This rating is purely based on the food and the price. Comfortable enough seating outside, many…read moreflies, including one in my drink. The real kicker was the "special" for $65. A chewy/ flavorless piece of steak that was mediocre at best topped with very fishy crab, a side of asparagus and a small baked potato. Complete highway robbery. Plated beautifully, lacking flavor. Did not eat the crab, choked down the steak. The small baked potato was perhaps the best part, even though it was plain. Our waiter was very nice and attentive. Bathroom bathrooms were clean. I can't understand the price point here.

In an effort to start a new family tradition, my wife and I booked a reservation for our family for…read moreChristmas Eve at LA Foresta. We walked in and were instantly greeted and ushered to a table that was the right size for our little group. The service throughout the night was amazing, the food was delicious and appropriately hot, and the beverages were perfect. The staff was very knowledgeable and had no issues answering any questions. Once the food landed on the table, there was that kind of silence that can only mean that everyone was too busy enjoying the food to talk at all. Once the forks had settled, we all had nothing but compliments! After we had finished, we noticed that the whole place had cleared out. We chatted with the manager for a minute and gave praises to the service and food, and he said that he closes a bit early so that his staff can go home to spend the holiday with their families, which was admirable! I honestly can't say enough wonderful things about our experience and we're all looking forward to next year already! Needless to say, this will continue to be where we will celebrate every Christmas Eve from now on!

This was my first time here and I was delighted to speak with Derick, the owner about the business…read more He was proud to share that their five year anniversary is coming up this fall. The space is nicely decorated and has a comfortable vibe. There is a bar and tables. Looks like a great spot for a romantic sip. We indulged with a flight of wine which you can have one, two or three selections and a charcuterie board to go along with the wine. All the selections (food and wine) are flexible so everyone should be happy! Definitely looking forward to a return trip.

Intimate surroundings for a largely female clientele. Charcuterie selections are excellent. Many…read morevaried wine choices although a bit expensive for the size of pour. Good for an occasional treat but pricy overall.

While the local food seen in Branford is somewhat lacking Pearl stands out and really shines..well…read morelike a Pearl! The ambience, service and meals were unexpectedly amazing. Much thought was given to each dish and the chef provided big city vibes and tastes to each. Don't miss the cocktails which were delicious and priced so reasonably. This is now our newest go to restaurant in Branford! Reserve the window seat for 4-6 if you can!

Small portion for the price for the southwest bowl. The food didn't have enough seasoning, the…read moreburgers were bland. There was a very rowdy group and the entire place had to listen to them yell, and while that doesn't have anything to do with the restaurant itself, a manager or someone should have asked them to be more conscious of others. We came for Mother's Day with a reservation at 1:00 and didn't get food until 2:20. We had to ask for water refills, and no one came to apologize or let us know the kitchen was running behind. There must have been one cook for the whole restaurant. Unfortunately I would not recommend, the food quality didn't make up for the poor service. Three groups left before getting their food as a result.

Started with the Beet Salad which we started. It contained goat cheese, baby arugula, candied…read morewalnuts and apples. With a thick balsamic dressing. It was very good. The main entree was Chicken Cristin. I ordered it over pappardelle. It had two pieces of white chicken meat in a sherry wine sauce. It was covered with spinach, mozzarella, artichoke hearts and roasted peppers. It was delicious. For dessert I ordered the Gelato. The said 3 scoops of gelato, however it was 3 small spoonfuls. Order 3 different flavors. Except for the espresso, they all tasted the same. Not worth the money. The meal was very good, disappointed in the dessert I ordered. Service was good and they had off street parking. Would have given it 5 stars except for my dessert .

Guilford bistro truly never disappoints!! Went for my birthday with 10 friends and food came out…read moreall together, hot, and delicious! Everyone couldn't say enough good things about their entree choices. My boyfriend and his friends had the NY strip with the truffle cream sauce- OMG that sauce!? Unbelievable, he said it was the best steak he has had in a while! Huge shout out to Rusty and our server Mike for making it an unforgettable night! The atmosphere is cozy and warm and filled with so much life. Will never stop recommending! It is definitely one of my top favorite restaurants!!

Birthday Luncheon at Bar Bouchēe...Both had the Croque Madame, one of my favorite Parisian…read morespecialities when ever I travel. The runny egg over the Gruyere encrusted ham and cheese in a winner. A very good facsimile here with a glass of Sancerre. She had a Ginger Martini to start. The Peach dessert on the menu was not available so the Pastry Chef created something on the spot which was delicious with the French Press Coffee. Why can't you be closer!

We arrived at Bar Bouchée exactly at our reservation time and stood awkwardly for five minutes --…read moreno host, no greeting, no clear idea of what to do. When someone finally acknowledged us, we were just told to "wait." Ten minutes later, we checked in again, only to be told that our table was still occupied, with no real update or apology. Trying to make the best of it, we went to the bar to order a drink while we waited, but the bartender responded with an attitude and told us "the host will be with you soon" -- which had nothing to do with the fact that we were simply trying to get a drink while we stood there waiting. It was an unnecessary brush-off. We were finally seated over 30 minutes after our reservation, and placed our full order right away, hoping to make up for lost time. But then the cheese board took another 30 minutes to arrive. When we asked, we were told there was some kind of miscommunication -- again, no real ownership or urgency. Then came the main course. I ordered the bavette steak medium rare, but what I got was clearly rare and chewy, as the photo shows. When I mentioned it, the waitress did say it looked maybe on the rare side to her but also that Bavette can come out like that looking red - but Undercooked and poorly prepared is not a feature of the cut. We didn't want to wait longer so just ate some. To be fair, our waitress was kind and acknowledged the issues, but it was one of the most frustrating "high-end" dining experiences I've had. At these prices and with this reputation, you expect better service, better pacing, and food cooked properly. Instead, it felt like we were an afterthought the entire night.

After a day of shopping we love stopping by Chamard for lunch or dinner! The food is delicious!…read moreWhile most people think to come for a wine tasting (and you should) don't over look the incredible restaurant and delicious food! Service is incredible, The staff is knowledgeable and make great recommendations! My favorites include the French Onion Soup and the burger is a must! There are a variety of items that are seasonal which are always a pleasant surprise. Grab a glass or a bottle of their wine while eating and don't, skip on dessert, it's incredible! During the summer enjoy the beautiful vineyards and the scenary, in the winter snuggle up inside and be in awe of the beautiful artwork on the walls in the restaurants! Truly always a wonderful time!

Romantic and warm . Menu is varied and interesting !…read more Don't DONT ! Skip dessert !! The wait staff was wonderfully chatty and knowlagable

We have be going to Chamard for a very long time enjoying the food, service, wine and ambiance, but…read moreyesterday was a BUST! We had 12 Noon reservations and waited an hour and half before we received our food. All we had during that wait time was coffee. They advised they ran out of regular coffee and could only give us decaf. My twin sister and I were celebrating our 70th birthday and I will think twice before coming back to celebrate any special occasions. Sunday was also Easter and they were very short staffed. Not like it used to be. Very disappointed.

This was my first time eating in the bistro.. cute restaurant, once it started to fill up the…read moreacoustics were better. Our server was very attentive.. I wanted a side of vegetables and he made it happen without a problem! The Mac and cheese is delicious, we loved it. Also really enjoyed the fries and mussels. The watermelon salad was a little blah, but overall great meal! We each did a flight as well, their wine is yummy! Very good ambiance to the whole winery..

Back to Bistro to celebrate my wife's birthday. We made a reservation Saturday night. Upon…read morearriving, we were seated promptly, even though we arrived early. We were waited upon shortly after being seated. The dining room is spacious, nicely lit, and the seating at tables is comfortable. We decided to go with all tapas to share. We started with a nicely dressed house salad. Then we ordered and shared grilled shrimp a la plancha, empanadas, chorizo, and lamb-beef-pork skewers. All were nicely plated and delicious. We each ordered a Spanish rose which was a perfect accompaniment to the tapas. We celebrated my wife's birthday with a scrumptious order of chocolate lava cake served with a scoop of ice cream. Service was friendly and professional. Sadly, however, the dining room was noticeably not busy. We wondered why- could it have been that people were worried about the upcoming blizzard and just decided to stay home? What a shame. This is a really fine restaurant. If in the mood for Spanish-influenced cooking, then you really must give Bistro Mediterranean Grill and Tapas Bar a try.

We arrived around 4:15 to catch the Happy Hour. When we arrived, we noticed the slight musty smell…read moreright at the entryway...not a good impression. We asked the bartender if we could enjoy the Happy Hour at one of the tables, he said, No. Only at the bar. Something that was not spelled out on the menu nor the website. We sat at the bar. The menu listed the house gin at $5. I asked which Gin did they use as House Gin. The bartender said, I can give you Tanqueray but the price is not $5 like the menu says, it's $7. He said that menu was from Milford, not Westbrook. Weird...so I get a glass of wine, which did ring at $6 like the menu said. We ordered a few "tapas". Out of the four that we tried, the best one was the turnover (empanada), then the meatballs (tiny meatballs), then the fried calamari (which tasted and looked out of a frozen wholesale fried calamari bag) and last the pork medallion (not tasty at all). When the bill came, two of the tapas had the wrong price (higher than what the menu said)....I had to ask the bartender to rectify, which he did.....Poor people the ones that do not check their bills....they can easily be overcharged here....Big time..... Not recommended....not coming back.

Excellent menu and great service. I love the old mill building and the water fall…read more I like the salads and the lamb kabobs.

Great ambiance as you walk in by the waterfall. Three rooms depending upon the vibe you're looking…read morefor; dressy dining area, casual bar, or cozy informal den. We chose the latter in a corner window right by the falls. The service was outstanding. From the moment we arrived, to helping us find our seat, to our server helping us with the menu, to the manager coming over and talking with us to make sure everything was ok. I liked how the server first checked to see if we had any time restraints along with food allergies, etc. Speaking of the food. We started with the clam chowder and scallops. The chowder was the best I've ever had. Plenty of meat and seasoned perfectly. The scallops were amazing. The manager later told us that the scallops were the only thing that had been on the menu since day one. They tried to rotate them off once and the people went nuts. We moved on to the duck and salmon. Both were delicious. Sides were perfect as well. I'd love to write about dessert, but unfortunately, we were stuffed. They looked good, but that will have to wait until next time.

Best pizza in New Haven…read more Tried Sally's, Modern, and Pepe's and that's the order I would rank the famous 3. Don't know if I would say it's the best pizza I've ever had but top 3 for sure

Came here with a group of 5 during my first trip to Connecticut for work, and it was a great…read moreintroduction to a local New Haven pizzeria. We arrived right as they were about to open and were seated immediately, which was much appreciated since the place was busy--people waiting outside in line to get a seat the whole time we were there. Service was friendly and efficient throughout the meal. We ordered the mozzarella and tomato pie, the potato and rosemary pie, and the cannoli pie for dessert. The mozzarella and tomato pie was classic and delicious with fresh flavors, while the potato and rosemary pie was an interesting combo. Super crispy, savory, and something different. The cannoli pie was a good sized, shareable slice a great way to end the meal. Only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that everything was very good, but not quite mind-blowing. Still, definitely worth visiting since the dine-in vibe was so chill and full of history.