Olivia
Austin, TX 78704
Phone: (512) 804-2700
- Price:
- $$
- Hours:
- Sun 10:30am-3pm, 5pm-9pm, Mon-Thu 5:30pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 5:30pm-11pm
Editorial Review for Olivia – by Josh Hinsdale
In Short
Dark woods and warm lighting beckon diners into this South Lamar charmer. Local produce, meats and gourmet items are sourced from Boggy Creek Farm, Stoops & Sons, White Mountain, Pure Luck, Countryside Farm, Richardson Farms and Dishman Farms among others. The dinner menu changes daily to reflect the fresh farm offerings. Expect simple dishes that allow flavors to shine, including a creative cheese plate, risotto, peppered beef tenderloin with truffled mashed potatoes, seafood, house-made pastas, and French-style charmers like coq au vin or the massive charcuterie plate. Gather up friends and loved ones on Sundays for an elegant Southern brunch or family style dinner perfect for sharing. Full bar serve wine, cold sake and beer only.
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Insider Tips
When to GoBrunch is served on Sundays from 10:30am to 3pm.
The ExtrasReservations are accepted for parties of five or more.
Know Before You GoOlivia is no longer open for lunch.
User Reviews for Olivia
12/03/2008 Posted by ckilpatrick
Great experience and food. Watch out for that bill , prices are equivelent to Eddie Vs or Trulucks. Upscale dining on South Lamar. Gorgeous restaurant, beautiful design of space, much like Uchi. I would go there again. Parking is easy.
Pros: beautiful surroundings, cozy
11/10/2008 Posted by stoicepicure
Two of us went Sunday night around 7 pm. We were seated in a booth right away. The decor and ambiance were nice, if just a tad bit loud. Our waiter was very friendly, albeit in a more TGIF-hangout way than in a professional upscale scene way. He was knowledgeable enough about the menu and wine list, however. We were brought the check WITH our dessert though, which was a considerable faux-pas and made us feel we were being rushed. The Food: The price-point was on a par w/ other highest-end establishments in Austin - and this may be partly due to the local sourcing of all the ingredients - but the quality, ultimately, didn't justify it. The menu changes daily. Our almaco tartar was excellent; my pork shank was a bit on the salty side, and my partner's bass with head-on prawns was good, but nothing to write home about. The presentation of the entrees was lacking - mine was simply a bone-in hunk of meat swimming in a pool of gravy with chunks of vegetables half-heartedly strewn about, and a mound of white mashed potatoes. The portions were ample, however. The coda, the sticky toffee cake - highly recommended by the server - was neither creative nor decadent enough, although the accompanying creme fraiche ice cream was nice. Olivia has some stiff competition next door, and in Austin in general. Let's hope they can stay around long enough for the improvements.
Pros: Prompt seating, ambiance
Cons: Food lacking creativity, wow-factor
