The pizza was very good. I purchased a large House Special and a gluten free with red peppers…read more The pizza was light and tasted delicious. The location is in downtown Essex towards the Connecticut River Museum. There is off street parking and it is easy to order a pizza and take a little stroll along the banks of the Connecticut River while they bake up the pie for you. The large pizza lives up to its name. It is a good size and fills the box. The gluten free pizza is locally sourced dough and it is larger than the pies that come in a tin plate. If you are looking for a good thin crust pizza with a friendly atmosphere, go to Privateers. They also have a nice little store with organic produce and food in glass (recyclable) jars. The do have gelato. The prices are reasonable. There is locally made soda as well.

Visited Essex and came across Privateer's Pizza. One of the few places to get take-out near by. The…read morestore itself was relaxed, no frills. Service was great. We didn't know what to expect but the pizza was excellent! We got the BBQ chicken pizza, flavor was great, crust was perfect. If I lived near-by I would certainly come often!

Great pizza! We stopped in early today. Easy menu to navigate in the small counter space area. We…read moreordered 2 small and one large pizza. Crust and flavors - nailed it! The crust was soft on the inside and had great crunch outside. Charred perfectly! The gentleman who took our order and made the pizza brought them out to us along with plenty of plates and napkins. Outside Brickside Pizza there is plenty of places to sit. There is a great new coffee/tea/houseware shop that is worth checking out while you're waiting for your yummy pizza.

Great pizza and salad before our show at Ivoryton Playhouse. Conveniently located across the…read morestreet, the Italian combo was covered in an assortment of meats but the crust remained crispy, holding the weight without the disappointing flop. The Mediterranean salad was fresh and we enjoyed the balsamic dressing. If you are looking for a quick meal before the show I say this is it!

Rock solid pizza. It won't blow your mind, but that's not why you eat here, is it? It's good…read more It's tasty. It's filling. They are good people.

My friend recently ordered chicken parm. She said it was a huge portion and delicious. So I decided…read moreto order the eggplant parm. It was so yummy! And I got a big piece of garlic bread! Order from here! The staff is great and the food hits the spot!

Burger and pizza were great, albeit expensive (and no fries!?) Both came out very quickly…read more Tried the Hazy IPA and DIPA - both very good Service was great. Had a waitress, who was attentive, as well as a bartender who noticed our drinks were getting low and came over to check on us, as well. Wide and open and spacious, would be great to have live music here, though I don't think they do!

This is a really good brewery in a great location adjacent to Essex Steam Train. There is a good…read morevariety of beer and cocktails to choose from, and the food menu - while not big - definitely hit the mark. The atmosphere is a bit noisy but no different than other microbreweries. Service was excellent, I'd definitely come back again.

I have been ordering take out probably about 5 or 6 times/year from this place since I moved to the…read morearea about 7 years ago. Their pizza is traditional thin crust (I wouldn't call it "New Haven style" as one reviewer commented). It is good, not fantastic but definitely reliable. My Italian-American BF likes it in case that means anything. They have a lot of topping options (mostly standard stuff) but their menu offerings are good too. You can get white or red pizza. I would like to see them bring back FRESH mozzarella as there is nothing like toasty, bubbling, golden fresh soft mozz on a pizza. They do have a decent selection of salads that go beyond the expected iceberg lettuce and tomato garbage. I haven't had the calzones or other menu items so can't comment on them myself. I have tried a couple of the other pizza places around, even the new "wood fired" place in the next town (very dissappointing) but I keep coming back to Davinci. Pizza is ready quickly. Service is friendly. Prices are reasonable. I cannot speak to the eat in experience. I am not inclined to eat there because the atmosphere is anything but inviting. All hard surfaces like tile floors & gyp board walls - so it's loud and echoes like crazy. No significant decor, no personality. It is really one of those restaurants that is more of a to-go place. Occasionally I see people eating there but IMHO it's not really an ideal destination for dining in. If you go to their website you can find a coupon and save a couple bucks.

Davinci in Deep River is our #1 spot for great pizza. Love Tom, the owner, who is the most upbeat…read moreguy you could ever hope to meet. My favorite pie is spinach with pepperoni, but honestly, every pie they make is delicious!

An outstanding place for carry out. Chicken francese is excellent. Large portions. Excellent…read moresalads. Grinders and pizza are excellent, but take out dinners of chicken and seafood are real gems.

While traveling through the area we decided to have lunch. Our first choice was closed so we…read moresettled on this restaurant. After viewing the menu, I decided we would share an Italian grinder that proved to be light on the protein with the whitest iceberg lettuce I have ever encountered. In addition, the requested oil was minimal as were the spices. I do hope the owners are not holding their breath waiting for my return.

I ordered a burrito around 7 pm one night here. It's a very small little taqueria in Deep River. It…read moreis decorated with colorful Mexican decor which adds to the charm. It's a take out place though - you can eat at a 3 person small counter by the window. There are no public bathrooms though. I ordered a pulled pork/carnitas burrito which was fine but not excellent. I am picky about meat & I felt the pulled pork had a strong flavor which I am not a fan of. It was a generous portion & had the requisite rice, beans, pico, cheese in it. I always try a places 3 different times to be fair to the restaurant. I will be back to try some other menu items.

On a Sunday afternoon we found ourselves in Deep River and decided to have lunch. Our first choice…read morewas just closing so I walked across the street and found this restaurant. I was looking for takeout for two so I settled on the non-Mexican portion of the menu and chose a meatball grinder that included carnalized (sic), onion, roasted peppers and mozzarella. It took a long time prepare, but worth the wait because it turned out to be both sizeable and delicious.

If you ever wondered what would happen if Goodfellas, The Godfather, When Harry Met Sally, and a…read moresun-drenched afternoon on the Amalfi Coast all got together for Sunday dinner... the answer is La Marea in Old Saybrook. The name La Marea means "the tide," and after one visit you'll understand why. Like the tide itself, you just keep coming back. I've eaten my way from the seafood markets of Sicily to the cafés of Rome, the canals of Venice, the vineyards of Tuscany, and the bustling trattorias of Milan. I've spent enough time arguing over pasta shapes to qualify as an honorary Italian uncle. I don't throw around the phrase authentic Italian lightly. La Marea earns it. From the moment you walk through the doors, you're welcomed like you've just returned home after a very long vacation. Juliana is the kind of hostess who somehow remembers everyone, makes every guest feel like family, and radiates the warmth that reminds you of every wonderful Italian grandmother you've ever wished you had. She has that magical gift of making the entire restaurant feel less like a business and more like a celebration. Then there's Nino. Every great Italian restaurant has a heartbeat. Nino is La Marea's. His decades of culinary experience and deep Italian roots shine through every detail. You can tell immediately that this isn't about trends or gimmicks--it's about family, hospitality, tradition, and food prepared with genuine pride. The restaurant beautifully blends northern and southern Italian cuisine, using imported Italian ingredients alongside fresh local products, and the seasonal menu keeps every visit exciting while staying true to its heritage. (LaMarea Ristorante⁠) The staff? Absolutely phenomenal. Professional without being stuffy. Friendly without being overbearing. They somehow anticipate what you need before you know you need it. Glasses stay full. Plates appear at exactly the right moment. Conversations flow naturally. It's the kind of service that has become all too rare. And then... Brad. If cocktails were an Olympic event, Brad would need a bigger trophy case. Watching him behind the bar is like watching Tom Cruise in Cocktail--only with better drinks and significantly fewer broken bottles. Every cocktail arrives balanced, beautiful, and dangerously delicious. La Marea's craft and pre-Prohibition-inspired cocktail program is already impressive, but Brad elevates it into an experience. One drink turns into two, two somehow become "well...maybe just one more," and before long you're discussing whether Sinatra or Billy Joel made the better soundtrack for Italian dinners. Now let's discuss the food. The calamari? Outstanding. The Bolognese? Quite possibly one of the finest expressions of comfort food known to humanity. Combine the two? Forget NASA--we've discovered the greatest culinary achievement since someone first decided olive oil belonged on bread. If there is better calamari Bolognese anywhere on Earth, I haven't found it--and I've looked. Everything else follows the same philosophy. Homemade and carefully sourced pastas. Exceptional antipasti. Beautiful seafood. Wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas. Outstanding steaks. House-made desserts that somehow convince you there's always room for one more bite. The menu reflects the seasons while remaining rooted in authentic Italian tradition, and every plate feels thoughtfully prepared rather than simply assembled. (LaMarea Ristorante⁠) And then comes dessert. You tell yourself you're full. You are lying to yourself. Order dessert anyway. Trust me. What makes La Marea truly special isn't just the exceptional food or outstanding cocktails. It's the feeling. It's the laughter coming from neighboring tables. It's seeing Juliana greeting guests with genuine joy. It's Nino making the rounds. It's the staff working together like a family. It's that rare restaurant where nobody is trying too hard because they don't have to. Everything simply works. Walking out of La Marea feels a little like the ending of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. You don't want the experience to be over. You're already planning your next visit before you've even reached the parking lot. Five stars don't seem like enough. If Michelin awarded stars for making people genuinely happy, La Marea would need a new constellation. Bravo, Juliana. Bravo, Nino. Bravo to the entire staff. And Brad... keep those cocktails coming. I'll happily continue my very serious research. Highly. Enthusiastically. Deliciously recommended.

Very convenient location, just off of I95. The restaurant itself was very nice, lots of decorations…read moreand nice lighting. The food was good, portions slightly smaller than expected but not enough to keep you hungry after. The service was good but it definitely was a bit slow, especially towards the end. We waited a good while for the bill after our plates were clear. Overall, a pleasant experience and I imagine we will be back again.

The food and service were excellent. We were seeing a play at the playhouse so it was very…read moreconvenient. Just a short walk across the street.

Liz If you are…read morelooking for a fantastic neighborhood pub with incredible charm, Ivoryton Tavern in Connecticut is an absolute hidden gem. Across the internet, reviewers consistently rave about the cozy, welcoming ambiance, but what truly elevates the experience is their wonderful bartender, Liz. She does an absolutely amazing job behind the bar, keeping the drinks perfectly poured and bringing an infectious, friendly energy that makes everyone feel like a total local. Paired with her stellar service, the kitchen serves up consistently great food featuring huge portions--especially their legendary pub classics and crispy wings. What makes the experience even cooler is the historic setting, as the establishment runs out of a charming 1893 building that originally served as a local boot and shoe repair shop over a century ago. Inside this rustic time capsule, the star attraction is undoubtedly their signature oversized burgers, which range from manageable half-pound patties all the way up to their jaw-dropping, full one-pound "Monster Burgers". Cooked perfectly to order and stacked high on fresh kaiser rolls with options like crispy bacon, melted cheese, and savory barbecue sauce, they are so thick you'll need two hands and a serious game plan just to take a bite. It is the ultimate spot for a satisfying meal and a great night out, completely earning its reputation as a shoreline favorite. Tip: cash-only Thanks