Olivéa

I had just discovered this gem in December, and found that the food, drinks and service were all great. But to my surprise, it’s now closed! At least I was in an early phase of courtship with this restaurant, or else this may have resulted in heartbreak.
With sadness, I say goodbye, Olivea! I am sad to see you go, but I hope that there are great things ahead for everyone that was involved here.

This is our most favorite place in all of Denver… and it is going away. We just discovered this last night and the bad news has me in a funk all day. We will continue to support their sister restaurant Duo in the Highlands. I really hope that the staff find great places to continue their excellence.
If you have not been get here now, they are open for one more week.

Oh my tasty tasty Olivéa. How do you do it? You turn ordinary items into breakfast masterpieces that taste like little drops of savory heaven.
The location is fantastic, right in uptown, and while the restaurant itself is fairly small space, they are certainly able to pack quite a few people in, so the wait isn’t too horribly long, even if you happen to just walk in. Although, I suggest using Unilocal’s handy dandy reservation maker so that you know you have a seat when you get there.
They are also surprisingly great with large parties… recently came here for a friends birthday brunch celebration with 20 people in our party and they were AMAZING. They printed off personalized menus with the birthday girls name and hand selected breakfast items (and bottomless mimosas!!!) Our server was really attentive and we never had an empty coffee cup or mimosa glass.
I cannot wait until my next visit. Yum, yum and YUM.

Preface: I have not eaten dinner here, ONLY brunch.
Olivea was named best brunch by 5280, so I felt we had to try it. There is NO way this place is the best brunch in the city. There are at least 5 better places, and I haven’t even been everywhere yet. The breakfast pizza was just OK. Pastries are fantastic. There are some cool homemade sodas on the menu, too.
However, we went for brunch without reservations. There was only one open two-​top but it was next to a large and loud party. The hostess pointed this out and asked us if we’d rather sit at the bar instead, then asked another patron to move over to make space for us. The manager came over and thanked us for our «understanding», and gave us a free pastry/​cake-​deliciousness. That’s really above and beyond for service. This place knows how to treat a lady. Or a guy. I’m a guy. I think.

This was my first foodie driven dinner choice in Denver that we didn’t just stumble upon.
I had a peach rose which was balanced and delicious. My husband had the Sicilian margarita, which had the makings of a good cocktail, but was a bit too strong (no one should get mad at a drink that it too strong, so I’ll let that slide.)
For our appetizer, I had the crostini duo after being assured that this would be the perfect way to try sardines for the first time. My server told me I could punch him if I hated it! Luckily for him, I liked it. However, I was expecting more complex flavor from the crostini with the sardine on it, it was a bit 1 note for me. My husband had the pork belly which STOLE THE SHOW. He said if he could go back, he would order two as his appetizer and entrée.
I had a simple pasta for my entrée, and he had a fish. Honestly not so worth going into. I was a bit disappointed by my over cooked pasta, but as an Italian American, I accept nothing less than aldente. I will say, I left my wine choice up to the bartender who chose the perfect wine to go with my pasta.
All in all, it was a good dinner, with great atmosphere and service. I think if they put just a bit more thought and care into each dish, it would be a 5 star review!
I will be back for brunch!

Oh my deliciousness. I don’t think Olivéa can make a bad meal. I mean when you pair blood orange mimosas with a pastry basket (full of 4 different kinds of pastries for sharing), pine nut polenta, potatoes bravas, eggs, and bacon how can you go wrong? You can’t.
Brunch here is just as good as my dinner review reveals that meal was. Service is still so awesome and the patio is perfect for enjoying a Sunday afternoon.

I love this place. I’m never disappointed after each bite.
I was going to dine somewhere else last week, but they wound up being closed. So I opened up my Unilocal app for ideas and phoned Olivea. They saved a table for me when I said we were 10 minutes away.
We started with a flat bread– prosciutto, arugula, mozzarella and rosemary oil. So good and perfect for 2 to share. Then we got the Lamb Sirloin– Colorado lamb roulade stuffed with braised greens, basil zucchini mashed potatoes and castelvetrano olive tapenade. It was cooked to perfect medium rare. I loved the olive tapenade it was served over. My friend doesn’t like olives, so I got it all to myself.
And lucky for me, my friend has a sweet tooth so we ended the night with the chocolate and fleur de sel caramel tart with milk chocolate gelato and nougatine crunch. If you don’t like sweets, then don’t get this dessert.
A lovely evening and meal.

I want to come back for another shot, because my food the first go around just wasn’t my favorite. I ordered the eggs olivéa, «two sunny side up eggs on soft polenta with sage, pine nuts & soffritto.»
The flavors were good, but the texture was all mush. Soft eggs on soft polenta with only pine nuts to give it any substance. I ended up stealing potatoes off my date’s plate, cutting those up, and then mashed the whole thing together to make it something you could chew.
The service was good (one mistake on our order but it was corrected) but the tables are way, way too close together. It’s a small space, but it feels so cramped.

Ugh. So torn about the rating for this place.
Food was good, service was excellent, but the selection was sooo minimal! Came here to get a bunch of appetizers with a friend at 6. No wait at all but by 8 the tiny place was starting to get packed so make reservations if you decide to dine here at night.
The flatbreads were crispy and cheesy. So good that we ordered one, finished it, and ordered another one. Perfect amount of crust!
Croquettes were meh… like mini fancy versions of ham and cheese hot pockets.
The caprese salad was a pretty big portion so I was happy about that.
Everything tasted good, the atmosphere was intimate, and the service was great… but I just wish there was a bigger selection of all things yummy!
Also, get the crostini if you go… every table around us ordered it and it looked awesome!

I brought my niece to Olivea for dinner. I was excited to go back after my first visit with the Unilocal Secret Supper Club. That meal was unforgettable.
This meal was really nice — but not unforgettable like my first visit to Olivea. We started off with a wine spritzer because I wanted something light and fruity. I don’t like really sweet drinks and this was border-​line for me. I actually only had half and then had to switch to a beer instead.
I ordered the salmon; Susan ordered the ravioli. My salmon was a touch undercooked for me, so i appreciate that the chef fixed it but didn’t overcook my fish instead.
Overall it was a very nice meal and I will definitely go back. This is the place to go for a long, leisurely date night or to celebrate.

A very dainty lovely upscale restaurant with extremely limited space. There is parking in the rear.
The trout is very good and the ravioli is nice as well, but I feel the dishes are charming and way better than their sister restaurant Duo.
The desserts are ok, I had the hazelnut and their carmel thing.

Arrived hangry, was seated immediately at the bar — love the warmth of the space — drinks were tasty, though the bartender wasn’t as quick as my tummy needed him to be – the menu was simple and delicious (fish, pastas, salads, dips, etc) — my halibut was perfectly buttery and crisp. Fried chickpeas were thoroughly enjoyed by my date, the amazing sisterwife. Something for everyone to eat, with an emphasis on fresh and local ingredient.
Din for 2 is usually around $ 75 — I wish the portions had been a bit larger, but I think this is pretty much what I always think. Enough to eat after a long day on the slopes? No, but we’re in Denver so the plates are perfectly ample for a good meal out.
Oh, and it’s right across from Hamburger Mary’s so you’re sure to get a drag queen or two sitting at the bar as well — between this and the hipster gays a few stools over, I may be convinced that Denver really is growing up.

Phenomenal!
The atmosphere is classy and small. The wait staff is knowledgeable about the menu and drink pairings. I had a flat bread and shrimp dish that were different but very good. This place is perfect for a romantic dinner or a quick app and drink at the bar.

Olivea is the quintessential neighborhood restaurant: locally owned, very, very good food, and service without attitude or pretense. Olivea’s intimate dining room, wonderful patio, servers who are equally as passionate about the food coming out of the kitchen as the chefs, and hands-​on owner come together to promote a positive vibe. The bang for the buck is another reason to commend, and recommend, Olivea! Uptown, I’m jealous!
I think their desserts are 5-​star amazing; that is why they deserve first mention in my review. They have been without fail flawlessly executed: simultaneously mind-​bending in their simple, striking presentations and mesmerizing with each bite of their complex, luscious flavors. I had the ricotta budino with caramelized pears and brown sugar streusel for the first time Saturday: luxurious, lemony, pudding concoction… wow! On two previous visits I’ve had the chocolate caramel tart with chocolate gelato. So chocolaty, so velvety smooth, so worthy of your blown diet.
My favorite appetizer I’ve tried so far is the salt cod brandade. This is so authentically Mediterranean that even a Greek-​mustached peasant woman would have been delighted. Salty, in a good way, and very gratifying. One note of caution here: this is so authentic that this may not be everyone’s favorite, but I think this is definitely worth trying.
Arugula salad with pistachios, goat cheese, onions, and beets is totally enjoyable, at the same time familiar and elegant.
Many pastas in the entrée section of the menu… cavatelli with asparagus pesto, roasted tomatoes & pecorino was a nice vegetarian option for my cousin. Orecchite with pork sausage, broccoli rabe & white beans was a little on the bland side. Needs some punch. The flat breads can also serve as a main; try the pepperoni with wilted spinach.
Service has always been professional without being stuffy… I haven’t experienced any of the problems the other reviewers have noted. The bartender is really knowledgeable about wines and will engage or not depending on your temperament. I love, love, love that the owner is so hands-​on! Busing tables when needed, running food, seating, schmoozing… shows how passionate she is about her restaurant and it carries over to the rest of the service team. Do as I do, not as I say and leadership by example is on display at its finest.

First of all, great service!
I usually write about food first, for no real reason, but I wanted to be sure that our service experience was excellent. Not just with timely waiting, but also the suggestions and genuine friendliness overall.
Now the food. So the disclaimer is that it was a 5280 experience which is prix fixe. This effort, though, is to influence the customer to come back and try other menu items. I was enticed. I had an asparagus salad, meatball and plenta main, and nougat dessert. All very good.
The ambience of the place was very cozy and classy, with a lofty flair.
Recommendable.
Dave

While in town on a business trip I stopped in at Olivea with some old friends. I had a bit of a deja-​vu moment when I walked up to the place, since the last time I ate at this address it was a different establishment.
The Great: Our server was awesome and knew the menu very well. The dessert of pear sorbet and fromage blanc ice cream was out of this world. Truly amazing. I… want… more… now…
The Average: My duck ravioli, while tasty, were a bit too plain. I felt it really needed some sort of contrast, either in the ravioli themselves, or in the sauce (which was minimal). Perhaps something to make the texture more interesting? The location was hopping, and the layout was a touch cramped, but I think that was more about the table we were seated at than anything else (we were seated at the edge of the bar/​edge of the dining area. Almost a divider table).
The Poor: The overall menu selection. I was truly disappointed. There was not a single item that stood out to me on the list as something unique. The fact that there were ~$ 20 pasta dishes made me a bit irritated. The fact that there was a ~$ 20 quinoa dish? *pulse quickening*
Overall, the company was great, the service was fantastic, and the meal was not disappointing, but I really was expecting more from the kitchen.

I went to Olivea for brunch. I will definitely be a repeat customer, especially for brunch.
–The atmosphere is relaxing and super hip, but the classy, clean, simple kind of hip. Music in the background by Cocorosie, Feist. Yeah!
–The server was attentive, but not overbearing– as a solo diner, I didn’t feel like I was being immediately kicked out after finishing my meal.
–I had the french toast with house made ricotta and strawberries. Perfect. The strawberries were fresh– not frozen and in a sugary syrup.
–I had 2 drinks: fresh squeeze blood orange mimosa and a campari sunrise. The mimosa was fantastic and definitely fresh-​squeezed. The campari sunrise was a bit much for breakfast, but I kind of knew what I was getting into from the menu description, so not a surprise and definitely not disappointed.
–They leave a carafe of water on the table, which is a must for a Saturday-​brunch-​after-​a-​night-​at-​a-​Rockies-​game-​ahem-​drinking kind of morning.
–There was a baby shower going on next to me but it never rose above a comfortable hum of chatter.
Make a reservation if going for brunch. This place is great!

I met up with some friends for Sunday brunch at Olivéa. OH. MY. GAH. It was flipping fantasmic (yes, I make up words) in my mouth! Here’s what the table had (by «table», I mean «me» because my friends already know that I eat like a caveman and their food is my food). EVERYTHING was fantastic!
Eggs Olivéa — the soffritto was spot-​on delicious and the polenta with sage was cooked to perfection. The toasted pine nuts on the top completely made the dish pop in my mouth.
Late Riser — one of my favorites. You’d think it would be greasy because of the chorizo, but nay, it was amazing.
Housemade Pork Sausage Hash with Poached Eggs and Red Pepper Compote — The title says it all. I will say, however, that we got a kick out of the two poached eggs with the small dollop of compote on the top. It made them look like, um… I’ll post the picture and you can see for yourself. ;) Perhaps it was the mimosa goggles; perhaps it was our immaturity.
Poached Eggs on Ciabatta with Hollandaise, House Smoked Ham and Wilted Greens — my friend insisted on ordering his eggs scrambled and the chef politely obliged.
French Toast with Ricotta (house made = YUMMY!) and fruit compote — Our table shared this. It was a fight to the bitter end for who got to eat the last bite. Let’s just say that I won.
They were voted «Best of» in 5280, so our waiter said they’ve been packed. We had a late brunch (1:30ish) so we avoided the crowds and weren’t rushed out. It was a fantastic experience that I plan on repeating in the near future.

My husband and our friend were eating at Jonesy’s, and we needed some dessert. I knew D Bar was nearby, but decided to give Olivea a try. When we arrived, they were kind and sat us right away, even though it was quite late on an off night, and it wouldn’t have surprised me if they had stopped serving.
My husband ordered the chocolate and salted caramel tart, and our friend ordered the chocolate hazelnut dacquoise, but I decided to just get a drink, and ordered the French Greyhound. When my drink came, I have to admit, it was just to floral for me. The lavender was way stronger than I was expecting and it sorta tasted like soap. Well, actually, to me it really tasted like soap. When our waiter asked me how it was I sort of said, «the lavender flavor is stronger than I expected, but it’s growing on me,» which was true. I saw our waiter go to the bar, and I swore at first they were snickering about my obviously horrible palate.
Little did I know, that our server was going above and beyond. He came by a few minutes later and said, «So, I got the impression you weren’t thrilled with your cocktail, and since you ordered a vodka cocktail, I took the liberty of asking the bartender to make you an Ophelia with vodka.» I thanked him and was really impressed, and then I tried the drink. It is typically Tanqueray, lemon, rosemary and a bit of sparkling water, but they made mine with vodka. Holy God this drink is incredible. Absolutely amazing. Savory, smooth, citrusy, absolutely incredible. It made me happy to be alive and have taste-​buds, to be honest, and not many beverages can do that.
Oh, and yeah, those desserts that my friends ordered. They were pretty incredible too. I was pretty darned happy with my choice of «dessert,» but theirs were pretty great too. The dacquoise had a great crispiness and hazelnut flavor, and boy oh boy was the salted caramel tart good. Addicting, rich, complex, smooth, crunchy, just really amazing. But, to be honest, next time I’d be just as happy to stick with my Ophelia, that was a definite dessert unto itself.

Visited this establishment a few weeks ago and am torn on the review. The restaurant IS cozy and the prices aren’t the lowest, but it’s not fast food and I don’t go to Olivea’s every day, so the prices didn’t seem that outrageous.
Okay let’s start with apps — we did the option where you can select three. We went with the duck liver, lamb sausage and pork sausage (they were out of the boudin blanc, which is what we originally wanted.) All I can say is YUM to all three. The duck liver mousse was a little salty, but still very good. The lamb sausage seemed more of a meatball, but was beyond tender and delicious — perfectly cooked. The pork sausage was delicious too, but nothing I’d particularly rave about.
Entrée — I got duck meatballs on creamy polenta with a san marzano sauce and pecorino. HEAVEN in my mouth. I love duck but it’s sometimes hit or miss for me, depending on how it is prepared. This dish was fantastic. Flavorful, filling and anything but dry!
My dining friend got the pappardelle in a wild boar ragu with
mushrooms and ricotta (that was my second choice) and it was exquisite. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce was wonderful!
For dessert we got the bombolini: lemon ricotta Italian doughnuts, lemon cream and caramel. Again, prepared wonderfully, with a light lemon taste — it was a very refreshing ending to a wonderful meal.
I also have to mention the cocktails — I’m a HUGE fan of lavender, so naturally I went with the Impressionist (organic darjeeling infused Square One vodka, citrus and a touch of lavender.) Well, it seemed more than «a touch» of lavender, but I didn’t care in the slightest because I found it to be utterly delicious and refreshing. YUM.
So the food was great and the drinks were great — you may be asking yourself «why only 3 stars, Amy D.?» Well, it’s the service. Since it was my first visit, I don’t have anything to compare it to; however, our waiter was UBER slow in taking orders. He got them out relatively quickly but often was nowhere to be found when we needed something else. Maybe it was just a busy night or something.
Still — though the service left a little to be desired, the food/​cocktails/​ambience certainly did not. Bravo!

Olivea, you are delightful.
Thank you for supporting local farmers from places like Granata Urban Farm and crafting your dishes with Colorado organic farm fresh eggs.
Thank you for being one of the founding members of EatGreenerDenver, a group of Denver restaurants helping to create a national program to help restaurants reduce their environmental impact.
Thanks for having a special menu for gluten free diners.
And finally, thanks for paying attention to detail. Service is friendly, calm, and knowledgeable. Drinks are unique and delicious. Each element of the cuisine delicately planned and artfully presented.
An enthusiastic round of applause for brunch or dinner.