Overcast 28° » 5-day

You are not logged in

New York Magazine

Skip to content, or skip to search.

Skip to content, or skip to search.

Home > Restaurants > Oliva

Oliva

Critic's Pick Critics' Pick

161 East Houston St., New York, NY 10002
at Allen St.  See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
212-228-4143 Send to Phone

  • Price Range: $$

    Key to Prices and ratings

    Upscale
    • Almost Perfect
    • Exceptional
    • Generally Excellent
    • Very Good
    • Good
    Cheap Eats
    • Best in Category
    • Excellent
    • Delicious
    • Very Good
    • Noteworthy
    • Very Expensive
    • Expensive
    • Moderate
    • Cheap
  • Reader Rating:

    6.4 out of 10

      |  

    8 Reviews | Write a Review

  • Cuisine: Seafood, Spanish/Tapas
View Slide Show
Photo by Carmen E. Lopez and AJ Wilhelm

Official Website

olivanyc.com

Hours

Mon-Thu, 5:30pm-1am; Fri, 5:30pm-2am; Sat, noon-4am; Sun, noon-1am

Nearby Subway Stops

F, V at Lower East Side-Second Ave.

Prices

$12-$19

Payment Methods

American Express

Special Features

  • Brunch - Weekend
  • Delivery
  • Late-Night Dining
  • Live Music
  • Take-Out

Alcohol

  • Full Bar

Reservations

Recommended

Delivery Area

Canal St. to 14th St., Ave. B to Broadway

Profile

We might have missed a Jimmy Choo or two under the tiny, painted tables. But it seems that Oliva is full of youngish dressed-for-comfort East Villagers here for the fabulous Basque cooking, not for a teeny martini and a lettuce leaf. Don’t miss the pintxos plate, a collection of savory two-bite tapas. Share the txangurro (stuffed crab) or tender calamari bravas to start, then shrimp, mussels, clams, and hake in a sea-tinged tomato bath. As the evening progresses, soft jazz and flamenco get more electronic and the bar heats up. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Note

Come Sunday through Thursday after 8:30 p.m. to catch the live music and party atmosphere. People are known to dance around their tables.

6.4 "Mixed Reviews"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10		 Write Your Own Review
50% Would you go back?
62% Would you take a date?
0% Would you take kids?
12% Would you go on business?
25% Would you go on a special occasion?
Food: 6.8
Service: 6.4
Décor: 5.8
Value: 6.5

Me Gusta Oliva!

jraya from 10002 | Posted on 9/30/09

Overall Rating: 8 (Recommended)
Food: 7
Service: 10
Décor: 6
Value: 8

What to do when you want a good meal and a bit of atmosphere but don't want to put much effort into it? Venture down to Oliva in the LES. The room is oddly lit--red Christmas lights and a giant green dangling bulb? Despite the website's threat of a live band every night) the only music was a poorly thought-through mix of loud, vaguely Latin club tunes. The tapas, while pleasingly extensive and certainly tasty--the croquetas were helped by a side of chipotle aioli--aren't exceptional. (Don't bother ordering salad as pretty much every plate comes with greens.) Yet somehow... it works. Maybe it's the bustling corner location or the extensive menu of tapas (half-priced on Tuesdays!) or the gracious waiter (the owner, I suspect), who not only recommended we try the second-cheapest red wine (delicious) but poured two complimentary glasses after we'd finished the bottle and paid the very reasonable bill, but all elements conspired to give us the perfect evening. Like the sweet boy next door who tries hard so you don't have to, you can't help but like this place. See you soon, chico.

Go somewhere else

theoldreprobate from 10012 | Posted on 4/9/09

Overall Rating: 3 (Not Recommended)
Food: 6
Service: 1
Décor: 6
Value: 2

Why is this place a critics' pick? The service is terrible -- the hostess seated us at a banquette then asked us to move to a cramped center table, at which point the wait staff decided to completely ignore us -- and the food is mediocre at best, fried, thinly veiled junk food at worst. There was decent live music, and the volume would've been fine, if we were at a Cannibal Corpse show. Too bad the sangria wasn't strong enough to ease the pain.

Read All 8 Reviews >>

Advertising

Latest News Near

Advertising
Advertising