Location: New Haven
Top Restaurants in New Haven
Top Things to do in New Haven
New Haven Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in New Haven
The home to Yale University since 1701, the city of New Haven is packed with an unrivaled collection of arts and antiquities, with collections ranging from natural history specimens to antique musical instruments. The towering translucent marble cube of the Beinecke Library contains 600,000 rare volumes, including one of the only surviving Gutenberg Bibles. The Yale University Art Gallery is as famous for its collection as it is for its building, a Modernist masterpiece designed by Louis Kahn.
Things to do in New Haven
1. Modern Apizza
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 848 reviews
Reviewed By Sarah B
I enjoyed the pizza, but I don't really understand the hype. It's like most brick oven pizza I've had before. It's good, but not overly special.
2. Caseus
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 274 reviews
Reviewed By didr - Connecticut
We had a wonderful meal for a family gathering. Excellent menu and wine list. The environment is crowded but, in its own way, quite romantic. The service was efficient. Lots of choices for small, medium, or large meals. Prices are on the high side, but the quality of the cheeses supports charging more. Reservations looked to be an absolute necessity.
3. Zinc
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 356 reviews
Reviewed By Charles V - New York City, New York
From the moment we walked into teh restaurant, the service was gracious yet warm. The kitchen has a wonderful way with spices and whether it was the duck nachos or the pork dumplings every element was tasty, thoughtfully presented and bursting with flavor.
4. Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By RickinShelby - Michigan
I was recently passing through Connecticut, so I decided to stop and visit a friend. He took me the Frank Pepe's for pizza. While very different than the pizza common in Detroit, I found this terrific -- and much like the pizza my son and I loved a few years back while touring Italy. The crust was thin with a bit of char, the sauce was fresh and sweet, the sausage was terrific, and the service was good. All-in-all a terrific pizza joint!
5. Olea
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 120 reviews
In the heart of downtown New Haven, Olea offers an innovative interpretation of Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine. Chef Manuel Romero and his team explore these flavors in their food, wine, and cocktails, locally sourcing many products and importing specialty items from the Mediterranean region.
Reviewed By TooFrequentTraveller - Washington D.C.
Excellent experience tonight - very cool, sumptuous dishes: we tried the Mushroom Veloute, the Verduras, the Cochinillo (favorite!!), and the bacalao.
Every dish was outstanding. We did not have time for deserts, but we are tempted to come back just for deserts - they sounded delicious.
We had 1 Hour ahead of a show, and we really wanted to try out Olea, but I was worried dinner might take too long.
Not to worry - Shout out to Jonathan G who went beyond the call to make our experience special, and quick.
Definitely recommend Oleo when you are looking for a top food experience in the center of New Haven.
6. Consiglio's Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 173 reviews
The Consiglio family continues to operate one the the best Italian restaurants in New Haven. For 78 years, we continue to offer authentic, delicious, home-made Italian fare with friendly hospitality that the New York Times referred to as "convivial." Indeed, a meal at Consiglio's with family and friends is always an experience to savor and enjoy. Welcome to Consiglio's, and from our family to yours, "Bon Appetit!"
Reviewed By Tupelo010835 - Denton, TX
At the risk of really bucking the review trend, I have to report that our experience was mediocre at best. Wife and I both ordered the Lasagna. We were both stunned at just how pedestrian is was. The meat was overcooked and flavorless. The pasta was overcooked and flavorless. The sauce was uninspired and watery.
Have had better Italian food in strip centers in middle America.
All in all a total waste of time and money.
7. Union League Cafe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 434 reviews
Reviewed By Adventure Diva - Manchester, Connecticut
Located across from Yale University in the heart of New Haven’s entertainment district, Union League Cafe (formerly Robert Henry’s way back in the day) offers the charm of a Parisian brasserie. Attentive staff and service rule here. Of particular mention is their appetizer of Duck...MoreWe strive every day to ensure our guests have a wonderful meal and a marvelous time at our restaurant and it is extremely encouraging for someone to tell us. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us.
8. Claire's Corner Copia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 297 reviews
Reviewed By Andrew K - Jersey City, New Jersey
My friend and I, headed for a presentation at the Beinecke, thought this place looked promising. It was bustling, full of loud students and families here during Spring Break. Waiting on line to place our orders, I spotted, among the luscious-looking desserts, "Lithuanian Coffee Cake"! I knew I had to have it. My friend ordered a veggie Burrito -- a big portion he wolfed down, and I had the Grilled Cheese Florentine -- half a split sub, with lots of melted cheese and tomato on both sides, flattened out. It was great, as was the Lithuanian Coffee Cake. You try to find a place to sit, and a server calls out your name, and brings plates to your table.
9. Barcelona
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 347 reviews
Barcelona New Haven opened in 2006 and is our largest restaurant in CT. Winner of the New Haven Advocate's "Best New Restaurant" and "Best Wine List," Barcelona is located next to the Omni Hotel in downtown New Haven just steps from Yale University. Here we have combined some of our favorite elements in a single location. A street level lounge overlooks a dining bar area with a stone fireplace. The sophisticated glass-and-steel dining room is framed by a 2000-bottle refrigerated wine cellar. The dramatic 80-seat private room is dominated by a larger than life, wall to wall, 30-foot mural of a Spanish bullfighter, and a 20-person chef's table, fashioned from a single walnut tree, borders the busy open kitchen.
Reviewed By Dick M - New Haven, Connecticut
The first time we happened into Barcelona Wine Bar was the night of the Harvard–Yale game. No, we didn't think about that beforehand. No, we didn't have a reservation. We were seated promptly and had a delightful meal, with thoroughly professional and attentive service. We were not rushed; no one tried to upsell us; and the meal was quite reasonably priced (oh, yeah, did I mention that the food and drinks were all superb?). At the end we were given a couple of wooden nickles, good for a discount on our next visit.
Saturday, we caught an early movie and thought to have dinner at Barcelona again. Again without a reservation. We were promised a half-hour wait and offered drinks while we waited. A few minutes later, a couple of seats opened up at the bar, and we took them. Would we like to eat there? Well, sure, but we're on the wait list for a table. No problem.
What was striking was the easy communication and signaling among the staff. The place runs like a well-oiled machine.
Oh, and those wooden nickels? We had two, so the two highest-priced items came off the tab (not, as you might expect, the lowest-priced items). In addition, they comped one item that was a bit slow to emerge from the kitchen and prepared a couple of bartender's choice after dinner drinks, gratis, to accompany dessert. We got out of there cheap again. (Pro tip: when your tab is discounted, figure the server's tip on the gross amount that the bill would have been, not on the net.)
Recommended.
10. Prime 16
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 351 reviews
Gastropub specializing in Gourmet Burgers and Craft Beer. Scratch kitchen with all our sauces, dressings, specialty ketchups and mustards are made in-house. We use only All-Natural beef raised by a family of farmers committed to sustainable and humane practices. All our Angus beef is traceable and meets the highest standards. That means… No added hormones, No antibiotics, Fed all-vegetarian feeds This results in the most delicious, satisfying and nutritious burger you’ll find. We also support area businesses and have partnered with local bakeries, breweries, creameries and beverage companies.
Reviewed By Pedro G
Love this place! The ambient, the appetizers, the craft beer selection and the burgers were the perfect combination. For appetizers, we had the Goat Cheese Croquettes, the Hot Pretzels and the Parmesan Truffle Fries. For drinks, we ordered a few IPAs from Connecticut. For main entrees, we ordered different burgers but I ordered the 'The New Yorker' and it was delicious! The service was excellent our server (I think it was Cristina) did a great job. Highly recommend this place!
