Mike (the owner) has a real love for the restaurant, its history & its customers. The servers were terrific, as was the food! I'm from out of state but would go back in a second. Highly recommend this place. read more

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Let me start by saying I've never been here but was intrigued by its history for years. I purchased a gift card from a local radio stations promotion because I figured this is a great reason to try this place out. I received a $50 gift card for $25 so I'm already ahead of the game! I'm not here to bash Twisted Vine but to hopefully open up someone's eyes to my perception as a guest. I have been in the food service/restaurant business for over 50 years, and I'm drawn to places like this for their nostalgia and history. The reviews are all pretty mixed and I get that. A lot of guests' experience have to do with whatever or whoever they experience in their one hour exposure to their dining choice. We approached the restaurant from the main sidewalk and went to what used to be the main entrance to the bank. It was secured so we went over to the lounge/bar entrance and figured we'd get in and ask to be directed to the dining room. There was an event going on so we were asked if eating in the downstairs was acceptable to us. It was, so off we went to the downstairs. Back to the sidewalk for a moment... The windows looked as if the restaurant had been closed for years. You really couldn't tell if they were open or not. OK...back downstairs. As we arrived at the bottom of the stairs, there was an overwhelming aroma of mildew. You know that musty basement scent. I ignored it and continued. There was one table with guests sitting there, this is at 6:00 PM on a Friday night. I didn't think much of it, but I was suspicious of the lack of business on a busy night. We were told we could sit wherever we'd like so since this was a special occasion for my fiancé and me, we sat kind of in the corner downstairs. The tablecloth tables added a nice touch and the ambiance I was what I was looking for. As we sat down and started to look around, we commented on the musty smell and started to notice the surroundings. There are a lot of brick walls downstairs and the efflorescence on all the surface of the bricks was typical of older structures. This powdery substance was on the carpet in the entire dining room. It should be vacuumed up as it is easily spread around by foot traffic, and no one wants to worry about it getting it near their food. It extended about 4 inches out onto the carpet, so this was not new dust. The entire downstairs could benefit by a good vacuuming! When we were done eating, which I need to say was pretty good, I went to the men's room. The toilet seat in the men's room is covered on the underside with dried feces, and the rim of the bowl looks as if it hadn't been cleaned in more that a few days. This was disgusting and really turned me off and made me decide to write a review. With all the things we saw on our way in; dirty windows, musty smell, missing wall baseboards in the men's room, dirty carpets all over and brick dust falling all over the place, the dirty men's room topped it off. If I had gone to the men's room prior to eating, we would have left and not ordered. My feelings are, if the bathroom, and all the spots in the restaurant are dirty where the public can see it... what must the restaurant look like in the back of the house where the public can't see. I know it costs money to repair old things that are in a state of disarray but for the sake of the guests who will patronize your place, please wash the windows, vacuum the carpets and clean the toilets (disgusting.) I'm glad we went to dinner and it was an eventful evening for us however; we will not be returning. The men's room really topped off the reason for my review. I hope you take this information and "look" at your restaurant when you get there. These are easy fixes and I now understand why the business was so slow when we got there. I hope you can take this information for what it's worth and take corrective action on it. It's pretty easy, just look at what the quests see when they come to your business. I don't know if the owner ever visits this restaurant but there has to be a manager who is accountable for this. Best of luck to you. read more

Came here now, four times with my daughter. We love this place. We love Dave who is always there to greet us and usually wait on us as well. We always enjoy the space as it used to be a bank in the 1800's. The safe is literally #1 and is still standing and storing the wine. The food has been consistently good. I haven't had a bad meal yet. They are large portions, so if you're like me, you're definitely having leftovers. read more

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I ordered thru Uber eats tonight. It was horrible! I got the Chicken Francais. The chicken was over cooked. One piece totally tasted bad. One bite of that piece and I was praying I wouldn't get sick. Very disappointed. Never again! read more

Food and wait staff are top par! Came for the Paranormal Ghost tour and dinner and Mike and Dave did a phenomenal job! The food was spectacular and the portions were HUGE! The history of the Birmingham Bank is very interesting and eerie considering what happened! The tour is a MUST for those who like a taste of the paranormal, as your view of the 5 floors of the original bank WILL consist of orb activity at the least! read more

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Went for the first time for our anniversary. Food was fantastic. The owner and the waitstaff were very friendly.

Went with my wife to Twisted Vine for Easter Brunch. We had never been to the restaurant before, but had seen a lot about the restaurant's paranormal events, had looked at their regular menu online and were excited to go for this special event. It ended up being one of the most disappointing restaurant experiences of my life. I realize this was not their regular menu, but the buffet at any Hampton Inn is better. The eggs, potatoes, and sausage were the blandest I've ever had. Even more bizarre was that the bacon was so flavorless that I had to salt it. The chicken Francese was soggy and bland and the kielbasa and sauerkraut, while the most flavorful of all of the dishes, was obviously taken right out of a package, sliced and thrown in a warming tray along with the canned sauerkraut. There was also a spiral-cut ham that was taken out of the plastic and warmed up. And this cost $40 per person. At least at the Hampton Inn it's free. As if the food wasn't bad enough, the vibe and service was equally as bizarre. The person who seated us brought us coffees, but then never returned. We watched as others were served drinks, but nobody ever checked on our table. We would have had cocktails if we had even been given the chance. After choking down a second plate of summer camp food to try to get our money's worth, we went to the host stand to ask for our bill. We then waited for five minutes as they looked for "the waitress", who they never found. Honestly, I don't even think they had started a check for us in the first place. If this is any indication of what their regular food and service is like, I'm very confused as to how they are still in business as a restaurant. I wanted this to be so much better. I'm sorry, but there won't be a next time. read more

Came here for dinner with a friend since it was a mid way point for us. Loved the historic building and spooky vibes. The food was so delicious I really enjoyed my French onion soup. I also order chicken Marsala which could be a bit more saucier but was good. My friend got beef ravioli and that was good too. read more

Twisted Vine Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Derby, Connecticut

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Too bad we couldn't give it ZERO stars! Was excited to go for Easter brunch-made a reservation, arrived on time and they seated us in a tiny alcove on the balcony. At first we were happy bc we could see the whole place but still had some privacy-got coffee & water,asked for a cocktail list-nobody EVER BROUGHT US ONE OR EVER CAME BACK TO OUR TABLE! NEVER! I went and had to ask for menu's and they explained the new buffet food being brought out (apparently they had 2brunch seatings but that was never explained.We went through the buffet-BLAND AND BORING! Nobody ever cleaned our dirty plates,refilled our coffee or water. We got up to leave and had to ASK the host for our check-they hadn't even started one for us! $100 later we stopped at a different restaurant! NEVER GOING BACK-DO NOT GO!!! read more

Horrible paranormal event. Restaurant employee was interfering with event and clearly had been drinking and was inappropriate. The Restaurant wasn't closed for event so patrons were walking thru event to use bathroom. Constant interruptions but patrons and staff was unfortunate. We drove 2.5 hours to participate and it was EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING. Facilities are sub par and outdated read more

Marissa and Joey were extremely helpful when my cell phone died They went out of their way. Food was so/so. A little cold but I was hungry and enjoyed the Golden Girl Drag Queens. The building is fun but they need to put the air conditioning on. The performers were sweating as were some of the staff and myself. read more

We had 4:30 reservations 11/16/2024 to celebrate both our birthdays. We were greeted promptly and quickly seated. Our server was Carly. She was friendly and answered our questions about the menu. We decided on a bottle of Santa Margarita (Pinot Grigio) while we decided what we wanted to eat. The restaurant is two floors and very pretty inside. I ordered the 12 ounce filet with gorgonzola and madeira sauce. It comes with veggies and mashed potatoes. We had wanted to try the mushrooms stuffed with crab but since it is prepared with imitation crab decided on side salads instead. Be sure to ask your server about dressings as the blue cheese is out of a bottle. So we had the house made Italian which was delicious. Johnny ordered the Chicken Francaise extra lemony. Both of the meals were fine but nothing truly special. We will go back on another day to get a better feel for it. This is a lovely restaurant. On a strange note, the two female servers were dressed very casually. Ours wore a hoodie and leggings, the other a basic black t-shirt and pants. Our server was very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. We are looking forward to visiting again. read more

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What a great building. It's an old bank full of old world charm. Reminds me of pubs in Ireland. Parking is a little tricky. On street parking or use the garage. Food and drinks were absolutely delish. Bartender said she made best lemon drop martini around and she was right. O.M.G. I could've had 10 of them! Fried mozzarella was crispy and full of flavor. The pear and gorganzola salad with salmon on top was refreshing and down right yummy. Service was a bit slow but server was friendly and knowledgeable read more

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So I was there tonight for the spiritual readings. We had a lovely table delicious food. Ambience was beautiful. I love the readings, but most of all I loved the team that works there. They couldn't have been more accommodating and more lovely kudos to the twisted vine. read more

Wow this place was a surprise! Came here on a whim as I passed it my whole life to finally go inside. We were greeted immediately and entered this old fashioned dining with so much character and had some nice music playing in the background. The service was great he was constantly checking in if we needed drinks or if the food was good. Oh man was it good, i started with the delicious French onion soup. Super fresh and packed with flavor! I got the penne alla vodka with a richly creamy tasty sauce. My mom got the garlic and broccoli cavatelli and this was a hit! I kept stealing off her plate to keep having a bite. This was a great experience and will be back! read more

Walked in with a reservation, the bartender upstairs greeted us and we saw immediately that he was intoxicated. After slurring a few questions, we were escorted downstairs where he brought us over to the bar and we stood there for a few minutes (with him, not sure what he was up to) before a waitress told us to seat ourselves. The downstairs bartender/server came over in a Shrek shirt and immediately asked what we wanted- we had just sat down so we weren't sure. She brought us some water and that was the last we saw of her...we walked out after 20 minutes. Such a weird vibe, never trying again! read more

Went for a spiritual reading event and went early to have dinner. Such a beautiful unique building. We were seated in the basement which was quite charming with the old pictures and neat little rooms. Ordered penne alla vodka with a appetizer of fried mozzarella. Friend had the lobster crab ravioli with shrimp. Friend 2 went healthy and enjoyed the pear salad. They were all good with good portions. Very flavorful and filling. Drinks were good. Made well, old fashion was my order. Bartender came to my table to apologize for not having cherries. That was quite ok. Looking forward to going again read more

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I've always wanted to go to the Twisted Vine - one of their paranormal dinners was one of my first things to be cancelled due to Covid so it made it all the more important to make it there. There is VERY limited parking right in front of the restaurant, maybe five cars worth? There is also street parking, and a parking garage about a block away. We went in the middle of the week, and it was very quiet. Our waiter Dave was very nice, and the owner Mike was kind enough to give us a quick tour of the main floor and basement level (where bands play on rowdier nights). The building is amazing, as other reviews mention it's a former bank and you can still see that history in the walls. The safe is particularly impressive. The Blackened Scallops for an appetizer is amazing - save some bread for the Cajun sauce! They kindly put all the cheesecake sauces on our dessert - chocolate, caramel, and (I think) raspberry. It was gorgeous and delicious. The main courses were a little less exciting. I had the lobster and crab ravioli - it was very strong of lemon, and sadly no pieces of lobster or crab meat. It was a well combined filling. I would definitely go again though, I want those scallops! read more

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I was super excited to go here with my two friends since it's supposed to be pretty haunted and it's October after all. My dad had even gone on a ghost dinner tour last year and had a weird experience. The aesthetic and decor are really cool being an old bank. We ate downstairs which was super intimate. We loved the exposed stone and really enjoyed the acoustic guitar player who took requests! It is just unfortunate that we were unable to be seated upstairs like we had requested upon making our reservation. This had been even more frustrating since the man I spoke with on the phone said it was no problem, so it wasn't until we arrived that all of a sudden they couldn't accommodate us upstairs due to a party. Obviously I understand a party means no room for us, but it would have been nice to have known ahead of time (and since it was a party I'm SURE they knew). REGARDLESS, I only took off one star for that misunderstanding (and because I wasn't a huge fan of the stuffed mushrooms - I didn't like the consistency of the stuffing) because honestly it ended up working out in our favor; we really did love the downstairs! We had good drinks and delicious salads. My favorite were the fried artichoke hearts though! And the escargot was delish too! Good food, good music, good ambience, good service; overall we were very happy! read more

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This restaurant is a hidden gem in Derby. The atmosphere is historical, yet trendy. The menu is American classic with an Italian flare. The dining room is really cool. We were seated upstairs in the balcony that overlooks the main dining room. They have live bands on the weekends, so it is a little noisy, but not obnoxious. The band that was there was great. Parking is a little tricky, but you can always ind a spot. When I called for the reservation the very nice gentleman that answered the phone gave me a bunch of parking options. They do have a small lot, but it was full so we parked next door at the town hall. Now for the best part, the food. I have a gluten allergy and they went out of their way to accommodate me. I wish I could remember our servers name. She was awesome. She is going to school to become a teacher. The food is outstanding and the portions are huge. We each had two drinks, appetizers and entrees and the bill was $110.00! That was a steal. We drove from Deep River. It was about a 50 minute drive. We went because I saw an online article that the restaurant was supposedly haunted. While we were there the lights flickered, but everyone else seemed aloof. Bottom line, we love it. I only wish it was closer. Definitely give it a try. I'm sure you'll love it read more

Twisted Vine Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Derby, Connecticut

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I was always curious to try Twisted Vine, especially since I heard it was haunted, so we made a visit for dinner tonight! The vibe was definitely unique - you could feel the history in the building, and the original bank vault was right there in the dining room. The menu had a great variety to choose from. Our waitress was friendly, and we appreciated that the owner made an effort to come by to every table to check in and have a conversation. Our food was good! We agreed that the tortellini was the star out of the three dishes we had. My dad's ravioli dish was swimming a bit in the scampi sauce. He felt that for being lobster crab ravioli, it generally needed some more flavor, but that it was perfectly al dente. We also were a bit surprised at the lack of flavor in the bread that was served at the beginning. My dad asked for an espresso martini, but we were told that their coffee maker was broken, and when he then asked for a mule, they said they didn't have a ginger beer. Overall, I think there's some room for improvement, but we would consider coming back since we're often in the area. read more

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Celebrated a birthday dinner in the downstairs lounge at the Twisted Vine Restaurant. Haven't been there in close to 20 years and, although owners have come and gone, the food is still as unbelievable as I remember it. Absolutely fantastic dinner consisting of exceptionally large portions of Tuscan Salmon, Beef Ravioli, Lobster & Crab Ravioli, and Sole Picone (stuffing was out of this world), all with house salads with various dressings; topped it off with a great Espresso Martini, made with Bailey's. Bartender knew her s**t and was very friendly; wish I had gotten her name. Of course, we each took leftovers home. Glad we didn't order appetizers and certainly couldn't fit in dessert. Check out its menu online. The "starters" sound like meals unto themselves. Only drawback is parking, although some of our party parked in the City Hall parking lot which is very close by. If handicapped, call ahead as I was told they'd reserve a spot for you. Can't say enough about the food. Atmosphere was comfortable until the live band would start; we left before then. Service was acceptable inasmuch as our waitress was also the bartender. It deserves more than a 5-Star rating. Can't wait to go back. read more

This place was recommended to me by a friend who told me the food was good and it's a cool place being that it used to be an old bank and is supposedly haunted so I was excited to try it. Getting there at 6:30 on a Saturday the first thing you'll notice is the lack of other patrons. My boyfriend and I made a reservation(unnecessary for how not busy it was) and when we walked in we were told by the nice hostess/bartender/waitress that we could sit anywhere, the manager corrected her and said she could seat us "downstairs". First I assumed downstairs meant the ground floor we were standing in then we quickly learned that the downstairs was the basement, what they called "the lounge". The ground floor didn't have a bad looking atmosphere and had some people dining in it so I'm not sure why we were sent to the basement which hasn't been updated since at least the 80s. Where we were seated was dingy, poorly decorated, had a very old carpet, and there was a speaker(like a DJ would use) playing commercials. Our waitress really was the hostess, bartender, and waitress and I felt bad for her because she was doing so much and she was pregnant. She did a great job but it was clear the place is being managed poorly. The food was overpriced and was sub par for how much it cost. I had high hopes for this place and it was such a disappointment that we won't ever be returning. read more

First time for me. Amazing interior 2 floors. Friendly and talkative staff. Delicious food. Will go again with more people. Had fried calamari ( with tentacles) it's a must have yummyfest. Free bread toast mmm, entree was Tuscan Salmon woah super yummy. read more

Twisted Vine Restaurant - Tuscan Salmon - Italian Near Me - Derby, Connecticut

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This was my first time and my girlfriend and I went. Soooo charming!!!! Make sure you get the vault rooms so personalized as every room is different and 1 to 2 tables in different areas. Loved where we were seated. The food was so good!! From the bread to dessert the salad with the dinner which is 1.50 extra was wonderful!! I ordered the Tuna on vegetable and rice was to die for. I had left overs for 3 nights and I eat a lot, the portions were huge... Missing out if you don't give this a try!! read more

This is a very interesting restaurant that started as a bank in the late 1800's. It's supposedly haunted, which was confirmed by everyone working there, but I didn't see any ghosts lol. We went for the psychic reading night which was run very smoothly. We sat in the downstairs section, which wasn't as fancy as upstairs but still very nice. Our waitress was wonderful, very attentive and friendly. She held our table for us while we went to our readings. We weren't rushed at all, even when they were getting close to closing. The fried mozzarella was amazing and came with plenty of sauce, which was perfect for also dipping our complimentary garlic bread in. The eggplant rollie O's were perfect and we loved the Lemon Drop martinis! Definitely will be back, maybe for the paranormal night read more

Twisted Vine Restaurant - Fried Mozzarella with a Marinara Sauce - Italian Near Me - Derby, Connecticut

Delicious food, loved the decor and convenient location. We do plan to come back and eat in the downstairs lounge. I do enjoy reading and visiting haunted CT locations. Their website offers tours and different experiences to explore their supernatural happenings. Only downside is the parking. If there is not a space in the small parking lot you will need to bring change. There are parking meters on the street or there is a parking garage behind the restaurant. read more

Twisted Vine Restaurant - The main dining room - Italian Near Me - Derby, Connecticut

What a great experience! The main restaurant was hosting a birthday party, so we booked a table in the lounge. The appearance of the space is a bit last generation, but I am so glad we didn't typecast the opportunity. The food was so flippin' fabulous. Have you ever put lemon on Escargot? Try it! Now I know why Chopped Judges are always complimenting the use of citrus to "brighten" a dish. Seriously try it. The Sole made my day better. The simple split of Prosecco fueled my delight, without making me pretend I know anything about the difference in the bouquet of Prosecco compared to Champagne. However the highlight was Marissa. She made it a wonderful evening. She made it all just so perfect. If you dine at Twisted Vine, do yourself a huge favor and ask if you can sit in her section. Marissa is the secret behind my rave review!!! Thank you very much read more

I went here for takeout. Ordered the chicken piccata. It was good, had a nice size portion and came with sides. I'd say overall it was just OK, nothing great. The staff was very nice and friendly. The inside looked pretty amazing, very interesting. Parking is a bit of a challenge since they have very limited parking and you basically have to use street parking. The area is quite hilly as well. It's worth checking out for the atmosphere but prices are a bit above average. read more

Went for one of the ghost tours and dinner. The staff was awesome and the food was great. I highly recommend them! If your into the paranormal or even old buildings then you'll love the ambiance. read more

I ordered some food on 8/ 14/ 2024, that shrimp and pasta NASTY! the stuff mushrooms NASTY! never again $ 47 wasted I expected better. Everything about that place now I see is weird. read more

The bar service from heather was horrible and she was rude and not paying attention to customers beside her regulars. Wished Maggie from Riverwalk came over to twisted vine, she would have been the greatest addition to twisted - Tony mastroni read more

Came here for Mother's Day brunch and was sooooo disappointed. After researching many menus we settled on twisted vine because they had vegetarian options for my mom and what seemed like good options for us meat eaters (chicken francaise, roast beef, sausage etc) plus mimosas and bloody Mary's unlimited for 2 hours if you paid extra. However upon arrival it was clear the very small buffet they had set up for the entire restaurant was going to be a problem. Immediately a long line (which our table (literal table) was stuck in the middle of) and then they ran out of what my mom could eat by the time she got to the buffet. They did wind up bringing out more but she had to stand there and wait as to not lose her place in the big line. Then on top of it they did not have the chicken they advertised online and on the paper menu they handed us when we sat down! It was in fact Marsala which has mushrooms which no one in my family eats. I did complain and they made us 2 chicken francaise cutlets for my entire table Of 7. The eggs in the buffet were gray, not at all yellow. Not one of us ate them. The beef was ehh. The fruit was that bag of a frozen fruit you get in bulk and defrost, you can tell as it sat in the big puddle of defrosted juice and was mushy. The salad came with only 1 dressing option, a vinaigrette, which my father and brothers would not eat. And dessert was a plate of what seemed like again bulk purchased cookies (same cookie platter sold at BJs). Then it seemed like they rushed us out. We were told it was a 2 hour seating (we purchased the Bloody Mary and mimosas that were supposed to be for 2 hours) but after 50 mins our check was on the table and food was taken away!!!! When we asked for more drinks they seemed taken aback. We had paid for them already so this reaction was extremely rude in my opinion. For all the money we spent (over 25 per person) and drinks on top of that we expected much better food and service. Most of us left hungry and pissed. My family certainly will not be returning. read more

I went for Easter Brunch with my son, daughter, and grandson. The food offered was very limited, and not particularly appealing. Scrambled eggs, french toast sticks, polish sausage and sauerkraut, salad. We ordered cheesecake, while it was good.........it was not the cheesecake that used to be made onsite. I intend to go back for dinner, and hope that their dinners are as delicious as they used to be. The waitress was lovely. read more

We went for the Paranormal Dinner & Tour and thought it was excellent. The buffet dinner had plenty of options to choose from and the food was delicious. The tour was very informative and we learned a lot about the history of the building, as well as the surrounding towns. Being in the attic at night with no lighting other than the flashlight on our cell phones was super creepy! Our tour guide held our attention the entire night by sharing many of his own paranormal experiences in the restaurant. I would highly recommend to anyone who is a paranormal or history enthusiast. You will not be disappointed! read more

Pretty good service. The fact that it's an old bank with the safe in it and that it's haunted give it a great retro ambiance. There is no liquor menu, which is strange. But the food was fine. They bring bread out which is well seasoned, and they had a French onion soup which was pretty good. I ordered the Tuscan Salmon which was a fine dish, but the chef put wayyyy too many artichokes on the dish. I would go back. read more

Twisted Vine Restaurant - Tuscan salmon - Italian Near Me - Derby, Connecticut

I saw this restaurant in the news as one of several restaurants in CT that are presumably haunted. I took my wife and teenage daughter and we had a blast. The Owner, Mike gave us a mini tour of the place. We ended up eating in the old gold vault. And our waitress, Wendy was a hoot. On top of the fun, the food was excellent! We got the fried mozzarella with vodka sauce, it was remarkable. All the dinners were fantastic. I got the Chicken Alana, my wife got the sole picone and my daughter got linguine and clams in white sauce and all of it was fabulous. Thank you for a great night out & a delicious meal! read more

Came with a Groupon and had a great time. We sat downstairs where it apparently was a bank vault; we had a little room to ourselves. Music started which was nice. Ordered a lemon drop martini which was delicious and strong!!!! Lol. We got fried artichokes app and then Mediterranean salmon....sooooo good and my husband got fresh gnocchi with meatballs which he enjoyed. Would totally go back with or without Groupon. read more

Service was great, prices were right and food was delicious but the best thing about the Twisted Vine is the ambiance! We were seating lower level. The stone wall and lighting was so cozy and romantic! read more

We came to CT to finally meet a Facebook friend, who gave us a tour of the area. We knew of TTV through the tv show Kindred Spirits so we wanted to eat there while in CT. We were given a balcony window table by the owner, MIKE, and our food and drink needs were met by CARLY. We were encouraged to walk around the restaurant to see its bank history. GET....THE....FRIED...MOZARELLA! It is AWESOME! Upon visiting the lounge downstairs, we were suddenly given a free tour of the whole place by PAUL! He's awesome! Upon returning home, we of course found the paranormal show episodes for The Twisted Vine (as well as an Opera House) and eagerly watched. Yes - we're THOSE people, LOL. Great food, great people, great atmosphere, and great history!!! Kevin & Stacy MacDonald 9/2-visit. read more