Award-Winning Restaurants
The James Beard Awards recognize excellence in the culinary arts, food and beverage, and hospitality industries. You'll find some of the country's best talent right here in Connecticut, with several recent winners, nominees, and semifinalists representing nearly every corner of the state.
Connecticut is well-represented on the list of semifinalists for the 2026 Restaurant and Chef Awards, with six honorees:
- David Standridge of The Shipwright's Daughter in Mystic is a semifinalist in the national Outstanding Chef category. Standridge also won the Best Chef: Northeast award in 2024.
- ROLi in New Haven is a semifinalist in the national Best New Restaurant category. The modern European restaurant opened in the summer of 2025.
- Port of Call in Mystic is a semifinalist in the national Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category. The restaurant and bar was also a 2025 semifinalist in this category.
- David DiStasi of Materia in Bantam, Bolivar Hilario of Community Table in New Preston, and Shilimat Tessema of Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant in New Haven are semifinalists in the Best Chef: Northeast category, representing chefs in the six New England states.
The James Beard Awards recognize excellence in the culinary arts, food and beverage, and hospitality industries. You'll find some of the country's best talent right here in Connecticut, with several recent winners, nominees, and semifinalists representing nearly every corner of the state.
Connecticut is well-represented on the list of semifinalists for the 2026 Restaurant and Chef Awards, with six honorees:
- David Standridge of The Shipwright's Daughter in Mystic is a semifinalist in the national Outstanding Chef category. Standridge also won the Best Chef: Northeast award in 2024.
- ROLi in New Haven is a semifinalist in the national Best New Restaurant category. The modern European restaurant opened in the summer of 2025.
- Port of Call in Mystic is a semifinalist in the national Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category. The restaurant and bar was also a 2025 semifinalist in this category.
- David DiStasi of Materia in Bantam, Bolivar Hilario of Community Table in New Preston, and Shilimat Tessema of Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant in New Haven are semifinalists in the Best Chef: Northeast category, representing chefs in the six New England states.
The James Beard Awards recognize excellence in the culinary arts, food and beverage, and hospitality industries. You'll find some of the country's best talent right here in Connecticut, with several recent winners, nominees, and semifinalists representing nearly every corner of the state.
Connecticut is well-represented on the list of semifinalists for the 2026 Restaurant and Chef Awards, with six honorees:
- David Standridge of The Shipwright's Daughter in Mystic is a semifinalist in the national Outstanding Chef category. Standridge also won the Best Chef: Northeast award in 2024.
- ROLi in New Haven is a semifinalist in the national Best New Restaurant category. The modern European restaurant opened in the summer of 2025.
- Port of Call in Mystic is a semifinalist in the national Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category. The restaurant and bar was also a 2025 semifinalist in this category.
- David DiStasi of Materia in Bantam, Bolivar Hilario of Community Table in New Preston, and Shilimat Tessema of Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant in New Haven are semifinalists in the Best Chef: Northeast category, representing chefs in the six New England states.
The James Beard Awards recognize excellence in the culinary arts, food and beverage, and hospitality industries. You'll find some of the country's best talent right here in Connecticut, with several recent winners, nominees, and semifinalists representing nearly every corner of the state.
Connecticut is well-represented on the list of semifinalists for the 2026 Restaurant and Chef Awards, with six honorees:
- David Standridge of The Shipwright's Daughter in Mystic is a semifinalist in the national Outstanding Chef category. Standridge also won the Best Chef: Northeast award in 2024.
- ROLi in New Haven is a semifinalist in the national Best New Restaurant category. The modern European restaurant opened in the summer of 2025.
- Port of Call in Mystic is a semifinalist in the national Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category. The restaurant and bar was also a 2025 semifinalist in this category.
- David DiStasi of Materia in Bantam, Bolivar Hilario of Community Table in New Preston, and Shilimat Tessema of Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant in New Haven are semifinalists in the Best Chef: Northeast category, representing chefs in the six New England states.
Best Restaurants in Connecticut
Looking for the best restaurants in Connecticut? Since there are so many great spots to choose from, we turned to the Connecticut Restaurant Association for the 2025 winners of its annual CRAZIES Awards.
The annual event recognizes the exceptional ability and talent of Connecticut’s hospitality community. The CRAZIES selection process begins each year with an online public nomination process, and a group of statewide industry insiders plus food writers, critics, bloggers, and social media influencers who help shape the list of honorees and finalists.
