The Black Whale
The Black Whale things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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No exaggeration this may have been the best reataurant we have ever been to #theblackwhalenewbedford #newbedford #massachusetts #seafood #vacationmode #vacationeats #foodies #eatingout #seafooddinner #freshsushi #bestseafood
acouplewhoeats_acouplewhoeats_
72930
I had the opportunity to have dinner at The Black Whale again on Monday, January 24 2022. This was only my second visit and the prior visit was several years ago. The Black Whale is on the waterfront in New Bedford, near the ferry terminal. Parking is free. If you are lucky enough to get a table by the window, you will be rewarded with seeing fishing boats tied up at the docks. New Bedford is a working fishing port that brings in the most, in terms of value, seafood in the whole U.S., so expect fresh seafood at The Black Whale. The Black Whale has sushi, has a raw bar and of course serves seafood. If one is not a seafood person, they have steak and chicken. We were a group of seven. For appetizers, we ordered BOOM BOOM SHRIMP and TRUFFLED MUSHROOM FLATBREAD, along with one other appetizer. I am not a shellfish eater but the Boom Boom Shrimp was fantastic. The Mushroom Flatbread was very good too. The drinks that I sampled were the PAINKILLER, the FALL SANGRIA that had cinnamon sugar on the rim of the glass and the CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE REISLING. I can only comment on my entrée which was GRILLED NY STEAK that had green beans and mac and cheese gratin as its sides. The steak was just as I ordered with garlic butter as opposed to blue cheese butter. The mac and cheese was very good though I would have liked a bit more cheese. I also sampled two desserts—Crème Brulée and Caramel Apple Crisp. The apple crisp was topped with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream. Never tasted or heard of cinnamon ice cream before but it was absolutely great. The apple crisp was quite good too. I love Crème Brulée and flan and the Crème Brulée did not disappoint. I cannot leave out the service but unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of our server but she was great. She was a tall young lady who teaches elementary school during the day and works as a server in a restaurant in the evening. She was very helpful, pleasant and amiable. Our group was there to celebrate a birthday and the server really made the evening special. We also had the opportunity to meet one of the servers from the bar. Another great service person. Overall, everyone had a great time with incredible food, good drinks, good desserts and fantastic service. It was not inexpensive but well worth it. I will have to add The Black Whale to my list of terrific places to dine. I travel and eat out a bit and I am not one to give out a five-star review, if it is undeserved. I have recently given out a three-star review that was mostly because of the location (across from the beach), ambiance and entertainment because the food was not good. The Black Whale more than earned its review rating because of its location (great view of the docks on the waterfront), food, service and the beautiful dining room.
Wendell JonesWendell Jones
00
It was our first time in New Bedford and we were there just for couple nights welcoming 2025 in quite little town. We made a good choice there. This restaurant was fully booked for the New Year’s Eve but we were told to still come in and see if there are last minute cancellations. We could at least sit at the “FCFS” bar for dinner. We took our chances and showed up around 7:30 PM. The place was packed already and kind of started going toward the bar. Well, our hostess graciously surprised us with an immediate availability of a two-seat booth by the bar and showed us the way to it. It felt like a miracle! The real sensory fun and delight started after that with food and the smiling, laughing people all around us. Our server, Niara is worth mentioning here as she not only a professional but a very pleasant person to interact with. Our appetizers and the main entrees were right on time and well explained by her before hand. We, of course, had New England style clam chowder and later special sushi roll as appetizer. Later, we truly enjoyed our main courses (deliciously prepared red snapper and haddock as Chef’s specials for that night) accompanied by a nice bottle of wine (California Cab-Sav, yes, Red!). We also get to step out for few minutes to watch the city’s fireworks shot from a barge right in front of us in the water. It was spectacular. As we were wrapping up the night at the restaurant, Niara showed up with a complimentary desert for us that, let’s just say made us break dieting restrictions and proved to us that we still had some room left for a wonderful chocolate mousse cake to end the night just grand. If you are in the neighborhood of New Bedford, I recommend you try and enjoy Black Whale as we did immensely. Happy New 2025 All.
Koray N. SeyithanogluKoray N. Seyithanoglu
00
Came here after a friend's graduation ceremony from Dartmouth, and even though it was a cloudy and cold day, I enjoyed our late outdoor lunch. Ordered their Cranberry Cosmo mock-tail, and it was absolutely delicious. It had a sour finish, which I love. They brought out a complimentary starter of smoked salmon cream cheese with scallions and a seeded cracker, and it was the perfect way to start the dining experience. I was intrigued by the description of the Portuguese fisherman's stew, so I ordered that as an appetizer. It was too salty for me, and I couldn't taste the saffron in the broth--hence the loss of one star. I had the TBW burger as my main course, and the burger and fries were cooked very well. I will say the burger needed some acid and a sauce, so I asked for mustard and the house pickles, and added those to complete it. Everyone else in our group seemed to also enjoy their food. They all ordered seafood dishes. I also tried some of my friend's Shaggy Dog sushi roll, and oh my gosh, heavenly! Definitely get their sushi rolls. The desserts that other customers ordered also looked really delish, but we were too full this time. Definitely trying some next time! The manager/owner, Will, was also very nice and accommodating. We had made a reservation for 10 people, and ended up being 16. Definitely appreciated his flexibility in seating us promptly. The restroom was also very clean, and the decor, both inside and outside was modern and cute. Price wise, they are reasonable and within market range. The restaurant is situated next to the ships and dock in New Bedford, so it's a lovely spot for a New England dining experience. Will definitely be back for dessert and more sushi.
Maryam AttarpourMaryam Attarpour
00
Before we start let me say I TOTALLY recommend this place...and it's actually almost a 5 star but cannot do 4.5 here on Google. Location is great, staff is awesome everything was (almost) top notch so I'll just cut down to the two little things I didn't like hoping those will be corrected in the future. They need to keep up their own name. Oysters? Yes please and don't be cheap. Get at least a dozen so you can taste few different qualities. Ours were the best even tasted.Vote 10 I had a cod cooked in some sherry reduction with potatoes and spinach. Cod could have used a bit more of that "sherry reduction" since I've barely tasted it and potatoes were cooked at 50% probably a little less. The "core" was raw and it tasted pretty much like.....a potato. No condiments. Spinach on the other hand were fantastic. Creme brulee was true to its name and the espresso tasted great. For an Italian like me that IS important. Just one thing about the espresso...the "single" should not go over half of the cup, we received almost a full cup. Which is a double. The double I ordered, was in fact 4 espressos in a cappuccino cup. That's a lot even for someone like me. Sure enjoyable but if not used to it, it could keep you awake at night. Those were actually the only things I didn't enjoy 100%, everything else was outstanding, service included. I usually wouldn't mind but when you pay what we paid for lunch you really expect everything to be perfect. I don't review diners in the same way, so to speak. Anyway kudos to everyone for a great location and an outstanding menu. There are few things more on it I'd really like to try. I'll be back for sure.
Alex MorettiAlex Moretti
00
I had been hearing about this place for years, and after having recently moved back to the area, decided I had to try them out. I ordered the Baked Stuffed Sole (crab stuffing, lobster cream sauce, roasted potatoes, sautéed green beans). It was delicious! The flavors meshed well with each other and I savored each bite. Unlike other restaurants of this caliber, the size of the entree was quite large. The sole wasn’t the only thing stuffed. By the time I was done I was stuffed! Lol! Extra points for that. I also ordered two sangrias - one red and one watermelon. While delicious, I must say that I wished they were a little stronger. Service was very friendly and attentive. I sat at the bar and when the credit card machine was crapping out, the bartender was very apologetic and even comped me an extra drink. Very thoughtful and courteous. Of course, the ambiance of the place speaks for itself. Located right on a historic fishing wharf with numerous working fishing boats parked out front. They have a great outside patio for taking in the view and smelling the salt in the air. Real oceanfront dining. The Black Whale lived up to, and exceeded, all of the accolades I’ve ever heard about it. I’m definitely going to be back!
DD
00
Nearby Attractions Of The Black Whale
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
New Bedford Whaling Museum
New Bedford Whaling Museum
Zeiterion Performing Arts Center
Mass Escape
Fast Phone Tablet Computer Fix
The Barre
Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum
New Bedford Art Museum
New Bedford Port Society: Seamen’s Bethel and Mariner’s Home

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
4.7
(1.1K)Click for details

New Bedford Whaling Museum
4.8
(800)Click for details

New Bedford Whaling Museum
4.8
(714)Click for details

Zeiterion Performing Arts Center
4.7
(402)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of The Black Whale
No Problemo
Fathoms Waterfront Bar & Grille
The Vault Performing Arts Center &Pub
Tia Maria's European Café
dNB Craft Kitchen
Ming Sushi
The Baker - New Bedford
Merrill's on the Waterfront
Quahog Republic Whaler's Tavern
Dillon's Restaurant

No Problemo
4.6
(744)Click for details

Fathoms Waterfront Bar & Grille
4.4
(669)Click for details

The Vault Performing Arts Center &Pub
4.2
(510)Click for details

Tia Maria's European Café
4.5
(422)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
104 Co Op Wharf, New Bedford, MA 02740
Map
Phone
(508) 990-7100
Call
Website
theblackwhale.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.6
(1.3K reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Contemporary bar & eatery serving innovative seafood dishes & raw shellfish amid harbor views.
attractions: New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford Whaling Museum, Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, Mass Escape, Fast Phone Tablet Computer Fix, The Barre, Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum, New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford Port Society: Seamen’s Bethel and Mariner’s Home, restaurants: No Problemo, Fathoms Waterfront Bar & Grille, The Vault Performing Arts Center &Pub, Tia Maria's European Café, dNB Craft Kitchen, Ming Sushi, The Baker - New Bedford, Merrill's on the Waterfront, Quahog Republic Whaler's Tavern, Dillon's Restaurant
