I went here for lunch today with my mother-in-law. The decor was nice and the service was pretty good, but a little slow considering the restaurant wasn't that crowded. The turkish bread that they keep refilling was delicious. I got the Mediterranean salad with falafel and it was delicious. The homemade dressing had a very tasty flavor. The falafel was crispy, had a good taste, but I've had better falafels. My mother-in-law got the veggie stew. I didn't try it, but she said it was flavorful and the portion size was good. Overall, we enjoyed this restaurant and it was worth the price. I will definitely come back here. read more

2 stars because the food is very good, very delicious tomato sauce, but the waiter, he acts like is bothered with the fact of people going there, 1st.when he brought my salad he threw my plate on the table with disgust. 2nd. I asked for my plate to come WITHOUT the spaguetti and it came with the spaguetti anyway, terrible spaguetti btw, too hard, was that AL DENTE? , 3rd the lemonade was more ice than lemonade and when we ran out of lemonade nobody asked to refill it... I think I can live without going there again, I don't have time to be misstreated by a waiter, there are other italian restaurants around Middleton! read more

Last night was our second trip to Oliva. Our first experience was not too bad. They were understaffed and explained that to us when we went in and so expected it to be slow, it was over all an "ok" experience and I thought we would try it again. Last night was the same thing. They were understaffed, everything came late. bread, meal, check, etc. I ordered the fettucine alfredo with shrimp and the shrimp was rubbery and tough. Way overcooked, which made the meal not so great. To me it seems they run this place understaffed, which makes for a poor dining experience. I can get much better food, faster, at McDonalds... Last night was the last time we will visit Oliva. read more

The red lentil soup, shrimp artichoke and imam fainted were out of the world. The service was fantastic as well

Really not an Italian restaurant. Had a sampling of appetizers, liked the baba ganush, falafel was pretty good, everything else pretty mediocre. read more

We haven't been here in years. This was excellent. The service was fast and thoughtful. Nice job facilitating our kid chaos. The combo appetizer was excellent. The stuffed eggplant also excellent. Kids loved the Alfredo and spaghetti with meat sauce. The Kofta was very good. We will return. Best Mediterranean I've had in Madison sine Shish cafe closed. read more

First of all, throw away your preconceived ideas of what eggplant is like. Then go to Oliva and order "The Imam Fainted", their baked eggplant dish. They must bake the slices of eggplant for hours ahead of time, until it becomes a nutty, buttery substance that melts in your mouth. They then finish it in the oven with onions, peppers, and pine nuts, and what seems like a coulis of sun-dried tomatoes with it. The final glorious touch is the rice pilaf, which contains the most buttery perfect rice I have eaten in years. My guy had the beef kebabs, which were marinated in a complex but subtle blend of spices then perfectly grilled, and accompanied by the great rice pilaf. Although he is a committed meat eater, he loved my eggplant enough that I think he'll order it next time. Along with the meal they serve a soft, toasted turkish bread that is nothing like a pita. We got some humus to have with it and it was excellent, with something else I couldn't identify in addition to the chick peas, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice. For dessert I tried the baklava, which sadly was a little on the gooey side - the crispiness possible from the phyllo was probably lost over a few days of sitting. But aside from the baklava, this meal was superb. The waitress was genuinely interested in our opinion of the meal and was very attentive. It's a large space but had some divisions so it still feels comfortable, not cavernous. We have been back numerous times, and have always been pleased. The gyro meat is great, and my kids really like the pizzas. In fact, my son orders pizza with gyro meat on it (off menu), which he sees as the perfect meal. The service has always been great, and one of our favorite servers in town works here. She is always friendly, attentive, and makes us feel at home. read more

Fantastic experience. The lamb shank was the best we've had since visiting Paris in 2013. Even on a homecoming night, it was pleasantly quiet. The Mediterranean salad was very good. The two wines we tried were perfect. Our server, Rachel was friendly, gracious and efficient. We will return. read more

I've actually never written a review before but this place was bad enough to get me started. The food here is terrible. My chicken Parmesan was on par with a hungry man frozen dinner, and my wife's fettuccine Alfredo was overly garlicky and they didn't thicken the sauce at all so it was just heavy cream on the plate. Bread was good and the wine portions are generous. read more

I love this place because I like hummus and Mediterranean food. I went here once for a birthday party. We had a good time. The complaints were: Food took too long (they were busy and had just opened), very cold draft blowing in from the front door (wear knee socks!), lighting too bright and they need to use glasses instead of plastic cups. I'm not too wild about the kind of bread they serve as an appetizer, but my date loved it. Olive oil for dipping is plentiful and good quality. The little dinner salad was a bit skimpy. Overall the food is fresh and well presented. When they are busy the restaurant has a warm atmosphere with help from the fireplace and the buzz of the patrons. The wine is good and reasonably priced as is the menu. The tiramisu is fabulous! They are locally owned and operated, the wait staff is very nice and attentive. Located off Old Sauk, next to the Alicia Ashman library across from Dean Care in the old Atlanta Bread Co. location. They outgrew the Grape & Co. location next door. 5 stars as there are not a whole lot of restaurants to choose from on the west side. If they could just tone down that lighting a few notches... read more

I learned a lesson today... You can't always go off reviews! I still like Yelp and will continue to read and write reviews... BUT... I won't take it as seriously as I have been thus far. I have been avoiding going to Oliva because of the mixed reviews. Today, we decided to give it a try. I am happy we did! The server, Megan, was very nice and accommodating. I have food allergies, and I appreciate the fact that she went back and double checked the ingredients on the things that I ordered. She seemed confident at first when I had questions, which honestly, makes me uneasy. I prefer the server to always check with the chef or owner. She did that on her own, so that was great. The bread was amazing!! Perfectly warm, toasty, and soft at the same time. We got the combo veggie appetizer- all 4 things were very tasty. I also had the veggie stew that was very good, but it came out on a plate... I think it'd be easier to eat out of a bowl. My husband enjoyed the meatball sandwich and my son liked the kid's gyro. All in all, the service was great and the food was yummy! We'll be back! Too bad we waited so long to enjoy this place! To each their own though, right?! read more

We went to Oliva last Friday night. I had salmon baked in grape leaves, which was one of the specials, and my husband had the gyros plate which was a deconstructed gyros. We both thought our meals were excellent. I also had lentil soup which was the soup of the day and very good. My husband had the house salad which he said was good, but pretty standard. We also enjoyed the freshly baked Turkish bread that came with the meal. We received excellent service from our waiter, Tanner. We will definitely return!. read more

Not exactly what I expected- small dining room, very un-pretentious, odd mix of turkish and italian. Somehow it works though. I had to stop myself from licking the plate my baked eggplant came on, and I swear my husband finished his whole plate of baked ziti in under 5 minutes. The service was quick and friendly. I'd come back here but probably more for a week night I don't want to cook and not for a special night out. read more

This is my favorite place to go on the west side- everyone is friendly and the food is amazing. I miss the olive tappenade with the bread- so delicious! read more

The lentil soup was good, although lentil soup in general is hard to mess up. I want to be very clear about the falafel, however. It was flat out awful. Didn't try the hummus. The bread was okay. The baklava was unfortunately very soggy, not very good at all. On th bright side, they let us stay til 11pm and we weren't the only ones there, the place has a good atmosphere and nice, attentive waitstaff. I wouldn't come here again for mediterranean food. Lastly, my gf had the stuffed eggplant and she said it was ok--the rice pilaf was cooked well but needed more almonds. The eggplant was nothing special. read more

When you're in the need for cheesy comfort food, you can't beat the pasta dishes here. Unpretentious and quality food. Just like what your family would make. read more

Not good italian food. Chicken Parm seems to be frozen chicken patties. Same with the pre-breaded calamari.

Referred here by family we were visiting in Middleton. Beautiful and comfortable decor, the cuisine is Mediterranean with Turkish highlights. As advertised every dish is made with fresh ingredients in house and is delicious! We had baba ganush, shepherd salad and lamb shish kebab. Authentic Turkish coffee added to a unique and satisfying experience. Will definitely return!! read more

This place is quite a find. A very eclectic memo and fine service. I enjoyed a white sauce pizza and my wife enjoyed one of the nightly specials. Service is good! read more

Great middle eastern and Italian restaurant with Turkish flares and delicious appetizers soups and entrees to choose from. Greatest I've found of this cuisine in Madison so far. Flexible carry out and nice dine in options. read more

We've been eating here since they first opened next door as a tiny restaurant. People stood in line out the door to get a table, and for good reason. Service is always excellent, the food has never disappointed. My husband eats from the traditional Italian menu options and I eat from the the traditional Mediterranean options. Something for everyone! Fair prices too. read more

My wife's and my favorite restaurant in Madison. Can't count the number of times we've eaten there (once already this week) over the past year. The appetizer combo is fantastic with the bread they serve at the table. Order a Peroni to drink, then treat yourself to a calzone or shish kabob. The calzones are incredible, and the rice that comes with the shish kabobs is really great...not sure why, but it is. read more

I went to Olive with a couple of friends during a weekday. I had a small salad and the lentil soup. The soup is very good and the bread is excellent. I should have the regular salad because the small salad is too small for the price. My friend had shrimp and she said it was very good and the rice very tasty. The service was very good and we never felt rushed. My friends and I were catching up after the Holidays and we talked and talked and never felt interrupted. It was a very good experience. I think they still need to do some adjusting after moving from the former smaller location but it was a pleasant experience. My friends and I were having a good time and did not realize they had closed for the evening and they never told us we had to leave, The owner and waitress sat down to talk until we were ready to leave. I felt bad that we made them wait but really appreciated that they let us enjoy the evening! Very nice! read more

I ate at this restaurant for the first time last weekend. The food was very good but I thought it was greatly over priced for what I got. I ordered the chicken shish kabob and was very disappointed. I got five little pieces of chicken not on a skewer and two tiny pieces if roasted green pepper about a half a cup of rice on the side, and a tiny little colorful slaw salad. I really felt cheated. The restaurant was clean and comfortable and the service was OK but because they are so overpriced for what you get I probably won't be going back. read more

Well.... the hommus was ok and wine was nice. Everything else pretty bad I'll never go there again

Quaint Mediterranean restaurant with great food. The red lentil soup is excellent and the falafels are the best I've had in a long time. The one negative I've found is that the service is very slow. I've never had to wait for a table but I did have to wait a long time before our waitress took our order. It did not take long to get our food but again took a long time to get our check. If service were better I would give them 5 stars. The food is very good. I will definitely return when I'm back in Madison. read more

My sister and I went to lunch here for her birthday. The food was great and the service was friendly. The reason why I am only giving this an okay is because the waiter kept leaning over the booth I was sitting in to place food/drinks/bill on our table. The first time it happened, we thought, it's just a bread refill. When he continued to do this the remainder of our meal, we couldn't believe it. Was it too much trouble to walk around the other tables to stand next to our table? read more

The best pasta dishes in the county and friendly staff with a nice atmosphere and good prices make this place five star.

my favorite restaurant in town, due to the consistency of the meals and the quality. I'm sure there are meals here that aren't as fabulous as others, but EVERY meal i have eaten has been so delicious and has kept me coming back! read more

Casual, reasonably priced Italian/Mediterranean food. The bread is warm and fresh, salads were good, and our main dishes were awesome! The eggplant parmesan and stuffed manicotti were very good. Would give the food 5 stars. The only reason I didn't was our waiter had terrible body odor. It seemed everyone seated in our vicinity noticed. Everyone, including us, ate in a hurry and got out of there. It is too bad this was our first experience, because one person in our party felt sick it was so strong and they won't come back. Even though, they said it was the best Italian dish they've had. We would have loved to try some dessert, but the smell was so strong and we didn't want him coming back to our table. I hope the people of Oliva check out these reviews!! All in all, awesome food and good atmosphere! Too bad about our waiter (he was a good waiter too). read more

LOVE the Cigar Borek as an appetizer, it's mostly the reason we come there. Also, the Mediterranean pizza is awesome, although I usually have red onions in place of the spinach. I also like their Eggplant parmesan! read more

0ur recent visit to Oliva on a Thursday evening was dismal. We live in Lacrosse, so when in Madison, Oliva is one of our favs. It took a while for our server Nick to even pour us water. He suggested the Toscana blend as a bold refreshing wine with my gyro. Poor suggestion. I eventually went for the red Zin. The gyro meat was great as usual, I always have the same thing. My wife's chicken mursala was different than usual, chicken was overcooked. Our server was relentless on his Turkish ancestry monologue, while we were trying to enjoy our meal, and flirting with my wife, rude on both fronts! In summary, a disappointing experience, in light of great dinners we had here in the past. We noticed most of the staff has changed, though Nick insisted it's the same. Our favorite bald server, who always greeted us by our names was missing. We love the food, we'll still be back read more

Worked here for a while over the summer. The food is phenomenal-there might be other places that do Mediterranean more to people's taste, but while working there, I never had a single complaint about the food except that it takes a while to make. Anyone who has worked in food service can tell you that NO complaints is rare. The cooks make everything from scratch. I still eat there! read more

My wife and I love this place.I particularly like the lamb shank and my wife loves the veggie stew.Whenever we are in Madison we eat there.

I am mother of 2 little boys and hardly get time to write a review but my experience with this restaurant 3 weeks back was so horrible that it forced me to express my feelings and let others know about this hideous place. AL right- admitted food is good and that is the reason we went to this restaurant first place but is it kids friendly -NO NO !! Customer service- Horrible!! Reached restaurant close to 5 PM - ordered appetizers. My husband , 2.5 year old and myself -were really hungry. I will not forget name of our server Katie- took the order and gave crayons to my son. There was no separate paper specifically for kids to color. My son started drawing on the white paper they covered the table with. With kids, you just don't see them for a minute and they start working on different activity. WIthin seconds we did't realized that he started drawing lines on the wall. Server came back to our table saying " Tell your kid not to color the walls" we immediately said sorry and scolded our son. after 2 minutes she came back with Windex and a cloth and asked my husband to clean it. if she could have just told us that we need to clean , we would have done after eating dinner. we were so hungry and instead of serving us food asking us to clean the wall. Was it not her job to do it when we already apologized. I didn't like her tone of speaking to my husband and asked her if she could be polite and if she could have asked us to clean after dinner as we were starving. She said that she was polite and that we should teach our kid good manners.. Where this came from? now do we have to learn parenting from her. She kept on doing arguments with us. she even said it was not her but her boss who sent with Windex. After she left our table, i called another server and requested if he could send the manager, Manager came and he had no idea about sending her with Windex but at the same time he was backing her unpleasant behavior. I am 34 years old lady and never in my life came across such server who behaved like her. she even mentioned that we are not good parents. We felt so heavy in our heart. we couldn't even think of continuing eating that place. asked them to bring the check and packed our food. My husband wiped the walls with Windex and paid the money. We never felt so insulted. Before leaving I asked that lady her name, she said " my name doesn't matter" on repeated asking she mentioned her name as Katie. I told her that we felt so insulted today and I will make sure to share my horrible experience with others. she said " I also know your name from credit card and will make sure you will not be served here anymore" we were so shocked at her rude behavior. ok I admit my 2.5 year old son made a mistake but in the first place they should provide kids menu paper where there is specific page for kids to color. just handing the crayons- where do they expect kids to color? and if they allow kids to come to restaurant they should be prepare for this. they cannot expect kids to behave like adults or else they should specially mention in their restaurant outside-"NO KIDS ALLOWED" and yes, our days are not that bad that now we start learning parenting from servers like Katie!!!! read more

Great food, great service. One time when places order on phone guy was kinda rude, but I still will go here.

incredible food! turkish-italian. the red lentil soup is essential. The chicken and lamb kabobs are superb. Also try the Gyros and the spaghetti and meatballs read more