The atmosphere is trendy and romantic, perfect for couples date night. Lots of stairs so be prepared. Sangria with Preseco was light, fruity and crisp but not overly sweet. This place is perfect for sharing and trying new things. We ordered all tapas which included the cauliflower, short rib empanada, duck quesadilla and sautéed shrimp. Our waiter Tom guided us through the menu with recommendations. The blend of flavors was delicious and I'd definitely go back. read more

Pacífico - Short rib empanadas - Latin American Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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I LOOOVE the happy hour deals here, seriously you would be hard-pressed to find better deals elsewhere--and their drinks+food are superb (sangrias, mojitos, fish tacos, oysters, yum). The other day I got oysters for $1.75 a pop at a New York happy hour, ew. Our server today, Chris, was especially excellent: friendly, fast, and funny! (for those vegetarians out there, don't worry they have options too!) read more

Overall a good dining experience. Parking is convenient - we parked at a parking garage across the street - the parking voucher given to us make parking free. We were a party of 7 and ordered a variety of appetizers. The queso fundido, guacamole, and chicken enchilada were winners. The ceviche was a loser. Entrees were fine: the sea bass was a hit, the fish tacos, only so-so, the crab cake, salmon, and calamari were good choices. Our waitperson was friendly and managed our group who arrived at various times capably. The only flaw was being inattentive to presenting red wine to one in our party, spilled it on her dress, and acted as if nothing had happened. There are a lot of good dining choices in New Haven but none of them are truly outstanding. Pacifica is fine choice and we will be back. read more

This place has some hang ups. We came in with a party of 9 during their happy hour. The manager informed us that if we were seated at a table that the happy hour didn't apply to us unless we were seated at the bar. After conceding to the rule We sat with our party upstairs and I ordered the Chilean sea bass. It was supposed to have plantains and there were none to be found. Overall the sea bass was pretty good, but the service was extremely slow and it took our food about 1.5 hours to get to us. Even the drinks took about 30 minutes to make it to our table. Not impressed...likely won't return. Parker Schnable, what say you? read more

My husband and I were seated right away, but that's when it all started. Ordered two drinks. Sat there for about 20 mins. No drinks on our table. My husband was furious. Tell me why our appetizers came out before our drinks. And we had no plates or utensils on our table so we were just waiting there. I tried flagging a waiter down but they were nowhere to be seen. Finally the owner or head boss comes around to check on people, saw we had no forks and instantly gave us some. The food was eh ok. I had the steak with chimichurri. And so did my husband. He hated it. The steak was not medium done, and the sauce had no flavor.I ordered the red sangria. Was not impressed. Honestly, it tasted like someone just threw in some Cabernet and cut up apple slices and that's it. They should pre make the sangria so it's house made!then I ordered a Moscow mule. The bartender didn't even know what that was. Our waitress had to ask me how to spell Moscow mule because the bartender had no clue. It's a pretty popular drink. But whatever. Not coming back here ever! read more

Visited family and friends from out of town in new haven on and their strong recommendation we went there. Rafi was our server and accommodated any menu questions we had and even went to the lengths of explaining ingredients of what we had to eat. Everything was amazing flavors blew in my mouth like a after lent load!!! read more

I was leaving work and a very familiar smell got my attention. Something smoky and tasty was being cooked. It's weird i pass by every day but wasn't until today that It really got my attention, I checked the menu and saw some Peruvian dishes like anticuchos and lomo saltado. Decided to try the anticuchos. Of course they weren't authentic but quite tasty, their ribs are delicious as well. The touch of blue cheese on top is just perfect. read more

The idea of Pacifico is better in theory than in practice. While I love the idea of the a Latin American restaurant downtown and the menu sounds great, Pacifico has let me down time after time. The food is just mediocre flavor wise and the quality varies wildly based on the day. I've had the ropa vieja here a few times with inconsistent preparation of the meat (tough, dry, salty, or flavorless). The service is dismal. Servers leave you waiting, forget to bring your order, or get your order wrong all together. What really took the cake for me was when I left my card at the bar after a Salsa Friday (they have salsa dancing on Friday nights, their only saving grace), when I went back to pick it up they couldn't provide me with a receipt for the one $10 drink I ordered. No big deal. Right? Wrong! Apparently the bartender felt he did such a excellent job on the ONE drink I ordered that he gave himself 100% tip. Really people?! That's called credit card fraud. Lost all respect for them after that. I cringe whenever someone mentions going to Pacifico. You've been warned. read more

Pacífico single Handedly ruined our Valentines Day, and 1 year anniversary. If I could give zero stars, I would. I'm embarrassed to have been the one to choose Pacífico for such a special occasion. It's Vday; I get that it's an easy holiday to make money but from the moment we walked in, we were blatantly treat like dollar signs instead of guests. (They served a fixed menu for the night, one choice of appetizer, "entree" and dessert for $45/person, gratuity included). Let's do this review in parts... First Impressions: It's Valentine's Day. The lighting was BRIGHT for an 8pm dinner and there was no music or deco on the tables. I think some attention to the vibe for the most romantic night of the year probably would have gone along way bc it is a nice restaurant. Seating: We were seated just outside the bathroom *Puke* in an area that has a booth that I'm sure usually has one big table for larger parties but instead they took out the big table and awkwardly inserted 3 two-top tables right next to one other. My boyfriend and I almost introduced ourselves to our neighbors because it felt like we were having dinner together (We could hear their conversation the whole time, and vice versa. Again, there was no music) I was frustrated because just across the room there was an empty area with no guests. They say us on top of each other in a corner presumably to make it easier for our waitress, who was pretty bad at checking on us. Food: Horrendous. For apps my boyfriends order came as a single arepa with a smear of meat on top and I was served a ceviche in a martini glass that came with two chips. Just two. Mildly underwhelming but the flavor was fine. The entree is what was most disappointing. Firstly, it took forever for the entree to come out. The couple that was seated last in our area, were the first to finish because our waitress couldn't remember who ordered what. I suspect our entree went to them first because they ordered the same thing. Nevertheless, when ours finally showed up, my boyfriend sent back his file mignon twice because they could not get the temperature right. My boyfriend likes his meat well, and twice the steak came out practically moo-ing (as shown in the picture). The second time, the manager came out to tell him that they couldn't further cook the steak to his liking, and offered another meal item. Reluctantly, he went with my plate; A Shrimp Ravioli, which came with exactly two raviolis and three shrimp. What is it with this place and their small portion sizes?! His food also arrived with exactly two raviolis and three shrimp so the kitchen was def being stringent about portions. Lastly I had a tres leches which was "dry" for a tres leches and a chocolate cake which was advertised as a raspberry chocolate cake but came as a brick of fudge with two small smears of raspberry drizzle on the plate (also pictured). Drinks: My boyfriend ordered a Jameson & Gingerale that he practically finished in one sip because there was so much ice in his glass (pictured). He ended up ordering another one with no ice this time and it was of course served in a large-ish shot glass. Again, the stringency! I ordered a glass of wine, which came as a "healthy" pour and I was happy. I'm done wasting my breath on this place. We'll never go back again. Period. read more

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Came for brunch on Mother's Day because it was last minute and they still had tables. Hadn't been here in 15 years but prior experience w dinners/drinks was great. Service was super slow, eggs Benedict served cold. My food was not good - couldn't finish. Lackluster cocktail. Can't really imagine coming back. Two stars instead of one because overworked wait staff tried hard. I know restaurants are understaffed now but they need to reduce the number of tables accordingly if they otherwise can't provide their usual level of service. read more

I come here on Friday nights so I can get my salsa dance on. It's free, and DJ Funkshun spins great latin music accompanied by instruments. Not the best space for dancing, but a great atmosphere nonetheless. For drinks, try the raspberry mojito (if you like sweet). I really need to dine here sometime. When I'm dancing, the smell of seafood enters my nostrils, and I imagine it to taste good. read more

Dear Pacifico, If the prices at your restaurant were a few dollars cheaper, I'd give you three stars. But they're not. So, Pacifico, instead of telling people to give you a shot, or, at the very least, saying nothing at all, I am now recommending to my friends that they avoid eating at your restaurant. Aww. Don't cry. I mean, you had to see this coming, right? You must know that you can't charge $25 for a piece of frikking tilapia, of which 50% is completely flavorless. And why, oh why, do you serve it with a potato/artichoke cake and a roasted tomato sauce? I mean, you did taste the dish, right? But, if not, that's okay. You initially had me fooled too! Perhaps it would help if you went back to school and took some English classes. I mean, you seem to know what an empanada is, but do you know what the word "tasting" means? I'm pretty sure it doesn't mean "bring out two pieces of food and charge $8 for it." As for the dessert, it tasted good, but, wow, you are awesome at misleading people! I know it was called a "parfait" but when you describe the dessert as having tres leches cake as a part of it, I actually DO expect to find cake in the dessert, and I don't expect it to be frozen solid and totally indistinguishable from the rest of it. What's that? Yes, I know the service was excellent. But, if a guy in a tuxedo with an English accent serves me a silver platter with a turd on it... well... you know. It's a shame, really. I'll confess that the only reason we even stopped in for dinner is because you were essentially the only restaurant open on July 4th. Which means you did do a phenomenal job of turning an excellent opportunity into a spectacular disappointment. Congrats on that. Unfortunately, next fourth of July I think I'll stay home instead and have a couple of hot dogs, one with yellow mustard and one with brown mustard, and enjoy my "tasting." Sincerely, Jon G. read more

I would have rated it a 5 if it wasn't for the rude azz non smiling hostess. She kills the experience walking in the place.. Management please replace her or have her attitude adjusted. As for the food no complaints every thing we order was delicious "the paella and the guacamole are to die for. A big shout to Mark our waiter. He rocked !! If you are a serious foodie visit Pacifico. read more

I tried this place about a year ago and they had the best Mac 'n Cheese in the world. I was SOO looking forward to it...and they don't have it any more. Bummer. But never fear, we found delicious things on the menu anyway. The lobster quesadillas are actually stuffed with lobster which was nice. I ordered some kind of chipotle-shrimp-scallops ravioli nonsense, and I can sincerely say that this was one of the best dishes I have had in my life. Our table was doing family style dinner and we actually wound up ordering a second plate because it was that damn good. The service was pretty good. It is always nice to be plated before each meal. Our server was nice but not completely well versed on the menu. The inside of the restaurant reminded me of the inside of someone's home. I like it. Gold star. read more

I've been to Pacifico a handful of times and I have to say - it is a fine restaurant to have across the street from my apartment. The price is a little prohibitive for treating it as my personal cafeteria, but it isn't unreasonable, especially with the prix fixe menu at lunch. The atmosphere is sunny, chic, and casually upscale with comfortable seating in a cozy but open space. Service is on the mark, polite and helpful, and nothing gets in the way of your enjoyment of the food. My last time here was during restaurant week, and I thought that in terms of value and proximity to the normal menu, Pacifico did a far better job than most of the other participating restaurants. My friend, who made a point of dining at a different restaurant every day of that week, declared that it was his favorite of the bunch. I started with the ceviche de camaron estilo ecuatoriano, an Ecuadorian shrimp ceviche with tomatoes, cilantro, red onions, avocado, and citrus juices. It was light, zesty, and playful on the tongue, with a spice that lingered after the last bite. The pieces of shrimp were fresh with a wonderfully tight, slightly snappy texture. For my main I chose a dish that I had tried and loved before, the salmon caramelizado. This was a salmon fillet caramelized with panela, served with wilted spinach and wild mushrooms, all in a pool of ginger-chardonnay sauce. The sauce was fantastic - very garlicky with subdued ginger and a touch of creaminess. The sides brought a nice earthiness to the dish. The caramelization on the fish was great, though if you're not into sweet entrees, this might not be your thing. Sadly, I was disappointed that my salmon wasn't cooked quite right because it had been the first time. This piece was a little grainy at the bottom and I didn't end up finishing it. That said, it was a tasty dish and pretty big to boot. Dessert was a passionfruit sorbet, just tart enough and very refreshing. The bland dusty sugar cookie it came with was a throwaway, but it didn't really matter. The restaurant week lunch was, overall, a success. Other meals at Pacifico have been equally impressive. The olive-oil and sun-dried tomato spread with warm crusty bread at the beginning of the meal is worth a visit on its own. Pacifico also has some of the best guacamole I've ever had. It comes with great chips and tastes fresh and kicky and utterly addictive. It's a good appetizer to split, though you might regret just getting one for a table. I would also recommend the camarones y vieras con raviolis de frijol negro, an entree consisting of seared sea scallops and shrimp in a chipotle, honey chardonnay sauce with Monterey Jack and black bean ravioli. Seafood and ravioli is a fat double win. And make sure you save room for dessert. I went once with a group of girls and we all got dessert and ate off each other's plates - there was not a single disappointment in the bunch. If you feel like something light, there's always the sorbet. In addition to the passionfruit, I've also had a kick-ass cassis. Of all the upscale restaurants in New Haven, Pacifico is one of the least intimidating and it delivers quality food with laudable consistency. I would recommend it to anyone. read more

Had dinner at Pacifico last night with my partner in crime. It was a pretty mediocre experience for the price. For the first course, we ordered shrimp tacos and an empanadas tasting. For the main course, she had a yellow fin tuna steak with a plantain/shitake tabbouleh, and I had a crispy whole Mediterranean black sea bass with arugula salad. My assessment: the shrip tacos were nicely presented, but bland, and not at all like tacos. I think the shell was phillo dough. The duck empanada was really tasty, but the steak was not exciting. And there was only 1 of each, for a total of 2, in the "tasting" order. The yellow fin was standard. It was a typical grilled tuna steak, and it was a little dense -- although she did order it cooked medium, and I think a tuna steak is best prepared medium rare. So I guess that comment gets an asterisk. The accompanying tabbouleh was a creative combination of stuff, but not that flavorful. My crispy sea bass was good. It was beautifully presented -- for someone who doesn't mind tearing into something that really looks like a fish, head and tail included. It was well prepared. Crispy but not heavily fried. The greens were fresh, the portion was generous, and it was drizzled with a tasty sweet plantain sauce. For New Haven, this gets a thumbs up. Another positive: my margarita was great. I ordered a classic lime margarita, straight up with Patron, and it was great. No crappy sweet and sour mix involved -- it was simply tequila, cointreau, lime juice and salt, as far as I could tell. Perfect. I think the tab was $120 including 1 drink each, no dessert or coffee. 3 stars may seem a bit harsh following the positive words about the margarita and the sea bass, but in all, the experience was good. Not great. read more

I have been to Pacifico on several occasions, and have enjoyed the food and atmosphere there. While I would like to give this restaurant a higher rating, I found that while the food was certainly good, it was not great -- especially for the prices they are charging. For example, I ordered a skirt steak, which came with rice. My recollection is that it was over twenty-five dollars, and the portion was extremely small for that price. We also ordered Guacamole, which was just O.K. Either the portions need to be increased, or the prices lowered about $8.00 per entree. As for service, that was just O.K. as well. We waited almost fifteen minutes for our drink order to be filled. All-in-all, I might return for some appetizers, but I felt that the focus here was on my wallet, rather than providing an excellent eating experience. read more

I've been a fan of Pacifico for quite some time now. If you are in the mood for some seafood-inspired tapas, Pacifico is the place to be in the New Haven area. First things first: the lobster avocado quesadilla is not messing around. I've tried quite a few meals here, and this is still my go-to food choice and it never disappoints. Comes with a small serving of guacamole and some garlic aoili on it. Yum. The homemade guacamole is also great, and they serve it with a hybrid of kettle chips and tortilla chips. They mash it up right in front of you, which I find only mildly awkward. I haven't tried the entrees, but most of the tapas are pretty reasonably priced and sized. I've found you can split about 3 tapas (at roughly 10-12 a plate) between two people pretty effectively. It's generally pretty seafood-y, but they have a few other choices, like duck quesadillas, which are pretty fabulous. Tip: Half-price bottles of wine on Sundays, under $100.00 I believe. The service can be a little hit-or-miss, and as others have said, the menu can be a little on the pricier side, but I have yet to eat anything hear I didn't enjoy. I will definitely be coming back, especially for half-price wine and amazing lobster avocado quesadillas. read more

Had dinner this past Saturday evening, there were 3 of us. Hands down, the worst meal I have ever had. Two of us ordered the Sliced Filet Mignon, Med-Rare on the Rare side. It came super well done on the extra well done side, tough and no flavor. Our appetizers came way way before our drinks and we ordered drinks before app order. We complained, did not eat the entrees, they were that bad and nothing was offered in compensation or even a simple I am so sorry. I would never go back and will not recommends this place. Do not waste your time. read more

My. GOD!!! Went here for NH's Restaurant Week with some friends and everything- I mean, EVERYTHING was on point! Crab cakes, skirt steak, a lobster-scallop-shrimp dish, and sides were amazing! The color scheme is shocking at first, but you mellow out after a while. I love the seating layout and we got a nice booth/banquet on the 2nd floor. The bar seemed to be busy, so I assume it's good for happy hour/after-work drinks with friends. But it could just as easily be a go-to date spot as well. Service was good, but not special. Although, she did hook us up with guest cards for a complimentary mojito to redeem on our next visit! Not half bad for a taste of the Have! Will definitely be back. read more

Note: this would be 3 stars, but I have a policy of deducting one star for servers taking away an empty plate when others at the table are still eating. It makes others look slow and it is a move designed to rush the dining experience. For the price, reputation and fanfare of this place, it falls short. I had the "whole" sea bass, which was not whole, but fillet, with the head left on the plate. The filets were pan fried and over cooked. They mixed crab croquets with veg, on the same plate. This was not appreciated by the vegetarian that ordered the veg croquets. They were "ok", but nothing I am going to remember by the end of this review. The staff is courteous, but there is constant pressure to get you out of the table, even after the crowd has left and seats are empty. Nice place to try once with friends, but no big deal. read more

I recently ate at Pacifico for the first time last month with a friend and thought it was quite enjoyable! By far some of the best mojitos in the area! The lobster quesadillas were to die for and the guacamole was yummy! The entrees were tasty and portioned appropriately so as not overstuffed. Desert was to die for...definitely have to have desert here! Btw...the presentation of the dishes was exceptional! Chefs made potato and caramel nests...too cute! Waitor service was exceptional! My water glass never reached empty, the waitress gave helpful advice, attention was paid to us throughout the meal, silverware was replaced after each course, the list goes on! My only gripe is that it was slightly pricey! I'm not one to complain about prices or nor did i gag at the prices...but the portions could be slightly larger and i wouldn't mind the prices as much! Even my mojito had a bit much too ice for the price...lol! read more

We have been here twice so far stopping in for dinner before a show. Both times the food and service was excellent. The cocktails were spot on also. I really enjoyed the margarita and my wife loved the New Haven whisky drink. We tried a variety of tapas the shrimp ceviche, fried oysters, fish tacos, arepa, empanada, steak, and they were all excellent. Can't wait for another visit here! read more

Really great food! I had the guacamole which was delicious and their tacos which were equally yummy! Great service as well!

Absolutely worth the money to go here. To start off get some guacamole that is made right in front of you in a stone bowl. Whether you go with the meat or seafood you will not be disappointed. I personally like a dish that is pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon served over mashed potatoes with some sort of wine based sauce on the top. It is absolutely delicious. I also recommend grabbing some margaritas while you are here and enjoy the laid back quiet atmosphere in the heart of downtown new haven. read more

I am a huge fan of Pacifico for several years. I like it for many reasons: 1) The ambience is happy and cheerful. Unlike many restaurants that use uber dim lighting, Pacifico prefers to use natural sunlight as well as warmer lighting. By doing so, diners can have a cozy experience, as if they are dining at home in the warmth of one's own kitchen. 2) Delicious prix-fixe menu. For first course, you have to choose among 6 options. I personally prefer the corn and shrimp soup. It's seasoned perfectly, and not too creamy. Gambas al ajillo is another option that you can consider. For second course, there are 5 options. I've greatly enjoyed the Churrasco a la parilla. If you want something that is more "spanish", then choose the paella. You won't disappoint! 3) A great chance to practice Spanish. Everything on the menu (the names of the dishes) is written in Spanish. This is great since you will get a chance to practice and learn Spanish food names. 4) Happy hour favorite. I've had several networking / happy hour sessions at the bar in the first floor. For dinner, the restaurant opens up the second floor for seating, leaving the first floor (left hand side) for bar / networking /happy hours. This is great, because as a diner, you are promised to the privacy of your table, but as a bar drinker, you have the room and freedom to move around as you wish. read more

A pretty solid choice for Spanish fare, and a bit more casual-feeling than Barcelona or Ibiza. They do seafood really well, and everything seems fresh and light. Some dishes we had were lacking in absolute flavor and holding this back from being a 5 star review, but I'd like to come back again to give it a second try. Service was excellent, as well. read more

I brought a friend here for brunch on a Sunday, although the food here is good, the service was a big upset. We were forgotten about multiple times and the wait for our drinks took 25+ minutes.... our food order took even longer. We ordered small items and we were there longer than 2 hours.... mainly because how long the wait was. I will hopefully try Pacifico again, but my advice is to sit inside so they don't forget about you. read more

This place is the most overpriced place that I have eaten at for a long time. I am not one to cringe on looking at the prices in the menu, but when I see an entree is worth 29/30 bucks, atleast I hope to be full after eating it. The quantities are pathetic, its not even funny. We ordered dessert and the quantities there were even less. I'm all for eating less and being healthy, but I'd like to pay less if I'm eating less too :) The presentation of each and every dish is fantastic though and the service is reasonable. If you have money to burn and like to eat an ok meal, hop on down to Pacifico :) read more

Summary: Food- mediocre Service- very attentive people with varying attitudes Overall- while this place may be fine for New Haven, it really needs to brush up some of its attention to detail (the lime for water was clearly second hand) if it ever wants to compete with food havens like Philly & New York. read more

The quality/price match for this place was terrible. However, my assessment is that they are attempting to match the prices of their original Port Chester location and capitalize on the name of chef Rafael Palomino, which simply cannot be done in New Haven at their sub-par quality especially with a chef that should know better. And by know better I mean this guy has four well-known Nuevo Latino cookbooks, has been a spokesperson for Goya, and received an excellent rating from the New York Times for a restaurant that he previously opened. Find his bio at http://www.pacificony.com/rafael_nh.htm Anyway, We ordered two Pacifico Beers, the Pacifico Empanadas Tasting, Talapia al Sarten con Croquetas de Alcachofa, Atun a la Parrilla and Dulce de Leche Parfait with two coffees and spent about $80. The empanadas were nothing special. The duck was identifiable only by texture and the sauces were pretty standard. They were very small by empanada standards (two bites each) and at two for $8, entirely overpriced and hardly a "tasting." Next time I want empanadas I'll just go down the block to Soul de Cuba. The talapia only had flavor on the single blackened side, once you flipped it, it was bland. The yucca chip it was served with was hardly a feature, and the artichoke, potato and manchego cakes in basil and yellow tomato coulis flavors were good but they just didn't meld with the talapia. And the rosemary sprig garnish simply made no sense. The tuna I had served rare, because yellow fin tends to be too dense otherwise. It was barely seasoned and it actually brought down the fresh flavors of the tabbouleh salad and saffron basil mojito sauce, which was great on its own. Again the flavors just didn't meld. Dessert was definitely the best part of our meal, although my companion and I argued over which parts we liked (he thinks the exact opposite of what I am about to say). I wasn't a huge fan of the parfait itself only because it was too frozen and difficult to eat and the tres leches sponge cake wasn't my cup of tea. But it wasn't wrong. My favorite feature was actually the garnish: the net of crispy caramel with a caramel sauce on it with a bright ripe strawberry and mint sprig on top. (OK, so before we ordered we were arguing over whether to get the creme brulee or this dish and I lost. He was happy though, even though he found the garnish pointless.) Anyway, the flavors didn't meld and for me that's a deal breaker on high-priced food, especially from a chef that should know better. read more

Although it wasn't listed on the drink menu I asked and got the best Mango Jalapeño Margarita. Service is great and atmosphere is friendly and even with a full restaurant you can have a conversation. read more

Pacífico - Latin American Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Bad drinks. Worse service. Bar tender rolled his eyes at me. I've made the mistake of going back once and I won't make it again. Also, since when does a mojito have SOUR MIX in it? FAIL. read more

The drinks are strong and cheap during happy hour. Food was really good but a little pricy. read more

A college student living in New Haven, I had heard about Pacifico a lot but could definitely not afford going on a whim. So when a friend invited me to go, I went, and with extremely high expectations. I was blown away. The place is beautiful and the service was great, very attentive and friendly. My friend decided he was willing to blow a considerable amount of cash on this place, so we got three tapas between the two of us. We got the Pacifico Guacamole, Quesadilla de Langosta y Aguacate (avocado and lobster quesadilla), y Camarones con Coco (jumbo coconut shrimp served on a grilled pineapple). I could have eaten that guacamole as my entire meal, it was so good. And the table-side preparation is a plus. The other two tapas were delicious, but had me extremely worried because we had also ordered an entree each and I didn't know if I could physically fit any more food. As it turns out, when the food is good enough, you WILL eat more, despite being full. My Camarones y Vieras con Ravioli de Langosta (shrimp and scallops with lobster ravioli) was AMAZING. I'm not even a huge seafood person, but this was so delicious I could not stop eating. My friend got a Churrasco a la Parilla (skirt steak) and loved it. I didn't taste it personally because he ordered it medium rare, but I believe him. We were crazy enough to go for dessert after this. The chocolate cake (which was flourless!) was the richest you can be without being overwhelming; completely delicious. That was also gone within minutes. I highly recommend Pacifico, for special occasions (unless you can afford to pay the price regularly). The entire night, we would look at each other and just shake our heads at the amazingness of the food. We still can't understand how every single bite could taste so good. read more

4 stars for drinks- they are really delicious, and 3 stars for food. I've been here a handful of times. The food is ok, the portions aren't large, but the drinks def. make up for it. The choices are excellent. The staff is usually friendly. Haven't gotten anyone rude or slow here. I like the airy atmosphere in here. Very light and relaxing. read more

I came here with a group of co-workers after researching happy hours in New Haven. Our source said that Pacifico boasted free tapas as part of their happy hour. However, when we asked the waiter, he looked at us like we all had three heads. Maybe it was this innocuous inquiry that soured all the service we got at Pacifico (but seriously was it really our fault that no one bothered to change this?!) but we were definitely less than charmed by the waitstaff. This made me really dislike the place altogether. We ended up staying for the full happy hour anyway (4-7pm), in spite of the lack of free tapas and crappy service. Thankfully, the drinks were good and strong. I ordered the passionfruit and strawberry guava mojitos, both of which were delicious and strong. The passionfruit was more tart and tangy, while the strawberry guava was more sweet. Both were very distinct from one another, yet balanced each other out well. The chips and guacamole were decent, but my favorite app of the evening was the tomato shrimp ceviche. Although I was expecting a more traditional ceviche with more emphasis on the flavors of citrus and raw fish, I was actually pleased by Pacifico's take, which reminded me a little bit of a deconstructed shrimp cocktail. The plantain chips provided were both decorative and delicious. All in all, I don't think I'd want to come back to Pacifico because they seemed pissed off at my group the whole time, despite the fact that we were being very polite and giving them fantastic business. There's definitely more welcoming places to get our happy hour fix in New Haven. read more

This isn't a bad place - in fact, it's rather nice for a restaurant, and could pass for a bar too in the first floor. However, for me, it just wasn't memorable food. Happily, they began with free bread, which was nice, and figuratively prevented our party from starving! Ok, in America, a civilized country, no one actually starves... A salad was decent, as was the main dish, a vegetarian paella. Maybe it's because I don't have much experience with paella, but it tasted sort of like a vegetable fried rice, just a tad wetter. A chocolate cake dessert finished off the good meal. Service was agonizingly slow but otherwise fine. Both the first floor bar area and the upstairs seating area can get a little too loud if the restaurant manages to get full. read more

I love Pacifico's menu but their happy hour rules are frustrating, I was at a table next to the bar and didn't qualify for discounted drinks and apps because I was sitting instead of standing. And I'm sure if I had left the table to get a drink and sat back down the waitress would not have been pleased. read more

Can't judge the food ad the gf and I only had dessert and drinks. The vibe was cool and we were on a table close by the bar. She had the flan which I would rate as a 10 out of 10. It was very good. I had the tres leches cake. It was OK unfortunately. With a 5/10 rating in my opinion. Not enough "leche" at the bottom of the cake. read more