The Olive Tree, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire - Review.

 As foodies we are rather blessed in our neck of the woods with some lovely independent restaurants as well as being on the doorstep of our capital city where you can probably find food from every nation in the world. I often review London restaurants (gifted) but it's nice to showcase some local eateries like The Olive Tree in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, even though we were not there because of a press invitation.

Last week amid all that lovely sunshine we decided to use a voucher my eldest son and his fiance gave us for Christmas to enjoy lunch at this lovely Greek restaurant in Berkhamsted High Street. Independently owned and open since 2015, its' a bright space with the added benefit of a sunny courtyard for al fresco eating when the British weather allows. 

The menu is mainly meze style inspired by the owner's Grandma's home recipes, and guests are encouraged to share dishes to give the authentic Greek experience. You can also choose big plates or wraps and add small plates or dips, or keep to yourself if you are not a fan of sharing!

The setting certainly lends itself fully to the Greek taverna vibe and with sun streaming through the windows and the aroma of mouthwatering food you could almost imagine there was a beautiful blue ocean and traditional fishing boats outside rather than the High Street.

Service was efficient and friendly and the dishes started appearing fairly quickly, meze style, as and when they were cooked.

First out were pork croquettes from the smaller dishes plate menu- slow roasted breaded pork belly served atop spiced apple puree. I'm sometimes a bit wary of pork belly which can be fatty but ordered it as I know my husband loves it. I needn't have worried. It was not fatty on the slightest and was delicious paired with the sauce.

The pork was swiftly followed by a portion of Kalamarakia Tiganita also from the smaller plates menu-crispy fried calamari with sumac and Greek tartare. It was as good as any I have had in the Med with not a hint of rubber and a light tasty coating.

We had also ordered whitebait from the smaller plates menu and a dish each from the larger plates menu. I chose Halloumi and my husband oped for lamb rump both served with patatoules (sauteed baby potatoes bathed in a light lemon and herb sauce) and herb dusted chips. 

I chose a portion of Tzatziki to accompany mine while my husband chose hummus - in typical Greek style we shared of course. I would have preferred my halloumi without breadcrumbs (I'm slightly obsessed with it lightly grilled with a drizzle of honey, hot or otherwise to finish) but it was still delicious.

In retrospect we should have picked one carb and a Greek salad (you get a choice of two sides with the large plate meals) rather than double carbs but we still made a concerted effort to clean our plates.

It did mean sadly we didn't have room for dessert but I may go back just for baklava now I know it's on the menu!

This feast (drinking tap water) cost £68. If we'd stuck to the supplement free dishes on the weekday 3 small plates for £17 and not had the lamb which also came with a supplement it would have been even cheaper. We came away feeling very satisfied and a little bit like we were on holiday and happy to have supported a local independent business.

Berkhamsted is easily accessible from London by train on the Euston line, is close to the M25 and has lovely independent shops, coffee shops and cafes, a historic castle, a canal-side park and frequent fresh food, farmers, vintage and antique street markets. There are bluebell woods nearby and the eccentric Tring Museum, an outcrop of the Natural History Museum a few miles down the road.

Disclaimer: I was not paid or rewarded for sharing this honest review. Many thanks to our eldest and Supernanny for our generous voucher
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