Review: Lemon & Olive

We had reasonably high hopes for Lemon and Olive, which is just a mere stone’s throw from Xintiandi. Unfortunately, beyond a killer location and a couple of fair items on the menu, it falls a little short.

Greek food is a Mediterranean highlight. A mix of zesty fresh salads, grilled meats, light bread and cheese make for a mouth-watering selection. Their extensive menu has plenty to offer in each category. It’s almost as if Lemon and Olive have too much on offer to be able to make each dish an accomplishment.

We kicked off with their Melizano Salata (RMB40), an eggplant dip served with warm mini pittas. Drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, the eggplant had just the right texture to create a pocket of smooth, robust flavors.

Less impressive was the haloumi salad (RMB90). Served with lightly grilled slices of the classic squeaky cheese, the rest of the salad was oddly warm and dominated by slightly bitter zucchini.

A duo of lamb chops doused in honey (RMB110) was a succulent and satisfyingly sweet affair. Similarly tender and with just the right level of flame treatment is a chicken souvlaki skewer (RMB68). Both, however, seemed a little pricey. An order of moussaka (RMB68) turned out quite bland, despite their earlier triumph with eggplant.

With a distillation of the menu and a couple of extra signs by the front of the lane, Lemon and Olive could be a go-to family restaurant in a booming area. We’ll be keeping an eye on how they develop.