I visited IL Gabbiano for a Passive House event, and it was absolutely fantastic! They served a pre-set menu featuring squash blossoms, meatballs, and eggplant parmesan, alongside a great variety of cocktails, beer, wine, and delicious mocktails. All the food was packed with flavor, perfectly seasoned, and served in huge portions. I never even knew I could like eggplant parmesan as much as I did here! The ambiance is upscale American-Italian--nice, clean, and located right on a beautiful waterfront. The indoor seating features massive windows overlooking the port and ocean, and they have great outdoor seating options as well. The staff was super friendly, attentive, and completely on the ball, accommodating everyone's requests with a smile. The service was top-notch, the drinks were excellent, and the views were stunning. I will definitely come back here every time I'm in New Haven. read more

IL Gabbiano - Meatballs, Squash Blossoms and Eggplant Parmesan - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

We reserved a table for a party of 23 for Yale's graduation weekend. Seemed like there were several large parties there. Dining space is huge and they also have outside water front patio dining. Food was delicious and large portions. For a large party, they gave us an option of a pre-set menu or ordering off the menu for our size. Pasta was delicious, steak was great, salads are huge. Definitely recommend for large groups. read more

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Beautiful waterfront location, especially inside with all of the windows overlooking the water. I ordered the classic penne alla vodka with chicken cutlet and it was delicious. The portion was huge, which I loved because I happily left with enough leftovers for lunch the next day. The service was also great -- our server was very attentive and even packed our leftovers for us, which was a thoughtful touch. Definitely looking forward to coming back to try more of the menu, especially the seafood dishes. read more

IL Gabbiano - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I was pleased with the dinner experience at il Gabbiano. It's definitely an upscale American-Italian vibe versus strictly authentic Italian cuisine, but all the dishes were enjoyable. The service was friendly and drinks were also very good. Definitely priced to match the environment and vibes, but no complaints. 4 solid stars - was it the best Italian food I've had in Connecticut? Probably not, but it's very good and a great place to try on a night out. Highly recommend to try at least once. read more

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Truly, I really did have the highest of hopes. I've only heard great things about here and we were super pumped to finally try it. Total-Let-Down. We made reservations for 5:45pm this past Saturday and were promptly seated upon arrival. Well... at least we tried to sit. We were brought to a small 2 person table against the window. Both of our chairs were pushed in. The backs of the chairs on either side of the table, with customers seated in those, were right up against it. It was almost impossible to even get in the seats without disturbing 2 tables. One of the tables noticed what was happening and asked to move to a nearby table. We only then could jiggle our table a few inches backward and finally sit down. At one point during the meal, I strategically got up to use the bathroom only when the customer behind me did so in an effort not to disturb them aside from that. Walking through the restaurant, this place was huge. There was no need to cram the tables that close together. For our meal, we started with two cocktails, they barely filled the glasses they were in (you can see in the picture posted, we hadn't even sipped them yet). For apps, we had the arancini and meatballs. The arancini sauce had a nice lemon flavor, but was oddly almost sweet. The meatballs, although presented and plated beautifully, were so incredibly tough. The texture was consistent, almost as if they had it going in a mixer too long. For my meal, I had a truffle mushroom pasta and my husband had the chicken cordon bleu. Mine was just alright, wish it was creamier and wished I was offered grated parm for it. It was just placed on the table and no one checked in. My husband enjoyed his, but said that it didn't blow him away. It was beautifully decorated for the holidays. But, we asked for the check as soon as we could. read more

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I've been here for both dinner and lunch, and I have to admit, both times were really memorable. I especially enjoyed their fresh oysters with the water view, and I also liked their salad. Definitely planning to return. It's one of my favorite summer spots to dine at! read more

IL Gabbiano - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Great Happy hour and Bartenders James and Adrianna gave exceptional service and recommendations read more

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The restaurant has great water views although the day we visited, it was cloudy. For starters we had the antipasto plate which was huge. Lots of cured meats and cheeses. My girlfriend had the eggplant rollotini and I had the ribeye steak. The portions are huge, you get plenty to eat. I ordered my steak at a mediums rare temperature unfortunately it was a bit overdone. read more

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Some friends here last night. I actually sat in the dining room for a change instead of the bar. I ordered a salad with a meatball on the side. Was very good.I actually ordered a second meatball and some bread , delicious with a piece of tiramisu for dessert , absolutely phenomenal. read more

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My friends and I visited IL Gabbiano during restaurant week, and unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. While the waterfront views were beautiful, that was the highlight of the evening. Our server gave the impression of being rushed and inattentive. At times she disappeared for long stretches, and we had to request water multiple times. As for the food, although the portions were generous, the flavor was lacking. I ordered the chicken Milanese, which was dry and overcooked, with no sauce and very little seasoning. One of my friends also didn't enjoy her meal -- the gnocchi -- mentioning that the texture was unusual and the sauce lacked flavor. Based on this experience, I wouldn't be eager to return. read more

Come hungry and leave with leftovers! Huge portions with a lovely menu and options. Stunning views of the water, truly not a bad seat in the house! Inside is clean, with a welcoming staff, and modern interior. Highly recommend! read more

Happy hour here is amazing and cannot be beat. Happy hour is every day from 12 noon to 6 pm. Most cocktails are $10 and small plates are $12 during happy hour. One app may be even enough as a light meal. The location is on the water of the New Haven harbor and quite picturesque. Bartenders are experienced and welcoming. read more

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In honor of the Kentucky Derby today, the perfect place to celebrate and have lunch was at Il Gabbiano. The ambience was upbeat and the restaurant was packed. Service with Mauricio was beyond our highest expectations. Valentino provided phenomenal fresh seafood, and everything was delicious. read more

Wow! What a place... Came here on a Saturday to sample their happy hour which goes from 3 to 6 PM, with seating only at the bar- full menu service at the tables. The offerings for the happy hour were so extensive, you have 12 choices for appetizers each costing $12 with numerous choices from various martinis to other cocktails for $10. First thing I have to say is how quick the services from the bartenders, they greet you and they fill up a glass of water for you immediately. They give your menus they ask you what you'd like to drink and immediately they tend to your cocktail... Swear to God they were quick draw McGraw! Love the attention. I ordered the blood orange martini which was delicious and my husband ordered a Moscow Mule, which he enjoyed. We have to do solely the appetizers as our mail so we split the zucchini blossoms, the fettuccine Ragu, and the eggplant rollantini-they were all generation portions and they were extremely tasty. The eggplant is such a great texture, plant, and feel heavily fried, and the ricotta filling was light and flavorful, and the sauce had the perfect amount t of tang to it. The zucchini blossoms had the perfect amount of crunch on the exterior and we're so flavorful and large in size and the dipping marinara was perfect. The portion of fettuccine Ragu was a perfect amount for two to share. We had three appetizers between the two of us and that was more than enough! I cannot say how impressed we were by this place and we will be back very soon. Looking forward to it between the attention, the service, and the food, you cannot go wrong here. The parking is ample, and the restaurant itself is large enough to accommodate many large parties. Look forward to trying dinner here one day. read more

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When here for a financial seminar. Nice place and the food was very good. I had the Chilean sea bass which was very good. Came with fantastic spinach and bread. I wish I had ordered a baked potato or mash but it was a great dish. Did not take pictures because it too the meal so long to come out at order of facilitator. Not a good look because we came from work and it was almost 7:15 before we got our meal. Not the restaurant at fault here. The upstairs area was very nice. Just very cold. No elevator to get upstairs. Plenty of parking available outside. The wait staff was wonderful. I would go back again and this time get some pictures. Go check it out. read more

We ate dinner here with our son, daughter-in-law, her parents and a couple of friends this evening and had a delightful time. Food was delicious, service delightful and plentiful! read more

My friend came into town for the weekend. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally try this place. We were seated at a table for two next to a window overlooking the water. Perfect! She got steak and I got grilled salmon. Both were done to perfection. Her steak was prepared exactly as ordered. Our desserts of crème brûlée and Limoncello cake with coffee was the perfect way to end the evening. Service was great , though as it got busy, there was a definite slowdown. Overall, we loved it. read more

IL Gabbiano - Crème Brûlée and Limoncello cake - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Wanted pizza as I know this area is known for it, but the lines were too long so opted for Italian. Found this local place by the pie, love the views of the Bay area. They had a happy hour, but I chose to sit in the dining room with a view. Dining room was pretty empty, so plenty of seating. I had the chicken Parm and it was very good. Huge portions I could not finish it . I did enjoy the meal however the server was odd. He was hard to understand and didn't do a whole lot but overall, it was a good experience. read more

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I really enjoyed our dinner here on a Thursday ladies night. The pros the food was delicious (chicken cordon bleu, eggplant rollatini, cannoli) portion size great, bread to the table fantastic, my pomegranate martinis on point, our server was attentive and when not available other servers swoop in. The cons the noise level is LOUD, and the prices are a bit high but acceptable bc of portion size. read more

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The food is atrocious. Just be forewarned. Soggy calamari, zucchini blossoms looked and tasted like pigs on a blanket and this was just the appetizers. Need I say more. Service was good though. Ambiance was great. Basically what made the stars on this review. What made this really a bust was the fact that it was pricey for no reason. read more

We have been here before with Leeann as our server. We previously gave them five stars but today's experience was so sad. We were promptly seated in a two top on the window below the bar. A group of staff (severs) were huddled upstairs within our sight and theirs but besides being given water, we asked for lemon for them, which never arrived, nor did a server. After 12-15 minutes of no one approaching, we walked out. The hostess thanked us for coming. We told her no one waited on us so no need to thank us. Another huge disappointment was they had a limited menu today. The prices for the exact same items we have ordered in the past were today, $6-$8 more. Don't they know their regular customers know their prices and this, compared to NO service is the reason we weren't able to enjoy a meal In this gorgeous restaurant on the water, so the reason for one star. We cannot recommend based on today's experience. We left, went to Brazi's and had an excellent meal. read more

IL Gabbiano - Outside view - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Very beautiful place to come to near the water sit by the water or by the bar it's very pleasant live music on Friday we had Fabio as our waiter and he was excellent 10 out 10 I love coming to this place with my girls to have girls time out and enjoy our life but he was super wonderful and it's very detailed in his service amazing we're definitely come back again read more

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Ordered the pork - it was rock solid and doused in a pile of vegetables and soggy chips. Definitely not what I expected. Service was sub par with limited interaction from the wait staff and over an hour wait for worse than mediocre food. Music was overly loud and a corporate event was happening that kept cheering, not a relaxing environment. read more

We went for happy hour which is 7 days a week, 14 different selections and 10 dollar martinis and mixed drinks, we had zucchini blossoms, pasta ragu and eggplant rollatini all were great in taste and portions. Staff was very nice and attentive a must try when down in New Haven! We also hit Nolo, Lucibellos and Arethusa as we did our own little food crawl. read more

So we walked in at 8:30. I get it the kitchen closes at 9 but wouldn't that make the server work a little faster? No one as at the door so we waited to be sat. Waited for water for more than 5 minutes. Server was kind. They do charge for refills...which is odd as if they don't make enough money as a restaurant? Do you charge for refills on coffee? I just thought that was crazy considering prices. The server came over and said "anything else" after dinner. Didn't wanna offer dessert or coffee was clear to us it was time for us to leave. I get it because it was later at night but the service sucked tonight. Can't say I'll be back for dinner read more

I ordered the chicken cordon Bleu and OMG I have NEVER tasted something soooooo good!! It came with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables and this will NOT be my last visit to this restaurant! The service was impeccable, the drink (lemoncello cosmo) got me a little buzzed, but the FOOD.. OMG absolutely delicious read more

Honestly... terrible service and food is not great. The drinks took forever to get here. The tap water tasted weird so we decided to get a bottle of water and never got it. Had to ask for a Diet Coke twice before we got it and even got charged for a refill. Food was average. Honestly wouldn't really recommend for the price read more

We went here last night phenomenal is putting it mildly! Merel was our server also fabulous . We had the most amazing food and drinks ever!! We were in the upper lounge are gorgeous. Everything was to die for ty read more

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We held our Mom's Celebration of Life Luncheon at Il Gabbiano. Carlos was fantastic in assisting us in planning the event, was always available for questions, and made certain everything ran smoothly the day of the luncheon. The venue is lovely, the views outstanding, and the wait staff was beyond professional and attentive. We were a group of 30 and every table was served at the same time, no one waited for drinks, and all requests were pleasantly met. We are of Italian descent and our Mom, a daughter of Sicilian Immigrants, was a phenomenal cook. Il Gabbiano did not disappoint! The meatballs were amazing, as were the Calamari, Eggplant Rollatini, Chicken Marsala and Chicken Francese. Dessert was Tiramisu and Cannoli. All our guest raved about the food, service and ambiance. It was a fabulous celebration for our exceptional and much-loved Mom. Thank You Il Gabbiano! Christine C. read more

Portion sizes are huge. Service is great. The outside of the building and the area in general that it's in is kind of run down. The food is pricey. read more

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Service slow, food came out slow, food basic, not impressed!! Specialty drinks were just ok and very sweet. Would not try again, much better places for those prices! read more

Had a wonderful evening celebrating my mom's birthday! The food was so delicious she's going back again Thursday with her sisters. Our server Aga was amazing. She was so sweet and genuine and helped make our time extra special. She was great! read more

We met friends for a leisurely catch up, stayed 3 hours sitting right outside ion the water. Aga, our waitress gave exceptional service. She was always watchful and right there to pour more wine or bring our next course. The food was authentic Italian and marvelous. If I didn't live out of state, I'd make this our go- to restaurant! read more

Food was 10/10 Services 10/10 Ambiance 8/10 Our portions are HUGE. But so dam good. cocktails were so dam good. Taste like juice but Hit. Our waiters cause I couldn't tell. We're so amazing tonight. When we mean ambiance is the out side of this building does not match what the inside look like. Inside is so beautiful. Can't wait to come back. read more

Great service and great food . And also great value . Nice location . Portions are very generous also. read more

Had a lovely night here with friends celebrating a birthday! I would first like to shoutout the service our waiter and the whole staff was super patient even though we came later in the evening and stayed til about closing! They never rushed us even when my table looked around and realized we were the last ones there. They were amazing! The portions are huge and you will definitely have leftovers. While they are huge portions they definitely are quality as well. Everyone was pleased with their meal. The branzino was nicely cooked and the lemon sauce was flavorful. I loved the special crab cake appetizer. The ambiance is beautiful. Inside and outside look gorgeous with a great view of the water. Will definitely be back in the summer! read more

IL Gabbiano - Chicken special - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Always fantastic. The owner is top tear. He is always so nice and welcoming. The food is always cooked to perfection and love. Mussels fra diavolo is my favorite. We will be returning often. read more

I have to be honest, while I was impressed with the service (especially the manager after the issues we faced) and atmosphere, the food was very underwhelming. My pesto pasta did not taste like pesto at all. I couldn't eat it and I really dislike sending dishes back.. I ended up with the pasta bolognese which was better. I didn't like how chewy the homemade pasta was though. My dad ordered veal parmigiana and they brought him chicken parmigiana. My dad said just to let it be and he'll eat the chicken, but thy ended up bringing out the veal later. When it was time to pack the food up, they never brought him his veal parmigiana back.. just the chicken. My grandma didn't love her meal either. The manager did everything he could to rectify the issues, which is super appreciated. I really wanted to like this place and hopefully if I come back it'll be better. read more

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I've never had a bad meal here. The service is excellent. It's so pretty inside and the water views are fantastic. Tonight we shared an Il Gabbiano salad, Fettuccine al Ragu and Pollo Scarpariello. Massive portions. Bread and olives on the table as soon as you sit down. This place is great. read more

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If you really want to enjoy a meal and the ambience and excellent service this is the place. The food was outstanding, the service was excellent and the ambience was amazing. The employees were wonderful and went above and beyond. Thank you all it was amazing. read more

IL Gabbiano - My grandchildren and my gorgeous daughters - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut