I lunch regularly with two friends, and we’d got into the habit of going to the same place, which was very good, but the menu was becoming too familiar. As I had a forthcoming birthday, I was allowed to choose the restaurant and decided I wanted to go somewhere new that none of us had been to.
Having driven past The Olive Restaurant in Leytonstone E11 one Saturday evening, it was well lit and looked lively and inviting. On further investigation there was a reasonably priced menu, a reasonably priced wine list, and more importantly, it was a stone’s throw from the Central Line and therefore easily accessible for all of us.
On arrival at 12.30pm, we found a large restaurant and chose a table away from a family group with children and sat in splendid isolation for the duration of our visit.
Whilst there was a set lunch menu of a main course and a soft drink for £9.95, we were in a celebratory mood. As the house white was Italian (but amazingly priced at £18.95), we thought we’d be more authentic with a bottle of Turkish white, Cankaya Kavaklidere at £23.50. Ironically, this was exactly the same wine I paid £29 for in Central London the following week.
There was a great selection of tempting cold and hot mezze dishes to start with. And whilst I chose lamacun, a very thin Turkish pizza covered with minced lamb and onions, the others opted for chicken livers and felafel served on a bed of hummus.
As two of us had struggled to chose which mezze dish to start with we opted for a main mixed mezze plate containing hummus, tzatziki, saksuka, kisir, feta pastry, halloumi and mucver (courgette, feta, mozzarella, carrot and dill fritters). Oh, my god, the flavours were delicious, but it was so huge, and I regretted chomping my way through it all. It also came with bread, but I’d reserved some of my Turkish pizza which was equally large. The other option chosen was kleftiko or a huge lamb shank whose bone came away from the meat so easily as it had been cooked for a long time.
Needless to say, we were too full for dessert, and just about managed an Earl Grey, coffee and mint tea, before waddling off for the tube. The service from the two young girls was professional but unobtrusive and the bill was a reasonable £102. It is definitely somewhere to return to as long as it doesn’t turn into another habit.
