Slightly Oliver

This place is pretty silly. Food is just mediocre and service was a little inattentive the night I went. There are small things that could have been done to make the experience better but they were too stubborn to do so.
For example, they have a soup and sandwich pairing. However, we asked if we could swap out a soup or a sandwich. Change the combination up. No can do, they said to me. I find that lazy for a restaurant. A lot of places will allow for the change if it’s not a huge hassle on the cooks (it’s just swapping a sandwich for another for god’s sake) and may even adjust the cost appropriately. I’m totally fine with that. NOPE.
The only reason I cam here was because next door’s Jacob’s Pickle was packed. What a sad and unfortunate turn of events.

Came here Sunday night with a few friends for some drinks and eats. Bottom line, great food, decent ambiance, crappy service.
When we got in, there was no host/​hostess to check on us — I had to go to the bar and tell them there would be six of us. After the girl was done setting up the table, she didn’t tell anyone so we still remained standing there. Normally, I’m a pretty laid back guy and I wouldn’t care, but we were tired and hungry and cold and just wanted to sit down.
When we did sit, the waiter had to come back 3 times to inquire about 2 drinks that we ordered. He disappeared after that.
Anyways, the night ended better than it started. The few drinks and comforting food probably helped. The salmon tartar and mac and cheese were off the hook. The brussel sprouts were also very good.
I’d recommend this for local people that are in no rush and just want to go somewhere quiet for dinner. But there are so many other great local spots that it’ll be tough to convince me to hit this place up again.

Eine nette rustikale bar, mit einem schönen außenbereich, von wo aus man das geschehen in der amsterdam ave beobachten kann.
Sauber, nett und freundlich und eine schnelle bedienung. Perfekt, um eine pause zu machen und etwas zu entspannen.
Ein bier liegt bei 5,50.
Es gibt eine große weinkarte!
Immer wieder gern. Ich mag das slightly.
:o)

I came here on a date last night. We had originally been planning on going to Jacob’s Pickles, but it was really packed, so we popped in next door to Slightly Oliver. The ambiance was really nice, and they had plenty of room. The cocktails were strong, and the service was generally pretty good. No complaints here.

Maybe it was the time of day/​week, but I feel like this place could be a lot better. At first glance from the outside, it’s very unassuming and I’ve never really felt the need to walk in. Once I did, I was kind of impressed. I thought this place was a dive!
Inside, it has a very nice feel and décor. The menu was filled with delicious looking plates and apps and all of their signature and classic cocktails seemed enjoyable. I got an Oliver’s Cilantro which was super delicious and refreshing. For food, I had the Basil Pesto Flat bread, and a side of fries. The pesto basil sauce of flat bread was to die for. The bread itself was a bit doughy though. The fries were a bit too thick-​cut, flimsy and forgettable. There wasn’t any dip or ketchup around either.
If you do come here, I suggest coming way before 9 if its a Saturday. We arrived around 9:30 or so, and it wasn’t very crowded at all. Still, our waiter was very scarce and that continued to be a problem as the night drew on. The place quickly turned upside down, the bar was packed, it was loud, and we had a new waitress that was equally as scarce, water glasses were unfilled and items we would request would be forgotten about.
It seems they can’t keep up with the crowds. I’d like to see how it is during happy hour though. The food is good enough to come back for and so would the drink specials.

I chose to have my girlfriend’s graduation party at Slightly Oliver two weeks ago. Let me start off by saying, I usually make terrible decisions. This was definitely one of my better ones.
We expected about 15 close friends to drop in and out over the course of the afternoon (lucky for us, this was also during happy hour). The manager, Jude, couldn’t have been more accommodating or professional. He set up a space for our party in the front of the restaurant where would catch late-​comers. I felt like I was co-​hosting the party with him as he pushed together tables for our party (sometimes quite literally bending over backwards just to ensure we had a good time). He constantly checked in with me to make sure everyone at the party was taken care of and that we were enjoying ourselves.
The service and bus staff was attentive and wonderful; our water glasses were always filled, as were our delicious cocktails. I had one of their signature Manhattans and couldn’t have been more pleased.
Some members of the party ordered food which they were thoroughly impressed with. I opted for the Oysters ($ 1 dollar each during happy hour… on the Upper West Side nonetheless.)
Overall, this was one of the best decisions I’d ever made. My girlfriend (and her family) had a wonderful time. I looked like a hero. I’ll definitely be going back. Thanks Jude and staff!

Awesome UWS bar/​restaurant, with ample seating (including sidewalk tables), friendly staff, and trendy comfort food like Bacon Mac & Cheese and Rosemary Fries.
I went on a Tuesday night with some friends and it was hopping. All the front windows were open and every outside table was filled. We sat in the front bar area for some lite dinner and cocktails, but there are really cool «private» tables in the back area.
The Bacon Mac & Cheese was awesome… quite a large portion which is perfect for sharing. I also got the Chicken Sliders which were super yummy and also filling. I would absolutely go back with friends or on a date.

The food and drinks are decent, but primary thing keeping Slightly Oliver from finding the success of its neighbors is the abysmal service. I know they’re going for the British theme but I wonder if piss-​poor service part of the act?
I’ve been to Slightly Oliver for brunch a handful of times (once unsuccessfully), dinner once, and had an unsuccessful attempt at drinks. You may be asking yourself, «How can someone UNSUCCESSFULLY go to brunch?»
Simple. You walk in the front door to a bar area devoid of waitstaff wanting to seat you. We stood there for about 5 minutes, without being acknowledged once… so we proceeded to turn around and walk out.
The other times we’ve gone to brunch, the service hasn’t been much better. Once you’re seated, the area around your table turns into some sort of employee quarantine buffer zone.
The food and drinks are okay, but a tad overpriced for what they offer.
If you want better food and better service, there are slightly better options in the neighborhood than Slightly Oliver.

I was there tonight and I’ve never felt so offended by the service. The waiter was actually trying to get us to leave. We were just there enjoying the drinks and here he comes asking if we wanted anything else. We weren’t even halfway done w/​our first round. Then he fucking says, «I’ll bring the check.» We didn’t even ask for the check.
Then as we were waiting for our friend to retrieve his credit card, he waves at us to get our attention and tells us that we have to sign now. WTF. Our drinks were still halfway full! Lucky for him they didn’t include his name on the receipt. Anyway if the shift manager cares, it happened on Wednesday, May 8^th in the evening. He’s a piece of a shit and I hope his manager gets to read this. We were going to talk to the manager but thought it’d best to let all potential customers know instead.
Avoid this place.
If you want courtesy, go to Jacob’s Pickles instead. Me and my friends will never go back there and we will encourage everyone we see (as we live in the area) to not go there. I’m embarrassed for the restaurant as it is one of the first places we’ve been to on the UWS w/​such piss poor service.

Ah! This place had a really good jalapeño drink! I love a spicy cocktail, so I’m partial.
When Jacob’s Pickles (next door) is too packed, try Slightly Oliver, or go there first if anything. The staff is courteous and the drinks are nicely priced for the UWS. No one rushed me at all.
Also what’s nice is you can hear each other talk. There seemed to be some couples meeting up, some friends grabbing happy hour drinks, and some regulars. You could walk in wearing a dress or heels or jeans and a T and fit right in.
It’s a good place for a casual drink with a friend.

The specialty cocktails are tasty and well thought out; I had a «Last Night in Paris» because I’ve been wanting to try something with absinthe, and succeeded here. It’s incredibly strong, but very tasty. The «Pineapple Express» was a bit too pineapple-​y for me… if that’s possible? I just plain didn’t like how it tasted synthetically sweet, but my husband seemed to like it (he also likes things to be too sweet, so that’s a gauge for you).
Didn’t get to try the food, but I did see a sign for an «unlimited brunch» on the weekends; might be good for those looking for that sort of thing.

Not a fan of this place. It has a British menu (or something like that). Did not have a huge menu selection. I ordered the Bangers & Mash and was disappointed. There two small pieces of sausage and the rest of my plate was just baked beans and onions. It was too sweet and all I tasted was BBQ. Drinks were strong, I got the Bollywood Punch.
Overall, food was not great and it was overpriced. Ambiance was nice though.

Yeah!
Pretty awesome. Came here with an Amazon local special but had been eyeing them anyways.
Glad I came!
Cute space. There’s a nice bar– which I will be coming back to. In the back, there are some tables and they have cute little curtains to give some privacy. Pretty quiet back there and roomy.
Service was wonderful. I think my server was Ashley. She was great. Attentive.
Food was delicious. The two of us had a watercress salad, shepards pie, mussels, bacon brussel sprouts and a lemon curd… wine and cucumber cilantro cocktail. YUM! Everything was wonderful. The salad, the mussels, the Shepards pie wasn’t too dense. I have to say that those bacon brussels stole the show for me.
Bathroom is the bomb! Awesome loo Slightly Oliver! I love a good loo and you have one!
Su-​We they have a HH with 5 $ wine thats actually GOOD! I’ll be back for sure! They also have a brunch that I want to try. There are more things on the menu I want to give a whirl– the flatbreads, the burger and fish n chips what!!!

Went for three days for the Opening week, last year and have not had the chance to go back.regretably.
The atmosphere here is great. The wood, the amber lighting, the British owners… doesn’t get any cozier. The drinks are all very yummy but their food. oh em gee.
I had the macaroni and cheese with duck ragu: I have been craving this since I have had it… and am LONG overdue. Everyone should try it!

Great cocktails (I loved the peach one they have).
Delicious steak tartare (but where was the truffle?).
Tasty flat margherita.
I liked the relaxed vibe and candle-​lit ambiance. And the service was professional.
But… $ 18 for a mediocre burger was too much for me.

** 3.5 **
A decent list of cocktails, but the sizes are small for the price. They’re trying to be vaguely pub-​ish but also like a speakeasy, which shows in the overly sweet cocktails they produced.
Nonetheless, the booths behind the curtains are nice, and our water glasses were almost always full.
I don’t think this spot needs to consider itself a British pub at all. We felt a bit of cognitive dissonance based on the décor, but overall straight-​up pub is its best characterization.
Good for a big group.

Love!
At the time of this review, I have eaten:
— mussels
— mac and cheese
— braised short ribs
— shepherd’s pie
— hanger steak
And all have been freakin’ delicious. I think the braised short ribs are my favorite so far.
The drinks are interesting, tasty, and strong. My favorite cocktail is the Oliver’s Cilantro. The most memorable cocktail? The Goblin Punch (I was curious about the peppercorn reduction). It’s a unique blending of flavors — worth a try at least once.
Get your eat and drink on here. You won’t be disappointed.

Kudos to a restaurant that, seemingly, has a larger alcohol menu than a food menu.
First off, the interior. Damn. Amazing and captivating! All I wanted to do was stare. When I wasn’t staring, I just wanted to take photos. Lines of liquor bottles and old glass contraptions, coupled with interesting seating areas; one booth was almost completely shrouded in curtains! (I hope to get that booth in a future visit…)
The food? No complaints! I feel I ordered a rather perfect combination of food and drink on my first venture there. To eat, I ordered the flatbread with pesto, arugula, artichoke hearts, spring onions, and balsamic vinegar. To drink, I ordered the Virgin Island Punch: aloe vera juice, mixed berries, a Madagascar vanilla reduction, agave, lime, and mint. The flatbread was savory and filling. The punch was like ambrosia. They complimented each other well, between the slightly overwhelming savoriness of the flatbread (I blame the arugula, which I always find to be a strong vegetable in general) and the intoxicating and delightful sweetness of the punch.
My friend got the fried chicken sliders, which were flavorful and moist. He also got the Last Night in Paris punch drink… a unique combination, absinthe included, but very tart, we both agreed. He watered it down just in order to finish it, and this is a kid who is not afraid of his alcohol. (Ha!)
Service? Top notch. Our waitress was friendly, made great suggestions about menu choices, and our waters were filled when we needed them. Isn’t that all you can ask for?
I might be back just for Virgin Island Punch alone.

Hubby and I came out for a spontaneous Thursday night date with ScoutMob app in tow ($ 20 off). The ambiance is really nice — we got our own little booth in the back.
We ordered the fried chicken sliders (crispy and moist), the fish and chips (one large, fresh breaded fish fillet), and the cauliflower salad side. All the food was very good. Hubby also got the Manhattan (barrel aged apricot infused rye, cherry heering, sweet vermouth, cinnamon & clove essence). It was STRONG but good.
I’d recommend it if you’re in the area.

Tried this place out yesterday on a whim. Was in the neighborhood for a hair appointment. I pulled up my trusty Scoutmob app and noticed that Slightly Oliver had 50% off. As it was right down the block from where I was, I walked over to check out the menu, decided it looked great, and got a table outdoors.
I was the only one sitting outdoors in the sidewalk seating area — it was a little steamy — but I needed some Vitamin D. Started with a drink — one of their punches — «Last Night in Paris». They are regularly $ 8 — definitely pricey for the size — but with my Scoutmob deal they were $ 4! Also of note — it was happy hour (somehow. on a Sunday at 4:45) also, when all of their punches are $ 4 anyway. For $ 4 they were terrific — for $ 8 I would have been disappointed.
Decided to try their sliders (regularly $ 16) (see picture!). They were decent — but slightly overcooked. I ordered them medium well — and they were definitely WELL. The fries were frickin fantastic. There were 3 sliders and a sizable amount of fries. Again, for $ 8 this was wonderful — I think for $ 16 I would have been disappointed. While I ate I had another punch — this time I opted for «Bollywood».
My waitress was super nice — very attentive without hovering. The interior was really cool, I’d love to come back and try sitting inside. But I’d definitely come with another deal or during brunch (I think they have a special) to save some $.

After having a negative experience at Prohibition about an avenue away from here we decided to give this place a shot — and we’re glad we did.
We walked in and were quickly greeted by the hostess, where we were then lead to a back dining area. The ambiance has a very classy romantic feel, which we very much enjoyed. The service was perfect the entire time and the food was amazing. I loved everything about this place but my only wish is that they had a few more sweeter drink options =p.
If not for drinks, this place is permanently on my list for dessert … STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING!!! *drrroooooollll* — it is seriously AMAZING on a plate for you to eat!