A taste of Olive on Castle Street

I arrived at the Olive Restaurant and Bar in the glorious sunshine. As us Brits are regularly sun starved I thought about requesting outdoor seating for my meal. For those of you who haven’t been to Olive before the main restaurant is below ground level. I was a bit concerned we wouldn’t benefit from the natural light and feel slightly claustrophobic on such a wonderful day. I need not have worried. The windows let in adequate light and the ambience was further improved by the rustic décor, lavish lighting fixtures and clever use of space. The atmosphere is lively yet not overwhelming. The kitchen faces the seating areas and the chefs went about their work with much energy, laughter and enthusiasm, further complimenting the warm and classy demeanour of the place.
Olive Restaurant and Bar is in a prime location on Liverpool’s thriving Castle Street. I arrived at 1pm and observed the clientele was mainly made up of working people taking late lunches from neighbouring businesses.
I was received warmly by the staff and shown the lunch and main menus. The restaurant is Italian and had a wide variety of different dishes and drinks on offer. We started with a not so sophisticated strawberry and lime Kopparberg. There is something about the sun and cider that just sits perfectly together whatever restaurant you’re in.
The restaurant prides itself on using only the freshest ingredients to create popular Italian favourites and exciting innovative dishes. I opted for a garlic bread with cheese to start and a penne with roast chicken in mushroom, cream and basil pesto for my main. My boyfriend went for the traditional Margherita Pizza with tomato and mozzarella. The prices at Olive are quite reasonable. After tasting the food I would say they are great. The garlic bread was seasoned beautifully, the cheese delicious and the dough baked to a golden perfection. I’d go so far as to say it was the nicest garlic bread I’ve tasted in an Italian restaurant in Liverpool. No mean feat!
The mains arrived swiftly. My pasta dish was amazing. It came with pancetta which the waitress informed me in ordering as it wasn’t stated on the menu. The mushroom, cream and basil pesto was rich and tasty and the chicken succulent. I added Parmesan cheese to the top for added flavour. The portion sizes were generous and even thought I was full I finished every last morsel. I also has room to try out the pizza. Pizza isn’t my thing really but I could appreciate the taste and freshness of our choice.
The staff were really welcoming and attentive throughout our visit and couldn’t do enough to make sure we had an enjoyable experience. We finished off with an Amatetto Sour and Basil Grande cocktail. Good choices for those of you with a sweet tooth. The drinks complimented the weather and food wonderfully.
Overall I was really impressed with Olive Restaurant and Bar. The management have really improved on the décor, atmosphere and most importantly, the food. I’m looking forward to returning soon and highly recommend it to those of you who want high quality Italian meals in a welcoming environment.