Love this place! If I owned a bar/restaurant this would be it!…read more Greeted by a charismatic young lady that was extremely helpful and welcoming for a mid week lunch stop off on my way north. I was hooked by the name. Quirky. Perfect for me. The decor is very local. It's plain but upper middle class dive feel. The menu was very ambitious, but delivered. Hot-crispy fries and chips seasoned perfectly. Chicken sando on a great focaccia was a banger. Beverage was a Fuzzy baby duck IPA. Quirky and I couldn't pass it up. Highly recommend!!!

Not a fan of this place. The decor was confusing.....sports, a crooked goat head, big sexy signs…read moreand a few ?? Satanic symbols similar to Baphomet. I just didn't get it. Loved their sours idea of the Cajun spiced chips but they were so excessively spiced they were inedible (your lips and tongued burned awfully) and I love heat (I'm a fan of ghost peppers) and spice. The big sexy sandwich tasted great but left me nauseous all night long making me wonder if something in it was off. It was disappointing. On the other hand they make an excellent expresso martini. As a bar I'd recommend this place but as a restaurant I would not

Fair Haven Oyster Co. absolutely lived up to the hype…read more The restaurant is small, intimate, and has a beautiful deck overlooking the water that makes for the perfect date night. The service was outstanding from the moment we arrived - friendly, attentive, and never overbearing. The food was the real star. I ordered the skate wing which came in a buttery piccata-style sauce with capers and a few blistered tomatoes, and it was honestly some of the best fish pI've ever had. It was perfectly cooked, incredibly tender, and the sauce was so good I wanted to soak up every last drop. They served it bone-in and de-boned it table-side, which I loved. My husband had the whole fried dorade and couldn't stop talking about how good it was. We finished with the pot de crème, which was everything you want in a dessert - rich, silky, and absolutely delicious. From the setting to the service to every bite of food, this was a perfect meal from start to finish. Highly recommend!

We went to Fair Haven Oyster for my birthday. The service was phenomenal and right on the mark--the…read morestaff was incredibly attentive and always there when we needed a drink. The view from the deck was also excellent, and the cocktails themselves were delicious. A lot of the appetizers were very good. The tuna tartare and the mussel curry were both inspired dishes; the mussels in the sauce had great flavor, though the portion sizes overall felt small. The blistered snap peas with preserved lemon were also delicious. That said, for a place with "oyster" in the name, we expected a wider or higher-quality selection, perhaps including some from Canada, rather than the fairly standard options from CT and MA. Unfortunately, the main dishes missed the mark for us and didn't offer enough food. The sea bass was overcooked. the accompanying lima beans weren't cooked all the way through, and the dish lacked depth of flavor. The shrimp main also fell short, with the shrimp having a very odd, mushy bland flavor. To finish, the pot de crème had so much cream and so little actual chocolate that there was almost no chocolate flavor. On a separate note, navigating the QR code menu was pretty obnoxious. Restaurants should really just offer traditional paper menus; people stare at screens all day and come out to engage with each other, not look at a phone again, and constantly have it on the table. While I appreciate Fair Haven Oyster's creative concepts, their tinned fish with pickled sides, and their great starters, the execution on the mains and the portion sizes left something to be desired, especially at these price points. This was probably our sixth time going to Fairhaven Oyster. We've been going over the past few years and my overall takeaway is that I will definitely return for the drinks, the great atmosphere, and some appetizers, but will not be ordering mains.

This place is great. Stumbled across it via the InKind app, and have been back multiple times,…read moreincluding making a special detour via New Haven on our last night before leaving Connecticut. The Ordinary is one of the oldest purpose build bars, with lovely dark gothic wood. A wacky gothic humor and excellent staff, who really care about the clients and the drinks. Good selection of gins. Outstanding cocktails on the list, at fair prices (especially happy hour). Or better yet, ask the expert staff to recommend and invent one for you. The bacon is a thick, crunchy, sugary must. Add it to your burger. And an egg. Get the shishito peppers. And the chocolate chip cookies. And if you're lucky and hungry, the coffin-full of sliders is a delicious bargain (with plenty for the next day).

I've been to Ordinary perhaps 3-4 times. Being a New Haven native, I've been to about every bar,…read morerestaurant, or eatery in the city, and Ordinary has been no exception. First few times I went was during covid, and they were one of the few that allowed folks to just be. They resembled a real speakeasy during lockdown because you had to ring a bell and be let in. My most recent visit was with two of my long time friends on a rainy Wednesday night. We got seated by the "fireplace" and browsed the menu. I landed on a mocktail old fashion, my friend got the bee's knees and we got the big pretzel and the candied bacon. Pretzel was great, old fashion could have been better but the ambience was just what we needed. You really get a feel of old school New Haven being at Ordinary. The staff was great so I'll be back.

Dined here last night with family and friends. We had a great time. The burger was excellent…read more Service was smooth and efficient. We will definitely be back.

Crown 116 was a longtime gem in New Haven, so when I heard that 116 Cocktail Bar by Hachiroku had…read moretaken over the space, I was eager to see how it compared. We stopped by on a Tuesday evening around 6pm, and there was plenty of seating available. We opted to sit at the bar, as we usually do. As far as my first impressions, the space is nice, and I'm happy to share that much of the ambiance from Crown 116 is still there. They've also been open for almost two years so I'm late to the party. They offer a happy hour menu until 7pm. While there weren't too many items that caught our attention, we decided to try the fries and blistered shishito peppers. My friend also ordered the Wagyu nachos. For my drink, I went with the Just Dew It mocktail, and it was my fav part of the dining experience! I always appreciate a cocktail bar that puts some thought into its nonalcoholic options rather than treating it as an afterthought. The atmosphere is soothing and makes for a great place to catch up with a friend, which is what I was doing. My only critique would be the bar stools. They're not comfortable, and considering how much I enjoy sitting at the bar, better seating would be appreciated :). Overall, it was a solid first visit.

Only went for drinks but loved the service a super cute hole in the wall. The atmosphere was almost…read morespeak easy like. Will definitely be back

We waited approximately 25 minutes just to receive our drinks and over 35 minutes for our food. To…read moremake matters worse, several items we ordered were never brought to the table at all. When the food finally arrived, the quality was unacceptable. The jerk chicken was raw, which is a serious food safety concern, and the rice and beans were undercooked. After such a long wait, we expected much better. To be fair, the restaurant did remove the jerk chicken dinners from our bill after we brought the issue to their attention, and that was appreciated. However, it did not make up for the excessive wait times, missing items, and poorly prepared food. Overall, the experience was frustrating and disappointing. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this restaurant based on our visit.

Old Heidelberg is one of my favorite spots in New Haven. Great drinks, great crowd, and always the…read moreperfect place to catch up with friends after a long week. I speak for many students when I say that Mike is a huge part of what makes this place so special. He genuinely cares about the people at the bar, remembers faces, checks in on people, and makes everyone feel welcome. Absolute legend!!!

Great place and cool classic environment. Loved the beer…read moreselection and though the food menu is limited, most of the things we tried were delicious. Fantastic friendly service even on a crowded night.

The food is great, had the Elm Street burger w/ a potato bun!!!…read more Alina took really good car of us - she is awesome

Bambi was incredible, great service and so knowledgeable about the beer selection. She made our…read moreexperience really special!

We've eaten here before so it was a known "great place" to go to celebrate an early Father's Day…read moredinner. I'll try to keep this short: the appetizers, the main courses, the drinks and the service were all exceptional! Not a bad plate in the bunch. Our server, Brendan, was knowledgeable and explained the items we had questions about. The octopus and salad appetizers were tasty and served separately so our table wasn't overcrowded with food and dishes. The main courses (a very large burger, a mushroom and ravioli dish and a spicy porgy and rice offering) were cooked to perfection and looked very enticing on each plate. We had booked for a table in the outdoor garden area which was a little misleading in that our table ended up being in the little alleyway exiting into the street but that was okay as the night was comfortable weather-wise. Dessert was a shared tiramisu served in a ramekin. Thought it might have been a little small for the cost but it was tasty and devoured in very short order. At no point did we feel rushed or forgotten which is no mean feat considering the size of the crowd both inside and out last night. Kudos to the chef and staff for a very enjoyable meal and evening out. Definitely worth a visit, highly recommend this place for ambience, food quality, and attentiveness of service. Stop reading, make a reservation, and just go!

I really don't want to write this review. I've been here twice in the last 4 months. I'm allergic…read moreto seafood and fish and it seems as if so many entrees, including a steak dish, contain seafood. Overall, the food was fine, a bit pretentious but fine. The dining room was so loud esp when the bartenders were shaking drinks as if they were starring with Tom Hanks in "cocktail" We had the pea salad which was very fibrous and chewy (a 10 second Blanche wouldn't hurt) and the burger was tasty but served with frozen French fries, and way too much of them. Considering the style of menu, frozen fries don't belong on the menu. The fish was overcooked and dry. Overall, it's an inconsistent experience. Dinner for 3 was $200 with 1 shared app, 2 burgers and the fish course plus 3 drinks.

Stopped by Spruce Coffee while exploring New Haven and really enjoyed the unique vibe of this…read morelittle coffee shop. It has a cozy, small town, eclectic feel that makes it a fun spot to grab a drink and take a break. I got the maple hojicha latte with oat milk, and I really enjoyed it. The roasted hojicha flavor came through nicely, while the maple added a subtle sweetness without overpowering the tea. I liked that the drink still had the distinctive hojicha flavor rather than tasting like a super-sweet maple latte. Staff is super friendly and patient with me as I took some time to decide on my order. A fun spot to stop if you're looking for something a little different from the usual coffee spots.

Stopped here on a road trip and was blown away by how amazing this cafe is. They have such a…read morecommunity vibe, great drinks, a popcorn machine, and are dog friendly. Strong WiFi also! I got the coconut cold brew and it was chefs kiss - not too sweet.

Between Frank Pepe's and BAR, my friend, a Yale student, prefers the latter, and as a mere tourist,…read moreI deferred the decision to her. Man, so glad I did. We arrived on a Monday around peak dinner time, but there was essentially no wait (apparently uncommon according to my friend -- just a delightful consequence of dining at a college town during the summer). We split a medium pizza (1/2 elote mexican street corn and 1/2 bbq brisket), proving to be more than enough for two plus a more than ample amount of leftovers. Recently, I've gravitated toward thinner pizzas, a far cry from the typical Detroit (foccacia-esque) style pizzas I used to prefer, and BAR's pizza is akin to a flatbread yet very thin, another fallen angel to the GLP's. The undercarriage boasts a brilliant crust, almost cracker-like. However, it should be noted that the pizza is indulgent all the same. The elote pizza is quite possibly the most memorable, unique pizza I've ever had; it arrives almost crimson-red with a generous layer of corn and takis atop. It's still incredibly well balanced despite the hodgepodge of varied toppings. It's hard to pick a favorite between this and the bbq brisket though; while one is incredibly unique the other is simply sumptuous, nothing pedestrian about either of the two. The service is also impeccable, almost rivaling that of southern hospitality. I always thought Californians were friendly but something is in the air every time I visit New Haven. Incredible!

Based on a recommendation, four friends and I visited for an earlier dinner on Cinco de Mayo (yes,…read morewrong type of cuisine, but we were in town and this restaurant was on our list.) BAR is an interesting restaurant: open air, picnic tables, open space, paper plates, no utensils unless you ask for them, etc. We were greeted right away by a less than friendly waiter who seemed peeved we didn't have a drink to order right away. Strike one. After a few minutes, everyone put their drink order in and I asked if the bartender could make me a mojito since it wasn't on the menu. The waiter said yes, so I waited. Then came the mojito. It was the worst "mojito" I've tasted in my life. I'm not one to send a drink back because of an "I don't taste any alcohol" excuse, but this was BAD. It tasted like margarita mix with lime and mint sprigs thrown in. It was absolutely terrible. When I double checked with the waiter if the drink was an original mojito he simply said yes, not "is something wrong with the drink?" or "would you like to send it back?" The drink was so bad I told him I couldn't drink it. He was peeved again. Strike two. I asked for a soft drink instead and the soda was flat (strike 3), but at this point I just needed something to drink... because who wants to have water with their pizza? Then came the time to make a dinner choice. My mission was to try the mashed potato pizza. It was hands down AMAZING!! Mashed potatoes and bacon on a pizza. Yes, please!! This was the only saving grace from my experience. I would return to BAR again if only for that pizza! Two of my friends had the clam pizza and the pepperoni/mushroom. Both enjoyed their own! Warming: New Haven pizza is thin crust. I got two meals out of a small, so if you visit with a group, consider ordering a few small pizzas so you can taste a few. I would've given BAR 4 or 5 stars, but the unpleasant waiter, the "mojito," and the flat sofa made for a trifecta, so I'm giving my visit 3 stars. If I find myself in New Haven again, I'll be back! Hopefully my next update will be 5 stars!