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    Seppia

    4.4 (16 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Rumesh V.

    Great Italian restaurant in the heart of Hampden area. Parking is hard to find here so I recommend getting a paid parking spot across the street. We were here to celebrate my friend's graduation. Host the staff members were very nice. We started with some cocktails which were very good. I stuck to classic smoky old fashioned. Loved it so I got another. They had the charcuterie going on at the table. We kept munching on some cheese, olives etc while we were catching up until the dinner time. For entree I ordered duck raggu. It was very good. Hope the quantity was better. Overall, we had a great time here. Nice ambiance and service.

    Alexis B.

    Seppia is a new restaurant from Ben Lefenfeld and his team from La Cuchara (which sadly has been closed as a result of a kitchen fire for some time). It's right in the heart of the Avenue in Hampden in the space which was formerly the Five and Dime. I checked it out with some friends last weekend and had a good dinner. First off, the space is really stunning. The Five and Dime had its own charm, but I was curious how the team would renovate the space and make it their own. They did a great job. It's beautiful without being over the top and very comfortable. The tile at the downstairs bar is really stunning. And the service was great throughout - something I expected having eaten at La Cuchara multiple times and being wowed by their service. From our server to the food runners, everyone was helpful and friendly. The drinks were great. The front of the menu has a whole section for martinis - dry, dirty, wet, perfect, and reverse. I started with a dry martini, and two of my friends went with their dirty. We were all happy with our choices. Then, with dinner, we moved on to wine, and they have a great wine list. A friend got a glass of a natural Malvasia, while two of us chose a glass of unfiltered Arneis. With wine, martinis, other cocktails, NA selection, and beer, they have everything you might want with your dinner. We shared two dishes from their "Vegetables, Bigger Fish, and Mollusk" section: their green salad (lettuces, basil, mint, 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano, and shallot vinaigrette) and their tuna crudo (with Calabrian chile crunch, fermented chiles, and an orange emulsion). Both of these dishes were very good. The tuna crudo was light and bright and fresh but it was also creative (I eat a lot of crudos and this one didn't bore me or feel like 100 others I've had lately). The salad is a must. You're about to eat plates and plates of pasta. You want this bright and simple salad made from great ingredients. Then we shared four pastas: their bucatini (with basil pistachio pesto, roasted tomato, and Stracciatella); their mafaldine al nero (with saffron mussels, clams, white wine, tarragon, and pecorino); their rabbit agnolotti (with butternut squash, sage, hazelnuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a natural reduction); and their mushroom ravioli (with ricotta, morel mushrooms, cream, ramps, and asparagus). Two were hits and two were just misses for us. The bucatini is simple and delicious (two of us chose it as their favorite), and the mafaldine was great as well - tons of seafood flavor and very bright and delicious (the other two chose this as their favorite). The mushroom ravioli had a filling that we found quite flavorless, and we couldn't find any ramps (unless they'd been put in the filling? but I can't imagine that since we found the filling sort of bland and ramps are anything but). We did enjoy the morels in cream and the asparagus on the dish, but the pasta itself didn't do it for us. The rabbit agnolotti also didn't work for us. The filling of the agnolotti was also a mousse-like texture, which I wouldn't mind except I'm not sure I want my rabbit mousse-d? I didn't taste the rabbit at all, and I found the texture strange for a meat-filled agnolotti. The butternut squash, sage, and jus were fine (I did wonder if they were going for a play on an agrodolce, I didn't find the reduction very balanced), but I wouldn't order this dish again. (One of our group had had it a few weeks before on a prior visit and it had been her favorite that night, so maybe something was a bit off the night we visited). And thankfully we'd saved room for a dessert to share amongst the four of us, because the dessert we ordered was one of my favorite dishes of the night: Sbrisolona (rustic almond-cornmeal tart, rosemary roasted grapes, and mascarpone). The menu description didn't give us much of a heads up that we had ordered something deconstructed, but picture a plate with mascarpone topped with tons of the most delicious roasted grapes, then with shards of crispy tart dough sticking out around the dish. It was simple but absolutely delicious. If you haven't roasted grapes before, run to try it. I didn't love every dish we tried at Seppia last weekend, but I really enjoyed almost everything! And between that and the great service, great drinks, and great vibes, I wholeheartedly recommend you check it soon for dinner!

    Upstairs plants
    Anna S.

    I had the pleasure of trying Seppia for the first time on Sunday and for a place that's only been open for 9 days, I thought it was good. I've heard some critical feedback from other fellow diners which after dining there myself, I can understand a bit, but I think it's all a normal part of a new restaurant just finding its footing. The good: - Service the entire night was fantastic. The server/bartender marked up a menu for gluten free options for me and did his due diligence double checking dishes as we put them in. - The wine list is strong with quite a few by the glass options plus plenty of bottles (50% off bottles $100 or more on Sundays!), with some great natural wine options too. - The interior is gorgeous and HUGE. The bar is massive and there's even more seating upstairs. I think the artwork felt a little disjointed but I'm sure the character of the place will only continue to build as they remain open. - We loved the duck ragu and the pesto pasta. We ordered both with the gluten free fusilli and it was perfectly al dente! The OK-ish: - I really think the menu needs some work. Not even just refining dishes, but the overall formatting. It was difficult to read and even a bit confusing. I think of myself as someone who knows food and there were items I was confused about simply because of how the descriptions were written. Maybe dumb it down a little? - I wish they'd mark items for common dietary restrictions, especially since they already offer GF pasta anyway. - The burrata dish felt unfocused. There were sooo many moving parts and elements to construct yourself. I wish it was just the cheese, pesto, confit tomato, and maybe the garlic. The shallot, anchovies, pepper, and olive tapenade felt unnecessary and overcomplicated. - The seafood pasta was SO salty. We actually sent it back. I ordered it thinking it would come in a white wine sauce but it was actually a squid ink pasta. Again, that menu was confusing to read. Once I bit into it, it was like a salt bomb. The staff was SO sweet and offered to remake it but we ended up ordering the pesto pasta instead which again, was fabulous. Overall, I think Seppia is quickly finding their footing and I can't wait to see how they continue to grow! Go give them a shot and give them some grace.

    Menu
    Randall H.

    (5.21.2026) My first visit to SEPPIA. While roaming the avenue in Hampden I discovered a new place where the Five & Dime used to be (before the COVID). I decided to stop in and have a drink to check out the menu. The cuisine being served is not within my liking but I did appreciate a perfectly made Manhattan with high end taste. I decided to stay and have a second. I ordered a dirty martini and again was not disappointed. The bartenders were very personable and conversed with me. All was nice with one note, be aware of the high-end price on the drinks and they add a 22% gratuity to the end of the check. All that considered, this is a nice place to visit, if you haven't already.

    Wagyu Marubini
    Brandon H.

    Great ambiance, amazing service, decent prices. Management found us a seat at the bar, server was great, owner Jake was amazing. Food was soo good. Definitely coming back!

    Casarecce prosciutto carbonara with English peas, black pepper and pecorino Romano cheese

    Seppia is a true elevated dining experience on The Avenue in Hamden. If you are looking for refined Italian dining uptown, this is an excellent destination. This evening, we started with a charcuterie platter featuring tapenade, pesto, burrata, shallots, sardines, and roasted garlic. For the pasta course, we enjoyed the casarecce prosciutto carbonara with English peas, black pepper, and Pecorino Romano. We then finished the savory courses with a whole roasted branzino served with sautéed spinach, charred red onion, and salmoriglio. Dessert was a refreshing pistachio gelato. We paired dinner with a glass of Italian Cabernet Sauvignon, vintage 2024. Downstairs offers a far more festive atmosphere, centered around an open bar with beautiful seating and a team of seasoned mixologists who truly know their craft. Upstairs, the ambiance shifts to something more intimate and relaxed. Altogether, the aesthetic strikes what I would call a perfect balance of rustic elegance, warm, inviting, and thoughtfully designed from top to bottom. Seppia has successfully brought a bit of Harbor East uptown, conveniently located on The Avenue at Elm Street in Hamden,. Valet parking is available, and for those who prefer not to valet, there is also a large Scan to Park lot just steps away across from The Wine Source. This restaurant gets five stars from me. The menu is outstanding and changes weekly, the service is excellent, and every detail feels impeccable, from the atmosphere to the food. Special thanks to Patrick behind the bar and Austin, one of the managers, for helping make the evening such a pleasure. I'll be back again and again! Damon Downing PS. Friday Saturday and Sunday definitely make a reservation however, if you're a barfly like me, you will not be disappointed.

    Casarecce, Duck Ragù, Porcini Mushrooms, English Peas, Sage, Pecorino Romano

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    2 months ago

    Incredible food, service, and atmosphere. Also best martini I've ever had! Can't wait to go back. This team is in a league of their own.

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    I had an incredible experience at Benny's this weekend. We had a party of 9 for a birthday dinner…read moreand my wife wanted to go to a Mexican restaurant nearby that didn't take reservations. I went an hour early before everyone else was supposed to be there to get on the waitlist, but the wait was until 10 pm!! So I quickly switched gears and called Benny's because I've heard great things about them. The gentlemen who answered the phone was so kind, and was able to squeeze us in on the fly on a Saturday night, and they weren't slow. Got there super early because I was already in the area, and my wife and I decided to have an old fashioned and an espresso martini at the bar while we waited and they were excellent. The ambiance was upscale but still managed to be relaxed and comfortable. We had a lovely dinner, the waiter was busy but was still attentive and patient. Our whole experience was awesome, so we were already going back in the future. Yesterday I realized a mistake on my bank account from the bar charge, so I called around 6 pm and spoke to the same gentlemen as before. He got all my info and promised he'd call back in 5 minutes. I didn't really expect 5 minutes because I know how crazy the dinner rush would be at an Italian restaurant with a Wednesday wine special. Not even 3 minutes later he called back, and explained what happened, fixed it and I got a follow up text immediately letting us know the refund was already in process. Now, I've been in the service industry and I was a bartender, so I understand that I'm going to be a little biased here but from beginning to end Benny's went above and beyond. They clearly appreciate their customers and love their work, it shows.

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    Pasta and meatballs

    Seppia - italian - Updated July 2026

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