I tried a tasty Thai restaurant which is hidden in Leeds city centre

In Olive & Thai, you’ll often see dozens of diners smiling with glee as they indulge in delicious food alongside their friends and family. It’s an atmosphere defined by one thing: joy.

When we arrived at Olive & Thai on a busy Saturday afternoon, the only space for us to sit was just outside.

We didn’t mind this at all because this meant that we could people-watch the numerous interesting strangers who passed by and gave us great conversation starters. As well as this, it was the perfect spot to cool down after a warm afternoon of shopping in the city centre.

The first thing which caught our eye was the mixture of classic and imaginative options on the drinks menu. My plus one was particularly intrigued by the cocktails and went for the white sakura, a Japanese-inspired drink they said tasted creamy with a light floral undertone.

I meanwhile opted for the lavender soda mocktail, a purple mocktail that was fit for Pinterest as it was so pretty. With a sugary taste, this is the ideal drink if you have a sweet tooth, which luckily well-suited me.

As Thai food is one of the best cuisines for sharing, for our meal we decided to share some dishes between us.

Our largest plate was the pad see-ew which featured Thai rice noodles, chicken, mixed vegetables, and dark soy sauce. The savoury dish proved to be a great choice as it had a gentle yet delicious taste. The noodles were smooth and easy to enjoy while the chicken was a tender bonus treat.

The vegetables included carrots, green beans, and peppers, all of which were sweetly soaked in the sauce, meaning even though they were the healthiest part of the dish, they were a treat to eat.

We also wanted to try edamame beans which are lightly steamed soybeans sprinkled with sea salt. Naturally quite plain, they were a good side to reset our taste palettes. But they weren’t entirely flavourless, the sea salt added a subtle sharpness, and there was also a spicy sauce on the side to add an extra kick of flavour.

Finally, we chose the vegetable gyozas which were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, exactly how a great gyoza should be.

With five gyozas on the plate, we ran into the classic diner’s dilemma of how we could divide them equally because we enjoyed them so much we both were desperate to have the last bite. Though it led to a tough debate, this is the exact problem you want to have at a restaurant as you find food worth amicably fighting for.

Alongside our food and drinks, what stood out at Olive & Thai was the service. We had one main waitress and one or two others we encountered and even though we were sat outside of the restaurant, a spot that is easy to forget, they were always close at hand.

Every single one was kind to us and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about what they do. The food was fantastic but the brilliant service made our experience what it was.

When we arrived at Olive & Thai, we were utterly unsure what to expect. However, from the moment we walked inside we knew we’d made a great dining choice. This is a restaurant which makes you feel comfortable, with friendly service and a range of dishes to suit all tastebuds. Though we had never been before, we certainly will be back.

Factfile

Address: 16 Queens Arcade, Briggate, Leeds LS1 6LF

Telephone: 0113 244 9699

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 12-9pm, Sun 12-8:30pm

Website: https://oliveandthai.co.uk/

Scores

Food: 9/10

Atmosphere: 10/10

Service: 10/10

Value: 10/10