We were able to snag a day-of reservation during a trip to Surf City, NC. We wanted to visit Wilmington for an upscale dinner, and Olivero fit the bill. We were guided by other Yelpers' reviews. When booking our reservation, we opted to sit at the kitchen counter, which I recommend if possible. It's quite entertaining to watch the kitchen flow and various dishes be made. To start, we ordered the dates, croquetas, and the salad. All were delicious and light enough that we were still able to enjoy our entrees - agnolotti and the rigatoni. I hadn't read many reviews about the agnolotti but it was the star of the show. The rigatoni is their classic and doesn't disappoint. We already determined that next time, we'll need to try the beignets and possibly the lasagna! There were only 2 of us, so we had to limit our dishes. Service was incredible (attentive and friendly) and the restaurant itself is adorable. I totally understand why this is one of Wilmington's top-rated restaurants! read more

Dinner with friends, I normally like this place but Noah got over zealous with the salt and I am the kind of guy who likes salt but man.... The service is always decent and friendly, the drinks are good not EOD quality but decent, and the Dates as always were a winner. Watching Noah work the Fire is amazing. The manager is pretty good and although I hate zone service they do it pretty good here, not Artisanal (Boone Area) good but better than most. The Restaurant since they re-worked the entrance is actually better at accommodating visitors/guests and it is cozy place to sit and eat your Dinner, We will go back as I am 3 strikes and out guy, Noah could have had some salting issues. read more

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A girlfriend of mine was celebrating her birthday and decided that this was the perfect place to go try for the first time. When we arrived, parking was a bit challenging. The parking lot is somewhat small so most of us ended up parking on the street. The restaurant is intimate, and the service is exceptional! The staff that were working that evening were so kind and so attentive. Several of us brought flowers for the birthday girl so the front hostess stand found us a wine chiller that they filled with water so the flowers could sit on the table with us. The restaurant wrote a note to congratulate the birthday girl, and also brought over a small champagne toast for each of us so we could toast her before our meal started. Now on to the food! There were a number of appetizers that caught our attention. We decided as a table to share the croquetas which had four bites total which was perfect for a group of four. We decided to skip over the salads because all of the pastas sounded so good. One of our group is vegetarian, and both of the vegetarian options sounded amazing! Two of us ordered the bucatini which was a deliciously flavorful dish complete with chorizo and broccoli. I could have licked the plate clean it was so good. One girlfriend ordered the lasagna which was phenomenal. The star of the show in our opinion was the agnolotti which was basically ravioli with pureed butter beans and a Parmesan marscapone sauce with lemon. It was truly phenomenal. We gave the birthday girl the option to decide if we were going to order desserts to share, but she was too full. This was such a fantastic experience. We all cannot wait to return! read more

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Somehow we snagged a reservation at the hottest spot in Wilmington! The service was TOP notch and felt like luxury dining (cleaning the table and replacing used silverware between each course, constant checks to refill water or drinks, etc). There was no loud music to try to yell over to have a conversation with your dinner party - which our table loved! The dining area is just lovely and the bar is stunning. If you can't grab a table, bar seating for 2 would still give you an amazing dining experience. Then there was the food. We tried several dishes from salad to steak and everything was absolutely delicious! The presentation, the detail on the plate, the combination of flavors, and that first bite all left us with a feeling of euphoria. Definitely a spot to come back to in the future. read more

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Best service and food I've ever experienced. Ambiance is nice too. 10000/10 for creativity, taste, service. Everything is above and beyond. read more

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We come to Figure 8 Island every year, so figured we'd venture into downtown Wilmington this time to try some delicious eats (and delicious eats we found). I'd heard of Olivero after reading the James Beard award winners in NC, and was even more intrigued once I found out one of the owners also owns St Roch in Raleigh, which I love. The decor was superb, with an open kitchen, tile walls around the open kitchen, and exposed brick walls everywhere else. We sat at the bar and had such great service - our server/bartender was very knowledgeable and passionate about the menu. We shared all our plates, starting out with the savory beignets. These were sublime - beignets fried to perfection, and the fontina fonduta with hot honey was the perfect flavor combination (i thought the mortadella didn't add too much to the dish). Moving onto the beet salad, they had a lovely rendition of one - my favorite additions were the dukkah pistachios which added the perfect crunch and spice notes, and the straciatella was the perfect creamy touch on top. Our favorite dish of the night was the garganelli pasta dish - the pasta had the perfect bite to it, rabbit cooked to perfection, and the sauce was buttery, acidic, herby goodness. Lastly, we tried the tilefish, which was also lovely - the fish was a little firmer than i expected but cooked well, and the tomato sauce with butter beans paired perfectly with it. I can tell why this place earned a James Beard Award - phenomenal food, service, and ambiance. We will definitely be back to try more. *Beignets: mortadella, fontina fonduta, calabrian hot honey *Roasted Beet salad: strawberries, stracciatella, dukkah pistachios, saba, mint *Garganelli pasta: grilled rabbit, spring vegetables (turnips), embered greens, manchego *Coal Roasted NC Tilefish: basque piperade, butter beans, saffron aioli, espelette read more

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Food is amazing and inventive, as are the cocktails. We appreciate that the menu is ever changing, encouraging us to try some new things each time. The staff is fabulous as well. We love Olivero! read more

This was our third trip to Olivero and we were very disappointed in the food. My husband had the bucatini. It was so lemony and sour that he couldn't finish it. The next day he felt terrible - not sure if it was the food. Lots of hype for this place but I think they've already lost the mark. read more

Came to Wilmington on business and met friends for an amazing culinary treat. Enjoyed the Desert Flower cocktail, delicious salad and pasta, and phenomenal dessert. This place is so unassuming. No flashy signs, but once you open the door, the staff is so inviting, the restaurant feels cozy, and you can see immediately why reservations are a must. Great service and one of the best meals I've had in some time. I highly recommend. Definitely get some of their homemade pasta. What a great experience. read more

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Anna and I had reservations for the bar area overlooking the kitchen definitely worth doing again. We showed up a little early (my fault), so we grabbed a couple drinks and enjoyed them in the waiting area before our seats were ready. The bar is reservation-only, which is good to know going in not a negative at all, just something worth noting. Once seated, everything about the experience was spot on. Watching the kitchen work from just a few feet away added to the whole energy of the place. The ribeye was genuinely one of the best I've had in years -- perfectly cooked, beautifully seasoned, and served with that quiet confidence you only see in great kitchens. Service was sharp, the atmosphere hit just right, and the food... outstanding. One of the best dining experiences we've had in a long time even after a very recent trip through Italy. Can't wait to go back! Really.. Booking next dinner. read more

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Great ambiance! Delicious!! I had the lasagna and my husband had the rigatoni. We had the cheesecake and the chocolate pudding for dessert - those desserts were an EXPERIENCE!!!! So incredible. read more

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Incredible start to finish. Make a reservation as early as possible because they book up fast for good reason. I went with a party of 6 and we all agreed this was the best meal we had in a long time. We ordered small plates and passed them around before our entrees. Every single thing had an incredible depth of flavor. Croquetas - NC crab, melted leeks, basil pesto. Crunchy on the outside and perfectly creamy on the inside. The pesto was so fresh and really balanced the dish. Beignets - mortadella, fontina fonduta, calabrian hot honey. LOVED these. An interesting savory twist on beignets. I wanted to eat them all. Charred broccoli - serano ham, cacio e pepe aoli, pecorino. Seriously the best broccoli I've ever had. The char on the broccoli was perfectly paired with the creamy cacio e pepe aoli. I wish I could make this at home. Roasted beets - strawberries, stracciatella, dukkah pistachios, saba, mint. I don't like beets but this dish was perfectly balanced with the sweetness from the strawberries. Good! NC Fish crudo - I couldn't eat this but the gazpacho was so light and fresh, everyone loved it. Linguini - grilled shrimp, pistachio pesto, aleppo pepper, lardo. This was my entree and I absolutely loved it. The texture of the homemade pasta really stood out and the shrimp are diced nicely. It was easy to eat. The crispy breadcrumb topping really took everything over the edge. I loved everything about this dish. Twice cooked pork shoulder - polenta, roasted red pepper sugo, aged provolone. The pork literally melts in your mouth and the wood fired char is just incredible. I also tasted the new potatoes that come with the ribeye, and spaghetti. I didn't love the spaghetti dish because of the mushy summer squash but that's a texture thing for me. The pasta was otherwise delicious. I'm telling everybody I know about this place. It is well worth a trip to Wilmington on its own. read more

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The ambiance is really nice, in smaller side. We sat at the bar and the service was excellent. The bar tender was very attentive. Husband had the tike fish which he said was excellent. I had the linguine in pesto which I ended up not liking at all. It was drowned in pesto and oily. Not what I expected and wish I had ordered the chicken. I am sure that is how the dish was supposed to be, just not for me. Had cheesecake for dessert and it was yummy. read more

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I cannot describe how incredible every bite of food was at Olivero. I knew it was a good sign when I snagged the last 7:30 dinner reservation. The reviews were constantly good, and a small menu yet another clue that i was in for a treat. Our serve was fabulous. She's been in the industry for over a decade and knows a good thing when she sees one. Friendly and professional, she guided our choices, but knew we couldn't go wrong. We started with a few spectacular cocktails, and the martini was pure perfection, down to the delectable olive! They even refreshed my glass to make sure it stayed chilled. The brussels and .cauliflower came out first. These were no ordinary vegetables. Both plates were bursting with flavors and textures from spreads, olives, cheese, pancetta, and other garnishes, Not a morsel was left. For the main show, two of us ordered the pork shoulder and one other the rigatoni. The pork shoulder over the polenta was dreamy. The pasta was homemade and the sauce had a lot of depth and flavor. I may have to come back to Wilmington just to eat here. It was that good. Keep up the good work!!!! read more

Olivero - Pork Shoulder - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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First time. Definitely not the last visit. The hip ambiance was contemporary yet inviting. A very cool renovation of the old brick building. We were a party of four. We all loved our meal. My non foodie husband said this was the best meal he has had in Wilmington yet so far in the almost 3 years we have lived in the area. The appetizer croquettes were standout! We also loved the fried cauliflower. What is really special about this restaurant is the unusual and highly creative combinations of flavors in each dish. I had the duck leg which was just a tad too greasy but otherwise the amazing fennel this was cooked with added so much to the dish. In general highly recommend this spot. We will be back later in the Spring to try their Spring seasonal menu! read more

Best atmosphere and food & service wow! Love this spot so quaint Perfect for special occasions it's made to order super fresh and quick and fun! read more

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Don't let my terrible photography skills fool you, Olivero put out some best food in Wilmington. It is a perfect upscale date night restaurant with a variety of options for you to choose from. I had the pork ragu and the ribeye, there was more than enough food for two people to split and be full. The cheesecake was also excellent. The service is top notch, after each course you get a fresh set of silverware and plates, as well as your table wiped clean. This restaurant is one of the best Wilmington has to offer and is worth the trip! read more

Olivero - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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We had a great start to date night here. We sat the kitchen counter/bar. The experience was unique. The servers are very attentive and helpful. They take the full order up front and then space it out. The fried cauliflower was the absolute best. The rabbit pasta was amazing. We had many other dishes and they were fantastic as well. Did not disappoint. Unique, coherent and vibrant flavors. My wife loved the pork dish. Dessert order did not come out correctly but they were really helpful about it. None of the desserts were our fav but everything else was heavenly. My only complaint is it is a very open concept so you see everything. That includes the cooks/chefs looking on their phone then touching food... without gloves. The cook who does the finishing touches enjoyed his phone quite a bite and then would touch food. Phones carry so many germs I couldn't stop thinking about it. I mentioned it to the server and she was really kind to ask him to wash his hands. But spending $300 on dinner and watching staff in their phone just isn't what you expect... That being said the bathrooms are very clean and very well stashed with mints, toothpicks etc. Overall- great experience and phenomenal food. read more

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Just a amazing experience and food. There is nobody doing what this restaurant is doing. Let's start with the staff. They are highly trained like a five star Manhattan restaurant. They know exactly what they're doing and their pros. The bartenders are also super professional and not your typical bartenders.. what I have found here in Wilmington is that 99% of the restaurants don't train their staff there is an art to being a server and this place has it. I've gone to what people feel is a great restaurants in Wilmington and they always drop the ball when it comes to their wait staff the bartender circa is a great bartender. The food is lights out and the other chefs in Wilmington can't hold a candle to this place. I got a twice cut pork shoulder. That was a crazy experience. It was amazing. The inside of the place is super old but in a great way. read more

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What an excellent spot! Love the decor/vibes, fantastic service, and incredible food. The pasta dishes were by far my fav part of the meal, but next time I'd want to try something from the wood-fire grill! read more

Truly the best meal I've ever had in Wilmington. And I've lived in Wilmington my whole life. The kitchen staff deserves all the praise. Also the candle in the bathroom smelt so good. Will be coming back duhhh read more

The best ! Everything was absolutely delicious. Everyone was so helpful. We can't wait to go back

Olivero - your soon to be favorite pasta joint. Do you ever have a meal or dish sitting in front of you that is so delicious & you can't stop yourself from eating *just one more bite? When we walked into Olivero in Wilmington, and sat down at the chefs table, it only took a few minutes to admire their operation and structure. We instantly knew we were in for a treat. The balance of acid, salt, and fat in each bite was expertly crafted. Nothing was over done and every ingredient had a job to accomplish (which are my favorite types of dishes). Simple, yet complex. These pictures & words don't do these dishes nearly enough justice. Chef Sunny, thank you for sharing your passion with NC. *| BEIGNET MORTADELLA, FONTINA FONDUTA, CALABRIAN HOT HONEY *| FALL SQUASH AGRODOLCE CHARRED GREEN BEANS, ANCHOVY, RICOTTA, CRISPY FINGERLINGS *| MAFALDINE NC CRAB, KING TRUMPET & MAITAKE MUSHROOMS, MANCHEGO *| RIBEYE NEW POTATOES, ESPELLETE AIOLI, ROASTED TOMATO, CHIMICHURRI read more

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We celebrated our 30th anniversary at Olivero, and it was a wonderful experience. From the moment we walked in, the service stood out--the hostess, our server (Greer), and the manager (Brandon) were all friendly, helpful, and genuinely welcoming. We tried several appetizers, and each one was memorable. The croquettas with crab were delicious, and the beignets with mortadella, fonduta, and Calabrian chili hot honey were one of those dishes you want to keep all to yourself. The warm dates with nduja surprised me the most--I didn't think I liked dates, especially not warm ones, but apparently I do now! For dinner, I had the coal-roasted red drum, and my husband had the ribeye. Both were excellent. Greer was fantastic--she knew the menu well, made great recommendations when we asked, and was attentive without hovering. We enjoyed the evening so much that next time we go, we want to sit at the kitchen bar and watch the team in action. Overall, a great meal and a very special place to celebrate. Highly recommend. read more

Food, drinks and dessert were amazing. I will say for such a nice place the service lacked a bit. I sat with my water empty 90 percent of the time but it did not ruin the experience at all so still 5 stars. Just something couple approve on. read more

They have a large selection of dishes. We have been there many times with multiple guests and no one has been disappointed. We did have one occasion where there was a service issue, but the owner came out and apologized for the problem, no comps though. Their prices are very reasonable. read more

Five stars - service as well as meals delicious and meticulously presented. Friendly professional efficient staff. Tapas to start were croquetas and bruschetta, meals sea bass, bucatini and pork shoulder. Desserts budino and cheesecake. Very rich snd unique. Budino was to die for! read more

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Olivero was very good, excellent appetizers. I'm vegetarian and appetizers are where I find most of my choices. Olivero has an excellent agnolotti main dish which was delicious. The atmosphere is wonderful and the service was impeccable. read more

Olivero is a wonderful place to dine. The wait staff, food and ambiance is stellar. From the Salad to the Coffee it was both delicious and served with care by the staff. I have been there several times and it always feels so warm and inviting! Thank you, we will be back! read more

Finally!! A food EXPERIENCE in Wilmington! I recommend sitting at the kitchen counter for a show while you dine. Our server Sam was knowledgeable, attentive (but not overly so - it's a fine line to walk!), and an absolute gem. Food was 10/10, as were the cocktails. I cannot recommend enough! read more

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Made reservations online and showed up 15 minutes prior. They have their own small parking lot and one handicap spot, which is on the right side of the restaurant when you're facing it on third Street. If the parking lot is full, you can find free street parking around the area, which might be hard to find. Currently no sign on storefront. It's at the corner of third Street and Castle Street. No outdoor seating. We were going to be seated by the wall, but they let us sit in the booth in the back at our request. No high chairs are available but they let us use our booster seat on one of their chairs for our 14 month old. All of the food was overall great, interesting ingredients and flavors. Definitely order one of the pasta dishes as they make the pasta from scratch. My favorite dishes were the beignet and crab Malfadine.pasta dish. The appetizers came pretty quickly but the entrees took a little bit longer. We started off with the beignet and beets. Both were fabulous. The beignet and beet dishes had the right amount of sweetness, not too sweet. I loved the touch of Calabrian hot honey (way better than Mike's hot honey) with the creamy fontina fonduta and the thinly sliced mortadella meat with the beignets. Also loved all of the ingredients of the beets appetizer. The dates appetizer sounded interesting, stuffed with pork belly. May try that next time. For the entrees had Malfadine, grilled NC fish, and ribeye. Malfadine was delicious. The fish of the day was red snapper, which didn't taste that great to me, seemed a little undercooked. On a positive note, I liked the charred okra and tomato and grilled watermelon gazpacho that came with it. My partner asked for a medium ribeye, but it was over cooked. They replaced the dish, which was a lot better, but still not exactly medium. Hopefully that will improve, but to be on the safe side will skip ribeye next time! For dessert we had the basque cheesecake, and Videri chocolate Budino. The basque cheesecake is better than the American cheesecake, lighter and fluffier. It paired well with the puréed smoked blueberries. The budino was so decadent with the toasted marshmallow and crunchy toffee bits. If you want coffee to go with dessert, they only had drip coffee. Also had Demerara sugar and creamer to go with the coffee. For wines, we tried the red wines: schiava, Syrah/Nero D' Avola and Tempranillo. My partner liked the Syrah the most, more fruity and not as spicy. You can tell they put a lot of detail in the design and decor all the way to the silverware. Bathrooms were cool with the fish wallpaper. I like the touches of mint candies, lobster flossers and mini tampons in the bathrooms. Our waitress Phoebe was awesome. This tops one of the best restaurants in Wilmington! read more

Went there to celebrate my 50th and it was AMAZING! The service was impeccable, the food beyond divine, and the ambiance was exactly what you would want - just enough noise to feel like you're out but not so much that you can't hear everyone else at the table. Would absolutely recommend it! read more

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Visiting from the Raleigh area to see my son and we have been waiting to try Olivero! It was fantastic! Cody our server was amazing- his knowledge on the food and his confidence recommending dishes really elevated the experience! We loved everything we got! I highly recommend this restaurant if you are in the Wilmington area! Oh and if you come to Raleigh... check out St. Roch. read more

Simply an incredible experience! The atmosphere was amazing with the open kitchen and two distinct bars. I especially loved the attention to detail--the light fixtures, tile, cutlery, great service, and even the bathroom wallpaper all added to the ambiance. But most importantly, the food! We started with the warm date and crab croquetas appetizer. The crab croquetas, paired with a basil pesto, absolutely stole the show. For mains, we shared the linguine--packed with incredible flavor and elevated by crunchy bits of ham that took it to another level. I also enjoyed the coal-roasted drum, but would say the pasta was more impressive. Definitely want to come back with a group to sample a little bit of everything on the menu! read more

Been here a few times now. Never disappoints. They are also great with gluten free for celiacs. Never gotten glutenated.

The service was terrible. We were the third group of people that came in at 5:00 for our reservation and waited for our main course for 1/2 an hour. You ask us to order everything all at once so you should have things timed out. We got the appetizers and then the salad but the wait of 1/2 an hour was the main course. A group of 5 sitting across from us got served and the group of 4 got their meals while we waited. Both those groups came in after us. We were a group of 3. read more

If you're looking for the best steak and service you can get ANYWHERE, look no further. I tried several different things and loved them ALL. It's a small place but just big enough with an open kitchen and an oven you can see the fire in so I really love that. It makes the steak taste so perfect. I started with their beets and I'll definitely be having that again because the yogurt with them together is -I can't even put it into words. They make their own pasta and it's Heavenly. The chef blends flavors like he should. He really gets it. I had the chocolate cheesecake (which is the best cheesecake south of NYC) and the panna cotta which had date jam and pistachios-seriously other worldly! This is, hands down, the best dining experience I've ever had in Wilmington and I can't wait to go back. read more

Fantastic! This place was much more than a pleasant surprise. What a colorful, flavorful, inventive menu. We shared so many plates. The cocktails are creative and the wine was delish! It was perfect for our girls night out. Our server was super friendly and gave excellent tips on how to make our dining experience even that much more enjoyable. The restaurant also has a vibe! The colors the art the open kitchen the bar.... All flowed so perfectly. Bathrooms super clean and stocked. Highly recommend this gem of a spot whether you are going on a date or out with the gang!! read more

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We have been wanting to try this place since they opened, but haven't been able to get a reservation on a weekend. Now we see why! Each dish was outstanding and unique. The mix of flavors pop! Mike was our server and was knowledgeable and friendly. Perfect choice for a date night! read more

Excellent appetizer & entrees. Good craft cocktails. Attentive service. A well appointed downtown eatery.