Green Olive

Located in a quiet & picturesque Maida Vale cul-de-sac, Green Olive emulates its location’s charm with an intimate, romantic dining room of blasted brickwork & funky artwork. Starters are simple assemblies of high-quality ingredients such as timbale of grilled pepper, courgette & buffalo mozzarella with sun-dried tomato olive oil. Pastas are more inventive – homemade ravioli is filled with braised duck & doused in a butter & pistachio sauce – while mains are uncomplicated creations such as roasted cod with lentil ragu. Given the prices (mains average £17.50), some complain that the food doesn’t live up to the picture-perfect surroundings, so it’s perhaps best to stick to the simpler dishes to avoid disappointment. Nearby sister restaurant Red Pepper (8 Formosa Street W9, tel: 7266 2708) is a more casual affair serving good pizza & pasta.