Olive Branch Bistro

Olive Branch Bistro
91 Broughton Street
Edinburgh, EH1 3RX
Phone: 0131 557 8589
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  • Food served: Mon–Thu 10am–10pm; Fri/Sat 10am–11pm; Sun 10.30am–10pm.
  • Number of wines sold by the glass: 11
  • Also offers: Gluten-free options, Children's portions, Children's high chairs, Wheelchair access, Outdoor tables (smokers welcome)
  • Music on stereo: Ipod on random
  • Capacity: 44
  • Largest group: 40
  • Open since: 2003
View larger map of EH1 3RX
  • Average price 2 courses:
     £14 (lunch)
     £17 (evening meal)
  • House wine: £13.95 per bottle
Eating & Drinking Guide 2009

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.

Whether it’s brunch in Broughton Street’s light, airy surroundings, a sandwich at the sophisticated new offshoot on George IV Bridge, or a cosy supper in the intimate Bruntsfield bistro, the flourishing Olive Branch chain provides 'relaxed, informal dining in your neighbourhood' all day long. Amiable staff are happy to guide you through a well-chosen wine list and an appealing, regularly updated seasonal menu, though service can become flustered at busy times. The kitchen shows flair in a starter of deep, rich smoked-duck slivers on a bed of red-cabbage coleslaw in pungent roast garlic dressing, while mains such as char-grilled steak with peppercorn sauce and a succulent burger with piquant tomato and sweetcorn chutney are reliably satisfying. However, more imaginative offerings can err on the side of subtlety: beautifully cooked seared salmon flakes at the merest touch of a fork, but the accompanying tomato and garlic butter fails to pack a flavoursome punch, leaving the end result underwhelming. And with the exception of a gloriously luscious raspberry cheesecake, desserts such as chocolate and almond tart are a little heavy-handed. But with discounts for booking online or presenting cinema or theatre tickets, the Olive Branch is a safe bet for a reasonably priced, laid-back, enjoyable meal.

  • High point: Laid-back ambience
  • Low point: Some dishes don’t live up to their appetising billing

The LIST Card C6

Buy a LIST Card

This restaurant offers the standard 2-for-1 LIST Card promotion for:

Lunch: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu

Dinner: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun

Exclusions: Public Holidays

Remember: book by phone (0131 557 8589) and ask for a LIST Card booking.

The LIST Card is a dining scheme that gives you promotional two-for-one offers at a range of restaurants in Glasgow, Edinburgh and beyond. Find out more.

Comments

1. Darren, Edinburgh – 20 August 2008, 1:56pm(1)Report

Honestly honestly honestly not worth a visit, the food is very basic and over-priced - the tables are so close you are almost sitting on somebody's knee - which i find really uncomfortable, especially when taking your girlfreind out for a meal -
Just felt the whole dinning experience was very false and when i left i felt really dissapointed with the food and for the fact i had lined the owners pocket with my hard earned cash.

2. M – 25 September 2008, 5:25pm(4s)Report

Excellent breakfast which is piping hot, cooked to order with attention to detail. No boiled mushrooms here folks! It is lightyears better than the standard excuse served by many city centre establishments.

I've not gone back for lunch or dinner, so cannot comment on this side of the business, but it is a regular stop for our Saturday morning fry up!

3. Archie, Edinburgh – 25 November 2008, 12:18pm(1)Report

Was really looking forward to my first visit to the Olive Branch as I'd heard excellent reviews. We were extremely disappointed and shocked to arrive for a celebratory late lunch to be told they needed the table back in an hour and a half (there were 6 of us dining and we hadn't been told this prior to our arrival). No apologies, very matter of fact. We begrudgingly took our seats at a table that was clearly only for 4 people but they squeezed two extra chairs on the end - again, no apology.

Very blunt, can't be bothered service and the whole organisation of the place seemed a total shambles.

On a positive note the food was excellent and we did manage to have a nice lunch but will not be going back until there are new staff hired.

4. Nina, Edinburgh – 24 December 2008, 3:27pm(1)Report

We went there for brunch with a friend. The food was delicious but there was too little on the plate. I was still hungry after we left. I found the food overpriced and won't be returning for that reason. The place also was cramped. Our table was against a pillar and stuck in between 3 other tables on each side. I felt that our table shouldn't have been there as there was no space for it really !!! Cramming as many tables as possible in a confined space is not the way to go because it gives your customer an unpleasant experience and they won't come back.
The service was bad. We were totally ignored for quite some time and the waitress was borderline rude.

5. C, Edinburgh – 5 January 2009, 10:49pm(3s)Report

I'm surprised to read some of the poorer reviews as I was pleasantly surprised by the Olive Branch. The food was delicious and of a high quality that I thought merited the prices charged when compared to some of the rubbish served up in other bistros for about the same price. It's not the sort of place to go if you're looking for the eat-all-you-can buffet experience but nobody in our group seemed hungry afterwards.

I've never felt cramped there either, but maybe I've just been lucky in the tables I've been given. It could also be pointed out to those who don't quite have a handle on restaurant economics that in a small space like the Olive Branch prices would have to go up quite a lot if there were fewer tables in order for the owners to cover their costs.

Having been to The Olive Branch several times now my only complaint would be about the staff, who do range from the slightly complacent to the downright useless. However if you're not in a rush to eat and want somewhere quite central The Olive Branch does the job nicely.

6. M – 10 February 2009, 6:32pm(1)Report

Having already given this establishment the thumbs up (see review 2 above) for their breakfasts, I am disappointed to have to post a poor review to balance it out.

Our last (and it will be our last) visit to the OB in Broughton Street to get a freshly cooked breakfast was a disgrace. Having ordered two breakfasts, the breakfasts we were served were a million miles away from the one we had enjoyed before. Among our complaints were poached eggs cooked beyond recognition and black pudding served raw!

I can forgive an establishment making the occasional mistake, but what I can't forgive is the attitude of the staff. To be told that the black pudding they buy in is cooked already is nothing short of ridiculous. No hint of an apology, no interest in taking feedback, in short no customer service whatsoever.

Shame really.

7. Shawn, Edinburgh – 18 February 2009, 3:19pm(5s)Report

I've eaten at the Olive Branch on Broughton Street a few times for nice brunches and also had one of the best evening meals ever there during the last festival. I was catching up with a friend I hadnt seen in years, and we really took our time over the three great courses of food. The atmosphere and service must have been spot on too as I cant remember a single negative thing about the whole evening. I wonder if the mixed reviews above suggest that sometimes the staff have off days, but given my own positive experiences, i'd happily go back and take the risk.

8. MC, Edinburgh – 20 February 2009, 4:11pm(1)Report

Food is nearly alway excellent. Customer service has let place down badly on a couple of occasions. We had to wait over 40 mins for breakfast one Saturday and were repeatedly ignored by serving staff. On finishing drinks, we asked again if the breakfasts would be long only to be told it would be another 10 mins - a very grudging apology given. Needless to say we left at this point for a juice and sausage roll at the fantastic Sejuiced just up the road!

9. Shawn, Edinburgh – 21 February 2009, 2:00pmReport

Having gone back to the Olive Branch last Thursday, I found the service (which seems to be the chief complaint of most of the people above) to be both friendly, polite and prompt. The food again was good, especially the spiced orange cheesecake that I enjoyed despite being quite full from my main course.

10. Em Rider, broughton – 14 June 2009, 11:59am(2s)Report

I have been here quite a few times. Food is usually very good, however, service is usually TERRIBLE! Service is extremely slow, and quite often the only way to get anything is to go up to the desk (where the waiting staff are usually chatting amongst themselves). Its a shame, as this could be a little gem, but after waiting 45mins just for a cup of coffee on my last visit, on a not particularly even busy day, it tipped me over the edge, and I WONT be going back.

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