The Olive Tree - Bungay NR35 2PN: A Taste of Authentic Italian Cuisine

It's always a risk to take your Italian mum to an Italian restaurant abroad, because you never know what you will find. In this case, we could not have made a better choice. We ate one of the best mussels dishes we have ever tried, and the pizza, made by the authentic Neapolitan chef, had nothing to envy to the pizza you try in Italy. The pasta, which is home-made, is wonderful. And portions are very, very generous, just like you to have if you were invited to an Italian family's home. They told us they actually important ingredients, including the flour, from Italy. And you can definitely taste the difference. Our host was also wonderful and made us feel very welcome and at home. We could not recommend this place more! We will be back. Italian approved!

Staying in the beautiful Gardener's Cottage at Earsham Hall, we ventured to The Olive Tree. Very rustic - in my opinion, decor let this small family run business down. Starters were nice but disappointed by the main pasta dish - looked v unappetising & was swimming in oil. Venue extremely popular & was busy for the entire evening.

Italian Restaurant in Ellingham. Lovely Restaurant situated in a quiet village. Had a really nice atmosphere, staff very welcoming and friendly without being intrusive. Visited mainly to try genuine Italian Pizza, however considerable choice on offer so will need to return ! Efficient service and extensive menu , extremely good value for money . Be warned, Pizza's very generous size! Plenty of parking. Highly recommend Pizzas..

Second time coming here and absolutely delicious yet again. Staff incredibly friendly, will definitely be back.

Amazing food and great service from friendly staff. The mussels starter was almost a meal on its own!!

Ate here for the first time on 19 June 2024 and loved it. Really friendly owners and team. Food was incredible.. so good that I didn't take photos as I was too busy eating. I would highly recommend the pork escalopes and came with an amazing gravy that I would happily have on its own, it was that good. We were a party of 3 and we all absolutely loved our food and there wasn't a scrap of anything left. I have already booked to go back. if you have not tried this place yet, get booking and you won't be disappointed.

My partner and I dined at The Olive Tree for a nice date night out. We live in Oulton Broad and there isn't much out our way for authentic traditional Italian food. After a little bit of research and scouring the map, we found this hidden gem. Tucked away in the quiet village of Kirby Row, The Olive Tree did not disappoint. Not far from Beccles or Bungay, its just a few turns off of the A143. Once arriving, there is a large carpark outside the restaurant with ample room for parking. We arrived at the same time another 3 cars did, and all entered the restaurant at the same time. We were immediately greeted by Gail, and sat at the lovely 2 top table that had been pre-set nicely. The restaurant vibe was colorful and quaint, with freshly picked tulips on the tables, plants hanging on the ceiling beams, and genuine peices of painted art work on the walls. The windows were large and let in plenty of natural sunlight. I was a happy bee already, and we hadn't even ordered yet. It all around was a great first impression those first ten minutes! I ordeded a non-alcoholic cocktail and my partner ordered a Meantime London. I wasn't expecting much from my non-alcoholic gin cocktail, as most restaurants fall short on cocktails, especially non-alcoholic ones. I was pleasantly surprised when mine was brought out. It was served in a beautiful rock glass, with bright pink colours and a pickled cucumber rolled up inside the glass. The cocktail was refreshing to drink, not sugary or too sweet, and strong in flavour. I liked it so much I ordered two with my dinner Drinks: 5/5 on my non-alcoholic cocktail. My partner also enjoyed a second pint. Starters: Ravioli Alla Caprese: Homemade ricotta/ basil/goat’s cheese filled ravioli in tomato, basil & sauce. 5/5 Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina: Homemade potato gnocchi/mozzarella/tomato sauce/parmesan/basil. 5/5 My ravioli was the best I've ever eaten. My partner also enjoyed the gnocchi and we both polished off the plates entirely I higgly recommend both starters Mains: Linguine Alla Genovese: Linguine with a sauce of beef & pork minced with carrot, onion & white wine, parmesan. 5/5 My pasta was light and airy, not too dense, with just the classic ingredients. They say less is more, and its true. The portions are quite large, so I did ask for mine to be boxed up to take home, which Gail happily did. I ate the rest the next day, cold even! It was that good. Stromboli Pizza: Salami on a tomato base with mozzarella, parmesan and basil. 5/5 My partner noted how fluffy and airy the dough and crust was on the pizza, saying "its so good" mid bite. He would have finished the entire pizza had it not been that we wanted to save room for dessert. I had a bite myself and thought it was delicious. Not greesy, perfect combination of fresh basil and authentic salami (and not the crap stuff you get in a UK store). Part of me wished I got a pizza too, but equally my pasta was just as good! Dessert: Panna Cotta Con Cileggi with black cherry 5/5 Torta Caprese with Chocolate and almond torte/vanilla ice cream 5/5 Again, can't say how good the desserts tasted. My capresse was boasting with flavour, not too dry or dense, and paired nicely with the vanilla. My partner throughly enjoyed his too, noting the rich flavours of the cherries that topped the panna cotta. He gave me a cherry and I scarfed it down. Bravo to the Chef, Rafe. The fact that hes from Capri mattered. You could taste the Italian authenticity with each bite. The Neapolitan undertones coupled with his culinary talents and passion made me feel like I enjoyed a meal in Italy ???????? Hats off and bravo And a wonderful thankyou to the hospitalty Gail showed us that evening. What a welcoming environment for a lovely relaxing dinner. We will definitely be back again soon and will gladly recommend to anyone seeking out an authentic Italian meal in the area.

Just ate at this beautiful restaurant! By far one of the best places I have ever been! Amazing food, lovely staff and an absolutely beautiful place.