ORIGIN: Chef/Owner Jeff Taibe initially opened Taproot in suburban Bethel with wife Steph Sweeney (Owner/Manager), but found a good percent of their innovation-seeking customers travel from Connecticut's shoreline to visit. After they became aware of the availability of a large space restaurant in the city of Norwalk, the restaurant migrated to its present spot. LOCATION: The restaurant is in a lively location, with a movie theater across the street and a convenient parking lot in the back. ATMOSPHERE: The space, which is divided by walls into three dining areas, has a "shabby chic" aesthetic and is lit by tall and wide paned industrial windows. EXPERIENCE: I've visited for brunch and Happy Hour with friends who live or work in Norwalk. Chef Taibe is creative and skillful, and I'm forever impressed by the dishes he serves. As a result, it comes as no surprise that the restaurant was recognized as best in Fairfield County during the Connecticut Restaurant Association's 2023 Crazies award ceremony. (Chef Taibe was finalist for best chef in all of the state the very same year.) The pimento cheese starter topped with Benton ham jam (happy hour/dinner) and smoked brisket hash (brunch) highlight how Chef Jeff Taibe transforms and elevates common menu items into ones that are memorable and crave-inducing. TIPS: Adding to the menu variety, specials are available between 5-9 pm as follows: Tuesdays: Burger plus Beer combo ($18); Wednesdays: Seafood discounts and specials; Thursdays: Smoked Prime Rib ($65); Fridays: Fossil Farm Game specials. It appears that walk ins are always seated in bar dining area, regardless of whether the central dining area appears free. If you rather not sit on a high top bench or stool, a reservation is recommended. The restaurant is also accessible via a back parking lot entrance. read more

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A fantastic find in SONI. Trendy, warm, and welcoming space. Our party of five was seated right away at a great high-top near the bar. Michelle, our server, was excellent--personable, knowledgeable, and attentive. The food was outstanding from start to finish. Highlights included steak tartare, scallop crudo, sardines, and sourdough bread, followed by swordfish, chicken, steak, pasta ragu, and scallops--all delicious. Definitely order the bread!! Amazing experience--we'll definitely be back! read more

Great service, food and ambience. Food highlights were: eel croquettes as a special app and it was delicious; my goat ragu and papardelle entree was fantastic. Excellent drinks: leaf peeper, sangiovese and a port. Go there! read more

The ex Bruxelles is definitely worth a shot. I had high expectations based on the different reads and was pretty happy with the result. The menu is creative and gives a wide array of options for both taste and budget perspectives. It is not often that you have the choice between low $20s and high $40s entrees, allowing you to enjoy the creative food without breaking the bank if you don't feel like it. The burger is a good example, great meat and tasty onions and bacon. I was not convinced by the lamb patty melt, maybe not as glorious as the cauliflower which one of the best if not the best I ever had. This is the signature dish that will drive me back to this place to taste everything else. My only caveat is the wine list; I personally disliked the choices of the wines offered and the lack of appealing European options at a decent price. The Tempranillo could have been it but was not available. The service is reasonably fast after you placed your order, efficient. For a Saturday night, we appreciated the very acceptable noise level despite the full dining room. Definitely added to my bookmarks. read more

Stopped in here for a quick cocktail while waiting for friends and we ended staying for dinner. Great drinks, friendly bartenders and food was what you'd hope for in a modern establishment. Meaning it was a well thought menu and the quality was there. The ambiance was good for a date night and I'll likely go back with my wife. read more

Taproot - Sazerac at the top of the menu? Somebody gets it. - New American Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

I've wanted to stop in here for quite some time. I was not disappointed! This is a very well thought out restaurant -- From the concept, to the interior, the drinks and obviously the delicious food. There are very few farm to table places that wow me with their dishes. These are transformative and artful. The Halibut was the shining star, paired with a beautifully executed Beurre Blanc and a medley of vegetables that are both warm and fresh. The sweet peppery basil was an amazing touch as a garnish. Nothing clashed. The shishitos however did not hit the mark for me. I was hoping to get a bit more flavor in the dish but the yogurt kind of overwhelmed everything else. The yuzu bar was very simple and tasty. Definitely worth a try if you want a GF dessert or something that isn't sickeningly sweet. Lastly, the peacock was delicious. Jamaican rum + coconut washed Campari = a delightfully bittersweet concoction. I would have had a few more but the bartender seemed a bit overwhelmed as it was a busy Saturday so the drink service lacked a bit. This did not affect my amazing experience and I will definitely return next time I'm out in SoNo. The takeaway: This is a must try. There aren't enough people talking about this place! Amazing food and drinks at fair prices. read more

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I can't believe we had this dinner in SoNo tonight - my taste buds are shocked and pleasantly satiated! The food here keeps getting better - our second visit, the first when still operating under Bruxelles name but with this "new" menu. The sourdough can't be missed, the cocktails so posh and the foie with balsamic and strawberries was divine (sorry no photo). The pork skewer was so amazingly tender - little pillows of jowly goodness. Both duck and scallop entrees were the perfect portions, flavor and cook. Dessert was absolutely incredible - almost erupted in a literal fistfight with my husband over the last tasty morsels. This was the best Tuesday in years ... thank you Taproot! read more

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Since covid we've only been doing curbside pick up, so I don't know what it's like inside since the renovation, but I assume it is great like it was before. The new menu from Taproot 2.0 is awesome. A lot of the items are familiar specials from Taproot 1.0. Yes, most are spicy but that's typical of authentic Singaporean food. You could probably ask them to make certain dishes milder (I haven't tried), but there are still plenty of non-spicy tasty dishes like the soya chicken, wings, fried rice and fried sea bass. At least one of these is always in our order. I've tried almost all of the new menu and working my way to actually try everything. From the small plates, the wings, pork/crab dumplings and satay are on our usual order and are not spicy/mild. The Brussels sprouts and tahu goreng are also good from the veggies. The lamb murtabak is great with a curry spice. I enjoy eating it together with the mint and dipping sauce. The lobster mee goreng is my favorite noodle dish, but it is pretty spicy, even for me, but I will power through with a big glass of milk because it is just that delicious. I hope Taproot 2.0 does well because this new menu is something actually different and unique. I imagine the next closest Singaporean restaurant is in NYC so I'm happy to have one right here in my town that makes great food. They deserve to do well. Be an adventurous eater and try something new! We can't wait to actually dine in when covid is over. read more

Went for a special occasion and had a good experience. Menu is unique featuring proteins that would most likely be seen at a zoo: elk, eels, duck, venison, goat. The pork ribs were excellent. Parking was conveniently located in the back. (Taproot is where Barcelona started out.). Drawback was a minimal and uninspiring wine list. There was only one very busy waitress for the entire (though small) dining room. They charge for a basket of bread with dinner, and it's just bread and butter. It turned out to be quite pricey for 4. However, although everyone thought it was "great", I'm not sure it was worth the price. read more

A truly exceptional meal-best duck main dish I've ever had. My husband had black sea bass special, it was wonderful as well. The venison appetizer and scallop were awesome including our cake with ice cream and nut with chocolate in the glass. I truly loved every dish. Absolutely marvelous for all the senses. The service was a little bit slow but everyone was nice. Chelsea, the bartender, was so great. She gave us credit for the drink due to the waiting time. Chris at the front was sweet and helpful. I forgot to give the restaurant the gift card when I paid the bill. Stephanie, the manager, was so kind. She adjusted the bill for us with our gift card. While walking in I saw her at the door smiling at us, it was a great feeling from the start to the end. She also helped her waitress picking up the dishes from our table. Her passion and professionalism was truly top notch. I will definitely be visiting this wonderful restaurant again. read more

OMG! Loved this meal. Came to celebrate a friend's birthday (in a snowstorm) but soooooo worth it! Great craft cocktails Great apps. Great food all around (especially the shrimp and grits and gnocchi and mushrooms!!!). Hats off to the chef. Great service too!! read more

Taproot - Phenomenal! - New American Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

Really unique, hip menu, delicious and a nice vibe. Have been serval times. Everything is great from breads and honey butter to salads burgers and exotic fresh fare. read more

What an incredible place for dinner. Amazing cocktails, unbelievable food, and the service at the bar and table were both top notch. Chef's pairings of flavors is so inventive and unique, this meal is unlike any that I've had anywhere else. We were in with a group and just ordered a bunch of things to share, highly recommended. read more

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Got takeout and everything was so delicious I was sad we ate it all. Waiting for the food didn't seem like much because the drinks were good and the bartender was incredibly friendly. Eagerly waiting for the day we can come back to try more of the menu read more

Went for a brunch, party of four. Friendly and knowledgeable wait staff. We each ordered a different dish - all of my co-diners were very happy, but I ordered the Steak and Eggs which turned out to be the one fail for the table. The meat was a Skirt Steak that was served pre-sliced, but was cut with the grain instead of against it. It was so tough and unchewable that after a couple of bites the remainder stayed on the plate uneaten. I didn't bother complaining, chalking it up to a bad menu pick or someone in the kitchen not paying attention to their plating. After hearing so many good reviews I was personally very disappointed. read more

Dinner reservations, 745, promptly seated. Thats about all the good i can say. Ordered one appetizer and two entrees and a speciality cocktail. The Tuna appetizer soaked in soy sauce and vinegar and sliced paper thin, not worth it at all. The entree (under "big platers") scallops, 3 small scallops for 32 dollars? the Hanger steak, tough that the steak knife could not cut, 2 small slices for 37 dollars. the "legend" drink, almost no alcohol and just a big scotch cube. Service average. I would never recommend this place. The food poor quality at best and smallest portions. read more

Absolutely love Taproot. The Chef has got to be one of the best Chef's in CT and beyond! Lamb Patty melt is incredible. I can work my way up and down that menu all day if I could! Love. Love. Love this place! so happy they're in Norwalk now! Don't walk. Run to this place!!! read more

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Great food and friendly service. Excellent cocktails. Good ambience. Will definitely be back.

This spot is a hidden gem in Bethel. Only ordered from the small plates and everything was delicious and packed with flavor. Will return to try some of their entrees. read more

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Food service and ambiance were all fabulous! The flavors and diversity combined with the creativity made it a party in my mouth and on the table read more

Loved Taproot! Live music, vibe, and food were all perfect! We had a burger that was so good I thought my boyfriend was going to cry. He even went into the kitchen to compliment the chef! LOL Wonderful addition to Sono! read more

Absolutely loved everything here! Kept adding to our orders because everything was so good and damn near went through 3/4 of the menu items. My personal favorites were probably the lamb patty melt and the crab, pork belly fried rice, and the pimento dip. Lamb patty was cooked beautifully and the fried rice was a flavor bomb in a bowl with use of the ginger and scallion combo. That pimento dip came with some killer multi grain that we could get enough of. Had the pleasure of speaking with the chef and discussed his international culinary experiences, which definitely came through on many of the plates. Love how the ingredients are sourced locally but the dishes are instilled with both global and regional flavors. Jeff also has a food truck setup in the lot for lunch. We came back and tried all the items on the menu the next day and definitely recommend checking those out as well. read more

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Taproot in Norwalk, CT, earns a full 5 stars for their incredible burgers - truly a must-try!

The food was delicious, very friendly staff, attentive service, and a great all around feel!

I was HORRIFIED by the service today. The manager was covering the bar and we specifically requested a drink with little ice due to cold sensitivity. They returned our drinks with the same amount of ice. When we asked for a second round with NO ice, it took more than 30mins to get our drinks. We continued to see other patrons get their drinks shortly after placing their orders. The manager intentionally made sure our drinks were made last. We were almost done with our meal by the time we received our drinks. When she finally decided to make our drinks, it could barely fill a small cup. It's disturbing that this woman (shown in the photo) is a manager of this establishment. Business 101 is to provide good customer service and today she failed horribly. read more

Taproot - Drink with no ice - New American Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

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We count ourselves lucky to live so close to such a consistently amazing restaurant. Their menu is always innovating. He uses the best ingredients, usually locally procured or even from his own garden, to make the most incredible dishes. Visually stunning, inventive, and always delicious, Taproot never disappoints. He has made bold choices and challenges people to appreciate even the most common foods in a new way. The way he uses everything in his kitchen, minimizing waste, cooking sustainably, all the while producing fine dining, is inspirational! And no review is complete without talking about Steph's amazing cocktails. She is a genius behind the bar, and knows just what will pair with whatever meal or whatever mood I'm in. Together they have created a place that is a unique combination of a local restaurant with a neighborhood feel but also a Michelin starred dining experience. They have made some memorable nights for us including a few private tasting menu experiences. But they make every date night a special experience. Taproot is one of my favorite restaurants and they're only a few minutes away! read more

Amazing food, service with a smile, and very warm and inviting atmosphere. P.s. in my fifteen years living in Norwalk, this is the first place to serve me a real French style omelette that wasn't over cooked and didn't have the ingredients scrambled into the egg. It was truly an amazing experience. My new favorite brunch place by far. Will be visiting consistently going forward! read more

Tried Taproot for the first time last night by ordering take out. The order was ready when I arrived and the staff was super friendly. Loved the juicy Beef Cheeks Rendang. The meat just melted away and the sauce was perfectly balanced tangy and delicious. Have to come back for a dine in dinner or lunch soon! read more

New menu and I will say very daring. Unusual dishes and different flavors. The food we ordered was good although sounded a lot tastier than it was, but it is worth visiting to try new things. The service was good and reasonably fast. Would I go back? Maybe not because I am a fussy eater and we have an 11 years old and there was nothing for her on the menu. read more

Incredible service. The bartender Chelsea was stellar.... And the food! Wow. Haven't had such tasty bites since Nantucket restaurant week. Totally recommend. read more

Great cocktail & drink spot. High end for the area but prices are the same locally. I haven't eaten here.

Delicious food with a unique menu and options. All of the food was packed with flavor and everything I tried was great. My favorite was the hot oil spicy dumplings. Compared to the food around the area this is DEFINITELY some of the best around. Would recommend. (Pictured: white rice, spicy pork dumplings, and short rib rendang - we got takeout) read more

Taproot - New American Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

I would give 5 to food, service and ambiance. The service is among the best I have ever had. Food was fantastic. I especially loved the short rib. I would definitely come back here again! read more

Our favorite date night spot, bar none - an unpretentious small space with big flavors and an excellent beer selection (especially great curation of local beers). We've made a habit of spending every meaningful celebration here, but now that we're in lockdown, I wish we'd gone more! During COVID, they've offered up great takeout options, including holiday meals, which have been amazing. Favorites include the roast chicken, the pub cheese with bacon jam and the patty melt, but you can't go wrong with anything on this locally sourced, always interesting menu. read more

There has been a staff change, and the newer staff are less friendly and caring. I get that in return for the amazing job on the food and the great reviews they were getting, they must be very busy now, but still, does the new wait staff need to be so arrogant and uncaring about it's customers? They pull faces when we ask about items on the menu or treat us like we are inconveniences to them, for some incomprehensible reason! They also nickel and dime you, i heard from a friend that if you bring in a birthday cake, they want to charge you two dollars per plate just for plating them. Seriously?!! You don't have Birthday cakes available for sale, and when the customer brings their own, you nickel and dime them?!! I am astounded by this very poor service and lack of regard for its customers! We hoped you would be a classy establishment but looks like the greed overtook your good sense! read more

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Really enjoyed the food here. These folks are putting in the effort and it shows. All the cocktails were inventive and tasty. The dish I ordered, I really enjoyed but I can't remember what it was because my wife ordered the Dan-Dan noodles and it was the dinner winner for sure. 100% worth for time and money. I'd like to see them move into a large space, but with as good as the food is it won't be long till that happens. read more

The food was OK not great. However the burger was a solid dish and I would order that again.

We are huge fans of Taproot, and have been getting curbside pickup religiously. This pandemic has me thinking outside the box, so I contacted the restaurant to see if we could arrange a private dinner at our home. SO glad I reached out! From the time that I made the booking, they were professional and a pleasure to deal with. Jeff arrived on time with his sparkling clean, state of the art food trailer, and curated an outstanding 4 course tasting meal for six adults- which we enjoyed [socially distanced] on our back patio. Thank you Jeff and Steph for creating a beautiful and memorable meal for all of us. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the food was tremendous. I look forward to next time... read more

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Craft cocktails at their finest here. Food was amazing - roasted beets and Chinese eggplant were very flavorful. Lamb patty melt was done to perfection. Very well executed! read more

Fantastic little spot. Killer cocktail menu. The service is always great. Chef Taibe always kills it! Definitely check them out!