protein. Here’s what took the rating down one notch. We were excited for desert and ordered two affogatos (cup of espresso w a scoop of vanilla ice cream). We didn’t see them for about 25+ minutes. This just felt too long to wait for a simple desert drink at $16 a cup, and made the evening experience drop. We may give it another try and go for the chef’s tasting menu. Thank you 😊

Todd Schwiesow

This is some very solid italian food. Came here while visiting Laguna Beach for a quick weekend coastal get away. We say outside in the tent. We started with the caprese salad with the buffalo mozerella. This is a true Italian style caprese with just fresh cheese, tomatoes and a little bit of olive oil. No basil or balsamic. They did throw in some really delicious fresh made pesto under the cheese though which was VERY good. They accommodated an off menu custom gnocchi gorgonzola request no problem. The gnocchi were light, fluffy and very tasty. I had the vodka pasta with smoked salmon. The house made pasta is perfect. The smoked salmon kind of took over the dish and I wouldn't order it again but I would definitely come back to try some of the other things on the menu. The service was okay but seemed a little distracted at times. The atmosphere out in the tent is, well, it's a tent so there you go. The inside of the restaurant is also pretty plain but you don't come here for that. You come here for the tasty food. They do have a great selection of Italian (and others as well) wines. Recommended!

Can Ateşsal

Incredible ragu! Meatballs; soft, cooked perfect… Only not nice thing was the toilets… the place of it, I could see some dirty areas close to the kitchen… the cabinet was dripping water.. They were too busy I can understand that. Still really good and I recommend!

I have travelled the world extensively over 40 years. I ate at all restaurants ranging from pop & mom’s to Michelin three stars. This is my honest review of Oliver’s Osteria. Staff is very nice and welcoming. However, the quality of the food was average (lack of seasoning and creativity though decent food) and thus below expectations considering the Michelin star.

We found authentic Italian food in Laguna. We ate here on a Thursday evening.. While our other dishes were yummy, the pork cheek was too salty. The zucchini flowers are a must starter. While good pasta is in it's tasting, these could do with a bit of flair. Service was fair. Parking is limited. The location is unremarkable unless one is interested in the Sawdust events.

This is a great location as we had tickets to the pageant of the Masters and could valet and walk directly to the venue. This is a small Italian restaurant with good service good to fair food and little to no atmosphere. Be sure not to sit next to the bar as it's quite noisy. The bartender who is very nice would throw the bottles into the trash and they would crash with a loud thump which was quite frightening at times lol. I thought that the food we received for its value seemed a little bit upside down. My seafood pasta (shrimp and lobster bits) was $42! One glass of wine to share a calamari appetizer to entrees with tip $170. Valet with tip $25.

Eric D

I have travelled the world extensively over 40 years. I ate at all restaurants ranging from pop & mom’s to Michelin three stars. This is my honest review of Oliver’s Osteria. Staff is very nice and welcoming. However, the quality of the food was average (lack of seasoning and creativity though decent food) and thus below expectations considering the Michelin star.

M planetmike

We found authentic Italian food in Laguna. We ate here on a Thursday evening.. While our other dishes were yummy, the pork cheek was too salty. The zucchini flowers are a must starter. While good pasta is in it's tasting, these could do with a bit of flair. Service was fair. Parking is limited. The location is unremarkable unless one is interested in the Sawdust events.

michael barton

This is a great location as we had tickets to the pageant of the Masters and could valet and walk directly to the venue. This is a small Italian restaurant with good service good to fair food and little to no atmosphere. Be sure not to sit next to the bar as it's quite noisy. The bartender who is very nice would throw the bottles into the trash and they would crash with a loud thump which was quite frightening at times lol. I thought that the food we received for its value seemed a little bit upside down. My seafood pasta (shrimp and lobster bits) was $42! One glass of wine to share a calamari appetizer to entrees with tip $170. Valet with tip $25.

Misrepresented Michelin Chef’s Table experience. We reserved the $95 Michelin Chef’s Table expecting a five-course experience led by Chef Erik, as stated on OpenTable. Instead, there was no chef interaction—just standard service from a server. We waited 20 minutes with only water before receiving wine or the first course. The menu on OpenTable listed five courses, but we were only served four, matching the restaurant’s website—not what we paid for. Food quality was average and did not seem up to par for a Michelin-level experience. For example, a seared scallop was served on mashed potatoes (per the server explaining the dish). The size of the courses were very small which would be ok for a 8 or 9 course tasting menu, but not appropriate for this menu. Service was inconsistent. The host dropped menus and walked off. We received a cocktail menu but were never asked if we wanted to order. The restroom was not clean—trash on the floor, no soap, and a faulty door latch . This was promoted as a Chefs Table experience with a Michelin Chef. Upon further investigation, we found While the restaurant was previously listed with a Michelin Plate in 2021, there’s no current recognition distinction on the official Michelin site.

Michael Westhafer

Misrepresented Michelin Chef’s Table experience. We reserved the $95 Michelin Chef’s Table expecting a five-course experience led by Chef Erik, as stated on OpenTable. Instead, there was no chef interaction—just standard service from a server. We waited 20 minutes with only water before receiving wine or the first course. The menu on OpenTable listed five courses, but we were only served four, matching the restaurant’s website—not what we paid for. Food quality was average and did not seem up to par for a Michelin-level experience. For example, a seared scallop was served on mashed potatoes (per the server explaining the dish). The size of the courses were very small which would be ok for a 8 or 9 course tasting menu, but not appropriate for this menu. Service was inconsistent. The host dropped menus and walked off. We received a cocktail menu but were never asked if we wanted to order. The restroom was not clean—trash on the floor, no soap, and a faulty door latch . This was promoted as a Chefs Table experience with a Michelin Chef. Upon further investigation, we found While the restaurant was previously listed with a Michelin Plate in 2021, there’s no current recognition distinction on the official Michelin site.