From an old merchant's house to a trattoria
Trattoria Oliva began in 1998, when the Esposito family from Apulia opened the doors of an old merchant's house on Marlesgrube. With a brick wood-fired oven, grandmother's recipes and the belief that good food needs time and closeness, a small eatery grew into a fixed meeting point in Lübeck's old town.
To this day we stand at the stove ourselves. We roll the pasta by hand every morning, fire the wood oven with beech wood and prepare our antipasti fresh. What we cook, we would serve to our own family at any time — and that is exactly the standard we begin each day with.
Our place in the heart of the old town is more than an address. Between old brick walls, neighbours, guests from the city and travellers in need of a break come together. Trattoria Oliva is meant to feel like an evening with friends in Italy — just a few steps from Lübeck's town hall.
Kitchen & craft
Pasta, sauces and antipasti are made fresh here every day — by hand, with real ingredients and no ready-made mixes.
The wood oven
Our brick wood-fired oven is the heart of the trattoria. At around 400 degrees the pizza gains its airy, gently smoky character in minutes.
Warmth
We take our time: for the recommendation of the evening, the second espresso and a good conversation at the table.
Ingredients
Much comes straight from Italy, vegetables and herbs from the region where possible — short distances and honest produce.
What matters to us
| Area | How we do it | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Pasta | Rolled by hand every morning | Durum wheat from Italy |
| Pizza | In the wood oven at about 400 degrees | Slow-proved dough, beech wood |
| Antipasti | Freshly marinated and grilled | Vegetables from the region |
| Dolci | Baked to family recipe | Mascarpone, espresso, lemons |
Best experienced in person