the best Portuguese food in Connecticut. A great atmosphere for everyone.

If you've never had authentic Portuguese food, you'll think this place is amazing! But, growing up Portuguese all my life, this food doesn't even compare to the home cooked Portuguese food that my grandmother makes for me. I've eaten here more than one time. The service in the restaurant is always extremely slow, as there are only 1-2 people working. Although staff is friendly, they will take a while to get back your food and drinks. Although the restaurant portion during the day is not the greatest, the other half of Atlantic is a bar. It's always super packed at night so it also will take a while to get your drinks. There's not much space to sit once you get your drinks though. There are stools all around the bar space and a few tables inside and outside on the patio. One upside is that there is karaoke on Friday nights. Overall, I would recommend this place to anyone who has never tried Portuguese food, if they don't mind waiting a couple hours for it. Other than that, I would not recommend it. read more

This review will get deleted again I'm sure. I have been here on a recommendation during a weekday w/ my bf. We were not even acknowleged for the 1st 5 minutes on a slow evening. The owner sent us to the bar to wait for a table (there were several open tables). We stood at the bar ,the bartender glanced at us & continued to talk w/ another patron than served a drink to another . I asked "excuse me could we get some drinks?" he didn't even look at us. We decided if they didn't want to serve us than they won't get our $ but, before we left a patron next to us started talking w/ us. They couldn't believe we were being treated this way. After carrying on that coversation for 5 minutes in disbelief I went back in the resturant to ask if they were going to seat us & I got the run around. I simply said "It's ok if you don't want our money. We will go someplace that doesn't discriminate caucasian's." I would say we were there for about 15 minutes and we did not get served because we did not speak Portuguese. It is a very unprofessional way to operate your buisness. read more

Among the WORST dining experiences. Despite only one other table occupied, the service was non-existent--asked for saffron rice, was told "we only have one kind", even though saffron is offered on another dish Had to hunt waitress down for a glass of wine (house is awful) half way through what I could manage to eat of this really poor food. Their "specialty", steak on a stone, ordered medium rare, arrived over cooked, tough and totally tasteless. Side of Fries and rice--who ever serves 2 starches. The fries were pretty good, the only positive thing I can report read more

Overpriced food for a bad experience. The wait staff was horrible. I waited 30 minutes for a menu, had to ask for a drink and bread. The entree salad was given AFTER the entree arrived. Room temperature drinks. Overall rude, never even got an apology. This restaurant used to be great but quality has noticeably gone downhill. read more

Our first time here as we wanted to try it for some time. We went with friends that frequent this place and we enjoyed the Portuguese flair on the food and wine. We will comeback soon. read more

It is with great sadness that I say this is most likely the last time my family eats here. Over the past 3 years the food has gotten bland/ dry and drowning in rice & fries. There is always something cold, incorrect or not available all of a sudden. read more

Excellent authentic Portuguese food. The best seafood the greater Danbury area has to offer. The food and drinks are out of this world, bursting with flavor. read more

Friendly staff. My husbands food came as expected. My plate on the other hand cost me 28$ the shrimp wasn't divined, which by the way is disgusting. Failed to give me something different. 28$ down the drain, didn't eat the food. They failed to give me my money back. I had the most disgusting dinner in 2015. So if you don't mind yourseafood properly cleaned out. I don't think your going to have a problem with this restaurant. But if you're like me I wouldn't order anything that has shrimp in it. read more

This is my favorite resteraunt of all times. I am married to a pork chop and have been to Portugal over a dozen times. I am no stranger to authentic Portuguese food and Atlantic is the best. The ambiance is so so but you let that go once you taste their delicious meals. read more

This has become our go-to restaurant when we want terrific, fresh-tasting food served in a warm, family-style environment. IF you know what to order, the food is remarkable. The prices are really reasonable. One cannot go here looking for yuppie food and a chic atmosphere. In my opinion, the house salad leaves a lot to be desired; it is VERY basic. BUT there are many excellent entrees to be savored, including: grilled quail ( garlicky, crispy, and juicy....three whole quail to an order); grilled pork loin served with rice and a fried egg; grilled shrimp (never iodinic, and always perfectly cooked); the amazing, vertical shish kebab; chourico (served flaming in a special ceramic dish); grilled fresh sardines (with a wonderful char).... and the goat or rabbit specials. We know now that we should ask for "just" rice or fries, as these two starches are customarily served together. I was disappointed with the quality of the lobster on two occasions. Ask for steamed broccoli or broccoli rabe if you want a perfectly-cooked vegetable and the 1950's style green salad doesn't do it for you. There are terrific Portugese red wines available at $20 a bottle, an amazing deal. We have been very impressed by the warm, knowledgeable service as of late. Give this gem a few tries, and I am quite sure you will find a few dishes that will have you eager to return. There are so few REAL places like this left on the food horizon. Highly recommended! read more

Just moved to the danbury area and was dying for Portuguese food but didn't feel like driving to Westchester, NYC, or Jersey. A friend who is Portuguese brought me to the Atlantic for lunch. OMG it's great. Been there twice in two days and will probably go. A third time. The food is great had steak on a tile and had rabbit the second time. Food is great the staff is awesome Helena the owner was behind the bar and made me feel like I had been going there for 20 years. Tiffany the waitress was great. I'll be there 3 times a week for dinner and everyday for a beer or espresso after work. Love this place !! read more

Really not that great. I wish this restaurant had advertised better that it was a Portuguese restaurant instead of trying to be a seafood place. My husband and I just wanted some classic New England lobster and clams and instead got this place. Nice people but loud in the bar- all the old buddies get together everyday and have the loudest nonsense conversations ever- couldn't hear my husband and had to yell. No real seafood either- rubbery octopus and the cod tasted disgusting. Gummy imitation crab meat. Broccoli was all stalks and no leaves or heads. I also wish the waitress had warned us about the plate sizes- the seafood rice is a big bowl of rice and seafood and can be split among four people!! For all the money we spent ($16 a plate) it was definitely not worth it. read more

LOVE LOVE Atlantic! Haven't had a meal that we didn't enjoy! Only 2 waitress and 1 bus person service is fine it's not a huge place. Their calamari is delicious as is all the food. We are their about 3x a week! read more

Local dive restaurant that served a dinner which never came close to anything worthwhile. Serving Portugeese rolls is nice but I've had fresher ones at our Newtown gas station. The baked cod was inedible. The other seafood dish was barely flavorful. Even the water they served had an unpleasant taste. Maybe the booze there is cheap but nothing else to this place makes it worth a visit. The waitress was very nice but forgot to give us our salads-probably just as well. read more

Nice local spot. The restaurant was quite filled, but we were seated right away. I had the steak and shrimp, which was very good but while the preparation of the shrimp was interesting and meticulous it was actually kind of a nuisance to eat. The homemade chips were very good as well. I didn't have any wine, but the prices were more than reasonable ($5/glass). read more

Great service, great food! Had the grilled octopus app, pork cubes with clams and the wife had the paella! Very attentive staff. It was our first time but won't be our last! read more

I had the grilled pork chops. I was served two large pork chops, a house salad, rice, and broccoli. The food was prepared to perfection. This meal could easily serve two moderate eaters. I'm from out of state traveler, who went to Yelp to locate a recommended place to eat. I will be back in town again in 3-4 months, and I will be back. read more

Currently the best Portuguese restaurant in the Danbury area (let's see how Caravela compares when it opens back up in the next few weeks). The food is consistently good, with large portions. The steaks used to be of higher quality, but they are always well-cooked and very flavorful. The seafood is usually very good. Do NOT pass up the Mozambique Shrimp appetizer - it is AMAZING. The service is the biggest letdown, though. There is usually only one server in the restaurant area, and eating here is usually an hour-and-a-half to two-hour event. All in all a good place for good Portuguese food, but only if you have the time for it. read more

Food was excellent had the Steak on the stone again, along with the steam lobster, clams and shrimp. Everything is excellent. Great service excellent waitress ask for Tiffany. read more

Atlantic Restaurant - Steamed lobster, clams and shrimp in a delicious broth. - Portuguese Near Me - Danbury, Connecticut

Stopped and had dinner at Atlantic last night, first time there. Staff was very friendly and Cassandra is the best server,she took very good care of us. Food was fantastic...definitely a fan...we will be back!!! read more

Great food but slow service. I specifically asked for four ice cubes in my water and received seven. The steak on a stone was good. While we were there somebody collapsed and hit his head on the ground...gross. At least he got to eat at Danbury Hospital instead. The guy that takes food orders sounds so sultry and seductive. read more

I took my dad and family for Lunch. Most of the food was OK but my dad ordered a Paella and the rice was pre-made rice. A paella needs rice to be done from scratch to take the flavors of the seafood and to cook properly. It is a 30 dollar plate and they should cook it properly and not take shortcuts. read more

Hands down the best Portuguese food in the tri-state area & the prices are very reasonable. The steak & shrimp shish kabob is my favorite & the service is always great. I highly recommend this restaurant to everybody ! read more

Amazing food!! I had the clams appetizer and can honestly say that they were the best clams I've ever had. My husband had the shrimp app and loved them! The restaurant & staff are very nice and accommodating too. My husband and I will be going back again and again!!! And $2.50 for a beer!? Yes, please. :-) read more

Met a friend here last night, Thursday, at 6:30pm. There were two other tables going. First impression: Clean, welcoming place. She already had a table. I sat, we ordered our drinks, they came quickly. We ordered the quail appetizer, it came in about 10-15 mins. It was absolutely delicious! To hell with the forks, I ate with my hands! I then ordered the rabbit dish, she ordered the clams. I got the rice and broccoli with my entree...everything was perfect. I loved my meal! There was a good amount of it too. I ended up having it wrapped. There was no room for dessert, but I did have the cappuccino. It was as good as it looked. I was there for 3 hours and did not feel rushed by the one wait person. The only negative thing I can say is that I was out of water for quite a bit of time and the wait person only filled my cup when I started coughing and couldn't stop. Overall, I was so impressed with the food here, that I am already planning my return. Next time, I am getting the clams! read more

Visiting in the area on Saturday 5/13 and asked around for a place locals eat. Went early at 5:15 as I was alone and figured I would not tie up a table on a busy weekend. Staff was friendly and sat me right away. Asked for a suggestion for wine and tried the Portuguese green wine which was good. Complimentary olives and bread were served. Ordered the Caldo Verde but was disappointed as it was lukewarm with only 3 slices of chourizo and a bland broth of thinly sliced kale. I remember this as a hearty soup with potatoes as a child but maybe a regional thing? For my entree I ordered the Mariscada (lobster, clams, shrimp and scallops in a spicy wine and butter broth). I was so disappointed. The lobster, clams and shrimp were so overdone they were not edible. I couldn't get the meat out of the lobster claws because it was so overdone, I couldn't chew the clams and the shrimp were all but petrified. I scooped out the scallops and soaked up the broth with bread. I finished with a coffee drink which was great. All in all it was not a good value because of the wasted seafood. read more

Good food but the service is super slow even when there are like 3 tables of people in the whole restaurant. Waitstaff is not super friendly. I prefer the portuguese club to atlantic but its good. read more

i enjoyed the atmosphere and pleasant staff. The waitress was polite and interactive. Also myself and company where very happy with the food. read more

Not as good as it used to be,but still good. Parking lot is always a nightmare. The waitstaff at times is overwhelmed, usually only 2, so they can be slow. The food is reasonably priced. Portions are ample. All the dishes are pretty good. read more

Visiting from FL, stopped in with an old friend for karaoke night. Super amazing warmth from entering the business straight through until 3 hours later. Wished I could take the owners and the patrons home with me. Did not have dinner but the restaurant is warm and inviting and beautifully decorated in a unique nautical theme. If you are looking for extended family, please give it a try! read more

Absolutely the WORST EXPERIENCE EVER,including Mexican road shacks.wait staff was very unfriendly as well as not in a hurry to accommodate.steak was bland shoe leather at best.By far the worst Paella ever.sardines looked great but overcooked. Couldn't get out of the unwelcome atmosphere quick enough. NO STARS.WOW....I can't believe I am this dissatisfied. Shame on The Atlantic,. It should be sunk in the Pacific. read more

The best Portuguese food in Danbury. Me and my husband celebrate every anniversary at Atlantic We love the food...

My best friend and I went here for the first time because we had a $25 rewards certificate that we had earned online. We sat down in the bar area to order our food. Overall, the restaurant appeared to be pretty clean and pretty decent. The service was okay, the food wasn't bad but I can't say I was crazy about it. I had ordered a steak dish with potatoes and broccoli. I wasn't impressed about the variety and selection of side orders they had when I wanted to substitute the original side order of the entree for another. The steak dish came with rice and fries but I wanted mashed potatoes instead of fries and string beans instead of rice. Our waitress said the only vegetable they had was broccoli and they had no mashed potatoes. however, I didn't get charged extra for substituting a carb for a vegetable which I was happy about because most restaurants do. I also didnt care for the steak. the menu said that they were steak strips and when I got my entree the steak was in three big pieces and was hard to chew. It wasn't tender at all and when I asked the waiter if I could switch it for something else she said she couldn't and that if I switched she would have to charge me extra. that I got really pissed about because I've never heard of a restaurant that doesn't take dishes back if you're not satisfied with the dish, especially if they messed up on the quality of the food. I then asked I could try my friends dish- he ordered chicken in a buttery wine sauce. It wasn't bad, but the chicken barely had any sauce and it was a little tough. it took forever for the waitress to bring out our food, we waited about a half hour. The entrees however are really big so it's likely you will be taking your food home. quantity in this place seems more important than quality. We also ordered dessert and I thoughts the desserts were pretty good. the waitress decided not to charge us for the desserts which I thought was very nice of her. however, I have to say that she didnt come over much to ask if everything was okay...if we needed more drinks..or if we wanted to order something else. then again, it was in the bar area so it was a bit crowded. overall, this place had it's ups and downs, not a restaurant I would be coming back to over and over again. read more