Olive at Hawker — Restaurant in District of Belconnen

Although I have not yet tried olives at hawker, which I intend to do so for dinner tonight, I felt compelled to give this rating even beforehand, simply because, I like to read reviews before trying somewhere new, and the thing that has struck me most in these reviews, is that firstly, almost every review is five stars, but secondly , which is more important to me when reading reviews, is how an establishment handles any bad reviews.. and I must say this much about olives, is that I am HIGHLY impressed at how they have handled the VERY FEW reviews that were not so positive.. it is clear to me that the owners take a lot of pride in their food and service, and take any reviews that are not positive, very seriously, and go to great lengths to understand and investigate why that review was made and to rectify it.. To me, that says more than anything else, what a high class establishment olives is.. and I am really looking forward to trying their food.. I really miss my Greek grandmothers food, and from the looks of it, I won’t be disappointed.. I do have high expectations, and will leave another review after I actually try try the food LOL.. but I just felt it important to let the very obviously dedicated team know how much they have already impressed me, as it is not always possible to please everyone in an industry that leaves so much open to create difficulties and challenges.. but I am confident that olives understand these challenges well and that will always reflect in their food, as it’s clear they love what they do.. and if anyone reading this is under the impression I am a family member, friend, or have any affiliation with olives at hawker, the answer is NO.. I just feel it is important to give credit where it is due where the issues I have raised are concerned, as many people do not think of these things.. and I give 5* for this..

Ok, I have just finished eating a my first meal from olive, and decided to edit this post rather than do a new one.. the above was written prior to me trying my first meal, so my verdict is this.. I ordered a home delivery for 8.15 pm, which was delivered at exactly 8.15!!5* Both the food and the service was excellent!!5* the only downfalls was the price for what it was, and the portion size, and these are big issues for not only me, but anyone, because, I paid 29$ for a small piece of moussaka and 4 tiny pieces of carrot and 4 small green beans.. the moussaka was only single layer with a small portion of protien in it, I would have expected what I received to be an entree.. I was still very hungry afterwards.. and seeing the photos and how generous the meals are in the photos on this website, I was expecting a lot more, and was still starving after I finished.. the piece of moussaka barely took up half of the take away container, and even my husband commented that we paid that much for what I received... and despite not eating in the restaurant, I also gave a tip to the staff of ten per cent of the cost of my meal, which brought the total cost up to $31.90.. I don’t mind giving the tip, because the person on the phone who took my order was pleasant, however, I have had take away Italian lasagna that was double the size and LESS than half the price that I received.. I would suggest on items like moussaka to drop the price significantly, and up the portion.. 30$ is far to much money for something that rustic and simple.. if people are going to spend so much money, it should be worth it.. but apart from that, I was happy with flavour, so I give only 3 stars for these reasons , but I still give 4 stars for the first reasons I initially posted prior to trying the food.. but I will say the food was delicious flavour wise, and I would still definitely recommend olives@hawker and will tell everyone I know about them!! but I recommend ordering wisely where cost...

I was thoroughly disappointed with the portion sizes, flavours, and overall pricing of the meals we ordered. The restaurant charges excessively for what I would describe as mediocre food. For example, the Greek salad—priced at $16—was mostly lettuce and fillers, and between two salads, we only counted a total of two olives. It’s definitely not worth the price. Also, who charges $10 dollars per bottle for corkage? That’s absurd.

Additionally, they refused to split the bill and argued that other restaurants don’t do it either, which didn’t seem accurate or customer-friendly.

Perhaps the most unpleasant aspect was the layout. The toilets are located in the center of the restaurant, and every time someone used them, a noticeable odor spread throughout the dining area. It made for an uncomfortable dining experience.

They had some young and friendly waiters/waitresses that were helpful and I cannot complain about them hence the 2 stars for service.

Overall, we were very disappointed and won’t...

Always a great dining experience at Olive at Hawker. From the time we arrived until we left 3 hours later we were spoiled by service. Great to see the NZ sourced Antipodes sparkling water on the menu. It was a special occasion, so we celebrated with an excellent WA sparkling white. Great mousaka, lamb rissoles and pork medallions modified to order. Excellent desserts and coffee to round out an end of pandemic lunch in this popular well-respected destination restaurant. Did I mention that baseball caps were a welcome absence from the heads of any of the indoor diners. Long may it continue.

Sadly, it has taken 3 months to get back, but our wait was well rewarded with Cowra lamb chops (4). Traditional Moussaka and the chaps favourite, Penne Garlic prawns. Topped it off with a Long Rail Gully Pinot Gris. Last to leave the lunch sitting. So blessed to have a destination restaurant of this standard in...