Food price / quality ratio 8.5. Atmosphere is contemporary, with open dining area, 12 to 14 seat bar seperated by glass from dining area. Four hightop tables in bar area. Attractive, functional, well designed restaurant. Entrees were expensive, but worth the price. Drinks were reasonably priced. We split a "Crispy Artichoke" appetizer. Two artichoke hearts cut in half (four pieces) perfect to share. One of the best appetizers I've ever eaten. I had a sirloin steak, and they allowed me to substitute all of the items that came with it, for all of the items on the menu that came with a different entree. Very accommodating. The wife had a homemade veal ravioli. Also excellent. The presentations were beautiful, and service was excellent! I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

How does this place stay in business? I took my children here for pizza and a pasta dish and the food was terrible. Extremely greasy pizza, practically inedible. Penne was overcooked, and the meat sauce did not taste fresh. I felt sick after eating here. What a waste of money! I've eaten here before with my husband and had a fish dish which was equally as gross. This place is definitely off my list. I would have been better off taking my kids to Heights Pizza. Sole in New Canaan knows how to do Italian way better than this place. read more

Great location and an amazing staff! The food was pretty good but I'm not sure if i was wowed with anything I tried.

The food is good but they over charge me for lunch and drinks. Be very careful with the amount you put and the amount the waiter or waitress puts on your charge! I was not happy with that. read more

Not great and wouldn't come back. Portions were extremely small and nothing special. Service was pretty inattentive. Our personal experience wasn't worth the time or money read more

Came here the other night with a friend for dinner. I recently moved to Norwalk and I got a recommendation for this place from my mom who's cab driver in Denver (a former Stamford resident) told her about it. So, you see why I had to visit. It's a pretty big restaurant on the cute "downtown" block of Darien. There were a couple tables filled when we got there around 6:45 and a few more came over the rest of the evening, though it never totally filled. I was expecting more of a "wine bar" feel with small plates, cheese, wine specials, etc, but Scena is really just an Italian place with a large wine list. Fine. Totally fine. I love Italian. But describing it as a wine bar is a little misleading. We had a bottle of the Nebbiolo Langhe which was very good and started with the brussel sprouts salad. This was delicious. They even nicely split it for us onto 2 plates. For dinner I had the riccotta gnocchi in delicious ragu and my friend had the butternut squash ravioli. Both were pretty good. For dessert we had the nutella crepes, because nutella. They were good, but fairly basic. Will I return? Sure. What would make me more likely to return? Happy hour specials, maybe a cheese selection, and I kind of wish it was slightly less formal/stuffy. But Scena is definitely a solid Italian joint and I recommend you check it out for yourself. read more

I am very surprised to see so more poor reviews for Scena! This is one of my favorite places in the area, we dine here at least once a month. Yes, the service is sometimes a little bit slow, but its nice to not feel rushed! You cannot go wrong with their pasta, all of it is homemade on site. Some menu favorites include the Lamb and Wild Mushroom Cavatelli and the Veal Ravioli. Outdoor dining in the summer time is a nice option. read more

Two couples and we all thoroughly enjoyed our pasta entrees. Will be back again Kim Rowayton read more

I was a little hesitant about Scena - partially because there were no reviews within the previous 6 months, but also because it seemed things could go very well or very poorly. We managed to be somewhere in the middle. The service was excellent, to start, and they have a great wine list as has been mentioned by some others, in addition to a pretty impressive selection of liquor as well. We started with the antipasti mixto, as cured meats are my jam - the salami and proschiutto were excellent, while the goat cheese bruschetta was only pretty good. Not sure what else was involved there, but I would have been down for some grape tomatoes or mozz or something in addition. Jack got the seafood stew, which was excellent, but the rice it came with seemed incongruous - not risotto or paella, just rice - and likely it would have been better with linguini or somesuch. Mom got saffron bolognese, which tasted delicious, but the pasta was overcooked. I got the roasted mushroom app as an entree which was delicious and filling. We skipped dessert, but the Albarino white wine was a great accompaniment. Things, however, did not sit well later, unfortunately. Not sure why or from what, but it seems that has also happened to past customers. Everything tasted great, but it seemed there was always a caveat keeping me from being fully on board. I wouldn't be opposed to coming back for a drink though, for sure. read more

An outstanding octopus appetizer, very good steak tartare, and exceptionally accommodating service (allowing us to have a longish business meeting/dinner on a busy night in a packed restaurant without a prior reservation, just a "can we please" call ahead) all added up to a great experience here last night. As good as the food is, the overall "vibe" is really what puts this place into the "top notch" category in lower Fairfield County. read more

Fat Tuesday Meal, courtesy of Scena in Darien. Tuna Tartar (a special) Shredded Brussel Sprouts salad (Took me totally by surprise) Fettuccini Carbonara Other plates on the table that were also off the charts: Steak Tartar (2 orders) Charred Octopus Rocket Salad Butternut Squash Ravioli Grilled Calamari Drinks included two reds (montepulciano and a super tuscan) and a Blood orange martini). As well as a surprise glass of dessert wine as we paid the bill. Sitting at the bar for hours has its perks! Everything was uniquely prepared and bursting with flavor! We sat at the bar where we were warmed by the brick pizza oven and entertained by the kitchen view where the head chef was hard at work but still conversational. Oh! And of course, dessert. Apple Crisp Hot Chocolate and a Brownie Nutella filled crepes. This is a DON'T MISS! read more

Thank you so much to the staff for the great service, great food, and flexibility with our family. We had small kids who were not feeling well, and they were very helpful. The pasta was great! read more

The star is for the food, not the service. Service deserves a negative rating, really. We took my dad here for Father's Day. The food was mediocre at best. The calamari was rubbery and overcooked, the "spicy sausage" on the pizza wasn't spicy (maybe for the folks who think "super uber mild" is SPICY. The service was abysmal. We called ahead to let them know we were running a few minutes late, and we were only a few minutes late for the reservation. I do understand that things can go a little wrong if understaffed, but the restaurant was by no means crowded, and we waited 20 minutes for water. When we were finally brought water, we were ready to order. We ordered, and when the food came out, one of the orders was completely wrong. My brother ordered crispy calamari, and he received something else. Ok, sometimes people make mistakes, and someone ends up with the wrong dish. They eventually brought the correct dish (the calamari) and the rest of us were halfway through our appetisers. The calamari wasn't worth the wait. It was overcooked and rubbery. The main dishes came and they had to wait for another waiter to clear the dishes from the appetisers. And then my brother's dish was wrong again. And the woman who had brought the dishes out said "You didn't order a main dish?" instead of asking what he'd ordered. They also overcooked the steak as medium instead of rare. This was very unpleasant after having been at work all day so I had to watch people eat while I wait for my food. The steak was alright, but they put a HUGE amount of garlic on it and I had to scrape it all off. My dad asked about 3 people for red pepper flakes for his pizza, and the third time, he actually had to tell the waitress that he'd already asked. The wait was not just someone waiting a few seconds and expecting something to appear immediately, either. As we were eating, one of the waiters came by and said my next drink would be on him (which would have been great if I'd been close to done with the drink but I had barely made it halfway through it, and we were already close to done with our meal). In the end, they brought over a couple desserts on the house, but at that point we all just wanted to go home, so we asked for the desserts to be boxed (they were pretty unimpressive when we tried them at home. If you want tiramisu, the slices in the Grab and Go at Whole Foods Bakery are a million times better). Upon receiving the check, they'd charged us for the wrong dishes for my brother's meal (which would have saved us money) and they'd charged us for two of my drink instead of one. We corrected the check and sent it to be corrected. They did remove the charge for my brother's meal entirely and take off the charge for the second drink, but this was the absolute WORST experience we've had at a restaurant in YEARS. I understand that it is difficult to provide fast service when understaffed, which this particular night they seemed to be understaffed. Whoever makes the schedule should be more careful to make sure that there will be enough people. However, there were more problems than just having a lack of staff during the evening, and it was overall a very unpleasant experience to have such terrible service and not even get a particularly good meal. I would not go here again, nor would I recommend this restaurant to a friend. read more

After reading the reviews I thought I would like this place but I didn't. We went there for lunch. The wine list was exceptional and the staff was good. The food, however, was very off. We ordered a variety of apps and mains. The crispy artichoke app was soggy, the veal meatball app (which I was very much looking forward to) had no flavor and was way under salted, perhaps not salted at all. The eggplant parm app, however, was very nice. The mains were terrible. Although the homemade tagliatelle pasta itself was good,the mushroom and chicken sauce with truffle oil was very blah and came back on me for at least 6 hours. The chicken Milanese had some type of white cream underneath(not pleasing at all), the chicken cutlet was not fresh and the salad was underdressed. Finally, the salmon dish which was over some type of barley was disgusting. The barely tasted old, as if it was made a day or two before and thrown in the fridge. I could taste the refrigerator in the grain. So,I give Scena 3 stars for the wine list and the service. Without those2 things it would get a 1. If you feel compelled to check it out, Go for the wine and maybe order a cheese plate to nosh on but avoid the food. I had a stomach ache all night and there are so many better options close by. read more

Food was a 4 but service was a 2. Maybe I caught them on a bad night or with the wrong server Pasta was fresh and apps were interesting read more

Scena consistently serves some of the best food in Fairfield County. Not only are their pastas excellent, but their veal and seafood are top notch. Great wine list and excellent service. Continues to be our favorite. read more

Amazing food, every time! Especially love the crispy artichoke salad and salmon dish.

Lunch review. Food was OK. Nothing stellar. Service not customer focused. Transactional at best. You ask; you get. No effort in making you feel welcomed, valued or cared for Music too loud. You can do better. You can...skip this one read more

My daughter and I ate dinner there on Monday night. She had been here several times before but it was my first time. We ordered the Brussels Sprouts salad, The Goat Cheese and Beet salad, the Halibut entree (this was a special for the night), the mushroom appetizer (also a special), 1 glass of wine and a sparkling water. Everything was wonderful and we ended up bringing the mushroom appetizer home as we were too full to eat it. The bill came to under $95.00. So much value for under $100! I will absolutely return to this restaurant again and again! read more

The MOST Unpleasant experience: Let me start by saying we had been there before and the food and wine were good, service was spotty. We had a party of 8 and chose it for a friend's birthday celebration. We all arrived within 5 minutes of each other and were promptly seated. Water was poured right away, that was the last "right away" that happened all night. It took over 15 minutes for a server to get to the table, where I had to ask for a wine list. After the list was delivered, it took another 15 minutes for a return trip. I chose two bottles of a red and they arrived, a tasting of each poured separately as is appropriate and then both poured into a decanter, nicely done. That was the last "nicely done" of the night (credit given where credit is due). We ordered another of the same red and a bottle of white the second time, 20 minutes later, no wine, no explanation. I asked to speak to the manager (who, it also happened, was the same server for our table I found out) and was given some lame, fairly argumentative story about the fact that the white was not chilled properly and that's why it was taking so long, when I asked about the red and why IT took so long, he said they didn't want to bring one and not the other. Suggestion: Come to the table, explain that the white we chose was not properly chilled, offer alternatives and bring the red. NONE of that was done! Next some food issues: First off, in our party of 8, none of the food was served at the same time, causing everyone to have to wait, then, One of our party had a main dish of Gnocchi that included NO GNOCCHI...politely called the server over (remember, he was also the manager) and pointed it out, he took it back and gave her another serving...again, including NO GNOCCHI....my dish was served last, I had a ravioli with lobster, it arrived ice cold (remember, served last, clearly it was sitting for quite a while) . I pointed that out and it was immediately taken back and a few minutes later a clearly microwaved burning hot plate arrived back with a now hot version. While it was tasty, it was a terrible set of circumstances, in this day and age, does anyone not know when a plate has been microwaved? A few more bottles of wine later, they did send out a glass of champagne for everyone, on their own and we ended up settling the check with great kerfuffle as the server-manager simply refused to remove the lack of Gnocchi dish from the check which had remained uneaten (the only consideration we actually asked for). The sad part is the chef creates tasty food, the setting is very nice, but the service (or lack of) makes it a very sad experience, especially with three other places, all excellent, within a few steps, this is the last time any of us will choose Scena. read more

Cute place but the service was very rushed, and the waiter was kind of rude making it clear we needed to hurry, which set the tone for our disappointment as soon as we sat down. The linguini vongole was decent, and veal osso buco was good. This restaurant has a great foundation, but there are many flaws in its operation. read more

I had the pasta pesto dish and wife had veal Milanese. The veal was over cooked and pasta was overcome with pesto. The prices show on yelp as $$ but I would definitely say the prices were at least $$$ without the food quality. read more

We came before the rush. It has a nice ambiance but when we walked into this ITALIAN restaurant there was full on salsa/Mexican music? They served stale bread with CANOLA oil instead of real OLIVE oil. That would be fine if it wasn't a fine dining restaurant. We sent the bread back and the guy microwaved it to soften it? Our meals were ok after the rough start. Definitely room to improve. If they want to be fine dining then they shouldn't cut certain important corners. read more

I went here on a weeknight on the early side for my moms birthday dinner. Everything was excellent. The servers were attentive, fabulous wine list with something in every range. Nice BTG selction also. All of our food was great. We had oysters, pasta dishes, a lamb entree, a great caesar salad which wasnt overdressed, everything everyone had was fantastic. The place definitely filled up the longer we were there. Nice atmosphere..this is a good place to go for a special occasion I think, more than just a regular dinner out. read more

Service was exceptional! I went with a party of 5 and found the place to be incredibly handicap accessible for my grandfather. The tuna tar tar appetizer is fabulous with a smear of avocado for dipping. The staff knew the menu inside and out. I had a seafood pan which tasted a lot like a Paella. I enjoyed every second of it. Portions are hardy so try to leave room for dessert! read more

This is one of the best restaurants I have been to on Fairfield County. We sat at the bar and had crispy artichokes which were phenomenal. My husband loved his mussels and my butternut squash soup was smooth and delicious. We each had a pizza which we thoroughly enjoyed but couldn't finish! Neat atmosphere with brick oven and open kitchen. Service was very attentive and friendly. read more

Delicious! Went for lunch on a beautiful day and sat outside. They have a great lunch special menu that includes your choice of an app and entree that most of my table ordered. There was so much food for the price and everyone loved their meals. I got the crab cake and it was very good as well. Waitstaff was friendly and everyone was impressed! read more

We love Scena & go here often. We usually avoid the dinner crowd and take advantage of the $14 prix fixe lunch menu. Yesterday I was there for lunch and had an amazing crunch artichoke salad and the chicken Milanese entree. My friend had the crispy calamari app and the chicken Milanese. The prix fixe lunch portions are generous, and it is often difficult to finish the meal. The wine servings are generous as well, typically a glass is served with the small carafe on the side. You never feel rushed and can have a nice lie surly lunch with friends. The service has always been pleasant, sometimes a bit slow, but the food is always fresh and presented perfectly which makes up for it. The diniing room can get busy, so we usually choose to sit in the bar area, which is separated from the dining area by a half wall with a glass partition. read more

Really good! Service & food outstanding. Excellent wine list & great ambiance. Had the Veal Chop & it was prepared exactly as I requested & delicious to boot. The restaurant was very busy & it probably deserves it. Will definitely return. Highly recommended! read more

I've been here several times, and the food is good (not great). The service is terrible.

I've now been to Scena twice and both times it was a fantastic dining experience. The food is excellent and the staff is very helpful with recommendations. They have an extensive wine list but also offer approximately 15-20 wines by the glass so you have all kinds of choices. While I've never ordered a beer or any other drink, I believe they have a full bar. The menu changes slightly from time to time based on what I noticed and they have daily specials too. We started with the shrimp parmesan appetizer which was delicious and easy to share, and then had the seafood pasta (it was normal fettuccine last night, pappardelle the other time, so these are cool little twists in my opinion that keep a dish fresh). I cannot remember what the dessert was called but it was a nice mixture of some chocolate-like pie with ice cream. All around, brilliant meal that my wife and I both loved. Only two things that aren't ideal, but neither would keep me from going there: First, it is very crowded. They pack in a lot of tables and it is actually kind of difficult to walk between them when people are seated. Second, there is a brick oven that pumps out a lot of heat and our group last night felt it was hot in the restaurant. It was actually nice when people opened the door. Definitely go to this restaurant. It will not disappoint. A couple can each have a glass of wine, an appetizer, entrees, and a dessert for about $100 total so it's not cheap but it's also not outrageous. Compared to nearby places, I think it is better value actually. In case you are not familiar with the area, you can park behind the restaurant in a big lot that can be accessed from both the Post Road and from Leroy. read more

I give Scena a 2 star because of the poor service not because of the food . What happened was the waiter made a snide comment when i asked for change. My intention was to get the correct change to tip 20%,, but when he returned the bill and my extra cash, it was large bills not allowing me to tip 20% but 30%. I find this offensive and I think the owners should know that this how their wait staff are treating the public!!! read more

Dined there earlier this week and the food was still terrific! Had the tagliatelle pasta with broccoli rabe and fennel sausage as an appetizer. My favorite veal Milanese for dinner. Dessert? Surely, you are kidding - no room! Next time! read more

I had a very enjoyable dinner here. I has the scallops and the other guy had the steak. He liked that his was well seasoned and I enjoyed my scallops. Like in many placed every server feels like it is their job to fill the wine glass half way. After declining a refill twice they stopped offering. I would go back to try other things on the menu. read more

Award wining food and wine list! What is great about this restaurant is that there is a little something for everyone..I had the mista salad and the veal ravioli so very yummy! Also the wine list is very reasonable especially since how much the town has grown the past 5 years... Our family visits the restaurant at least once a month.. read more

Went there for lunch yesterday. Service was awful. Waiter never came around and was busy chatting with other help. When we left him $10 15% he sniped "What's the matter...didn't you like the service?" Duh!! At least you got that....which was more than you deserved. Won't be back. read more

Went here yesterday for dinner with my frens . The staff is really good , our server Chris was very friendly. The ambience is good , they do have the patio set up as well. The place was really busy . Coming onto the drinks and food. List is ok , not too huge ... May be they missed giving the wine list to our group as when I read other reviews most of them said about huge list . Anyways the cocktails were good and the server was really helpful in advising which ones are the best according to him . I had champange Presecco , was delicious . The food list is also limited but sufficient and good , avoing confusions . We had crab cake, fried calamari , roasted mushrooms , salmon tartre and crispy artichokes . All the appettizers were delicious . I am not a crab cake fan .. But the one served here is mind blowing. The main reason I wud go back to this place is for the crab cake. The fried calamari here is served with a twist , unlike served anywhere else that I have been so far. It was with a bean curry n was awesome. Entre served were not to great .., there was lot of confusion with dishes goibg back n forth to th kitchen for changes. I had lamb rack which I didnt like . One of the other dish on our table was a seafood platter (dont remember the name, it was in the menu under secondi) that was pretty good. Overall had fun , would go again and just binge on appettizers n sea food platter. Oops I forgot the desert .. Had choco lava cake n panna cota desert which was served with mango ice cream , was very tasty read more

Scena - Fried calamari... Was so different than its served at other places - Italian Near Me - Darien, Connecticut

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Great food, excellent service and nice wine list..A bit upscale, but service is excellent and waiters are friendly with kids.. (They even made my daughter a dish that had been taken off the menu since our previous visit.) Also, it's right next to Darien movie theatre, so if you are trying to catch a dinner and show (or couple of calming glasses of wine before having to watch Disney's latest offering) it is perfect. read more

This was my second time eating here and again I was very pleased. Good service reasonable prices.

Service was attentive and well trained, food was good and the environment was nice and comfortable. The music was a little on the "young" side (i.e Lauryn Hill, Justin Timberlake) a really nice place to sit and have a glass of wine on a beautiful day. I will return. read more