Restaurant Olive Garden in Binnenstad-Noord

What delicious food! Friendly service and very tasty wine.

We ate here tonight. The service was fine, the bruschettas were very tasty, and the vitella tonnato tasted good too, although as far as we are concerned, it could have had a bit more tuna sauce. For the main course, we had a fish platter (4 types of fish) and a meat platter (saltimbocca), both accompanied by spaghetti. The taste of the dishes was very good, but as far as we are concerned, the garlic in the spaghetti was far too overpowering. All in all, we still had a fine meal. We drank a bottle of good white wine with it. Water was served from their own bottles; it is understandable that you pay a bit for that, but as far as we are concerned, the price is too high.

Good food, but you have to wait way too long to be served. The staff are busy and don't take the time to walk around, so we couldn't order drinks. White wine was served with rosé. All rather unprofessional. The tables are too close together, making it difficult for them to serve the food properly. A real shame. There are better options in Leiden.

Delicious food, professional service

We went to Olive Garden for dinner yesterday, and as usual, the food was absolutely delicious. They know us so well that they didn’t even need to bring us the menu! They started telling us what we would like and listed all the dishes for us, which was such a lovely and personal touch. The restaurant was completely full and quite lively, so it was a little noisy, but that didn’t take away from the experience. The food was, as always, excellent, with great quality and very generous portions. Everything was beautifully presented, and we really enjoyed the atmosphere. If you’re a fan of Italian food, I would definitely recommend giving Olive Garden a try. You won’t be disappointed! Rohini ♥️

The food is worth a visit. Truly remarkable. The flavors and combinations are unexpected. Unfortunately, I found the service disorganized. There were two of us, and it took two hours for our appetizer and main course to be brought to us. A bit long. There was a beautiful table, but it clogged the restaurant and made the atmosphere very unsuitable for conversation without getting shouted at. Maybe we just picked the wrong night. What a shame.

Had a fantastic meal at Olive Garden. Delicious dishes and top-notch service, including by Noah. Highly recommended!!

Excellent experience, quality food, well-cooked. Lorenzo looked after us, and gave us kind and professional advice.

Great food, friendly service and a quite long wine list. Must visit!

Always great to come here! Food is very tasty and the service is excellent.

Had a delicious meal. Atmospheric restaurant, good service. Always a treat to eat here. And also

Had a nice meal yesterday, but the service left nothing to be desired (and that certainly wasn't the fault of the young guy working there). Glasses were empty for far too long and too often, and we sat waiting for 45 minutes with a closed menu just to be able to order our dessert. I don't think we'll be going there again anytime soon.

Hello everyone! This restaurant bills itself as Italian, but it feels like the people in the kitchen aren't from Italy or don't really understand Italian cuisine (the sauce for the vitello tonnato wasn't up to par in quality and quantity, the spaghetti wasn't salty at all, and the tuna was practically raw and cold). Overall, we don't want to come back here again and don't highly recommend it.

The service is great here they make you feel home

Both pasta dishes tasted very good. The service was very friendly.

The food here isn't really authentic—more fusion and inspired. It didn't satisfy our Italian cravings. But what we remember most was the cold welcome we received when we walked in. I had emailed a reservation request, and while I understand that confirmation was needed, I was in the area and thought it would be easier to just stop by and see if a reservation was available for that evening. If they could seat us, great; if not, no problem. When we arrived, it was around 7:30 PM, and there was only one table of guests—a nearly empty restaurant. The host (tall, with glasses) seemed irritated that I had come without a confirmation email, even though I had already indicated that I was in the area and that asking wouldn't hurt. I couldn't understand his irritated attitude, especially since the restaurant was nearly empty. He walked away without a word. I wasn't sure whether to follow him. When I asked, he looked irritated and said he could seat us. Again: a nearly empty restaurant, and he seated us right next to the restroom. We stayed until almost 8:30 PM. Only one other table with two guests arrived after us. My suggestion: appreciate the small number of customers you have on quiet evenings. I won't be back and I don't recommend this restaurant.

It was a blast again! Pleasant atmosphere, friendly service, and delicious food.

I ate here with a friend. We were given a table for two near the bar. It wasn't bad, but the smell of dish soap wasn't what I'd like. Later in the evening, the music also became too loud and unpleasant. Initially, there was a mistake with the order, and the wrong dish was served. So, we had to wait for the correct dish. The food was okay, but nothing special. I had pasta and my friend had ribeye, but it was a very thin, small piece of meat. Portions were quite small, and prices were quite high. I did, however, have a fantastic wine. But all in all, I won't be returning.

A fantastic lunch, and very hospitable and friendly service from Fleur and Flo. They even had breakfast prepared and packed for Sunday morning right away. Everything was absolutely delicious, highly recommended.

The food was cold and the service was downright rude. We were kicked out because the next guests were already waiting, just as we'd finished our dessert. The so-called "farewell drink" was a paltry amount of limoncello. As if that wasn't enough, we also had to pay for tap water. A complete lack of hospitality – we won't be returning.

Can I take your coat? Where do you hear that these days? The service was excellent, but the place wasn't completely full (7:00 PM Friday evening). The food was delicious. The price was a bit high, but it was definitely worth it. Highly recommended!

The food was fantastic! We had complicated requirements because we had to eat within half an hour to save the movie, and we also had a gluten intolerance at the table. Despite this, they helped us immediately and gave us a modified dish, and the food was on the table within 10 minutes! Great service, and we'll definitely be back again.

Unfortunately, I can’t say we had a great time at this restaurant, and I’m sad to say that looking at other reviews. It was our anniversary and we really wanted to have a special evening. Upon arriving everything seemed fine. It was Tuesday night, not many tables occupied, not busy at all. Two people working, a girl and a boy. I am not sure what were their responsibilities, but it looked as the boy did majority of the things. Anyway, we were sat at our table and no one bothered to bring menus for good couple of minutes, even though they were not doing anything. I finally waved at the girl, and she brought them. When we were ready to order, same situation. We were in the restaurant for 20min and still didn’t order (and as I said, there were maybe 4 tables in total). I saw the girl just standing there doing nothing, the boy was a bit more busy. I look at her intently, smile. She still doesn’t come. So after a couple of minutes, I wave again. Then finally the boy comes and takes the order. This wasn’t pleasant either - not sure if it’s because of English, but not very approaching type of service. After that, I honestly didn’t care anymore. We ate the food (which was great! So chefs are definitely amazing there), and left. Did not even stay for a desert… Pretty sad experience. Maybe we were unlucky with the staff.

What a gift... Ended up here by chance. Or is there no such thing as coincidence? The hosts spoil you, from start to finish. Italy is so close. And the melanzane is divine and unlike anything you'll find anywhere else. Delicious❤️ We'll be back soon...😘

We had a delicious meal in the center of Leiden. Parking was no problem on Sunday evening, but be aware of the parking meter.

I ate at this restaurant on October 18th and what a disappointing experience. Four measly slices of house baguette with herb butter and two glasses of prosecco to start. It was busy, but after 30 minutes we had our starter. Tasty, but nothing special. Then we waited an hour and 45 minutes for our main course, which was a disappointing experience. The king prawns were frozen prawns that had been fried for far too long and had absolutely nothing to do with king prawns. I even asked for a free glass of wine to compensate for the long wait, as they had never heard of hospitality here. I quickly left, and when I checked the receipt, there was still a bottle of tap water that was €5.50 too much. The price/quality ratio is poor. It was okay that it was busy, but at least you could have come to the table and apologized. The owners had a young maid take care of it, who couldn't do anything about it. Well, it will take another 5 years before we go there again.

Had a wonderful meal yesterday! This restaurant doesn't serve standard Italian dishes, but surprising, original combinations of high quality and incredibly flavorful. The service was also excellent – ​​friendly, attentive, and truly knowledgeable. Thanks to the waiter's enthusiastic explanation of the wines, I even tried a glass (or two)… and enjoyed it! In short: another gem in Leiden that's absolutely worth a visit.

What a great atmosphere, lovely staff, and above all, super delicious food! Thank you so much for tonight ❤️

Good food but a little expensive.

Ate here yesterday with a friend. The service and food were both 5-star!

I appreciate that the menu caters to different dietary needs, including vegetarian options.

My husband was in Leiden frequently for work. He would always rave about this restaurant. When we visited this past Spring we went for dinner twice! Service is wonderful, the choices of appetizers and dinners are delicious and the desserts were perfect. This is definitely on our list next time we visit

Absolutely love this place! The host was incredibly welcoming, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was super warm and inviting. A true gem!

Had lunch here recently and overall it was a really nice experience. The food portions were just right, not too much, not too little. The steak was nicely seasoned, though it could’ve used just a touch more salt. The pasta was a bit on the oily side, but still tasty and definitely acceptable. The vibe of the place was relaxed, and the service stood out. Our server was super chill and friendly, made us feel welcome and really took good care of us throughout. Paired the meal with a glass of red wine, which went down very smoothly. Nice ambiance inside with a cozy setup, and the outdoor seating looked perfect for a sunny day.

Delicious food, super friendly staff

Delicious food. Portions not too large, menu not too extensive, just right! Very friendly service. Highly recommended. Make sure to make a reservation as it's a popular restaurant.

Olive Garden is without a doubt one of the best restaurants I love to dine at. From the very first moment, I felt welcomed by the warm, cozy atmosphere and the friendly service. As for the food: absolutely outstanding. The bruschettas were wonderfully crisp and generously topped, the perfect start to the evening. Naturally, it was paired with a nice glass of wine (my favorite is the 071 red wine). Afterwards, we enjoyed delicious fresh pasta, perfectly prepared and beautifully presented. What truly topped it all off was the tender, flavorful piece of meat that paired perfectly with the pasta – a surprisingly good and balanced combination. You can taste that everything has been prepared with care and quality. The portions are generous, the flavors are purely Italian, and the service is friendly and attentive. You feel like you're on vacation in Italy. Whether you're going with family, friends, or your partner, Olive Garden is an absolute must. I return here often, time and time again. For anyone who appreciates good food and a warm atmosphere, this is the place to be.

Excellent! What a lovely surprise after visiting the Boerhaave Museum. We happened to walk past this quiet Italian restaurant and were impressed by the delicious food and the hospitality. The starters, main courses, and desserts were exquisite, a very good kitchen. Not your typical Italian restaurant, but highly recommended.

Olive Garden is pure enjoyment. (Not to be confused with Olive country) Food is a refined Italian cooking art. Authentic Italian Cuisine and Hospitality & Atmosphere!

Had a delicious meal with extremely friendly service.

Delicious food! Good and fresh food and a wonderfully quiet atmosphere. Enjoyed it very much and definitely recommend it!

Nice restaurant with delicious real Italian dishes. Many vegetarian meals on the menu. Cozy furnishings Relaxed atmosphere, good service. A bit noisy, yes Definitely recommended.

Fantastisch Italiaans restaurant! Erg leuke kaart, zonder pizza (gelukkig, zou ik zeggen), mer verrassende gerechten. Alles zeer smaakvol en met veel plezier geserveerd. Aanrader.

Fijne avond gehad. Goed eten wat plezierig geserveerd werd. Je voelde je echt welkom. Lekkere wijn Kortom een aanrader.

A unique experience at Olive Garden. First, we had a question about a bottle of wine; the waiter clearly didn't know anything about it, but instead of asking a colleague for help, he just kept stammering and finally said he didn't actually know. Oh well, that wasn't the worst part. The wine was otherwise fine. Now for the food: the bruschetta (though rather expensive, €10 for one) and antipasto were delicious. The tortellini with gorgonzola and pear was also good, but the pasta with ribeye was rather disappointing, especially the ribeye. It was tough chunks of meat that looked more like shawarma, but not even tasty. We mentioned it to the waiter. After he took our plates, he came back and confirmed that it did indeed look like shawarma, and said it usually looked different. He asked if we wanted dessert, but we declined because we were full. He joked that they weren't desserts with shawarma. There was no apology or other offer for the disappointing main course. When we received the bill later, everything was listed, we asked if anything could be done about the shawarma (some kind of compensation). He didn't ask him for that, but rather his boss (whom we hadn't dealt with all evening). He reluctantly went to his boss, who returned a few minutes later and said there was nothing he could do. I really don't understand it. It would have been so simple to offer a drink or something. We had otherwise had a good meal, but the overall service was truly terrible. A small gesture could have kept a customer, but now you're losing one. We won't be returning and we certainly won't be recommending it.

Bad experience. We ordered 2 dishes and only got one. Water is >5€. After receiving the receipt (including the missing dish), we told them that we did not get it. The waiter went away and got back with a correct receipt, but didn’t say a word to us, not even sorry or goodbye. Horrible service

Food was forgotten, sitting outside resembles a back yard pub

Absolutely perfect from arrival to departure. Warm atmosphere, very friendly staff and delicious authentic Italian dishes.

I had such a good meal here. Just really really good food. You can see and taste that everything in this restaurant is made with care. Service is also great. One of the better restaurants in Leiden. A very small downside is that the acoustics in the restaurant are a bit less and therefore a bit noisy but that is the only thing I can think of. Otherwise highly recommended.

If you love Italian food and are in Leiden,you should definitely stop by this restaurant. The food here is excellent, and the atmosphere is just as enjoyable. I have been wanting to visit this place for years, and it has never disappointed me. I personally enjoy hot and spicy food. While their dishes are not extremely spicy, they always make sure to provide extra chili for me, which I really appreciate. That’s one of the reasons I love coming here!

The kitchen is fantastic, as is the always very friendly owner and other staff members. It's always a feeling of coming home.❤️

Mistake when booking, partly my own fault. But no effort is too much to find a solution. Delicious food.

Excellent service and food. Many thanks to Nadir and Magic.

Very good food. Perfect service. Super ambiance.

If you like Italian food and you really want to eat something delicious, then Oliver Garden is the right place for you. Delicious dishes and very friendly and fun service!

A favorite for years, the tastiest real Italian dishes are prepared with passion and great care and served by the friendly staff. Highly recommended!

Fantastisch eten, briljante wijn en hele lieve gastheren. We hebben zoals altijd genoten van de Italiaanse gastvrijheid.

In one word it is just perfect. They move the boundaries of your expectations.

Zoals altijd heerlijk. Pasta met schelpdieren en ossenhaas met gorgonzola. Tiramisu en grappa. Geweldige bediening. Heerlijke wijn.

Bellicima and deliciously chaotic Italian. Great food and gluten-free options

Zeer smaakvolle maaltijd en passende wijn. Fijne en persoonlijke vriendelijke bediening. Jammer van de espresso, die niet echt Italiaans was.

Excellent everything, fresh sea food, good service, tidy atmosphere. Recommended! Also, you can park 100m away just outside of the cursed city center with affordable parking.

Delicious food Top service Excellent price-quality ratio

Beautiful classic Italian main dishes. Slightly small in portion so you need three courses. We were not too pleased with dessert, the Tuscan cookies with the vinstanto were a disappointment in particular. Factory cookies delivered in plastic to your plate. Leave them out and make them yourself.

Not recommended in my opinion; if you choose the vegetarian version of a recipe it is nothing more than meat-oriented but with the meat left out. Plain water costs more than 5 euros and a glass of wine is at least 7 euros, which quickly makes the drink half of the bill.

We hebben drie uur (!!) gedaan over een simpel driegangenmenu. Bruschetti, antipasti en hoofdgerecht. De bruschetti (19:30 - 20:30 ) was verbrand. De antipasti (20:30-21:30) was OK, met weinig Italiaanse warmte bereid (sardines & tijgergarnalen en een vitello). Maar toen was het weer een vol klokuur wachten tot het hoofdgerecht dat - als eerste - echt klopte. Maar we waren al zo lang onderweg (21:30-22:30) dat het plezier in eten verdween. Vier flessen goede wijn later moesten we €389 euro aftikken voor matig eten en een bediening, die zich echt inzet, maar zich natuurlijk ook niet meer liet zien. Dus: fact of the matter is, als je voor €100 per persoon heel lang wilt wachten met zeer matig eten, dan is dit jouw tent.

This restaurant is not to be compared with the American version, definitely a disappointment.

Gezellig wat moderner Italiaans restaurant. Geen pizzeria (hebben ze niet eens). Fijne sfeer en akoestiek, goede stoelen. Enthousiaste bediening en heerlijk eten. Prijzen iets boven gemiddeld maar zeker value for money. Ons kleinkind werd als prinses behandeld. Enige kleine minpuntje is de huiswijnen. Zowel in rood als in wit heeft Italie meer te bieden. Voor wie het niet laat bij een glas wit en een glas rood is er een uitgebreide wijnkaart met wijnen uit alle streken.

Olive Garden heeft een fijne ambiance en dito bediening. Dit familiebedrijf heeft de service en gastvrijheid van weleer nog altijd hoog in het vaandel staan. Zeker een aanrader om eens een vorkje te prikken. Genietend van goed gezelschap en het pure genot van een hapje en een drankje. Grazie!

One word: FANTASTICO⭐️⭐️⭐️..!! Service, hospitality, food and drinks are great. The service is very attentive and knows how to take care of the guests. The kitchen is great, no average pizzas or pastas, but delicious dishes prepared in the right way. An evening out couldn't be better. Spend money on wine and you don't know what you taste. Until next time

Food is expensive for what you get. Not very friendly to us.

Delicious food! Excellent service too. We would love to come back here again when we go to Leiden for a day.

The food is no longer what it used to be. Price/quality is not in balance. However, the service is extremely friendly and helpful.

Delicious, pure Italian food. Don't expect pizza or pasta, but delicious dishes that taste good. Leg of lamb was beautifully tender and well seasoned. No fuss, not too salty, just the pure taste of good meat! Wines were delicious and the service very friendly.

Delicious dinner. We opted for the chef's four-course menu. Restaurant with a nice ambiance and truly authentic Italian food.

Were there during restaurant week and had a surprise menu. Everything could have been a little more special.

Always delicious food and fantastic welcome. Almost a second home. Whether it is the bruschetta San Angelo or San Luciano or the funghi or risotto al tartufo or Nostalgia Di Olive Garden pasta or filetto tartufo or tiramisu, it is always delicious! Together with the exceptionally warm welcome, this means that we return here very often and that it is our regular restaurant in Leiden.

First time ever in this restaurant. I was genuinely surprised that it was fully packed upon my arrival. That’s gotta say something about it. The food was great. It’s almost funny to see old-fashioned plates like these. The bread sticks before dinner were a bit lumpy and not all crunchy (they were free though). A tip that I’d give is that you should give customers at least decent steak knives for steaks. The knives we got were not ideal.

It has been a long time since we have been here. If was still as we hope it would be. Thanks for the wonderful evening

Nice restaurant with friendly service. Starter was very tasty, but the main courses were designed with a strange fusion concept where the pasta was served with... Shawarma meat. Also on my table companion's dish, strips of meat over the pasta. In the end, the bill was far too high for what we ate. And putting a bottle of tap water on the bill for €5.25 while we have ordered a bottle of expensive wine is really not done.

We had a delicious meal, good service and a wonderful evening on Christmas Day!

Horrible experience in this restaurant. My friend broke a goblet when the server put the menu in front of us. The goblet fell and the glass shattered all over the table. My friend apologized and they said it’s fine. However, during the time we having the dinner, the male (probably is the owner or the manager) kept reminding us that we broke a goblet by saying: don’t touch that goblet; it’s good that you are not using it (because we didn’t order wine); you are throwing everything away. The manager said these words in a way that seemed to be joking, which didn’t make him less unfriendly at all. You can probably tell from other reviews that they are lacking of staffs, which is absolutely true. We have waited for a long time for foods. More importantly, spending time on dealing with extra troubles, such as a broken goblet, might make them unhappy. I’m so regretful that we didn’t leave the restaurant earlier before he said those words three times to make us feel embarrassed. A kind reminder, we are two Asian girls. I’m not sure whether if he only say these words to young women of colors, who he thinks have good temper and never complain - but this presumption turns out to be wrong and I’m complaining about this horrible experience everywhere online and offline. In terms of the foods and the price, there are better Italian restaurants in Leiden I have been. I would rate it 3.8/5 - average. This is a non biased review.

Very cozy Italian restaurant with quick and humorous service. Food perfect. Hygiene top and fresh food.

Delicious food and not for the first time!

Wat een fantastisch restaurant.We hebben hier heerlijk gegeten.Het eten is heel lekker smaakvol.

Excellente service en eten. Wij hadden het 4 gangen diner met keuze van chef. In 1 woord geweldig!! Olive Garden is én blijft een dikke aanrader!

Heerlijk gegeten en vriendelijk personeel. Hadden gelukkig nog een plekje voor ons want het kan wel eens druk zijn begreep ik. We zaten een beetje bij de keuken dus een beetje afgezonderd maar dat maakte ons niet veel uit. De service en eten maakte alles goed

Een warm welkom, heerlijk gegeten en de heren van de bediening maken er echt iets leuks van. Onze kinderen hebben ook genoten.

Zeker goed, nog steeds. Antipasti was goed, kaasplankje achteraf ook. Over het hoofdgerecht is wel wat aan te merken: Pasta was giga vol met knoflook (genoteerd door de ober). Biefstuk was weinig, met een speklap en met kaas. Best lekker, maar voor mij hoeft dat eerlijk gezegd niet. Biefstuk = biefstuk, geen rommel daaromheen. Wijnen natuurlijk goed van Italvin. Service super, al met al goed, maar door het eten net niet geweldig.

We hebben hier heerlijk gegeten! De bediening laat je je thuis en welkom voelen, dat doen ze enorm goed. Het eten is heel lekker smaakvol en met een twist zoals ik hem nog niet kende. We komen hier graag weer terug!

Most standard fancy restaurant.

Wat een fantastisch restaurant is dit. Direct als je binnenkomt, voel je thuis. Ook al kom jevoor de eerste keer, je wordt begroet als goede vrienden. En dan het eten, gewoon heerlijk, verrassend en smaakvol. We worden zeker vaste klanten.

Spectacularly good food. Really authentic pasta. Beautiful presentation and all at a sensible price. Will definitely be back…

Ambiente calmo e convidativo para uma boa refeição. A comida é boa, mas a preços relativamente elevados.

Gezellig ontvangen, heerlijk eten en wijn. Uitstekende service. 4-gangen chef's menu zeer aanbevolen!

Sfeervol restaurant met een uitstekende Italiaanse keuken. Wij hebben gebruik gemaakt van het drie gangen pasta menu (bruschetta, antipasti, pasta).

Het restaurant zelf is niet super sfeervol, maar dat wordt meer dan goed gemaakt door het bijzonder lekkere eten. Écht super! Ook de bediening is heel vriendelijk en aardig. Ik kom hier graag. Als je echt Italiaans wil eten dan is dit de plek waar je naar toe moet gaan!

Goed restaurant om iets te komen eten.

Heerlijk gegeten in een ongedwongen sfeer. Dat je bij Olive Garden lekker kan eten was al bekend. Desondanks was het ook deze keer weer verassend lekker. En het toetje was echt ongelooflijk lekker. Hulde aan de creativiteit van de kok(s)! Echt subliem!

Super lekker gegeten, niet goedkoop wel echt klasse kwaliteit voor herhaling vatbaar