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The Olive Tree

Somerset, Bath - Modern European - Restaurant - ££££

Overall Rating: Good

Uniqueness:Does the establishment stand out in the context of the local area? Good

Deliciousness:How delicious is the food? Very Good

Warmth:How warm is the service and the hospitality in general? Good

Strength of recommendation:How enthusiastically and widely would you recommend the establishment? Good

Head chef Chris Cleghorn has been honing his technique in the Queensberry Hotel's basement restaurant for more than a decade now, and things are down to a pretty fine art. If you're looking for inventive, refined and beautifully presented dishes, then his tasting menus (choose anything from three to nine courses) hit the mark. Cleghorn places great emphasis on seasonality as well as provenance, and is rightly proud of the wealth of local produce he can draw on. It is perhaps a shame that cooking of such flair is hidden away below ground in a room which, although well lit and tastefully decorated, is a little characterless. Service is suited and formal, though efficient and helpful. You will not be pouring your own drinks here. Each dish is carefully explained by the kitchen staff as it is brought to the table – a starter of cured trout with wasabi cream, purple radish and apple sorbet, for example. Even the seasonal lunch menu offers overtly opulent ideas such as poached and...

Head chef Chris Cleghorn has been honing his technique in the Queensberry Hotel's basement restaurant for more than a decade now, and things are down to a pretty fine art. If you're looking for inventive, refined and beautifully presented dishes, then his tasting menus (choose anything from three to nine courses) hit the mark. Cleghorn places great emphasis on seasonality as well as provenance, and is rightly proud of the wealth of local produce he can draw on. It is perhaps a shame that cooking of such flair is hidden away below ground in a room which, although well lit and tastefully decorated, is a little characterless. Service is suited and formal, though efficient and helpful. You will not be pouring your own drinks here. Each dish is carefully explained by the kitchen staff as it is brought to the table – a starter of cured trout with wasabi cream, purple radish and apple sorbet, for example. Even the seasonal lunch menu offers overtly opulent ideas such as poached and barbecued Cornish lobster with vanilla salt, fermented sweetcorn, lovage oil, verbena leaves and a frothy, light lobster cream. Cleghorn's technical mastery is showcased in a late-summer dessert involving mildly smoky, intensely flavourful barbecued raspberries with tonka-bean parfait, coulis, fennel strands and 25-year-old balsamic vinegar. The extensive, globetrotting wine list is user-friendly, with an excellent selection by the glass and various bottles grouped by style ('rich, intense, opulent') so you can easily choose something to suit your mood.

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VENUE DETAILS

The Queensberry Hotel, 4-7 Russel Street
Bath
Somerset
BA1 2QFGB

01225 447928

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OTHER INFORMATION

Accommodation, Private dining room, Separate bar, Family friendly, Credit card required

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