The Olive Tree in Mendip

We came for a weekday meal with friends after the Carol service at the cathedral and were thoroughly disappointed after what looked to be good reviews online. Unfortunately the Carol service overran and so we arrived to our 8.30 booking 9 minutes late. We were called by the hostess on our walk down to the restaurant telling us to hurry up and on cold arrival it was made extremely clear that we were expected to be in and out of the restaurant as quickly as possible. We were pressured into not ordering pudding as the hostess wanted to send her chef home. The ‘closed’ sign was already in the door on our arrival despite lots of potential custom walking by after the Carol service. We’re not sure why you would take bookings for dinner if you’re hoping to be closed up by 9.30pm? Zero atmosphere - we were the only people dining despite everywhere else in Wells seemingly packed out to the rafters. The whole experience was completely bizarre and safe to say we won’t think of coming here again when we’re next in Wells and would recommend the same to others - look elsewhere!

I eat out a lot, probably 3 or 4 times a week all over the world. I can only remember one place where the food was this good. A fantastic and very welcome surprise. Thank you.

Very nice food, choice and good service. Went for the non-meat main although I am not vegetarian. It was excellent flavour wise. Courses were good value compared to some restaurants in town and the menu offered tasty nibbles as a cheaper alternative to more expensive and filling starters.

Thanks, Louise, for your warm welcome yesterday at lunch, which I loved so much I came back in the evening for three courses with my son. Every dish was a star. Congrats to the chef. Book online or arrive early, Olive Tree is a gem and is very busy. Cheers!

I don’t know what has happened to this restaurant but having had good previous experiences my wife and I chose to go here for our rare date night. We started by ordering an aperitif. My vodka martini tasted more like water than alcohol. Starters were average and that was just the beginning. Average mains followed but the food was just an aside. The service was disgusting and frankly rude. Whilst eating our mains one of the waitresses started to clean two tables next to us. Instead of taking her cloth, spraying it with disinfectant and wiping the tables down whilst we were eating she just sprayed the disinfectant into the air all over the place including us. I very politely asked her not to whilst we were eating. She laughed and just said I have to clean the tables. I then very politely explained what had happened to the manager who I think is also the owner. She seemed to take it on board and apologised. We finished our food and I went to pay. Asked if I wanted to add gratuity I said yes and added 10%. I don’t complain to get money taken off. In reality I shouldn’t have paid for anything. As I was walking out all three members of staff including the boss thought they would snigger and laugh. For a second time I politely spoke to the boss but obviously to no avail. What a way to run a business. We will never return to this shambolic restaurant and advise others to try all the other decent restaurants in Wells. Christmas will soon be on us and thankfully my company has heeded my opinions and we will not be rebooking here for this years Christmas dinner/party. That’s 20 customers you have lost.

I don’t know what has happened to this restaurant but having had good previous experiences my wife and I chose to go here for our rare date night. We started by ordering an aperitif. My vodka martini tasted more like water than alcohol. Starters were average and that was just the beginning. Average mains followed but the food was just an aside. The service was disgusting and frankly rude. Whilst eating our mains one of the waitresses started to clean two tables next to us. Instead of taking her cloth, spraying it with disinfectant and wiping the tables down whilst we were eating she just sprayed the disinfectant into the air all over the place including us. I very politely asked her not to whilst we were eating. She laughed and just said I have to clean the tables. I then very politely explained what had happened to the manager who I think is also the owner. She seemed to take it on board and apologised. We finished our food and I went to pay. Asked if I wanted to add gratuity I said yes and added 10%. I don’t complain to get money taken off. In reality I shouldn’t have paid for anything. As I was walking out all three members of staff including the boss thought they would snigger and laugh. For a second time I politely spoke to the boss but obviously to no avail. What a way to run a business. We will never return to this shambolic restaurant and advise others to try all the other decent restaurants in Wells. Christmas will soon be on us and thankfully my company has heeded my opinions and we will not be rebooking here for this years Christmas dinner/party. That’s 20 customers you have lost.

Booked a table for 8.30 being told certain items where not available why allow people to book at that time if you can't provide, then ordered what was available and then told is now not !!!!! it was a birthday meal .. plus a long wait as technically issues for a starter Also staff not aware what comes with main meal ... Neefto go back to basics never again ....

The Olive Tree. Excellent food and service, would highly recommend. A little gem of a restaurant. We will be returning for sure.

We moved into the area on a Thursday and booked the Olive Tree for the Friday on a whim. Classically the best ‘whim’ we could have followed! An amazing restaurant with great service and ambience but exceptional food! It is one of those menus that it is hard choose from because you want everything; which suggests that whatever you choose should be good, and it was. We decided to go fish heavy; scallops for me and potted salmon for my husband, to start, which were exceptional. The scallops were served with a tomato twist which elevated the flavours and the potted salmon was clean and smooth with the butter adding a delicious level that delivered the decadence it should. For main, my husband ordered the hake and I had the sea bass which, hilariously, the waitress muddled up and we were so delighted with the flavours that it took us 3 mouthfuls before we realised we had each others dinners!! But, it was that good the mix up didn’t matter! Sublime;delicious;light;tasty there are not enough adjectives to describe how good it was! And then……:there was dessert! We didn’t need dessert, a day of moving house and unpacking meant we really wanted to sleep but we were persuaded by the lovely assistant manager. I had the chocolate marquise, my husband the crème brûlée and it was worth it. The chocolate marquise was smooth and moorish and the crème brûlée had the perfec ‘crack’ and smooth and decadent filling. Presented with the bill we were pleasantly surprised with the total, given that we had G&Ts to start, a sublime petit Chablis with our fish and coffee, and it included an optional service charge, which we had no hesitation in paying. Of course there are always small things which people might be bothered by but anything that went wrong was overshadowed by the quality of the food and that was amazing. The staff were lovely and covered up a minor mistake with a lovely and apologetic demeanour which far outweighed the problem itself. We cannot praise the Olive Tree enough. A wonderful restaurant that serves excellent, clean and pure food which we feel very lucky to have tried. We WILL be going again.

Our second visit to this restaurant - it was so good first time we came back with some friends! We enjoyed the scallops and mussels for starters. For mains, the sea bass was just perfect. Portions are of a good size so we were to full to order desert. Service friendly and unrushed. I cant recommend highly enough.

We ate Sunday lunch. The food was was very good and at £18 for a main I thought was reasonable value. Four of us paid £120 including service charge. Sunday lunch menu is more limited than the evening menu. There were four starters, a choice of topside of beef, chicken supreme, pork belly and vegetarian option. All came with roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and Yorkshire pudding. A cauliflower cheese option was also available at extra cost There were only two desserts on the menu and we tried both which were excellent. Top tip. There are two dining areas one downstairs and one up. Access to the upstairs is via a steep spiral staircase. If you struggle with stairs for any reason avoid this area and I'd check where your table is when booking. Service was friendly but a little slow. Partly because it was so busy. My only criticism was our table upstairs was on the small side and felt a bit cramped.

Fine dining. Lovely food. Excellent service.

Visited on Sunday for lunch, and very happy we booked. We all had the beef and it was certainly the best roast beef I have had for a long time. Our meals didn't take too long either. Good selection of wine, the Melbec complimented the beef nicely!

My husband and I had lunch here. The food was excellent, tasty and well presented. I am lactose intolerant and the staff were very accommodating. I was even able to have dessert. We plan to visit again next time we are in the area.

Lovely staff fitted me in a walkin on holiday from australia. Foot was excellent.

Very easy to see why this is rated so highly. Fortunately we booked well in advance as the restaurant was fully booked on the day with many other requests being made for a table that evening. Superb food, beautifully prepared and presented from a wide and varied menu choice. Also extremely good value compared to many places in the area. Our lamb and sea bass main courses were gorgeous - melting in the mouth! Would not hesitate to recommend it - it do book early or you might not get a place.

lovely food sunday roast was perfect service was excellent will come again when down on holiday mr mrs grimwood 29/9/2024

Young friendly staff and the food on point. Deservedly has its high rating! One of the best Sunday roasts I had in a very long time. Only criticism would be the panna cotta drawer wasn’t as good as the rest of the food we had. Duck salad, goat cheese starter, the roast dinners (especially the pork belly) and the brownie dessert all outstanding. Kudos

The food and service were exceptional. I would recommend to book but we were lucky and got a lovely table for two downstairs. Highly recommend

Another visit to this outstanding restaurant. I went with my sister and friend, we had the Calamari and Pork Belly bites for starters then we had the Hake fillet and Lamb shoulder for dinner. All of the food was very tasty and faultless, excellent service and ambiance.

Wow what a great place, superb menu, really interesting and innovative. Stumbled across the place looking for lunch and now we are going to have to go back and try the dinner menu. Local produce exceptionally well done. Busy so book ahead, we were lucky. This is not a pop in and eat this is a destination.

Seated upstairs next to a swinging staff door. Distracting however, the service was prompt and the food was great. If booking again, I would request a table downstairs.

Great food. Chef Paul I don't know how you served such quality food. Will definitely be paying you another visit very soon. Well happy 😊

In Wells on business and the reviews looked good. It's even better - superb food and efficient and very friendly service. They really seem to care that you have a nice meal. Pigeon and chicken terrine, followed by hake - both 10/10

Me & my friend were in Wells on Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago & wanted an early lunch (we had wanted to try this restaurant before so this was good timing) As we were there at midday when they open, the restaurant was empty but the staff were lovely, friendly & attentive, nothing too much trouble. As the menu looked so inviting we had 2 starters each instead of a main, all the food was freshly cooked tasted lovely as did the wine we had a glass of & of course we had a dessert. Great experience & we will certainly be going back

Spectacular! Delicious and inventive dishes, lovely service, very vegan friendly too.

Sensational restaurant serving delicious food with surprising ingredient combinations. We had 4 starters to maximise our taste experience. All were well cooked, beautifully presented and delicious. The wines too were lovely and all served by the first class waiter Louise.

Sensational restaurant serving delicious food with surprising ingredient combinations. We had 4 starters to maximise our taste experience. All were well cooked, beautifully presented and delicious. The wines too were lovely and all served by the first class waiter Louise.

Lovely restaurant, great food and service. The team clearly take enormous pride in every aspect.

Very nice food, but very expensive and overpriced. Personally see no justification for some of these prices. If it's caused by the rent of the area, band together with other businesses and put pressure on council. Simple.

Lovely restaurant with vegan/veggie options. Staff very friendly and helpful. Highly recommend this independant restaurant.

Food was great. Carefully put together, well presented and served promptly. The staff were a bit of a mixed bag. Our waiter was just fab. His younger colleague was sadly a bit out inexperienced.

3rd time we have been now and once again food and service 10/10 great menu and a good vegetarian option for my sister , love the friendly atmosphere, can’t wait to go again

A real restaurant in the heart of Wells.

Small but very cozy restaurant in the City of Wells. We were very satisfied with the quality and preparation of the food, as well as the attention received!!!

Don’t let occasionally slow service put you off! Everything is freshly cooked and delicious! Exceptional food and value for money! Would highly recommend.

We hired the upstairs function room for a private dining event this past weekend. Petra and the team were fabulous, from the initial enquiry through to the service on the night itself. The food was delicious and all 17 guests commented that it was London restaurant fine dining standards. A very welcoming atmosphere and extremely hospitable team. Would not hesitate to recommend for private hire and also dining in the main restaurant. Wish Petra and the team a continued success.

This is my second visit and the experience was excellent again. I had the mussles which were superb . For dessert I had the bread and butter pudding , which was the best I have ever tasted . Thank you this is my favourite restaurant in Wells.

Visited with my parents and partner last Saturday evening. Wonderful food and service. Great wine selection. Highly recommend!

Anniversary lunch, superb food, attentive staff and well constructed, interesting wine list

We had brilliant service experiences in Wells throughout our weekend. Sadly with the exception of the Olive Tree. There is the potential here to be a really nice restaurant however the lack of attention to detail and lack of a diner focused culture really let it down for us.

Delicious meal for us both , carefully composed and perfectly cooked. A good experience and warmly recommended.

Nice little place. Good and well made food. Staff were very helpful even with the very picky crowd I found myself with. One gluten free one GF veggie and a fussy eater. Were accommodated throughout. Dishes were adapted to fit. Small menu but was all well prepared and tasted great.

Quite the find ! Faultless service , food and atmosphere. I had the Hake and finished with a panacotta which was the best I have ever tasted .

Very good meal. Really lovely restaurant that we will definitely return to.

Amazing restaurant. The food was excellent- Thank you. The service was brilliant -Simon. The atmosphere and music 5+. I will be back!!

Amazing restaurant, amazing food and very friendly staff. Had a lovely time celebrating my birthday meal, definitely will be visiting again very soon.

We had a fantastic dinner here 4 months ago, but this week the experience was disappointing. The waiters were inattentive, and quite abrupt. We had 4 different ones serve us. The apparent manager was dressed in jeans and a T shirt, and was rowing with some of his staff. The food was good, but not as good as previously. The mash potato was very over salted. There were only 2 meat options, and 3 fish ones. The crackers were stale with the minuscule portions of cheese. The monkfish on special was drowned in sauce. The risotto wasn't. For £230, I would have expected the staff to have been more welcoming and say goodbye. What has gone wrong?

Nice food, but very cold upstairs.

Such a lovely lunch had here! Gorgeous food and excellent service (the owner even popped out to get me some gluten free bread as they had ran out, so I could enjoy bread with my olives). The most gorgeous home made balsamic vinegar and we really enjoyed the background music too. A full top notch experience. It’s really hard to find good coeliac safe places to eat and we will most definitely be returning to this little gem!

Food was absolutely delicious the best I have had for a while, freshly cooked and full of flavour, service was friendly too, will definitely return and recommend to anyone.

Treated the family to a delightful Sunday lunch at this restaurant with its fancy decor and inviting feel. The friendly staff and pleasant atmosphere added to the experience. The food was delightful and exceeding what I could have prepared at home. We'll definitely return.

Extremely disappointed. Had a lovely meal 2 months ago. Tonight was not good. Apparently the chef has left. Lukewarm vegetables. Just not good enough

Came here for a work Christmas lunch and couldn’t rate them highly enough. Food was great as was the wine and we all left very happy. Special thanks to the staff who dealt with a couple of slight changes without any fuss. Highly recommend

I came here for some food with my family on Thursday lunch, the staff were so kind and welcoming and made us feel extremely comfortable when we were dining. We ordered off the Christmas menu and the options on there all sounded delicious! We had a starter, main and dessert along with a few drinks and the prices were very good as was the quality and portion size!

Went here on a recommendation and preordered xmas lunch for the 4 of us. Nice Decor and the young lad serving very amenable, told we would have to wait for our food although not very busy but that was fine. Only one of us had a starter, the other 3 of us had dessert as part of our £30 2 course lunch. The salmon starter that arrived was so small it might not have been there. I've small peice of smoked salmon, one small Slice of a salmon mouse and a dollop of sauce does not justify the £8 charge, very disappointing. We all had the roast turkey mains and I haven't say we all agreed the meat was excellent and the cabbage tasty. Our issue is apart from 3 quite insipid roastie the only other veg was 5 Brussels sprouts , we all got 5 so it was by design, a real shame as it was a tasty meal. My dessert was a Christmas pudding with custard. It was small and looked nice but it had been over reheated and was very very chewy. The lemon meringue tart was bought in and average Perhaps after the reviews on here we expected more, maybe the evenings are better, but with one alcoholic drink each and one coffee, the bill was £200, which I think for a lunch of that size is way overpriced , a real shame.

This place is a little gem in Wells. The staff are very welcoming and checked if everything was alright during our meal. Lovely atmosphere, decor is very in keeping. The food was not disappointing from start to finish, beautifully presented and tasted amazing. If you haven't tried this place before, please do. Thank you for a lovely meal, and we will definitely be back

We had a meal here at the last minute on a Saturday evening. The food was exquisite. Lovely meal, with a wonderful.Malbec wine. Friendly staff. Nice atmosphere. Would fully recommend.

So glad we booked ahead for this restaurant. The staff were friendly and welcoming. The food was delicious and the wine to accompany it was excellent. We both had the celeriac soup which was incredibly good. I had the Cornish Hake and it was perfect. Intimate restaurant.

Visited for my wife’s birthday and although a bitterly cold night, we received a lovely warm welcome from the family team. Lovely atmosphere and delicious food at reasonable prices. This was our first visit but we will definitely be going back again. Thanks Peter & Jill

Party of Ten the food was excellent really fresh fish cooked to perfection. The Beef cheek was also amazing. Simon the waiter made the evening!

Delicious food. And very attentive staff.

Friendly staff and excellent menu. I can recommend the Baked Goats Cheese main course. Vegetables cooked to perfection. Unhurried service. You will need to book in advance.

Modern, gezellig ingericht restaurant. De gerechten waren qua opmaak en smaak op en top. We hadden o. a. De zalm en ham als voorgerecht erg goed. Ook de hoofdgerechten met kip, langzaam gegaard rundvlees, heerlijk van smaak. Als nagerecht de panacotta een smaak explosie. De bediening was gastvrij en attent.

Beautifully cooked food, stunning presentation. Incredibly reasonably priced for the quality and friendly staff. Would absolutely return, fantastic meal!

Can'y understand why anyone would not give 5* for this restaurant. All the staff very helpful & friendly. All food hot, delicious and beautifully presented. One of us has a garlic intolerance so Chef made up a sauce to suit. Nothing too much trouble. Will definitely return

The waiter was really nice and helpful lovely experience and very nice interior decor would recommend and I will go again !

We were visiting Wells to celebrate a friends birthday and purely by chance visited The Olive Tree as it was located so close to all the main attractions in Wells. What a lucky find! The food was absolutely outstanding with a special lunchtime deal of two courses for £24 it fitted our needs perfectly. A special mention to Jason who looked after us so well. Would definitely visit again.

I visited with 2 friends. This is a classic French bistro at its best. Serving classic French cuisine executed by an expert hand. We had the ham hock terrine to start followed by fillets of pan-fried seabass. Good selection of wines and not overpriced. Wine. 2 courses for £22. Deserves to have a bib!! All should go.

Best vegetarian meal I have had for ages, goats cheese gougeres to start and a wonderful cassoulet with parmesan polenta. Thankfully a chef that can cook original dishes not the usual spinach and ricotta for vegetarians. Will definitely return.

Having spent a few days in Masbury near wells Somerset myself husband & a couple of friends booked a table for Sunday lunch at the olive tree. It was amazing not just the food but the atmosphere & the staff were very friendly & chatty. Such a lot of food we didn’t have room for dessert. We would highly recommend anyone to visit we just wish they were nearer to where we live. 10/10 for food & atmosphere thank you.

We have eaten here a few times and it never fails to please. A very welcoming place with friendly, efficient service. The food is excellently cooked and beautifully presented, there is a good selection of reasonably priced wine and the menu has seasonal variations

Excellent Sunday lunch today. Food excellent and generous portions with careful consideration for those who have dietary requirements. We didn’t had dessert but they looked mouth-wateringly good as they came out. Service was prompt and we were made to feel very welcome. Highly recommend.

Been twice. Great food, great people, great atmosphere.. and good value. Well worth a visit

Lovely little restaurant. Designed beautifully, staff are so kind and friendly and the food was totaly stunning.

Been here 3-4 times and the food is always excellent. Presentation is beautiful, reasonable portions and good choice of dishes. Highly recommended. Only suggestion I could make would be to have some more interesting wines. The Sauvignon Blanc we had was delicious, but the list...

Lovely place for family Sunday lunch. Well presented and staff very friendly food was delicious and hot on arrival. Reasonable price and would say value for money. Would definitely recommend and will try again for an evening next time. Lovely decor nice to be sat...

Lovely looking restaurant with a friendly relaxed atmosphere. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. We really enjoyed our meal and will definitely return

We have been regular customers to the Olive Tree for over a year. We wouldn't have been regular customers unless the food and service was outstanding. Not only is the food delicious, the owners are absolutely lovely too - so welcoming and accommodating, not only to us, but also to our 10 year old daughter. Nothing is too much trouble; they always do their utmost to cater for our (sometimes) particular requests. They're totally awesome and the quality of the food that their talented chef produces is top notch, too. Highly recommend.

One of the best meals we have had. We booked last minute as we were staying at a nearby hotel and they fitted us in to celebrate our wedding anniversary the meal was fabulous and a big thank you to the staff who helped made...

Another fabulous meal.The food is always incredible, delicious well presented a thoroughly lovely evening all round.The service is spot on giving a lovely warm welcome and a relaxed dining experience.We also had a Sunday Lunch with friends sometime ago that too was excellent.Do give it...

We had an amazing Sunday lunch,food and service was very good , definitely vist again,it was very busy and everyone look like they were enjoying there food,great atmosphere

The food was absolutely lovely, could not fault it in any way what so ever. Staff was brilliant- really care for the customers. First time there and definitely won't be our last, compliments to the chef.

Absolutely brilliant service, food, welcome and atmosphere The owners are fantastic people and will make your visit very memorable

Wow, what an experience we had at this restaurant. We Booked a table for 5 on a Saturday night last minute, another friend wanted to join us, when we turned up the staff were so accommodating and changed their whole seating plan so we could...

We had the best 3 course meal we have had in a very long time - the food was beautifully presented, absolutely delicious and very reasonably priced. Highly recommended and we will definitely return next time we are in Wells.

First time we have been to The Olive Tree and it definitely won't be our last. Food was amazing, perfectly presented and the staff were so lovely the service was superb!

Went today for a Sunday roast with friends and I have to say it was the best roast dinner we've had !..we all went for the roast beef which melted in your mouth. Everything was cooked to perfection. The lemon and raspberry cheesecake was also...

Came here for a birthday meal and it couldn't have been any better. We live in Devon and were staying in Wells for the weekend and would happily drive the hour and a half just to come here for dinner. Scallops were cooked to perfection, incredible food and lovely service from everyone. Highly recommended!

We visited for a lunchtime meal and were not disappointed. Chicken with a tarragon cream sauce and Pork cutlet with a cider sauce for the main event. Both chicken and pork were cooked to perfection moist and well seasoned, accompanied by seasonal vegetables. Dessert was...

Had a wonderful Sunday lunch on a day trip to Wells Cathedral. Several types of roast with wonderful roasted vegetables and crispy roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. They had an option for a smaller plate which was great. So delicious. Very friendly staff... ran after...

If it was possible, I would give The Olive Tree 10 stars . We have just eaten in this fabulous little restaurant and I can’t believe how good it is. We ate scallops, duck breast, sea bass and lemon cheese cake. Every single item on...

A lovely little restaurant in the heart of the city of Wells. We stayed in the Swan Hotel in Wells and thought we should try some of the local restaurants so on the first night, Saturday, we tried the Olive Tree. We were not disappointed,...

We had lunch here and I have to say it was amazing food at a really great price . We will definitely be coming back for more . The staff was very attentive and nothing was to much trouble Great job to all their staff

Unfortunately I can't remember the names of the two men who looked after us when we dropped in to the Olive Tree to see if we could have dinner the same evening. They were busy but managed to fit us in a bit later on....

We started the evening with an excellent glass of perfectly chilled prosecco and a glass of Weston's cider. We shared a bottle of Rose Pinot Grigio, again well chilled, We hadn't been to the Olive Tree since the new owners took over. Must say that...

Wow what a roast dinner today stunning beef and great roast potatoes, veggie option looked pretty good as well , great friendly staff and very nice atmosphere

Booked a table to celebrate a 60th Birthday, based on ratings and photos. Lovely welcome, and positive impressions continued through the menu choice and quality of food. Nice selection of wines by the glass, reasonably priced. Friendly staff, very obliging, and deserving of their growing...

We have eaten at the Olive Tree many times since it opened in 2022, and this is testomy to the high quality food we have received every time we have been. I would say this is one of the best restaurants in Wells and the...

A wonderful dinner in a wonderful city. It was a perfect way to end the day. Great caremalisation on the scallops to start, then perfectly cooked sea bass - crispy skin and beautiful flaky flesh, in a delicious sauce. The apple baverois to finish was...