The Olive Garden in Wigan

Been before a while ago but not be returning , on a positive the atmosphere and place was good BUT we felt the staff needs more training etc a lady asked for a bacardi n coke she was asked if she wanted a pint 🤔 , 2/3 of us found the food bland once we mentioned it all we got was "OK "!!! Very slow service and forgotten drinks not arriving , all basic requirements shame as it used to be good , it was expensive for the std of service / food , staff training is required to achieve value for money !

Been there many times before but this time was a bit of a disappointment. From arrival it was about an hour before we saw any food even though the place was mostly empty. At one point we were asked if we were ready for mains and we hadn't had the starters. Just got the impression most of the effort was going into the takeaway side of the business. Our food was mostly fine but the pizza were a bit dry. Might be some time before we go again.

Had to wait a considerably long time for starter to arrive even though the place was quite empty, same happened for main course, we noticed there was a lot of orders waiting to be done we can only assume they must concentrate on their takeaway orders before actual diner's.

This is a really great Italian restaurant. The food is so fresh. The pasta is wonderful. The prawns in tomato sauce are delightful. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and look forward to my next visit.

Average food and average service. Staff seemed clueless at times, and other than one server were relatively miserable and not attentive. Some food and our wine delivered to the wrong table, then passed over to ours, minimal apology. Food was oily and generally average; there were 8 of us so we had a good range of options to judge. Wouldn't be rushing to go again.

Got a considerable take away for 12 people - was amazing - all food hot and superb. Definitely recommend for a great take away Thank you

A wonderful lunch! There were 9 of us including 4 kids and every single person had perfect delicious food. Drinks and service really lovely too. There wasn't a single fault and I wouldn't hesitate to return. A few of us had pizzas which were amazing, we would also especially recommend the shin beef rigatoni and the mushroom rigatoni (can't remember the name of it!) They were both spot on.

This is a great restaurant and great value 👏 outstanding meal again absolutely delicious 😋

Amazing place. Amazing food and amazing service. We will be going back. The whole family enjoyed it at the Olive Garden x

Been again tonight for our dinner and as usual it was outstanding. Really good food and reasonably priced. Highly recommended.

Fantastic food and service. Definitely recommend

Had a great evening celebrating a family birthday. Food was excellent and the staff were very friendly and service was good

Cold food, hair in the bolognese, the staff were quite rude to be truthful. Very unhappy would not recommend or go again.

Disgusting! When ringing for a table for tonight, I remembered this restaurant takes a Taste Card and asked if this was available on a Saturday. I was informed yes we accepted it on a Saturday. As this wasn’t a common thing I rang again to check if it was available on a Saturday and again it was confirmed. When coming to pay the Taste Card was refused. I did say I had rang to check this twice when booking the table. The manager then came to the table in a disgusting manner and belittled the whole table in front of a busy restaurant. I took this conversation to the bar to save the embarrassment of my family, including children, to be told “I am a chancer” and “I’m disgusting to ask for this on a Saturday” I replied and said I rang twice to which he said “I employ part time staff and they don’t know anything”. I’m not sure I have ever been spoken to in a more disgusting manner and over something that could have been resolved with a simple “I’m so sorry for the misinformation”. The attitude of the Manager Mohsin is disgusting towards customers and his staff. Please stay clear to avoid this type of behaviour. If I could give it 0 stars I would! To say we will never be back is an understatement!

Disgusting! When ringing for a table for tonight, I remembered this restaurant takes a Taste Card and asked if this was available on a Saturday. I was informed yes we accepted it on a Saturday. As this wasn’t a common thing I rang again to check if it was available on a Saturday and again it was confirmed. When coming to pay the Taste Card was refused. I did say I had rang to check this twice when booking the table. The manager then came to the table in a disgusting manner and belittled the whole table in front of a busy restaurant. I took this conversation to the bar to save the embarrassment of my family, including children, to be told “I am a chancer” and “I’m disgusting to ask for this on a Saturday” I replied and said I rang twice to which he said “I employ part time staff and they don’t know anything”. I’m not sure I have ever been spoken to in a more disgusting manner and over something that could have been resolved with a simple “I’m so sorry for the misinformation”. The attitude of the Manager Mohsin is disgusting towards customers and his staff. Please stay clear to avoid this type of behaviour. If I could give this place 0 stars I would! To say we will never be back is an understatement!

Food was mediocre but unfortunately that was far from the biggest issue. The young waitressing staff were lovely, however the manager, Mohsin, has a disgraceful attitude. Being rude, picking arguments with customers, personal attacks and getting in our faces is NOT how to run your business. I can only sympathise with the staff who work for him as if he will speak to customers in such manner, who knows how he treats them. It was my first time dining here, with a group who had been numerous times before. I won’t be returning. Save your money, or spend it on other small businesses (or even big chain restaurants), who deserve the money more. 1 star is being polite, however I cannot give less on Google. As mentioned in another review I have seen, the owner was sat eating food in the waiting/bar area with the sports channel blurring through the restaurant. Very unpleasant visit. Glad it was my first and last.

Food was mediocre but unfortunately that was far from the biggest issue. The young waitressing staff were lovely, however the manager, Mohsin, has a disgraceful attitude. Being rude, picking arguments with customers, personal attacks and getting in our faces is NOT how to run your business. I can only sympathise with the staff who work for him as if he will speak to customers in such manner, who knows how he treats them. It was my first time dining here, with a group who had been numerous times before. I won’t be returning. Save your money, or spend it on other small businesses (or even big chain restaurants), who deserve the money more. 1 star is being polite, however I cannot give less on Google. As mentioned in another review I have seen, the owner was sat eating food in the waiting/bar area with the sports channel blurring through the restaurant. Very unpleasant visit. Glad it was my first and last.

First time trying here last night, lovely restaurant, not too busy, food was delicious, service was quick staff are lovely too. I had the beef stroganoff as I've never had this before it was really nice + really filling. Garlic bread with cheese was delicious!

Olive garden continues to be THE best Italian in the area. The food is always fantastic and I come about once a month so have had plenty of the dishes. The service is always amazing, the staff are always welcoming and accommodating. Forever will be one of my all time favourite restaurants and I could not recommend it enough. 🩷

Not been for a while had lovely meal with family all excellent staff really friendly and helpful

Lovely place, pizza is really good and the garlic bread with cheese and nduja sausage is special. Good value for money and lovely atmosphere.

Food was very nice, service not the most efficient

Great food service and value for money

Been going here for the last 10 years and can honestly say I'll never return again. We were sat right in front of the kitchen, twice this has happened now, and not a nice experience. We couldn't settle and felt cramped. Three different times they asked for our drink orders alone. Embarrassing! Calamari sauce was just mayonnaise, usally its a garlic base sauce, poor quality again. Garlic bread undercooked, and carbaronna was cooked with too much olive oil. I'm absolutely gutted because we travel from Liverpool which takes us 45 minutes. Sfaff was great, can't complain in this regard. Main issues I believe, was a new chief, and over booking the facility. Sorry Olive Tree, you have lost two very dissatisfied customers.

We ate here yesterday as we were passing, family of 5 plus two adults, food was very nice, I had the Rigatoni Amatricana which was excellent. We also tried a pizza I had never had before which was the Parma Pizza, which had Parma ham, walnuts and honey! 👌

This is my favourite Italian restaurant. For my 40th I was taken to San Carlo in Manchester by my parents which was expensive and not worth the money. My husband brought me here to the Olive Garden 2 days later and it was fabulous. The food was fresh and tasty, the service was genuine and welcoming. Definitely coming back!

Don't let the outside fool you as despite appearing a little run down once you enter you'll find really really good food and a lovely atmosphere and decor with excellent friendly service. Recommended.

Fabulous vegan food and great service. We booked very last minute and had a fantastic meal. Great vegan choice. Fast and friendly service. Will definitely return. 5 ⭐️ service

First visit to the Olive Garden ,we went with our friends atmosphere great service fab food excellent 😀 . We will definitely be going back

We booked a table for 17:45 on a Sunday evening for 7 people. 5 adults 1 child and 1 teenager. We arrived on time and were quickly show to our table. The restaurant was quite full with a couple of large parties. We ordered drinks and then our order was taken. We then waited for our starters, and waited and waited. At around 18:50 we asked were our food was. We were told that it would be 5 minutes. At 7 oclock we again asked. We explained that we hadn’t had our started to which the manager looked shocked. He came back to say our mains were ready and that the chefs had made a mistake. We then said so we are not getting our starters. He explained we could have our starters and they would make our main meals fresh. At this point we decided it would be better to leave. In fairness we were offered a free meal, but as this has happened before in this restaurant were we have waited a long time for meals. Everyone deserves a second chance not a third. The place is being badly run. Nobody checking on tables or in charge of certain sections of the resturant. If we had a waitress or waiter who was looking after the area we where in they would of noticed that we had had no food. We felt like we were just forgot about and then the chefs were blamed. The manager should have a better grasp of how the restaurant is operating. Its a shame because that pizza oven is being wasted. We won’t be back.

First visit to Olive Garden and we had a fabulous experience. All of the staff were friendly and efficient. The food was delicious. We had the flat iron steak and the ribs. Both were perfectly cooked. We then had the home made tiramisu. Again, delicious. Highly recommended!

Have visited this restaurant many times although admittedly not for some ten months. There has been a complete change of staff but the waitress for our table was friendly and pleasant. The food served was hot and tasty and the drinks, wine and cocktails, were good and reasonably priced. The only niggle was the attitude of the manager who when asked by my teenage granddaughter what the size or the fries portions were whether one would be suitable for two persons to he told he didn’t count the chips. An unnecessary response to a reasonable question I thought. Would I visit again - maybe in time but something has changed at this restaurant.

Staff went the extra mile and couldn't do enough for us!

Lovely place to eat staff amazing, went the extra mile. Had 2 courses with 3 herbal teas cost £20 with tip. Definitely go again!

I really enjoyed the food in this lovely Italian restaurant. Service was great. Definitely adding this lovely restaurant to our listing.

Title: A Busy Night at The Olive Garden in Standish – Great Food Worth the Wait I recently dined at The Olive Garden in Standish upon a friend's recommendation, and it was an experience worth sharing. Calling on a whim, we were struck by luck with a table available right when we hoped to dine. The bustling ambiance of the restaurant instantly wrapped around us upon entry, setting the stage for what was to be a lively evening. Despite the restaurant being very busy, creating a vibrant atmosphere, we found the service took a backseat—slightly slow due to the overwhelmed kitchen. Yet, the staff was sincere in their apologies, and their hard work didn't go unnoticed as they maneuvered through the bustling dining room with grace. As for the meal, it was a feast that left no room for disappointment. The lasagna I ordered was a comforting embrace of layered pasta, cheese, and savory sauce, while my friend's carbonara and calamari were prepared with a finesse that balanced flavor and texture. We shared a cheesy garlic bread pizza to start, which was a gooey precursor to our mains, and each sip of beer was a refreshing punctuation to the rich and hearty flavors of our meal. The only smudge on the evening was the post-meal service. After finishing our excellent entrees, we were seemingly forgotten, left to eye the dessert menu without fulfillment. In the end, we resigned to waiting at the bar to pay our bill, the sweet end to our dinner was left to our imaginations. In conclusion, The Olive Garden in Standish is a culinary hotspot that shouldn’t be missed. The food triumphed in taste and quality, ensuring that, despite service hiccups, the overall experience was positive. Future diners should perhaps allot a bit more time for their visit, especially if it coincides with peak hours, but I assure you, the food is worth the wait.

Monday night treat. GF options delicious 😋

Nice enough lunch but the ceiling are quite low so the room can be noisy

Lovely venue, wonderful service, excellent food, great value. What more could you want.... highly recommended

We had a great time. Fresh, speedy and hot food with plenty of flavour. We came for the food but will return for the staff. All very welcoming. The head chef even kept our 3 year old entertained by sticking his tongue out at her. See you all again soon, great waitress too. Thank you

Good Italian restaurant in the area. Correct service. Too bad the beers were Italian.

Family meal out, haven't been for years, always seems busy when passing so we gave it a try, we were all really impressed, when being shown to the table they had a kids activity sheet on the table with a pack of crayons so my daughter was happy stright away 👏 Overall friendly staff, good food and good prices. We will be back thanks 👍

Always great food consistently every visit.......atmosphere is good just dont tell them its your birthday or you will be dancing....😁

Good and the service makes your meal even better 😄

Myself and my mother walked in mid week and the whole restraunt was empty of customers which was not too suprising due to schools just starting back. We could hear the tv on round the corner and all of the staff sat there gossiping and watching tv with drinks from the bar. We stood at the welcome desk for 5 minutes and the door closed loudly behind us after walking in. Nobody came to greet us all too busy shouting over at each other. I looked online to see if i had mixed up the opening times but i was correct. We did not wait around any longer, if the service was that awful from us walking in we did not feel the need to actually dine. We went elsewhere to eat instead. I have been here several times and have never been as apauled by the staff service, we could only hope that the manager was away allowing the staff to act the way they was. Will never come back, far better itallian restauraunts with much better service.

Sadly it has gone seriously down hill since the last time we went. Senior staff rude, especially the two men. The young waitress on our table was really helpful & friendly though. We used to come here for all our family celebrations, with special cakes, but to be told we have to cut/eat the cake off the premises, after the fake fuss they made with the music, it’s just ridiculous. Won’t be going back, such a shame.

It was very busy on the night we visited, but the staff were fantastic and waiting was minimal. Food very good, good prices what more do you need

Food was fantastic, really loved it so did my daughter. I had the beef stroganoff, well worth a visit. It was very busy and we didnt book, we sat outside as the weather was okay, but try and book if you can. Staff where lovely, and so was the food, Thankyou.

Great place for a quick bite to eat. We stumbled here the way back from a day out. Food was great, very quick service and couldn't complain.

Very good Italian restaurant in Standish. They have a lunch menu very cheap and plenty of options. The tiramisù was top tier. Highly recommended 👌🏽

Came a few weeks ago as a couple and I slated it. Been tonight for a birthday meal (didn't really want to tbh but) there were 8 adults and 4 children. Service a little slow but... Food and service very very good. Mix of various meals, pizza's, pasta's, steaks, chicken etc and all very good. BUT - and a BIG BUT... wine at £23.50 per bottle ( White & Red) FROM LIDL!!!! Seriously!! Taking the proverbial.

Certainly! Here's the revised version with the change: In Standish, Olive Garden's a gem, from the outside, you'd never condemn. Inside, magic happens with pasta and pizza, a culinary joy, oh how it pleased us! Nine of us gathered, a merry band, enjoying meals, that were simply grand. At £16 each, we ate our fill, perhaps a bit too much, but still a thrill. And there was François, with a wide grin, he savored Burrata, pizza, and bolognese, the whole shebang! A true delight, a feast for the eyes, he certainly knows where flavor lies. And let's not forget, the hero in our tale, Callum, who devoured, he didn't fail. Penne arrabiata and pizza, oh so neat, not a foodie, but boy, can he eat! So, if you seek a spot to dine, Olive Garden, a treasure to find. Delicious food that won't disappoint, a culinary journey to anoint!

Always been a big fan of this place!

After booking another restaurant and then despite booking it being turned away because we had a pram, we then managed to book a table here last min, we could only get a 7.45 pm table which was fine.We put in the booking notes that we needed space for a pram(newborn) as we had done with the other restaurant we booked that let us down. There was a bit of a panic by the manager when we first arrived as to where we would sit , he asked if we could fold the pram (my response was , and put the baby where? exactly?) But once he realised he could seat us he apologised and was very accommodating. It was very loud in there but we were just pleased to have a table after being let down somewhere else, and we were soon able to tune in to our own conversation and block out the general huddle and bustle. The service was amazing, the food was superb, best steak I have ever had, I order fillet blue and it's rarely right, but this was outstanding. On the way out a waiter opened the door for ease which is such a small gesture but makes all the difference when you have a pram. My husband is disabled and is often in a wheelchair, luckily he didn't need it this particular evening, but I wouldn't suggest this restaurant as access friendly. My pram is very small but I don't think we would have got the wheel chair in there or been able to wheel around to use facilities. But really great service and food. If you wanted to visit but needed good access I would suggest a lunchtime perhaps when it's less crammed

really enjoyed it pizza not cooked well rest was lovely

First experience of the Olive Garden Standish, my partner and I along with our parents attended for a Saturday evening meal together. We’d had to table booked for 7:30, we arrived on time, was greeted by a relatively friendly member of staff, we where told the the table isn’t ready yet and pointed to the bar for us to order some drinks, the bar area was very dated, mismatch of chairs and a rather dodgy looking daybed/sofa that we were dubious to sit on. After a 10/15 minute wait we were seated, it was quite cold as the door to the smoking area was left open throughout our visit. We waited around 20/25 minutes before our order was taken. My parents opted for the special ‘fillet steak’ my father in law ordered a pizza, mother law opted for Pollo Pepe and I had the lasagne. The food arrived after a short wait, presentation was a little strange and my other in-laws Pollo Pepe arrived in a dish with 5/6 roast potatoes dotted around the edge of the dish no veg which you’d expect to company such a meal (rather strange presentation for this kind of meal and when we queried the veg the waitress just said no, shrugged their shoulders and walked off) I’d have thought it would have been polite to have apologies and offered to get some as a side but no, just a shrug and off they went. The pizza my father in law ordered was extremely soggy towards the centre making the majority of it inedible, my parents steak wasn’t well done as requested and was rare/rare medium, the waiter said this is because it’s a fillet steak, a pretty more explanation given that they often order fillet steak and it’s never not been served how they requested. The lasagne was lacking in bechamel sauce making it a tad dry. All in all a bill of near £200 and not exactly an enjoyable experience which was quiet disappointing for us as we were rather looking forward to trying this restaurant 🙁

Amazing Sunday lunch 😋 Friendly staff Thank you Would highly recommend

The worst thing about this restaurant was the service, I can only assume it was the owner but he was abrupt and rude. The restaurant itself isn’t the nicest decor/interior/atmosphere. The food was ok, garlic breads were nice, one member of the party ordered chicken with peppercorn sauce and to our amazement it doesn’t get served with vegetables, we asked if there was any vegetables and was just told ‘NO’. Another member of the party had a pizza, it was soggy in the middle, another asked for a well done steak and half of it was pink, presentation of the food was also poor, I think my daughter could have done a better job with the presentation. One other think to note, if you leave by the side door and are heading to the car park via the decked area be very careful as the decking boards bow, I think the timber frame underneath must be rotten. I personally won’t be going back, nor would I recommend it to anyone, there’s plenty more Italian restaurants out there that are lovely decorated with a lovely ambience and nicer food, so for that reason I’m out!

Am not a fan of Italian so had beef stroganoff. Was quite nice.

The sadly after coming here for many years I have to leave this review … service appalling no conversation from any. If the staff ! Food both steaks were cold yet chips were really hot chips did not come with my daughters food but came a good 10 mins later ! No apology this was after asking for them twice. A guy came and asked if everything ok explained the issues he did nothing for us ! The service was SO SLOW NO CONVERSATION from waiting staff, not a friendly or even pleasant dining experience !!! Sad to say after many pleasant evenings out here ! I would not recommend sorry

Service so slow not friendly. Very impersonal Food our steaks were cold yet chips were piping hot, they forgot my daughters chips, eventually after asking twice and her nearly having finished her pizza they eventually arrived. Explained issue with the meal, they just shrugged their shoulders and walked away . Service was appalling absolutely no atmosphere avoid !!!

Lovely food and staff. Pity no music

Been recently and weren't overly impressed but always willing to give a second go as everyone can have a bad day, so we did. Staff are mainly school/college kids (with an odd adult) but who were overall very pleasant but need much more training. Soup was quite good to be honest but both if us had the 'lasagne' but that's not what I would call it. A layer of tomato sauce topped with quite a dry meat ragu and broken up bits of lasagne sheets. No layers of pasta and no bechemal to be seen. Disappointing. This used to be the best Italian around sadly no more. Doubt we'll be going back unless some drastic changes are made

We always visit this restaurant for special occasions etc as the food is amazing, my husband is gluten free and they were so knowledgeable and helpful, This time however was appalling. As we pulled up we thought it was strange as the carpark was empty, especially lunchtime on Father’s Day. After looking at the recent reviews I now know why. Three chefs were stood outside smoking in the car park, not a good look. I checked to see if the Sunday menu was on and was told yes. Two of ordered from the special menu, two from the normal menu. Food was good, hot and fresh mostly. However, soup with no bread? Cheesecake with no cream, steak unseasoned and came with 3 rocket leaves and a slither of Parmesan, not exactly as advertised. Menu stated steak was a £1 supplement and underneath said with skin on fries or chunky chips, I chose the chunky chips. When we received the bill we had been charged full price for everything. I queried it and they changed it and was still incorrect. Finally spoke to the manager who said it was correct and basically what they had done was put the two meals with the lowest price as the specials even though that was not how it was ordered. Also charged for the chunky chips. I showed him the menu that said they came with it and he said yes but you have to pay for them. Very rude, very arrogant. Could tell he was deliberately trying to make me pay more for my food to benefit them, absolutely disgusting. Shout out to the waiting staff who were excellent, feel sorry for them working under the new manager. Obviously affecting the business as never know it so empty, he is obvious only in it for himself, not the customers or staff. We will never ever return and that is a shame as was once a lovely restaurant

This place is good for the occasional meal out. The food is tasty and the selection is varied . It can get a little loud at busy times but that’s part of the atmosphere

Food delicious, would definitely come again!

We've gone here years and was hoping to cary on the tradition with our kids - After last night, that won't be happening. 45 minutes before we got food, and when it did arrive only half came out... This meant half the table had almost ate theirs before the other half started. The annoying part for me however, was the owner/manager - Whilst all smiley and friendly to customers and appearing really genuine, he actually whisperered to us, "we'll bring the cake out, but you can't eat it." This meant we had to cut the cake, and dish it up in napkins that we gave out to family/friends in the carpark. The owner/manager had the audacity to high-five the kids as we were leaving as well. We won't be coming back and I'll ensure ALL future work events and Christmas Parties are cancelled when I'm back in office.

Food was okay, staff slow. Room for improvement.

Called for an early mid week dinner with my hubby. We hadn't booked and when we arrived were unsure if they would be able to accommodate us as the car park was quite full. There was no problem at all and the restaurant did not feel over crowded. We were seated straight away. We had the Tagliatelle Carbonara and Penne Arrabiata along with a garlic bread to share. The portion size looked a little small but it was just the right amount and we were both full, we couldn't even finish the garlic bread which was a crime as it was so good. We'll definitely be calling again very soon as the food was not only delicious but extremely great value for money.

Requested 18:30 for collection was changed to 18:40 and food had started to go cold when we collected at 18:40 😞

Ace place garlic bread just the most amazing I've ever had. Great food and great company 👌

It was very nice food a little short on quantity and very loud with kids but very pleasant staff

Lovely food cheesecake dessert gorgeous

Love this place. One of our favourites. Always happy to accommodate and the food is always spot on. By far the best Italian in the region. We've both eaten it and got a take out and never once been disappointed. Staff are helpful, manager is always present and they give their best everytime. Couldn't recommend this place enough.

At Easter, I visited the @ogstandish for dinner with family. You can read my ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ review here 👎👎👎 Promising Food, Poor Customer Service. On a recent visit north to see family, I was charged with finding somewhere to celebrate my mum’s birthday. I checked my @tastecard and came across #olivegardenstandish so I called the restaurant to book and check I could use my Taste Card. Not a problem, I was informed, so I went ahead and secured the reservation. Upon arrival at the restaurant, the manager was incredibly abrupt, barking that the Taste deal was only to a maximum of six guests. Yet, at the time, it was advertised as ‘unlimited diners’ on the Taste site. As we were seated, the manager approached, snapping again that the restaurant doesn’t usually accept pushchairs. My sister had her eight week old baby with her and so using a high chair was not possible. There was nothing on the restaurant’s website stating that push chairs are prohibited, nor any signage. If this is indeed company policy, then it ought to be advertised. Service was incredibly slow and lacked thought. We waited 15 minutes for a drinks order to be taken, although I had to ask for this. The manager then arrived back at the table to tell us we would have to wait 20 minutes for the food order to be taken. He didn’t offer an apology. When we did eat, overall the food was decent enough but average at best. A couple of dishes were overpowered with salt, mainly the calamari and the chicken supreme. The last straw was Happy Birthday in Italian bellowing out full blast. The baby hadn’t made a noise until this point, but this frightened the life out of him. Guests on the table next to us also seemed displeased, and were concerned about the baby (my sister had to run outside with him). Personally, I find the this concept out dates and less than upmarket. We left feeling let down after such high hopes.

Lovely lunch chicken a la crem was beautiful staff lovely really enjoyed it 👌

Called in as a last minute decision to eat out. Plenty of people dining. Food of good quality and great value.

On a recent visit north to celebrate my mum’s birthday, I was put in charge of finding somewhere to eat. As any savvy Londoner, the first thing I checked was my trusty Tastecard and The Fork. This is where I found The Olive Garden, so I called the restaurant, booked a table for eight and checked if I would be able to use my Tastecard, which I was informed would be absolutely fine. Upon arrival at the restaurant, I double checked that I was able to use the Tastecard, but didn’t receive the same warm hospitality as I did during my initial phone call. The gentleman, possibly the manager / owner, was fairly abrupt, telling me it was only to a maximum of six. This is not what the restaurant has advertised on Taste, where it states ‘unlimited’. I shrugged this off, not wanting to cause a fuss. However, I was made to feel like I had my begging bowl out. This is a thing of the past in London, where restaurants expect customers to take advantage of deals and discounts without it being a reflection of their financial standing. After all, we wouldn’t have decided on this restaurant if it wasn’t for the card (I’d never heard of it). We were taken to our table by the server and then the manager arrived at the table to tell us that the restaurant doesn’t usually accept push chairs. My sister recently had a baby, who is seven weeks old, so a child’s seat would not have been suitable. The push chair is small and not cumbersome and was not causing any obstruction. I did wonder, would they have given the same reaction to someone in a wheelchair? I very much doubt it. Perhaps the real issue was that he preferred not to have a very young child in the restaurant (for information, the baby didn’t cry once during our visit, except towards the end, which I will come on to). Furthermore, there’s no signage or information on the website about not accepting push chairs. If this is policy, it ought to be advertised. At this point, I wasn’t getting a good feel for the place. Had I not been with family, I would have left. Whilst the servers were, for the most part, polite, service was incredibly slow and inattentive. Upon being seated, menus were not given to us, which I eventually asked for. We waited 15 minutes for a drinks order to be taken (I needed to ask for this too) and we were again, abruptly, informed by the manager that we would have to wait 20 minutes for our food order to be taken. No apologies, I’ll bring some olives and bread while you wait. With respect to the food, the starters were decent enough although my calamari was incredibly salty. Whilst I would expect the batter to be seasoned, it would be customary to allow the diner to add additional seasoning according to their personal preferences. My sister enjoyed her bruschetta, which was plentiful. The main courses however were less favourable. Good pizzas, which my sisters thoroughly enjoyed. However, the lasagnas had dried out. True, they were seated in ragu, but the substance of the core of the meal was dry. My carbonara was barely warm and one of my guests said that his chicken supreme was overpowered by salt. After we had eaten, my sister was nursing her newborn when suddenly Happy Birthday in Italian burst through the speakers at full blast. I hasten to add I am not exaggerating here. The baby completely freaked out and my sister had to run outside with him. Having nearly been given a heart attack themselves, a table of four women commented, ‘Oh no, the poor baby.’ Personally, I find the idea of interrupting everybody’s meal to belt out Happy Birthday a bit dated and less than upmarket, but I’m happy enough if it’s not so intrusive. I won’t be returning or recommending The Olive Garden any time soon.

Very accommodating and food excellent. I was in area for business and didn’t fancy eating at hotel. Tripadvisor recommended here so I rocked up they were full but managed to fit me in. Staff really friendly and well trained. Food was excellent. Thank you I...

Great place to have lovely dinner and relax 😊!

The food was good but the service was a little slow. The servers seemed a little confused and we were left on our own without any orders being taken for sometime. The glass given with the drinks had lipstick marks on it. The food did arrive promptly though and i had the pasta which was delicious. Ample parking though which was a big plus.

We've been visiting this place for well over 10 yrs now, and had our 1st disappointing experience on our recent visit on Mother's Day just gone. Without going into detail, an issue arose and then the attitude to dealing with the issue was abysmal. So much so that despite over 10 yrs of happy visits, this experience has been such that its doubtful we'll ever be back.

I booked a table for 4 people at the Olive Garden (Saturday 18th March). Myself and the rest of our party were very much looking forward to eating here, have visited on previous occasions. Unfortunately, the only thing that went to plN was booking the...

Lovely great value food this, nice atmosphere and good mix of people young and old. Garlic bread and pasta was to die for. Staff maybe a bit quick to clear from things from the table if I'm being picky

Lovely place. Even though it was a busy Saturday night, we were seated and served our food in rapid time. Also one of the best pizzas I've ever had. Highly recommended.

A couple of things need sorting but the food was excellent. The service was also good and the restaurant warm. There are a couple of things on the menu that are not provided anymore so, rather than disappoint customers, it would be better to just...

great local Italian restaurant. often have midweek deals. Pasta dishes cooked al dente and not over done as in many places. A great selection of wines and beers and fantastic service. a must visit 👍

Word of warning - the Arabbiata (usually a vegan option) comes with salami. So for those who usually order this as the guaranteed vegan option make sure you read the small print as even though it states (V) next to the title on the menu,...

Not good got served 2 hours after we came in.

Booked a week in advance, for a Saturday evening so was understandably very busy. However, it did feel that perhaps the restaurant had been overbooked for capacity. We waited 45 minutes to place our order (despite asking twice) and were all ravenous by the time food arrived well over an hour after we’d arrived. Perhaps it may be worth having a cap on how many customers can occupy the restaurant at once to avoid such long waits and stress on staff? Despite this, the food was absolutely delicious and staff all clearly trying their absolute best to keep things going.

Made a reservation for 19:45, arrived 5 minutes early and we were only sat at out table at 20:20, 35 minutes after our reservation. It then took 25 minutes for them to take our order after being sat down. When the food finally arrived the pizza smelled like a wet Dog and was DRENCHED in oil

Service was shocking food was bland manager was passive aggressive and border line towards my daughter

I would come again just for the garlic bread (the one with cheese🧀). Also all food is amazing🍕. Would definitely come again and recommend this restaurant. 👏👏👏

Terrible experience here this evening. We booked a table for 7pm. On arrival we where asked to sit in the waiting area as our table would be 15mins. There was nowhere to sit as all the seats where taken with people waiting. Not a good start. Eventually shown to our table. The restaurant was packed with people and only 3 waitresses. It took a while for them to get around to taking our order. Our starters arrived at 8pm, a hour after our table was booked for. The starters weren't great but we looked forward to our main course. Unfortunately this wasn't much better, another long wait, we had to ask for cutlery for our meal once it arrived. The meal wasn't hot but by this time we just wanted to eat it and get out of there. Such a disappointment as this could have been really good if the service and presentation had been better and yes we did speak to the manager/owner? who just said they were busy. Worst meal I've had for a long time.

Never been before but managers and all the staff were fantastic, so friendly and nothing was too much trouble. 43 of us went on a joint 40th and 50th birthday party and they accommodated us very professionally. Thanks guys

This place is a real gem. We ate here on a Monday when their special £4.95 pizza and pasta deal was on. The garlic bread with cheese and pizzas were delicious, so fresh and tasty. The staff are lovely and attentive. Not sure if I...

The beef shin ragu is exceptional, very pleasantly surprised by the spice and flavour. One of the best Italian dishes I have had for some time.

Food great, reasonable prices, staff very accommodating..

Food was bland. So disappointed.

Birthday meal in a really cold restaurant, sat next to a radiator which went cold after 10 minutes, diners next to us put their coats on to eat pizza . I know energy bills are high , but a freezing cold restaurant is unpleasant and...