The Olive Tree Tapas & Wine Bar

The Olive Tree Tapas & Wine Bar is proving to be a hugely popular new addition to Waterford’s dining scene.
Offering authentic tapas, The Mall venue is offering a different dining experience in the city.
Owner Trevor Prendergast said the response has so far been fantastic.
“We have already seen a huge amount of regulars coming back since our opening. We’re in the Viking Triangle surrounded by the Theatre Royal, Waterford Crystal, the Reginald. It’s the perfect location,” he said.
“We want to create a place where we know you, you become a friend to us, we welcome you at the door, take you to your seat, and you will be assigned someone to look after you for the night. They will be at your service for the night and you get to know the person serving you as they talk you through the different dishes.”
He added: “We have created a relaxed atmosphere where you can try out a different way of eating.”
Local man Trevor comes from a catering background and has previously worked at Dooley’s Hotel, The Wine Vault and the Park Hotel, Dungarvan.
“A lot of food is imported from Spain but we also deal with many local suppliers,” he explained.
“Our fish comes in from Dunmore East and our fresh veg is delivered each morning. The feedback on our fish has been second to none.”
He continued: “We are very varied in terms of what we offer. We offer authentic Spanish meats, chicken wings, meatballs, beef skewers, mussels, fried potatoes, calamari etc.”
He believes the Olive Tree is the perfect venue for group nights out.
“For large parties, we offer a relaxed night with lots of picking and choosing from different tasting plates,” he said.
As there was previously no dedicated tapas bar in the city, Trevor said he saw an opening for such a venture.
“There is a demand for something different in Waterford. There are some phenomenal restaurants here but we felt we could give a slightly different edge by providing something that’s currently not there. We then hope to draw from our experience and further develop based on our feedback,” he said.
He added: “Waterford should be leading the way here. We have unbelievable talent in terms of our chefs and those in the hospitality industry.”
The Olive Tree has a staff of 12 in total and the head chef is Mark Lanigan.
“He spent some time in Spain and has learnt the Spanish way of cooking. He speaks fluent Spanish,” explained Trevor.
“He is passionate and enthusiastic about getting the menu right and getting the right balance between Spanish dishes and some ‘safe’ dishes. Every plate he works on gets the same attention as the previous plate.”
An extensive wine menu is also on offer.
A dedicated lunch menu will be introduced shortly.
“We want local people to come in and support us and become our fans. We want to develop ‘fans’. That’s very much part of our brand,” said Trevor.
For more information, find the Olive Tree Tapas & Wine Bar on Facebook.