The Olive Tree, Ledbury - Review

My rating out of 5 : 2.5

The Olive Tree Restaurant is well situated in the heart of the beautiful market town of Ledbury. On their website, they describe the restaurant to provide 'good traditional Italian food made with the finest ingredients within a friendly atmosphere.' I would say that is a fair description. Furthermore 'Good traditional Italian food,' is a wonderfully true statement in that the food is good, but fails to exceed expectations.

The waiting staff are good, but not overly welcoming and could do with being a little more light hearted and relaxed during service. They could also be a little more knowledgeable on the dishes they're there to sell! When asking a waiter what dish he would recommend, I was told that 'everything is pretty good to be honest'  - not particularly helpful given the overly diverse menu, which I feel could be a lot more refined. I counted 28 different pizza options alone! I suggest that the chef should concentrate on a handful of special dishes, rather than many average dishes. 

The food was good, but nothing to rave about. After sifting through the 22 different starters on the menu, the scallop starter or 'cappesante con pancetta'  was the chosen dish.  Unfortunately, it lacked flavour and was particularly overpriced given its simplicity, setting you back £7.90. The main was a little more promising and quite enjoyable. I had the risotto alla cappesante (£13.90), which was beautifully cooked with a creamy texture and certainly fulfilling given the huge portion size.  My friend had the trout provincial (£15.50) which can be found on the 'specialities' section of the menu. There wasn't anything particularly special about their selection though. It really was just a bland trout on a plate with a handful of prawns and tomato sauce. The only highlight to this dish was the roasted vegetables served on the side. 

This restaurant has such great potential, but it's currently drowned beneath the overwhelming quantity of dishes. The risotto was beautiful and the pizzas and pasta's I've experienced in this restaurant before are great, so it should focus on what it's good at, then simplify and refine the menu to make every dish special.