Olive or Twist Restaurant - Downtown Pittsburgh Reviews

A consistently visited spot over my course of adult hood. Great bar vibe with a modern twist. Check out the upstairs for an industrial vibe. Also great for renting out or big parties.

Great place to have a private party on the second floor. Cocktails are on point and the hors'derves are delish!!

Olive....dirty. Wonderful place, clean, fun, drinks good & service is great. Good mixed crowd.

Came there with a friend after a great show at the Byham! Just starting my 60th Birthday Celebration! Ran into other folks celebrating. Food drinks and atmosphere were great!

Seemed like a really cool place. Laid back atmosphere.

Lively pre- or post-theater spot. Our food & cocktails were original & delicious. And despite being busy, service was fast enough to for us to savor our meal & get to the show with time to spare.

Great drinks that justify the price! Tried my first Vesper here. Would return.

Pricey for the portions, but good flavor. I got the poutine and a burger, but left hungry.

Olive Or Twist is a fantastic place! The service is fast and friendly and the atmosphere is great. They have a great selection of beers (domestics, drafts, imports) as well as wines. The food is very casual and surprisingly inexpensive. Not to mention very delicious! The upstairs lounge is also a great place so socialize. Downside is the place can get a bit crowded and crammed.

Love, love, love the calamari. It's so good and spicy. There is an endless list of martinis and one is better than the next. There is a first and second floor, if you prefer more of a bar or lounge atmosphere. It's not a place I like for dinner, but for drinks and apps it's wonderful.

Great food, we ate at the bar. Nice laid back atmosphere for a quick bite, before a show at the Byham.

Food left much to be desired. Drinks were definitely overpriced. Caters to tourists so we expected inflated prices. Staff is friendly though.

Come here expecting to spend money, but you wont be disappointed in service, drinks, or food!

One of my favorites. Cool atmosphere, awesome drinks, and great snacks!

It has a really relaxed and warm vibe, with great staff and amazing drink options.

This a beautiful upscale martini bar in the cultural district . Nice music, decent service, high end drinks, high prices. But altogether a nice bar if you're looking for this kind of atmosphere.

Nice place to chill out and have a beer. Great staff!

Prices are a bit steep for what you get. I got sparkling cider (3) and a quesadilla and spent 50 bucks. I can get the same stuff elsewhere for less and still get quality.

This is a really great spot very vibrant and intimate at the same time.

As a repeat and fairly frequent patron following orchestra concerts I am very displeased with this establishment for two reasons. First, I had a very negative and frankly rude experience with a male server when ordering a beverage. I noticed that the restaurant had recently updated and changed their cocktail list and had removed some of the usual choices. When I asked the server if the bartender could still make one of your standard martinis the server responded in a condescending tone stating, "Absolutely not, the bartender would have my head." If this establishment cares at all about customer service and is attempting to be a upscale establishment then perhaps they should train their staff to respond in a different manner by simply apologizing that it is no longer an option or offering to ask the bartender if they would be willing to make it.

My other complaint is the obnoxious volume level that was being blasted by live musicians in the bar area. I understand wanting to entertain and draw customers in from the street with live music but question the reason was the manager couldn't ask them to turn their speakers slightly down. It was so loud that customers eating in the back of the restaurant essentially had to shout at the people less than 3 feet away from them at the same table.

Overall, poor customer service and poor management in my opinion.

This place is great! I stayed at the Marriot Renaissance across the street and we had a great experience at Olive or Twist with many lasting memories. The name being smart and witty is what attracted us but then their delicious cocktail menu hooked us. They even served Moscow mules in the appropiate copperware! We had so much fun at this place on Friday that we went back the following night on Saturday that my family, friends and I will forever have lasting fun memories from this establishment.They had a great band (who interacted with the crowd with his dry humor) and the signer was willing to play any cover song we wish. The bartenders and the serving staff were very friendly, helpful and accommodating but nothing beats Jeff Wallace who went beyond the call of duty to track down my cell phone and return it back to me. I would have already giving this bar 5 stars but I rarely write positive reviews. However, I cannot help but share my FANTASTIC fun experience so others can have a great experience as we did. It is a must-do in Pittsburgh!

Great cocktails and tasty food! Service is friendly too.

Was there with it wedding party they did not serve us until the end of the night and we canceled everything because they took too long

I've actually never ordered a martini here. Everything else has been good though.

My date and I stopped in twice in one night. Mid-afternoon we ordered an appetizer and each had one of the specialty martinis. The drinks were delicious and the food was very good. After an evening of visiting the Christmas sights and going on the Incline we returned late night. Ordered different martinis and they were delicious. A band was playing and they were very entertaining. A great night out!

Be prepared to pay, drinks are expensive. The upstairs lounge is super cool when it's open. The espresso martini is delicious.

Great service, food, drinks and atmosphere. Always a great time

Atmosphere was great. Its located right next to a parking garage which was super convenient. The calamari was easily the best we had ever had.

This place has been around for a number er of years. It's a cozy place with good food and good drinks. I have heard that it's considered the local bar for people that live downtown. Unlike a lot of local bars, though, the atmosphere is very welcoming. I've never had a bad time here.

Loved there chocolate martini was amazing everything we had was so good nice place to stop for a casual meal

This was my favorite place to eat- looked forward to going before every show since I am a season ticket holder- went last night to find- new management and new Manus as a result...ALL of my favorites were gone. Everything making them the go to place to eat is gone- replaced with mediocre choices that you can get anywhere. Margaritas were still the same...I assume good as usual but I left since the food options weren t worth the stay. Don t fix something that isn t broken. The bar tender even said- they took away most people s favorites. I won t be back as long as this menu stays.

I took my fiance up to the second floor bar for some drinks as Olive or Twist used to be one of our favorite spots in Pittsburgh but for some reason the service was horrible this night. Not sure if it was just an off night or if things have changed there, but I was definitely not impressed.

Well, they re fantastically accommodating.

My wife got the peppered salmon; she ate the whole thing so, I m assuming she thought it was good.

I got the crab cakes. You should not. They were dry and bland.

Like any whiney millennial should, I complained about my first world problem to the server. She asked if I d like something different and at first, I hesitated.

But, then I said the hell with it. Bring me a menu.

I opted for the Lobster Mac.

And HOLY BALLS is it SO good. Don t get anything else except for that.

They d get a three I cared about atmospheres... it seems like it s the butthole of these guy s restaurant brands.

I recommend you go, and get the lobster mac. Think of me when you put it your mouth.

Great lounge space upstairs. We had a large office party there and it was a fabulous event. Staff was friendly and helpful and the appetizers were delicious.

Pretty solid drinks. Never too crowded either. There are a lot of very sweet martinis. So if you like that then this is a good place. But they have other drinks as well.

Bartender was very friendly and gave us great local recommendation, lots of options on tap but the cocktails weren t great (we tried several)

Good food, but were out on a few things on the menu (especially the pork belly that i went there for)

Music is great, bartenders make great drinks and they are also very nice! I like this place.

Nice martini selection, 2 levels with a lounge upstairs. A dozen beers on tap, live music, missing some ingredients for specialty cocktails. Open late and has TVs if you're trying to catch a game.

Attentive and kind staff.

Vibrant atmosphere.

Crab cakes had the best crab to cake ratio I've ever had.

Chocolate torte may or may not have been made on site, but who cares!

Diverse and well crafted drink menu as well.

From the beginning of planning our rehearsal dinner/welcome party for our wedding, Olive or Twist was absolutely incredible. John Muth, the event coordinator, was immensely helpful and compassionate when dealing with the almost daily changes throughout the planning process that occurred due to COVID.
He was helpful keeping us informed with restaurant restrictions and overall was an excellent communicator.
The staff was so accommodating in adjusting the plan to cater our event at home, and John was very focused on making the event wonderful for the bride and groom.
John executed the plan impeccably, and met the people picking up the food on time, and guided us on how to keep the food warm for our guests. Overall, can t say enough good things!!!

Jerk Salmon out of this world! Great atmosphere! Good service even on a busy night!

We love olive or twist. We always stop to drink a few martinis when in town. This trip the service was horrible. Not sure why? But.... The Ruby red Bellinis still tasted amazing!!

Amazing customer service.
Patient with us coming in at the last minute for a meal.
Shout out to Jordan.

This is a nice place for drinks and food! The food is GOOD, not TOOO expensive, especially for what you get and location/atmosphere. The lighting is low and comfortable and the staff and people are always friendly! I'm here every Saturday night. There is also live music on Friday and Saturday and the musicians are not bad at all! 5 stars! Ask for Carissa if your eating in the diner!

Great place for a meal or just some casual drinks. Very clean and excellent service!!

The 1st bartender faked a hot toddy, and forgot to bring my second drink.

Oliver Twist is great for regular casual dining but the catering of a group is lacking on the food side. The staff service of our xmas party was excellent but the food missed the mark.

Great happy hour specials. Check then out! Calamari sauce was a little too sweet. But still good.

This sweet spot in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh will provide you with amazing atmosphere, food, and drinks.

Great atmosphere and food. Best place for cocktails. It is a cocktail bar and they can make any cocktail imaginable. Three bars total. I'd recommend only going to the second floor. Can get quite noisy.

Used to be a fantastic cocktail bar, but for some reason, while the complexity of their drinks menu has increased, the quality of the actual drinks has gone downhill. Last two visits, cocktails have been unbalanced, harsh, or just plain mixed wrong. Whoever makes their menu clearly knows their craft, but they have to find a way to get the bar staff to keep up... Lots of other options downtown now, and sadly, they've overtaken OoT for what you can get in this price range.

Worst martini we have ever had. Service was very slow considering the low customer base

There for a wedding. So unsure of the regular service. Wedding was beautiful.

If you donnot visit this place your crazy!!! Friday night's most amazing live music!!! Was lucky to cat I him on a Friday night. Great drinks, even better staff

Had a very nice time. The bar ends about halfway down the long, narrow room, and at the far end people are eating. We had nothing to eat but enjoyed ourself immensely, hanging around the bar and listening to the fine musician who played covers of just about everything; and, who had, at one point, half the bar singing along .

Delicious food. Great service. Perfect atmosphere. Amazing Vodka Pasta & smoked chicken salad. Creme Brulee.

Their drinks were amazing and a cool atmosphere as usual. My only complaint is that the table service there kinda blows. Bar service is good though.

Went into town early with 2 friends for an event at Heinz Hall fri sept 6 and went here to get a drink and appetizer before the show. Someone a male was sitting at a seat at the door and ask did we have a reservation which we didn t be he said we could sit in the outside area. We waited 20 minutes no service. I went inside to ask for service and a server said she would send someone out. 15 minutes later, still no service. I go inside again and ask were they serving outside. Don t know why I had to ask that, they seem to always have people eating outside when I m not going there. The bartender said she would send someone out and I told her that would be the 3rd time I ve heard that. 35 minutes later, no service so me and my friends left. I gave one star for you existing, but that was so unnecessary to be treated that way. Coming back won t happen. Thank you, Next

Favorite place to grab a drink after work. Bartenders definitely know what they're doing and they are all very nice and personable as well.

Fantastic atmosphere and great martini selection. They do run out of the ingredients for some of the more popular choices which kind of stinks, but the food is great as well.

Much nicer places for drinks. Really good for groups though.

Fun atmosphere and good drinks, would not hesitate to return

A fantastic fun time!!! And the prices are surprisingly not ridiculous. Grab a signature martini if you're ready to get lit because they do em right