New Restaurant Oliver's Cafe Has Potential

It's always exciting when a new restaurant opens up in the neighborhood. , located where used to be, had its soft opening a few weeks ago.

The restaurant takes its name after the play, and the decor truly reflects that theme. Posters from the play can be found among the eccentric artwork, and small tiles depicting scenes from the play are found at each of the tables. The lighting is fairly dim; the colors are on the darker side, giving it a pub feel. Even the wait staff is dressed in pub style.

Oliver's Cafe is using its bar menu for lunch while the management works on the official menu. Pub food and comfort food can be found on the small menu.

When we sat down, the server was quick to inform that the Scotch Egg was not available. It was a slight disappointment, but at least it was pointed out in the beginning of the meal.

The food took awhile to arrive at the table. The server would update the status of the food from time to time, and when it arrived, she apologized once more for the lateness.

The Mussels and Frites ($12) was served in a large portion. The mussels were doused in a white wine sauce, which was tasty. The only drawback was the fries would soak up the sauce as the meal progressed.

The fries were homemade and it showed. Fresh fries are rare these days. It was nice to see.

Oliver's shows promise but has a few kinks to work on before the grand opening. The speed of service is probably the biggest issue.

Here’s hoping that these things are fixed soon because the restaurant truly has a unique atmosphere and would be a welcome addition to Redondo.