Restaurante El Olivo — Restaurant in Chimeneas

I never thought that I would experience what I experienced in this restaurant. You feel like you’re in a kitchen nightmares episode of 2005 where Gordon Ramsay is in disbelief about what he experiences. This restaurant is living of its previous - 10 years ago - reputation when they used to be recommended by the Michelin guide. Unfortunately there is nothing left of these times apart from all the Michelin guide recommending signs on the wall. The restaurant itself is so cluttered that you feel like you’re in your grandmas living room. It’s very dark and the only lights are very cold which makes the atmosphere quite uncomfortable. The staff, although very friendly and welcoming, is clearly in denial. There is no menu with dishes and prices. Instead you get a 5 course tasting menu without even knowing the price. The 5 plates for your menu are already on your table - stacked like in a cupboard which I have never seen in a restaurant. The bread (processed) and the olives are on the table as well, enjoying the time for the next customers to arrive and drying out. We decided to only have 4 courses since we actually only wanted a quick lunch. The first dish was white beans in a tomato sauce. The flavor was ok but this is not something I expect from a restaurant but from my dad who cannot cook and just heats up some canned beans. The second course was a pastry filled with a creamy mushroom/chicken sauce. Again, not too bad but also not good. The mushrooms and chicken tasted processed and not fresh which made the dish quite heavy. It felt a bit like canteen food. Missing freshness is like a red string throughout the whole menu. Everything is luke warm, gets served after a few minutes and can therefore not be fresh. Also, the chef being more at the bar on his phone than in the kitchen lets me believe that nothing is cooked fresh but only reheated. The third course was a goat cheese with caramelized onions and some almonds - again, not exciting. The last course was the grand final - a duck confit. I love duck and have never been that disappointed. They serve the duck confit with 3 little cherry tomatoes- that’s it. No sauce, no side, nothing. The duck itself - again - is only lukewarm and very dry. The skin is so thick and mushy that I couldn’t eat it. Clearly a processed piece of meat. After that last course I just wanted to leave. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. The other customers were mainly elderlies. That’s probably the only reason why this restaurant is still in business. They try to be French fancy but fail so badly that going there feels almost like a bad reality show. Long gone are the days with good food - all that’s left is the very badly executed idea of it. If I didn’t know it better I’d say they have given up. If you like nursing home food this place is the one to go. If you like fresh food, go...

Great welcome. We were initially disappointed to learn that there was only a tasting menu available. However each dish was a taste sensation. There were 4 of us and all four were surprised by the taste of the dishes that we would not usually have chosen from a menu. In fact it was so good my friend kept forgetting to take photos of each dish as we were so excited to try them and we felt we were almost fighting over each platefull! We even needed more bread to wipe our plates clean because you just didn't want to waste a mouthful. The Chef and waitress were attentive, and we can only say it was a memorable and unique eating experience. One of the best meals we've had in years, excellent value for money and will...

We managed to get a table for 2 on the day. The restaurant was full and it's recommended to book in advance. The restaurant is not too big so it's a bit noisy but very cozy. We didn't know what to expect as we didn't see the menu card anywhere and we got offered a tasting menu by the owner. The food was really great and the service as well. Just be ready to spend around 2.5 hours in the place. The prices are unbeatable for the experience and you also get free spirits shots. Our menu consisted in 5 dishes to share plus the dessert. Definitely a place to go for am amazing...