The Olive Tree, 10 Tower Street
Situated opposite Clifford’s Tower, this restaurant is not hard to miss and boasts beautiful views, although come 10pm this is somewhat tarnished by drunks rolling down the hill. The Olive Tree prides itself with an unwavering passion for food as they strive to source the best ingredients and quality products, choosing only to serve ingredients, which are at their peak of perfection. Wherever possible their game, lamb and beef are sourced right here in Yorkshire.
Most Friday evenings dining is complimented by the solo guitarist who adds to the authentic Mediterranean experience found at the Olive Tree. If it weren’t for Clifford’s Tower it would be easy to forget you were in York. The Olive Tree is open all day, so you can pop in for a coffee if you are feeling a bit cosmopolitan or you can take advantage of their lunch offer where 2 courses on the set menu costs only £10.95. This offer only applies Monday to Saturday, between 12pm and 2pm. I would, however, recommend the early bird offer, its great value for money, with 2 courses costing £11.95, until 7pm Monday to Friday and 6.30pm on Saturdays. Instead of getting the usual Pizza Hut my friends and I decided to be a bit more upmarket and hurried along to the Olive Tree to get our 2 courses and we were blow away by the delicious food on offer.
I had Char-Grilled Aubergine, sun blushed tomato and Feta Cheese salad with a Yogurt & Herb Dressing, followed by Truffle Roasted Chicken Breast, Braised puy lentils, pancetta, carrots and button onions. You can almost taste the passion that went into making this food and the fresh, original ingredients certainly do the dishes justice. It is really refreshing to see seasonality in the menu here, unlike many restaurant chains that simply provide the same choice of Pizza and Pasta and still claim to produce the taste of the Mediterranean, the Olive Tree supplies variety and creativity.
So when my parents decided to come and stay I needed to take them somewhere to impress, after all they are the ones who are supplying the funds for my restaurant endeavours in aid of Nouse! I thought of the Olive Tree and breathed a sigh of relief as I was sure it would impress. We shared Pan Fried King Prawns with a garlic and herb butter to start, although we could have easily gone for seared King Sea Scallops with Hazelnut risotto and a cider vinegar beuire blanc. The main, which seemed to win points with my parents was the Roasted Rump of English Lamb on chunky ratatouilles, rosemary crushed potatoes with natural pan juices. Each ingredient seems to have been specifically chosen in order to compliment the different parts of the dish, we did however; have to order extra sides of vegetables, as there wasn’t quite enough with the meal. If this is the case I would suggest the Chargrilled vegetables with parmesan cheese, they would bode well with any of the main dishes.
If you are looking for fresh, original, seasonal food, carefully prepared with an equally enjoyable atmosphere and service, head to the Olive Tree.
