Aurora Diner Restaurants

So good! Everything was fabulous. We brought our family and friends here to celebrate a special…read moreoccasion. They just never disappoint. When you need to pay babysitters to go out to dinner that matters a lot. It's a sure bet here! They know how to make Italian food like Mom!

Superb sacchetini pasta ( waiter recommended) for daycation lunch on their deck. Delicious! Split…read morea Caesar salad. Also wonderful. Italian bread.. This eatery is the " real deal" Italian restaurant in Waterbury. Highly recommend .

Chicken soup

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La Tavola Ristorante

3.8(244 reviews)

2.7 mi

Ordered lunch for pick up. 3 of us ordered the meatball panini with "award winning" meatballs. What…read morewe got was a meatball wedge with a side salad. We were disappointed, bread was soggy, and it definitely was not a PANINI.

Home of homes for Italian food in Connecticut. Great menu, great service, great atmosphere, for…read moregreat cost. Servers are all very polite and informative. Will always go back there when in Connecticut.

Interior

Warm Nutella Cake

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Exterior seating

Diorio Restaurant & Bar

4.1(122 reviews)

1.9 mi

Been there many times. Great atmosphere, super service, outstanding Italian food,…read more It's reminds me of what a restaurant is supposed to be like, NICE Prices in line for a great restaurant

Dimly-lit, upscale, old-school Italian spot in the heart of Waterbury…read more I came here for dinner with my Dad and we each got an appetizer, entree, and dessert. I got the French onion soup, clam pasta, and banana pie, while he opted for the Caesar salad, pork chop, and cheesecake. Everything was fantastic other than the cheesecake We say in a booth, but it was fairly uncomfortable & stiff. Also have table and bar seating Service took a while, but there was a very large party of kids that came in while we were there so I am giving them a break for that

Scallops

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San Marino Ristorante Italiano

3.4(164 reviews)

1.3 mi

It's hard to order takeout that tastes as good as dinning in. Ravioli with Bolognese was delicious…read moreand reheats well. Everything is always packed neatly and separately so that the salads don't get warm in travel.

The place is big, open, romantic, and beautiful. It's certainly clean, and has enough staff to…read moreattend to their customers efficiently. It took over half hour to get a fried calamari that I thought would have red sauce on the side (and topped with Gorgonzola and fried cherry peppers) but somehow .... They put the calamari over the red sauce and then cover it with the toppings and somehow .... Garlic aioli? The grease glistened of their overly browned rings of fried calamari. Their bread was average. Not warm. Nothing special. The salad that my entree came with had one half of a cherry tomato and one slice of cucumber with a weird red looking dressing on the side that i was told was "peppercorn." My entree wasn't terrible but it was the first time I've had fish over a ton of veggies.... With no starch accompanied with the entree-- not your standard serve via an Italian place. I got the stuffed sole which was ok, not terrible, but the interior was mushy (as expected) and the sole might have been undercooked. I knew better than to go here for a satisfying meal. I would never go back here ... maybe not even for a drink because of how delayed delivery of a mere fried app, was. Thanks !

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Vanilla Chocolate Ice Cream with Cream and Chocolate Drizzle, Extremely tasty.

Roma Ristorante

4.2(252 reviews)

1.8 mi

Excellent good as well as service, had the chicken Frances's which was awesome, service was great…read moreas well. Thank you we will be back.

Visiting a friend in Waterbury & not wanting to have lunch in an urban area, we ventured out to…read moreOakville to visit Roma Ristorante. In a great location with its own parking lot, Roma Ristorante also has a nice bar that was busy serving drinks & lunch entrees to patrons on this Thursday afternoon. We chose the dining room off the bar for a quieter experience. Roma is best described as providing elevated Italian-American cuisine. The garlicky broccoli rabe, grilled sausage & fried potatoes with long hots was an ample starter for two. Bread basket filled with real Italian bread. My entree of Chicken Milanese with an up charge side of linguine in marinara was great as was my friend's Arthur Avenue sized Italian cold cut sandwich accompanied by what looked to be fresh sliced french fries - which we found addictive. The only pedestrian selections were their Wines by the glass & the chocolate cake. Our visit accommodated our need for a turn up of the a/c & that made us very happy.

Beautiful space

Friend enjoying grilled sausage, broccoli rabe & sliced potatoes with hot peppers.

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Calamari w hot pepper and gorgonzola

Signatures Restaurant

4.1(95 reviews)

1.7 mi

Food is very good. Love that they bring out bread and garlic. Drinks are also very good. We love…read moregoing here. Just dont go when there is a show at the palace- they have a different menu....

10.24.25 I've been here a handful of times and have enjoyed…read moredining here each time. I've had a couple so so servers but I don't usually critique a place so harsh for that. The majority of times the servers have been great. Most of them I've encountered seem to be experienced & seasoned servers who have been in the business for a while. The restaurant is stuck on a side street where you can almost walk right by unless you were looking for it. They have a small patio out front with a few tables to enjoy during the summer. It's nicely decorated and simple. Very clean always. They have had a special that they have been running for a few years now, if not longer that's a prix fixe menu that's a very good deal. We usually take advantage of that and it comes with a salad or soup with an app, entree & dessert. Great deal for a reasonable price. The food is always delicious. I've tried pasta dishes to lamb chops to a steak. Always cooked properly. My absolute go to that you must try is this amazing fries mozzarella. It is the best lightest, fluffiest most pillowy fried mozz I've ever had in my life. It's true mouth gasm. Don't know how it's always so light and fluffy for fried mozz. It's mind blowing good. Yes that good. Really :-) They're a fairly quiet place and a lot of the locals meet up. Always starts off slow when they open for dinner by it's pretty lovely and busier when I leave. Great secret tucked on a side street just off the green in Waterbury. Cheers :-)

I love this

Pierogi

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Ambiance

Tiramisu Italian Restaurant

3.7(112 reviews)

5.2 mi

Service was great! Drinks were good. I love that they give you the olive oil, cheese, salt, and…read morepepper with your bread. The calamari was a bit tough and chewy. I will definitely try again. We only got drinks and apps this time. I have to come back for dinner.

Stopped for lunch while traveling near Rt. 84 ... very easy on /off …read more Wonderful Italian food, great service .. open for lunch .. relaxing atmosphere . Sorry I didn't take pictures of our food . Great alternative to chain restaurants . Excellent quality and taste .

Wine

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Pinot grigio

Verdi

3.8(88 reviews)

2.2 mi

We met our friends from Torrington for lunch on Sat. as they love the atmosphere and tasty food,…read moreespecially the dessert-bomba. Tony greeted us by name as I told him more patrons will come after the restaurant was closed for five days during the main break. We sat outside having a wonderful time as always with the best service by Isandra too!

I have to say WOW . We stop by Verdi on a Friday afternoon to sit outdoors and overlook the…read moregorgeous golf course. The food was outstanding. For appetizer, we had the fried oysters they were tenter and flavorful. For the entrée, I had the slow roasted beef short rib with ravioli, delicious done to perfection . My husband had the ribeye it was smothered with fried onion rings. We asked for no mashed potatoes and extra vegetables. The vegetables were seasoned perfectly. What a great meal. We both had a garden salad that came with the meal which is a nice touch. It was a very busy afternoon, but our server kept up without a problem . The staff all seem to be happy if you haven't tried it, I'd highly recommend it . It's my new go to.

Enterance

Delicious bread with a crunchy crust

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Bread and infused oil

Mona Lisa Restaurant

3.7(101 reviews)

2.8 mi

I have driven past the Mona Lisa for years. It may not even have been the Mona Lisa, but the…read morebuilding as been there. The outside as a reasonable amount of parking and a huge greenhouse type window. The interior is definitely nostalgic, decorated like one would in the 80s or 90s. Some booths, some tables/chairs, a fair amount of wood. The servers were very friendly and kept water flowing well. The waitress was very friendly as well. I had a cheeseburger and fries, which was really juicy. I had a Groupon for them, and although they did accept it, apparently it doesn't include the burgers or sandwich platters.

The service was subpar. The food was not hot and looked to be canned vegetables . Drove by…read moreseveral times and finally stopped. . Will definitely keep going next time.

Chocolate ice cream

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Ria's Restaurant and Apizza

4.3(49 reviews)

4.0 mi

Amazing food, drinks and service. I would have to recommend the penne alla vodka topped with a…read moredelicious chicken cutlet, absolutely delicious. Love the calm and welcoming atmosphere. It's a MUST if you live in the Wolcott/Waterbury area!

We finally tried Ria's Italian restaurant. Been reading about it for a while it has great ratings…read more So happy we tried it . Amy who served us was very welcoming and the service was fantastic. Lots of local people and the atmosphere was very happy and extremely clean restaurant . We ordered the meatballs as an appetizer they were very good . I had the Ribeye it came out, medium rare just as I asked . What's was really nice is you get a garden salad with your dinner and I asked for the citrus homemade dressing that was tasty. They did serve homemade bread that was very good . My guest had the Ria's chicken nice size portion and the sauce on the chicken was excellent the chicken was very moist done perfectly . At the end of my meal I ordered an Espresso Martin and I have to say Amy knows how to make a great martini. We will definitely be going back soon.

Private room for retirement luncheon for our 24-guests

Ria's Meatballs

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Espresso Martini and a Dirty Martini

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Herbert D.

2 years ago

I've never eaten there but sounds good! Will give it a try! Hopefully it will be as good as it sounds!

Luis R.

13 years ago

Good food, good prices. Clean place with quick, friendly service. One of our favorite spots!

Stephanie C.

7 years ago

good diner breakfast. everything is good. coffees good. u pretty much get what u expect.

Aurora Diner Restaurants - tradamerican - Updated October 2026

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Signatures Restaurant

4.1

(95 reviews)

Food is very good. Love that they bring out bread and garlic. Drinks are also very good. We love…read moregoing here. Just dont go when there is a show at the palace- they have a different menu....

Big Daddy's Take-Out

3.5

(30 reviews)

•$

So despite the name, Big Daddys does have eat-in service, and also appears to be part of a gas…read morestation? The location is a bit off the beaten path, but plenty of parking. I found a certificate on Restaurants.com for the pizzeria, and it was a good deal. Lunch and dinner at a discount! The burgers were pretty large, as were the fries if you ordered them as a side. The pizza had more of a tomato-acidy sauce than sweet, but a good amount of cheese. You could order by the slice inside. There is also ice cream, onion rings in the hot food area, and baked goods wrapped for desserts. There's both Coke and Pepsi in the coolers, and chips behind the window side booths. They also have a bar area and sell on Slice! Big Daddys also does local delivery on certain days in the evening. Goodness, there's a lot going on. Plus, a good flow of pick up orders. The gentlemen at the register seemed to have a good handle on things though.

Cook during the day not so much food is over cooked. Hard fries every time..Cook at night is…read moreexcellent he knows his stuff. Huge portions and friendly service

Brass City Bistro

3.6

(153 reviews)

Started out with the most amazing and kind waitress, Lisa. My friend is vision impaired and Lisa…read moreunderstood the assignment. Kudos to her. Known for their French Onion Soup, i had to order it. Loved the crispy onions on top. While delicious, it was a bit too salty for my taste. The meatball appetizer was very delicious. When they say extra-large, they weren't kidding. Would definitely order again. I would visit again

If you are going to brass city bistro you must, MUST get the French onion soup. The picture speaks…read morefor itself. They have the absolute best cocktails, try one of their seasonal drinks! We had excellent service in the bar, I didn't catch her name but owner's daughter. If you're going for dinner it's a small place make a reservation! Only critique I have is the French onion soup crocks could use replacing, every time I get a bowl it is chipped. Doesn't stop me from eating there obviously but some people are more germ cautious.

Rachel's Kitchen

4.4

(62 reviews)

•$

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner you can't go wrong. Cute country feel, warm friendly staff.... Food is…read moreoutstanding. The many times I've come I can't believe I never posted a rating. Today I treated myself to a lobster roll. Not a rubbery end to 1 piece of meat and so delicious. The people rating lobster rolls in CT are overlooking maybe the best out there. Too focus on the shoreline options.

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at Rachel's Kitchen. The…read moreservice was so personable, made us feel welcome and at home. Our meal was a total treat. They surely didn't short us on the Lobster, and the bread was toasted to perfection. This restaurant only accepts cash and personal checks. Luckily there's a bank in the same shopping center. It wasn't a make it or break it for us, the rest of our party agrees that they would have liked to be reminded of the fact at the beginning of their interaction with the serve staff.

La Tavola Ristorante

3.8

(244 reviews)

Giovanni's Pizza Ristorante, And Bar

3.4

(53 reviews)

I had to stay in Waterbury for a night and as I took a stroll by the local park I noticed this…read moreplace. I was hungry so decided to walk in. The place screams "Northeast Coast", a very lovely setting. The wooden interior is inviting and warm. I was greeted by a fellow who was also the bartender, he also seemed to have the Northeastern character down. Did not exude a slight smirk but was incredibly respectful and courteous without having to pretend to be a jolly clown like some places would force him to be, I much rather be served by someone who is real and treats you well. I had to make changes to the entreé due to dietary restrictions and I was not looked down upon like a lot of places will do and make you feel bad for asking for a slight modification. The food was very good. I had pasta and fries, the portion was rather large. The sauce was great and the pasta was tender, simple and yet incredibly tasty. I had coffee, very large portion of pasta and fries for less than the price of a sandwich in most places due to the fact it was a Lunch Special so I was extremely happy about that. I would definitely be a regular if I lived here. Best of luck to the business.

I ordered to go, but the inside of this place is dimly lit and clean. The servers were nice. The…read morefettuccine Alfredo wasn't all that, at all. It needed a lot more flavor so I'd never get that again. The pizza however blew me away, some of the best I've had in awhile and I'd DEFINITELY go back to hit that again.

D'Amelio's Italian Eatery

4.1

(116 reviews)

Monteiro's Restaurant

3.2

(19 reviews)

•$

The breakfast I had was fabulous. For $8.15 I had a Spanish and Cheese omelette with a bottomless…read morecup of coffee. The omelette was filled with spinach and you could taste the freshness. The potatoes had a noticeable garlic flavor that was pleasantly different than the usual home fries I've had elsewhere. The toast wasn't loaded with butter which I personally liked. I hate having to re-spread the butter. The coffee is not bitter which is just the way I like it. Lastly the owner is a Yankees fan. See photo. I'm a fan, so I appreciate him even more. He also named his business after his last name which means he takes pride in his business.... Enough to put his reputation on the line. You don't have to worry about anything when you seek for excellence in everything you do. With that last thought in mind, I believe this business will be here for a very long time, which is good for the world, and good for me. Call me selfish.

This place feels like a little country diner. Cute decor. Prompt service and a home cooked meal…read more I liked the sausage egg and cheese special served on French toast and I hope they keep it on the menu. The owner is the cook and he always greets you with a big happy hello when you walk in.

Verdi

3.8

(88 reviews)

Roma Ristorante

4.2

(252 reviews)