With this issue being all about takeaways, we really should have put this new pizza restaurant, which is situated in the Marks & Spencer building, into our round-up. Why? Because despite serving up some pretty decent fare, the service leaves a lot to be desired.
Let’s start with the good news. The food in Olivella is worth your hard-earned cash. The décor is quaint as well. A rich blue ceiling with pipes is an obvious focal point and kids will love the painted walls, with balconies and geckos drawn on. It’s a fun, rustic set-up.
We ordered the bresaola con rucola (cured beef, rocket, parmesan) and insalata caprese (buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil) to start. The beef was particularly impressive. Salty without being overpowering and soft yet chewy like a good cured meat should be. The mozzarella was plump with flavour and the portion was massive.
But it was during the mains that Olivella’s Mr Hyde went awol, to be replaced by Dr Jekyll.
Frutti di mare and Fiorentina wood-fired pizzas were ordered and we asked that the egg yolk be slightly runny on the latter. After a bit of a wait, the frutti was served, but the Fiorentina was nowhere to be seen. Serving up mains separately is a bit of a no-no in our books. When it did finally arrive, we were shocked to find it wasn’t just the yolk which was runny – the whole egg was so runny it wasn’t cooked.
Our call for assistance was then met with indifference by our waitress, who gave the kind of look you see on a teenager who’s been told to tidy their room. She shuffled back to the kitchen with the pizza, returning with it five minutes later with it still uncooked.
A third trip remedied the egg white dilemma, although it did leave the edges of the dough a little crispier than we wanted, which is a shame because the food here is good. The frutti had an almost sweet flavour to it, with plenty of prawns, muscles and squid rings jostling for position under the cheese. The Fiorentina tasted feisty, too with the spinach complementing the gorgonzola and juicy mushrooms.
As if to confuse us again, another waiter came to take our dessert order. Nice as pie, engaging and helpful, it was like we’d stepped into a different restaurant. He took our order for dessert and coffee with minimal fuss.
A good Italian knows how to make tiramisu and Olivella’s was a decent attempt, if perhaps relying too much on the cream. More flavour in the coffee base could see this one romping home with a gold, not silver medal.
So if you’re heading to Pizzeria Olivella, just make sure your eggs are cooked and you get the right waiter and you’ll have a good time. Otherwise, remember one thing: they do delivery.
The bill (for two)
Insalata caprese Dhs19
Bresaola con rucola Dhs22
Fiorentina Dhs35
Frutti di mare Dhs38
Tiramisu Dhs24
Espresso Dhs10
Total (excluding service) Dhs148
