Olivo

Welcome to Olivo Restaurants & Shops - Where each restaurant has its own unique character and cuisine and our delicatessen and geltaria stock the very best quality Italian Sardianian Produce.

Olivo Restaurants and Shops - Sardinian Restaurants, Delicatessen and Geltaria in Belgravia, London

http://olivorestaurants.com

Olivo | A Great Restaurant in Guildford

Olivo Restaurants

L'Olivo - Wheathampstead Restaurant Reviews | Hardens

Olivocarne - London Restaurant Reviews | Hardens

The fourth member of Belgravia's own Italian restaurant group; on our visit, steak and service were highlights of an experience that was otherwise rather lacklustre.

One beneficiary of the new Belgravia (often rightly credited as changing the perception of people about the area's possibilities) is the Thomas Cubitt gastropub group.

That group, though, has only one property in central Belgravia (its other properties being in Knightsbridge and Pimlico).

Which leads us neatly on to the latest outlet of the only organisation which can really claim to be Belgravia's own restaurant group.

From a single modest property in Victoria, back in the '90s, it has now accumulated three restaurants in the heart of Belgravia - Olivetto (Elizabeth Street), OlivoMare (just off Eaton Square) and now OlivoCarne (also on Elizabeth Street).

Olivomare - London Restaurant Reviews | Hardens

If anyone wants to see how London restaurants have evolved over the past two decades, they could do much worse than a brief walking tour of the various branches of the Olivo franchise.

The original restaurant near Victoria, offering Sardinian specialities, seemed almost exotic when it opened back in 1991.

Half a decade later, a heart-of-Belgravia pizzeria offshoot, Olivetto, followed - its minimalist interior shows how things had moved on.

And now there's Olivomare,- with its striking monochrome styling, an outstanding example of contemporary restaurant design.

It turns out however that this is more a very superior contemporary trattoria where the food all happens to be fishy rather than some would-be temple-of-gastronomy with a menu full of obscure and overpriced specialities.

El Olivo | Restaurants in Stoke Newington, London

A tapas bar in a Turkish stronghold, El Olivo only concedes defeat when it comes to the bread – which is not Spanish but lovely, warm, locally baked and indispensable for scooping up aubergine cooked to melting softness or tender albóndigas with red peppers.

While tapas can be tired and oily, these taste fresh and perky.

In contrast, padrón peppers could have done with a little longer on the grill, and the tortilla came topped with unnecessary salad-creamy aïoli.

Gypsy-style violin music and a woody interior with wagon-wheel lights won’t win awards for a cutting-edge environment, but pleasant service and well-priced wines, along with the savoury food, easily tip the balance in El Ol’s favour.

Olivo | Restaurants in Belgravia, London

Perpetually buzzy Olivo is a confident stalwart of Belgravia’s restaurant scene and part of a steadily expanding Sardinian specialist group.

Terracotta pots and lightshades convey rusticity, while the Italian chatter of the staff leaves you in no doubt that this place is steeped in the food and wine culture of southern Italy.

The house aperitif of sherried Oristano-style vernaccia is as good an introduction as any to the sun-baked flavours on offer; peppery olive oil and crisp sheets of Sardinian pane carasau quickly build on the authentic impression.

While simply presented vitello tonnato could have come from anywhere in Italy, buffalo ricotta on grilled aubergine was distinctly southern, and a rich, generous plate of mascarpone-sauced pasta with ham would have sated a Sardinian shepherd from dawn to dusk.

While the prices of the carte are decidedly unbucolic, set lunch is a fair deal, and excellent Sardinian wines (or even Sardinian beer and mineral water) round off a satisfying experience.