I have lived in Sunbury for 5 years and up until 3 months ago could rely on the Olive Tree for a good quality meal, nice atmosphere and very friendly staff. THIS IS NO LONGER THE CASE.

Three months ago the restaurant was closed down whilst it was completely renovated. The renovations finished just before Christmas, which gave the wife and myself a chance to try the new Olive Tree.

Firstly, they have stripped away all traces of the original establishment, which had a great feel and lovely acoustics thanks to the glass atrium in the middle. The glass atrium has been all but covered, meaning you are now bombarded with sounds from all directions, no matter where you sit. The decor feels like a Casino, full of cheap imitation period furniture, hideous paintings and horrible dim lighting (thanks again to the missing glass atrium).

The menu is new, but upon closer inspection they seem to have grabbed all the less sophisticated choices from the original menu. I picked the smoked Salmon risotto and my Wife ordered the Chilli prawns. My risotto was ok, the Salmon was very salty and I did feel a little queasy 3 hours later. My wife's chilli prawns where very greasy to the point where she could only eat half the dish.

Before leaving we spoke to the staff about our terrible meal. They seemed genuinely concerned, reported our concerns to the chef and then came back and thanked us for the feedback. Hopefully other people will do this and the quality will improve.

Overall a very disappointing experience. The whole experience has changed for the worse and even if they make the much needed improvements on the meals, the atmosphere has been lost.

Approximate cost: $18