From the beginning of great baked bread to olive oil & olives, it was a great treat/dinner. Our server Arel(sp) was attentive, but not annoying. Great food & presentation....only wish someone told me or emphasize that you have available parking behind restaurant....parking is tough in that area. Will definitely come back & recommend!!

They know their fish - a can’t miss! Staff very attentive and special. We were wondering how it would work out with COVID limitations but it did not disappoint. We felt safe with plenty of room between diners indoors. The stuffed calamari app was amazing and the fish entrees were cooked to perfection - which we have come to expect from this excellent restaurant.

This place has a great on-line introduction and explanation. It has a great menu on line. Little of it is true.
Service: The staff is young and very inexperienced. Enough said.
Wine List: We wonder if the owners don't actually drink alcohol? One of the 3 or 4 cocktails listed was a gin and tonic. I asked what gin they have, I was brought a drink and then shown a bottle I'd never seen before. Not good.
The menu is a little different from on line.
First the bread: They make their own "famous" sourdough which is grilled. We were served underbaked bread with pockets of gluey dough toward the center, not grilled.
We started with sardines wrapped in grape leaves and grilled. We've enjoyed this dish in Greece, Portugal and Italy and occasionally grill fresh sardines ourselves. These were inedible and I strongly suspect they were canned.
My husband ordered Octopus Salad, with "Pounded Octopus, grilled". Nope. It was a cut Octopus arm with tenticals, still good, but not the pricier Octopus steak that you pound and grill. He also ordered grilled scallops, served on an identical lettuce bed..these had been earlier pregrilled and warmed to plate.
I ordered a fresh fillet of halibut grilled. ALL fish dishes come with "Sweet Mashed Potatoes." aka mashed sweet potatoes and asparagus. Weird. The asparagus had not been trimmed at the bottom, so you had to do your work cutting around the woody end.
Greatest disappointment was the tableside fish filleting. You can order a whole fish which they will fillet tableside. Not entirely true. They will cook a whole fish, then the manager will try to spoon the column and pin bones out tableside...a lengthy process for him. While doing that, your little plate of sweet mashed potato sits on a tray to the side.
We ordered a mixed berry sorbet. The sorbet was an icy granita, fairly tasteless. More like a chunky snowcone than a sorbet.
Would not recommend, it's much more media hype than skilled cooking!

Incredible experience and such pride of ownership as one of last patrons got the history and tour including the wine cellar. Always checking if we needed anything or any questions but not intrusive ... dimitri was fantastic owner/host. Never got to order dinner as ordered from appetizers and share dishes and got a taste of multiple dishes. Presentation of food was equally good.

This is the best place to eat fish in town. Nothing fancy, it is prepared simply, just grilled to perfection. Grilled octopus salad is to die for.

Food was very good, but the service was not so good. We waited forever on a gin and tonic and were then told that the bartender was distracted. What kind of an excuse is that? We also had to inquire a couple of times about a few other items. Did I mention we were the only patrons there for a while? Inexcusable service.

The Black Olive is a phenomenal restaurant with a vast menu of Greek and Mediterranean dishes that are prepared to perfection. The service is impeccable and Demetrius is a friendly and gracious host.

We come here for both special occasions and at other times just because we love it so much and miss it!

Upon walking in, we were ignored by two wait staff… We waited a full five minutes before being acknowledged and taken to our seats. Our seats were far in the back, which is fine, I’m assuming due to Covid. We then had to wait for water… And I began timing how long we sat there before we work knowledged again. We were just about ready to leave, when someone brought us water and let us know someone will be back to take our order. Our food did come quickly… However a wait staff person never returned to refill our drinks… I had one glass of wine through an entire meal… Normally I can drink at least three glasses. We will not be returning. The service was very poor

Excellent flavor, everything we ordered came out hot and delicious. The red snapper and bronzino were phenomenal!

Owner was very nice and the staff was great! Service was very good overall. Owner filet/deboned the fish in our presence after it was cooked. Nice touch.

Cabernet - thought it should have been room temperature and not cold. Chilled would have been fine, not cold. Good portions.

Grilled Octopus Salad - Excellent
Bread- keep it to dip in salad along with the olives

Bronzni - good flavor
Snapper - good flavor, olive oil and I believe lemon juice or vinaigrette drizzle had a great flavor but it should be heated up before pouring on the fish. It made the fish cold on top. A solid 3 stars.

Should consider adding blinds in back room to block the outside porch area in winter. Looks a bit disheveled.

I would return for dinner, but not necessarily for special occasions. To be fair, getting by in COVID is tough so I’ll give 3.5 stars.

Lobster Bisque - Good flavor, but it was not thick enough

This restaurant was absolutely amazing. From the service to the decadent food. The owner was extremely welcoming and friendly. Everyone was very knowledgeable on the food as well as the wine. We had a very quiet table and could speak to each other with ease from across the table. My partner and I had a very romantic Valentine’s Day thanks to The Black Olive. We will most certainly be back to visit Dimitri and his incredible staff.

Horrible! Fish was not prepared well at all. Service was not attentive. Not going back.

Our appetizers, the shrimp and scallops were awesome. I had the Dover Sole and it was ok, not a lot of flavor, definitely overrated. My wife had the crab cakes and they were not good at all. No semblance of lump crab meat as stated. And they used some strong seasoning, not old bay, that left a bitter taste in your mouth. The service was excellent especially the bartender. I will get lamb chops next time.

Always an excellent meal. Highly recommend.

Demitri and the entire staff are an incredible joy. The food is fantastic, fresh, and wonderfully prepared. Thank you for making all of our experiences with you fabulous!! See you soon.

Our second visit in the past few weeks as early November weather was great. Excellent food and serviceonce again.

My husband was allowed to pick a bottle of wine from their extensive wine collection in the cellar. We had a great bottle of wine.

The dinner itself was delicious. The whole bronzino served with oil and herbs was enjoyable. However, we were disappointed in the desserts. The baklava was yummy. The carrot cake and flourless chocolate cake were not worth eating.

We were seated at a table right next to where cars pull up for their to go orders for the restaurant. Multiple times we had flashing car lights on our faces while we dined.

If the restaurant reconfigured the outside area to protect diners from pick up orders and they added lights and a heater we would go back. Just order the baklava for dessert!

The fish at Black Olive is the best I know of in Baltimore. We love the Mezzes as well

What happened! After reading reviews, we were so excited to have a special dinner at the Black Olive. Though the food WAS good, the service and ambiance were truly lacking. We were seated in a backroom at a round table for five or six - we were a couple, next to the kitchen. The waiter was unresponsive and not helpful in making selections from the menu. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed in our experience and certainly did not get the value for our money.

Amazing food and service. The oysters were delicious, and the fish was so fresh and tasty!

Great meal for our anniversary. Sat inside due to a little rain outside and the place smelled of wonderful roasted garlic. We ordered the cheese grape leaves, village pie, and octopus salad for appetizers - all delicious and good size portions - especially the octopus salad. For dinner, we had the chicken souvlaki and lobster pasta - both delicious. Attentive wait staff - we’ll be back!

Great food and staff, the sourdough bread is the BEST as well as the humus. Besides entrees, there are enough small plate dishes to make the dinner a discovery.

First time eating here. I think they are new to operating under COVID, so take the review with a grain of salt.

Bottom Line: Good Food (esp the Octopus Salad), terrible service / dining experience. Would recommend to check out if they were open for Lunch and you had over an hour to kill.

The Good:
The Food - Everything was good, the octopus salad was amazing. The only complaint about the food is the presentation. Tzatziki was scooped onto a plate. Anything in a bowl was in a cheap white, ceramic bowl. Eating out is entertainment.(My wife and I cook and enjoy cooking, so when we go out, it for "fun") So I expect things to look, well, appetizing. Nothing served was "inspired."

The Bad:
Service - 10 mins until waiter showed up. Another 25 mins until our drinks showed up (with the "one plates"). 35 min after that until our entree showed up. Yes, from sitting down, to entree: 70 mins. From sitting down until first drink: 35 mins. I don't know if it was a not knowing how to deal with COVID or what, but, wife and I spent a lot of time staring at each other! lol

Experience - Set up on the street and made as charming as possible with a linen tent set-up overhead. Now, of course the restaurant cannot control who comes down the street, but after the third car came down, with a modified glasspack and / or blaring music. Kinda ruins the charm. Secondly, as soon as dusk hit, spent the rest of the night swatting off nats and shooing away flies from table and food (something they can control, not a lot of vegetation around).

In the End:
Seemed like a neighborhood restaurant as everyone seemed to know each other. If I was a local and ate there often pre-COVID, I might be a regular too and deal with the current (?) negatives (for the Octopus Salad alone). But, not worth a trip to the city to go there.

We celebrated a lovely anniversary dinner at Black Olive outside. It was our first outdoor restaurant experience since the pandemic and overall it felt safe and relatively "normal." Black Olive has about 8 outdoor tables which felt intimate and it is on a side road in Fells Point so not as noisy as Broadway or Thames Street. We both had very nice martinis. The stuffed calamari and saganaki as appetizers were delicious. We had the rockfish and filleted mediterranean sea bass for main courses that were fresh and flavorful. We were too full for dessert. Overall, a great experience.

Black Olive is always nice. Great food. Simple and fresh ingredients!

Group of women were drunk next to us and very loud. No music played and we had to shout across the table just to have a conversation. We were celebrating my Wife’s Birthday and I was hoping I would give her a great experience and ambiance but the noise level was just impossible to have a decent conversation. I left wirh a headache and unfortunately they could not seat somewhere else because only 3 tables were open.

They did a lovely job of social distancing outside. The food was terrific as always. Delighted to support local restaurants.

Have beautifully adapted to covid-19 by having 6 intimate tables on the sidewalk - well spaced from each other. Had a wonderful, relaxing, delicious dinner on this quiet side street just steps from bustling Thames Street. Shared starters among the six of us. And then three of us had the bronzini, one the rock fish, and one the stuffed grilled octopus. and the remaining one - the six year old - was generously accommodated with a dish of pasta that was not on the menu. All were winners. The owner Dimitris came out to expertly filet the bronzini, and suggested a very smooth tsipouro as an after dinner drink. Some of the wait staff are still new, and there was no bartender the night we were there. But neither was an impediment to a delicious dinner and a delightful evening.

They have a nice outdoor set up and when it began to lightly rain, offered us a very private table inside. The red snapper was delicious, the tomatoes in the Greek salad very fresh and ripe and my husband loved his lobster pasta. All in all a very pleasant evening.

I have been venturing to and enjoying this spot for more than 16 years. The food is great, the owners are great and the time is enjoyable. #HowDaBanksesLive

Great outdoor area set up. Just ordered a bunch of small plates and everything was fantastic. The owner was very knowledgeable about Greek wine and gave us some great recommendations!

The Black Olive is delicious. Great menu, great wine list, and great service. 10/10.

There is no better Greek food to be had in Baltimore !! Simply delicious!! The ambiance, the service are delightful!! The place is a true gem!!

The food was amazing and they have a great set up outside!

Very nice outdoor setup on the street. Limited drink options at the moment
(understandable) and very good food. Pricey, but not outrageous.

Glad we were able to support this great place and try it it out. Yummy!!

It was perfect. Wonderful service and food was outstanding

This was our 1st visit to The Black Olive and overall, it was a very pleasant dining experience. This highly-rated restaurant was sparsely populated when we arrived at 8:15 last Sat. night, which we were told was due to the recent Coronavirus concerns in MD. For that reason, I can't accurately assess and rate the noise level. Our service was excellent, as was the food. In particular, our seafood entrees (grilled snapper and grilled black sea bass) were phenomenal, with very generously-sized portions. The cozy ambiance of the restaurant was very nice, however I have reduced my rating in that category to just 3 stars because of the EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE dining chairs. Mind you, I tried out a few, as did the members of the dinner party next to us, who voiced the same complaint. The springs on the seats of these chairs were way beyond their shelf lives, and negatively impacted my dining experience, as I couldn't get comfortable and my back ached throughout my meal. In my opinion, this is unacceptable for such an upscale restaurant. We plan on returning to The Black Olive in the future, and highly recommend it, but only after the chairs have been replaced.

Good service and excellent wine!

Our server Darryl was great. He made some great recommendations.