Review by Nathan on 25th September, 2011

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Me and my partner decided that a nice meal out in Ledbury was in order last night so decided to book a table at the Olive tree, We mainly decided on this restaurant after hearing good things about the place and looked online at the menu and it seemed good and reasonably priced. So we got there at 7 and where greated and shown to our table we ordered a wine and a lager and lime but when we got out drinks they had brought me a cider and lime so that wasn't the best start. we decided to go for a bread starter and an anti pesto starter, This arrived in good time but was way over loaded with olive oil and actually made me feel unwell. Right on to the main, I went for the lasagne and my partner went for the salmon now after waiting an hour for the mains I was getting a bit grumpy. My lasagne was absolutely disgusting and I had to leave it, it was made using ground mince no layers of pasta and no cheese sauce. My partners fish was lovely and cooked perfect but the salad tasted like it was out of a bag with a few olives thrown in. Sadly overall a very disappointing meal and we where not the only ones complaining as other dinners where having an equally disappointing night. I will never go to this restaurant again and I will not be recommending it to anyone.

Date visited: 24/09/2011

Review by sue on 18th April, 2011

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We ordered takeaway pizzas as this place had been recommended to us. What a huge, expensive disappointment!! I would never recommend them to anyone. The pizza base was like a crispy cream cracker, the topping tasteless and under seasoned, if at all, and for £9.60 for one person grossly over priced.The garlic bread - well, can't think of words to describe it! Altogether a complete waste of money and effort in trying to eat it . Sorry would loved to be able to pick on one thing that was good but can't.

Date visited: 17/4/11

Review by Gary Ebel on 3rd March, 2011

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I am amazed to read of the poor experiences mentioned by some diners. I go the Olive Tree on a regular basis and have NEVER had a poor experience - in fact quite the opposite. Service has always been spot on and the food is excellent and good value for money.

Date visited: regularly

Review by Hannah on 20th November, 2010

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Had I of found this site earlier, I would have posted my experience sooner...and hopefully would have put other people off..having to waste hard earned money, on a special treat, that quite frankly, was diabolicle! It was cold, we kept our jackets on. The table was dirty, no condiments. We were hastily given menu's but couldn't ask the waitress about the dishes, as she had gone! We were ready to place our order but no-one was to be found! Finally we ordered, the food came and I thought we had mistakenly been given starters...no the small, sloppy portion was the main meal. It didn't taste of anything and could have been a supermarket budget microwave meal...and that's being kind! Our plates were cleared, bill hastily given and we left. Terrible food, terrible attitude and really expensive. Don't go!

Date visited: 2009

Review by Dave M on 24th January, 2010

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I have been here many times but it has really gone down hill. Despite a lot of staff it seemed we were an inconvenience,to be got rid of as soon as possible.No individual waiting staff assigned to us. The food was bland and definately not seasoned correctly.We had to ask for salt as there was none on the table and none evident in the food.Within 30 seconds of my wife finishing her suite we were presented with the bill. I didn`t ask for it 30 seconds later they checked to see if the bill had been paid.When I paid and was asked if I enjoyed the meal I stated me reservations and was left with a blank expression.So perhaps they don`t care!!

Date visited: 23 Jan 10

Review by Lynsey B on 10th August, 2009

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Reading the other reviews, I don't believe our group met the owner of The Olive Tree. We had a family of four, and pre-booked a table, which was easy enough. We arrived and were seated straight away. We were given about 5 minutes to peruse the menu and then were greeted with our waiter/waitress who took our drinks order. We were then given another five minutes for us all to decide on our food, of which our drinks were brought along at the same time. The food was brought swiftly and quickly and was hot. A great selection of Italian food I must add! Excellent selection for vegetarians, of which two of our party were, incl. me. Portion sizes are large, for a person who eats a normal sized meal. The pudding selection was amazing; I almost thought I'd eaten so much during the starter and main that I couldn't possibly eat any more. That was until I looked down at the ice cream/sorbet list, and couldn't resist the mango sorbet. It was DELICIOUS!!!!! The rest of our party thoroughly enjoyed the meal and night out! Would indefinitely visit again next time we're up in Ledbury again (originally from Canterbury, Kent).

Date visited: 6th August 2009

Review by Christine Preece on 4th April, 2009

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I have been to the Olive Tree tonight for the first time ...with 3 friends i work with ( the one being the boss) for one of the friends 40th birthday and i must say we all really enjoyed our meal . We were shown straight to our table on arrival by a very nice waiter!!... and service was top class ..... the food was delicious and we were able to relax and stay as long as we wanted . I will certainly be going again !!!!

Date visited: 3rd April 09

Review by andrew howden on 2nd March, 2009

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i have been to olive tree before and the food & sevice were average. but last sat my wife and afew of our friends against our will went to olive tree because there is no where else to go in Ledbury,and never again i`ll visite that restaurant the food was small portion,tasteless and over priced . the service was ok. waste of money to go there again.we were so embarrassed in front of our friends.i wish i had red the review before deciding where to go.now i agree with the rest of the customers who did not enjouy the place. my recommendation if any worth . avoid going to olive tree.

Date visited: 28.02.09

Review by Aaron on 18th December, 2008

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I have been to the Olive Tree restaurant many times over the last few years. They have had a recent expansion which looks modern, clean and is warm. We have sat by the entrance before and it was very cold, although the food was hot enough to keep us warm! The service has always been brilliant. On last night's visit, we arrived 20 minutes early and were promptly taken to our table, and before our booking time we had already eaten our starter! I have never spoken to the owner of the restaurant, but I did not feel like I had to remind him of the fact that the young waitress forgot our wine - thankfully she brought it out during our main course and apologised. Their menu is enormous, there is a huge selection to choose from. There is a lot of choice when it comes to wine and champagne also. Overall I think the restaurant does really well. The service was brilliant and the food was delicious. I highly recommend splashing out on the Pinot Nero if you like red wine. Just make sure you don't get a table by the door, especially at this time of the year!

Date visited: 17-Dec-2008

Review by andrew knight on 30th September, 2008

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The table was sticky and my menu had obviously had had a drink spilt on it and had been allowed to dry.The room was cold and we kept our jackets on. Ordered drinks and the waitress brought them and just put them on the edge of the table without a comment; did not bother taking away the glasses we did not need. The starter arrived; that's when we found the pepper had run out. Nobody reappeared for 10 minutes so I went to the counter where the chef was chatting to the waiter and waitress; I asked for a drink; it was another 10 minutes before it arrived. Main course came; plates warm but not hot and the meal went cold quickly and we did not eat all the meal as a consequence. I felt the steaks were under cooked but that is my opinion. We realised during the meal that we did not have napkins; the other tables were set up with them but we had obviously missed out. We were totally deflated and decided to skip a dessert and have a coffee at home. The waitress cleared the table and the waitress asked us if we had enjoyed our meal but had turned her back and was heading away before we could answer; much to the amusement of the people on the next table who at one point had also had to go searching for service. we saw ourselves out. What a waste of £47; we would have rather had beens on toast at home and will never return.

Date visited: 29th September 2008

Review by Susanne on 19th July, 2008

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I went to The Olive Tree with some friends of mine for an evening out recently. My previous visit was 5 years ago and I was not impressed with the quality of food or service then so decided to give it another try. We had booked for 7 but 6 people turned up so we were seated in a corner upstairs. After half an hour they decided we had to move to another table as we were one person short which was unneccessary. The waitress was nice and took our order quickly. It was quite hot and stuffy upstairs. I ordered Goats cheese on cibatta to start which was actually big enough for a main course but was lovely, followed by the Carbonara which was decidedly average and bland. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food, and the wine was nice (Valpocella). We were the last to leave at around 11.45pm and although the staff were milling around they did not force us to leave. All in all I would say it is average to good if the owner isnt there but there is a much better Italian in Malvern where the atmosphere is much more scerene. Seating is quite tight. Would not recommend for children/families

Date visited: 27th June 2008

Review by Pete Smith on 27th May, 2008

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My wife and I booked into the Olive Tree on the recommendation of the landlady of our accommodation. We were quickly shown to a table, drinks ordered and brought by a smart and efficient waiter. When our meal was ordered it was delivered within a few minutes and was delightful! Good sized portions, well presented and very authentic Italian taste. All in all an excellent evening out and one to be repeated.P.S. we are not local to Ledbury nor related to the owner, but having read some of the reviews the expression "one mans meat...." springs to mind.

Date visited: 26-05-08

Review by S. Wilson on 3rd May, 2008

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At the end of November 2007, we booked a table at The Olive Tree for 11 of our family members. We had been to the restaurant several times before and found the food to be good but the attitude poor. We had returned as we hoped the atmosphere would be better and the food as good as usual. It happened to be a special birthday celebration and everyone was looking forward to it. Towards the end of the evening we ordered desserts and before all of them had been put on the table the owner appeared and very rudely and very aggressively told us we had to leave as he needed the table for other diners. Five of the party were young children and they became very upset at his demands. We argued that we should be able to finish our deserts and he would not hear of it. We were outraged! He also aggressively pointed his finger in peoples' faces - we had had enough. To say we were disgusted is an understatement. He has absolutely no manners and no idea how to treat paying customers - incidentally our bill came to hundreds of pounds - however none of this seems to matter to him. We will never visit The Olive Tree again and as local people we have told my many friends and work colleagues of this episode! Interestingly, some people spoken to had already experienced the attitude of the owner before- his reputation goes before him. Ledbury is a lovely place and it is good to see that other establishments are opening that know how to treat their customers.

Date visited: November 2007

Review by jayne on 25th January, 2008

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Ledbury is a small town with very few options for dining out - therefore the olive tree is often recommended by community businesses and local residents. The food is of average quality, on two of my many visits it has been served tepid. The staff do their utmost to accommodate customers, yet appear almost afraid to relay critism to the owner, who is arrogant to the point of aggressive confrontation. It is quite obvious that he enjoys his monopoly within the town boundaries and were there other choices for dining out I am sure his business would suffer. A person should never claim to be an Italian running an Italian restaurant when he can't even talk the language at conversational level!

Date visited: 23 march 2007

Review by James on 3rd December, 2007

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It’s well known, and accepted, by anyone local to Ledbury, or who is a regular diner at the olive tree, that the food is good value for money but that the owner is fairly surly and inhospitable. If you stay away from him and deal with the other plentiful members of staff, you can have a great night. The restaurant does not pretend to be fine dining but it is a good quality Italian with a wide menu and wine list.

Date visited: Nov 2007

Review by Ben on 4th June, 2007

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I often go to the Olive Tree with my family. We have eaten there on average once a fortnight for three or four years. The food is great, and the staff fabulous. The owner is a bit of a problem, and we keep out of his way whenever possible! However, it remains my favourite restaurant.

Date visited: Frequent visitor

Review by Abigail D on 28th May, 2007

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I wholeheartedly agree with the first two reviews! We had to wait for ten minutes before being given drinks, and at this point asked to order our food. We were told by the waitress that we couldn't order food because the kitchen wasn't ready for us. Later on - still not being able to order food - we managed to get the attention of the restaurant owner, who not only told us that we still couldn't order, but rudely told us that this was a busy restaurant, and that we had only been waiting for 20 minutes, and that he would not take our order until the kitchen was ready. Eventually the original waitress took our order, and we stated that we were unhappy with the way that we had been treated, but she offered little in the way of apology, and we received no apology from the restaurant owner. The food eventually arrived 50 minutes after we had sat down. Lucikly the food was of reasonable standard when it finally did arrive - although was nothing special. We were then rushed through our meal, and the staff brought us our bill and dealt with us immediately - just at the point when they wanted our money! Unfortunately the way that we were spoken to by the staff ruined our evening. There is no excuse to be treated like this as a paying customer. I fully appreciate that sometimes on busy evenings there is a wait on food, but most professional restaurant owners would apologise for this, and keep customers informed of the wait, rather than make them feel that they are an inconvenience for expecting a meal! We have many friends and family in the worcestershire area and will ensure that they all know not to give this restaurant owner custom in the future!

Date visited: 26th May 2007

Review by Sara on 19th March, 2007

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I am afraid I have to disagree with the two reveiws above. I have visited the Olive Tree on many occasions and found the staff and owner to be very welcoming. My sister held her 40th Birthday there in December, there were about 12 of us and they couldn't do enough for us. The food is lovely, especially if you are a little more adventurous and stray from the pizza/pasta option, the fish is always good. However, it is a very busy resteraunt so wise to book in advance.

Date visited: many times

Review by emily pritchard on 10th March, 2007

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I used to work as a waitress at the olive tree for a short while, its a very busy but small restrant to dine in.in regards to other reviews in all fairness the staff work realy hard without a brake and can be stress fall the staff have alway been helpfull and polite and will put them self out for customers with or without booking. my parents love dinning at the olive tree and will continue to do so. the food is to die for. customers do not have to wait for long for ther table food or drinks i would recomend the olive tree to any one in the area,.

Review by Carol on 6th December, 2006

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We booked by phone and had to change the booking to bring a fourth person with us. I was met with a very surly response "that means you'll have to have a decent table and it won't be available until 9". We arrived at 9pm and had to stand in the passageway to wait for the table and were made to feel as if we were an inconvenience !! In fairness the food was OK and the waitresses very charming. We found the owner/manager quite intimidating and wouldn't bother with a return visit. There are many other eating establishments that actually welcome their customers but this certainly wasn't one of them. And we're locals !!!

Date visited: 2 12 2006

Review by Sarah Wright on 15th May, 2006

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We arrived at the Olive Tree on the recommendation of a very pleasant pub owner in Ledbury. On arrival at 1945, we were told that there would be no table until 2115.We reserved and returned, to find that we were not in the main part of the restaurant, but effectively on a bench in the serving area. We protested mildly and were moved. The signs on the door and menus indicated that the restaurant took Amex. It did not. We asked the Manager (sorry, OWNER) why this was, and he aggressively demanded to know where we had found this information. To say that he was rude and unpleasant is an understatement. I pointed out that we were tourists (for the Malvern Spring Show)and that I was surprised at his attitude. He demanded to know where we came from. When we said Buckinghamshire he informed us that this was Ledbury (of which we were aware). The food was OK, very bog standard Pizza Express style pizza and pasta. The service was patchy. His attitude was quite horrible. We shall not be darkening his door again, and assume that it is only his regulars (from Ledbury)who are treated with the courtesy that paying customers have a right to expect.This is clearly a local pizza place for local people.

Date visited: Saturday 13 May 2006