Ok we loved this place. Went for an early dinner after a day of meetings. The ambience is lovely. On the waterfront in cute Westport. Service was excellent. They had a variety of unusual cocktails. We started with the deviled eggs with a fried oyster on top. Omg. It is delicious. We ordered a side of carrots and they were beautifully cooked. The squid ink chorizo and shrimp pasta was so delicious. We stayed a lot longer than we planned. Great spot. read more

See all

If you're looking for an elegant seafood spot in Westport, the Whelk was a great spot we recently checked out! All the seafood was fresh! The interior is very clean and sophisticated with bright lighting. I felt the risotto was a little too heavy on the acidity but the scallops were cooked perfectly and paired well with the risotto! Our server was very nice as well! read more

See all

The food was excellent. Fresh oysters, delicious trout, and a great dessert. The service was attentive and kind, and the view was beautiful, especially at night. The ambiance is theoretically lovely, but the pacing and table turnover were rough. Multiple tables lingered long after finishing their meals, and the noise level got extremely loud, overwhelming the dining room. If you're sensitive to noise or prefer a more relaxed experience, it's definitely better to go on a weeknight, because weekends get rowdy and congested. read more

The Whelk - Patio area - Seafood Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

See all

Hadn't been here for 5 years or so, went for brunch. Food: Okay, but for price you can do way better, We had crab cakes (decent), chicken sandwich, fish sandwich (very good), burrata (Riko's is better), French toast (blah). Nothing that stood out in my mind. I do recall delicious local vegetables, carrots, etc when they first opened, now it's a side of store bought cabbage? Forgot what else we ate, but sampled plenty. we skipped the $4.25? oysters since we were at the source in Rhode Island for $2.50 oysters last w/e. I did see $1.50 happy hour which is interesting. My wife said Chick-fil-A has a better fried chicken sandwich. She did not feel well after the lunch and my 5 year old had straight diarrhea. Too much duck fat in the pan. Ambience: 5-Star - Jerry playing, cool on a lukewarm day, excellent. Good place for drinks after work or to chill with a friend at the bar (eat beforehand). Staff: Excellent: attentive and friendly, sad they have to deliver the owner's signature Zinger at the end after working so hard "The Owner's Zinger": 4% for the 'Kitchen' And now I remember why we had stayed away, other than the duck fat. I recall it used to be 'one for the kitchen', but now it's four for the kitchen with a note not to take it out of the tip. I kindly asked them to remove it from the bill which prompted a table visit from the manager who tried to explain the economics of charging the fee so they did not need to increase the price of the food, brilliant. Seems more appropriate to be described as a guaranteed extra for the owner, hanging your waitress out to dry. They did remove it and I was happy to give a full tip to our excellent waitress. Would have paid the it in any case, but I wanted to hear the profound explanation. $350 brunch, won't be back until I forget in about 5 years. Still felt cheap after the wallet flush and the visit from the manager, next time I will smile and order another drink (the four for the kitchen applies to the discounted food, not drinks). I guess they'll have a business as long as new people move into Westport. Next time back to the Black Duck, a reliable favorite. If new to Westport, try The Bridge or Kawa Ni, Bartaco for more casual. Insider tip: ask about the duck fat in the pan read more

To the Owner of The Whelk, The owner's ego must be as thin as his margins. Connecticut is one of the few states in the U.S. that follows a two-party consent law regarding the recording of conversations. This carries significant implications, as unauthorized recordings may be inadmissible in court and could even result in criminal liability. The next time you decide to ask a loyal customer to leave your restaurant after pointing a finger in his spouse's face and making a nine-year-old child cry, please think twice. Forgive me for wanting a warm meal served at the same time as my family's--especially at the prices you charge. Shame on you. How dare you threaten a customer by claiming you recorded a conversation. Future patrons, beware. If you continue to have success, good for you. But I sincerely hope you take time to reflect on how you treat your customers. I neither raised my voice nor caused a scene. Please, by all means, share the recording you claim to have--I conducted myself as a gentleman. I am not unreasonable. When a dish is described one way and clarified with a waiter, we expect it to be served accordingly. You, however, chose to stick your finger in my wife's face after serving a spicy lobster canapé to a child--after extensive questioning when we were told it would not be spicy. We didn't accuse or demand anything; we simply wanted our meals served warm and at the same time. Please live with the fact that an innocent little girl was frightened by you and left in tears. Shame on you again. Perhaps your margins are thin, but your grace and judgment were thinner that evening. Good luck to you. read more

My only regret was that it's taken so long to come here. Why?! Don Memo and Kawa Ni are the best restaurants in the area why not go in for Whelk? We feared there wouldn't be much for non-adventurous kids. Well it was gosh darn delish. And 1/2 kids loved it so there. Sauces and attention to produce and ingredients are superb. Staff were extremely polite and accommodating. One thing wasn't entered into the computer right and they comped us and still brought it out. Way to recover. Good size portions. Expert mixing and matching of textures. And a cool easy breezy ambiance. Stars were Foie special, calamari, pasta, halibut, mushrooms, broccoli, peas, fresh fresh fresh. Effervescent presentation and performance. Come now and often. read more

Nice dinner spot next ot the train. Easy menu for seafood lovers. Great cocktails and amenable service. We had a stroller at a time we likely shouldn't have and they still accomodated us. Clean and neat interior. read more

Some of the dishes are excellent, but heavy on the salt. When in doubt, add bacon. Waaay overpriced. Otherwise, might have given 4 stars. But compared to comparably-priced venues, this one is way below the norm. read more

We were so happy to grab a spot at the bar for an impromptu date night tonight and were thrilled to meet the incredible bartender Nico who made the most amazing cocktails. We've always loved The Whelk but it's a gift to have such exceptional service AND amazing drinks, thank you Nico! read more

See all

I attended a dinner here for 16 people. The service was great, the food was great, particularly the whole trout and the apps. I'll definitely be returning to check out more of the menu. read more

Not as good as it once was. This used to be our favorite local spot. But not so sure after dinner last night. Had this place jumped the shark? Took 10 minutes to order a drink. Cmon, guys. Has to ask the busboy to flag our waitress. Afraid so. The meal was just ok. Oysters were tasty and the beet salad was good. But neither of those menu items are high art. The seafood stew was disappointing. It's not a stew. It's not a cioppino. It was some overcooked fish in some underseasoned tomato water with HALF a garlic clove in it. A disappointment. I will probably go back again but with some hesitation for the moment. Or..,I'll just go to one of the many other fine options in Westport. read more

Came here for a light early dinner. We had the place to ourselves. Nicole was our server she was awesome. They have a happy hour , kind of limited but you can find something on there. We ordered a half dozen oysters . Happy hour special $1.50 each . Right behind were the roasted oysters and crab toast. I wish the portions were bigger for both . Lol the kimchi butter on those oysters soooo bomb! Crab toast was so good too. Last on the spread we ordered the deviled eggs/fried oysters. Those were great too. Overall we had a great experience. Gonna try the pasta on my return date. read more

See all

Ate here with a group of friends, first time back after change of management. Don't care for menu changes, staff sub par, bring back the originals The Whelk was known for! read more

Happily returned guests to the Whelk and will again! The quality of the fish, in my case the king salmon, was very evident. I would argue it was the best piece of salmon I've ever had. Wonderfully prepared with just enough seasoning to add depth while allowing the taste of the fish to shine as the star. read more

Went last night. Server would not let us order appetizers without a complete order. Okay... If that's the case, the meal should be nicely paced, right? Nope. Got oysters, and other apps all piled on top of each other. Now I just feel like I was rushed through a nearly $300 dinner in about an hour. That said, food was excellent. read more

We made reservations for outdoor dining on a Friday night. Indoors were packed and the outside area was also pretty full. They have heat lamps spread out, so on a colder night it is not too bad, but you should still dress warmly. Our waiter was very attentive and enthusiastic about everything we ordered. We started with cocktails and a dozen oysters (local and Massachusetts). The oysters were well shucked and clean and come with 3 different mignonettes. We then had the burrata and the smoked trout dip. Both excellent. The burrata could have come with a few more slices of bread. Then we had the halibut and octopus. The halibut was skinless but seared enough to have a crisp edge. The butternut squash purée had a slight kick to it that was surprising and tasty. The octopus was cooked well and was well seasoned and tender. It came with some sort of Mayo sauce that I think was unnecessary and made the dish heavier. Cocktails were all excellent and we were too full to try dessert. They automatically include a 20% service charge, which was well deserved. Would recommend. read more

See all

We have loved the Whelk for many, many years. But during our last visit for lunch our favorite fried chicken sandwich was overcooked and half the size as in the past. To add insult to injury, we order two orders of cavatelli to go and there was barely enough for one meal. What a disappointment! read more

Upscale seafood restaurant serving fresh, local ingredients that even non-seafood lovers can enjoy. The staff flawlessly accommodated our party of eight on a busy Friday night. We started with the brussel sprouts and deviled eggs with fried oysters: the brussel sprouts were perfectly roasted and starved steaming hot. The oysters were perfectly cooked, lightly fried and nicely contrasted by the flavor of picked onion. The fried chicken sandwich was delicious however we thought it was lacking the pimento cheese flavor as described on the menu. The burger was also perfectly cooked, juicy, and paired with shoestring fries. I have to add, we were impressed by the beautiful cutlery served with our burger and chicken sandwiches. As someone who does not eat any (and I mean zero) seafood, there were many menu offerings that I found delicious and I would look forward to going back and having again. Not pictured : the basket of fries was enormous - even our party of eight couldn't finish it! We also loved the chocolate pot de creme dessert! read more

See all

The Chef and Management must have changed at this restaurant. What used to be good is now terrible. Seafood stew at lunch was horrible tasting with particles of seafood. Halibut ($42.00 at lunch!) ordered rare was thin, overcooked and devoid of any Halibut taste. Oysters Rockefeller were barely edible. (Their oysters with kimchi used to be great under a prior Chef.) New? Management defended this bad food and was abusive. Perhaps our worst Westport restaurant experience in 36 years of residence. Bad and expensive are not good traits in the restaurant. read more

Very nice cool chic casual vibe along the river in Westport. A smart casual mature crowd at the bar and adjoining tables. Food at the bar is trendy, hip and excellent. Prices are fairly high, but in line with the clientele. Nice outdoor seating. read more

The Whelk - Deviled Eggs w/ Fried Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

See all

They are definitely on the pricier side, but totally worth it if you're looking for some yummy seafood. We had a couple of the jumbo shrimp and I loved the old bay aoli that came with it. The drins were amazing. The deviled eggs topped with fried oysters were awesome and so unique. My salad was delicious. As far as drinks go, I highly recommend "the froggy". You'll want to check this place out if you haven't yet! read more

See all

Jen was our server and she made our friend's birthday lovely! We ordered an assortment of small plates including the delicious octopus and spicy mushrooms (two separate dishes!!). The Pot de Crème for dessert was outta this world. Dark chocolate with a slight caramel sauce, not-too-sweet whipped cream and then a sprinkle of sea salt. I'd come back just for that! read more

Burger was super hyped up for years, yet somehow exceeded expectations. Cocktails were good. Staff was friendly. Will definitely be back.

We live in Westport on weekends and UWS during the week. We go to great restaurants all the time and the Whelk ranks up with the best. Service is the best ever !! We went crazy this weekend and in addition. to the mushrooms, we had the fried chicken sandwich and burger! Ridiculous amazing both! Saugatuck on the river- beautiful read more

Always on point with food, especially sea food... expect stellar drinks and excellent service. Great interior and overall scene. One of my favorite places in Westport. You can't beat the drink named Global Warning, delicious. read more

The Whelk - Delicious fried oyster deviled eggs - Seafood Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

See all

We tried the Whelk for the first time for my wife's birthday. It was nice to sit outdoors near the river etc, and the waitress was nice enough. The French fries weren't as good as McDonald's fried but that was the best food we had there. Deviled eggs look like they are filled with leprechaun ejaculate. Honestly quite gross. The oysters were fine. Fried chicken sandwich for the kids - chicken was SO dry it was almost inedible. I am not a seafood person - so I got the chicken which had polenta in it. That was pretty decent but I make chicken at home much better than they prepared it and it was too salty. I also only use Celtic sea salt - I could taste that they use common table salt. The fried fish was decent and they have a huge wine selection. BUT... The seafood pasta had a LOT of pieces of oyster shell in it - even the fried fish plate had pieces of oyster shells in it. It was a recurring problematic theme across a couple dishes - wife and son had to spit out shell pieces. I would not recommend The Whelk; it was bland, underwhelming, boring food...I could not possibly rate them higher than a 2.9. Stay away **** UPDATE My son was sick for a week after eating here! He vomited for 3 days straight. His stomach still hurt for two more days. Really stay away! read more

The chicken sandwich is good (and overpriced) but where is the seafood? They haven't added anything new or special in years. Do they know nothing of the amazing seafood that comes out of the surrounding waters? Porgy, snappers, blues, flounder, black fish, Black Sea bass, striped bass, clams, the list goes on. Hello??? Also not a fan of the automatic 20% service fee. Wife said she had no interest in returning. read more

This place is great. Location, decor, food, ambiance all good. Enjoy it when I go. It loses a point because it's v costly for what you get plus it does not open on Sundays..... I get 2 days off each week and it is not open for long leisurely brunch or lunch 50% of those days..... I don't get it. They don't have customers top of mind is my conclusion. read more

Food is okay, service is okay and I AM NOT AT ALL OKAY WITH TACKING ON 20% "SERVICE FEE" to my bill as there were only 2 of us in the party. I certainly understand this when it's a large party. However, service fee, gratuities, or tips are earned (optional) and are not an obligation for the customer to pick up. Very poor way of doing business and pissing off customers enough to post these types of reviews. read more

This eatery provides a good selection of east coast oysters as well as inventive and non-standardized seafood offerings. Menu items change while maintaining patron favorites throughout the year. Specialty drinks are well balanced and limited selection of wines by the glass are thought out to compliment most dishes. Think modern interpretation of seafood. It's not your typical fish n chips or clam shack. The squid, scallop, and beef tartare are my favorite small plates. This establishment is a bit on the pricier end and reservations suggested for Friday and Saturday between 6:30 through 8:30. read more

See all

I really like the food at The Whelk. Only drawback is that there's a really rude server there and she's been terrorizing customers for years. Otherwise a pretty good experience. read more

Get the mushrooms!!!! The fried oyster deviled eggs are truly worth the hype. They also have great non alcoholic cocktail options for people who don't drink. We'll be back! read more

Two words: Buttery Goodness! My husband chose this restaurant for our anniversary dinner. I heard a mixed bag of things about this place so I was weary.. but decided to go because the good outweighed the bad. Man oh Manny Shevitz it was sooooo worth it! The service and atmosphere were both stellar and the food was deliciousness to the nines!! I ordered the scallops over corn which seemed simple enough so I was not expecting the buttery scrumptious mind blowing phenomenon that tickled my tastebuds! It was so awesome! My husband had the same buttery glory under his lobster and potatoes. I mean seriously.. what kind of sorcery is this?? My daughter even slammed her huge burger! I cannot wait to go back! There is a really nice view if you decide on outside seating. What a treasure this place is! read more

The Whelk - Seafood Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

See all

Consistently best seafood, and most creative restaurant in Westport. Service relaxed yet attentive. New England coastal ambience

Amazing food! Everything we ordered was not just good, it was wonderful! If you have never had their shrimp and grits, this is a must have dish! Sadly, the chef was killed in a freak accident just outside the restaurant. Hit by a car. I am so very sorry for their loss. read more

We decided to visit this established because my partner was craving seafood before our visit to the Westport playhouse. We were originally going to be seated at the high tops but after a request, we were able to sit in the regular seating. We ordered all appetizers: BBQ clams (not pictured) and burrata which came out first. The burrata was to die for and the beet mixture topping was delicious. We asked for extra bread as it only came with two slices. We were charged minimally; however, I believe for the about you receive, it should come with three to four slices of bread. The BBQ clams were small but lacked flavor. Our next two dishes were the seafood stew and the scallops. Both dishes were absolutely wonderful. My partner drank the stew liquid from the bowl. I don't blame him. As for the dessert, all I have to say is, I'm pretty sure I will be dreaming of the almond cake for days to come. read more

See all

Simply one of the best meals I've had in a long, long time. Called day of for reservations for 5:45 outside dining during perfect weather. Heaters are plentiful outside, but weren't necessary tonight. A creative cocktail menu starts you off, along with a few choices of brews and a generous wine list. Then you get to the food and you realize you're in for a treat. There isn't a single thing on that menu I wouldn't eat, but the things I did order were perfect. You are asked to keep your stay to 90 mins -- and by the end of it you kind of wish you could stick around and try everything. But that just means you need to go back. read more

See all

Our waitress was so helpful, friendly and accommodating. The food was delicious. We ordered the sea bass, branzino, shrimp and grits and fried chicken with pimiento cheese sandwich. Each dish was distinctive, with sauces that were so mouth watering and unusual. The fried chicken sandwich was so large my husband had to take half home. We went because we were having an early birthday celebration for me since my birthday was the next day. Even though the prices are fairly high, the culinary experience is well worth the price. We will be back. It is not often that I feel a Fairfield County restaurant can compare to fine dining in New York City but Whelk definitely does! read more

Food was inventive and delicious. Some stand outs were definitely the Smoked Trout Dip, Fish Sticks, Leeks with Anchovy Butter and Almond Cake. It was quite busy at 5:45pm on a Saturday, but the service was outstanding! Highly recommend this place. We look forward to coming back to try more dishes by Chef Taibe. read more

Had a good meal. Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly. The Good: Very personable and good service. Second, very good cocktails / we tried the Ftogget and The Chief. Finally, I really enjoyed the shrimp & grits, and I usually don't trust northerners making a fish like this. The Vad: The blackened shrimp appetizer - had to peel the shrimp. The Ugly:Don't order to Palmer rolls. Nothing special and they were just meh. read more