I have no idea what's up with the low reviews for Fresh Salt. We have eaten here many times for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it's consistently fantastic...excellent food, beautiful decor, gorgeous views, relaxing atmosphere (though noisy by the bar and in general when it's busy). I also discovered this morning that the morning chef, Chris, has a passion for healthful foods when I requested a special smoothie with spinach, mango, banana and orange - no juices, no ice, nothing fake - just the fruit. He whipped it up for me and it's perfect. What more can you ask for than a restaurant that will make you whatever you request? I give this restaurant 4 stars only because I don't give five easily, and I think the service could be refined in general. That said, this is a great place and I would not hesitate for one second to enjoy a delicious meal here with a lovely view. read more

Great atmosphere. Sat outside for our anniversary dinner. Swordfish chop was excellent, as was the spinach risotto. My husband had the fish cioppino which had just enough light spice. Not too overwhelming. Surprised to find out they had a band starting at 6:30 and wasn't looking forward to that as many bands are so loud, you can't carry on a conversation, but this band was perfect. Played some jazzy old rock, blues and not too loud. Totally made my night! Well definitely come back! read more

Wonderful relaxing environment. Beautifully presented food in a delightful sunny and classy restaurant, with a gorgeous bar. Lovely indeed. Service was a pure delight as well. I would love to give our server credit, however, I can not recall her name. Very sweet and informative. read more

Been here 3 times and never disappointed. Fresh salt has fresh food done right. The Risotto Caprese is recommended I am going back for just that. Atmosphere perfect, staff great ... would give 5 stars but for wait but that really does not matter - have a drink and enjoy views of Old Saybrook at its finest. read more

We're staying at the hotel and wanted to have a nightcap before turning in. We were surprised at the poor service. We sat outside for 30 minutes without being acknowledged. The servers were rude when we finally asked them for a menu. We left without ordering. We expected better from a place that lives on their reputation for "service". Very disappointed. read more

This is a fun place to go with your girls. It could not be a prettier location. Decor is fabulous. We celebrated an engagement (before the official party) with oysters, dinner and lots of champagne and martinis. The waitress was excellent and laughed along with us popping bottle after bottle. She also didn't seem to mind when some of us wanted to share plates, extra points for graciously taking photos for our group. I felt that our entrees were served quickly, fish was cooked perfectly, and she suggested the best things not just the most expensive. Most importantly she treated the new bride-to-be like a queen. read more

Arrived for a Noon reservation and the outside seating area was almost completely full. Outdoor seating has a view of a marina and worth grabbing a table here if available. They have a nice selection of local Connecticut beers and I sampled the Two Roads Double IPA and the Mystic Bridge IPA. Both are recommended. They serve wine by the glass and offer a 6oz or 9oz pour. Split the Local Farm Beet salad as an appetizer and our server accommodated our request to split the dish. I had the Maine Lobster salad and it was excellent quality and a reasonable size portion. The wife had the BLT sans the pork belly and it looked OK. Service was adequate but could use some polish. Overall a great time and I would be back. read more

Amazing food!! We came for Easter brunch and everything was absolutely amazing. The pasta was my favorite. I definitely want to come back and dine here for a regular dinner and see what they have to offer! Also amazing and attentive staff! read more

This was probably the worst dining experience that I've had in the last year, totally overrated, very expensive, the food was was not even close to being worth $30 a plate. The fishermans platter was a lot of breading without a lot of fish. The monkfish special with risotto was tasteless. Stay away. read more

Beautiful setting. The view, wait staff, food, atmosphere outstanding. The portions are perfect, not too much, not too little. The price is up there but worth it for the quality. They use local sources for their foods. read more

Service was very poor in the bar. Also,waited 45 minutes past our reservation but hostess threw in free drinks! On the flipside food was very good, as was our waitress Emily. Atmosphere was also very nice.Would definitely go back! read more

One of the best meals I have ever had. Seafood salad was great. Filet mignon was on point, cod was delicious and the Brussels sprouts were cooked to perfection. Service was a little slow, but I guess once you get out of New York, that becomes a common theme. Our waitress gave us samples of a few wines we asked about, so I'm going to stick with my 5. Would go back again. They close kinda early like 1030, so get there early. Also if you make a reservation ask for a water view, we did not but should have. read more

Truly lovely location. Great ambiance with tremendous water front views. Right on the Long Island Sound. Food was exceptional. Fresh seafood. Great polenta! Fresh salad! Details down to the bathrooms were clearly important to the owners. read more

We travel all over and found this place on a whim. What a great atmosphere!!! Service and food is fantastic. Can't beat the marina view.

We love this place, great service, great atmosphere. The appetizers were delicious. The fish and oysters were well prepared. Lovely place. Drinks were great -- nice bartenders. We have sat inside and outside -- both are good options. Would recommend the fish over the steak. Clam chowder is always a winner. read more

Was very excited to try Fresh Salt after reading the reviews and by word of mouth. First and foremost, the location is absolute beautiful as is the restaurant. Very impressed with the outside area and views. Had reservations for a Friday night which is advised as it was packed. Took several minutes to get our drink order in and nearly a half hour to get the beverages. Our waitress stated the bar was backed up which was a big bummer. The entire party ordered apps. Was told the clam chowder was award winner...which is wasn't. All of the apps were pedestrian at best. The entrees included whole clam bellies, lobster rolls and dinner salads which were good but nothing special. The entrees had clearly been sitting under a heat lamp for an extended period by the time they came out. The side orders of both sweet potato and regular fries were also luke warm and a tad bit soggy. I guess I hoped and expected much more for a several hundred dollar bill. I'm torn with this place and thus the three star rating. Maybe it was too busy and we suffered the consequences. Will probably give it another shot as the location is just too good. read more

BRUNCH is one of my favorites. From Boston; Had to do something in Old Lyme, came here 1st. As good as all the high end brunches in Boston fancy hotels. Enjoyed the smoked salmon and shrimp. Beet salad was excellent. Tried not to eat things I can get at any brunch, I.e., eggs Benedict, sausage, bacon, etc. Butternut squash & sage ravioli (wonderful), a chicken pasta dish, a fish & pasta dish. Carved ham fabulous and NOT salty Great dessert selection - my favorite was the chocolate chop bread pudding. I highly recommend and will definitely be back! read more

This restaurant has really declined over the last few years. I never have a good experience. As the menu is expensive, I try to order the less expensive things. Which seems to me that they make the less expensive things lower quality. Which is unfair because they are making money regardless. The food is bland. And the portions are ridiculously small for the hefty fees you pay. I also have had horrible experiences with the waitresses, two very short haired women gave me a disgusting attitude and rolled their eyes every time I needed their service or a refill laughed when I complained about my food being cold. Disgusting. read more

After two couples (party of 4), enjoyed appetizers, dinner and dessert (one of which we had to ask for twice) accompanied by one bottle of wine and two rounds of drinks, we were told that the server would not give us another drink. The view and location of fresh salt is beautiful, but we won't be going back. When 2 parties spend $400.00 for dinner and then the the hostess comes over to say they can no longer serve us a 3 rd drink due to there 2 drink policy. We go to high end restaurants all the time and never once did a place do that but did not have a issue taking are money for the tip then coming back to the table to tell us about there policy totally disappointed. read more

This place has a nice view but nothing more. The meat was overcooked. Not sure how you can mess up a medium piece of steak but they did. The drinks are so over priced compare to other restaurants. read more

Love this place! Last time I had the pan seared sea bass. Still thinking about it.

Went to Fresh Salt on Saturday, July 21st. My father and I ordered Kettle One on the rocks. Took a sip and it was plain water. Sent it back and took a sip of the next one and still plain water. Third one tasted slightly of vodka. Our waitress told us the bartender confirmed there was water in the Kettle One bottle. These drinks are $13 each and this is a serious issue. The manager came to our table at the end of our meal to see how everything was and never mentioned the drinks. We explained it to him and he said he was aware of it and they were looking into it and he ran off. Not even an offer to give us the drinks for free. Very poor customer service and scary that some one is tampering with the bottles of liquor. read more

We went to dinner here Wednesday night. Let me just tell you that the staff has got to be the friendliest staff I have ever encountered. We were greeted and seated in a gorgeous room overlooking the water and a fountain that changes colors which my kids just loved. On the kids menu was hot chocolate which you never see so right from there this place was top notch in their book. Our waitress Nancy was so knowledgable with their menu, I hate when they say they have never tasted what you are asking about. The food was amazing, every single thing we tried was like a little piece of heaven. We will absolutely be going back! read more

I enjoyed dinner tonight with 5 friends. I ordered the Rhode Island Chowder and Hamburger. By far the best hamburger I have ever had anytime, anyplace, anywhere. The presentation with the mini fry basket was great! Worth ordering just for the presentation. The burger was excellent quality beef and cooked to perfection. I am a food snob and raised in the food business. It was a simple burger but outstanding. The chowder was excellent as well. The other 5 people who were at my table also had excellent meals. Continued Success! Judi C, Mystic, CT read more

Really great location with nice water front views. The food and service was exceptional. I had a great experience and would be back, loved the super fresh seafood! read more

What a little jewel. I believe the name of the server was Nancy. I found this place after being pulled over for speeding in town and asking the local Police officer for a great place to get a bite to eat. He clearly sent me to the right place. They were having a brunch but we chose to order from the menu. The brunch looked fine but the choices we made off the menu were truly a delight. Fresh food, served well and cooked right. I can't wait to go back. Nancy made us feel as if we were eating at her place. Unbeatable duo. well prepared food served by a caring lovely lady. My wife and I will be back! read more

My husband brought me here for a birthday dinner. Thankful we made reservations because the place was packed and loud. I had high hopes but was soon let down. The bathroom was out of toilet paper. The whole sink tops were flooded with water. Do wealthy shoreline residents not know how to wash their hands? My husband said his bathroom had a sink fully running but no one was even using them. No one bothered to turn the faucets off. We informed the staff it needed some maintenance. Fruit flies buzzed around our drinks. My lamb, ordered medium/well was very rare almost raw in the middle. I Sent it back and as I waited for a new meal over watching my husband eat, I ate some bread.....STALE. Over heard the table behind us sending back questionable looking oysters. YUCK! They tried to make up for it in free desserts, which were fine. The high prices didn't match up to the low quality and hype this restaurant got. SKIP IT! read more

Enjoying some refreshing drinks on a top ten day at the Marina Bar...our bartender,Meredith, enhanced our day with her well made drinks, pleasant attitude, outgoing personality, and gorgeous smile!!! We come here often and will definitely look for Meredith the next time we come read more

Absolutely loved this, I had the sword fish and my husband had the lamb. Both meals were out of this world... And we don't offer that rating often! Wait staff were excellent and we just couldn't be happier! read more

Love the vibe at the deck bar and gas fire pit! Great food and drinks. Get the calamari!!

2 stars given for the wait staff. The food, as mentioned in many other reviews is just dreadful. Well, not dreadful--bland. No not bland, tasteless and expensive. Supposedly they got a new chef last year. My suggestion would be to put a search party together and find the old one. If you're looking for top shelf food that equates to the prices charged, this is not the place to find it. Caveat emptor....... read more

Wonderful atmosphere- warm and welcoming. Menu offers a nice selection of items, including salads, appetizers, fish/seafood, and meats. Good dessert selection. Prices reasonable. Only downside is the slow and impersonal service that leaves you feeling like you're at an Applebee's or Denny's - definitely not what you expect (or pay for!!) on Christmas. We shouldn't have to wait 15 minutes to order main courses, nor to have your plates cleared after finishing eating. read more

Great food, great cocktails and a great atmosphere! The staff was very friendly and helpful. During my stay at the Inn, I tried the burger, lobster and clam chowder. All the meals I had at Fresh Salt exceeded my expectations. Thursday night is ladies night and the turn out was very good, nice discounts and great live music. This restaurant has strong support from the locals so you know it must be good. Try Fresh Salt, you wont be disappointed! read more

It was a stunning summer evening - the perfect day to visit this restaurant's waterfront location. We were considering Fresh Salt for our son's rehearsal dinner location next fall. I ordered the Tempura Platter, expecting a lightly coated array of seafoods and veges. My platter arrived looking more like the fried platter at the local summer seafood shacks. The coating was dense, the frying overcooked and the seafood tough. The accompanying truffle fries (one of my favorite dishes) were soggy and tasteless. My husband's burger was fine, but it's tough to ruin a burger. My daughter's dish was their portabella mushroom stack with spinach and beans. It looked yummy and she seemed to enjoy the dish. Unfortunately, within 15 minutes though, she disappeared to the restroom and returned looking pale and unhappy. We aren't sure if her ailment was caused by the entree or the the wine glass that was just removed from the dishwasher and so hot that the waiter had to dunk the glass in ice. All we know is there was some kind of bacteria in their kitchen that needed attention. Avoiding a scene, we waited until we left the restaurant to call and tell them about my daughter's sudden dietary misfortune. We certainly didn't want anyone else getting sick that evening. The manager called the next day rather matter of fact and that was the end of the story. The local public health department is the next step. Fresh salt is a highly-regarded, rather expensive restaurant/spa/meeting center that should maintain a higher level of sanitation and customer service than we experienced. The end of our story is that we will be booking the rehearsal dinner elsewhere and encourage others to do the same. read more

I can't really put in words how great the brunch buffet is. The staff members are nice. The plates and silverware are great and...Food. Just. You can't really explain the flavors of all the different things. 5/5 for sure! read more

Really, really fantastic service. Good food too! Started with the heirloom tomato appetizer, which was quite tasty if not a bit undersized for the price. As an entree I ordered the potato crusted cod, but I didn't really see the potato crust! Either way it was well cooked and served on a bed of white beans and broccoli rabe with a tomato broth. A few mussels came on the side, and so did French fries. Overall very tasty but very overpriced. read more

I am a frequent visitor of Fresh Salt and work nearby. I am a huge fan of their cobb salad which they only serve in the summer. I have never had a problem before but today I was disappointed so I felt that I needed to share my experience. I ordered my cobb salad (minus blue cheese) by phone and spoke to a very nice gentleman by the name of Peter who told me it would be ready at the bar in 15 minutes. I went to the bar as directed and the salad was ready and waiting problem was there was blue cheese on it which I despise. I advised the bartender that I requested without cheese and he was very nice and said that the order did show it should be without cheese and he would have them remake it. Obviously I ordered ahead of time so I wouldn't have to wait for it to be made but I didn't mind waiting and I ended up having a nice conversation with a gentleman sitting at the bar who offered me a drink who I found out was one of the owners. My problem is this. They did remake the salad (minus the blue cheese) but when I got back to work there was no avocado or potatoes in it so I paid $16 for a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, bacon and chicken. The two things that really make it an amazing cobb salad were missing. I was so disappointed. A quick 15 minute trip to get lunch took 45 minutes and I didn't even get what I ordered. I have to wonder if the chef was irritated because I had sent it back and purposely left those items out. I will not order for pickup again. read more

Totally horrified about management of this restaurant. Will not return. I sat down to eat a dinner with my family at the bar area outside. All was going well until about 25 people arrived to conduct a business meeting at the bar we were sitting at at about 9pm. We were bullied by this group as we were the only people sitting at the bar and there were 4 other tables occupied outside as well. This group of 25 did not order any drinks, only proceeded with their meeting. It is a Monday night at 9pm. We finally asked them to leave so we wouldn't be hearing about their bosses in jail or their lobbyists or their broken slab deals and they bullied my family! I understand this doesn't have to do with the restaurant however, the management of the restaurant didn't tell them to get a private room for their corporate meeting -- knowing they had tables occupied for paying customers. They agreed to leave and 5 minutes later, the general manager of the restaurant finally came to talk to us. He asked us what happened and we told him; he did not apologize and it seemed like he didn't realize that this is a terrible position to put his customers (we live in this town and have been here frequently-- we will not come back!) He was more concerned with hosting a corporate conference for his bullying out of town guests then to treat his regulars with respect ! read more

I am remiss for not writing this review earlier but there are things that one does not forget. The only thing this place has going for it is its location. The service is TERRIBLE and the food almost reaches that level. We've been here several times over the course of time but this time was the worst. This last time, I ordered gnocchi. It was ENTIRELY undercooked to the point that all I could taste was flour. Absolutely disgusting. Did the waitperson bother to check on us? No. BUT, it gets worse. The year prior, we thought a platter of oysters (2 of each kind) would be a fantastic appetizer. When they brought said oysters, we asked which were which, she ran and we suddenly had a new waitress. It turns out they were all the same variety of oysters. This restaurant has screwed us enough times to realize there are better places to eat in Old Saybrook. If you eat here, buyer be warned. read more

We ate at the bar, ordering from both the lounge and regular menu. I had the Caesar salad I have had in years. Nothing has come close. Light but rich flavor, not vinegary. True to the origins of the salad. Could have had a second one but would have prevented me from trying something else like the best meatballs I have ever had. Unbelievable! My wife had a similar experience with chowder and salad pairing. The offerings are a little pricey, but well worth it. This is an exceptional restaurant and complement to a great Inn. read more