Dinner At Olive, Belper After A Couple Of Cocktails At Gatsby's
Those who know me, know that I don’t do naps; unless I’m ill, but then that tends to be proper sleeps. However, this weather has got me spinning and, after having a read, I felt like just closing my eyes and listening to the radio. Cue, 45 minutes later; one dazed me with a sudden urge to have some of the marvellous Moroccan salads from Olive in Belper for dinner – odd, I know!
Thankfully, The Man is used to my ‘uniqueness’, and hastily messaged the lovely Jacqui to see if she’d got a table free. Knowing that we’re pretty easy-going, she said that she’d squeeze us in if an hour sounded good? You bet it did! A quick freshen up and a trip in the jalopy later, we pulled into the market square and sauntered over to Olive Moroccan Restaurant.
Jacqui was just putting the finishing touches to our table, and asked if we’d got time for a pre-dinner cocktail, as her friend Rachael had recently opened a wine and cocktail bar just over the road; of course, we’d got time! Gatsby’s Wine and Cocktail Bar is a rather swish space, taking its influence from Art Deco, the roaring [19]20s and flapper culture.
The downstairs space (with its wood, herringbone-laid floor) is comprised of the bar and some seating, a small space with tables is a few steps up, and then upstairs (which about triple the size of downstairs, bizarrely) features a chaise longue, grand piano and some rather spectacular lighting. A couple of steps down takes you right to the back and the ‘speak-easy’ lounge, complete with a breath-taking, hand-painted mural of a flapper girl reflected symmetrically at the Claridge’s gates. Sumptuous, scallop-backed chairs are upholstered in rich shades of Blues and Teals, and walls have either lush foliage-print paper on them or a striking Navy Blue and Gold, Art Deco one. Each table had small black and crystal lamps on them that were adjustable for either cool, warm or mixed tones of lighting.
Having been shown around by Rachael, His Nibs and I went back down to the bar area and ordered a Sidecar and Long Island Iced Tea, taking in our elegant surroundings a bit more; honestly, fans of the Jazz-age and Art Deco will think they’ve died and gone to style heaven. If cocktails aren’t particularly your thing, there are premium lagers on draught and plenty of wines (all available by the glass, excluding Champagne, but including Prosecco and other sparkling wines) to satisfy you. For a proper authentic vibe, you can enjoy a ‘coupe’ of fizz (100ml) in addition to the standard 125-, 175- and 250-ml glasses.
If my tummy wasn’t rumbling, I could’ve happily stayed here all evening! As it was, I needed feeding, and I also needed to have a long-overdue natter with the lovely Jacqui. As is usual, Olive was bustling; clearly, Belper folk know where to come for an authentic Moroccan experience. Olive is unlicensed, so you bring your own alcohol, but water is freely available. The crockery, cutlery, and glassware is all mis-matched - as is pretty much everything, really! – which just adds to the marvellously haphazard approach to Moroccan living and dining. Jacqui herself lived in Morocco for about 5 years, so is certainly au-fait with how things actually happen. It takes, I would say, at least a couple of visits to throw out your ‘Britishness’ and really ‘get’ Olive; once you do, though, it’ll get right into your soul and you’ll want to return time and time again.
Olive has a core menu of Tagines, Flatbreads and Salads with tweaks coming via the flatbread fillings and the Hummus. My favourite appetizer, though, are the utterly marvellous Cream Cheese-stuffed Dates – they are so simple, but bloody moreish. His Nibs is always in the market for the Spicy Meatballs and [especially] the Chicken Shawarma; having tasted it in Morocco (on holiday), we can say that it is every bit as good in Olive.
On the warm - stupidly warm, if you ask me – evening, Jacqui’s salads were hitting the spot even more than usual. Fresh Tabbouleh saw its bulgar wheat mixed with lots of fresh Parsley, Cherry Tomato halves, Olive Oil and a hint of Lemon, the Mujadara was comprised of Lentils, Rice and Onion and a cooling Natural Yoghurt topping, and the Walnut, Beetroot and Feta salad was ramped up with lots of mixed leaves, Pomegranate seeds (and its molasses) and then zhuzhed with sliced Strawberry halves. I love a good salad, and I have to say that no-one makes them quite like Jacqui! Unusually, we didn’t manage one of Olive’s signature Tagines (available with or without meat), but I can assure you that they are seriously scrummy and well worth sampling
Since our last visit, Jacqui has got some new team members; both were around sixth-form age, I would say, and they didn’t stop all evening, bless them. There were a couple of rookie errors, such as not spotting when people had finished and wanted to pay/had finished food but wanted to order more. Give the kids a break, though – you don’t learn the finer points of guest care immediately; they were super-polite and always smiling, which counts for a lot, I think. One top tip I would give you when you visit Olive Moroccan restaurant: don’t be so British – if you haven’t got the serving team’s attention, nip to the kitchen entrance and ask for what you want; politely, of course!
Olive is mainly open on Friday and Saturday evenings, though Jacqui does sometime open up on other days. There’s also the Tagine Making classes to be aware of, for those who fancy making their own masterpieces. All details can be found on the Facebook page ‘Olive Moroccan Restaurant’, and you can also phone 07864 953341 to book a table.
Hot Wings happily given again to this cracking Belper restaurant, and Good Luck to Gatsby’s Wine and Cocktail Bar.
All Prices Correct At The Time Of Publishing
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