L'Olivo Ristorante Italiano in St Albans

Superb food artfully presented, attentive and authentic staff, served in a beautiful gem of a setting!

My favourite restaurant. Everything is excellent

What a true little gem of a place, everything about it was fantastic, the staff, food, location and setting, nothing was too much to ask, you need that armouretto sour on the cocktail menu, and thank you as well for the birthday song for my partner

My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful meal and some much needed quality time at the lovely restaurant. We will definitely be back.

Fabulous menu. A challenge to decide what to choose. Very attentive service.

Lovely night out. Thank you for fitting us in on the day. The bar area was OK - but may benefit from a partition from the door.

Everything was fabulous. Food was amazing.

Always have the most amazing experience when we go to this restaurant! The service is unmatched, everyone is very attentive and they create such a relaxed atmosphere. The food is top notch, packed with flavour and just the right portions based on the richness of the food. The perfect place to celebrate a special occasion, or just to treat yourself! Our top tip is to book an earlier slot when the restaurant is a bit quieter as it fills up quite quickly from about 7pm.

Always very good---Suggest it is time for a change of Menu--at least to the Specials and Desserts

The best Italian restaurant in Hertfordshire. There's nothing more to say

L’Olivo excelled once again with its varied and dependable menu choice, personable and attentive service, and superb flavoursome cooking. Thank you again for a lovely evening 🙂

Excellent three courses … will happily visit again

Love this place. good menu, delicious food and great service!

Absolutely amazing food and service

As always, charming staff and really lovely food. Took some chums along who’d not been before (other corner of Herts) and they loved it. Many thanks as always

Great as always. Maybe time to change up the ‘specials’ so they do feel special (I think they are the same as my last few visits).

Wanted to try this restaurant for a while. It was exceptional! Rare to find an authentic Italian restaurant these days. Service was brilliant.Food was fantastic. From moment you walk in , you are made to feel special.will be going ,again and again .

One of our favourite places to eat. Food always excellent. Just felt service wasn’t good. Had to ask for drinks and also ask for someone to take our order. After that all good.

Really good food with very attentive service. Will definitely rebook in future.

Great evening. Food and service very good. Restaurant was pretty quiet but it was mid week in January!

Fabulous experience all round - delicious food and wonderful service. Well worth the short trip out of St Albans for Anne ending at this special restaurant.

An amazing meal with brilliant friendly staff and a cosy atmosphere. Staff went above and beyond and provided a birthday plate for my partner at the end of the meal. Thank you.

The staff ranked with the best in the business.

Great food, selection with equally super service - highly recommended

Attentive friendly service, excellent food and whilst quite expensive we felt value for money was good. Some places have a huge mark-up on wine but that certainly wasn’t the case for the wine we chose.

Yet another great meal at my favourite Hertfordshire restaurant. I celebrated my 74th birthday with my wife and children this evening and it was just as good as always. Great welcome, great service and great food. I’ll be back there in a couple of weeks with some friends - well done Olivo !!

Staff were so friendly and welcoming. Made us feel relaxed.They didn’t rush us between courses which was much appreciated. The food was superb. The best zucchini fries I have ever tasted.

Our first visit. Everything was excellent, the service was attentive without being intrusive, the food tasted superb and our table provided both privacy and ambiance.

A wonderful experience, as always!

Fantastic food & service, we will be returning!!

Haven’t been to this restaurant for a couple of years … WOW it’s really good . Starters , melon & prosciutto , parmigiana , calamari . All great , next , two calves liver two pasta dishes with clams etc the deserts … the cheesecake was outstanding . Wines varied and not too expensive A really great supper . no wonder the restaurant was so busy . The staff were most attentive, led by Murat who is doing a really super job . Well done everyone !

I’ve had such an amazing night with my colleagues. Warm welcoming, lovely service by the team and surely delicious food. From the pasta options I ordered the Papardelle Al Monzo and spinach on the side never ever tasted anything like this. Absolutely 10 out of 10 hospitality by the manager of Lolivo Murat. Thank you so much for your efforts and service. Recommend to everyone…

We had an amazing night. The food and service was excellent. Definitely will be back

Fantastic food, would thoroughly recommend this restaurant . Some of the tasteless food I’ve had in a long time. Looking forward to going back.

What a gem! I have discovered this restaurant when looking for a place to enjoy some sea food in st albans area and it did not disappoint… service was the most attentive, helpful and made us feel really welcome! Food was delicious, fresh and just fantastic. Aperol spritz is an actual aperol spritz not 50% sparkling water as in some other places. I will be definitely going back! Chefs kiss 💋

Staff are fantastic and food is lovely! Highly recommend.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. The only slight disappointment was the lack of desire to offer tomato bruschetta without garlic. But other than that the meals were delicious.

Great food. Beautiful restaurant. Outstanding service.

Excellent meal and brilliant service from start to finish. Highly recommend!

Had a lovely family Christmas Eve dinner here. Great menu and very friendly service.

Such a lovely restaurant, couldn't fault it on anything! The staff were friendly and professional with the right level of attentiveness throughout, even when we'd finished our meal (early sitting) and wanted to stay with another drink, they found a table near the bar and still served us, whereas in other places you can tend to be forgotten. The food and drink were great quality and whilst the restaurant was busy all evening, there are half glass panels between the tables, reducing the noise levels and giving a more intimate feeling. I'd highly recommend and will definitely be back!

Once again excellent food, service and atmosphere

In my opinion this is genuinely the best place to eat in Hertfordshire! We have always been 100% happy with the food, the service and the atmosphere. The team can’t do enough to make it a 5 star experience! Thoroughly recommended!

Everything about L’Olivios is brilliant. The food is delicious and never disappoints. The staff are always so welcoming and accommodating, great service every time.

Regularly our group of 6 friends meet for dinner at this lovely restaurant. The atmosphere is always ambient, the service attentive and the food plentiful and delicious.

I have lived in Harpenden for near 5 years and always wanted to go to L’Olivio’s and am now simply embarrassed I have not been before. On Friday evening we had some of the best food we have ever had with service that was truly exceptional. Taken with the lovely restaurant itself and great atmosphere, we will certainly be going back in coming weeks. I could not recommend this place more - the chief special trio of fish was amazing:)

Lovely food, fantastic service, thank you for making a special birthday meal even more special! xxx

Sons 18th. Lovely food and service. Friendly and helpful. Can't wait to return!

Lovely place, excellent all round. Would definitely recommend!

Lovely ambience and the servers were all friendly. The food was delicious. Would be a great restaurant choice for a date or special occasion.

What a beautiful evening! We had a big order so we tried lots of side dishes, different starters, mains and two deserts. Everything was exceptional, the service was brilliant down to every detail finished with a surprise candle lit cheesecake for a birthday celebration. Will definitely be back soon! (Try the Camembert!)

All four of us had excellent dinners and if I had received a review request after our dinner in September when we both had the Dover sole specials the comment would have been "disappointingly small soles at high price.

A really lovely Restaurant in all ways. It was our anniversary and L’Olivo was an excellent choice for us. We had never been there before, but the restaurant personnel were A1.It was impossible to fault the friendly attitude and excellent service, especially Cristina, who was both personable & professional with a very gregarious personality, a marvellous advertisement for L’Olivo, and together with a lovely ambience, plus excellent food, this restaurant is very special. So pleased to have found it. Many thanks Best wishes Jakki & Terry

Excellent table side service, brilliant menu and outstanding venue

Amazing food, friendly professional knowledgeable staff A superb place for an excellent meal

Absolutely the best place to eat in Wheathampstead and Harpenden. Service is phenomenal and so friendly, everyone makes you feel so welcome and your night is made all the better. Thank you for a wonderful evening!

Deliciously cooked dishes, I had the crab ravioli starter which was delicately cooked yet packed with flavour followed by the fish soup main which was excellent and served with a couple of langoustine crab. My husband had the rack of lamb cooked to perfection and seasoned well.

All in all a totally delightful place for dinner. Wonderful atmosphere, cosy and intimate. Service is fantastic and all staff are knowledgeable about the menu. The food is tasty, refined and there is a brilliant choice of dishes. One of my favourite restaurants.

My husband & I both agreed it was the best italian we’ve had in quite a while. Pasta very nicely done, sauces were very tasty, fish specials were well executed and staff very helpful

After going for the first time in years a few weeks back we had to go again. Dover Sole was delicious - and my daughter will be back again as she adores the goats cheese, walnut and honey starter!

We really enjoyed the meal. It is a pity that you are so far from Stevenage.....

Delicious meal, attentive service - will return!

Welcoming & friendly staff, eager to assist with any dietary requirements or special requests, warm & cozy atmosphere, great choice of wine & the best champagne, fabulous food always cooked to perfection, one of our favourite restaurants!

This was our second visit and everything was excellent

absolutely amazing dining experience. me and my friend came here for a nice relaxing dinner and that is exactly what we got. surrounded by calming jazz dim lighting and candle lit tables, it was the perfect restaurant. the service was astonishing and our servers were murat, derbaz and umut. we will definitely be attending this beautiful restaurant again !

A few days ago, I went out for dinner with my family to celebrate my sister's graduation, and it was an absolutely spectacular experience. From the start, the service was impeccable. Murat, our waiter, was incredibly kind and fun, making us feel very well taken care of throughout the night. The ambiance of the place is very cozy, with soft lighting that creates a warm and relaxed atmosphere. We ordered several dishes from the menu, and while everything was delicious, some really stood out. The linguini al nero, a seafood pasta, was simply spectacular, full of flavor and perfectly cooked. We also tried the papardelle al Manzo, a meat pasta dish that was cooked to perfection and very tasty. Among the appetizers, the Gamberoni was amazing—shrimp with a spicy touch that made us want to savor every drop of the sauce. But what really blew me away were the Figs: figs with prosciutto and Dolcelatte cheese, a combination of flavors that explode in your mouth—truly delightful! We paired the meal with some excellent wines that were reasonably priced. Overall, it was a memorable evening that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. I would definitely return and highly recommend this place.

Excellent all round. Great food, and fantastic service. Amazing atmosphere. Great little twist for my partners Birthday. Well done to L'Olivio!

Always a great experience: superb food, excellent service and a very good atmosphere. Definitely our go to restaurant in the region.

Quality of food was appalling. Meatballs in an over rich tomato sauce which I had to saw to cut into them. Stodgy and thick lasagna. I had diarrhoea after that. I think that says it all. Positives : great staff as helpful as they could possibly be. Lovely atmosphere. In the end let down by horrendous food. Not a pleasant experience. Whatever is happening in that kitchen is not right.

one of my favourite restaurants, have never been disappointed

L’Olivo is a fantastic restaurant. The staff are very accommodating, friendly and helpful. The food is incredible, the lamb in particular! The venue is amazing. There’s nothing to hate with this place.

Very much enjoyed our first visit. a couple of great sounding extra dishes were offered which we both selected. Both were towards the upper end of the menu price which might have been worthy of a mention when described. Parking was a nightmare and managed to get well stung by nettles after finding a nearby, kerbside spot.

Visted at 7 pm Friday 28 July. I booked the table via email 2 days before. We were surprised to find the restaurant full, which turned out to be a good omen for what was to come. The atmosphere is calm, and the service is excellent. For starters, my wife had ravioli pasta parcels filled with crab, lobster and prawns in a butter , sage and cherry tomato sauce. I had the Gamberoni peeled king prawns, sautéed in white wine, garlic and fresh chilli. Off to a good start lovely flavours. For mains, I had the Branzino fresh sea bass fillet in a delicate white wine and lemon juice saurce over a fresh asparagus and prawn risotto. My wife had Dover sole off the bone with green vegetables and sautéed potatoes. Hot plates, hot delicious food, excellent. For dessert tiramisu and affogato for myself. Well-deserved reviews. We will go back. Price £££

Faultless , every dish we had was delicious , super presentation , service was spot on and the contemporary ambience made for a thoroughly enjoyable evening

Amazing service and food our favourite restaurant!

Brilliant service, even ask how long you want to wait after your starters for your main… Gorgeous food, lovely atmosphere and decor… definitely for a treat night but what a treat!

Welcoming staff, good service and wonderful figs wrapped in ham and cheese, followed by rack of lamb...delicious!

Came here for date night and the service was phenomenal. We were served by Christina who was so lovely and bubbly, she really made the night extra enjoyable - even going as far as to ask if it was a special occasion! The food was fantastic - would definitely recommend the lobster ravioli!! Can’t wait to come back :)

First time I have been here, since it was the Nelson public house. A bit different now. Food was amazing, the service was second to none. We will be back. 👍

Absolutely lovely atmosphere, mouth-watering food and excellent service. We had the pleasure of being waited on by Cristina. She was very accommodating, warm and passionate; and I’d happily return. It was around 80 pounds per head, which is more than fair for the flavoursome cuisine and Cristina’s warm and attentive service. Thank you to all the team involved, we will be returning.

L’Olivo lived up to expectations. Amazing food. Beautiful decor and passionate staff. Cristina in particular stood out. She went above and beyond with her service and even recommended the perfect main courses based on assessments of the choice of starter. She also again rose above expectations and provided a lovely birthday experience. Would definitely recommend and will be coming back!

This is a really lovely restaurant, but be prepared it is a bit pricey. Definitely worth it for a special treat!

A fantastic traditional Italian experience in true contemporary style. Took my wife for our first time experience and will definitely be returning again soon .

excellent food, attentive staff and lovely atmosphere

What a beautiful Restaurant, the staff were impeccable from the moment we stepped in, very polite and welcoming, the food was amazing cooked to perfection, everything throughout the evening was so special and we were made to feel equally as special, thank you for allowing us to enjoy your hospitality

Another wonderful meal in this amazing restaurant. The food was sublime and the service was superb as always. It was the perfect venue to celebrate my husband's birthday. Planning to come back with our friends very soon.

Great staff, delicious food, always a lovely atmosphere all make for a wonderful evening. Thank you all!

Lovely restaurant with outstanding service!

The quality and variety of the food was superb and the service was excellent. Advance booking is essential.

My favourite restaurant. Excellent food, service and atmosphere. Perfect!

Excellent as always. When full can be a little noisy

Second time at L’Olivo. Food is outstanding as is the service. Waiters and waitresses are all 5 star.

To have fantastic food and attentive service is great but the ambience in the restaurant is wonderful. It's always a pleasure to dine out at L'Olivo's.

Amazing food, service, Decor & atmosphere!!! 5 star Italian 👌🏻

Delicious food and friendly and excellent service.

We just had such a delicious dinner here tonight. Christina and the other servers were so friendly and helpful and the food was incredible. A huge thanks!

A wonderful meal and lovely staff

Lovely spot, great service and great food

Brought my wife here for a special Birthday treat 1st time we have been to this restaurant The food was amazing full of flavour & texture from the starter through to the dessert the Lemoncello with cream was to die for the service & staff were so professional they new what was on the menu & what it ingredients where in each course the atmosphere was brilliant even wrote Happy Birthday on the dessert plate was a lovely end to an amazing night at the restaurant will definitely be returning in the near future congrats 👍 Gem of an Authentic Italian restaurant

Once again a wonderful dining experience. Good service and great food as always.