Oliver's Bar & Kitchen — Restaurant in England

Went for anniversary dinner with my wife. We arrived ten minutes late due to the terrible weather on the night and we apologized for being late. We were seated at our table and then promptly abandoned for 15 minutes without even a glass of water. I got fed up and stood up to try and find someone. Had to stand around in the bar area like a lemon for a couple of minutes until someone spoke to me at which point I complained about the 15 minute wait and asked for someone to serve us.

The waitress followed me and promptly scolded me for having the nerve to talk to her like that (look: I can be very direct and I was annoyed but I was not insulting or aggressive, I just have certain basic expectations in restaurants… this wasn’t KFC after all). Waitress responded by telling us off for being late, insisting it hadn’t been 15 minutes (untrue - I had checked my watch so was certain of this), that they were really busy (the restaurant was 50% full the entire time we were there) and that she had “never been spoken to like that before”. Sorry but you must have the thinnest skin in the hospitality sector in that case. We apologised for being 10 mins late and their response for taking 15 minutes to serve us - which would probably have been even longer if I hadn’t got up! - was to gaslight me. Not a good start.

Anyway, I backed off as didn’t want to ruin the night further and the waitress looked frankly in shock that I had had the audacity to complain, and to their credit the service from that point on was much better. Some rough edges still: we ordered a nice bottle of Bordeaux and not only did the waitress not open it in front of us (a basic rule in restaurants) but also just poured straight out without letting us taste it. Thankfully it was a good bottle - at £55 it should have been, and it was tasty - but that felt like a lack of basic restaurant training.

We ordered a caprese salad to share and I ordered the prawn and chorizo linguine while my wife ordered steak. The caprese salad was a disgrace - sorry, no other word for it. It was a sloppy mess of chopped up tomatoes and chunks of mozzarella in a soggy bowl all thrown together. That is not a caprese salad. It tasted alright but looked horrendous so I struggled to eat it. I’ve attached a photo.

Thankfully the main courses were quite good. My linguine was very tasty and my wife’s steak was good quality and cooked as requested. No real complaints about the quality and flavours. It’s not gourmet or anything - in fact I would class it as pub food really - but to be honest I’m still not 100% sure if it was worth the money for the quality. Which probably means it wasn’t. Especially considering the caprese car crash.

As already mentioned, they redeemed themselves somewhat with the service and gave us a couple of complimentary glasses of house champagne for our anniversary which was a very nice touch. They even took the service charge off the bill which wasn’t necessary or requested by us but was appreciated and I have to give credit for them taking accountability. But it really shouldn’t have to come to that; you simply can’t be that fragile when working in a restaurant, especially when you’ve left a customer waiting for 15 minutes after seating them. Basic stuff if you want to be seen as a somewhat higher quality eatery for the area, although I’m not sure if it’s positioning itself as a restaurant or a bar to be honest. Maybe that’s the problem. Bit of an identity crisis.

Overall a disappointing experience after hearing good things about the place. Food is decent but not amazing and the staff needed more training. Decor was alright if a bit “bordello”. I would recommend Fish at 55 or Brettingtons before this place though, to be honest.

Oh - final point. The men’s toilet was out of order and their solution was a couple of portaloos out the front of the restaurant - the type you get at music festivals. I understand this is a tricky situation that isn’t entirely their fault but surely there are better solutions. I chose to hold it until...

I booked a table for 30 at Oliver’s Rochester for my daughter’s 30th birthday surprise lunch.

I had high expectations for this restaurant; its location is convenient for most of my guests, with ample parking just a three-minute walk away from both the restaurant and the high street. Not only did Oliver’s meet my expectations, but the staff and overall experience exceeded them in every possible way.

Anyone who knows my family understands how hard it is to please absolutely everyone. Add to that my daughter’s friends, some of whom I had never met before, and I needed an environment that felt warm and welcoming. Most importantly, I hoped the food would be great. Well, I was more than pleasantly surprised!

From the start, I maintained communication with the restaurant, updating them on guest numbers and details. Because I’m an organisational nightmare, I even sent them a spreadsheet with every guest’s meal choices (don’t hate the player, hate the game!). Despite my fussiness, Clare, the manager, was absolutely wonderful, as were all the staff. They were welcoming, polite, and accommodating at every turn—every request was handled seamlessly, and every question was answered with ease.

Now, the food...where do I even begin? It was cooked to the highest standard, arrived together, piping hot, and was simply mouthwatering. The portion sizes were beyond generous and much appreciated. Every single guest was happy with their meal, including me. My daughter, a vegetarian, was well catered for, and even guests who made last-minute changes, like ordering starters after initially declining, were accommodated without any fuss. The only item unavailable was one dessert, but an alternative was immediately offered and accepted with no issues at all. The whole experience was effortless and enjoyable.

We had a private room that was just the right size, featuring velvet chairs, long couches lining the walls beneath a stunning Georgian/early Victorian windows, and a beautifully ambient, classy decor. A table was set up front and centre for the gifts and the cake I brought with me (they could have provided one, but I had already arranged mine elsewhere).

A bar was conveniently close by for guests to order drinks on demand, and the staff struck the perfect balance of checking in just enough to ensure we were well looked after without ever feeling intrusive. One small but incredibly thoughtful touch—they provided takeaway boxes so guests could bring home slices of cake. I hadn’t even considered that, but it was such a lovely gesture. By the end of the afternoon, we all left full, happy, and having enjoyed a wonderful Sunday together as family and friends in a beautiful setting with truly exceptional staff.

I genuinely cannot find a single fault with Oliver’s Rochester. This place is a hidden gem, one I would usually be hesitant to share for selfish reasons, but in this case, I have to applaud them. No matter where you are, whether in the UK, across the world, or even in another galaxy, I urge you to visit Oliver’s in Rochester, Kent.

If you’ve skimmed past my detailed review, let me summarise it in one word: 'Outstanding!'

They understood the significance of the occasion and delivered an experience of the highest standard.

A huge thank you to Clare and all the staff at Oliver’s Rochester; you made my daughter’s milestone birthday truly...

Service at this place is a big let down. We booked a sunday lunch for my family. We were given the wrong menu initially by a waitress who looked as if she just didnt know what she was doing or even where she was. I know this may come across as offensive but perception to me is a big deal. Even if you dont have a clue at least look like you do. We were given another menu, the week day menu, on a sunday....and told the only things left on it where the vegetarian options. None of us are vegetarian and none of the options left looked good. So on speaking to the manager we where apologised to and finally got the menu for the sunday lunch......30 minutes later.

After a quite a wait the food arrived at the table, The beef was beautiful, The Turkey was bone dry. The vegetables where cold and the potatoes on my plate where burnt. The yorkshire pudding and the gravy is what saved the meal from being a disaster. This is not what we expected from a classy bar like this. So far service was questionable, the food was ok and the best was yet to come.

The bill arrived, every one on the table including my 7yo son had been charged for 2 adult courses. I spoke to the waiter and reminded him that my parents only had one course each and my 7yo son is not an adult and should not be charged as such. I also questioned the service charge added to the bill asking if it was optional to pay as normally it would state on bill. In this case it didnt. He returned with the bill and stated that the service charge was correct. This it not what I had asked him so I told him politely to remove it. 3rd time lucky, I finally got my bill.

I have been to this place in the evening for drink and I cant fault the place. Bar staff are great, cocktails are great. But as for the sunday lunch, I wont...