The Purple Olive

Heading into this place, I thought very casual atmosphere, very nice for a date night… very nice people.
The chef was really nice, he personally came out to blow torch the garlic butter on our garlic cob bread while chatting.
The special was the beef brisket on a mash with some vegies on the side, it was so tasty and delicious but I had trouble chewing my way through the leathery brisket which was extremely dry, I just couldn’t finish it.
The chef commented it’s incredibly hard to have the moisture stay in… which really didn’t sit well with me, but the dish and flavours on a whole tasted nice.
2 drinks, 1 special and a main later we walked out of a place we thought would at best be a $ 50 night paying $ 80+ the same price as if we went to a nicer place… so honestly speaking, while it may be worth a try and the people are super friendly… I probably won’t be heading back any time soon.

At the «old» end of James St (cue — not near all the new trendy stuff) sits The Purple Olive… it’s a small and more traditional type space but what it lacks in cool factor it makes up for in authenticity, value and taste! The burnt butter gnocchi is a winner, as are almost all the pizzas, the veal scallopini, the duck gnocchi, the rocket, pear & parmesan salad and the salt & pepper squid.
They have a really reasonably priced wine list, cocktail specials up on the blackboard and also do an amazing tiramisu for dessert… if you’ve got room! There’s a cool little spot in the restaurant where you can have a table of about 8 – 12 people next to an exposed brick wall and it’s slightly separated from the rest of the restaurant if you want to celebrate a special occasion. Also bookable on Dimmi which is a tick from me.
Downside is that parking can be tough, especially since the CityCycle station was set up in front of them. Also, the bathrooms are outside the restaurant around the corner (shared with an apartment block & 2 other restaurants).
All in all though, this place is a fave — one of the best, most consistent and enjoyable Mediterranean food experiences that works as a couple or as a large group — we keep coming back!!! ⁹⁄₁₀.

I’ve had two experiences with Purple Olive with a trustworthy Italian girlfriend from Bologna.
Good value, great for a pre-​movie session.
The first time was a pretty bad idea.
Service was very slow, we waited forever for the waitress to come by.
Strangely the place wasn’t that packed, one hour went by from the moment we finish appetizers until our mains hit the table, forcing us to eat in a rush.
‘Ravioli Con Vongole e Gamberi’ (ravioli with clams & prawns) — good cream sauce, price is decent for its portion. Sincere apologies from the owner for the long wait.
Second time, we made sure to tell them it was a before-​movie dinner.
Food came out much quicker (25mins).
‘Capasanta ala Risotto’ (Scallop, katamata olives, chilli, capers, tomato & basil risotto) — the risotto was really good, scallops were tender and «all the elements worked well together» (Manu Feildel).
Wait staff are attentive. One of the them had a very thick French accent… At Purple Olive, when it’s time for desserts, why use a menu when you can just stamp it on the table, scoring them points for attention and originality.
We ended with a double steamed Chocolate pudding with chocolate ganache and vanilla ice cream that we promptly devoured as soon as the plate arrived to the table.

wait staff are always personable and attentive, food is always delicious, desert menu print thing getting old

I love olives.
So it makes sense that my mind-​tank automatically processed
the Purple Olive with fun delicious times.
Located very handily on James St,
this place is slightly remnicist of the alfresco establishments
of Europe (although slightly more clean!)
I’ve heard mixed reviews on the food,
but I found the Fettuce al Salmon rich and super tasty
(and thats something from a usual non-​pasta eater!)
The semi-​dried tomatos + fetta combo never fails
to placate my rumbling stomach and the pasta was
soft and perfectly cooked.
Although a bit too pricey for the everyday
I’ll definitely come back to sample the intriguing
«Beef Cheeks in Red wine» main.
This place is buzzing on the weekends,
so be sure to book ahead.

Although there are a great range of mains like confit duck, veal scallopini with prawns and many others, one of my favourite dishes is here is the relatively simple entrée of pizza bread with garlic, rosemary, sea salt, mozzarella and olive oil. It’s delicious and the perfect way to piqué your appetite for more deliciousness to follow. The ‘Ravioli Con Vongole e Gamberi’ (ravioli with clams & prawns) is my pick of the pasta dishes, with fresh seafood in a wonderfully creamy white wine sauce.
Interestingly, it’s BYO during the week but not on the weekend. The wine list has a decent range of Australian reds and whites and French bubbles from the top shelf.

The last time my partner and I visited the Purple Olive, we took a discount voucher with us. But, the meal was just so damn good that we felt bad about using it and just paid full price instead. That doesn’t happen very often… at least, not to cash-​strapped me.
We arrived quite late, when just one other couple were finishing their meals, and expected to be turned away. Instead, we were graciously ushered to a table. For most of the meal, the two of us and the staff were the only people in the restaurant, and the service was probably as close to V.I.P. treatment as I’ll ever get. Everything was amazing; the wine, the entrees, and the mains. I was too full for dessert, but I always enjoy the way the staff use a giant stamp to print the dessert menu on the table in front of you at the end of your meal.
It’s a rare and exciting experience to be tended with such attention and friendliness. I still have that voucher… I’ll definitely try to use it again very soon.