Christmas at the Grape and Olive in Swansea

I have this funny thing with Christmas.  When I was at school we had this rule that we couldn’t play Christmas music on the coach until the 1st of December.  And I think that rule has sort of stuck with me.

So when all the Christmas things start appearing in November I fight it. I resist feeling Christmassy that early, but then I think I resist it so much that come late December I’m still not really feeling it!

So this year I’ve decided to just go with it.  Let it in.  Enjoy the Christmas vibe as early as I can!

So I was thrilled to be invited along to a bloggers event at the Grape and Olive in Swansea to sample their new festive menu.

I’d been to the Grape and Olive before, so knew I was in for a bit of treat.

The restaurant is in the marina, at the top of the Meridian tower, which is the tallest building in Wales.  It was just a shame that on the evening I went it was unbelievably misty, because the views from up there are stunning.  From one side of the restaurant you can see all of the marina, and out over the city centre.  And on the other side you have lovely views over Swansea bay and Mumbles.

Luckily for me they had made the mezzanine level where the event was held all lovely and Christmassy.

So as soon as I walked in and was handed a glass of Prosecco I started to feel festive, and forgot all about the mist and rain outside.

Ffion and Gavin who had organised the event had done a fab job of setting the scene for us, and gave us a great taste of what Christmas is going to be like at the Grape and Olive.  They had set up a table with crackers and candlelight so we could get an idea of what the restaurant will look like over the festive period.  How pretty is this?

I went to the event not knowing anyone, but was made to feel so welcome.  The atmosphere in the restaurant was very friendly and all the other bloggers I spoke to were absolutely lovely.

After we’d had a few minutes to enjoy a drink and a chat Ffion and Gavin told us a little bit about the venue, and about the festive menus that we would be tasting.  Then the food started to arrive.  It all looked amazing, and we couldn’t wait to get stuck in!

First, we were presented with a table of starter options.

My favourites were the warming cup of potato and leek soup, the beautiful smoked salmon soufflé with gruyere and spinach and the delicious bites of deep fried camembert.

To be fair though, every single starter I tasted was delicious.

Then it was on to the mains.

There is your traditional turkey on the menu, if you feel that Christmas just isn’t Christmas without turkey.  But there are several other options available if you fancy something different!

I sampled the roast fillet of hake, a sweet potato, squash and feta muffin and the beef wellington.  And, once again, it was all delicious.  I think if I was going to come here again during the festive period I might have to go for the hake, because it was just beautiful.  So full of flavour, and served with perfectly creamy mashed potatoes.

Then, after a little breather, we were on to desserts.

Having seen it, and even photographed it, I was a little gutted to miss out on tasting the chocolate orange fondant.  But I have it on good authority from Zoe at Nuggetstumpblog that it is amazing.

What I did taste though was the mulled berry bruleé with shortbread biscuits and a really moreish treacle tart, both of which were delicious.

I was honestly really impressed with the whole evening.  The atmosphere was lovely, and it was great to meet some more local bloggers.  And the food was just, well, yummy!  I thought the festive menus all looked really good, with lovely options to chose from.  I think there really is something to suit every taste on there.

So, if you’re looking for somewhere a bit special to go in Swansea this Christmastime, then you should definitely check out the Grape and Olive!