The Sooty Olive Restaurant in Derry

Absolutely fantastic restaurant. Delicious food and excellent service! My only issue as there was no cider available, which seemed a bit odd. Well definitely be back!...Famous last words, so sad that it's gone now.

The sooty olive was absolutely beautiful, everything was perfect and the nice relaxed dim lighting is so chilled , staff were fantastic too

Lovely dining experience for a family of four. Food was beautiful and warm. Excellent service from the manageress, young chap on the bar and waitress on the floor. Great standards. We will definitely return again soon, thankyou.

Food was poor I had cod which was ok and my partner had chicken which was very dry and the mash was grainy with black bits. This is our third time here and I really think it is over rated.

We go quite often here,food so delicous always specials on ,could choose anything ,flavour delicous, not too big helpings ,can indulge in sweet to finish . We'll worth visit . Not over priced .

We all 4 of us had great meals, I had the scallops with just a small slice of black pudding. It was fantastic. The other 3 had no starters , but the fillet steak which were all good. I had the Cod , thank goodness the Hake was not on. Highly recommended. Patricia, is great as front of house, very welcoming.

Have been to this establishment many times and can honestly say I have never had a bad meal. Food is always perfectly cooked and presented. Service is very quick also and the staff always welcoming and friendly

Great food and service! Waiters couldn't do enough for us and were very pleasant. They also have great selection of wines and the cocktails were amazing.

Family Sunday lunch at this great spot. Food excellent, great service, Claire was our waitress and was fantastic. The most underrated restaurant in Derry.

Amazing food and value for money. Easily the best dining experience in the city. First class.

Delicious dinner with a friend Midweek dinner and my first visit to the restaurant. Friendly and professional service with a great value dinner menu .. We enjoyed both starters and main course options with the sides Complimentary soup (which was delicious) We had the squid & chicken wings to start and we both had the belly of pork for our main course! Highly recommended!

I'd been to The Sooty Olive a few times over the years but over the last few visits the food has been dreadful. £35 for three courses when you get served basically poor pub grub just won't cut it for me. My starter of crispy squid was over cooked, my main consisted of quite possibly the most bland and driest katsu chicken curry I have ever had, along with the smallest portion of chips I have ever seen. My dessert of creme brulee was ok but nothing to rave home about. The service was fantastic and the waiting staff couldn't have been faulted as they were so attentive. If you're going for the food, I'd go elsewhere with there being so many great spots in the city.

We went for an anniversary dinner, a special night for us, we waited at least 20 minutes past our booking and watched three couples arrive after us and be seated before us, whilst we understand that tables are allocated we heard one couple say their booking was well after us and were seated while we still waited. My husband had to go and inquire before we were told our table ran over, not the restaurants fault, but we would have appreciated this being communicated to us and not being left feeling quite forgotten, it would have made all the difference. The food was ok but we left with a bad taste in our mouths. The wait staff were apologetic and very nice.

Group of 7 ate at the sooty olive. The restaurant offers chateaubriand in 2 different sizes we choose the largest size to share by 3 people. On ordering this wasn't a problem, however when the food arrived the staff member couldn't comprehend why we needed 3 dinner plates instead of 2, eventually she brought a side plate & again we had to enlighten her as to why a 3rd plate was needed. She then brought an ungarnished cold plate. The chateaubriand was over cooked & we did mention this to another member of staff. When paying for the meal, I mentioned to the manager that the chateaubriand was over cooked,to which he replied well another member of your party told me the food was great. This person wasnt eating the chateaubriand and was happy with his meal.I told him that I had raised my concerns with another member of staff, to which he told me i should have raised them with him. This continued with the manager refusing to offer as much as apology for my concerns. He behaved in an obnoxious manner and was utterly disrespectful. The manager had a terrible attitude, he totally lacked professionalism and whilst he is working there I wouldn't recommend eating here.

Just a first class restaurant 👏👏

Very good restaurant in Londonderry, quiet and nice atmosphere

Just had an amazing Sunday lunch in this restaurant, Claires telephone manner, from the outset, was amazing, most welcoming, helpful, We arrived as a party of 2 only to be treated with absolute professionalism, Todays fish was local hake: fresh ; perfectly cooked: as was the fillet steak (at sunday lunch time) ,Fae suggested wonderful shiraz and a beer, Both delicious.

A local restaurant, with slow service due to having a large clientele

Starters and mains are faultless but the desserts are never good. The special sticky toffee ginger pudding (I think) was out of sainburys and was microwaved too much so was rubbery

Great and original food and pleasant and professional service.

Early booking but no reduction in quality.. Staff we're great, food was lovely.. Great place to eat,. Been a few times and not disappointed.

Last week, I had the unpleasant experience of choosing a locally overrated restaurant in the town of Londonderry, UK - The Sooty Olive...... Once inside I was greeted by a bored teenager manning the front desk and a most disappointing, distasteful, dirty restaurant. The tables, chairs, decor and layout were simply tired and dreadful. The service is the sort that one would expect form a fast food chain, but without its speed and simplicity. As for the pompous manger or host (or whatever he was) he was obnoxious. His recommendation for wine was way off, he had no clue what he was talking about and the wine tasted like a $5 excuse for a bad house wine mixed with red wine vinegar! At this point, I had enough of this torture, when the meals showed up. .....We had the curry and the chicken escalope. OMG it was really awful!!!!! So we asked for the check. To my surprise the previously lazy waitresses came alive and rushed with the check as if their life depended on it. The price was overrated, but I guess whoever pays to be taken for a fool deserves to be one!! Never again will I lay eyes on this sorry excuse of a restaurant. It is banned from my list and should be from anyone's!

Our group had a member who was disabled and one who is vegan and the restaurant was SO accommodating and kind. The food was so good and really reasonably priced, drinks were great and if anything strong. Atmosphere was great, a touch fancy but nothing you could get away with wearing a t shirt too. would love to go again 🙌🏼

We are traveling from the US and had been driving all day and found this gem! We were very underdressed compared to everyone else, but we were assured that we were fine and that it was a casual place. We were all so glad we stayed, everything was AMAZING! I assume it was the manager we were talking to and he seemed so genuinely glad that we stayed and enjoyed it. Cannot recommend it enough.

The food was great but £100 for 4 mains is a bit excessive, especially given the relatively small portions. Not enough veggie options either 👎.

The sooty olive is outstanding! From the moment you arrive the staff are so attentive, top class customer service. The food is unbelievable.We have never had a bad meal or experience when visiting.We have tried many places in and around Derry but always go back to the sooty olive, everything about it is wonderful.

Every time we come to Derry to visit family we come to the sooty olive , last night we had starters the fish cake was excellent10/10 the squid with peanut sauce 8/10 only reason an 8 is because it didn’t have much sauce ( like before) nor the charred lime .mains we had chateaubriand for two with pepper sauce and sides of triple cooked chips and bacon and leek mash ,which was a triumph.Dessert we were full so shared a cheesecake with ice-cream which was very good .Can’t wait for our next trip really is best food in Derry

Dropped in for a very good impromptu family Sunday lunch. Could not fault the service and quality of the food on offer, a borderline 5 stars. Very worth a visit if your in the Derry area.

Travelling through Derry today we visited here for Sunday lunch after reading the positive reviews and we weren’t disappointed. We all opted for the beef with all the trimmings. The beef was fabulous and it is the first time I have had Yorkshire pudding also stuffed with beef, fabulous! I would definitely recommend.

Friendly from the first moment. Great menu. V friendly service, relaxed/ chatty. The squid is AWESOME. The food is really really good. The place was lively and the perfect place to unwind on a Friday night. I hope it thrives (we were visiting the city). I’ll defo be back :-)

We had a great meal here. Excellent quality of food and service. The pork and cod mains were superb and the crème brûlée to finish was delicious. Do not hesitate to book a table and enjoy a meal here.

We went there for dinner, it was nice, they open until late, which is great, and the staff was friendly and helpful. The only problem is the poor variety of the beers in the pub area, they only offered us a Japanese beer. I''m sure this problem will be solved by when we go back.

Staff were lovely but we are sorry to say the food was awful. This was our favourite restaurant, hopefully it can make it back .. Staff we're polite and lovely therefore we left a good tip.

Everything was over salted .. the curry was none reconisable as a curry the staff was exceptional but the meal was disappointing and very poor .

Disappointed... Food very average... Fillet steak was crucified! Fire alarm kept going off... Background music very loud was like being in a nightclub... Asked to turn it down to be told by manager he was trying to create a vibe! Full drink spilt when serving the table by manager over my daughters back.. No apology.... Don't think we will be back.

Just back from a wonderful wonderful evening at sooty olive food fab ambiance great .staff very attentive, all so good .First time here and will return without a fault we had a lovely evening and thanks to the lovely staff for a fantastic night, from the two ladies and thanks for everything to the manager also thank you .

Very good food good size portions

First time visit, delicious food, great wine. Friendly staff and great atmosphere

Dined a first time during our week’s visit and went back two more times. The food is simply excellent. A good test is the quality of the crème brûlée. The Sooty’s ranks with the best we tasted during our many years living in France.

Fabulous dinner on Sunday evening. Beautifully presented, seasoning perfect, all just gorgeous. Four of us had different meals. Cod, fillet steak, duck and pork. No complaints from anyone. Staff very friendly, informative and attentive. Highly recommend 👌

Phenomenal! Sorry we didn't take photos! Their bartender and drinks (rum runner) are the best! The manager is so personable, and the menu is varied, portions are small but exquisite, crab cakes, bruschetta, wild mushroom linguine, cheesecake! What a find around the corner from our BnB. Going back later this week!

Really great vibe in the place . Rotating menu and specials . Starts and mains combo extremely well priced considering the amazing quality of the food

Excellent meal! We were early for our booking so sat in front area and relaxed with a drink. My husband had the fishcake and I had the special starter chicken wings which were gorgeous. Mains were just as good I had the pork and my...

5* Best Restaurant in The North Everything about the Sooty Olive is amazing. The food is out of this world, the staff are amazing & the ambiance in the restaurant is calming and comfortable. Would highly recommend. My favourite restaurant ever!! Love it.

Had an amazing meal at The Sooty Olive last night with my family. The service was absolutely excellent and the food was outstanding. This is the best restaurant in Derry with consistent high standards……. Thank you to Team Sooty!

Have had meals here over many years and feel that the Sooty Olive has lost a bit of its former quality and charm The food tasted fine, it just lacked that above average quality / flavours it used to have.

We decided to give The Sooty Olive a try after hearing so many amazing reviews. Upon arrival we were seated immediately and a drinks order taken - a pint of beer and a glass of wine. We patiently waited...the waiter came to take our order...

Amazing, quiet dinner restaurant, just on the other side of the river. The service was great, and the food was amazing! Incredibly delicious! We had the duck and katsu chicken curry and they were both amazing! We had a difficult time trying to figure out...

Very good service and food. Michael best floor manager. Hope we will come back soonest

The restaurant is very good, the food is delicious. The staff is approachable and very friendly.

incredibly good restaurant in a beautiful location. The food is delicious. kudos to the staff

Excellent place and delicious food...I recommend it

An excellent place for rest and enjoyment

Food was excellent as was the service we received, best service we have had in a long time. Could not fault it. Will definitely be back.

We booked this restaurant cause of the past reviews so we had to give it a go. 1st we were disappointed that the couples steak deal 2 steaks for £55 wasn’t on the menu on a Saturday night. Poor advertising. Next French onion soup. Haven’t...

Beautiful food for every course served. Massive compliments to the chef 👨‍🍳. Great waiting staff and cocktails top class 👌

The quality of the food did not match the price. The triple cooked chips were not very crispy. As part of the steak deal we got a portion of soup that was served in a Espresso cup which I think is too small and there was too much gristle on the steak The food we were served didn't look as good as the photos on Google. Overall the price did not justify the portion sizes and simplicity of the food. It reminded me of pub grub.

We went specifically for their Rib-eye couples offer and it did not disappoint. Great atmosphere in the restaurant, great service, tasty food and great price!

My family and I all enjoyed the delicious food and excellent service.

Fabulous menu 7 of us went as a family of adults ,the food is truly amazing ,Incan particularly recommended the scallops and the main was cod wit( a parsley sauce and herb crust it was sublime ,the rest of our group had various things on...

The sooty olive is consistently excellent. The staff are a credit to the owner. Me and my wife were in tonight. Had the special fillet steak platter with 2 sides and 2 sauces. Food was exceptional as always. Mike the front of house was excellent...

Smallest portions ever. Never go again

We visited here on Saturday night had a table booked for 7 adults and 2 children. We had a few minutes to wait when we arrived before being showed to our table a good roomy table in the inner part of the restaurant. The starters...

Was incredibly disappointed with the place. After reading such great reviews about it I decided to give it a go and celebrate with a few friends. We arrived and drinks were not offered until 10min. 2 cocktails and 2 pints. After 35min and still no drinks, I let a waitress know. Our starters came, we finished them and still no drinks. 10min later our waiter arrives to say that the order didn't go through the till.. 10min later the pints arrive. No cocktails yet.. 10min. Later we finally hear the cocktail shaker.. An hour after we arrived we were finally able to have our toast. It was honestly disappointing. Their signature cocktail, The Sooty Olive was undrinkable. The taste was just wrong. 4 different people tried it on the table, same verdict. The Rummy Runner was watered down. You could see the straw across the glass. No flavor at all, not even the alcohol. But was better than the first and drinkable Came down to ask for a new cocktail for the sooty olive and asked for a second rummy runner. This one was done right. Proper flavour and density on it. We got 1 cocktail off the bill when it should had been the entire round to be honest. An hour for drinks is simply unacceptable.. Mains arrived and they were good but the presentation left much to desire. Specially the celeriac burgers and steak. Huge white plate with a small burger half tilted on the middle with knive on top and nothing else. The steak was also alone in a big white plate with 1 onion ring on top and a ceramic ramakin on the side. Not even a drizzle of sauce, watercress or anything to decorate. Our waiter was very polite and nice so at least there was that... Also careful with the floors, they are quite slippery. 3 of us got to slide on them and saw another 2 customers also about to fall. Unfortunately not coming back.

Was incredibly disappointed with the place. After reading such great reviews about it I decided to give it a go and celebrate with a few friends. We arrived and drinks were not offered until 10min. 2 cocktails and 2 pints. After 35min and still no...

Delicious food and lovely staff. I would recommend and will definitely be back!

Didn't eat there just a mad party...great crew

One a weekend away decided to try this restaurant on recommendation. Really nice welcome on arrival by front of house we were taken through the menu and advised on specials. Food was all locally sourced We had scallops ,red pepper soup to start a locally...

The food is amazing and the staff are so friendly.

Good space for private functions, but limited beer selection

My wife and I have been there 4 times now and have not had a bad experience. On our last visit I fainted due to a known condition. The staff were brilliant dealing with me and also my wife who was a little upset. All in all great food and fantastic staff. 👏👏👏

Had a beautiful sunday lunch the food was really tasty and staff were very pleasant. Had 3 courses and all were above average.

We ate here today after getting a voucher as a Christmas present. Everything about our experience was a delight, the food was exceptional and the service first rate. We had the roast beef main course, the beef was beautifully cooked, the vegetables delicious and the...

Dined here last night for NYE, we had soup & chowder to start, both so yummy! Then fillet steak, cooked to perfection. Defo recommend the whiskey & mushroom sauce. Very impressed & service was great, can’t wait to return already :)

We had a wonderful family meal at the Sooty Olive for a family group of 11 during our 2 day visit to a very cold Derry. Can’t recommend this place enough. It was great and a real find only 5 minutes walk from where we...

I love this restaurant. I could eat the whole menu. Calamari is my favourite. 😋

My wife and I went for early dinner, on Saturday. We were greeted by Zara , a very cheerful smiling welcome. The Amusee Bouche was a pork dish and was very nice. I had the Seafood chowder , it was just fantastic, I do not...

It was a early Monday evening so little atmosphere but made up by some excellent food amazingly cooked restaurant could do with a make over beginning to look a bit dated

Nice place to have an evening meal. There's no parking outside So plan accordingly. Warm welcome. Attentive. Drink selection is good We're given a free sample of the soup which I now wish I had ordered because it was very good. Food came in reasonable time It was well presented and tasted good. I would recommend this place.

The food was absolutely outstanding! The staff were also really really good. I would advise anyone to visit this establishment.

Food really good today, and waiting staff very helpful and attentive

Great dinner spot in Derry. Recommend the curry.

Firstly,the staff were extremely attentive,knowledgeable and friendly without being intrusive. Secondly, the food was was so good, you knew it was freshly prepared and cooked to perfection. A real tasty meal and you knew you were eating good quality ingredients very like a home cooked...

Great evening in The Sooty Olive. The menu has a limited selection which allows the kitchen to provide top quality dishes. The Duck was the highlight of the night and a lovely bottle of red wine to share. Service was fantastic and everyone was polite...

Great place with fun drinks and fantastic food. Friendly staff took care of us, and the fish and steak were awesome. Plus, they have a gin menu. 😁

My sister and I went for a meal and thoroughly enjoyed every mouth ful. The staff were amazing. and so helpful. We were served by Ben and he was so passionate and knowledgeable about the food. The food itself was beautiful and so well presented...

Excellent ! Food is great & is matched by excellent service. We had to phone twice to alter our booking & the person we spoke to was exceptionally helpful & friendly, this created a great first impression which was matched by every part of our experience. See you again soon.

Their Sunday dinners... I feel like that's all I even have to say. So tasty and the service is amazing!

booked us in at short notice. Friendly staff. Excellent food.

We went today to the Sooty Olive on recommendation of our friend. We took the train from Castlerock as we are spending a few days there. We were completely blown away by this beautiful restaurant. From the moment we arrived the restaurant we were so warmly welcomed by all the extremely friendly staff. The food was just outstanding and is 10 out of 10. I had a delicious curry with really is the best I have ever had. My husband had the Hake special which he said was to die for. We were served by such lovely staff and they were all so attentive. The customer service is outstanding in every aspect. Elisa was our main waitress and all I can say is she is a complete sweetheart and just made our evening so special. We highly recommend The Sooty Olive. Its 4 mins walk from the train station. Why not explore the old city of Derry and finish up in The Sooty Olive? You will so love it and we cant wait to go back!! thank you so much.

Unreal atmosphere, little bit cramped with many people but other than that great!

Always a fantastic experience, food is superb, the staff are friendly, very experienced and always on the ball. You'd think with such top quality food and staff it'd be expensive but it's not, it's very reasonably priced. Cocktails are out of this world.

This is a wonderful restaurant and as I said it is a hidden gem. Food is wonderfully prepared and presentation is first class. Worth a visit if you either live here or are visiting, you will not be disappointed.

This restaurant offers fantastic food, well presented by lovely well mannered staff. Don't miss out on this exquisit eating experience.

Staff were so helpful and friendly, a credit to the Sooty Olive. The grub was amazing - and the cost compared to similar standards of restaurants in Belfast was a really pleasant surprise. Cannot wait till our next visit!!!

We were fortunate to stay around the corner and to get a table on a Thursday night. The standard of food was fantastic and each course was just the right balance of flavours and size. Excellent value for the standard of food. Staff were really...

Had dinner after the recommendation from a friend, Food was fantastic and cooked perfectly, staff very pleasent, knowledgeable and helpful. Was really impressed, the set up, the dining area the ambiance of the place was just fantastic.. Price wise you couldnt beat it..5 stars from...

Poor service. Waited 45 mins for our mains to arrive. Too long. I was very hungry. Need to do better

Food was excellent service was good party of 11 shame that charge extra 10% as there was 11 of us and nearly every thing on the menu has a surcharge so your really not get a 2 couse meal for 25 pound.

Visited for lunch on a day trip to Derry. Food was excellent and good value for money. Staff friendly and very attentive. Would go back