Paci, Southport: A Handsome Station Awaiting Its Last Car There is a particular pleasure in dining where travelers once waited. Paci occupies the old Southport train station, and the renovation has been handled with evident respect: the bones of the building are beautiful, and they have been allowed to speak. The setting does much of the work. Metro-North trains glide past the windows, lending the room a gentle, cinematic rhythm, a reminder of arrivals and departures while one lingers happily in between. Service is warm without being cloying. The staff are friendly in the unforced way that suggests genuine hospitality rather than rehearsed script. The food is very good: confident, well executed, and worthy of the room it is served in. One leaves satisfied, and that is no small thing. Half portions are offered, a nice touch. And yet. The furnishings betray the architecture. Apart from two inviting leather alcoves, the dining room seating, and that in the bar as well, has a thin, fragile, flat-pack quality better suited to a first apartment than to a historic landmark. In a space this fine, the chairs feel like an afterthought, and you notice them all evening. That is the paradox of Paci. Nearly every element is in place: the building, the setting, the kitchen, the welcome. What remains is the finishing conviction to furnish the room as seriously as it has been restored. Paci is a very good restaurant with the makings of a great one. Its potential, like the trains outside, is visible from every seat. It simply has not yet arrived. read more

Paci Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Southport, Connecticut

We ate here last to see singer Jay Stollman. Looked at Yelp reviews before we went to help guide us. We were in the bar room where the music was set up. It is bright and airy and filled with regulars-they have a very loyal following. Service was great by Sal and team-water and wine service were top notch. The wine list and menu are great with lots of selections. We started with the meatballs and Peach salad-both were excellent. The entrees were good but could have used some improvement. My Chicken Parm had an unusual taste which I think was the breading for the chicken. The portion was good sized and I took half home., Ny wife had the Grilled Shrimp. It was good but could have used more seasoning. Desserts were great-Apple Crisp and Coconut Cake. Overall a great restaurant. read more

Popped in tonight for dinner, not realizing it was also restaurant week. Every dish was amazing heirloom tomato salad l-outstanding! Followed by Pan Seared Organic Salmon- so delicious and perfectly cooked. Service was attentive but not intrusive. Can't wait for brunch service to be added! We will be back! read more

Only thing that could make this place better is if it were open 7 days a week. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Staff is warm and attentive. Love that the metro north zips by every so often. read more

The food was magnificent! Very elegant restaurant with an extremely friendly atmosphere. The waiter was a professional. The whole team was extremely attentive. Pork chop was medium well per my desired taste and it was dreamy! Parking lot was a bit challenging, but was truly worth it. Family oriented restaurant, with a simple menu that allows to deliver each dish in a timely manner and with just the right temperature. Would highly recommend! read more

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Paci's was an old Train station and it's now a restaurant. The outside still has remnants of the station in its heyday. The inside looks like an super modern Apple Store which was a little disappointing considering they could've kept the historic interior. The food and service were great but it's definitely very overpriced. We went here for a Birthday and spent an average of $150 per person with alcohol included. read more

Paci Restaurant - Outside of Paci's - Italian Near Me - Southport, Connecticut

My wife can I went to Paci because we heard the meatballs were great sorry 3 minuscules meatballs served Luke warm not good good service read more

Love everything about this dining experience. Start in the bar and have a cocktail, then go to your table. The service is top drawer. I usually order the special. We were too full for dessert they brought us biscotti hit out of the oven! Ambiance is lively but not noisy. You can talk and enjoy your friends & family. read more

Excellent service and food! I had the asparagus tortellini- the taste was amazing. The service was attentive and helpful but not overbearing. Thoroughly enjoyed everything about it! read more

These photos are what should have been served. But the photos are of what I grill all the time. We had gone to Pacis in a previous occasion and the food and service was good. That said, on this follow up visit, the result was significantly different. I'm not sure what was going on, but to put it mildly the hostess seemed less than happy to be where she was. We decided on the excellent Oysters again, and with the table bread they always serve, were looking forward to the steaks we ordered. At $65 for their prime aged sirloin, no restaurant can be ambiguous about the quality or the preparation. So I was in the mood for a great steak. Sadly, it was unappealing and undeserving of any compliment. It was in fact terrible. So much so that both of us ate a few bites and stopped. The broccoli and potatoes were cafeteria quality. High School that is. We had ordered it "black & blue" and the chef perhaps doesn't know what that is. They were both overdone inside and had no char at all. In fact they were both dry. Perhaps Paci should stick to Italian creations. I know I should have. In the mean time, I've attached photos of a "black & blue" ribeye I just grilled. I'm available to teach a how-to. Just saying. In the mean-time, I look forward to trying the traditional Italian dishes again on a future occasion. Just not the steak. read more

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Great modern ambience and Italian food. Nice servers who remember you. Lovely hostess.

Another amazing evening. Good food tasty drinks ( live the pomegranate martini!!) and the staff is supper friendlier and attentive. Yes it is a little expensive but we'll worth the treat pence in a while read more

My fiancee picked this place for my birthday and im so glad he did. We did the outdoor seating, and the surrounding area was very quiet. The train going by, the heaters, the music, the surrounding ambience was just so peaceful. The staff was so personal and kind, and the food came out at such a great pace as well. I had the pesto pasta. It had pine nuts, tomatoes, and onion in it and the pasta was cooked to a chewy texture and it was just so perfect. My fiancee had the dry aged pork, it was very delicious and cooked to perfection (medium). We decided to try the ricotta cheese cake as well and it was so fluffy and delicious. They also sang happy birthday to me with a candle and that was really nice I forgot to mention as well, they served bread with a small plate of oil with ricotta spread and it was delicious as well. They are pricey, but that's fine if you are looking fkr a great place for a special date or something like that. For our 3 dishes it came to $73, with tip was paid $85. That's really not that bad for what we paid for. This place deserves more than 3.5 stars on yelp. read more

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I will always be a fan of Paci. There meals are cooked to perfection. Bartenders are friendly and staff is very accommodating. This is very elegant yet busy restaurant, reservations are a must. Ambiance is modern elegant, I think the desgin was very well thought out. The outdoor space looks amazing, never dined outside. The train comes by every so often, great experience doesn't disturb the meal and you certainly don't feel like your off I95. The GM, Julio is very nice he always takes care of me and my family. Roberto, is such an asset to the team his knowledge on wine is extensive. Tell him what flavors you are looking for and he will give you the bottle! A++ to the paci team !!! read more

To save you a lot of reading, I'll just shorten this down to: The service was absolutely horrible. My family and I waited for our food for 2 hours, the waitress was rude, and we ended up leaving without anything in our stomachs. I will be telling friends about this; not in a good way. I wish I could rate this zero stars. read more

Just now waited three hours for food that never came. Ended up having to leave with nothing. Terrible and rude service.

Full disclosure: I didn't pay for my meal, we were seated upstairs for a wedding rehearsal dinner. But, for free food and drink, Paci did a good job. The meatballs were excellent, really, top-notch. They had huge flavor, the sauce was just as I would expect. The bolognese sauce on the homemade pasta was slightly disappointing, maybe because I am not a fan of meat sauces that I don't make myself. The homemade pasta is a novelty to most, for me, it is a regular occurrence in my home, so I don't as much satisfaction for overpriced pasta. Dessert, chocolate lava cake, was good, but really made me miss Chocopologie in Norwalk, which closed a couple of years ago. Anyway, it might be 3 stars if I have to pay $100 for what I described, but 4 because it was free for me! read more

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I found this place a couple months ago after getting off the train from work in Southport one evening. When I asked the hostess (a woman possibly in 50's/60's) if I could wait by the stand inside for my colleague to pick me up (it was snowing), she rudely said it was not allowed. I realize that fire codes may not allow that and they may get that often, but there's a way of communicating that professionally. I waited outside. I still decided to try the place out and went this past Thursday and had a reservation for 2 for 9pm. The restaurant was not packed nor particularly busy. We walked in and to the hostess stand and watched several employees walk by us without even acknowledging us. One of them turned out to be a hostess. After about 4-5 minutes I got a waiters attention and we were seated. Food was fine but nothing spectacular, especially for the prices. The young man that was our waiter was lovely. Unfortunately, he was the best of the restaurant. If the overall environment was welcoming I would probably forgive the food and prices, but unfortunately 2 stars for 2 experiences that were "meh". read more

The service was EXCELLENT.... but that was about the only good thing. The food was just so sub par nothing special. The burrata was tiny and standard flavor to everywhere else. My friends steak tips were over done and my pasta al amatriciana was fine... it wasn't super flavorful just had the taste of bacon... all in all even though the service was phenomenal I probably wouldn't go back unless they upped their game in the food department. read more

Oxtail soup was a great starter. Also, the beet salad was fantastic. Pork chops cook perfectly with a beautiful demi glaze. The deserts were excellent, especially the salted Carmel ice cream. I have not had one bad experience here. read more

Excellent restaurant that is well known for its pasta dishes. I enjoyed an outstanding spicy shrimp and pasta dish as the main dish with heirloom tomatoes as an appetizer. Highly recommend the fresh berries for dessert. Very attentive wait staff. read more

Paci Restaurant - Fresh berries with whipped cream - Italian Near Me - Southport, Connecticut

My wife and I walked in this restaurant last night around 6pm as we stepped off the Southport train station on our way from NYC and waited for an Uber. We were excitedly curious to discover a new local restaurant. I quickly made conversation with a late 50s early 60s woman who appeared to be one of the hostesses/managers and approached us as we walked in. As she discovered that we had no reservation, rather than perhaps suggesting we have a drink at the bar while waiting for our Uber, she actually motioned us to the door unequivocally suggesting we leave! Let's forget about a lack of business sense altogether, I just cannot think of a more rude individual. My suggestion to this restaurant's owner: get rid of her! She has no place being in the hospitality industry and she is hurting your business. She should remember what her paycheck depends on... no clients = no money. read more

This is a unique and special place in the Southport train station. The windows give the illusion that one is in or on the MetroNorth line but some how, in spite of the trains coming and going swiftly past your window, you don't feel it. Well, perhaps it was the wine? Anyway, it all feels so metropolitan with the cathedral ceilings, exposed original train station brick, and the arching gleaming trusses. But it is also intimate and relaxing. I suggest a banquet seat next to the window. Attentive well versed staff with out the typical stiffness of better dining. We were warmly greeted, seated, candles lit, and promptly walked through the impressive yet approachable wine list. Predominantly regionally Italian wines of course. I enjoyed a crisp Le Masche Chardonnay which is what I was told, after 3 other white tastings, this is the proprietor's favorite. Hummm. If you love very hot, order the pan fried long hots peppers w anchovies, garlic & olive oil to accompany the fresh loaf. The meatballs apparently have been infamous for 18 years running; my husband loved them despite the raisins. Yes, that's what I wrote. But do a little research on the Moroccan influence on Sicilian cooking and well, you'll get it. The seared scallops were perfect but I was nonplussed by the cubed jicama, beside textural complexity, it lent nothing to the dish. They offer a traditional bone in veal Milanese over arugula; No one prepares this in the traditional style! So I inquired as to wether the chef would make it with chicken but it was not to be. So, I had the blanco lasagne with mushrooms. Overly rich with the lasagne bathed in luxuriant buttery truffle oil. I don't suggest it. But the Long Island duck breast perfectly seared, a tad less than medium, with the cherry reduction was beautifully presented. Rich duck w the tang of cherry is the perfect marriage. Many locally may come often as if it's no big deal. However, I remain of the mindset that the dining experience is special and the food rich, well prepared, and the atmosphere pleasurable which is best reserved for special evenings. read more

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Went 8/15/21. It was very expensive and just awful. My SIL ordered the lamb chop medium rare and it came out well done. My daughter and I had the shrimp and pasta dish. It was drowning in sauce-just too much. The pasta was mushy and stuck together. We both literally had two bites and did not have our entre at all. I ordered dessert which I usually don't order, but I was hungry. The coconut cake was good. The wine list was not impressive and it's expensive-especially when it's inedible. read more

Good food ambience and selection of wines.service is excellent . Quality of food and is very good . Would recommend to go there again. NYC vibe to it . read more

Food: outstanding Personal service for the hype : amateur Will do takeout next time! read more

Second time back to Paci last night. In 1 word, disappointing was the consensus of our group of 7! Our waiter was terrific but the food lacked flavor and continuity. We started with several orders of the crispy artichokes which was an extremely small portion for an appetizer and tasty if not overwhelming. For entrees, our group had the pasta dish with the linguini & shrimp, strozzapreti pasta with rabbit, salmon and rigatoni bolognese. Here were the group comments: Linguini: overcooked shrimp Rabbit dish: uninspired, rabbit was ground (?) not shredded, underseasoned, missing cheese as advertised. Sent back and returned with a very small portion of cheese added. Bolognese: tasty but a very small portion. We finished with desserts. Chocolate molton cake (very good); chocolate cake with added ice cream (smallest scoop of ice cream ever!!) and the coconut cake (was not a cake at all, lacked sweetness and was not a well constructed dessert) For the price point, the entire experience was a disappointment! read more

Went to Paci's for the first (and last) time tonight. After making a reservation earlier in the week, my party of four arrived only to find our name wasn't in the reservation book. After showing them my phone log to prove I had, in fact, spoken to someone from the restaurant about the reservation, they accommodated us by throwing us at the table right near the kitchen. This wasn't ideal, but the place was so packed and it appeared to be the only table left in place, so we took it. The night started out ok. Our server was over immediately to take our drink order and our apps came out quickly. However, we literally sat for well over an hour and fifteen minutes just to get our main course. We watched several tables around us be seated after us yet be served before us. After over an hour of waiting, we called our waiter over to see if they had forgotten about us. He assured us that they had not, and that our meals were coming out momentarily. 15 minutes later, we still did not have our food. We ordered another drink, and they did not come until we had to remind the waiter that we ordered them. As he got our drinks, he, once again told us that the food was on the way. So after almost an hour and a half, our meal's finally came out. Not surprising, they were all lukewarm as the food had undoubtedly sat in the kitchen for awhile, before being served. The food was acceptable, but nothing to write home about. After eating the meals, we declined dessert as we had been sitting at the table for well over two and a half hours. Although the waiter apologized, we were never offered a drink, a dessert or anything to make up for the terrible service. I realize it was a packed restaurant and that the kitchen was backed up, but if I were the waiter, I would have personally been mortified and would have done something to make up for it. Despite this terrible experience, we were cordial and still tipped 20%, but I can honestly say that I would never go back to Paci, or recommend it to anyone. We walked in the place at 7:50 and left almost three hours later. Unacceptable. read more

Paci has undergone a major renovation. The bar area appears to have tripled in size. It looks like an Apple Store! The dining area remains the same size. The atmosphere is quiet and upscale. Overall, we were disappointed. The menu has changed slightly, prices are high, and food was disappointing. I ordered cavatelli in a ragu which was served in an extremely shallow bowl. It lacked depth of flavor--quality was that of a pizza restaurant. Service is excellent with professional servers. We'll go back, but we sit in the bar area. Dunks and apps only! read more

Had our first visit to Paci last Saturday. It was wonderful! Unique environment, friendly staff, great service, amazing food and drinks. Will definitely go back. read more

Good food-terrible service past 2 visits. My wife and I sat at a table in the bar area. The waiter took forever to even come to the table and when he did he didn't say a word to us--just dropped the menus on the table. We ordered two drinks (one was a glass of wine) and these took forever as well even though the restaurant wasn't crowded. We like the restaurant, but Paci really needs to bump up its service in the bar dining area. read more

We went on a Saturday night and the fire alarm went off, which took 20 minutes to fix. The owner asked us to stick around, which we did, but there was no offer of a discount on our meals even with the wailing noise. Decent food but over-priced read more

This was our second visit and this time our table was in the bar area, noisy, bright white, didn't look upscale. We got water right away. We watched hostess going back and forth but not looking at anything. We waited a rediculously long time for a waiter to appear. He didn't seem very happy. Appetizers came out immediately. We shared four appetizers, the one worth mentioning was the spicy Italian grilled peppers with cheese and olives. We like spice or we wouldn't have ordered them, but they were inedible. Now speaking of bad service, my friend and I ordered the scallops with saffron risotto to share. The server brought it on one plate. How were we to eat it? I asked him to have it split into two portions. He rudely said that was impossible! I insisted and it came back in two lovely plates. All in all, not what I expect at this price point. read more

Here's another example of an ego maniac turned chef turned restaurant owner taking himself way too seriously. Anyone can prepare and produce a traditional pasta dish and lay out a steak if they do it enough times. The flavors and quality of the food don't justify the cost. If you think so you'll just be fooling yourself. The only justifiers are the location $$$ and the ambient layout. Paci is just another basic restaurant/ eatery in a high end neighborhood. The owner couldn't pull off fooling people in any other neighborhood. But people who live in southport, Westport, Greenwich, etc like to be over charged even if the quality of the food is sub par. So Bob Pacin has every idiot fooled. read more

Paci Restaurant provides one of the finest, most elegant dining experiences in Fairfield County. The beautiful outdoor patio area allows for safe and appropriate social distancing during the COVID crisis. Like most people, we have been very reluctant to explore local, indoor dining options, but the staff at Paci is taking every precaution necessary to ensure a safe and relaxing experience. Last night we had dinner in the chic, modern, spacious bar area and truly felt like we were in a cool NYC restaurant. The space is large yet intimate and romantic. This is absolutely one of the coolest restaurants in Fairfield County - a beautifully renovated freight depot at the Southport train station. Our personal favorite dishes include Rosie's meatballs, Chicken Scarpariello (highly recommend), lamb chops and, of course, the incredible chocolate coconut cake (not to be missed). Beautiful ambience, delicious food and wonderful service. Highly recommend! read more

Paci in Southport CT is by far the best restaurant in Fairfield County. I have eaten at almost every restaurant in the area and Paci never disappoints. The service is great, the wait staff is friendly and the owners Donna and Bob are always on hand to be sure every thing is running smoothly. Tonight I had the most amazing tuna crudo appetizer and salmon with polenta and shaved Brussel sprouts beyond delicious. The menu is always changing so as often as we eat there we always find something new and different to try. For dessert Donna kindly sent the coconut cake made by her husband Bob that was so fresh and delicious that not a morsel was left. People go enjoy a wonderful dinner. Paci never disappoints. Lisa G. Westport, CT read more

We love Paci, and the kitchen staff is so friendly... everyone is always warm and welcoming. The food is excellent. Some of our favourites dishes are the linguine with shrimp, any of the fish preparations and the veal Milanese is second to none. The chocolate lava cake or any of the desserts including the gelatos are wonderful. Paci is a beautiful space, offering the finest quality along with the sense that you are living in an affluent area. The last time we were there it was just us and Anne Hathaway. I tried to pretend I didn't know who she was.. I think it was effective. I was more interested in my fettuccine, albeit it was fun to see her. Paci is a five start treat, great for parties and small gatherings. read more

The food was really good! I was actually surprised how empty it was for Valentine's Day but we went early. The food was incredibility delicious! Dessert was excellent as well. Service was great as well! read more

Paci Restaurant - Dessert... soooo good! - Italian Near Me - Southport, Connecticut

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Paci is more expensive than most area restaurants, but it's worth it for a special occasion or a romantic date (or to be a regular if you're lucky!). Food: The best meal we've gotten was a steak special with asparagus and mashed potatoes - each part of the meal was cooked and seasoned perfectly and was huge enough that we shared it and felt satisfied. Great wine - ask for recommendations from the knowledgeable bartenders. Dessert: delicious ricotta cheesecake with blueberry sauce, and the dessert wines by the glass (one red which I prefer and one white) are great too - especially paired with the Chocopologie truffles! Caution: a pasta dish with tomato and eggplant was not very good - I would stick with meat and fish dishes. Decor: so so cozy and elegant - right at the Southport train station - a brick building with white lights outlining the roof. The only place we've eaten inside is the bar area - we love the smaller scale and intimacy compared to the very open main dining area (again, we're fans of eating at the bar!). Light wood, brick, warm lighting, a beautifully lit bar, windows to see the trains go by - it's all very romantic, with classic Sinatra playing in the background. This is a place to come to feel pampered, relaxed, and thoughtfully taken care of. read more

The atmosphere of the restaurant is great. The service is very good. They have a great wine selection. I ordered the swordfish and it was very good. If you have never bern to this restaurant, it is a little hidden, it's behind the post office. The remodel is very nice. I highly recommend visiting if you're in the area read more