Olives & Oregano in Tower Hamlets

Extremely disappointing experience. Have visited a few times and previously enjoyed but this visit will probably be my last. The Sunday Roast was not very flavourful at all however the service was the crux. Honourable mention to ponytail guy who was pleasant until the end where he became very obnoxious and rude as they 'didn't accept card payments' despite having paid previously with card and could see the customer ahead of us paying with a card. Overall, mid-level roast and uncomfortable service, won't be revisiting!

The mixed Sunday roast was delicious and perfect for meat and chicken lovers! The price was reasonable, though the service could have been a bit more attentive. Overall, a solid choice for a Sunday meal.

Finally checked this place out in the heart of East London. Walked in, was seen & seated by the staff straight away. Sat down & ordered our roast lunch, it came out in less than 7 minutes. I believe this is a family run business, & the staff was so quick & efficient & friendly. As for the food - we got a lamb roast & a chicken roast. I must say this definitely hit the spot for us. The flavour on the chicken was definitely 10/10. We are still yet to try other things on the menu & will 100 percent visit again. The food is a good value for money. (Cash only) Definitely recommend.

At first glance the restaurant is a little unassuming on the outside however once you step inside it is a lovely place. There was a little queue outside the door which i didnt mind as the food inside was amazing and well worth the wait. The roast dinner was amazing and full of flavour it was also all Halal i have never had a roast this nice from a restaurant nothing compares to it and it puts any other places like toby carvery to shame! The veg was perfectly cooked and fresh, the potatoes were crispy yet fluffy. Furthermore the gravy was not watery at all and complimented everything without taking away from the flavours of the food itself. I could not fault it all. The only thing i would say is that i wish there were a few different drink options available. But thats not a big deal considering the lovely food.

Amazing food and amazing customer service. Such friendly considerate staff. The customer service alone makes me want to go back and the food is delicious, healthy and affordable. I definitely recommend. I had the Sunday roast (lamb option), it was a comforting hearty meal and I am looking forward to exploring other things on their menu. Edit (October 2024): I’ve been coming here every month and the quality and service is still the same, so good! I love that we have olives and oregano close to us.

It's very good I like it. You can try

This has pretty much become my regulator place for lunch. Simple menu with simple but fresh items. Can't go wrong

This is my first ever review. Will never trust TikTok again!!! Bland and microwaved food. Not worth the wait or money. Chicken wasn’t even cooked. 1 star because I receive the food that I ordered.

Arrived at 4:00 pm long queues - at 4:08 called the store and asked how long it would be to get seated - ended up seated at 5:30 so an hour and a half - a lot more than expected. Food was nice got the lamb roast and chicken roast - nothing special but a good warm meal - fair portion sizes well priced Good service PLEASE BOOK IN ADVANCE BY CALLING OR THE WEBSITE - review brought down by long waiting time and others cutting the queue and getting in sooner than others waiting first

The roast dinner is lovely here. I've tried several Halal roast dinners in London, however this one is up there with my favourites. Great flavours and bang for buck! The chicken is seasoned well, lamb is soft, gravy is the perfect consistency, roast potatoes are actually roasted and the plate is full up, all for a decent price. However, I would like to suggest some more vegetables with the meal as it's very beige and carb heavy (with both roast potatoes and mash potatoes) and for the gravy to come on the side, so you can control how much is on your food. The staff seem to have a good system going. I wouldn't particularly say they were welcoming but they weren't rude either - just doing kind of, doing their job. There's been a few times I've planned to come here and they've been full for roast, so I advise booking in advance.

We had the Sunday roast, although we waited a while to be seated, the food was delicious and very filling which made the wait worth it!

Highly overrated place, ques not worth it for the bland microwaved food. Worst of all they don't take card payments ?! How about you make that clear as we are in 2024 and it's pretty standard to expect this. I would've preferably withdrawn cash prior to coming here. Terrible service and looks pretty dirty inside too.

Seriously good quality food with absolutely amazing flavours. I was on holidays and I was so happy with this restaurant I came back the next day. London has so much competition so in order to survive and thrive you have to deliver something special everyday. The owners at Olives and Oregano clearly know how to run a restaurant.

Over-rated ! The lamb roast was quite greasy 😷

Very quick service and nice staff.

Terrible timing. Try eat before you go otherwise you might start gnawing on your arm. 🤦🏻

Love the food. Good size portions

I had high expectations for this place, however I was very disappointed. The service was very poor, we made a booking and a lady colleague told us it doesn't matter if you booked and we still had to wait. We waited for more than half an hour only for the staff to let other people in. Two girls came after us and were offered seats as soon as they came in, I called the staff out for that then he told me they booked in advance and I said we did too yet we had to wait but they didn't! We got seated in the back and I noticed the cook was just microwaving the food. Food wasn't even fresh. I was very disappointed and would not recommend this place at all.

Very crowded, huge queue to get in, expensive and the food was roast dinner but with alot of spices which wasn't spoken about on the menu or anything.

Really delicious food! Owner is very kind and even gave me an extra plate of roast lamb with a Yorkshire pudding :)

Great service and good quality food. Not your usual affair of food, but different and innovative.

Lovely clean home made food and excellent customer service. Highly recommended

Second time here with my family, got the mixed roast & I must say this definitely hit the spot once again! Was super busy & had a queue outside but the food was worth the wait! I would definitely recommend Olives & Oregano to everyone, you will not be disappointed. (Cash only though).

Had an amazing grilled chicken with lovely sides, accompanied by excellent service from the waiter Joynul. Definitely will be coming back again!

This shop is different you can Legit get a five Star meal For 10 pound anyone rating this place one star two star and three star Are just haters come and try yourself and make your mind up about the shop.

Had a Sunday roast here with some friends. We all loved it! The meats were seasoned and cooked so well, the ratio of the plate was perfect and the portion sizes were good. Great Halal roast place in east London.

Always go here with my family. The sunday roast is always 10/10 and the service is always so fast yet so catering. Only downside is how busy it is and can sometime be a bit loud but I guess goes to show how good an establishment it is.

Was asked if we would like to make a booking or walk in. We opted for the booking. On arrival, we were told to wait as there is a queue? So what’s the point of offering booking slots.

Absolutely delicious food and really lovely service from the owner himself however the lady at the till was not transparent when it came to payment. We were told extra salad would be £1-2 more but on arrival there wasn’t much extra so instead they gave as a bowl of salad and charged us an extra £5.50 without telling us until the end. Better communication would have been appreciated. But overall the food did not disappoint and we enjoyed our stay until the end.

The food is delicious and the service is very good, lovely staff.

I absolutely adore this place for it being one of the most unique food places in east London; however sadly whenever I ate the food here I am experiencing extreme discomfort after a handful of bites; this is my 3rd time visiting here and I’m considering if I should even come back. Leaving on a good note the salmon was cooked to perfect and the mash was smooth. 10/10 for the beautiful tasty salmon 🥹❤️

Hidden Gem! Great food. We have been coming here for years. Highly recommend it.

Excellent quality Mediterranean style fresh food, well presented and very tasty. Any item on the menu would not disappoint. Will definitely return when in the area. Recommend to book a table.

I really enjoyed dinting at Olive and Oregano. I had their roast meal. It was amazing. I really enjoyed the food. Everything complimented each, it was good portions and it was cheap and cheerful for a roast dinner. It came with the option of either having chicken, beef or both and I opted for both. It also came with mash,veggies and roast pudding. Also they weren’t stingy with the gravy. I can see why this has become very popular. My only complaint please do it everyday or on a weekday as well. I work on the weekends so I hardly have time to come down. 100 recommend!

Went down just for the Sunday roast. Got the mixed riast(lamb & chicken) Absolutely 💯. The best halal roast I've had very reasonably priced too..

Tried going in while passing by but they’re cash only on the weekend for probably tax avoiding reasons!! Waste of time and wouldn’t recommend this place.

my go to place when i'm craving a sunday roast. the food never disappoints and the staff are so friendly!

This place was incredible, very home and cosy like vibes. The place had incredible food and good customer service The food was filling and affordable I will be coming back again, thank you so much

It's been hyped a lot. But wasn't amazing

Always is a great experience when I dine at olives, would recommend

All was quality but it just felt like it was missing something. That pizazz that sparkle. The food was delicious but the portion was slightly lackluster. Would I go again? Yes I would. Would I recommend? Yes I would.

Olives & Oregano is known for its inviting ambiance and flavorful dishes. The Sunday roast has to be the standout item, cooked to perfection with delicious flavors. It is a place worth visiting for a delightful dining experience. Bear in mind, parking can be a bit of a hassle in the area.

The food for the price you pay is absolutely fresh and very good. It's worth trying, but time of service is awful, they should speed up a bit.

Had two lunches recently after working nearby. Prices have gone up & but the food is healthier. Service is excellent. The place could have been bigger as it can get congested during lunch-times. Surprising that the owner & his team are Bengali but they don't serve curries or other Asian foods. There are abundant curry houses in the area but of poor quality, as it's hard to find quality curry places as often they don't offer much meat in them. This is far better.

Food was great, an affordable price for a satisfying meal and lots of options as well.

Rating for wrong opening times on google. came about 9:30 am and still not open. on google its says open on 7:30 am. it’s clearly misleading the customers.

Waited outside 15 minutes for a table to get some Sunday Roast. Food was served within 5 minutes of seating. Food was piping hot but unfortunately it was bland for my taste. Total bill came up to £35 for two people - mixed roast and drinks. (Cash only)

Lovely roast at a very fair price. Only negative would be that they only take cash. Great service. It does get very busy here, and there were queues the whole time we were there. Best to pre book.

The food is generally nice here, the team are friendly and overall we have experienced good service. We got lasagna and salmon, both served with salad. Note: They only take cash, so that’s a bit of a pain for those that don’t carry cash with them.

I opted for the chicken roast, which was a decent price. Usually at other places it is more expensive and more satisfying. The chicken had its Asian hint to it which made it more flavourful with the help of the generous amount of gravy (I’m a gravy fan). I enjoyed this with the Yorkshire pudding but I was let down by the rest. The potatoes were just not potatoing like they should in a roast dinner and they are an important part of the meal. They did not have that softness inside. The mash tasted like instant mash - powder sachet mixed with boiling water. Did not have that real taste of potatoes that I expect. I had the lychee mocktail. It wasn’t anything special and just tasted like juice, not the usual fancy mocktails. But can’t complain for that price, that’s what you get - £4. I personally was glad it was a treat from a friend as I don’t think I’ll be returning. I’d recommend if you have basic tastebuds. Atmosphere is nice and cosy, customer service is really good.

Bit crowded but that's a good thing, food was well portioned and yummy. Thank you

Service 5* food 4.5* atmosphere is not bad but just not to my liking where one group was in the corner and we could hear everything. Bangladeshi owned I believe and customer service is great. Everything about the food was great besides the coleslaw for me For many others I'm sure it'll be 5*

I booked a day off so i can go sunday roast with my friend, waited up to 40 mins, i understand its busy but we had a reservation, yet we waited 40 minutes. Ended up having to leave i was so gutted, the booking system and queue is really bad. It was really upsetting.

A quaint little place at the heart of Whitechapel. The regulars know what they're in for, but I have to say, as a first timer this place did not disappoint. Their food (esp. the ones that I tried) can be summed up under the umbrella terms of fresh, bright and zingy. And nothing I ate felt like it was clogging my arteries, rather it felt like a welcome change over the fried wings and oil-laden fries. We ordered their grilled chicken which was superbly cooked; mind you it's not spicy but you could zhuzh it up with their chilli sauce if you wished. And lo and behold, it was the perfect match with their mash and wedge combo ❤️ The salmon was as pink as my heart, which I know is a good thing 😎 So, if you're a lover of salmon, go wild~ They give you a hefty steak that literally flakes off on touch and melts in your mouth. My favourite of the three mains would probs have to be the chicken skewers, and here's why. I personally felt that their house marinade lent itself the best to these skewers. They had good colour all around and were M.O.I.S.T. A wonderful pair with some wedges; and you get two whole skewers all to yourself!! 💃🏻 Now the description alone might've sounded like "whoa that's a lot of food", but oh no my friends; each main comes with a side of mash potatoes, wedges and a salad of the day. Our salad was a couscous based one, and it alone felt like a complete meal. It had all these little nuggets of fun stuff, that made every bite a new textural experience. I especially adored the little tortellini's. I believe they were stuffed with some kinda veggie-cheese dealio. Oh and the white sauce thing on top was *chef's kiss. Overall this place won't give you a hole in your stomach, rather it'll help you realise that you can easily get a proper hearty meal minus the heartburn. Oh and the price I felt were SUPER reasonable. You'll be stuffed by the end fosurez. p.s. I hear they make a lovely Sunday roast. So that's obvs next on the list. Happy fooding ~

Such a cute café with great, fresh and flavourful food! The portions are big and fill you up - got the cayenne chicken and would definitely recommend, everything on the menu looks good. Quick service and best vibes on a rainy London evening

Booked the place, didn’t even get in, terrible booking system. Don’t go there, waste of time, can’t manage queue and booking system.

Great spot. We had sea bass and salmon . Very tasty with salad . Good value at 25 including drinks.

Was ok, if going for the Sunday roast defo stick to lamb. Very long wait time, service was relatively quick.

We visited this place on a weekday for lunch, we arrived at 12.30 and ordered 3 chicken kievs But the waitor said there would be a 15mins wait and are we OK with this; we replied with a yes. 12.45 went by...1pm went by.. and no food yet. Asked the waitor where is our food he said its coming - we finally got served our food at 13.05. Not a good experience as two of us were pregnant The chicken Kiev was £7.50 before now its £10 which served with mash salad and wedges... we could count the wedges - (literally 4 or 5 wedges) which was very disappointing - especially after that wait. Lunch time rush on a weekday - this place should have been more prepared!!!

Came all the way and it was closed at 5:50 :(

I ordered the Sunday roast, and while the food tasted good, I found the portions disappointing given the price. The long queues and limited seating make it less suitable for families, but it's a decent choice for couples. Overall, the flavors were excellent, but portion size left something to be desired.

First time trying this place out. Probably should have come on a weekday because it was really busy on the Sunday. Waited around 35 mins to get a table. The service was really fast! I had the mixed roast and decided to go for the large. The lamb was so soft and tender with loads of flavour. The chicken was really nice, but I forgot to ask them to give me a leg piece. Overall, had a lovely meal and it was really filling. Would definitely come again but when it’s not busy.

Scrumptious healthy meal! We as a family go once every week Alhamdulillah. Been going to this place for the last 6 years, owner knows us very well.

Good quality home-made hearty food in the heart of east London. Prices are very reasonable for the area and good customer service.

This small cafe/restaurant had a fairly restricted menu but the food was delicious and portions generous. The prices are not high either, so we were very pleased to find it. One of the family is Coeliac, so requires gluten free, and the chef made a GF sauce specially, to replace the standard one. Many dishes are served with a wide selection of salads - you can choose from the range displayed or just have some of everything as we did! For under a tenner, we ate very well. We didn't have a long wait either time we've been so far.

Customer service was amazing!!! Sunday roast was bland to be honest

Food is beyond yummy, service is also really quick and respectful polite staff.

Very busy so be prepared to wait. Delicious, hearty food. Staff are lovely. 100% recommend the sunday roast (mixed), will definitely be returning

Fast service, the food is very good (we had the salmon and the poached sea bass). The staff is efficient and nice. All in all a very good address and we will come back.

Food is nice, I had the Sunday roast, also partner had chicken roast, without any drinks , I was surprised that the roast was £13,50 as its the first time I tried it., I think its a bit over priced , however the chicken Kiev is good 👍

Simply the best halal Sunday Lamb Roast and excellent customer service. All food was fresh.

Amazing place, the food was delicious, Only thing is I made a reservation and still had to wait half hour to be seated

Nice little halal place. Good food and prices.

Oh boy, it was mind-blowing! Every dish had its own unique combination of flavors that just worked together perfectly. Each bite was a burst of deliciousness that made my taste buds dance with joy. I couldn't get enough of the amazing flavors that filled my mouth with every bite.

Best food I have tried in Whitechapel. Tasty, delicious and fresh😋

Amazing homely food that tastes amazing

Delicious food and fabulous service!

The half grill chicken tastes really good, comes with vegetables, healthy lunch and it’s only £8.50. Highly recommended. They accept cards and cash during weekdays and money only during weekends. Updated review another visit after eight months on 12/05/2023. Disappointment that the half chicken size has been reduced to a very small size, was not fulfilling, maybe will come back in the future and see if they-chicken supplier have been improved.

First time having their famous halal Sunday roast which I have been eagerly waiting to try out. Arrived at 2pm and was VERY lucky to have been seated in 10mins. There was a long queue of people waiting to be seated. The cafe itself was packed with every seat occupied and new customers seated as soon as someone got up. It seemed that everyone had arrived for the same meal; Sunday roast! Staff were quite friendly and attentive considering the high pressure environment with some begrudged customers having to wait a while to be seated. Only slight disappointment was I wish I was told the difference between the regular roast and the large as in what was the "large" part of the meal? Extra chicken or sides etc? Had I known I would've gone for the large as the regular roast did not have enough chicken to please my appetite. My experience of Sunday roast is usually a massive piece of half chicken which is sometimes a challenge to finish. Not the biggest issue as I now know for next time and another positive is that you can also order a mix roast of both lamb and chicken, if like me you couldn't make up your mind! My advice would be to keep 45mins waiting time at hand if you turn up for brunch or lunch time as you will be waiting in the queue for a minimum of 20mins up to 45-50mins. However, the bright side is the food is served very quickly once seated and ordered considering how busy it is. The flavour and taste of the overall meal is pleasant and I would definitely go again

Amazing Halal Sunday roast..absolute gem

Had a great Cajun Lemongrass Chicken steak dish here. Lovely and tender. Just the right amount of spices and flavour. Went very well with the mash 👌 The only downside was the excess water/soup with the steak. No soup would have been better, in my opinion. Service was fantastic 👏 and the timing was flawless 😍.

I ordered half a grilled chicken with salad and mash. It was so delicious, just as last time.

Friendly service and very good food with large portions all whilst staying at a reasonable price. It is a home cooking kind of vibe. The chicken pie was full of flavour and the BBQ drumsticks was perfectly cooked. Chicken was still juicy and the BBQ flavour was not too overpowering. Also their salad is very fresh and complimented each dish very well. The place itself has a very nice interior. Can't fault it if you're looking for a decent halal meal.

Sunday roast was very popular and the place was busy. Upon arrival the till had a poster on stating 'cash only' so once seated we only had enough cash for chicken roast (would have preferred lamb but didnt have enough cash). Food came quick and was nice. However, whilst easting we watched another customer be allowed to pay by card! Such a shame, would have love to have ordered lamb instead of chicken

Nice Halal Sunday lunch option - it was a very basic plate of food. Yorkshire Puds were not homemade, potato’s needed more roasting (weren’t crunchy at all) and the “large” portion could do with actually being a large. Gravy was tasty and mash was silky.

Really nice Sunday roast lamb and chicken with good portion size.

Good size portions. Reasonable price. Friendly staff.

Sunday roast (lamb) was ok, the veggies tasted boiled to me which I did not like. All in all it was ok. Good for the price.

Friendly staff, hearty and VERY tasty food!!!!!! Great warm atmosphere Will definitely come here again!!!!

Nice easy place for a Sunday roast

grill chicken the best and staff really welcoming. roast chicken Sunday are good too. Highly recommended

Amazing customer service Polite people Yummy food Good size Very busy which shows how popular they are Manager says thank you to everyone when leaving Would defo come back

Lovely delicious food. Especially they’re Sunday roast on a Sunday it’s to die for!

Amazing food and good value for money. Great service also. We shall defo be back, especially to try the sunday roast!!! I had the chicken pie this time and it was super tasty !!!

Sunday lunchtime. The service was great as always. We were given a table straightaway. We ordered the following dishes; Lamb Roast, Chicken Kiev, Roasted Salmon, Chicken Pie and Grilled Chicken. All dishes came with roast vegetables and mash potatoes. Apart from the Lamb Roast all meals also came with a healthy delicious salad which included pasta (veg tortellini). The food arrived promptly and we asked for an additional plate for my 4yo. The manager was kind enough to provide a plate with sides with no additional costs. The food was piping hot. We all enjoyed every mouthful, this was evident from empty plates. I would highly recommend this place.There menu has a variety of dishes, the staff are welcoming and friendly and the menu is reasonably priced. Please note they only accept cash on Sundays.

Food tasted great and you get a lot for what you pay.

Had the Sunday roast this evening and it was phenomenal! The food here is always amazing, have never been let down. Prices are decent, portion sizes are great and the service is the best I've ever received. This restaurant has the best customer service out of every place I've been to, the staff take good care of every customer and engage well with everyone. Would recommend 100%!

Used to eat here years ago, but ate their chicken kievs and had the worse food poisoning in my life, constantly using the toilet for days. Their food hygiene is appalling.

Excellent service, mediocre food. Food was microwaved. The chicken cajun was so small and bland. The mash was out of a packet. Portion size were really small, meal was relatively expensive for a cafe style food. Better places out there. Gave extra star for the service

The Sunday roast is soooo yummyy 😆