Dining at The Charles felt quite refined overall, with a quiet and intimate atmosphere that's ideal…read morefor a date night. We ordered a steak and a seafood appetizer the steak was cooked well with a tender texture, though slightly on the heavier side in seasoning. The appetizer was beautifully presented and refreshing. Service was friendly, though a bit slow at times

The Charles…read more Delicious food and a great atmosphere in beautiful Old Wethersfield We love the vibe here!

I haven't been to Matty D's in years. I had a few visits that left a sour taste in my mouth but it…read moreseems like they've switched things around for the most part. I got a burger and tried a bite of their fried fish sandwich. Both were pretty bland, not bad! Just not something I'd go out of my way to get in the future. The drinks were pretty strong and the green tea shots were delicious! We ended up being there while a game was on so it was definitely LOUD lol. The vibe switches up but it seems to always be a good time lately. The service was really friendly! Our waitress was nice and attentive.

Matty D's is that quintessential local Hartford bar - casual and consistent. Every time we go, it's…read morepretty much the same experience, (this is a good thing). Happy Hour The real draw for us are the wings; they're always hot, and spicy. Lemon pepper is top notch and they have a good variety (my friend is obsessed). Honestly, the happy hour is the reason we keep coming back. Cheap mixed drinks, basic bar apps and a short commute from work made this the perfect happy hour spot. Happy hour is 4-7pm and is also on Saturdays. Try the wings, nachos, and the burger first. Experience The Bartenders are all smiles and super sweet. Never had bad service! Food always comes out quickly so you don't have the chance to complain about a wait. Parking is okay, nothing to rave about. There is a smaller lot. The Scene During the week, it's a local bar in a Hartford neighborhood (not downtown, folks). It is what it is supposed to be, and for that we are grateful. We went for the UCONN finals recently, and by the second quarter, the place was packed. On weekends, at night, it turns into more of a club scene- DJ playing loud music and a dance floor. Not something I am into anymore but I enjoyed when I used to go, so many years ago.

I'm back! The restaurant is located on 389 Main St. in East Hartford, CT. It's been a few months…read moresince I was last here (December) which is a crime. Carmine's is a fresh from scratch kitchen that is ALWAYS open. Their appetizers, pastas, entrees and desserts combine old-world traditional Italian flavor with a modern flair for presentation, and the freshest ingredients around. Menu staples like rigatoni bolognese, fettuccine carbonara and chicken Milanese are coupled with unique recipes like chicken ala vodka and toasted almond cake. They've staffed the kitchen with a dream team of chefs and you can tell instantly! They also do parties, catering and online ordering/delivery. The restaurant is well known for its live music. There is never a cover and parking is always free. This place and produces absolutely amazing food and drinks. I have noticed quite a few menu changes. The Happy Hour menu has expanded. It's also no longer all day Monday. The main menu no longer has prices on featured drinks (although that's the tre d these days). Note that the Bar Bites menu is available open to close! The Main Menu looks the same although there is a new Wine List (that's a first here). The music is very pleasant and the right volume level. It's always a big cool in here too. For my first drink, I'm having a Pratt N Whiskey. This is made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, sweet vermouth, red wine and sour mix. It's definitely an unusual drink. It's not garnished, but it tastes great. The wine sticks out for sure. It's clearly a shaken drink not often found with a whiskey component except for maybe Whiskey Sours. For my first item, I'm having the House Salad made with spring mix, basil, tomatoes, julienned (thinly sliced) carrots, cucumbers and house red wine vinaigrette dressing. This is a big portion! I love this dressing! This tastes great! For my next item, I'm trying the Carmine's Secret Tenderloins. These are off of Carmine's "Secret Menu." They are pan seared, caramelized chicken tenderloins, made with wine, olive oil, cracked black pepper (dried black peppercorns broken into coarse, uneven pieces), kosher salt (a coarse, flaky salt named for its use in the Jewish koshering process of drawing blood from meat), shredded Parmesan and a very special "secret sauce." I'm curious as to what this sauce tastes like. Wow! Nice presentation! These are good! I love that sauce! There's a good crowd in here (20 people). Only one worker (bartender and server). She's damn good at what she does! For my next drink, I'm having a Connecticut Cosmo. This is made with Litchfield Vodka, Wild Moon Cranberry, Triple Sec and lime juice. This vodka is the Gold Medal Winner 2018 & 2019 at the New York International Spirits Competition. Silver Medal Winner at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition!Our Gluten-Free Batchers' Vodka is distilled from luscious corn grown during the beautiful summer months in Somers, CT. We distill 4 ¾ times and use a gravity-fed charcoal filter that takes 12 hours to filter 100 gallons. The longer the vodka sits on the charcoal, the more impurities are removed, which creates an incredibly smooth taste. Bottled at 80 proof. It is impeccably clean, slightly sweet, velvety smooth mouthfeel and sweet buttery overtones. It's smooth with a warm finish with subtle notes of sweet ripe corn at the end. I actually sat down next to the owner of the Distillery at a wine pairing dinner at Flemings in West Hartford about 7-8 years ago. This looks nice! Wow! This has great flavor! For my next item, I'm having the Rigatoni Matinara. Rigatoni is a large, tube-shaped pasta with ridges on the outside and straight-cut ends. Marinara sauce is a tomato sauce usually made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and onions. I don't eat pasta all that often. This will serve as my appetizer before I hit the main course. This is a BIG portion! It is very good! For my entree I'm having the Pan Seared Salmon which is "hand cut" salmon with zesty orange glaze served over mashed potatoes with seasonal vegetables (broccoli). Add LOTS of crushed red pepper. Nod that's "LOTS." This is spicy! My kinda spicy! The plate is nice and hot! I like the presentation. This tastes great! What a great meal here!

I can't believe we were charged for bread - twice! We got a small half of a loaf (not even as big…read moreas a half grinder roll) and asked for more. Never have I ever paid for bread in a restaurant and we were asked if we wanted bread - no mention of we had to pay extra for it. Side salads are an extra charge too. If you get a chicken meal expect it to have a very charred taste to it. We found the food to be middle of the road and not very big portions considering we usually take food home from other places. There was a birthday party going on in the restaurant, not in a separate room. Not that it bothered us, but it was extremely loud in there and it seemed to bother the table next to us. Don't expect a quiet dinner in this place. Getting the attention of the waitress was impossible. I had to stand at the bar and wait to pay our bill. The party had the entrance blocked because they were filming and we had to exit through a side entrance, which didn't bother us, but not the best from a safety point of view. Do we recommend the place - no. Will we go back - no.

Went to Fire x Forge last evening and it was amazing. What an incredible cause and experience…read more First of all the space is stunning. It's incredible to see the restoration of a historic building. We had reservations and were seated promptly. Our server Shamille was attentive, made great suggestions and took care in explaining the mission and impact they are having on the community. The food: -Biscuits were TOP NOTCH. The warm flavors and flakiness were to die for. -The hummus was also amazing. Perfect seasoning and flavors. Lavender lemonade? So Good! -All of the mains were good; we had the ribs, beef shoulder, Mahi with banana leaf and mahi tacos. Flavors were good, albeit spicy on a couple. -The ají verde sauce is no joke lol definitely has a kick. For the kitchen: larger pieces of fish, a slaw or cilantro crema and cotija would elevate the tacos. The flavors were good, but the taco was a little empty. Also perhaps drops of the verde sauce on the ribs versus a drizzle to tone down the heat so nothing takes away from the flavor which was amazing by the way. Epically delicious! Desserts: -The cheesecake was nice, soft and not too sweet. -The marshmallow was like a mochi. You had to chew it well before swallowing but it was well executed and delicious. -The sweet potato cobbler would probably be better as a crisp with an herbed streusel. The ice cream was amazing! All in all it was SO WORTH it. Everyone did a fantastic job and we were so proud of the work they all are doing. We will definitely recommend to others and will return.

We arrived with a large group without reservations, kinda chose it on a whim, so we had to wait a…read morebit but it was fine, we were shortly accommodated. The place looked spacious and with a lot of light, it looked clean and they seemed to have a nice selection of wines (for those that like it) , they were displayed for people to see, which I thought looked very nice. I went to the restroom to wash my hands and I found it odd that there was only 1 restroom for the size of the restaurant. Our waiter was nice, he took our order and we were excited. The food took a VERY long time, we were starving, and we had kids with us so that wasn't good. Some of our orders were wrong and so unfortunately we had to wait even longer for the right meal. We didn't order alcohol but we did older a couple of mocktails. I was SUPER excited for them because that's something I always appreciate at a restaurant. I'm sad to say that they were AWFUL!! straight up syrup, not bubbly (some were supposed to have soda in them) not sweet, simply not enjoyable at all, I ended up switching it for a simple club soda, I figured it was a safe bet. When my food came out, it was ok, I had the avocado toast, and it was forgettable, my sister had the chicken and waffles and now THAT was the meal to get, it was large in portion and that chicken was beyond tasty!! My other sister has the lomito sandwich with the chips and it was good, something missing but she enjoyed it. The rest of the food were burgers and they were ok, the kids had burgers and Mac and cheese and they were not tasty according to the children's disinterest in barely touching their food (and they love cheeseburgers). I'm always willing to bypass certain things as long as customer service delivers BUT unfortunately they fell short. We were celebrating an engagement and so we were all very happy and in a great mood, when suddenly workers around us were cleaning up the neighboring tables, and even sweeping very close to us. We thought the place was possibly closing? (Even though it was only 2:15pm). I asked if they were closing and they said that they close the restaurant from 3-4 so their employees can go eat .... I'm not against giving them a break BUT, it really felt like they were kicking us out, we felt pressured to eat fast and wrap it up, not a good feeling, when you are in the zone of happiness. It was our first time there so, I would have appreciated if they would have informed us that the restaurant takes a little break in between and then we would have decided if we wanted to stay or go elsewhere. They did bring a little dessert and 2 mocktails for the newly engaged which was nice, I'll give them that. Overall, I don't think the food and experience was worth me coming back or recommending this place, I'm sure there's other much better places.

Food didn't disappoint!!! Service was good…read more It's a great place I will come back when I'm in town

Finally I got the chance to get brunch at one of the most instagramable restaurants in Hartford !…read more Located right across trinity collage , parking is sparse , however customers are able to park across the street ! The ambiance was amazing I felt transport to the early 2000s with the music playing we got ne-yo , akin , old school Mariah Carey , Nelly ! Fabulous vibe . They have booth and table seating . Staff was very nice and friendly they were so sweet and attentive!! To start off I ordered the caramel cappuccino which was delicious highly recommend and presentation was top tier ! My husband got the hot chocolate which was really good ! And perfect to cozy up to this winter season ! Next I got the banana split French toast ! Yes and it was AMAZING ! If you have a sweet tooth , love French toast and ice cream ! This is the one for you !! I added an extra Nutella drizzle on top of the caramel drizzle ( and it was perfection !) highly recommended! My husband got the western omelette which he enjoyed the home fries were one of our top favourites !! They offer so many options with large portions. from pancakes/ waffles / eggs to lunch options ! Fabulous presentation of food and drinks and delicious too ! Definitely can't wait to be back! And try more food options

What a fun night! Came here with a couple of girlfriends. Started at the little lounge area, but…read moresoon took the party to the bar when we ran into another yelpie! Don't let the outside of this place fool you because looks are definitely deceiving. We were cautious coming to this place due to the appearance of the outside, but once we were in it was so much fun. Agus, aka rawbartender, was Ah-mazing and truly made the night fun. He was truly such a vibe!! I ordered the SpongeBob, which was Goslings rum, pineapple spice, ginger, lime, angostura bitters. Especially with the show that was put on, my drink tasted even better. It was a Smokey, yet smooth and refreshing drink! We also got the Snow White, on the sweeter side made with Pear vodka, orgeat, pear juice, lemon juice, cinnamon. And of course, we can't forget our schooling in tequila and Mezcal from Agus. He was very informative of what he was serving and we tried a few different shots. He gave us the rundown of how you're actually supposed to taste tequila. And I have to say I've never had an experience like that before. I wish the party didn't stop and I will definitely be coming back specifically for Agus and of course the drinks!

Finally got to check out this hidden speakeasy in new Britain ! If you're looking for a fun night…read morewith the girls , a cozy date or just wanna grab a drink this is the place ! The code to enter is updated daily on the website , once inside the you enter through the bookcase door. The ambiance is nice cozy , low -moderate lighting ( not to dim ..you can still read the menus without a flashlight... which is nice) We sat at the bar and the seats were very nice and comfortable ( which I enjoyed a lot) and spacious I didn't feel squeezed between chairs/people ! The bartender was fabulous . And made great drinks ! We just got drinks I got the peaches peaches which was pleasantly really good not to sweat or bitter , not to overpowering with peach flavour very well balanced . They also offer small bites / food. I will def be back to try some more options !

My son let me know this restaurant serves Arethusa Farms ice cream, which is heaven on earth!…read moreImmediately, my husband and I were triggered with heightened curiosity. We visited Arethusa Farms years ago, and we felt like pioneers discovering gold. I digress. I loved our experience at Le Mazet. The food is scrumptious and although the environ is cozy and has an inviting feel of a warm country cottage, the refined service is on par with the legendary Four Seasons Restaurant in NYC (not to be mistaken for the hotel flag). Chef's kiss to Jared and his inimitable staff!

A friend and I met for brunch at le mazet recently and it was a pleasure, from start to finish…read more I had emailed the business in advance for clarification on the brunch menu and received a prompt, friendly response. I made a reservation for our visit and was seated promptly at a beautiful table near the front door. The entire dining area is gorgeous--so much attention to detail. Service throughout our meal was attentive and friendly. I had the boeuf bourguignon and it was so tender and seasoned perfectly. I also had the bread service, featuring sourdough from Small State Provisions--the perfect accompaniment to this hearty stew. We both drank Le Poney Roses, which were balanced and beautiful--a fabulous mocktail that really embodies the spirit of a cocktail. We weren't rushed at all and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I will be back for more!

This is my second time at lucky Lou's in Wethersfield ! Located on main st perfect location . We…read morelove to grab food and walk around the historic old Wethersfield after . The staff is always friendly . To start I got the s'mores cocktail . Which tasted good , like a creamy liquor.. but did not really taste like s'mores . For appetizers we got the calamari which was delicious highly recommend For my entree I got the guacamole burger which was VERY GOOD ! The burger was cooked perfectly ! The flavours were amazing highly recommend ! Overall great atmosphere , good food and drinks !

Came for a late lunch with my dogs and bad a quick bite. It was a nice day and we had the dogs so…read morewe sat outside. When the server saw the dogs, he handed me a menu for dogs. I thought that was great. Here is what we ordered: - grilled chicken (for dogs) - calamari fritti: cherry peppers, lemon aioli, marinara - chicken cotoletta burger: crispy chicken, cole slaw, lemon, fresh herbs, arugula, parmessan flakes, mayo on a toasted brioche bun - rosemary chicken skewers: saffron rice pilaf, asparagus, tomato, olives, capers, cucumber mint yogurt sauce All the food was made well, servers were friendly and the outdoor seating area was clean. We had a good experience.

The Community Room Café is a wonderful local spot. Great food, warm and friendly service, and a…read moreteam that's always attentive, polite, and genuinely welcoming. I especially enjoy the grilled chicken Brussels sprouts salad and my iced coffee to go -- always delicious. The atmosphere is perfect whether you're working, relaxing, or meeting a friend for a coffee date. They also offer a curated selection of local artisan goods -- clean‑ingredient handcrafted candles, tumblers, snacks, honey, and gifts -- which adds such a special touch to the space and highlights their focus on community. Overall, a consistently great experience.

This place is a perfect addition to Newington. Plenty of seating, just beware this venue can get…read morecrowded on the weekends. They even have fun themed beverages for different seasons, pictured is their "Lucky Charms" latte. This is a good meeting spot for friends and familes.