Pink Olive

On the corner of West Nicholson Street and Potterow sits a neat little bistro called Pink Olive. It has built a very solid reputation, over the past few years, for serving straightforward, locally-sourced dishes to a very high standard.

My feet were starting to need a rest after a brisk walk from my pre-lunch bowl of soup and The Steading, so I was glad to take a seat in the nicely appointed place.

One of the friendly waitresses brought menus, and ran through the soup and roast of the day, as I was taking off my coat. I was sold, so ordered the soup and roast before my bum had even touched the seat. Easy peasy!

The soup was an intriguing combination of beetroot and parsnip, a combo I hadn’t sampled, previously. It arrived, almost immediately. It was a marvellously vibrant pink, thick and hearteningly restorative looking.

It was an excellent combination, with the distinctive sweetness of the parsnip tempered expertly by the subtle earthiness of the beetroot. I’m on the hunt for good soup recipes to sustain weary walkers, hell-bent on walking outrageous distances, so I’ll add this flavour combo to my shortlist, as I have a feeling its combination of sweetness and sustaining veggie goodness might work rather well.

The roast followed, shortly thereafter, and it looked like a proper big plate of roasty goodness. The Yorkshire was huge, the roast potatoes the right combination of crispy and soft, the red cabbage very nicely prepared with a lovely red wine flavour, and the pork meltingly tender. The only criticism I would have is that such tender meat is shown to much better advantage when served in hunks rather than well-mannered slices, but that’s a very minor point against what was an overwhelmingly good dish.

A completely first-class espresso rounded out what had been a really satisfying dining experience.

Overall, I was very impressed with Pink Olive. They served me two excellent dishes and great coffee. I hope to pay a return visit soon, as their breakfast and brunch options, which I saw sampled by some of the other diners, looked delectable, also. I’d recommend you pay them a visit soon, too.

Scores
Blythe scores Pink Olive
4/5 for food
4/5 for presentation
3.5/5 for setting
4/5 for service
Giving an overall 15.5/20

I ate: beetroot and parsnip soup; slow roast pork shoulder with roast potatoes, parsnips, red cabbage, veggie haggis stuffing, onion gravy, and a massive Yorkshire

I drank: sparkly water, espresso

I wore: muddy boots and trousers

Total bill: £14