The Olive Shed

We visited The Olive Shed for my partner’s birthday, and it was such a lovely experience. I’d mentioned the occasion when booking, and we were greeted with a complimentary glass of Prosecco, which was a really thoughtful touch. We were mainly drawn in by the organic wine list and the gorgeous view over the harbour which gives you a refreshing perspective compared to the usual Bristol spots. We tried the organic red Rioja and the organic rosé Rioja, both of which were excellent. The menu overall was great, but the standout dish for us was the wild mushrooms (pictured) - absolutely delicious. Service was warm and attentive throughout. A really enjoyable evening and a lovely place for a special occasion for a fabulous price.

Wonderful food. Good portion size and lots of veggie options. Great wine - should have made a note of the name of it as it was amazing! Lovely way to spend an evening

This is my favourite restaurant in Bristol, especially during summer when they have the seafood specials. We went on Friday after work and it was super busy because it was sunny and everyone wanted to wine and dine near the harbour! However, they were able to get us a table outside as they’re first come first serve and I noticed that you really didn’t have to wait too long to get seated. We opted for the sea bass and some tapas dishes and honestly I can’t wait to go back again already. The seafood is 👌👌 I would personally recommend the bread and oil, the Chorizo and the Hake. My partner opted for the Seabass and he loved it, and it was a very generous portion. Probably be back in a few weeks when the sun makes a return! ☀️

Food was delicious, service was prompt and staff really friendly and lovely. Great views across the river from our window seat! Will definitely be back!

I visited with a group of colleagues on a weekday evening. There were eight of us, though our booking had apparently been recorded for seven. As soon as we entered, we were greeted by three staff members who appeared disengaged and visibly irritated about the extra person. We apologised, as we believed the booking had been made for eight, but the waitress still seemed annoyed, and the manager—sitting behind a laptop—also looked displeased. It was an unwelcoming start to the evening and left me feeling quite uncomfortable. It turned out the restaurant was very quiet so I'm not sure what the fuss was all about. We were one of 3 tables all evening. The rest of the evening was fine. The service was quick and the food ok. The atmosphere was quite cold, there was no music and with the restaurant being quiet it felt a bit uninviting or atmospheric which is a shame with it being in a great location. Sadly, I think there are far better tapas restaurants in Bristol where the food staff and atmosphere are better than The Olive Shed.

We first tried to visit a couple of weeks ago but ended up leaving after sitting outside for 25 minutes without receiving menus. We decided to give it another go on a Friday night. This time, we were seated quickly and given menus, which was a much better start. When ordering, we tried to flag some dietary requirements, but the waitress mentioned she had a lot to remember and might need to come back. While we completely understand it was a busy evening, it did leave us feeling slightly odd. The food did not meet our expectations. The fries, at £7, were a very small portion with just a dusting of chili powder, and the charcuterie board felt more like something pre-packaged from a Tesco. The shin was tough, and the bread, when it eventually arrived, tasted a little stale. Oddly, the bread came after every other dish, and we had to ask for it. We also ordered hummus, which never arrived, but was still on the bill and had to be removed. In general the portions were really overpriced for low quality and quantity. It’s a lovely location with a lot of potential, but overall, it gave the impression of a spot that may rely on tourist footfall rather than returning customers.

Delicious food with a mediterranean touch, nice service and great location. One of out best dinners in Bristol with no doubts

Had a great lunch here!! The olives of course were delicious, we had a lovely special of tomatoes on feta with dried olives as well I think which was truly incredible! Tapas sharing!!

Ralph did an excellent job with everything. He was so welcoming and explained the menu in detail. My group was visiting from the states to Bristol for our first time and the food was amazing and it was freshly served to us! We definitely had a blast trying new things and experiencing the harbor views along with our food. 10/10 would recommend to others to try! The croquettes were so crispy and warm and melted in your mouth with every bite. It was well worth the trip. The tappas portions were worth the price. The view was really worth seeing too. We were the first table to ever order 20 individual croquettes and the server was quite surprised and told us we were the only people he knew over a year to have ordered that quantity. I challenge you all to beat our 20 croquettes order, it's a world record really! Cheers!

Rip off! 1 coffee, 1 tea, 2 measly portions of cheesecake - £22! Won't be going back.

I was looking for an exceptional restaurant as a surprise for my partner's birthday, and remembered walking by a beautiful little hideaway of a restaurant, on the way back from the SS Great Britain. I found their website, made a booking online which was easy, and they responded quickly to confirm my booking. His birthday rolled by, and I was very excited about trying out this restaurant, as they had amazing reviews online and I liked the sound of their Mediterranean menu alot. It was all good when we got here, and had our starters, which were absolutely heavenly. Then the problems started. After waiting about 45 minutes after our started, a waitress came over and asked if we wanted to see the dessert menu. To which we informed her that our mains hadn't yet arrived. It was blatant that they had forgotten about them. What I found very unprofessional was the manager who refused to admit this, and ended up arguing that they didn't forget the main, and there was nothing wrong waiting for more than 45 minutes for it as they were a 'laid back' restaurant. She didn't listen to us, tried to cover their mistake up, and this agitated me tremendously. It ruined the ambience of the night - even the wonderful harbourside views and good food (when it finally arrived) didn't make up for it. All in all, a good restaurant with a good concept and a stunning location. However, because of the service I received, I won't be coming back here for quite some time.

One of Bristol's best but still lesser known offerings, this is connected with the micro-chain of Olive Company shops and stalls around Bristol. Here they've taken their wares to make mouth watering lunches and dinners. Located right on the harbourside, this is a lovely place to watch the rowers go by with a glass of wine. Despite being fairly informal and not really touting itself as a fine dining experience the food at Olive Shed is of exceptional quality. The focus is on Mediterranean food, with even their Sunday roast being influenced in this way. It means there's a tapas menu, which is popular. There's a decent range of other light dishes as well, making this a good stop for lunch. The Olive Shed wears its pretty location and excellent food lightly, offering a friendly informal atmosphere to go with it. The service is sharp but pretty relaxed. This all makes for an experience to be savoured and a trip that's remembered.

I'd forgotten how great the Tapas at the olive shed was until we stumbled upon it today while taking a walk round the harbour. If you've never been it's tucked away past the M-Shed. It's small and quaint and has outside seating, which we took advantage of as it was a lovely day. The tapas menu has a selection of fish, meat, veggie or cheese courses or you can go for a sharing platter. They also have specials that vary. I had Harissa lamb cutlets, lentils and sun dried tomatoes, a yogurty dippy sauce, a bowl of chips, all washed down with Estrella. It was delicious. The chips are really chunky and crispy. I also ordered a tortilla for my one year old son, and he wolfed it down so I suspect tat was good too!

A bit tricky to find, this lovely little restaurant sits down on the waterfront quite near to what used to be the Transport Museum. It's a charming little 'shack' like building which is easily identified on sunny days by the throng of people sitting out the front. If you're eating inside you're best advised to sit upstairs as this offers great views across the water. The interior itself is also pretty easy on the eye with attractive but simple wooden tables and chairs in a small, cosy environment. The food is just as pleasant, with simple mains such as fish and meat with pototaoes and veg, plus a plethora of tapas options. Recommended.

Tucked away in a somewhat obscure location, The Olive Shed isn't exactly easy to find. Once you're there however, the next difficulty is in persuading yourself to leave. With a beautiful dining space in which wide windows overlook an attractive stretch of Bristol's harbourside, Olive Shed is airy by day and romantically lit by candles at night. The food is excellent, mediterranean-inspired fare, with quality, locally sourced ingredients and simple recipes the order of the day. The service is friendly but professional and the resulting whole package is fine dining in a relaxed and informal setting. With its colourful walls, beautiful artwork of natural landscapes, you really could be in an olive shed somewhere further South. Even the cold Bristol sky looming overhead can't detract from this fantasy...

The Olive Shed Restaurant in Bristol is my favourite. The upstairs seating is really cosy and romantic and in summer the outside is a great place to sit and have a beer. In the summer, The Olive Shed is one of the last places in Bristol to catch the sun which means great sunsets over the water - a photographers delight. Look out for the Sundowner Festivals around the same time as the Harbourside Festival. Great free music. The food is excellent and fairly priced. i love the seafood tapas platter and a glass of Picpaul, perfectly matched! The friendly service makes the whole experience a memorable one.. Highly recommended!!!

From all places we've been in Bristol we always liked the Shed most. This place is no "wanna be posh" place but still you can get good food, good drinks for affordable prices. The staff is friendly but not oversweet, quick and helpful. The location itself is of course cool and we, coming from Munich, always accidentally met old friends. We stayed hours drinking and eating and chatting with nice people. Here is no rush to finish food that the next "shift" can eat. Just come, sit down and relax. We like the place. Would we come to Bristol again, would this always be the place to go out in the afternoon/evening.

We went down to the river, to an old boat shed housing saliva-inducing delights. We chose from a blackboard of med-influenced, locally sourced wonders, including smoked haddock tart and a thick, succulent piece of sirloin. Wines were rich, fruity and organic, vegetables picked and bread baked that morning. By night, candelit views over the harbour, the SS Britain is just along the water, by day a sunshiney courtyard to lunch in. Christmas parties are lively and food nearly as good a their everyday menu, and you can even hire the venue for wedding parties. Bliss.

For tasty tapas and wholesome, organic food it's hard to beat the tiny Olive Shed restaurant overlooking Bristol's harbourside - although first you'll need to book a table, and then you'll need to find it (which isn't that easy - but ask people on the street if you're struggling and most locals will know it). Although the restaurant has a slightly shambolic, shack-like appearance from the outside, this shouldn't detract from the quality of the locally-sourced, Mediterranean-influenced food - and once you go upstairs to the seating area there's a greater sense of space, with large windows giving you views out over the water. Open for morning coffee and cakes, lunches and dinner, the menu changes regularly according to the ingredients available, many of them organic and Fairtrade. You can generally count on the Olive Shed being able to serve up some of the finest olives out there (as its name suggests), along with freshly baked bread and dips, stuffed vine leaves, sun dried tomatoes, green salads, and delicious fish dishes. The coffee is good, too - and if you fancy a glass of wine they have some organic options on the menu.

Me and my other half recently visited Bristol for a short trip. We were very lucky that we had friends who live in the area who had very kindly booked this place for lunch. Honestly, when I first saw it I made him check we were at the right place! The decor is standard 90s Mediterranean but along one side is all windows and the view is lovely. The menu that we had was predominantly Spanish not Greek but every dish was absolutely lovely. I would recommend the salt cod croquettas and the pork with manzanilla and crispy sage. The manchego with membrillo was really flavoursome like the proper Spanish cheese (and I have sampled a fair amount of the proper stuff when I lived there). The wine list was small but the 'quaffable' Montepulciano was exactly that. We shared 8 dishes between 4 and that was more than enough and the prices are very reasonable.It's a shame you don't find more little old school places like this is London!

This is an interesting restaurant, and if you don't believe the statement "it's tricky to find" as posted by another reviewer, try going out and looking for it! Finding this little gem is truly worth it's weight in effort! I have never had a mackeral pate, but if this is how all mackeral pates taste, then I am hooked! The meal was also quite nice with a good variety to choose from. As a stand out, I would have to recommend ordering a side of olives. Quite honestly, some of the loveliest olives that literally crunch in one's mouth and allow the flavors to burst over the tastebuds! The parent company of the Olive Shed apparently is the major importer of olives in Bristol and allow the restaurant to really have a nice selection of them. They even have a daily olve specials! The view along the harbor is also quite nice, but as I had gone in the evening, the view was somewhat limited. The restaurant is a quaint little place with seating upstairs only. The menu here changes daily based on the fresh fruits/vegetables and meats/fish that come in. As a hidden gem along the docks of Bristol, defintely a place I would like to return to if ever I get the chance to return! Just remember to read the boards for some of the specials that won't be on the menu. Now, only if I could remember how to get there...

This Restaurant is run by the Real Olive Company Simple style upstairs restaurant with wooden floors and chairs and one huge floor to ceiling window overlooking the docks. Food and service are both excellent. On the menu is a selection of tapas and vegetarian and vegan dishes. The olive shed does also cater for meat and fish eaters however this restaurants should surely be in the top 5 for vegetarian bristolians. Also has a good wine list. It is slightly expensive but worth it.

I had the pleasure of eating in this restaurant some few days after it was first opened in November 2001. I have since been attracted back to the restaurant on many occasions to gorge myself on more tapas dishes and good local wines. The waiting staff are very friendly and accommodating, which is handy as the venue is popular with only limited seating available. The menu overall was excellent if not slightly expensive. The Manchego cheese and olive shed chutney was tangy and flavoursome and the chicken breast cooked to perfection. Definitely recommended!

Although the food cannot be compared to the best restaurants in Bristol, there are not many other eateries with such a beautiful location, and that is what keeps bringing me back to The Olive Shed. I think that the best time to go is when the sun is setting. Get a seat by the window in the dining room on the first floor and enjoy the picture perfect scene being played out in front of you. It may be all about the view here, but they do serve food as well. On my last visit, my friend and I chose the tapas, but there are also set menus, main courses and platters. Our five tapas just squeezed onto our small table: patatas bravas, stuffed vine leaves with mint and lemon, mini chorizo poached in red wine, skewered garlic and chilli prawns, and a slice of tortilla. Not forgetting the rustic bread and great choice of olives, what The Olive Shed obviously prides itself on since it was founded as a small stall in St Nic's Market.

One of the best restaurants we have visited in England. ALL of the appetizers we delicious from the Pata Bravas to the Hake. The service was spectacular and very friendly. The steak was was cooked to perfection and the sides were great.

My favorite place to eat in the entire Bath/Bristol area- and I lived here for three months. The food was just as amazing as the beautiful view from the second floor of the restaurant. Once I'm back in Europe, this will be the first place I'll plan to go to.

Nice view on the harbor, staff friendly and pro, the food was really good. I had the slow cooked beef. The sides were also delicious. 22P for 2 courses.

I was taking a stroll on my own by the harbourside yesterday around 1pm and I happenned upon the Olive Shed. They had a sandwich board out front that said a few things but the final phrase caught my attention, "Best Olives in Town". I did a 90 degree, counter-clockwise spin and headed through their door. There was only a few tables outside and a couple indoors. There was a large display case filled with really delicious looking foods. The tapas here must be awesome. There was however, only a couple of buckets of olives. I asked the gent behind the counter if i could just buy some olives for takeaway and he obliged, in the most snotty, nonchalant way possible. Somehow he passed the buck to another woman working behind the counter and I was served by her as well in the snidest way possible without being openly rude. Jesus people, going through life with gritted teeth will only make things harder on yourself! I grabbed my olives and set off (I was only charged 2.50 for a pretty big container, much better price than say Chando's or something), but the whole experience left me with mixed feelings. For one thing, the food looked amazing and I bet at night the candles and the water really set the stage for something special, but those people who work there are jerks. And I like to spend my money where people at least feign appreciation.

This was my first time here, and I cannot believe how beautiful a night I have had! The setting is perfect, looking over the water, the staff are friendly, helpful and personable. The food is traditional, yet expertly cooked. The restuarant is laid out in a way you enjoy an intimate meal with an atmosphere that rivals the best. The wine menu is basic, but the range perfectly accompanies the food. The overall price is mid range, yet good value for money. All in all I can not recomend a better place to enjoy a laid back meal with someone you love or a bunch if friends for good times! Eat here!!!!

Gorgeous little place hidden away on Wapping Wharf past the Industrial Museum. As the name suggests, olives are the speciality and they are really lovely. The lunch menu comprises other mezze items and great salads, while the Mediterranean dinner menu served in the tiny upstairs restaurant is fabulous. Olive-lovers must seek this little place out!

Great selection of Mediterranean inspired food; friendly, helpful staff; nice views across the floating harbour. Book early as there are few tables, but this adds to its charm.

What a true delight this place is. A fabulous menu, romantic ambience and setting right on the waters edge, and polite and helpful staff. I cannot recommend this place enough and is top of my list for a return visit.

ReI ate at Olive Shed last night and have to admit I was dissapointed. This place has quite a reputation but just didn't quite deliver. There were only a few of the specials available and my choice of main course also wan't available- which didn't start off our meal on a good note. The menu is small in comparison to other restaurants and it doesn't help when options are imited further due to the chef's frugal ordering policy. It's a shame- as said before this could be a fantastic restaurant but needs a more professional approach. VW

I wouldn't normally choose to go to a vegetarian restaurant, but was actually very suprised. The food is all delicous and a really wide range as too. Good value wine list.

My favourite restaurant in Bristol. Fantastic location overlooking the harbour with great staff and lovely food. The team of chefs they have at present are really good and I eat here regularly. Perfect for a romantic dinner for two and also for larger groups. This is not the cheapest place in Bristol but as with most things - you get what you pay for and I think it is worth every penny.