The family behind the trattoria
At Marlesgrube 14, the same people who run the house also cook, bake and serve: pasta from their own board, pizza from the wood-fired oven, a dining room where you're called by name.
One house, one family
Trattoria Oliva is run by the family — kitchen and service rest in steady hands, not in rotating shift plans.
In the kitchen
The pasta dough is made fresh in-house every morning, before the first lunch guest arrives. The same person always stands at the wood-fired oven: knowing the temperature of the stone, you can tell by the edge of the pizza when it needs to come out. Antipasti and dolci are made alongside at the second table, in quantities for the day, not the week.
In the dining room
Service remains a fixed team — the same faces at lunch and in the evening, so after your second visit, we already know who takes their espresso without sugar. Staff from the neighbourhood help out during busy times; hosting at the table and table assignments remain the family's responsibility.
Who's responsible for what
Every station in the house has a clear responsibility — this keeps things running smoothly when every table orders at once starting at 12:00.
- Kitchen — Pasta dough, sauces and antipasti are made fresh every day; the menu follows what the morning shopping provides.
- Wood-fired oven — one person tends the oven throughout service: lighting it before the lunch sitting, keeping the stone at temperature, sliding in and turning every pizza individually.
- Dining room service — orders, drinks and coordination with the kitchen; paced for short waits at lunch, for a relaxed pace at the table in the evening.
- Hosting — table assignment, reservations and arrangements for celebrations and groups are handled by the family, by phone at +49 30 23125106.
- Dolci and coffee — we prepare desserts the evening before and let them rest overnight, so nothing needs to be rushed from the kitchen in the evening; the espresso is freshly ground.
- Shopping and preparation — ingredients are ordered in small quantities for the day; whatever is left determines the next day's special.
A day at Marlesgrube
The day begins long before the first guest arrives and doesn't end when the last plate is cleared — between lunch and evening lies the preparation for both.
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Morning: shopping and dough
Ingredients arrive, the pasta dough is made and left to rest. At the same time, the wood-fired oven is lit so the stone reaches the right temperature by lunchtime.
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12:00 to 14:30: Lunch service
The lunch sitting runs Tuesday to Friday. The process is designed for guests with a limited break: a small number of dishes, prepared components, short distances between oven and table.
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Afternoon: the quiet hour
Between service times, the restaurant is tidied, restocked and prepared for the evening. This is when reservations and group requests are discussed.
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17:30 to 22:30: Evening service
In the evening there's more time at the table: antipasti to share, pasta and pizza one after the other rather than together, dolci and espresso to finish.
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Monday: Closed
The restaurant stays closed on Mondays. The day is devoted to maintenance, the oven and the family — so that Tuesday to Sunday can carry both services.
The same hands, every day
Whoever cooks for us today also cooks tomorrow. Whoever stands at the table knows the menu because they helped create it. This is the only reason a small house with a wood-fired oven can sustain two service periods a day.
See the kitchenOur working day
How we structure our day
Our kitchen is already up early in the morning: the pasta dough rests, the soffritto – the slowly sweated base of onion, carrot and celery – simmers through. From Tuesday to Friday, we serve lunch between 12:00 and 14:30 at a brisk pace.
Afterwards, we reset, prepare fresh ingredients and get everything ready for evening service starting at 17:30.
Vegetables, cheese and fish are received and checked: freshness, temperature, quantity. Anything that doesn't convince goes back. The day's recommendation is created from whatever is especially good.
Pizza dough is mixed and rests cold for at least 24 hours, making it lighter and easier to digest. At the same time, pasta dough, soffritto, sugo and brodo – the stock that many dishes are built on – are prepared.
Mise en place means every ingredient is cut, weighed and within reach. The wood-fired oven is brought up to temperature, the service team sets the tables, and reservations, allergens and the day's lunch menu are discussed.
Two dishes stand ready, the pasta goes into the water fresh. Anyone on a lunch break mentions it when taking a seat – we then prioritise the order in the kitchen.
Rooms are rearranged, tables pushed together for celebrations. During this time, portions are prepared afresh for the evening.
Antipasti, wood-fired pizza and pasta run in parallel. A family member is available in the dining room throughout; after the last espresso, cleaning follows along with the preparations for the next day.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions for our team
These are the questions our guests ask us most often at the table and on the phone – here are the answers, so you can plan your visit well.
Would you like to get to know us in person?
Reserve a table and experience our family live in the Marlesgrube.