Chelmsford
Olio

Olio

37 New London Road, CM2 0ND, Chelmsford, United Kingdom

Pizza • Cafés • Pasta • Seafood


"My last visit to an Italian restaurant (NOT THIS ONE) was disappointing. I was sceptical about going to another but I can assure you that this was really good. The food was really good. I am Intrigued to go back and check out their veal. The service was also excellent as they allowed me to order something I wanted which was only on their lunch menu. But they adapted. The restaurant itself is a little pokey with not much character. It looks a little jaded. The building is also narrow and therefore the experience is similarly narrow. There is another part of the restaurant downstairs which looks unused and the visible storage inside the door suggests this. The whole stairs, toilets, downstairs area is clean but very uninspiring. It feels more like walking round a bedsit than an Italian restaurant. That said the food and service was great. I would return for sure. There is a rather lovely raised section in the main portion of the restaurant. Once again this part of the restaurant is uninspiring but this is a nice area. I wanted a particular dish but it wasn’t on the menu I was given. I queried this and was told it was tue lunch menu I had viewed however they would accommodate my request. It was so worth it. Delicious. In summary; my last review of an Italian was style over substance with really poor food. This restaurant was fairly uninspiring inside however the food was great. The staff were great. And I will return. Thanks guys."

Pig Whistle

Pig Whistle

Chignal Road, Chelmsford I-CM1 4SZ, United Kingdom

Vegan • Cakes • British • Vegetarian


"After our previous wonderful experiences, I knew it was the right decision to book in for a date night with my partner leading up to valentines. The owners recognised us from our previous visits and were greeted at the door some warmly and welcoming. We were lead to a table of two surrounded by beautiful and unique decor and even though the venue was popular, it still felt intimate and relaxing. The wine menu was full of choice and well thought out, with a great choice of local produce included. After some great recommendations from our server, we opted for a gorgeous bottle of rosé which was soft, subtle and complimented the meal throughout. My starter was the Bresaola, which was gorgeously presented and tasted phenomenal the flavours of the plate really complimented each other and exuded luxury. We both opted for steak for main (after trying to decide between that and the lamb shank shepherds pie! WOW! After curing my excitement at the sight of the most beautiful steak, I eagerly tucked in and was met with one of the best steaks I have genuinely eaten in my life. The steak was perfectly cooked and genuinely melted like butter in my mouth. The Smoked mash, leeks, bacon chestnut mushrooms red wine jus was a beautiful side piece to the dish and was so moreish it was pure bliss. The truffle Parmesan frites are also an absolute MUST just SOOOO good!! We could see that every table of guests around us were being treated first class nothing was too much for the staff and they conversed with everyone like we were friends/family, which is just such a rare and pleasant experience that you can only find at gems such as this. Once again, thank you for making us feel like VIPs on nights that mean so much to us. We will definitely be returning again, in fact we booked another table while we were there to return for their 8 course Irish Tasting menu! (Complete with drink pairings, of course!"