Fig & Olive

Excellent restaurant in Islington. I had the pork snitzel with mushroom sauce and potatoes and it was delicious. The staff are very friendly and attentive. It's nice atmosphere for group or date. But I saw a nice breakfast menu too. So will come again.

Friendly local restaurant, perfect for a casual lunch or when it's just too hot to cook dinner yourself. Followed our dietary requirements to a tee. Good value for money

Had the beef bourgignon. Was 9/10. Very reasonable prices in a cozy, Christmas-decorated, low lit and well situated restaurant

Had a lovely lunch here with friends. The portions were generous and the ingredients tasted really high quality. It's a contemporary take on French and Mediterranean fusion food! There are so many choices on their lunch and dinner menus and that keeps me coming back to try more as a customer. I highly recommend.

I was really pleased with the wide range of gluten-free and healthy options. Most of the dishes were fresh and well-balanced. It's definitely a great choice for anyone who is on a diet or mindful of what they eat. The staff were also very knowledgeable and helpful when it came to food intolerances.

We met up with friends at Fig and Olive for a very late lunch. Their lunch menu was available to order until 4pm, which worked well for us as we'd just come from an event. We arrived a bit earlier than our booked time, but the staff were fine about it and made us welcome. The food came promptly and was delicious. My husband's Sunday roast was especially good. There was a nice buzz about the place. Altogether a very good experience.

We visited as a large group, and I had the pan-fried sea bass, which was quite delicious. The venue itself is physically attractive and has a pleasant ambience. The drink service was fast, which was a nice touch. I didn’t try the desserts, so I can’t comment on those. One small note: the number of toilets (1 male and 1 female) felt insufficient, but this might have been due to the size of our group.

I booked a table for 6 late on a Sunday afternoon. Had not been before having researched restaurants in Islington. We had a great meal with tasty food, generous portions, fab puddings and helpful service. We particularly thought it was very good value for this location in London. Even at a relatively quiet time on a Sunday the atmosphere was good - although maybe we made that with 6 of us!

We love the desserts here. This year we had Christmas dinner here and it was amazing. The value was great and food was fantastic. The service is always lovely. Staff are warm and friendly.

What an unexpected find. Looking for a restaurant that does gluten free with my daughter and our original choice was shut, so decided to try the Fig and Olive. Great food, lovely laid back atmosphere and fantastic attentive and knowledgeable staff. Will definately come back. p.s. the canoli’s and cheescake was fantastic and the price overall at significantly less than £85 was a pleasant surprise. Highly recommended it

We visited on a whim for some breakfast after attending a gig the night before. My husband's big breakfast was devoured in minutes and my eggs florentine was perfectly cooked. Thank you, we'll definitely be back again if we're in the area.

We had our Christmas party here on 18/12/25. All 31 of us. Service was impeccable, staff were so helpful; food generously portioned and delicious. We loved it and are very thankful to all the staff and manager who could not have been more helpful, ensuring it was a super smooth process and wonderful time was had by all 👏🏼

Irem and her staff gave us exceptional service during our christmas meal last week! Good food (generous portions) and great atmosphere – highly recommended!

When visiting London from my home in Edinburgh, I often stay in Islington and after discovering Fig & Olive it's become my no. 1 choice for suppers. The food is invariably good -- beautifully cooked, fresh ingredients, simple and unfussy, but with imaginative combinations of flavours. And, very importantly, the service is great! An all-round good experience!

Love this restaurant! The food is amazing I’m here weekly with my best friend. Yamour is honestly lovely and does such a good job hosting us :)

I had a nice lunch here on a Sunday. We had the avacado and ham starter which was tasty. Good quality ingredients and a good size. The the mains had duck Provençal & fries and mussels with tagliatelle. The duck was nice and the sauce had a good flavour. I’d say the portion is a little on the large size (especially when in three course set menu). Too many chips for anyone. Both portions were generous. Keep that in mind. The food was very good though. Service was also very good. The server was friendly. Only downside and it’s a small gripe is that quite a few of the chairs have rips in. I had two in my eyeline. If people had been sat on them it wouldn’t have even been visible but when the rest of the decor is so nice it felt like they should reupholster them. Oh and the smoothies are a little pricey at over £6 but it’s probably normal for Islington. Don’t let that discourage or dissuade you from going though. It’s great.

The dessert and flat white were lovely, and the place itself has a really nice vibe. However, I went alone and wanted to use my laptop (I wouldn’t have stayed any longer than I already was), but the lady came over politely and said, (sorry, laptops aren’t allowed here) I was quite surprised, but of course, I respected her decision. still, it’s not ideal, they should really mention that on the door or on the google map!

I loved the chicken dish I ordered, the service was fast and portions are big 😅 you literally sweat eating in a good way. My friends found the pasta dishes a bit too big that needs more balance between the pasta and the toppings. But in general it was a good experience.

Much changed since we visited pre-covid. The food is much more a cafe style breakfast and lunch. Pan seared salmon was nice with creamed spinach, potatos and a pretty tasty salad. My partner had the pancakes which where more of a cross between a fritatta and a pancakes and were OK. It came when scrambled egg which was a bit on the overdone side, sausage was good and honey. Meal sizes were very big! So good price for size! For desert had a lemon merengue pie which was very good! All in all good for the price if you live close by.

Had dinner one day in Fif & Olive. Staff were so so friendly. Food was nice but not the best. I ordered seabass and was ok. came with mash potato. Be aware that fhe seabass is small portion. My friends had stuffed aubergine, was nice and delicious. Other one had steak and it was really nice.

We stopped to eat some cakes and they were lovely, specially the banoffee tart. Staff is very friendly and the place is lovely.

Nice modern European restaurant with good food and a nice dessert selection. Wine selection is rather limited but otherwise a good spot for dinner :) Especially loved the scallops with chorizo 😊

We came across this place while looking for somewhere to have desert after dinner. The lush looking display of cakes in the window drew us in. We both had a coffee and a cake. I had the lemon meringue and my friend had a banoffee pie. Both cakes and coffee were lovely. Lovely atmosphere inside and staff were really friendly.

Used to come here a lot when they had a very good deli and cake section at the front. Returned a couple of years later and disappointed with the service and food. Restaurant was quite empty yet it took 45 minutes after our starters to get our main courses The garlic bread looked like it had come from Iceland. The lobster tail in the tagliatelle was frozen not fresh which given the price was a cheek. My partner enjoyed his steak though and it was good although very expensive compared to other local places. We left dessert because we didn't want to spend any more money there and left for Ottolenghi across the road. Maybe a bad night but the service and food was disappointing on this occasion. There were other groups who seemed to enjoy themselves though.

Just had a coffee there one hour ago, it was really an unpleasant experience due to the service. Upon coming in, I ask the waitress if I could sit by the window, and she goes like “no, you can’t, no space “ which is so rude, normally a well-educated person would say “sorry we don’t have space there at the moment “, then I asked if I could sit outside, then she goes”of course “ with a very impatient tone as if she has a million business needs to rush. And it’s very uncomfortable and unpleasant to interact with her. My advice: if the company really wants to work on hospitality, please train staffs well, especially for people who work at front house, teach them at least being friendly and polite. The food and ambience is ok but feeling a bit overpriced, won’t come here again.

Went here for lunch and we both ordered paninis. They were okay, nothing special. We were charged an extra £3 for a few pieces of chicken in one panini. The other panini I was told would be made with gluten free sourdough, but it arrived in gluten free toast and it was soggy. The chips were undercooked and the salad was drowned in vinegar. Prices were very high too for what we received. Overall not very happy.

Mocha was good 5 🌟, however, service didn't reflect that of any good and inconsistent establishment. Firstly as expected for this place of town they would summarily dismissed suggestion of sitting inside according to their demographic analysis of their customers. Apparently the tables were booked, whilst after 30 minutes several were still vacant. Another couple with a buggy came along afterwards, they too were asked to carry on with their search down the street. We were sat outside, fully well knowing that it started to rain and one of their staff was taking in the (extra small) one table of three that they have outside. We thought of having a dessert and a hot drink as we made our way home after a meal earlier in a reputed restaurant, thinking Fig & Olive seems to be a good place as well that we can come to dine next time. The waitress said she will give a 50% discount if we order a cake (as we wondered we should receive that anyway since they registered for the 'eat out to help out' government scheme). We made it aware that we do not wish to have our slices of cake wet by the spluttering of rain whilst pointing we had expected to be sat inside (to which their recorded script went 'they're reserved....). After the mocha was served in delightful cups, we enjoyed the drink thinking it's a shame we weren't able to experience the interior of the place. Afterwards we were handed a full priced bill of over almost £6 for a standard sized cup of mocha. When queried regarding the government scheme 'eat out to help', their response was that we didn't buy food. Naturally I had pointed out they have registered for the scheme and other establishments offer the same discount, not to mention she herself earlier did confirm that she will give discount. Her response was a simple 'yes, only if you did buy the cake as well', knowing full well we wanted to (not that we had to) and that the rain was spitting on part of our table. My friend didn't wish to cause a scene and offered the full payment - knowing where to NOT VISIT next time. Recommendation: Vote with your feet not to step inside nor sit outside the premises of these pretentious places.

I wish I had read the reviews before coming here. This place is 100% mediocre. All the reviews here have replies by the management (I guess), but I question whether they actually act on the feedback. We wanted an early dinner before an event. I ordered the bavette steak and was told bluntly, by a gleeful waitress it was not on the menu. Nothing in her manner demonstrated she was sorry (on behalf of the restaurant) for the inconvenience. Then she stood there waiting for me to choose something else making me feel pressured and awkward, and I had to ask her to give me a minute. For the rest of our meal she continued with indifferent service, despite my best attempts to smile at her in the hope it would bring out some humanity. My Penne Arrabiata was exceptionally bland. No rich or sweet tomatoey goodness to be found. How is it even possible to make that dish so tasteless? They somehow managed. My partner's Boeuf Bourgignon was, in his words, passable, but lacking in any depth of flavour. The menu promised carrots and mushrooms but there was only one of each in what was essentially a big bowl of watery beef soup. The restaurant claims their prices match Upper Street prices, which is a euphemism for saying they won't improve the quality of food or service to justify the premium you pay, but they can get away with it because everyone charges the same around here.

Although we enjoyed our omelette and chips - this was a disappointing experience. The tea pots used for our English Breakfast and Earl Grey teas need reviewing. The pot lids were not secure and meant that tea poured out from the lid rather than just the sprout. We raised this concern with our waitress who told us there was nothing she could do. It was only when we asked to raise this with her manager that she then replaced my friends tea. I am raising this because I'm sure Fig and Olive want their customers to have a great experience and not end up being scalded by hot water. I hope the tea pots can be reviewed asap.

I haven't eaten her for 3 years. My previous experience of the restaurant was always good. However, I booked a table for my family today (14/6/25) to celebrate a special occasion. This restaurant has changed a great deal. Although to food was ok (not great), all but one of the staff were unfriendly and unhelpful. One waitress in particular was completely void of any pleasantries; she obviously didn't want to be there. This really dampened our experience and this was my last time eating here. I've had better service in fast food chains than I had here. You seem to be more interested in defending what you did do rather than hearing my points. Yes, we did change our numbers and yes, you did deal with the pork schnitzel situation very well. And yes, you did eventually deal with our request to move tables. Although this request did seem to be forgotten because I did have to remind you when another member of staff sat on the table you were preparing for us to eat their lunch. All of the the points you made are, in my opinion what I would expect as a basic level of service in any restaurant. My original point was about the complete lack of friendly service by all of your staff members apart from the male member of staff who was very helpful and attentive. So I suggest, before you respond to me, you take a look at the staff you employ at your restaurant.

Update to reply: With the number of food reviews I've done, I know my taste differences well. If something isn't fresh, I'll say it-but I won't knock a dish just because it's not to my personal preference. I've spent more than enough on desserts to appreciate quality, and I'm always happy to pay for premium. A review isn't about whether / like it-it's about whether it delivers on what it's meant to be. I decided to treat myself but was met with a wait that stretched beyond five minutes. A brief acknowledgment from staff would have helped manage expectations. I ordered two desserts—a chocolate-filled pastry and a slice of marble cake. Unfortunately, the pastry was far too crunchy, lacking the balance of softness and crispness I had anticipated. The chocolate filling was also underwhelming. The marble cake was similarly disappointing. While the inside was soft, the exterior was excessively hard—far beyond the texture I would expect. At £6.95 for a single slice, it simply didn’t feel worth it. I didn’t try the food, only desserts, and based on this experience, it’s clear that the pricing reflects the location rather than the quality. I’m happy to pay for a good dessert, but these weren’t worth the cost.

**Avoid this place at all costs.** This establishment engages in deceptive billing practices, serves watered-down juice, and employs unclear and misleading waitstaff who say one thing but do another when it comes to your bill. For example, we ordered a pancake for our child. The waiter suggested that the adult-sized pancake would be too large and recommended ordering from the kids' menu instead. We specifically asked for just the pancake, without the juice and ice cream, to save on costs, and the waiter agreed. However, we were charged for an adult-sized pancake, and the juice that was separately ordered for my daughter was billed separately as well. It's the waiter's responsibility to guide customers honestly, but this place is clearly more interested in taking advantage of customers with excuses. To top it off, the manager didn’t even bother to apologize or address our concerns. This level of service and dishonesty is unacceptable.

I ordered the scallops and chorizo, beef bourguignon and duck breast. The scallops were saltier than the chorizo, half the beef was so over cooked it tasted grainy, and the duck was so overcooked it was basically jerky. The sauces were delicious and the mash potatoes were amazing and fluffy. But I genuinely do not want to spend 50 pounds to eat any proteins here again.

Had seafood tagliatelle where the sauce was watery, pasta overcooked and didn’t taste seafood, that was worth nowhere near £20. One of my friends had pork cutlets that were undercooked.

Went for a special dinner as had visitors from out of town… oh what an awful experience and terrible mistake. The restaurant was empty, only one other table apart from our own and still the service was the lowest of the low. Asked for more bread and by confusion asked for 1 tray too many and then within a minute asked the waiter to just bring one more basket and was told not possible because the chef was already “cooking it”… ( the bread was a sliced baguette). When insisted to cancelled it, was told ok but will charge you anyway, then they brought the bread burnt! When raised this point to the manager she said “sometimes it’s how it comes”… absolutely diabolical service. From that point, all went as wrong as possibly can. No care, not coming to check if we wanted more drinks, nothing! It was like the waiter and manager made a point to disregard us even when it was on the business detriment. This was on a Wednesday night. No wonder there was no one else at the restaurant with such awful service. Feel Sorry for the restaurant owner but it’s crazy they are trusting his business to such an unfriendly, unprepared bunch. If you like to go there for a special time, avoid! You’ve been warned.

Terribly disappointing. Went for the lunch today. The waitress sat us at the table only to then ignore us for the next 25 mins (restaurant was pretty empty) food wasn’t great especially the tiny really burnt out sea bass that we had to return.

Coffee and cake. The waitress obviously had better things to do than serve me the atmosphere was like ice. Empty and cold I used to come here a while back but will now give it a wide berth.. maybe that's why it's always empty when I passby...

Been in her brunch this afternoon, been here a lot of times and never had any issues, well I was never served by the waitress I was today. She was RUDE not helpful in the slightest. First of all, there was an empty booth against a wall that we asked to sit it which she told me no it is reserved (the whole time we was there it remained empty) we asked so a toddler was not able to one get up and two so she didn't touch the mirrors. I asked for an additional cheese to be added to my breakfast, my mistake I said goats cheese thinking it was the cold white cheese that comes on the Mediterranean breakfast as I have ordered this every time I have been and never been served warm goats cheese that I was served today. When she brought it to the table I explain this was not what I wanted and explained again what it is I wanted pointing at my partner's plate to which she replied "but you ordered it"and no offer to change or even bring the correct item. When the bill came I asked for service charge to be removed,which she told me by law I have to pay it and twice putting the card machine in my face to pay it and that's it, I asked for the manager, instead of the manager coming over to speak to a customer she just removed the service charge from the bill. Again rude. I was supposed to get a desert with a kids meal I also ordered which I did not get. And then lastly when leaving she gave me a dirty look, absolutely atrocious from someone that is meant to be working customer facing, and not something I have ever experienced here.

Two friends and I went there. After sitting for 35-40 minutes, they took our unfinished plates away and literally kicked us out of the place. They didn't tell us we could only sit for a maximum of 35-40 minutes, then they told us this and literally kicked us out of the place. I don't recommend it.

Had cake and tea here today. The cake was nice, if a little sweet for my taste. But the waitress was very intent that I sit in the back of the restaurant, even though there were only a few customers in the front. This was odd because when another customer came in, she was seated in the (shaded) front part of the restaurant, even though she seemed to be having coffee too. I clearly wasn't young and fashionable enough for the front. The waitress wasn't pleased either when I asked for the table to cleaned. To be fair, the woman who served me was polite and friendly. Anyway, next time I'll spend my money where I am welcome to sit where I like.