Olivers, Woodford: Restaurant Review

In December, for our work Christmas meal, I had my first trip to Olivers, a restaurant in Woodford. They were offering a festive menu, but as I ate from the normal menu I thought it was more than worth sharing even though we’re now well into January.

Olivers is tucked away, just off a fairly main road, and is quite a small place. When we were there, there were multiple Christmas parties in, which meant the place was very full and very noisy. We had a drink at the bar whilst our table was laid. I opted for J2O, as I don’t drink alcohol, and the others had wines and gin and tonics. The bar doesn’t exactly lend itself to standing for a drink, as it means you’re completely blocking the entrance, but we weren’t there for too long.

We had a corner table, next to a window, and it was subtly decorated for the season. Jenny decided to jazz it up a little with her homemade decorations, which she has had in the office and was taking home for Christmas…

The service was friendly, and although it was busy our orders were taken quickly. We began with a variety of breads, with an olive oil and balsamic dip, and some olives. The bread was squishy and warm from the oven, which was great. Barrie and Garth opted for soup starters, which seemed to go down a treat.

Next was the main course, and I’ve not had steak for so, so long, so when I saw it on the menu it was an easy decision. It came with chips (thick-cut and delicious), mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic butter (oozy and moreish) and some salad (so I could pretend I was sensible). It was simple but effective, and cooked to perfection. Other meals round the table included beef and pork, and I’ve added a few of those pictures here.

I didn’t go for a dessert, as my main was so filling, but those who did were more than pleased. Banoffee cheescake proved to be particularly yummy for Jenny, if a little sweet.

Overall, I was impressed by the restaurant. It was a little over-crowded, and the staff became less and less attentive as the meal went on – we waited ages for our bill – but it was generally friendly and pleasant. The menu was quite diverse, and although I’m not particularly adventurous, there was certainly food to suit varied tastes.

Our coffees and liqueurs came with mini mince pies as an added treat, and rounded off a lovely late lunch to round off the working year.

Sophie x