Upscale Cal-Italian cuisine, a roaring fireplace and a central Rockridge locale make this two-venue restaurant an East Bay fave.

The Scene
Oliveto is actually two restaurants in one: a casual cafe with much-coveted outdoor tables on the ground floor, and a more formal restaurant up a sweeping staircase on the second floor. The restaurant, located in the heart of Rockridge, has a pleasant Tuscan-villa feel, with a crackling fireplace and lush flower arrangements. Service is pleasant and knowledgeable.

The Food
The menu changes daily, but recent highlights have included succulent spit-roasted Niman Ranch beef, toothsome rabbit pâté, fresh mozzarella with baby artichokes and luscious squid-ink pasta with white shrimp and basil. Grass-green spinach ravioli, unadorned but for a dribble of olive oil, sometimes seems like it needs more than plain sheep's milk-ricotta filling. The downstairs cafe's menu is built around the wood-fired brick oven, with cold plates and salds side-by-side with pizzas and baked pastas.