Dolly Olive Reviews

Not a shocker this place has closer to five stars. Been to Portland about 4-5 times and the trips are always about the FOOD. This was by far my favorite spot. Everything about this place was awesome. The food, the drinks, the service, the ambiance…..all of the above. My girlfriend and I each had a cocktail, shared some focaccia, pasta, roasted brussels sprouts, and octopus served on what seemed like hummus. All this for just $95 is insane. We left so full we couldn’t even have dessert. Portions are pretty big but we shared so we can get a taste of as much as we could. I would totally come back here!

I was in Portland for the Nutcracker with a friend and Dolly Olive was suggested by a friendly stranger. It was close by, so we stopped in. This was hands down the best restaurant recommendation EVER. We really enjoyed the smaller portions of Northern Mediterranean cuisine, which allowed us to try seven different dishes (they recommend 2-3 plates per person served family style) with 4 partial plates boxed up to take home. Of course we finished all of our dessert on site. Two of the dishes we tried had pumpkin, which I assume was seasonal. The flavors were unique and perfectly executed. The service was top-notch. And they even sent me away with a delicious americano for the drive home. Be prepared to spend some time and money for the full experience. We were at $80 per person without drinks and a generous lunch worth of leftovers.

If you are looking for a spectacular meal, in a beautiful restaurant, with exceptional service, in downtown Portland, you will find it all at Dolly Olive. The moment begins when you enter this beautiful restaurant. The floor tiles, wall colors, accent wall, brushed bronze tables, and big corner windows all work together to promote a sense of calm and welcoming vs the hard and loud you see in so many restaurants these days. The food is served Family Style, which had us worried, but our wonderful waiter Nicholas did a great job of explaining the process, “coursing” the many items we chose, and keeping the flow of incoming food and outgoing dishes at a perfect pace. There were three of us eating and each item we chose seemed to be perfectly portioned to be shared by two or three, so keep this in mind when you are ordering. As for ordering, we ordered seven different items and they were all truly delicious. In fact, delicious seems like a low-level word for the amazing variety of flavors, sauces, perfectly cooked items we enjoyed. We also realized something else we loved. The small staff. There was such a nice calm and classy feel to seeing so few employees move gracefully around the restaurant, being an asset but never a distraction, and yet serving us perfectly. This doesn’t happen at many restaurants and that is why we noticed it. Nicholas and his co-workers did a great job of making our experience at Dolly Olive be one of loving the food and the experience. We have eaten in many restaurants in Portland and Dolly Olive surpasses them all. We can’t wait until our next Dolly Olive meal.

The menu leans heavily on house-made pasta, with dishes like cacio e pepe and truffle-laden mushroom risotto receiving particular praise. They also offer fresh seafood options, such as branzino, as well as a selection of classic Italian appetizers like burrata with basil and olive oil. The wine list is carefully curated with both Italian and Pacific Northwest selections, and cocktails are inspired by Italian classics with a twist. Save room for the tiramisu. It will not disappoint. It's a great spot for a casual but refined evening out, whether you're a pasta lover or just looking for an authentic Italian experience in Portland.

Dinner Price per person | $50–100 Dolly Olive just gave me one of the most disgusting displays of public discrimination I’ve ever seen in a Portland restaurant and that’s saying something. Our group of seven was seated for 15 quiet minutes, waiting for drinks, when a hostess strutted over and randomly singled out ONE friend who happens to have a disability and announced that they refused to serve him an alcoholic drink and offered him a child's drink instead. No discussion. No “hey, can we talk privately?” Just a public takedown of the one person at the table who deserved kindness the most. He hadn’t spoken to anyone. Hadn’t acted oddly. Hadn’t eaten or drunk anything. We literally walked in off the street and they decided to target him. It was humiliating, cruel, and jaw-droppingly unprofessional. If you want to watch a restaurant judge and shame a disabled guest for absolutely no reason, Dolly Olive is apparently the place for you. And the food not worth the price and not near as memorable as the treatment of one of the kindest people you will ever meet. There are too many incredible restaurants in Portland to support one that treats people like this. Dolly Olive should be ashamed. I refused to drink my alcoholic beverage out of respect for my friend.

We stumbled upon Dolly Olive while walking around Portland. It is so new that it didn't come up on any of our internet searches. The food and service are outstanding! Despite its lack of reviews or presence on restaurant search sites, the restaurant is small and was almost full when we arrived around 6pm on a Tuesday night. Reservations are recommended. We were lucky enough to get two seats at the bar. Menu is upscale Italian. It includes some old favorites reimagined and some newer dishes. We had a prosciutto and peach starter and then went old school with eggplant parm & spaghetti bolognese. All three were outstanding. I've never had better eggplant parm. Spaghetti is homemade. Bolognese sauce was amazing. If you're in Portland, Dolly Olive is a must stop for dinner.

This is a new restaurant and it was excellent. Very excited to see a fine dining restaurant of this caliber in our neighborhood. The food was prepared to perfection. the service of warm, welcoming and very customer minded. The drinks were excellent. Don't miss desert either.. We felt fortunate to get a table without a reservation. The Management team was eyes, hands and ears everywhere. Not a detail was left out! It is the best pasta and egg plant paramagnet I think I have ever had anywhere. Cant wait to go back! Will gladly recommend to friends!

We had dinner on July 7th when the temperature outside was nearly 103°. There was no air conditioning in the restaurant. Not just no cool air, no air movement whatsoever. It was sweltering inside. The server explained it away by saying the building was old. There was plenty of ventilation ductwork in the ceiling, just nothing coming out of it. The service was indifferent, two of the three dishes we ordered were very oversalted and it was very very expensive. There are many great restaurants in Portland but you can cross this one off your list. Try Q.

We got a recommendation from a local and arrived without a booking at this suave, sophisticated restaurant. Buzzing with activity and very full. We had a lovely meal, the pistachio ravioini were beautiful as was a salad, highly recommended

Quaint little place with good friendly service and good food. Suggest more celiac food and identifying GF food. The olives are terrific and prawn are delicious

Really nice menu and great service. Liked that the portions are meant to be shared. Perfect amount and fun to try different dishes. Nice ambience too. Cucumber mint homemade soda was delicious. Refreshing on a warm day.

I am from out of town and have eaten at Dolly Olive three times during my travels – dinner in the summer, dinner in the winter, and brunch in the winter. Why do I mention this fact? Because of the lighting, the windows, and the ambiance. Each time I have eaten at Dolly Olive, I have been taken by the beauty of the restaurant, the colors of the restaurant, and the changing views out the windows, based upon the time of day. All of this sets the tone for a great meal and moment to be enjoyed. And then, the food arrives, and the whole experience is elevated. I am not a foodie at all, but this restaurant could make me become one. I have never eaten in a restaurant where I am so amazed by the flavors of each dish. Truly. Each bite of each item is so delicious. I could list so many dishes here, but just to give you an idea of what I am talking about, order the Braised Short Rib Arancini (served at dinner and brunch) and you will know exactly what I mean!!!!! In addition to my praise of the ambiance and the food, I would also like to mention the smoothness of the staff and the running of the restaurant. It just flows. Your order is taken (ask your waiter for recommendations), some food arrives, dishes get removed, more food arrives, water bottles are refilled, more food arrives, more dishes are removed, and it’s like a really smooth dance of various people giving you a great night of service where you feel well taken care of from start to finish. Go to Dolly Olive, a lot!!! You will thank me.

Definitely make reservations. This small, hip yet elegant restaurant that opened in the summer of 2022 lived up to my expectations. It’s pricey because you order each part of the meal separately (antipasti, primi plati, etc). I had the beet salad, tagatelle pasta and dessert. (See pics) 1. The beet salad was very good 2. The pasta was even better — homemade, perfectly al dente with a simple, lighter-than-alfredo but flavorful sauce 2. The dessert was exquisite: a “citrus panna cotta with pistachio praline, grapefruit caramel snd toasted coconut.” Hard to describe — like a mousse with citrusy highlights. The pistachios praline is tucked under in the middle so you don’t taste it with the first few bites — a crunchy, nutty surprise. I have no idea why the “sauce” (I’m sure there’s a better word) is called “grapefruit caramel” — it’s a red grapefruit with s “softened” flavor so it’s not st all overpowering. If you like grapefruit and pistachios, this is their match made in heaven. The service was equally exceptional. Warm, helpful, perfectly timed, not intrusive. I had that rare feeling that the people there genuinely enjoyed serving and wanted their patrons to enjoy their time and meals in the restaurant. And I was flying solo and ate at a counter near the bar — but I felt like I was treated with the same attention as anyone else in the restaurant. I arrived around 6:15 pm. By 8:00 pm, the music seemed to get cranked up a little louder, which would have made it a little more difficult to have an intimate conversation. In a foodie town like Portland, my hat goes off to Chef Patrick Lynch and his team for pulling off such a unique and worthwhile dining experience!

Overpriced for the portion size. The plates are served family style but are the size of a small appetizer. They are priced like an entree. The food was very good, just not enough.

I’ve been reluctant to go downtown because the city has so many unsolved issues that affect so many people. But wow, glad I did this time. We had to find a place for dinner and just happened to be near Dolly Olive. Hubby and I ended up getting 7 dishes and we enjoyed every single one. It’s like eating food prepared by the Iron Chefs on TV. So creative in the uses of ingredients and super tasty. Hands up to the staff. Great job ! Thank you for the wonderful dining experience. Will definitely go back with friends.

Fantastic food, top-notch service, tasty cocktails and cannoli so good it might make you cry. I’d eat here every day if I could! Best little surprise was the check, so affordable!!

I chose to celebrate my birthday at Dolly Olive and the night was perfect. In fact, I noted 4 other people celebrating their birthday's as well. We started the night in Bar Dolly with a drink and focaccia bread before we moved to Dolly Olive for our set reservation. All of the food, drinks, and service were exactly what I hoped for having eaten at Dolly Olive before. And Bar Dolly was equally as nice. This restaurant is just very special and very different. The decor, lighting, and music set a great tone which is then followed by great service and truly, truly, delicious food. Each time I go I am just so amazed by the flavors of all of the dishes. Eat here. You will LOVE IT!!! And you'll like Bar Dolly too.

Terrible experience: part of our family was served 20 minutes late, so we couldn't eat together. No apology, very unfriendly service, overly salty dishes, and a "foccacia" that was nothing like the real thing. Definitely not recommended.

We reserved a table at Dolly Olive because of its proximity to the end of a walking tour we had reserved. We were annoyed when the tour got cancelled but are SO grateful it led us to Dolly Olive's door! It's a bit like Tapas, but Italian. It makes it so much easier to decide when you can get one of everything. And all of it was delicious. My husband & I are vegetarians and have never been to a regular restaurant with so many options for us. I don't recall our server's name, but he was wonderful and friendly. I also loved the decor. If we lived near Dolly Olive, we'd be regulars!