We visited the Olive tree as a group of 10 for a special birthday celebration. We usually go up the road to the Ganges for all of our special family meals. I have to say this was a very disappointing experience for all of us....Mostly to do with poor service. Firstly, it was very cold in the restaurant and according to my partner there was no hot water available in the men’s loos to wash your hands. My elderly parents were incredibly chilly. When you pay to come out for a special and fairly expensive meal you do not expect to feel cold. This was mentioned to the staff. Service was not great. It was a long time before entering and having our order taken purely for drinks. We did not receive our drinks until 40 minutes after arrival. My partner complained to the waitress who seemed dis interested. We ordered our meals which I have to say I found very expensive for what they were. The food was fresh and well prepared but very pricey. For example an olive tree special was almost £25 just for one main course. My dad ordered a bottle of beer (London pride) and at £5.10 was expecting a large bottle but this was just a 330 ml bottle. A small wine was around £8 , the best option was cocktails at 2 for £10 which were very nice. Admittedly I did not scrutinise the menu and prices beforehand which I normally do. The restaurant kindly brought out a special piece of cheesecake for my daughter’s birthday celebration and played happy birthday which was a nice touch and was much appreciated. We noticed on the bill that 12. 5% service charge is added to all bills. After waiting a long time for drinks and a level of service which I can only describe as mediocre my partner asked for this to be removed from the bill. Unfortunately the lady waitress did not deal with this in the best manner and although there was no argument there was also no apology or any effort to make this a nice experience for us or to smooth things over. I also appreciate just how hard working in hospitality is , especially in this climate but service with a smile is really not that difficult. I think when you are charging these high end prices for both drinks and food things have to be absolutely spot-on. There was no warm welcome for us and when we left not really a goodbye and thank you! This could be so easily rectified with training on how to deliver attentive service to paying customers. The food was nice but overpriced . Our bill at £360 for ten people was a main course and I think two drinks each. In this current climate this does not represent good value. Olive Tree need to up their game service wise if they are to survive in this fiercely competitive environment. Going out for meals for us is a real treat and something we do rarely so super disappointed all round. We won’t be returning. Ganges look after us so attentively so back to them in the future.More
523
56
8
5
7
