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    Bar Max

    3.7 (12 reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 10:00 PM

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    Interior
    Jon B.

    Went to this place recently. Had been here before under a different name and enjoyed the vibe. I checked the reviews and it looked promising. We tried it again and the service was good and is a small place to hang out and get some drinks, so thats fine, the food however was pretty bad. As someone who have eaten at every max restaurant this was disappointing. We went there because hey we can get some drinks and some good food. Max's is right across the street so couldn't understand what was happening here. We got the Mac and cheese and the calamari (as i have never had bad calamari before). The mac and cheese was underwhelming, pretty bland, no real flavor. The calamari honestly was pretty bad, like they just fried the calamari, no seasoning, just put in on a dish on top of greens and a sauce that also had no flavor. It was so bad that I had to ask the waiter if they were related to Max restaurant group. She confirmed this was the case and honestly couldn't believe it. Any menu item from Max's across the street happy hour would have been way better, so dont understand what happened here. On top of that, those 2 dishes w a beer was $49. Mind you these were tapas style sizes. Doubt will stop again, maybe for a drink and thats it. Hope it improves as it is really hurting the Max name. As I went back to the reviews I realized they were from a long time ago so something must have changed. This time however a 2star feel generous.

    The celery cocktail
    Lanasha R.

    This spot used to be Bar Piña but I love what Bar Max has done with the space! Since I know the area well, the location is easy to find but my friends did have some trouble getting confused with Max Downtown across the street. The red on the walls is a gorgeous color! I haven't caught this spot in the day time yet but I'm sure it's a stunner. There's ample seating inside and the chairs are comfortable which I appreciate. Since the windows are so big, there is a bit of a draft so I opted to keep my jacket on. I think in the future I'll try sitting at the bar if there's room. The bartenders are amazing! I believe his name is John and he was super accommodating and friendly. I had the intention of trying something different but went with the tequila based celery cocktail and had noooo regrets! I think I may have found my new fav downtown cocktail. It was SO refreshing and light but the smoked celery salt rim had me sold. Unfortunately we missed the kitchen but their menu had some items that caught my eye. I'll have to try them out next time. They have live music and DJs on certain nights. I'm happy to see such lively spots popping up

    $1 oysters from 4-6 weekdays!
    Madi C.

    Great drinks and staff. Frequent Max for the "buck a shuck" oysters during weekday happy hours!

    Clams on the half shell and the Bulldog Cooler
    Mike L.

    After a BUSY day in the office, I felt like it was time to have a drink. So, Bar Max caught my eye. I walked in (entrance is on Haynes St., not Asylum st., so heads up), and I was instantly attracted to the decor. Modern day items but with a 30s-40s era appeal. I sat down and was handed a menu. Happy Hour... cocktails and raw bar? Say less. I ordered a Bulldog Cooler and some raw clams. The drink was made quickly and the raw clams took a bit (at $1 a clam, it's understandable there's a demand). But when they arrived, amazing. FRESH horseradish and ketchup for cocktail sauce. I took a bite of the horseradish and my sinuses cleared instantly. But on a clam on the half shell, perfection. Super cold, shucked so there's no biting on the shell needed, and just the right salinity to know this came from the ocean. The Bulldog cooler was the right choice (gin, orange juice, bitters, ginger, and club soda). It paired so well with the clams. The bitters and ginger helped to combine notes from the clams while the acidity of the orange juice added some bite to the clams as well. The gin and ginger both combined to quell the heat of the horseradish but also make the sharpness stand out as well. Overall, Bar Max is fantastic. The service is outstanding, the drinks perfect, and the food was excellent. Might be a Friday evening post work tradition

    Oysters

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    2 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Excellent and upbeat, fresh atmosphere, food best ever servic great Romantic but entertaining enjoyed our night,easy reservation as well

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    2 years ago

    Love it!!! Nice to have those 'Goodwin Days' back! Classy and fun. John is great! Well dine, Steve! ​

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    Riverfront Boathouse - evening sun at the boathouse

    Riverfront Boathouse

    4.6(7 reviews)
    0.8 miNorth Meadows

    A beautiful park! It was the perfect place for the Head of the Riverfront Regatta wasn't pleased…read morewith the parking situation but that had nothing to do with the park. When the crew races are there it is extremely packed so it's not really a good time to take a leisurely stroll as there are literally thousands of people there. Beautiful place to take pictures by the water or the boathouse especially at this time of the year with the leaves.

    What a hidden gem within Hartford! I was here for a low-key corporate picnic. The Boathouse sits…read moreright on the Connecticut River and functions as both practical boathouse (lower level) and event space (upper level). The parking was incredibly convenient and directions to the Boathouse itself were very clear. We did have a small spot of difficulty finding the door to go to the upper level however. Once upstairs, the view of the CT River, East Hartford, and Hartford was spectacular. The late summer afternoon sun plus faint breeze made for a perfectly comfortable time. People mingled at standing tables and around the benches on the upper deck (and there were a respectable number of benches, which isn't often the case). Inside the event space were polished wooden floors and high ceilings. A coworker noted the restrooms were somewhat oddly placed behind a long hallway closed off by a door and there were some cobwebs in the window frames, but otherwise the space was quite nice. The staff at the bar on the deck poured wine just shy of the adjective "liberal" which was great. However, some other coworkers had to request adjustments of the food arrangement to prevent cross-contamination for those with allergies (adjustments were made promptly). The food - seasonal tapenade for appetizers and build-your-own pasta bar for the main - were well done otherwise with a good array of options. On the whole, a respectable event space on a scenic river. There were other groups actively using the rowing space/lower level, but you could barely tell because the upper level was high enough away.

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    Riverfront Boathouse
    Riverfront Boathouse - Sunset at the boathouse

    Sunset at the boathouse

    Riverfront Boathouse - Prepping with life jackets

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    Prepping with life jackets

    Tiffany Juliet House - Wedding 8/17/24

    Tiffany Juliet House

    4.8(37 reviews)
    4.8 mi

    4.5 stars Overall I had a great experience working with the…read moreowners of this place and booking a bridal shower for my friend being out of town. I called, they gave me a quote and several days to decide. Once I decided, they send me a contract through email and I mailed back the contract with the check. The place is amazingly beautiful. The room was decorated very nicely. The staff were all very young, probably high school students and greeted us outside in the cold. Once everyone was inside, they service our food. The scones were delicious, tasted home made and the jams and creams were equally tasty. The sandwiches were okay, a little dry but the deserts were just as good as the scones. My only beef about the whole experience was that they used Stash tea bags for the afternoon tea. I mean anyone could buy those tea from the supermarkets. If you go to a place designated for afternoon tea, you would expect at least some loose leaf teas allowing the customers to smell, appreciate, and enjoy all the different tea flavors. If they had loose leaf tea, it would elevate the whole experience ten fold. Also, they had some sort of punch on the side, with no explanation and the punch pitcher did not work so guests couldn't really enjoy it until the very end. The house can host two parties, one on the second floor and the other one on the main floor. The owners live in the same building. There are plenty of parking at the house and also across the street because the owners own that too.

    I am so glad I chose this venue for my best friend's Bridal Shower. From the beginning, Corrine was…read moreamazing to work with and was so accommodating in meeting all of the requests I had regarding the date, menu, and decorations. She was always available to speak and no detail was too small for an instant response. The day of the shower went seamlessly! I arrived early to add personal touches, but the entire space was set up for me as soon as I arrived and the staff was so accommodating in helping with anything I needed. As the guests began to arrive, they helped to greet everyone and it was both causal and formal at the same time as the staff passed around breakfast pastries for our brunch and refilled mimosas for everyone to grab upon arrival. When it came time to move into the next room for brunch, one of the two waiters working with us that day made the announcement and helped to guide everyone to their tables. The tables were set up beautifully! We chose to have the "mismatched tea cups" instead of the white ones and every guest commented how adorable and unique they were. The waiters brought a box of assorted tea bags over for each person to choose and everyone loved it! Originally, I planned to use the silk flowers as the centerpieces for the tables, but we upgraded to fresh cut. Even the silk flowers were beautiful and elegant- Corrine has beautiful taste in every piece of decor. Throughout the entire event everyone kept asking how I found out about The Tiffany Juliet House. Everyone was so impressed with the amazing service, the attention to detail ( the light fixtures, the carpet, the window treatments, molding- everything is beautiful inside). I cannot thank Corrine and her team enough for helping to make my friend's bridal shower such a wonderful and memorable event for everyone. They went above and beyond in planning and executing a flawless day and I can go on and on about how spectacular everything was- the food included!

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    Tiffany Juliet House
    Tiffany Juliet House
    Tiffany Juliet House - Wedding 8/17/24

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    Wedding 8/17/24

    Keney Park Pond House - Family reunion in the park.

    Keney Park Pond House

    5.0(1 review)
    1.6 miNorth East

    I held a family reunion at the Keney Park Pond House. I feel it was the ideal spot the fee was…read morevery reasonable I got a clean facility with restrooms, the use of two rooms,all the tables and chairs I required. There was a freezer, a warmer for trays, a very nice kitchen with a fridge, and sliding doors that led to a beautiful view of the pond. There was a nice wooden platform in front of the pond which was perfect for a family picture. I believe there's also a little Bridge. People fish out in the pond, the park has a public swimming pool,there are little grills and tables for people to cook out there. I had plenty of room to put up my full volleyball set, to put out a horseshoe set,for the teens to play football, for double dutch, etc. Although Keney Park sometimes gets a bad rap, we felt safe. Outside of people who were interested in possibly renting the place, or the occasional person knocking on the locked door, who might've wanted to use the bathroom, we really weren't bothered. And the facilities manager tells you that you are not required to allow people to use the bathroom because it's personally rented for your use it's not for public use. I felt it was perfect for our event, I was comfortable. Just leave the place the way you receive it. Theres a dumpster outside. Book in advance, I was only able to get a Sunday because this place books up quick. A great venue in Hartford.

    Photos
    Keney Park Pond House - Can see the kitchen.

    Can see the kitchen.

    Keney Park Pond House - Decent kitchen.

    Decent kitchen.

    Keney Park Pond House - Those doors slide to the exterior and give a nice view of the outdoors and the pond.

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    Those doors slide to the exterior and give a nice view of the outdoors and the pond.

    Bar Max - bars - Updated August 2026

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