Milo and Olive

Reviews

• Jay R.

  star star star star star_border 29 June 2026

  We've been coming to Milo & Olive for years. We LOVE IT. The food and staff are fantastic. We always get the Skillet Beans with Market Vegetables, a couple pizzas and a beer or two. It's like a good and trusted friend... always there, reliable, comforting.
  
  We came in today, Sunday, and much to our horror and utter dismay, we couldn't find our longtime friend, SKILLET BEANS on the menu!!!! We looked and looked, certain we were just blind... alas, confirmed by Austin, our friend Skillet Beans has been killed. :( We are in shock and sorrow.
  
  Why M&O, WHHHYYYY did you take our comfort food friend away?
  
  Please please please re-consider this, as there's no new suitable appetizer to take its place.
  
  We're contemplating counseling to deal with this intense grief.  RIP Skillet Beans and Market Vegetables. You brought so much joy to our lives.

• Rosay M.

  star star star star star 28 June 2026

  Two words: garlic knot.
  
  Seriously, this place is a consistent go-to when I'm craving the hand-made pasta & dimly-lit Italian dining experience. It remains laid back and inviting despite its beautiful layout. The service has always been excellent. The food is delicious every time. I'd only say that it's relatively expensive so be aware of that before stopping by.
  
  Make sure not to miss out on the specials they have written on the chalkboard in the main dining room - they're really creative and yummy.

• Sandie B.

  star star star star star_border 19 June 2026

  Our experience was definitely a mixed bag. Now that know a little better what to expect, I'll definitely return--and I know what to order, and what to avoid.
  
  Here's what we loved:
  
  1. The wine!!! We had the Meinklang, and it was phenomenal. So great that I actually have been trying to find it so I can buy a few bottles for home. (It's hard to find!)
  
  2. The garlic knot!!! I mean, seriously...this thing was amazing. I could just eat this as my meal. Every day.
  
  3. The mixed mushroom pizza!! What made this special and unique was the little hint of preserved lemon.
  
  4. They were kind enough to let us sit and linger over dinner, which we really appreciated as it was a special event.
  
  Here's what we hated:
  
  1. The summer squash. I love squash. I love chimmichurri. I love cheese. But somehow, what they put in front of us was no bueno. We all took one bite were were like "no thanks." Our server was nice enough to take it away and not charge us for it.
  
  Here's what could have been better:
  
  1. The service. Overall, the staff was really nice and friendly. Our server was nice...but weird... When he first came over, it seemed like he was just delivering some water. He didn't introduce himself or anything, but asked if we had any questions. We weren't sure if he was our server or not, but we asked about the wine. He sort of kind of described it, and when he walked away, were were all like "who was he, and did that help clarify anything?" It didn't. He also didn't mention that there were specials, and we totally missed them written on the wall, which was a bummer, because there were a few that we would have ordered. We had to practically beg him to come take our drinks order. He almost talked us out of the garlic knots, saying it might be a bit much with the pizza. (Thank goodness we didn't take his advice.) Again--he was very nice, but it was a weird experience, and if I owned this restaurant, I'd want my wait staff to getting those drink orders pronto! And selling my garlic knots, despite how much pizza / pasta has been ordered!
  
  2. The gnocchi with walnut pesto. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great.
  
  I'll definitely go back for pizza, wine and GARLIC KNOTS, and next time, I'll get dessert. :)

• Juvi G.

  star star star star star_border 4 June 2026

  They do love their carbs here. While pricey, the place does offer a great balance of flavor and quality; and while the parking may be atrocious, once inside, you're in an island of chill.
  
  The lunch menu during the week has quite a few options I think you'll find too delectable to pass up. They specialize in pizza and pasta, but they also have a few soups and salads on offer, as well as a few starters that are very popular with the locals, such as the garlic knot and summer squash with chimichurri. The portions are big enough that this is definitely a shareable menu, so bring back-up.
  
  Given the high-rise prices and my modest waistline, I didn't want to over-indulge during my lunch hour, so I stuck to one measly pizza, for myself. (No, really, this thing was HUGE). While the old-school Margherita sounded delicious, I couldn't pass up their Peach & Braised Bacon pizza with fontina cream, to add that creamy balance to the fruity tartness, aged balsamic, and fresh thyme. It tasted about as good as you can imagine: Sweet, tart, salty, savory, creamy, filling, with one hell of a chewy crust. What more could one ask for in a carb fest? What I wasn't happy with was how the bacon on top of mine was mostly fat and gristle.  
  
  There are also add-ons that will make your pizza pop even more, which range from farm eggs and prosciutto to anchovies and arugula. At $3 a pop, though, you may want to stick to a plain pie.
  
  Booze is also plentiful here, and if you're a wine lover, you're in luck! They have the good stuff here. Or, if you decide to stick to one their coffees, it just so happens that they make most, if not all, of their syrups in-house.

• Amy C.

  star star star star star 1 June 2026

  I used to get lunch for a film director and this was his favorite lunch place in Santa Monica-he would get multiple entrees and a pizza for the table usually. It was out of our budget but we still went here often. The food is excellent quality, their pizzas are good-- although too much garlic on some and on the smaller side. They have a limited salad menu but they're all made with fresh greens and seasonal too. The bolognese pasta is to die for..
  They've handled large takeout orders very well and are friendly.