Harden's survey result
Summary
Little changed over its 25 years in operation, Lawrence & Julia Murphy’s small, sweet bistro is a short walk up the main street from the waterfront in Emsworth, and occupies a 17th-century fisherman’s cottage. The motto under the logo is ‘Friendly Food, Tasty People’ and its accommodating service has always been a key feature, alongside well-priced, traditional-ish cuisine. For whatever reason, it failed to inspire the typical volume of feedback this year, but we’ve maintained its ratings from 2025 on the basis of its very consistent performance over more than two decades.
Summary
Lawrence & Julia Murphy’s stalwart (est. 2000) is “a great find tucked a short walk up from the quay in Emsworth”; while the fisherman’s cottage it inhabits is to some a “little unprepossessing from the outside”, inside it’s “a bit of a gem”, offering a “varied menu including great fish dishes” and “friendly service” to go with it.
Summary
“Satisfyingly simple and unpretentious” – the verdict on Lawrence & Julia Murphy’s long-running (est. 2000) and “rustic” venture in a cute, seventeenth-century fisherman’s cottage, on the road down to the quay; the “varied menu” features “plenty of fresh fish, beautifully prepared and served” and coming “at a reasonable price” to boot.
Summary
This “lovely little restaurant tucked away in Emsworth” – “just a stone’s throw from the water’s edge” and run by a “husband and wife team” – is “exactly what a local restaurant should aim to be”, serving “excellently prepared fish and meat dishes with great attention to flavour and detail”. Lawrence & Julia Murphy have built a loyal following over 23 years, so it’s “best to book a few weeks in advance”.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Fat Olives?
30 South St, Emsworth, PO10 7EH
Restaurant details
Fat Olives Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Charming on every level: location, service, atmosphere, with accurate cooking and excellent fresh fish."
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | £31.50 | £34.50 |  |
|
|
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Veggies | Pudding |
|---|---|---|---|
| £10.40 | £23.50 | £8.00 | £10.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £30.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.25 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 10.00% |
30 South St, Emsworth, PO10 7EH
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑1:45 pm, 6:45 pm‑08:45 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑1:45 pm, 6:45 pm‑08:45 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑1:45 pm, 6:45 pm‑08:45 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑1:45 pm, 6:45 pm‑08:45 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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