We recently had dinner here with our friend Mechelle and we loved the place…read more The ambiance was great right by the marina, overlooking the boats and the water. The restaurant is part of the Old Saybrook hotel and it has plenty of parking right in front. I got a delicious pork chop that was meaty and lean. My husband got the fish and chips and our friend, got the pasta dish. All very well made and nicely prepared. A good place to eat.

In the area and found this place on the water. It's inside the hotel but very nice ambiance and…read morebigger than expected. Service was great and so was the food. If you're in the area this is a great place to eat whether casually or for a romantic evening. I highly recommend the North Atlantic Salmon Filet and the brownie sundae! Both amazing!

We made our first visit here several days ago, dropping in for a midday lunch on a pretty crowded…read moreSunday. With some good and some not-so good, we concluded that we aren't likely to return -- in spite of the really yummy tartar sauce (more on that in a moment). Penny Lane is a bit of an English Pub-style restaurant on two levels. We ate upstairs since the lower level was filled (steps, no elevator that we saw). Service was slow to nonexistent. It took us ten minutes to get recognized by a server who asked if we wanted something to drink and took another five minutes to get it. After we ordered we waited 25 minutes to get our food. We got no drink refills. Maybe service is better in the first floor? Ah, the food. Fish and Chips is essentially pub food, so that's what we got. The crust was light and buttery, quite good. The fish was utterly without any sort of flavor, as bland as could be imagined in your worst imagining. The tartar sauce was super good, but it just couldn't disguise the fact that the fish was tasteless. We also tried the poached egg and corned beef hash, which was ok though the hash was kind ... well, and of a hash, unremarkable at best. Conclusion: There was little that was appealing in our experience. Oh yeah, another ten minutes to get our bill... a long afternoon.

Good pub. Decent food. Great service. Judging by some other reviews, I think we hit it just right…read moreand they weren't too busy for lunch on a Saturday. The bar seating was full, but we got right in upstairs at a cozy larger dining room. Service was excellent, professional, and did a great job. The menu was attractive. Lots of different drinks, classic pub food, your typical burgers, and fish and chips kinda stuff. But also a lot of other goodies too. I had the BBQ pulled pork sandwich with fries. It tasted good, the brioche roll was very fresh. I could have been seasoned more. I wasn't wow'd by it, but it was good. Fries were average, but tasted ok. I think the pricing was reasonable. I would definitely give Penny Lane Pub another try. I'm guessing though in the summer this place is tough to get into, just the vibe I got.

Dining at The Essex is a must if you want a special experience. We chose to sit at the counter, and…read moreI must say, that watching Chef Colt (owner as well), team work with such precision and teamwork was impressive and enjoyable. He and our waiter, Ryan, made it feel personal, welcoming, and first-class from start to finish." We had the Scallop and Shrimp Bisque, Duck Confit Dumplings, Wafu Bolognese, Beef Wellington and Ribeye Steak. This is a dining experience where you don't need to review each course! Each one was excellent. We topped it off with an amazing piece of cheesecake. Visit The Essex because it will feel like a performance as much as a dining experience. We will be back....... Congratulations on your ratings and reviews.

We had an amazing meal & experience at The Essex! The lobster bisque, pork shoulder, corn Risotto,…read moreFilet, Bouillabaisse & sea bass were all incredible as were the chocolate bar, sundae & cheesecake desserts. Drinks & service were both great & the ambiance was lovely. Looking forward to returning to this wonderful restaurant.

Food is always good Drinks are good depending on the…read morebartender Nice place to have a drink and appetizer after work

We visited Little Pub this past weekend and had a nice time. The atmosphere is pretty cool…read morereminiscent of an English-esque pub. The service was very friendly and on point. The beer was cold and the food was pretty good. The had lots of different options. I would have liked to have seen some more traditional English dishes though like bangers and mash, or sausage rolls, or even a shepherds pie maybe. But they did have fish and chips. I opted for the Chicken and Waffles, and it was just what I wanted. They used a siracha maple syrup which was different, yet pretty tasty. I also sampled the Mac and cheese and the French fries--All very good. The place was pretty big, in fact it seemed bigger than its parking lot size. They had both indoor and outdoor seating and lots of it. On a Sunday afternoon, they weren't too busy. It is a place I would return though.

Who doesn't serve breakfast all day? I thought breakfast was by far the most profitable meal of…read morethe day and hence restaurants would never NOT serve breakfast. No matter, we were there before 11AM so we were served breakfast. The server we had was excellent she was a former employee of the Coffee Break which was the old restaurant in this location. The place is LOUD. The decor is new and refreshed. There is NO WHEEL CHAIR ACCESS (which surprised me as they just renovated the place. One would think the Town of Clinton would have required it.) I had the Breakfast Wrap with sausage and american cheese. It was good and filling. $7.00 (in May 2026) My companion had the Quinoa Omelette pictured 1/2 eaten ($14.75 in May 2026) which was good. The home fries had a little too much salt but were otherwise excellent. Personally when there is salt actually on the table, I always wonder why the cook just lightly dusts with salt as I can add more. We also ordered a fresh fruit cup which had grapes purple and green, strawberries, and a few hard pieces of honey dew melon. $6.50 (May 2026) In May 2026 the hours are 0700-1430 MON - SAT 0700-1200 SUN ****WARNING**** They stop servicing breakfast items at 11AM They do take credit cards BUT... They used to take it right at the table now, they don't which means you wait to pay. Bad move on the owner's part. There is plenty of free parking. I imagine there will be waits once the summer season gets going so plan to wait (maybe on the weekends)?

This place is amazing, the food so fresh and so good. The service very helpful and accommodating…read more The place is very modern and outside seating near river. Pictures of food will talk for themselves.

Amazing food specials. Great people very reasonably priced food. I stopped by there every time I'm…read morein town.

Old man bartender with the beard gave me a lecture when I tried to order my first drink which was a…read moredouble shot vodka ginger ale, and then refused to serve us. Maybe it's the state of Connecticut since I'm not from here, but I've done a lot of traveling across the states and my go to drink is a vodka ginger ale with a double shot. You pay for the extra shot of alcohol. It's not that you're asking for extra booze in a drink for a cheaper price because a double shot is what you're asking to pay for. I'm a new local to old Saybrook and unfortunately I won't be coming back here. His lecture was that you never ask a bartender for a double shot. In my experience you're asking to pay for 2 drinks or 2 shots in one. Am in the wrong here? This has never happened to me, and again this is my go to drink. Anyways, I won't be coming back here after this. My boyfriend and I came in for a night cap despite being on the younger side of their typical crowd (we're pushing 30). I think there was a strong assumption and we were stereotyped based on looks. Mind you we had just walked in to sit down at the bar and order a single drink. Was disgusted by the treatment we received. I hope this place gets shut down.

Caught happy hour at Nori to try various items. First time but not the last! We had the spicy…read moreedamame & that is a must for everyone! Roasted garlic, onion, spice and a hint of smokiness that suggests it was perhaps on a grill. Do not miss this one! The avocado salad is a generous portion of avocado, sliced delicately thin, and fanned out over mixed greens. It was a nice compliment to the spicy items we had. The tempura sea bass is very lightly battered but oh so crisp, no trace of oil, and enough seasoning to complement, yet not overwhelm, the fish. The dipping sauce is unnecessary but was appreciated. Pork gyoza has a nice sear outside with plenty of filling inside and a tasty sauce. The only roll we had was the spicy tuna. It was tender and mildly spiced. The soothing atmosphere and attentive service elevate the experience. Our amiable server didn't crowd us but didn't leave us waiting either. We appreciated that fine balance.

Self proclaimed "Shoreline's best Japanese restaurant". Says it on their website. My grandmother…read morealways said eat humble pie and avoid putting a bullseye on your back. I guess they like inviting high expectations. To be fair it's old saybrook, not much competition, but Massa in Clinton far exceeds Nori and at much better ambience and pricing. Nori does have a cool vibe and love their spicy edamamme and spicy tuna dumplings. Poke bowl is a hit too. Always thought it was weird to have new american or french entrees on their menu like the Duck. Can get very loud when crowded.

Dinner at Aspen on Friday. Brought friends who had not been. The experience was very good. This…read morerestaurant delivers high quality food and service. Two of us had the Stonington scallops and two of us had the mahi mahi special. We split two deserts- the chocolate mouse and the pistachio ricotta pie. Everything was done well and the service was the perfect pace.

I was sooo excited to have lunch at Aspen today. It's been on my to do list for so long. We were…read moreseated promptly on arrival. They seemed understaffed and it was at least 10 minutes before anyone came over. Our server never introduced herself. (Later looking at the receipt, her name was Cate) She simply walked up with no greeting and just said "what are we drinking?" My wine pour was significantly less than my husband's, which was not a good start especially after having waited. We ordered small plates to start and I wish we stopped there. The seared tuna was great and had both an aioli and a spicy soy based sauce. My husband had the Kobe beef pot stickers and they were tasty, with a nice warm veggie medley in the middle of the plate. The pot stickers could have used a bit more sauce though. When it came time to order entrees, I was fully set on the lobster panini. The server advised me not to order that, and raved about the carbonara, so I ordered that instead. Big mistake. Huge! I wish she just let me order my panini. The carbonara was full of dark meat chicken (gross!!) that tasted gamey, and the sauce was broken. It clearly had too much butter and was not an authentic carbonara. I told our server multiple times that I did not like it. I had separated all the chicken in a pile and ate maybe 1/3 of the pasta. She strangely kept offering to make me the short rib pappardelle instead, which I declined, as I had no interest in that dish. I found it so odd that she picked out a specific dish to offer as a substitute. At least if she offered the lobster panini, it would have made sense since that's what I originally wanted to order, if not for her meddling in my order. My husband ordered a burger cooked medium. It was fully well done. The fries were limp and not crispy. Not a good showing. He wrapped his up to take home, but I did not. Clearly not eating 3/4 of the meal and also not taking it home was a sign of my discontent. I wish I took photo of my plate as I left it. I was pretty offended when she did not remove it from the bill. It's fine, we paid it, but that will be the first and last time we dine at Aspen. We paid our bill as charged, took the cost of my meal out of her tip, and called it a day. This is something I do not often do, but I felt warranted on this occasion, due to the poor food quality and her absolute indifference. We will not be back. Two stars only for the yummy small plates and the very very sweet hostess!!

As with any ownership change, new staff and new (higher) prices…read more Some core menu items are still avail, pizza items made in the new oven seem to be a hit. Can't say I'd overwhelmingly recommend it anymore, but still decent.

My wife and I had dinner at The Hideaway tonight, and unfortunately it was not a good experience. I…read moreordered a burger that was extremely sloppy, with juice running everywhere and soaking some of my fries until they were soggy. My wife ordered the beer-battered chicken fingers, which looked more like oversized sweet-and-sour chicken from a Chinese takeout place. They were overly oily, and not at all what we expected. The food also took quite a while to arrive, even though the restaurant didn't seem particularly busy. To top it off, soda was $3.50 with no free refills, which feels excessive given the overall quality of the meal. Service wasn't bad, but we left very disappointed and won't be returning.

Came here to have a couple drinks with a friend and The bartender was super kind and helpful…read more Parking was easy. Full menu but I didn't try the food. The prices are very fair and the vibe is a bit diver. I'll visit again.

Started out with lemonade water...( more water than lemon). Rootbeer was flat..Buffalo wings were…read moreundercooked..sent back so they added more hot sauce to make them unpalatable. Chicken burger equivalent to McDs. And fries were burnt. Not much to say about the chef. Consequently would not go back or recommend for food...just a bar. Oh and left off the cheese on a cheeseburger!