The Olive Tree — Restaurant in Melbourne

Edit: March 2025 I has been almost exactly 2-years since we were last in Melbourne and I posted the original review further down. We loved the restaurant then so were eager to go back, particularly as there were Moreton Bay bugs on the specials menu again :)

We were a party of 5 and the food was once again exceptional. To start we shared the delicious oysters Kilpatrick with a double portion of Bruschetta, this was a great taster.

For mains I again had The delicious bugs, which were presented just as they had been previously, with a small salad. At $59 this was reasonable. My wife had the stuffed Calamari which was also excellent at $55. Two of our party had the prawns at $56 and one had the Veal at $41. Everyone loved their food with zero complaints around the table. The food was reasonably priced for a restaurant of this quality. We shared desserts which were also very good. We had two bottles of Sauvignon Blanc for the table. It was a great meal served accurately and well presented. The final bill was $460.

Where I would point out a difference and why I've marked it down a star is that I feel that the service, while efficient, was clinical and uncaring, rather than the warm, friendly service that I remember from our last visit. Our hostess did not smile once, and I got the distinct feeling the young male assistants were afraid of her!

I also felt that, not to offer tap water, and to open with the question of “Sparking or still?” was a bit cheeky with Morelli Mineral water at $9.50 a bottle. A trick which I fell for, ordering 4 bottles over the evening.

I also felt that it was a mean, unsmiling trick to charge $6 to switch the starch from rice to chips for one of my guests. I’d have expected a broad smile and a “certainly I’ll give you chips instead of rice”.

Finally, when the bill was presented along with the card machine, the male assistant asked me directly to add a tip to the bill. A request which I ignored. The service, while efficient had been average on all other metrics. No warmth, no humour, no interaction ! I’m Unlikely to return for a third visit.

Original Review March 2023

Wonderful Italian restaurant, hidden in Wells St. in Southbank. We loved everything about this family owned/run restaurant. The food and the service were first-rate. Great a-La-carte menu and daily specials board. Booking is advised at busy times. I had the 'specials' Moreton Bay Bugs for the first time and they were...

Garlic prawn included the highest quality of king prawn I have ever tasted in Australia, period. All culinary aspects of cooking prawns and the sauce were observed impeccably, flawless. Ultimately clean, deveined and flavoured beyond perfection.

Eye fillet steak was a must-have experience if you’re ever in Melbourne. Char grilled with mushroom sauce and vegetables at a quality level the likes of which you see in few restaurants these days.

The lamb rack was another dish which was cooked to perfection. The sauce was fresh, alive and the lamb itself was worthy of a chef competition award.

I ordered pineapple juice only because I wanted to test whether they would use real juice or the syrup. They passed this test too: the real juice.

Espresso martini was another test, I’ll give them 8/10 which is the highest I’ve ever given in any bar or restaurant around the world in my reviews.

I was waiting for the Warm Apple and Walnut Strudel while writing this review. The strudel is a natural, 100% chef-made freshly delivered.

The staff are also high empathy with the highest interpersonal skills I have ever...

Bad attitude and bad service. I had lunch with a group of 8. There were two Waitresses (the Bigger one and the Smaller one). I asked the Waitress-S whether there is onion in the tartar sauce on my plate. She responded with a question, "what have you got?" I said "allergy". She said, "you should have said that before you order, there's probably cross contamination all over the kitchen". I said that is fine, I just want to know if there's onion in the tartar sauce. She said "well, I don't know", and walked off.

I waved my hands several time to get assistance, none bothered to look up (too busy for their jobs). Finally, I got the attention of Waitress-S, I said "excuse me, would you ask the Chef if there is onion in the tartar sauce?". She said "yes, i will".

By the time I finished my meal (fish of the day without the tartar sauce!), and we all walk up to pay, she still hasn't bothered to get back to me!

When we were at the counter waiting to pay, Waitress-B said "we normally ask people to wait at the table to pay..." but wait, they should have said that earlier, perhaps...