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| - I am constantly switching between a 3 and 4 star rating for this place. This is one of those times where I wish I could provide half a star.
Oliva is a cozy and casual restaurant on the west side of Madison catering to those who have a taste for Mediterranean or Italian food.
When walking into this place, you are welcomed to an open atmosphere with decor and colors that would be traditionally thought of as traditionally from the Mediterranean or Italy. A feature that I took particular liking to was the fireplace which was turned on, leading to a welcoming, home-loke environment.
Once seated we were greeted by a courteous wait staff who immediately brought water and fresh, warm Turkish bread. Our waitress was very attentive and had good timing. She also provided some insight with regards to what is popular on the menu. Overall the service was just fine, I have never come here and felt unwelcomed.
We decided on the shrimp artichoke, chicken kebabs, and gyros. All dishes came with a perfect serving of rice. We actually really liked this as often restaurants will just pile on the carbs and it can be tough to press on the brakes! All of the dishes, including meats, were perfectly cooked and well seasoned. The shrimp were large and was served in a rich, garlic cream sauce. The chicken was moist and tender. The gyro meat was not as rich as traditional gyro because it was a beef only recipe - big bummer in my opinion.
I think while everything was satisfactory, one thing that took away was the variety of food. They do it all well, but, as often said, the jack of all trades is king of none.
Overall, reasonable prices, good service, good food, good date spot.
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