REVIEW: The Olive Press
10:40am Thursday 12th November 2009 in Eating Out
AFTER an afternoon shopping in Bolton, The Olive Press was the perfect place to enjoy an early evening meal.
The ambience is perfect for relaxation, the food is excellent and the special offer is far too good to miss.
We opted for the special and for £7.60 we could choose from any pizza, pasta or salad dish on the menu and the price also included a drink (wine, beer or a soft drink).
We were peckish after a few hours shopping, so we also chose a starter from the extensive list on offer.
I had the delicious-sounding platter of olives, tomato tapenade, houmous, pesto and grissini (£5.70) and my mum decided to sample the special soup of the day — beetroot (£3.95).
The mixed platter lived up to my expectations and my mum’s soup — recommended by the waiter — was declared a perfect choice.
We moved on to our main courses and, thankfully, the restaurant caters well for vegetarians.
I had a large choice to pick from and opted for the ravioli of butternut squash with gorgonzola, pine nuts and sage, while my mum decided on the lasagne.
Had we not been eligible for the special (it excludes Saturday evening from 6.30pm), both of these dishes would have cost just under £9 each.
When the ravioli came, it was rather dry, but the waiter was more than happy to take it back and supply me with a new one, which was perfect.
The lasagne was delicious.
By now we were feeling incredibly full, but the sweet menu is so tempting it would have been rude not to order something.
We both decided on the mini sweets (what a great idea) of mini ice-cream cone (£1.20) and mini Italian Eton mess (£1.30) — small sweets are perfect to round off a very filling meal.
A cappuccino capped off an excellent meal and the bill was equally impressive at just under £30.
The Olive Press is a great place to enjoy top-quality food, but thanks to the special deal means your pocket will not be stretched to breaking point.
This is not fast food, so prepare to take time over your meal — but that definitely makes for a more pleasant experience.
The staff are so obliging, you get the impression nothing is too much trouble.
Of course, if you don’t want a pizza, pasta or salad dish there are plenty of meat and fish dishes to choose from including a rump steak burger (£10.40), lamb leg steak (£14.60) and whole baked sea bream (£14.40).
