Old-school Mediterranean food at local favourite Olive

As Canberra's restaurant scene has matured over the past decade we have seen plenty of innovation, some sustainable some not. Hot spots have come, some have stayed, but across the board there are simply more, better places to eat, and a good mix of price and formality options.

But we are still a bit short of durable local restaurants that are familiar, friendly, fun and affordable.

Olive at Mawson has been bucking that trend for a while now. The Yianoulakis family ran the Trattoria at the Hellenic Club in Woden for many years so they have runs in the board when it comes to crowd pleasing. Now they have bedded down Olive in Mawson, they have opened in Hawker for northside fans.

The hubbub can be heard from the door of the long narrow restaurant, just down from the nut shop and halal grocer at the centre of the Mawson shops, as we approach for an early dinner on a recent Friday night.

Families with little ones and teens are wolfing down pizzas while mature couples are welcomed by name as they consider the wine list. It is clear the place embraces one and all, and has cemented its place with locals.

Staff clearly know their job and love it, seat us quickly, and come back with good suggestions when one of our choices runs out.

Serves are generous, so we start with deep-fried olives ($9) and a half dozen oysters mornay ($18.50). An even crumb coating encases green olives of moderate quality, giving a pleasing if not spectacular result. But as salty beer snacks go these are great. The oysters are covered in a mornay sauce, but the dish is a little overdone. House-baked focaccia ($6) is terrific, especially with roasted garlic dip.

There is a solid emphasis on moderately priced fish and seafood dishes. A trout dish will have to wait for another visit, but this time we order the seafood spaghetti ($29), slow-cooked lamb shoulder ($32) and a bowl of mussels in red sauce ($29).

The lamb is enough to feed at least two. The flavoursome, fall apart meat, has a little too much fat remaining, but is great with potato wedges and greens.

Wirra Wirra Mrs Wrigley rosé ($9) is lovely with the food, and a nice reminder of summer just gone. Local wines take their place alongside others on this decent, moderately priced list with plenty of by-the-glass options.

Black mussels are simply cooked in tomato – with plenty of mopping up, again with the great bread – to capture the sauce and flavours. The mussels themselves are a few clicks short of ultimately plump and glossy, but good nonetheless. A briny sweet/salty seafood flavour runs all the way though this pasta, exactly as it should, and the mix of seafood is again plentiful, but not spectacular.

To finish, creme brulee has a pleasantly candied toffee top, and is sweet and creamy inside. A little fridge-coolness remains and the texture lacks the smooth-as-silk element this dessert has at its best.

As we finish up young couples are lining up to take our spot, while others are settling in for port and coffee.

Olive is terrific local eatery, with is exactly what it is striving to be.