Review:The Olive Tree Restaurant

TGtB's Liz Ledger was invited to experience The Olive Trees' fine dining, here is how she got on...

Restaurant reviews aren’t normally my domain here at TGt but my Sales Manager thought that it would make a nice treat for my Birthday to review the award winning Olive Tree restaurant with my fiancée Ross, suffice to say I didn’t argue!

Having found the Queensberry Hotel, which is nestled away in a typically Georgian Bath street, we were greeted by an extremely polite porter who guided us to the stylish and ‘Quintessentially British’ Old Q Bar for a pre-dinner cocktail.

We are both big cocktail fans and the first impressions of the bar were good, a healthy selection of spirits and plenty of fresh ingredients. I normally have a gin based cocktail like a Tom Collins, but we decided that as we were reviewing we should go for a change. I had a Havana Cup and Ross being a Whisky fan went for an Old Fashioned. Although rum based, the Havana Cup was extremely fresh and light; you could tell it had been made with love. The presentation was spot on and was even finished off with a freshly picked sprig of mint from the garden! Ross’s Old Fashioned was expertly made, the barman ensuring all the ingredients were muddled perfectly. I even enjoyed it and I normally find whisky rather harsh.

Our waitress for the evening was the fabulous Maria who throughout was extremely attentive and friendly. Maria brought us the food menu while we enjoyed our cocktails which I thought was a lovely touch as it meant we could enjoy the relaxed environment of the cocktail bar without having to rush into the restaurant.

After giving our order, we stayed in the bar for a further 10 minutes and met a lovely couple from Australia. They were doing a walking tour of Europe and were staying at The Queensberry. They’d stayed in Bath years before and commented that the fine dining scene had exploded since they last visited, 6 years ago. They were so impressed with the Olive Tree on their first visit; they were going again for their final night in Bath!

The menu was a nice size with 6 starters and 7 main courses to choose from, but we struggled to make a decision as it all sounded delicious. I’ve never wanted everything on the menu before but this was a tough choice. Ross went for the Pea Soup to start; quite a classic dish and can be a bit plain, however Ross said it had a twist and great mix of flavours that really brought the dish to life. I opted for the Quail with Popcorn, sweetcorn and beans.  The Quail was cooked to perfection and was matched perfectly with the combination of the sweet sauce and bitterness and crunch of the popcorn.

For the main, Ross opted for his staple dish; Pork Belly. He’s had a lot of Pork Belly’s, some of which have been in award winning restaurants but the braised pork belly, shallot purée and charred sprouting broccoli combination completely set it apart. The fat in the Pork Belly can often overpower the taste of the meat and give the dish a greasy consistency; this wasn’t the case at The Olive Tree.  The meat was perfectly cooked; moist but not a hint of fat. The all-important crackling was crispy and the accompanying apple sauce, shallots and fried noodles complimented the dish.

After much deliberation between Creedy Duck breast and leg, confit orange, fennel and tarragon or Lamb loin and belly, “burnt” aubergine purée, baby artichoke, tomato and courgette, I opted for the latter, which was clinched by the aubergine and courgette. The lamb was beautifully cooked and pink in the middle but not too bloody, it literally melted in my mouth.  The balance of the flavour of the meat with the garlic and mint it was crusted with was perfection.  The sauce and vegetables which finalised my choice absolutely finished the meal off – I’ve never had such tasty vegetables.

Again, as with the mains, we struggled to choose between the delicious pudding choices. Ross had a cherry bomb which had a thick dark chocolate crust. He was advised to crack the shell by hitting with a spoon, like a boiled egg, and when he did so, exposed the delicious cherry parfait filling. I had the Hot Chocolate Fondant with candied pistachios and pistachio ice cream…heaven is all I can say!

The wine list was similar to the menu, not necessarily extensive but filled with wines that were well suited to the food. Ross and I choose a bottle of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Supereiore Salmagina. It was a lovely bottle and complimented all of the dishes we chose. Again Maria and her team were brilliant at keeping our glasses topped up without being overly assertive.

After our meal we were very privileged to have the head chef, Chris Cleghorn, visit our table to talk through the menu. He has a fantastic history and has worked in Paris and London in top restaurants with personalities like Michael Caine.  However, Chris is really excited to be heading up the menu and staff at The Olive Tree. Although he obviously gained fantastic experience in London, he’s clearly grateful that he can now put his creativity to good use and create the menus at The Olive Tree.

I have to say that the experience from start to finish was just perfect. The timing of service between dishes and attentiveness (without being too much) of the staff, the quality and thoughtfulness of the dishes and relaxed ambience of the restaurant all made the evening one of the best dining experiences we’ve had.

With the Olive Tree`s great reputation for fine dining, I expected a treat but had prior reservations it might be a touch pretentious and lacking in warmth - nothing could be further from the truth; exceptional, world class food, attentive and friendly service in a wonderful, warm, relaxing venue - what a terrific experience!

I will most certainly be going back, and taking friends and family, and I would recommend The Olive Tree to anyone for any occasion; whether dining with a client or colleague, a romantic meal or family occasion, The Olive Tree covers it.

The Australian Couple we met earlier in the evening hit the nail on the head when they said that although you are treated to an exceptional experience at The Olive Tree, the price is actually surprisingly average. A 3 course meal with 2 cocktails and a nice bottle of wine would have cost £160 which given the quality you would normally expect to pay at least £250. It really was fantastic value for money and very accessible.

Thank you to Lauren McCann for organising, the head chef, Chris Cleghorn for treating us to your fantastic food and Maria for your incredible service.