Recommends

amelieburmese

Joined 5 years ago

Best Carpaccio in the city. We had planned to eat at Tangerino. What a mess that place is. We left after dismayed with our cold food, 2 oz 15 dollar martinis, and overall frighteningly inauthentic interior,and went to Olives. The friendly and fast bartenders, MAtt and Jon, were very accomodating. The beef Carpaccio was the best I've ever had. Olives (and Mistral) are testament to not only great food but also VALUE. Hope to be back soon

Recommends

cdmnj

Joined 6 years ago

Great overall dining experience!. We had a memorable dinner at Olives! The food was perfectly prepared and the waitstaff efficient but unobtrusive. From start to finish (we were there for restuarant week), everyone had a perfectly executed meal. We enjoyed the mix of locals/business profs who seemed to frequent the place, making us feel right at home.

Doesn't Recommend

rar1206

Joined 5 years ago

Not what it used to be.... Went out of my way to have dinner at Olive's during a quick trip to Boston from NY. It wasn't worth it. The brick chicken was on the dry side and tasteless. (I specifically ordered it because it was lauded in restaurant reviews.) No one asked why I left 3/4 of it on my plate. Boston lettuce salad was mediocre - certainly not worth $11. For prices this high I expected something better. And especially since my memories of Olives were based on incredibly tasty dishes like polenta with tomato porcini ragout that i had 10 years ago. Needless to say I won't be going back. Not worth it and not likely to try other Olive's.

Recommends

angelalamb

Joined 6 years ago

wonderful food, beautiful service. I went to Olives tonight for my anniversary. Everyone from the wait staff to the kitchen staff was so incredibly friendly that i would highly reccomend this place to anyone! Our waitress (alexandria) was amazing and everything was so delicious. Try the scallops or the duck! Both amazing entrees, and who could live withought oysters! D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S

Recommends

acedogwalker

Joined 6 years ago

Excellent Chestnut Raviolis. The last reviewer mentioned the service was poor, however we had great service. Mojitos were sweet, sangria was perfect with a strong brandy, wine and cherry taste....hmmm. My mate enjoyed the vension medium rear (as requested my our servicer) to die for. I had the chicken with grilled mashed potatoes and green beans. It was a simple dish but packed full favor, I was quite happy ! BTW: this dish comes with about a half chicken. I love coming to Charlestown rather than other parts of Boston, you can park on the street after 8 PM for free! Bonus..........

Recommends

marmite99

Joined 6 years ago

Poor service, great food. Just got back from an evening at Olive's. We had heard a lot of positive reviews on this well-known Boston restaurant. While the dishes were delicious, the experience was definitely brought down by the poor service. At such a place that prides itself on the fine dining experience, the value of service is so important to making a special night. Firstly, it took a long time to even get noticed by the waitress who finally came to the table to sullenly ask what we wanted to order. No greeting, welcoming, or introductions - she didn't even ask if we wanted drinks. Then, the wine we ordered came AFTER we had alread finished the appetizers. No one checked in during the meal to see how the food was or if there was anything else we needed. As for the food, it was tasty. The bread they give was a bit dry on the outside, like it had been sitting out for awhile. The cod cake appetizer was a wonderful blend of flavors and beautifully presented. The duck was also excellent and paired with a corn cake - the tastes blended together so well. And dessert was a rich chocolate cake - also presented artistically.

As you can tell, the food was definitely of high quality but the experience was really dappened by the poor service and the mediocre atmosphere that was created. We're not going back and wouldn't recommend it before several other fine boston restaurants that get it right from food to atmosphere and service.

Recommends

Eric Grossman

Joined 10 years ago

Celebrity pedigree and large portions of attention-grabbing American cuisine cement this Charlestown landmark's appeal among suits and sightseers alike.. The Scene
On those rare occasions when Todd English dons his whites to run the bustling open kitchen, out-of-towners and business-types ignore their food for a glimpse of the international culinary celebrity. Thanks to high ceilings and a jam-packed dining room layout, knowledgeable waiters have to shout out the specials most nights. Area professionals fill the chummy bar (better-lit and more upbeat than the dark-hued dining room) to sample the lengthy, pricey wine list.

The Food
English has done an excellent job training his chefs to execute his bold, Mediterranean-tinged creations. The exceptionally lengthy menu features something for everyone. Yellowtail tuna tartare makes a tongue-tingling appetizer. Among the many meat and fish dishes (prepared using a crackling wood grill), hearty swordfish steak comes to life thanks to a pistachio pesto sauce. Don't leave without trying rich desserts like a lemon-mandarin orange tart or gingerbread with pear puree.

Recommends

elind

Joined 7 years ago

Wonderful Dining experience. Recently went to Olives for dinner with friends. The service was excellent, attentive friendly and the food was divine. Overall I had a great meal - if you go you will not be dissappointed!

Recommends

hockiemack

Joined 7 years ago

Best Ceasar's Salad and that's about it.. I always think I'm a big fan of Todd English. The reality is that I'm a big fan of Figs and NONE of his other restaurants. The decor in Olives is as wonderful as all his other restaurants. The service was decent. We started with some excellent pinot noir. My date declared his Ceasar salad to be the best he's ever had. I had a bite and I am dying to know what I tasted in that dressing. We ordered half plates of a couple of the pastas. They too were great.

But then our entrees came. I spent more time cuttiing fat off my steakfrites than I spent eating any steak or any frites. My date's entree wasn't very pleasing either. The overall experience was pleasant, but the only overpriced food there worth your time is the Ceasar's salad.

Doesn't Recommend

somerville513

Joined 7 years ago

NOT WORTH IT. I've been dying to try Olives, so finally I went with a friend for dinner. Beware that valet is $15 and the meter maids are scouring the neighborhood looking to give out tickets. We had dinner reservations and were seated right away. The restaurant is very modern, but it is VERY loud and the tables are on top of each other. There is an open kitchen and the whole restaurant was very smokey for most of our meal. We had 2 appetizers, 2 dinners, 2 desserts and a bottle of wine and all of it was mediocre at best. Nothing special, nothing close to some of the amazing meals we have had at restaurants in the North End. With prices as high as they were, I would expect far better food than what we got....dry chicken and scallops, raviolis with a very light, plain sauce with no flavor whatsever....Overall, definitely not worth the money or your time when Boston has so much more to offer.