Olive Tree

We go to Zante every year and the meals in the Olive tree are a highlight.The atmospere is always pleasant and the food is fantastic.Lakis and his staff have made the Olive tree the best place to eat in Tsilivi.

We love the place. Checkout Lakis' web site at www.olivetreetaverna.com and see for yourselves, its well worth a visit.

The Olive Tree is by far the nicest restaurant in Tsilivi - my friend Natasha & I went there 3 times in one week in the end, as most of the other restaurants are too commercialised, very English, very ungreek, and lacked character. The Olive Tree is the oldest restaurant in Tsilivi and has managed to maintain its 'Greekness' - and looks the cosiest and most inviting. We were made very welcome by Lakis and enjoyed his company, and the food was very good. We ate at other restaurants and were disappointed, but not at the Olive Tree - we especially enjoyed our Tsatziki & Houmous! Many thanks!

First vist to the Olive Tree, 2nd visit to Tsilivi ... will be going again the Beef Stifado excellent. WILL be going again next year.

We ate here on our first and last nights. We had an assortment of dishes (Beefsteak,Lamb,Chicken and Cheese) all of which we thoroughly enjoyed.The service was warm and welcoming.Well worth its 10/10 status.

Good food here, excellent service. Bit more expensive than most places but is worth a visit.

Just come back from Tsvilli and visited the Olive Tree one night and found it to be rather a disappointment. One of the starters was tomato and advocado salad. Very little advocado and a full plate of cut up tomato's covered in oil no imagination on the presentation and was to say the least bland. Also someone ordered the calamari and that was rubbery and chewy. The fillet steak was very thin and came up burnt to a cinder. Not impressed with the Olive Tree. The wine was expensive also.

And reg. this comment !

"( not every night, but several times per week)"

From what I remember from Maths classes, that works out about....lets see.....every night !!

Sorry, couldn't resist !

We thought this place looked nice, and on seeing the menu I didn't mind how much more expensive it was due to the fact it looked like it might be really nice.
Unfortunately, it wasn't all that. No free bread for starters, which I find amazing anywhere, but certainly somewhere that charges so much. Then when the food came, it was nice, but there wasn't enough of it.
I wouldn't really recommend this place at all, a bit too stuck up for my tastes. I like a good meal when I pay through the nose.

The best place to eat by far, food and service excellent!

We visited the Olive Tree when we went to Tsilivi about 3 weeks ago. It was absolutely fantastic, great food, lovely people and Lakis is fab! All the staff make the effort and have the time of day for everyone. If are going to Tsilivi this year make sure you go to this restaurant as Lakis told me he is going to relocate next year as he feels Tsilivi may become like Lagana. I would recommend this place to everyone.

Every time I am in Tsilivi ( twice a year for the past 6 years), I make a point of eating at the Olive Tree ( not every night, but several times per week) The food is delicious, the staff are friendly, helpful and efficient. Lakis is a great guy and is able to tell you all about Tsilivi. Special mention to Julie, my Welsh friend ( and waitress) who always makes me feel very welcome. I usually holiday on my own and most of the staff stop for a chat and ask how you are. It's certainly worth a visit.

We (the wife and I) have been to Tsivilis 23 times, (24 coming up)the OliveTree was one of the first Tavernas we tried, Dianna & Lakis (and Alexi)have made us part of the familly since over the years since that time. The food is excellent along with the service.
We have seen staff at the "O Tree" who moved on to their own businesses and every year they are replaced with another generation of the most courtious people you could wish to meet. We strongly recomend the "O Tree" to everybody visiting the Island!!

Superb food and make sure you say Hi to Lakis as he is the most friendly and helpful guy you are likely to meet!!

I first visited the Olive Tree way back in 1990 when I used to be a holiday rep in Tsilivi - when Tsilivi really was a village. It was my favourite place then, and I decided to give it a visit 13 years on, just to see if it was as good as I had remembered.

Well I wasn't disappointed. We were a party of 5 and had a fabulous meal, courtesy of Lakis the chef and owner. The food was amazing (try any of the steaks or the seafood lasagne and you won't be disappointed). As for the service, well, it could not be faulted. This is the longest established taverna in Tsilivi, and after dining there, we were left in no doubt as to why. First class all the way!! Especially when you consider we were with my ultra fussy in-laws who are in their 70s and not very adventurous with their meals.

We were staying in the hotel Caravel on half board, but it was worth it to us to forego our (paid for) evening meal for the sheer authentic Greek experience we were treated to.

Keep doing what you're doing guys, don't ever change, because as the old saying goes, if it aint broke, dont fix it. Thanks so so much for making us feel like VIPs for the evening.

Best wishes

Andy and Chris

A beautifuly cooked meal at a good price.Friendly people and a pleasant atmosphere.

This was our favourite place to eat. As traditional as we found (too many others cater for what they think 'The Brits' want)
Ask the staff what they recommend and you will not be disappointed. The service is excellent and you are never rushed. AND there is Greek music in the background (unlike many others)

I had hoped on reading the reviews that there might be another Olive Tree as the one we visited certainly didn't merit such high marks as the ones here. We arrived at the restaurant and were recommended the special chicken by the waiter and our daughter ordered a childs kebab from the childrens menu. Less than 5 minutes later our meals arrived, and although perfectly edible it was obvious they had been cooked earlier and reheated/kept warm until ordered. The childs kebab was also extremely tough. In all this is the only restaurant that I wouldn't recommend based on our experience, but if you do go then please don't order a special meal order something that you fell stands a chance of having to be prepared for you not just pulled out of the oven when required.

The Olive Tree Taverna is a "Must" for all visitors to Tsilivi. Our group of 7 all had the Baked Cod Special, cooked with onions, various herbs and tomato (to keep it moist), and was the most mouth watering fish dish I have ever tasted. The "House White" kept us all very happy too.The welcome Lakis and his staff gave just made us feel like part of his family. A compleat restaurateur.
Good luck in his new venture too. 2004 will see an out-of-town authentic restaurant opening with transfers provided also.
We'll be back.

The Olive Tree was our favourite place to eat. Only discovered late in the holiday, but still ate there 3 times! The staff were absolutely lovely Lakis has a good team with Yannis, Paula, Greg etc... A definite must if you want to spoil yourself with traditional Greek quizine.

after 17 years and more than 1 visit a year the food must be good
if you want a drink when in zante town try the micro cafe

Authentic Greek cooking - good prices - lovely food.

Great Restaurant, right in the heart of Tsilivi. Laki is a great chief and a top guy and has made us welcome for the last ten years. Great house wine (Ronseal - does exactly what it says on the tin!) The menu is superb and the quality is excellent, even inspired me to get my pinny on and try a few local dishes!! See you in feb 03, June 03 and Aug 03. Hope your new bar in Zante is just as succesful as the Olive Tree. Lots of love Andrew (Malacka), Ralph, Julie, Karen and the kids.

im getting married in tsilivi next year and theres 35 people attending im just wondering if you cater for partys , im trying to find a restaurant that is very greek non of that egg and chip stuff

Although it was the last week of the season, we found the food and service very disappointing. Of all the places we eat during the week, this was the worst we found

My daughter and myself ate at the olive tree 8 out of our fourteen night stay and we were never disappointed with the quality of the food or the helpfullness of the staff which were both excellent. My daughter especially enjoyed the Spaghetti Bolognaise.

Can reccommend the salmon mousse!

We went here on the recommendation of our apartment neighbour. They were right, the food is excellent. Beef stifado comes VERY highly recommended!!!! Bit more pricey than your average restaurant but worth it. Would have gone back again and again but like to try different places.

HAPPY 4oth BIRTHDAY LAKIS - SEE YOU IN OCTOBER FROM DENIS & MAUREEN

Very Greek - lovely staff, great food, good prices, well worth a visit - watch Tsilivi go by !

I think me and my family must of liked it some cos we went there five nights of our one week holiday. OK, person behind the bar, (male duh) bloody gorgeous, lushest person me and my sister have ever seen in real life lol. Total eye candy. check him out. foods gorg too, I have chicken fillet every night and my sis had mainly bolegnaise, but both were nice ( and the swordfish is yummy). Love The O'Briens

Brilliant staff. Lakis runs a tight ship. Food authentic Greek. Steaks are brilliant. This was the original taverna in the village xxx years ago. Looking forward to eating there again in October.

i dunno wot it woz like but my friend catherine went and she liked it very much!! HELLO CAT

Very nice restaurent, excellent food.Looking forward to coming out in June.

The best restaurant in Tsilivi and we have never had a bad meal there in six years. Lakkis always pleased to us every year.

Good Greek food and service Special thanks to Yannis & Paula for looking after us. Get there early because it was full everynight, What does that tell you?

This was my favourite but the rest of my party did'nt think so, everythink my wife asked for they never had (well 2 starter's & 3 meals) Bieng a lover of Jack Daniels I got the steak with J.D. could,nt say I noticed the jack plus you dont get a choice of potatoe (they must of chipped them all the beginning of the night) Nice looking place though.

We liked it very much. One of the best meals we had there. Lots of locals in there as well tells you something. Worth a visit.

went here for a celebration meal - food was good, not pricey but felt the veggie choice was limited.

What a size of steak in this place. It was that big you could have surfed on it??? Excellent meal here in very nice surrounding

The hummus is the best I've ever tasted. Quite good for veggie options too

From the roadside it does not look very appealing.Older and not so flashy as the others .Space is at a premium but the staff are friendly and the food was great.More Greek than most.

A bad meal. Food wasn't up to scratch. Looks better from the roadside....

Why do people rave about this place? There is better you know.

very good try the pork steak it is huge

we have been to tsilivi 6 times and we eat at the olive tree at leaast 3 times in a 14 day holiday always find steak best buy

I simply do not know how people can rave about this restaurant. It is OK, but within Tsilivi there are much better.

We went on recommendation and i must say its was my least favorite place and we went to 7 different places in the week! Go to Ariadne - much better.

We eat here twice (15 of us the first time 21 the second, big family) Both times the food was excellent and the service very good.

Good food at a good price and very child friendly. Welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.

Having been to Tsilivi for 13 years now - we wouldn't eat anywhere else! The staff and especially the owners Diana and Lakis go out of their way to make sure you have a great time.

the best Restaurant in Tsilivi . Food,service and menu excellant