Tonight, I had the pleasure of dining in Olivo Restaurant in the Cork Airport Hotel. It was my first time dining there and I, along with my family were incredibly impressed. The restaurant is located in the hotel and is only 10 minutes from Cork City centre with plenty of parking so it is incredibly convenient – particularly when travelling with children.
I went to the restaurant with my sister in law, Linda and 3 of my nephews. From the second you arrive at the hotel, it is very evident that the hotel is very much designed with families in mind. There is plenty of open space with games such as ping-pong, table hockey and pool. There is also a games room located next to the restaurant which really does keep children entertained if you want to have a pre dinner drink.
Once the children had an opportunity to experience the games room, we went through to the restaurant, Olivo. This Italian restaurant is incredibly rustic with beautiful mix of wood mixed with gorgeous leather. The ceilings are quite high and again, there is plenty of space which makes it an ideal family restaurant. But due to the fact that there is so much space, it is equally perfect for couples. The staff there assign their seating of guests really well which ensures maximum comfort for all guests. There were plenty of couples and older guests as well as families whilst we were there.
At Olivo, they do something that I have never seen in any other restaurant before. On Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm-6pm,the children can make their own pizza! So, once we were assigned our table, the children were brought to the chef counter at the top of the restaurant and began the exciting process of creating their own pizzas. They absolutely loved making their pizzas and the eldest nephew definitely put far more toppings on than usual and was more creative which was great to see. He has even asked if he can have his 7th birthday here in December with his school friends!
The staff at Olivo were all incredibly kind and really engaged with the children which was lovely to see.
Once they had their pizza’s made, we returned to our table and they were offered games for the table. We all opted for Connect 4 and even though the food arrived incredibly fast, we didn’t see any time passing as we were all so entertained. I even indulged in a glass of wine (it can be a challenge to have 1 while out with kids).
The menu at Olivo is fantastic. They have a gorgeous selection of salads, meats, fish, pasta and of course, pizza. I personally love Italian food and honestly, the food here was superb. Presentation of all dishes was of a very high standard with fresh ingredients and great flavour. The price point is exceptionally good – in fact, I would say that it is really good value – particularly for family dining.
It was a definite thumbs up from my nephews tonight as well as my sister in law and I. As a family, they dine out every Friday evening and Linda has said that, this fabulous restaurant will be one that they’ll definitely return to. It really does tick all of the boxes for a family with young children as they were entertained from start to finish. It is really accessible as it is only 5 minutes from the touch down roundabout. Great food menu, wine list and facilities. Our only complaint was that we weren’t staying for the night!
