Best Restaurants in Connecticut — 2025 Nominees

At its core, 29 Markle Ct operates under a powerful and heartfelt philosophy: “Always with Love.” It's not just a place to dine—it’s a space to feel, to be seen, heard, nourished, and loved. Chef Damon Daye draws from global flavors and techniques while remaining grounded in soul food traditions and seasonal, ingredient-driven cooking.

Çka ka Qëllu offers a modern selection of popular dishes and desserts inspired by the rich flavors of Mediterranean cuisine, highlighting the best of Albanian and Kosovan traditions.

L’Ostal is a Provencal restaurant rooted in history and tradition celebrating the cuisines of Southern France and its boundaries. Chef Jared Sippel has spent over two decades honing his craft and distinct culinary style in some of the most highly regarded kitchens across the U.S. and Europe.

Nestled in the heart of Saugatuck, James Beard nominee Michelle Greenfield's intimate restaurant offers a modern American menu with subtle French undertones- crafted to celebrate the freshest ingredients of each season. At Allium Eatery, the team takes pride in its ever-evolving dishes, ensuring every visit is a unique and delightful experience.

At J. Gilbert's, enjoy prime wood-fired steaks and seafood – inspired by Kansas City-steakhouse fare – in a luxe, yet warm atmosphere, all served with impeccable care.

Get a taste of France at Le Mazet, an intimate new restaurant that blends French comfort food with culinary excellence. Guests can indulge in a curated selection of exquisite wines and handcrafted cocktails. Highlights include signature Poulet Rôti, delightful conservas, and velvety fresh ice cream. Additionally, Le Mazet offers exclusive carry-out market items sourced from Arethusa Farm.

Máncora Restobar is built on the belief that food has the power to bring people together. The Peruvian restaurant features a menu of traditional fare, with dishes like ceviche and leche de tigre, a variety of fish and seafood entrees, and classic plates like lomo saltado, tallarin verde, and chaufa.

Villa Mulino offers upscale, modern Italian cuisine from a scratch kitchen; expertly crafted cocktails, and an extensive wine list. The restaurant offers a casual fine dining experience in a relaxed and inviting atmosphere, with an array of fresh pastas and entrees like chicken Milanese, roasted lamb chops, and seared scallops. 

From pastas, steaks, chops and cured meats, Geppetto strives every day to balance the traditions of Italian cooking with fresh ideas. Carlo and Michelle Pulixi, who owned and operated Convivium Osteria in Brooklyn for 20 years, opened the Torrington restaurant together in 2021.

Community Table aims to express its passion for the Litchfield County region through food, wine, and hospitality. Commonly recognized for its acclaimed food and cocktails, the restaurant has developed into a local fixture as a place to meet, celebrate with friends or dine solo in its chic relaxed environment.

Located in historic Litchfield, Materia Ristorante serves fresh, seasonal Italian cuisine paired with distinctive wines and warm European hospitality in a charming dining setting. With a focus on “la Materia prima,” Chef David DiStasi and his team carefully source every ingredient, ensuring a seasonally driven menu that highlights the finest local flavors.

This historic 1740s tavern has been transformed into a refined boutique hotel, seamlessly blending its rich colonial heritage with modern luxury. The renovation preserved the building’s original charm while introducing elegant accommodations and contemporary amenities. The tavern and restaurant offers a sophisticated dining experience, featuring locally-sourced ingredients and seasonal menus.

Tucked away without a sign on the door, Chef Dan Kardos' Café Melba, is a culinary treasure with a European-inspired menu shaped by years of expertise and global travels. This spot may be a hidden gem, but it has made a lasting impression through unforgettable flavors and charm.

Gioia, created by celebrated New Haven restaurateurs, delivers a lively Italian experience with a market, gelateria, rooftop, and a seasonal menu featuring wood-fired pizzas, house-made pastas, and gelato. Rooted in the heart of “Little Italy" on Wooster Street, the market offers Italian provisions, grab-and-go meals, and artisanal serving ware, serving both the neighborhood and beyond with authentic Italian charm.

Fair Haven Oyster Co. is a refined seafood bar that beautifully blends elegant mid-century design with the warmth of a modern tavern. Chef Emily Mingrone's timeless menu comes to life in this intimate, nautical-inspired restaurant offers breathtaking waterfront views and a spacious deck.

Experience the essence of Japanese dining at Hachiroku Shokudo Sake Bar, where tradition meets innovation. Savor authentic ramen and sushi paired with a curated selection of sake in a welcoming atmosphere. Each dish is crafted with care, promising a delightful culinary journey.

Camille's specializes in wood-fired thin-crust pizzas, from classic margherita and spicy roni to creative pies like the "bacon and eggs" with pancetta and sunny-side eggs and the Billy's Bianco, with ricotta, goat cheese, pistachios, and truffle honey. The family-friendly pizzeria also offers salads, panini sandwiches, and a few hearty pasta dishes, along with seasonally-inspired cocktails and an impressive craft beer selection.

This family-owned Jamaican eatery features classic dishes like jerk chicken, beef patties, oxtail, curry goat, rasta pasta, and much more. 

With a love for their culture and passion for giving back to their community, husband and wife An and Sue Ly opened their first restaurant, PhoLy, back on June 30th, 2017. Based on Southern Vietnam cuisine, their pho broth is cooked for over 16 hours and is catered towards sweeter notes over salty. PhoLy takes pride in their fresh, quality ingredients; serving meals from scratch and continuously striving to offer food that tastes like home.

Deborah Lepri, owner of Trattoria da Lepri, has taken the philosophical approach of producing fresh, gourmet food using local grass-fed beef, fresh seafood, and seasonal, organic vegetables from both local farms and the restaurant's very own garden. With these ingredients, chefs create spectacular, flavorful dishes, while also encouraging an environmentally conscious approach. Trattoria de Lepri also offers expertly crafted cocktails, local brews, and an extensive wine list. 

Grano Arso, renowned for its homemade pasta, serves upscale Italian cuisine made from seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Set in a charming 1902 bank building with the original vault, guests experience warm hospitality in a cozy atmosphere. The impressive selection of Italian wines, local beers, and specialty cocktails enhances every meal.

Osa, by the owners of Krust in Middletown, is a New American restaurant known for locally-inspired food, exciting wine, and cocktails. Dishes feature pastas, wood-fired whole fish, seafood, steaks, and a weekly Burger and Beer Night with rotating burger options.

Located in the charming village of Chester, River Tavern has been a proud pioneer of locally sourced cooking in Connecticut since 2001. Its daily menus highlight the freshest local produce available that day. River Tavern works with the best local farmers, fishermen, and producers in the area year-round to create a menu that truly reflects its place and season.

Passion, love and innovation fuel this locally sourced menu. At The Essex, experience modern American cuisine that draws inspiration from the land, sea, and deep heritage of the Connecticut River Valley, alongside a legion of international flavors.

Voted one of the 24 Best Bars in America by Esquire Magazine, The Port of Call is a nautical-themed cocktail lounge and restaurant. Chef Renee Touponce, a James Beard Foundation award nominee, carefully curates a menu that explores international cocktail culture and maritime cuisine, set in a dazzling ambiance.

374 blends new-wave style with old -school comforts in its space, plates, and libations. Located on Niantic’s charming Main Street, 374 is the third restaurant by Cappy Hospitality (owners of Flanders Fish Market.) The eatery offers brunch, lunch, and dinner daily.

Nana’s is an organic bakery and pizza shop, offering naturally leavened dough using regional and sustainably grown grains. The Nana's team bakes breads and pastries fresh daily after a long, slow overnight cold fermentation to develop flavor and improve nutrition. Using a mold called koji, grown by its sister company Moromi Shoyu, Nana's leverages flavor and amplifies umami in its pizzas, drinks, and baked goods.

Owned by a husband and wife team, Whitecrest Eatery will make you feel right at home. If you’re looking for a small, intimate space to grab a delicious bite, this is your place. Enjoy locally sourced small and large plates in an industrial-chic setting, with meals served on mismatched China dishes.

Trigo Wood Fired Pizza blends local, seasonal ingredients with the rich flavor of wood-fired cooking. The restaurant features a harvest-to-hearth concept that ensures fresh, delicious pizzas in a welcoming atmosphere. Experience a slice of culinary passion, where every dish tells a story.

The family-owned and operated restaurant has been serving the Willimantic community since 2011. Its menu offers a variety of dishes that combine Irish charm with a sense of community, featuring locally grown produce and meats. Enjoy plates like Irish beef stew, Irish ale-battered fish n' chips, and shepherd's pie.

When you eat at Heirloom, you're not only supporting a local cafe, but local farmers and artisans as well. Most of Heirloom's other ingredients are organic as well, and nearly every menu item can be made vegan and gluten-free. 

ANYA, meaning grace and favor, reflects the restaurant's commitment to warm, thoughtful hospitality. The modern dining experience focuses on the highest quality ingredients and gracious service, with rotating seasonal menus featuring dishes like Chateaubriand, bolognese, and Faroe Island salmon. 

This Latin American restaurant has been a staple in Norwalk for more than two decades, with Venezuelan-style arepas, empanadas, pernil, paella, and other flavorful fare.

Located on the iconic New England green in Washington, The Po offers a locavore's dream, with both healthy and indulgent options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Daily fresh baked goods include fresh fruit poptarts, cakes, pies, tarts, and cupcakes. 

This Coventry breakfast and brunch spot serves up classic and creative pancakes, waffles, French toast, crepes, Benedicts and omelets, along with Mexican breakfast dishes like huevos rancheros and chilaquiles. 

Paul's has been making fresh pasta daily on its premises since 1988, using only the highest quality ingredients available. The Thames Street restaurant overlooking the Thames River offers lunch and dinner, takeout, and fresh pastas and sauces to cook at home. 

Dew Drop Inn, a neighborhood favorite in the Naugatuck Valley, is known for great craft beer, an extensive list of fine bourbons, and more than 100 different wing flavors to keep guests coming back for more. Flavors range from "basic" like buffalo, teriyaki, and BBQ to "basically ridiculous" options like peanut butter and jelly and parm butter bacon garlic. 

Bar Bushido offers a Japanese izakaya-style experience, with cocktails, beer, sake, yakitori, ramen and flavorful bites that capture the essence of Japan's beloved drinking culture.

Belden House & Mews offers breakfast, lunch and dinner in the house’s original dining room, gracefully restored to incorporate the essential comforts of modern hospitality. Dining at Belden is a celebration of seasonal produce, sourced with care from nearby farms and the New England coast.

The Laurel is an exploration of global cuisines, utilizing locally sourced ingredients. Food and beverage menus are forever evolving, always unique, and designed to be shared.

The Foundry, a crown jewel atop the 20th floor of the Hartford Steam Boiler building, seeks to elevate dining in the capital city. With innovative cuisine, extraordinary ambiance, storied past, and panoramic view of the city, every guest’s experience will be indelible, every meal unparalleled.

ROLi is the debut concept from two passionate Europeans (and New Haven locals) Angela Grogan and Chef Roland Olah, blending the rustic soul of traditional European cooking with modern creativity and a dash of New Haven spirit. Originally from Ireland and Hungary, they bring a real authenticity to ROLi's European vibe.