Olive's

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 Pros: Bartenders Matt and Jon, food, wine Cons: wish it was open later more

Fantastic food owned by famed chef Todd English. Has plenty to offer on the menu with steak, duck and chicken among some of the dishes. Don't expec... more

Well done food & good wines. Steak, seafood, veal, and duck are all top choices. You get what you pay for here. more

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. Pros: Great food, wonderful service, extensive wine list more

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. more

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 Pros: beautiful service,amazing kitchen Cons: not a lot of parking more

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.......... Pros: Full favor food - Todd English :- more

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.\r \r 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. Pros: Food Cons: Service more

Well done food & good wines. Steak, seafood, veal, and duck are all top choices. You get what you pay for... more

Well done food & good wines. Steak, seafood, veal, and duck are all top choices. You get what you pay for here. more

Fantastic food owned by famed chef Todd English. Has plenty to offer on the menu with steak, duck and... more

Fantastic food owned by famed chef Todd English. Has plenty to offer on the menu with steak, duck and chicken among some of the dishes. Don't expec... more

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! Pros: Service, great for groups Cons: Cocktail sauce was a bit bland more

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. Pros: Salad, decor Cons: Everything else more

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. Pros: chocolate cake dessert Cons: food, parking more

Went after a long hiatus since I never could anticipate the months needed to make a reservation. Now I was able to get in within 24 hours... more so because the buzz has died down. The room is open and airy ... but NOISY. parking is a ripoff, but needed as there is no place to park even if you look around. The food is good , but does not live up to past meals there . Apps are better than main courses. The paella was good, but should have been made with an authenic spanish rice for the full effect and texture... also should have spent more time in the woodburning oven. The steak frites was overpriced , .... meat was average, ... and fries were cold and much too salty. This should be a simple mainstay of the menu, but it failed . Souffle is a must... Pros: room, souffle Cons: parking, so so food more

We went to Olives last year for our anniversary. Our experience with the restaurant started off on the wrong note when we opted for valet parking (middle of winter). The valet parked the car right in front of the restaurant door and promptly charged us 15$. The wait staff was stand-offish - may be thats their version of hoity toity service. We asked for a 50$ bottle of wine and instead of what was listed on the menu as a year 2000 wine, we get a 2001 wine. When questioned, we were told their menus have not been updated with not even a hint of an apology. Overall the ambience may be good but this left a very bad taste in the mouth. When you spend 200$ on a dinner, you atleast expect the restaurant to provide good service. Cons: Service, Parking more

My fiance, his mother and I went to Olives last Saturday night. I am very happy to report that Olives lived up to all the hype! The ambiance is wonderful. The escargot appetizer was delicious, served with thin toast, thinly sliced apples, and lots of garlic. The salads were tasty and ample. For dinner I had a cassoulet special with lentils, lamb and duck. So tasty! My fiance loved his pork tenderloin and especially loved the unique homemade pasta on top...kind of like gnocchi. His mother enjoyed the salmon. Portions were perfect! Dessert was to-die-for. We pre-ordered vanilla bean souffle and fallen chocolate cake. Definitely work endulging in. My one complaint would be the prices of appetizers and salads. Entrees were fairly priced. My fiance felt that he had to rein in our waitress too many times. Overall it was a wonderful experience and I would go back anytime! Pros: Great food, Valet, Ambiance Cons: Price of salads more

Used to go all the time, recently the food has been average - it used to be excellent. Not sure what happened, but it is also much easier to get in to these days. Must be a sinking ship. more

My date and I set promptly at the corner window table. Service was discreet and without long waits. The oyster app is to die for but a bit pricey at 16$. The yellofin tartare was excellent. We were not impressed with the salad (too much garlic for a date, btw), but the pastas and the main dish amply compensated and made this dinner fabulous. The chestnut agnolotti blew me away with their rich taste and beatiful presentation. The maine lobster pasta is the menu jackpot: there's a whole lobster! The short ribs fall off the bone and are matched with polpetti and lingua (don't tell your date that's cow tongue!). My date ordered the whole flounder: delicious but requires a bit of work (the waiter warned us). The vanilla soufle and the trilogy of citrus dessert sealed the deal. Will be back soon! Pros: Food, Food, Food Cons: Loud, Crowded more