We made a reservation here for my moms 60th birthday on a Sunday afternoon. We were coming from Annapolis and got stuck in traffic in the rainy weather. Most of us arrived late to the reservation. Not only was the restaurant accommodating with our tardiness, they also poured all 10 of us a glass of champagne to celebrate her birthday. The service and food were great! We had such a great experience that we are looking to book here for our wedding rehearsal. read more

Disappointed. Bready crab cakes were not remotely "Maryland" style. Good service though. read more

Had a lot of fun at ampersea the other night. Really good food and drinks. The view is insane and the staff is super friendly.

I felt compelled to write a review after an amazing dining experience at Ampersea. After being stuck in the house for several months due to COVID-19, the state finally permitted out door dining. My friend and I were eager to get out and decided to check out Ampersea. When we arrived we were seated with a spectacular view of the inner harbor. Our server Sam, was so professional and had great customer service. I was actually surprised that they had so many things to offer on the menu, seeing as though they only had 48hour notice to open. We ordered the burger and crab dip. Kudos to the chef who we met. We were also greeted by the owner, whom really showed that he cared about his patrons and staff. Overall, the food and drinks were great, but the service we received was exceptional. Thank you to Sam, Kyle, Kirk :) and the whole Ampersea team. We will definitely be back! read more

Fantastic. First time back in over 6 months, and they're still crushing it. Service, unbeatable. Food, perfect. I recommend the lobster roll and crab dip. read more

Love this place sit near the water great atmosphere. Umbrellas for shade there happy hour is the best i have try the crab dip and pretzel along with the wings and there berry lemonade cocktail. The servers on both occasions were great .my happy hour go to ! read more

Food was delicious and Randee was a joy to work with! She helped us plan a menu that fit our budget and also coordinated rentals with Select Event Group. read more

Zero stars! My wife made a reservation for 10 people for a small baby shower about 1.5 months ago and called recently to reconfirm the reservation. Was told the entire restaurant was booked and that their reservation was canceled. This is not how you do business! Event is less than 2 weeks away! They now must scramble to find a new venue with zero notice! read more

This review is both for the food and as a venue for our daughters wedding. Summary: our guests RAVED about the food - and the service was stellar. We just celebrated our daughter's wedding this past weekend at Ampersea. Here's the scoop: Randee - the wedding coordinator - was fantastic. She worked with us over the past several months on all the details. This made it so easy for us - we did the ceremony and the reception at their venue. The views are breathtaking and because it's on the boardwalk, the space seems huge. Our guests loved that they could be inside with the food - or they could take it out onto the dock (and the 2nd bar!) to enjoy their food. My daughter arrived on the water taxi (aka - hired for 'pre-gaming') and that was the start of a fantastic night. The place was set up when we got there - and then the Ampersea team moved things around depending on the activities - a circle of chairs on the dock for family for the ceremony - then tables later to sit and eat. Everything is right here. There is no venue charge since they do the catering. And the food was fantastic! We had a raw bar, charcuterie boards, chicken n waffles bites, chicken sliders and mini crab cakes. Dinner was sliced to order turkey breast and beef - with sides of potatoes and crispy bacon brussel sprouts. Then dessert - a Smith Island cake, chocolate mousse shooters and chocolate covered strawberries. Champagne toast - and oh yeh - late night truffle parmesan fries! The serving crew was so attentive and fast. The costs included gratuity, and all taxes - no hidden stuff. My daughter's first rule when selecting the venue was 'no carpeting - and must have a cool vibe' - Ampersea hit it out of the park. I would highly recommend them to anyone. read more

Great dinner with friends last Saturday night... A bit of a problem being attended to when we sat down... recognized by the manager and promptly attended to! We very much appreciate the great service thereafter as well as the complementary amenities! The food and ambiance were fantastic... we will definitely be back! Can't wait for warmer weather when we can dine outside by the water and enjoy the amazing view! read more

I've been here before and always loved the food and atmosphere so decided to come for Father's Day dinner tonight. I don't know if this was an off night or what but the service was extremely lacking. After being seated, we had to flag down a server after waiting for 20 minutes for someone to come to our table. They apologized and offered us a free appetizer. Our appetizers arrived but we had no silverware. After waiting another 10 minutes we grabbed rollups from another table and the waitress apologized but didn't seem phased. The drinks arrived another 10 minutes later. The food was mediocre which is why I'm giving this 2 stars but as someone who works in the restaurant industry, this service would be unacceptable at my establishment. We told the manager upon leaving and he said to call him the next time we're in town. I should have said something earlier because I'd rather not return to have poor service. read more

NOW SIT BACK AND READ. DO NOT GO HERE. This is from my sister. She went there for her birthday yesterday. If I can give this place zero stars or negative stars I would. First they sat us near the open doors and flies were literally everywhere. They were landing in water on food... FLYS EVERYWHERE. We were swatting them and the Manger saw us and acted liker they were too busy. We asked him about possible closing the door. He said NO its easier for our outside guest. He has an excuse for everything. They moved us to another table and it was a little better with flies but they were there. Her friends cup had a spiderweb in it. Our food TOOK FOREVER FOREVER to come. The food was actually good. They order drinks, the drinks were all over the place come had more in their cup some barely had anything in them. It was obvious looking at it, but the manager had an excuse. Her friend had a Bloody Mary it was a mess and tasted like peppered tomatoes, it was not drinkable. They refused to make her another one or take it off of her bill. The bills comes... they were a party of 6 THEY CHARGED THEM MANDATORY 40% GRATUITY.... What the actually heck. Lord make is make sense. They spoked with the Manger who refused to removed it after the terrible service and the fly infestation. They took FOREVER to refill our terrible drinks. They finally took for the 40% MANDATORY GRATUITY everything the manager complaining. THEN they charged my friend twice for the SAME meal. She asked the waiter and manger to remove the second meal please, because they accidently charged her twice.... HE REFUSED. Saying he is taking off anything else of the bill not even listening to what we were saying. Finally he removed it. I WOULD NEVER COME BACK HERE IN A MILLION YEAR. THE WORST SERVICE I HAVE EVER RECEIVED. read more

I was excited to try the new concept here for lunch today. Such a beautiful view and great space. Unfortunately, the same problems from its previous incarnation (Waterfront Kitchen) persist. My friend and I were greeted by a hostess who said hello and when I asked "How are you", she sluggishly responded "SO TIRED" and rolled her eyes. We were seated and the server was great. I ordered the Marconi Salad with chicken. I was served a house salad with chicken (so it was missing olives, feta, beets, eggs). The chicken was chewy. It was awhile before the server checked on us (but we were the only table there) and when he did I said I didn't think I got the Marconi Salad. He looked confused, checked the menu, and said they must have forgotten the olives (what about all the other ingredients?). When I was about finished the salad, he came out with a plate of the other ingredients. To their credit, they removed the salad from the bill without me asking. However, I don't think I'll go back. Very lackluster experience. Do not recommend. read more

We waited 45 mins for our food. My $14 mac n' cheese had no crab or broccoli as advertised and one measly shrimp. It tasted more like Kraft than something gourmet. The three stars are for our polite waiter who comped our second beers and for the awesome location. read more

First of all, had the best experience ever. First time here and Randee, Sam, and chef Nelson made this experience so memorable. It had rained earlier in the day, and they let us sit outside and wiped down the tables and chairs. We sat outside with the most amazing view. My friend ordered vegetarian fries and literally just said "THIS IS THE BEST I EVER HAD". And Chef Nelson came out and delivered it to us. He was so personable and so nice. Randee and Sam were great. Perfect drinks and perfect food. The staff was amazing. Food was amazing. Happy hour was the best. 10/10 recommend. read more

Brought my entire family for an Anniversary dinner. Right off the bat the manager running the place was extremely rude. A few family members were a few minutes late and he made it a point to come up and warn me of the next party showing up three hours after mine and that we needed to hurry up in a disrespectful way. Felt completely rushed. Food was overall good, 32 dollar steak was over cooked. We asked for bread, it never came, which then required us to get up out of our seat to ask to then be told they aren't serving bread that night? A family member went on the outside deck because of the view but was then yelled at by the same manager that the area he and his young daughter standing in was reserved. Service was okay, the waitress was slightly irritated at our requests for extra things. I'm not the type to give a bad review but do not waste your money at this restaurant. I am extremely disappointed I chose this restaurant for my parents anniversary dinner. I even went up to the manager as we were leaving and expressed how upset we were and that the way we were treated by him completely ruined our night and he seriously didn't even care. He doesn't seem like he should be in such a high position within this business due to his lack of basic managerial etiquette. I honestly wouldn't go back to this place for a glass of water. Just a warning to all! read more

Awesome view with really good food and drinks. This has become our Sunday lunch spot - they have a normal menu (not just brunch) and the service is always spot on. read more

THE place to be in the summertime. Nice outdoor bar on the water. Major key. Great staff. Great specials on drinks. Place is a little hidden and off the beaten path, which makes it even better read more

What an amazing experience. Living in Baltimore for as long as I have I have never enjoyed a place with amazing food & an even better atmosphere. The bar outside looks like it will be amazing this summer! We will definitely be back! Gigi the bar tender was beyond friendly & her drinks are out of this world! Can't wait for another date night here ! read more

Amazing food and great drinks!! The location couldn't be better, you can sit right on the water with an incredible view and great breeze. HIGHLY recommend. read more

I'd like to go ahead and go against the reviews about poor service- I brought a group of friends here for a birthday outing and we were immediately welcomed to a rather bubbly environment. The servers were not only aware of the birthday celebration prior to our arrival but also treated us to a complimentary dessert. The manager, Kyle, was extremely attentive throughout our dining experience and made his rounds with neighboring tables as well. Ampersea is adjusting to the warmer weather and seems to be continuously growing as a reputable establishment. As a regular in the Fells Point/Harbor East neighborhood- I will definitely be back and will tell friends as well! read more

Definitely the best food I ate in Baltimore! Excellent service and atmosphere. I was very impressed. A must try for anyone who hasn't yet! I will be back for sure. read more

I could not believe the incredibly low quality of service I received at Ampersea. My friends and I arrived for happy hour and dinner for my birthday on the day of their patio opening party. We were seated on the couches on the deck. Our server came over and since we saw how busy it was and (were told by previous patrons how slow the service could be) we decided to order food and drinks all at the same time. Then the wait started. 10 mins passed. 20 mins passed. 30 mins passed. We moved inside to seek out our server who seemed to be wandering around aimlessly. At 40 mins, I stopped the Manager who was running around like a mad man to tell him that we had been here for 40 mins and haven't even received a drink yet. His response: "Ok". Nothing about this situation was ok!!! So I told my friends we were leaving. On the way out, we overheard the manager say to the server, it's whatever. They're leaving any way. I don't understand how you can advertise an event at your establishment and then be so understaffed for it! And if the manager had shown any type of empathy when I approached him, I may have forgiven the situation. But his lack of caring was the final nail in the coffin for me. read more

I WANT to love this place. I really do. I have been here several times trying to give it a chance, and every time my experience has been rather mediocre. What they do well- the view is SPECTACULAR! It is one of the better views in the city and on a nice day there are few places that are better to be. Where they need improvement - the food and drinks altogether. Each time I have been here, I have sent something back to the kitchen. Today I discovered that they had a change in kitchen personnel, but that switch does not seem to be working well. The change to some of the recipes has left the food awkward tasting and underwhelming. Today we had brussel sprouts, crab dip, and catfish nuggets along with the house red and white wines. The brussel sprouts had a cheese sauce that was unbecoming. The crab dip that was advertised as coming with a pretzel, instead came with a stale bread (without warning by the way). And the catfish nuggets were a bit soggy from the frying process. In addition, the wine tasted as though it had been open for so long it lost it's original integrity. Even though they were the house varietals, my expectations were for something at least consumable. Unfortunately I'm sure I will end up back here because of business associations, but it feels as though the stigma of the former establishment watertable will still follow the new concept. Ampersea, please, please fix the glitches so I can change my review. I really hope you do well:-) read more

The food is great, staff is friendly, and the view is the best in Baltimore. A nice hidden gem in fells point. I had the Brussel sprouts, short rib, and old bay creme brûlée. Will be back for sure. read more

We used Ampersea to cater a rehearsal dinner for our son's wedding. Planning with Randee was a pleasure as she was so accommodating with details, and the staff and service were very attentive and easy to work with. They aimed to please. Besides the beautiful views, the food was fantastic. Most of us had cream of crab soup with large chunks of crab as a starter. Delicious. All raved about the the three entrees we had chosen; salmon, short ribs, or chicken and dumplings. One of our guests claimed the mashed potatoes were one of the best he had ever had, and I have to agree. People were still talking about the excellent food the next day at the wedding. What a perfect setting for a perfect evening. read more

Absolute amazing meal. Felt very welcome and was even treated to tasting some whiskey. A+!

We tried this restaurant and found the food to be rather good, the view excellent, but the experience was undermined by the service. This is a relatively new restaurant that is just not yet ready for prime time. They need much more training of the staff. We actually went with some friends who found the food good enough to excuse the poor service they had the previous time they ate there so they took us back. Unfortunately they found a repeat of their poor service experience. Drinks were ordered but did not appear and had to be requested again after the salads were brought. Bread plates were on table and the servers said twice that "it's baking in the oven now." Then mysteriously later we learned that the restaurant had chosen not to serve bread this evening. Some of the food arrived cold. In apology for the drinks not being served, the manager comped the alcoholic drinks of three of us at the table but not the ice tea for the one person who didn't order alcohol, despite the promise to cover drinks and dessert. However, instead of asking us to select desserts - a complementary single piece of cheesecake was sent for the whole table of 4 - chosen for us. Learning that this was the second experience of poor service by our friends was discouraging. read more

This was my first time at Ampersea and it was excellent. Beautiful view and great customer service. The appetizers were all delicious, especially the Brussels sprouts. I came here as a guest to this Yelp event and Isaiah was an excellent host. He made sure everyone was enjoying the event and was very attentive to all of those who attended. I will definitely be back to Ampersea. read more

A friend recommend this place for the view for my birthday, it turned out to be a disaster. I made reservations 2 weeks prior to my event, we were seated @ 6pm as reserved, it was a large party & we were sent 1 server for the entire evening, they ran out of wings for the people who ordered those, furthermore we did not get our entrees until 9pm unacceptable. A manager never came to the table to apologized. I would not recommend this place especially for large parties they are not equipped to accommodate. read more

So service was awful. Me and my family found a huge clump of hair in our water frozen into an ice cube. We asked to speak to a manager and he said that it was gross and walked away. Then I asked to speak to another manager and he replied that because we were sitting outside something could have flown into our cup and offered us another glass of water. They could've cared less, I would never go back there ever again. read more

I wish I could report that I had a pleasant experience, however, the restaurant was grossly under staffed. I waited for over an hour at the bar for a drink. We arrived around 8:15 and didn't get served until... oh never because we left. One bar tender and a whole lot of people. The restaurant closes at 10. When my friends and I left it was 9:27. WORST SERVICE EVER. Don't even attempt to come here! read more

The view is amazing but that's the only positive about Ampersea. The drinks and food took forever. Our martinis were absolutely disgusting even after remaking them. The chicken must have come from a midget chicken as it was the size of baby's hand. I see why others would rather eat a bowl of cereal. read more

Ampersea is a far cry from the best days of the former tenant Waterfront Kitchen. Yes it's a great location on the water but they struggle deciding who they are. Based on the prices and website we assumed fine dining but that was definitely not the case. The host greeted us with a baseball cap on which was the first indication that things were off, but the staff was nice and attentive which helped us power through it. We ordered the charcuterie board which was a hot mess. Drinks were good. For dinner we ordered the $25 steak frites medium rare and medium and they both came out well done and tasteless with a chunky sauce on top that added nothing to it. Super bland. They did have our favorite wine and comped a glass sensing our displeasure. They seem to want to be everything to everyone which never works. There are many great choices for dining in the city - if they want to make it in the inner harbor they need to get their act together. read more

Came over to Ampersea on a Friday night and they did not disappoint. I am big on a friendly staff and they went above and beyond. The food was awesome as well. We got the crab cake and filet...wow best steak ever. The crab cake is loaded with lump crab and classic flavors, perfect! We will return. read more

Went to the restaurant for the first time. Everything started out fine, good service and sat right away. The issue came when we ordered the Brussel sprouts. My friend that I was with was a vegetarian, the menu in restaurant or online doesn't list bacon. Yet there is little bits of bacon in the item. Didn't realize till after she ate it. We told the waiter what happen, he apologized and brought new food without bacon. No manager stopped by, she went home and wrote the restaurant an email about what happen to suggest putting it on the menu. No one bothered to respond..... my suggestion is don't eat here if you are a vegetarian, better to be safe.. read more

Great views but the service is sketchy. The service has been sketchy since this place was called "Waterfront Kitchen". Don't go for brunch because the service is going to be trash. The chicken and waffles are good when you get it served hot. My food was so cold that I should have starved myself. DO come for HH. The food is good and inexpensive for large portions. The honey old bay wings and crab dip is good. The drinks are good too. It is not usually crowded for HH which means good service. Amazing views too. I might go back. read more

You cannot get a better location in Baltimore, right on the water with a wonderful view of the harbor and Domino sugar factory! The food is fantastic and always fresh. The staff is incredibly nice. For those that complained about the slow service, I would tell them to go back and try it again. I've been at least three or four times in the last 30 days and have seen a lot of improvement with the service. And really, if you are going to wait for a drink, you could not have a better view ! read more

I would absolutely avoid eating or drinking here at all costs. From start to finish the experience was terrible. We waited well over 40 min to receive our first round of drinks. No it wasn't busy, the entire inside dining room was empty. Our server was clueless and made little attempt to explain away the wait. Our drinks finally arrived after our appetizers and only minuets before our entree. The manager offered to comp a bottle of wine only for it to appear on the final bill. We spent a majority of our time here seeking out a server/manager/anyone to patch everything up. The manager seemed far more interested in hanging with his friends at the bar than being even remotely attentive. So many great restaurants in Baltimore, you would be wise to dine elsewhere. Major disappointment. read more

Awesome experience on the water at Ampersea. Read the reviews but had to try it out. Shocked at how mistaken some of these reviews mislead what they are. Awesome food and the service was super friendly. We sat out on the water and had one of the best dinners I've had in Baltimore. We will be back! read more