Olive & Ivy Restaurant & Marketplace

“We had a lovely time today (Sunday) at Olive and Ivy. The food was amazing. We highly recommend any of the bruschetta (you can get 3 for $17). They serve delicious bread with a pesto spread - also delicious! Our table had the short ribs, lasagna bolognese and a bottle of wine. Our server, Sam, was beyond exceptional. He was funny, very knowledgeable and very responsive. It was really busy and we made sure to make a reservation for our visit. I would 100% recommend Olive and Ivy for dinner. And doubly lucky if you get Sam!”

“We've been to many of the other FRC restaurants in the Valley, but this was our first time to Olive & Ivy. Michael was our waiter and he definitely deserves all 5 stars for his service. It's a Mediterranean restaurant. I grew up in Europe. The pace is slower. Food is to be enjoyed. Michael understood exactly how we wanted to enjoy our meal. We started at the bar (we didn't know the menu is limited until 5pm...) with shrimp and calamari. It was delicious. Nice and crispy with an excellent sauce and grilled lemon. For dinner we had 3 bruschettas: Prosciutto, Mozzarella/Tomato, and Avocado. The first two were out of this world. Perfect combination of salty, sweet, and sour. Just delicious. The avocado was very good, but like nice avocado toast. I then had the Sea Bass and my wife had Squash Flatbread. Both were very good. The fish was cooked well and you can't beat a butter/lemon/caper sauce with fish. Vegetables were good with a nice crunch. For dessert we had the Lemon "Souffle". I put it in quotes because it's more of a lemon curd cake type dessert. I'm at a loss for words. It's hard to describe, but it's not a traditional Souffle that you have to order at the beginning of the meal. Nevertheless, it was perfectly tart. Not too sweet. Everything we had today, is definitely order again. And preferably Michael will be our waiter again.”

“Makayla was an incredible server with great suggestions for food choices for our group of 4. She was very attentive to our needs as well. We were visiting from Sioux Falls, SD, and out celebrating our son-in-laws 30th birthday while we were in town. I opted for the Sea Bass and it was delicious. Everyone loved their food and specialty cocktails. The patio has a very nice ambience, especially with the canal right beside it. The entire restaurant is beautiful and had a fun atmosphere.”

“Olive & Ivy was a great choice for a brunch bachelorette party. We had a group of 10 girls and the space worked really well for us. It’s a big restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating, so it didn’t feel cramped at all. Our waitress was very attentive and handled our larger group smoothly, which made the experience even better. She even surprised the bachelorette with a special dessert, which was such a thoughtful touch and made the celebration feel extra special. I ordered the avocado toast with a side of potatoes and a latte with non dairy milk, and everything was fresh and satisfying. My vegan friends ordered the vegetable scramble without eggs and shared the Brussels sprouts appetizer, which were both big hits. Everyone at the table enjoyed their meals, vegan and non vegan alike. We were lucky enough to find street parking right nearby, while some of our friends parked in the garage. After brunch, we enjoyed walking around Old Town, which made the whole experience feel even more fun and celebratory. Overall, it was a relaxed, enjoyable brunch spot that’s perfect for group celebrations. I’d definitely come back for another brunch or special occasion.”

“Olive and Ivy is beautiful, airy, open, with tons of space for large parties, and even had a huge wood-fired pizza oven. Overall, I enjoyed my experience (especially the pasta I ordered) but I don’t need to come back. Let’s start this review off with the positives: (1) the sweet potato cannelloni was one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had. You could TASTE the freshness of the pasta and the sweet potato filling was to die for, with the compliment of a buttery herby sauce, I could’ve eaten 2 whole bowls. (2) the focaccia with the pesto was a treat. Chicago doesn’t give free bread ANYWHERE! The pesto was insanely fresh and you could tell homemade and the focaccia was so light and fluffy. My mouth is watering at the thought. (3) I LOVED the bacon wrapped dates. They came with a piquillo pepper sauce (red sauce on plate) that was the perfect compliment. (4) the manager, Makayla, was an absolute delight and brought out tables 2 free rounds of shots, which we loved and appreciated. She made us feel so welcomed! (5) we were seated next to our friends in a beautiful room! Now for the cons: (1) the restaurant was clearly very busy, we we found ourselves waiting a long time for drinks and for our food order being taken, with our waitress (not Makayla) disappearing for long periods of time. (2) the heirloom tomato and corn flatbread had no sauce and scant toppings and was frankly extremely underwhelming. (3) the Mediterranean salad was unimpressive D(eats): WHAT WE ORDERED Appetizers - Bacon wrapped dates Crispy Brussels sprouts Fresh bread with pesto Mains - Sweet potato cannelloni Mediterranean salad Heirloom tomato and corn flatbread WHAT MY FRIENDS ORDERED Lamb meatballs Prosciutto Di Parma”