Olive Bistro & Bar - Hyderabad

Place for special occasions

Olive Bistro is one of those restaurants that has been in both mine and Minal's minds for years now. We planned to go there over 3 years ago to celebrate our engagement, but it just couldn't happen. And for one reason or another, we couldn't plan a later visit either. Nevertheless, for Minal's birthday last month, we got our opportunity. Despite some scepticism owing to COVID-19, we decided to go and are rather glad we did.

Restaurant Location

Olive Bistro is situated at the extreme end of Road No. 46, Jubilee Hills, overlooking the Durgam Cheruvu lake and park. The road leading up to the restaurant was eerily silent with a barely a soul around and it made us wonder if we were on the right path although Google Maps seemed to think we were. The parking lot was a bit surprising too as it was simply a muddy open ground and we had to find an empty space on our own with no one around.

Ambience

As we entered the restaurant, the ambience we had heard so much about was on full display. The fact that the restaurant is located in such an isolated place also adds to its ambience. It has a bit of a rustic feel to it and it was evident right from the entrance. The lighting and the greenery along the long stairway heading towards the seating setup our evening perfectly.

Entrance of Olive Bistro

     

Stairway surrounded by greenery

Owing to COVID-19 and the safety measures in place, only outdoor seating was permitted and despite the winter chill in the air, we didn't really mind. In fact, it was exactly the kind of candle lit scene we were hoping to experience.

Outdoor seating

Food

As we headed towards our table, it was evident the management had done their bit to ensure safety of their guests as well as employees. Everyone had masks on, and it was mandatory to sanitize our hands. The menu too had become digital and could be accessed by scanning a QR code on our phones. We started by ordering the Roasted Veggie Salad with barley, toasted almonds, fresh beans, pita chips, olives and goat cheese cream. The combination was interesting, and we especially enjoyed the almonds and the cream cheese. The cheese added that zing to the salad.

Minal also got herself a Kiwi Apple Delight to go with the salad. The juice was presented very well and looked tasty. But as was mentioned by the waiter, it had a slightly sour taste and was made out of crushed ice and became a bit of struggle for Minal to finish it on a chilly winter night.

Looking at the menu again for the main course, we had three options, Risotto, Pizza or Pasta. After spending nearly 10 mins, we went with the safe option of the Veggie Pizza with roasted peppers, onions, olives, jalapeno and mozzarella. It was probably a little too much olives for the night for my liking but given our diet restrictions, this was the best option was us as vegetarians. The pizza had a surprisingly flat and thin crispy base but tasted good, nonetheless.

To cap off the dinner and birthday, we next went for the Classic Baked Cheesecake. The presentation, like was the case throughout the night was neat. The cake itself however was the usual we've come to expect from any cheesecake although the berry compote was a little too good to resist.

Overall Review

We went to Olive Bistro after years of hearing and reading good stuff about it and got what we expected, at least with the ambience. Although it wasn't among the best, the food was pretty good. The staff too did their best in terms of service and safety despite some guests making it difficult for them by moving around the place without masks on. All things considered, it was a pretty good experience and we'll probably go there again in the future.