Back at Olive Belper: Celebrating 10 Years of Moroccan Magic
Right, I’m just going to come right out and admit it: I’m a yapper. Seriously, if talking was an Olympic sport, I’d win that gold medal, no contest!! When me and my Bestie Bird get together, this ‘talent’ only amplifies, though I’m not wrong in saying that the fellas aren’t too bad at flapping their gums, either. Anyhow, BB and TBW had come over for the weekend for belated birthday celebrations, so you can be sure that convo, booze and food (not necessarily in that order!) were going to feature heavily in our lives for 48hours.
Having been informed that one of my fave eateries, Olive in Belper, was turning 10 (!!), the only logical thing was to combine both sets of celebrations and head down there for some seriously mouth-watering Moroccan Mezze. It was lovely to see the restaurant buzzing as we walked through the door, and Chef/Owner/ Hostess, Jacqui, was in fine form ensuring that everyone was enjoying themselves.
Since our last visit, there have been a couple of additions to the Mezze stable: Spinach and Feta Filo Parcels and Harissa Chicken. Needless to say, they were both instantly on our radar and being written down in server Olivia’s order pad. Possibly my favourite mezze is the stunningly simple, Cream Cheese-stuffed Dates; if you’ve never had these sweet, gooey, creamy morsels before, you get to come down and try them pronto-tonto! You can thank me later.
Quelling our initial hunger, Jacqui brought out plates of Hummus, Pitta Bread, and Olives for us to graze on – all of which were lovely. I would love to know how Jacqui gets her Hummus so blooming creamy! Following soon behind were the dates and some of Jacqui’s squishy, oozy Spinach and Cheese Flatbreads; without fail, these had us all licking warm, melted cheese off our fingers.
Underneath layers of super-thin, buttery Filo pastry sheets was a sumptuously soft centre of shredded Spinach and pillowy Feta Cheese and its salty, sharp tang. The partnerships of crunchy and soft was absolutely spot-on, and the flavour combination was the business, too. Every time we’ve visited Olive, the salads have been marvellous; even His Nibs is one of the first people to pipe up “Are we having some of Jacqui’s salads?”! On this particular evening, we had a trio of terrificness: Herb-laden Tabbouleh, refreshing Carrot, Sultana and Orange, and our perennial favourite, Orange, Walnut, Beetroot and Feta. As Mezze, you can order this Trio for a set price, or you can order a single variety if you prefer; we went all-in and had the lot, and it wasn’t long before all evidence of their existence had vanished.
If you like dense, rich Meatballs that come with an equally ardent sauce, then the ones that Jacqui rustles up will be right up your street. Moist and juicy, these delights have a lovely chew-time to them and a great meaty taste. Matching the sauce in terms of fieriness was the Harissa Chicken; paired with the tender Chicken breast was a punchy spice rub that had us all wiping our noses – if you’re congested, this dish will soon sort it!
Believe it or not, TBW reckoned that he has never had one of the Tagines at Olive; wait, whaaaaat??!!! Clearly this situation could not be allowed to continue, so we ordered some of the Lamb Tagine and Cous-Cous, tout-suite! The rich, earthy sweetness of the Lamb comes through fantastically, and is balanced with sweeter spices and fruits that are slowly cooked to meld all the scrumminess together. Fluffy Cous-Cous grains provide the perfect method with which to soak up every last bit of sauce, a task that we all feverishly applied ourselves to.
His Nibs fancied something for pudding, so he had Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice cream; we couldn’t all sit idly by and watch him tuck in, so magnificent Lemon Cheesecake and Vanilla Ice cream with Rosewater-soaked Orange slices on the side. Now, Sticky Toffee Pudding might not be Moroccan, but it actually rounded off the meal very nicely, and the Cheesecake was a superb palate cleanser.
What can I say except that was yet another marvellous night out at Olive, and another happy memory banked - Hot Wings happily given here again! Here’s to the next decade, Jacqui.
To book a table call 07864 953341. Olive is open Friday and Saturday evenings 6pm-11pm. It’s worth visiting (and following) the Facebook page ‘Olive Moroccan Restaurant’ for details of pop-up Tagine classes and events, too.
Looking for more places to eat in Belper?
👉 See our guide to Where to Eat in & Around Belper
All Prices Correct At The Time Of Publishing
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