A new restaurant promising Mediterranean and British cuisine with a Brazilian twist has opened in Darlington.
Olive Restaurant Bar and Grill has welcomed customers to the 119 Victoria Road venue. Owner and chef Edinei Oliveira is hoping to create a welcoming venue where diners can enjoy Mediterranean and British dishes alongside Brazilian themed evenings.
Mr Oliveira, 41, who is originally from Brazil and now lives in Darlington, has worked in hospitality since he was 18. He began in kitchens as a pot washer before working his way up to become a head chef and manager.
Olive Restaurant Bar and Grill
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He said: “I’ve been in hospitality for a very long time, and it was always my dream to have my own restaurant where I’m a chef.
“What I want is for every customer who comes here to feel familiar with the place. I want it to be a friendly environment. When you work in hospitality, that is your goal, you want people to feel looked after.”
Olive Restaurant Bar and Grill
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Mr Oliveira worked in restaurants in London before moving to Wakefield, where he joined Brazilian steakhouse chain Estabulo during its early days.
He spent 11 years with the company, working as head chef and manager, and helped to open its Darlington restaurant.
However, he said he wanted to move away from the all you can eat restaurant model and return to cooking individual dishes for customers.
Olive Restaurant Bar and Grill
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He said: “I always liked to cook à la carte meals and bring them to the table. That is what I enjoy, cooking a dish properly, serving it to someone and seeing that they are happy with it.
“I love cooking. I feel very happy when I see a plate come back to the kitchen empty, and when people say ‘well done’ to the chefs. It gives you the feeling that you have done your job properly.”
The restaurant’s menu includes steaks, risotto, confit duck, lamb tagine, pan roasted sea bass, grilled chicken and Sunday roasts.
Olive Restaurant Bar and Grill
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There is also a Brazilian inspired 18oz picanha steak, served with fries, rice, garlic bread and peppercorn sauce, as well as a tomahawk steak deal with a bottle of wine.
Mr Oliveira said Olive’s main focus is Mediterranean and British cuisine, but he also wants to share food and music from his Brazilian heritage through regular Brazilian nights.
He said: “Not many people know this, but there are now more than 200 Brazilians in Darlington. For Brazilian nights, we have live Brazilian music and people can eat, dance, talk to each other and make friends.
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“That is how it works in Brazil. It is about community as much as food and I can’t wait to bring that to Darlington.”
The restaurant is planning Thursday steak nights, with live music planned, while Mr Oliveira said he wants the venue to appeal to people of all ages.
Olive Restaurant Bar and Grill
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He added: “I want to create more than just a restaurant. I want it to have a nice vibe, somewhere people can come for good food, good service and music, with a relaxed atmosphere.”
The opening of Olive is just part of the new food offering at 119 Victoria Road.
Lily B’s Café and Bar is also set to open at Hotel 119, next to the restaurant. The café will be open to members of the public as well as hotel guests, with Mr Oliveira set to provide the food.
Olive Restaurant Bar and Grill
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Hotel 119 owner Gary Rawlinson, 71, from Darlington, said the café will offer English food with a Brazilian twist.
He said: “It’s going to be an independent venue. It’s going to be English with a Brazilian twist, and Edinei who’s running it is incredibly experienced in this kind of catering.
Olive Restaurant Bar and Grill
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“We’re really looking forward to this opening, and it’s a great asset to the hotel as well, that the restaurant can now provide food.
“There will soon be breakfasts and evening meals, and I think it’s really, really great for the area, especially with the railway development which has just been completed on the station.”
Olive Restaurant Bar and Grill is open from 4pm from Tuesday to Friday and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. It is closed on Mondays.