The Hidden Courtyard at The Olive Press

An outdoor fireplace, couches, blankets, fine food and wine all work together to create a cosy, intimate corner of Devonport at the recently opened Olive Press.

The discreet location, 2A Rattray Street, might be familiar to people who remember its former days as Los Incas, but since Mike and Belinda Williamson took over six months ago and refitted the restaurant as The Olive Press, it has become a new destination that is slowly being discovered by the locals.

The entire wall behind the bar is one big, backlit beautiful timber wine rack, reminiscent of the wine dens of southern Spain, which combined with the indoor fireplace, makes for a cosy warm atmosphere for winter dining.
Apart from the food and wine, what makes The Olive Press special is the intimate atmosphere of the courtyard, with all day sun on fine days and the fireplace, couches and big heavy rugs to keep the ladies warm in the evenings. “We really go out of our way to make it special, which is something our customers have noticed.”

The menu lies somewhere between casual and fine dining, serving the kind of sophisticated fare you would expect in this setting.

Popular entrees include goat’s cheese on crouton with Serrano ham, capers and melted tomato; and the ever-popular salt, pepper and garlic calamari.

Among the mains, the Angus eye fillet on gratinated potato tart with morel jus and the Prawn Ravioli with melted cherry tomato, rocket, basil oil & parmesan, are two favourites. There is also the whole boned quail stuffed with pine nuts and herbs on a lentil and chorizo cassoulet, or the pan fried fresh fish of the day, served on braised fennel with a passionfruit enhanced white wine and butter sauce.

The Olive Press is open from 5:00PM Tuesdays to Saturday for tapas, drinks and dinner and from 11:00AM Saturday and Sunday for lunch, coffee or an afternoon drink.

So next time you are heading out for a meal or a drink be sure to make The Olive Press your destination of choice.