I had an incredible first lunch at The Charles. I have wanted to go for years, and I have been…read morespecifically eyeing their fish & chips as of late. There wasn't any question going in what I would order. The hostess started things off perfectly and was exceptionally welcoming, setting a relaxing and comfy tone right away. The building has lots of charm. The dining room was beautifully and warmly decorated. They allow the character of the old house to shine. As for the much anticipated fish and chips, they were extremely well executed, and even more delicious. The fries were great, just fairly standard. The other components shined a lot brighter, for example the inclusion of minted peas was extraordinary. The "kitchen sink" remoulade in place of tartar sauce had to be darn good to make up for the omission of the classic, and it was. The coleslaw was also exceptional, creamy but still light. The fish of choice was a cod loin. That was the game changer. I find loin vs filet to make a world of difference. It stays far more moist, has more flavor, and has a much more pleasant texture for me. The breading was light and delicate, too. Every aspect of my experience at The Charles was excellent. I'm extremely anxious to go back. I have heard great things about their salads and appetizers, and they have a beautiful tented front lawn for outdoor dining in the summer I would like to try. Highly, highly recommend a visit. I would say it was one of the busier lunch services I've encountered recently on a weekday, so keep that in mind.

Absolutely divine…read more It has been so long since I've been able to have a crab cake that's gluten free, but at The Charles, their crab cakes are gluten free and lovely. But first, walking into The Charles is a step back into time yet still fresh and intentional. Plenty to look at all around the restaurant. The layout of even the bar is nice with seats by the windows and plenty of TVs playing the games without being disruptive. The building is gorgeous, well kept, and I can see how this restaurant gets packed quickly! But back to the gluten free crab cake. I would have loved some slightly larger chunks of crab, it was the crispy texture on the outside and soft inside that made my heart melt. The cakes sat lightly on an aioli and beside some greens, and each bit was delectable and delicious. Lovely appetizer. I also have the octopus basquaise, and I loved it. The potatoes needed just a smidge more seasoning and were sitting in oil, but I cared not, because it was an oil with Kalamata olives and tart, and how lovely it all was together. The octopus was nicely cooked and tender and not greasy. The potatoes were a lovely vessel, and the aioli was not too overpowering. A delicious fish overall. The service was great, friendly, and you can tell they love their regulars. Everyone was on the move at all times and overall very efficient and kind. Tons of gluten free dishes naturally. I loved coming to The Charles and look forward to coming back later this week to try their actual dishes. But if the entrees are even close to as good as the appetizers, I'm sure it will all be delicious!

The food and view at River are the reasons to go. The service on a moderately-busy Monday (about…read more5-6 outdoor tables were occupied), however, was subpar. Items were forgotten and we waited a long time for things like tea and salads, though our main dishes came out promptly and were warm.

The only reason I give this restaurant 1 star is that the food tasted good. Otherwise I'd give it…read moreZero stars! Here's a list of what went wrong here: 1. I reserved an outdoor table for 4. When I arrived I was told it would be a 45 minute wait. Basically my reservation was useless. The 2 greeters made no attempt to address this whatsoever and didn't care at all. We decided to wait at the bar 2. The bar was not crowded with a couple of bartenders. We placed our order. The bartender looked like she didn't know what she was doing and greeted us with about as little enthusiasm and happiness as possible. (Maybe she was having a bad day). She didn't seem to know how to mix two drinks; a manhattan and a Negroni. She couldn't answer our question about what gin she had at the bar and just told us to ' look' as she pointed behind her. Then it took about 10 minutes for three drinks to arrive; the poorly made Negroni, a Coors light in the bottle (she never asked if I wanted a glass), the wrong glass of white wine that she had to redo with the correct one, then after 5 more minutes the manhattan arrived, also made poorly. She didn't charge us for that drink due to the delay saying she had to wait to get the vermouth. That's an odd excuse from a bartender. I've been a paid bartender, I know what to expect and she was just horrible. I'm sorry but that's a plain fact. If she worked for me I would have fired her on the spot and took over myself. 3. By this time, about 7:50, we were seated at an outside table. The crowd was dying down but our waitress was less than attentive and certainly not prompt. We have dietary allergies that she promptly noted but did nothing about as she said she would check wth the kitchen about of couple of possible choices we had interest in, but never came back to give us the answer. Now being quite impatient, we ordered anyway based on the menu description. One appetizer could not be eaten because of the allergy. We asked for the wine list, that never arrived, and it was 10 minutes until she came back to the table, but we ordered without it. The waitress seemed like she could care less about how we were doing or how she was performing her job. After dinner, ironically, the manager stopped by to ask how everything was, but we quickly said things were OK only because it would have taken too much time to make note of everything that had gone wrong. By now it was after 9 and my reservation was at 7. We had to leave. Suffice it to say, we won't be back. A sad overall experience indeed. I don't expect this restaurant and or management will be around for long as I have no reason to believe we were the only party to endure this horrible dining experience.

One of the best seafood markets I've encountered so far in Connecticut. They have a very large…read moreselection of fish- 4 types of salmon!- as well as shellfish and lobsters. Prices are comparable to other places- seafood tends to be expensive. Staff were courteous and helpful. I arrived shortly after they opened but I can imagine that this place can get crowded- especially around the holidays!

Just came here based on a tip from another Yelper. Had to wait until I got back to Manchester to…read moretry them. Welllll.... the whole bellies are a little small, but the quantity and taste are spot on. I'll do like my mum told me and come back when there is a month with the letter 'R' . I wish they had homemade tartar sauce. They only offer the packs. The service was spot on and really friendly. There is even a fish market right there so I ran over to get some fresh salmon. I'll be back in September... hopefully the bellies have grown up by then (lol)

Max Fish will have something great for any seafood and fish lover. Everything I tried here was…read moregreat, with great dish combinations as well as perfectly cooked fish. We had the sampler to start where every item was either fresh raw seafood or some clever seafood mix. The calamari salad has some great sauce with it and the trio of crudo has some wonderful fish. The Grilled Atlantic Swordfish was perfection. The swordfish was cooked perfectly and it went so well with the romesco. All the sides worked so well together and it is one of the most well put together dishes I've had. I also tried the scallops. The ricotta gnocchi with the Marsala sauce is fantastic and the scallops are cooked perfectly as well. Very rarely do you get a seafood place that knows both how to cook it and how to pair it but Max Fish does so expertly.

The 1 star rating is based on food ONLY. My server Dominic was so kind and attentive along with all…read morethe other staff they all deserve 5/5 stars!! I have been coming to max fish for some time now and between dinner drinks apps and dessert for 2-3 people you average $300 which is fine but recently the past two times I've come here the food just hasn't been as good as before making it not nearly worth almost a Car payment amount. The only item consistently delicious is the buffalo shrimp otherwise everything has been a hit or miss. I got oysters and they tasted a tad funky and I got the seafood pasta dish and it did not have much flavor besides the red pepper flakes, which I put in it. Otherwise it tasted very plain and bland and watery which was disappointing since I was excited for it and for $40. The dessert option brown butter cookie just tasted very bland as well seemed like the cookie packs I buy at the grocery store and make at home.

J. Gilbert's in Glastonbury never fails to deliver a five-star evening. The warm, inviting ambiance…read moresets the perfect mood whether you're celebrating a special occasion, hosting a business dinner, or simply looking for an outstanding meal. The wood-fired steaks are cooked to absolute perfection--tender, rich, and full of incredible smoky flavor. Paired with their signature crab cakes, warm sourdough bread, and top-tier sides like the mac and cheese, every dish hits the mark. The cocktail selection and wine pairings elevate the entire experience.

I think this is the best food I've eaten in CT. I tried a lot of places in my 15 years of visiting…read morethis state and have had some wonderful food, but the flavors and food here are amazing. We gad bread with the smoked butter to start. The smokiness of the butter added good flavor to the sourdough bread. The short rib gnocchi was perfect. Little potato pillows that I couldn't stop eating. The service was wonderful. The server went through the specials and meal service didn't take too long. I highly recommend making a reservation if you plan on eating here

Good food and friendly service…read more Stopped in for lunch earlier today. Bread and butter to start, and ordered an assortment of Balkan items as an appetizer, which came with a traditional bread that was fresh and warm. Various meats were all tasty, as was the slaw. I ordered the assorted seafood and pasta. Wow! Excellent dish. Loaded with seafood and perfectly cooked spaghetti, in a well done red sauce. My wife loved her eggplant parmigiana. Sister-in-law had the salmon and veggies and said the salmon was a bit over-cooked but was really full with flavor. A friend gad a fish dish which she said was really good. Portions were all very large. Clean, comfortable space, with local photos (that were theme appropriate). Server very attentive and eager to please. Cappuccinos -- 3 of them -- looked great and my coffee was hot and quite strong (but I like strong coffee). Nice lunch at a reasonable price.

absolutely phenomenal Italian/balken food. Deff the place to stop if driving from NYC to vermont…read more Cute

Ambience / Overall Feel…read more Beautiful ambience and surprisingly not too busy for a Friday evening. There's plenty of seating, both indoors and on the patio. We decided to stop by on a whim and were really happy we stumbled upon this place. Food The menu is pretty standard, but what we ordered was definitely worth it. We got the dirty wings, which were good and had a nice flavor, although they couldn't be customized. The leg of lamb was the clear winner--sumptuous and served over pita. The tzatziki added a lot of flavor and really brought the dish together. Extra Amenities The staff was very friendly and attentive. They checked on us regularly throughout the meal and made sure we had everything we needed. Overall, a really pleasant find.

Good place with huge patio dining area. I was only there for appetizer and drinks…read more The focaccia bread was delicious. Chicken wings were good size and well prepared. Service very good. I need to return for dinner and full experience for better review.

I came in with a group of 9 and we were seated quickly. In addition to the quick service our food…read morecame out at a decent time. We ordered seafood boil spicy but it could've been spicier. The place is great for seafood boil in Hartford. Would come again.

Worse fried fish ever. How did you get fried fish wrong!!! three small thin pieces, felt like…read morechewing on brown cardboard.

Had takeout a week ago!was so good went there with my daughter,friend and grandson on Friday for…read morelunch!it was amazing! Had the seafood combo 3!delicious!!staff are soo friendly and welcoming!!gave my grandson an ice cream!would definitely recommend to anyone!

Ive been wanting to do this for so long and I picked a place close by to try and I was not…read moreimpressed. The crab cake was a little different more like a mush but tasted really good, Edamame was plain but with salt we fixed it and HOT, the way I like, we also got mozzarella sticks and those were also impressive. With such good appetizers we really thought the seafood boil was going to be as good but we couldn't really eat it, the fish smell coming from the bag made my kid lose her appetite and my husband felt sick all the way home, we got shrimp, kielbasa, a single small lobster tail hard to carve and we think the mini sea scallops were to strong and fishy , i asked the waitress if the corn could be cut because it was whole so she gave us a knife to do it on the table and the knife couldn't even cut the air because it was dull.. I took the food home because I was not going to leave $60+ sitting there. At home I rinse it and the amount of garlic in that soho special sauce was astronomical. The restaurant was clean and the waitress really friendly but the seafood boil was not as good

Celebrated a birthday and the birthday guest picked out Saybrook Fish House. She has many…read morerestrictions with her diet and well I am GF myself. Since they opened up we figured why not give it a try since we haven't been in years! I can say it did not disappoint. Service was excellent. Started off by them bringing a big bowl Of salad for the table. We put in our order and they were very accommodating with our allergies and restrictions. They don't have a GF menu but they are good at checking with the chef or telling you what us GF and isn't. They will also give you a nice plate of fresh fruit at the end . All the entrees are pretty big. And whatever you don't finish , even salad / fruit they will give to go containers. They have the Early Bird Specials during the week and weekend ( listed on website it'll specify days , time and menu) . And I must say after the renovations it looks very nice inside, brighter. It's busy for sure! But everyone was happy!

Happy that they reopened after over a year due to the fire. We only had a drink at the bar since…read morewe popped in on our way home. Surprised at the price of the beers - expensive and underwhelmed by the remodel. Will go back again to support them and sit in the dining room and then update my review.