The bride and I planned a pit stop on our way back from a wedding on the cape and thanks to Yelp,…read morewe found this fantastic restaurant which is located just outside of the busy downtown area. Fairly busy Sunday afternoon but we were quickly seated at the raw bar with a great view of the kitchen, which BTW is a well oiled machined and fun to watch, not quite as crazy as the Bear, but impressive. Tuna tartar to start followed by some delicious cherrystones then we split the Mussels in coconut milk with lemon grass and cilantro and some amazing sour dough bread for dipping. 10/10!!!

Really phenomenal spot. I saw online that this was a popular spot, and I definitely understand why…read more The oyster selection is really amazing, and the cornbread was crazy good as well. The clam chowder was some of the best I've ever had, too. Everyone was friendly, and service was great. Huge fan, would come back if I found myself in Mystic again!

We'd heard from friends that Shipwright's Daughter in Mystic was a must-try. Wow, were they right…read more From the warm greeting at the door to the beautiful decor, the experience started strong. We were seated at a lovely table for two overlooking Main Street - watching people stroll by from that elevated perch behind glass felt almost cinematic. The real star of the show was the food, which is ultimately what you're there for, and it delivered. The menu offers plenty of options without being overwhelming. I started with the Crispy Pig's Head as an appetizer - a bold choice that turned out to be outstanding. For my entrée, the bucatini with seacoast mushrooms, sherry, parmesan, mushroom cream, and fine herbs was perfectly cooked, and carried a subtle but deeply flavorful sauce. And the housemade sourdough with poblano honey butter? Absolutely outstanding. To be fair, our server took a little time to warm up but found their footing and gave us everything we needed. Parking in Mystic on a busy weekend night can also be a challenge and expensive. Neither is reason enough to skip this one. Ship Wright's Daughter is exactly the kind of restaurant Mystic deserves. Don't wait for a special occasion -- just go.

I really didn't want to write this review, but potential patrons should know what they can expect…read morewhen working with the event staff at Shipwright's Daughter - if they plan to have a private dining experience and event there. My husband and I got married last December. We decided we would hold off on celebrating with our family and invite everyone out from California to join us for a weekend full of activities in Connecticut and a special dinner at Shipwright's Daughter during Memorial Day weekend. We contacted the restaurant's events team to work out high level details starting in late January - to book a private room and hold a date and time. From the get go, the communication we received from the event staff was dismal to say the least. Not only did the events manager misquote the estimate for the room reservation, she came back and asked for a much higher price (up charging by an additional 30% of the original minimum fee) two months after we confirmed and discussed the date. She then explained it was due to the holiday weekend. Our date had never changed from the moment we inquired, so we would have appreciated knowing this upfront. Over the course of several months (and an absurd number of emails and a few calls), we tried to solidify the menu and wine selection and made multiple attempts before hearing back from the team. It was about two weeks before the big event when we were able to confirm a menu. It was about four days before the event that we heard back from the beverage director, but by then, my husband and I had already decided we would bring our own wine bottles, not wanting to leave it to chance with this team. I won't go into further details about the frustration we felt regarding their system for communications (they use an internal system that doesn't make it easy for guests to know who is copied on emails and who sees what). That is something I hope they will work out. When the big day came, I walked into the room and noticed there were a number of chairs missing, so I counted the chairs. They had an incorrect number of chairs for adults and not enough high chairs for the toddlers. We had requested a specific number of these chairs (weeks prior and mentioned it multiple times in writing), and I thought it was safe to assume that this was a basic checklist item for events set up. I was dumbfounded in the moment. I couldn't help but wonder what else they were going to miss or mess up that evening. It was disappointing to have our family members wait while the staff scrambled to pull other chairs into the room. From the time it took to take everyone's order from the set menu, the time between courses being served, and the attentiveness for pouring water and wine - all of it was a miss. The level of hospitality that we expected from a restaurant so recognized for its incredible food and approach to sustainable sourcing was completely overshadowed by the lack of attention and care by its staff - since day one of planning this event. Even a few of our family members commented on this during the dinner. At the end of the day, we felt like an obligation rather than welcomed guests, and that is mainly why I'm leaving this review. We had been patrons of Shipwright's a couple of times prior to this event, which is why we chose this establishment - to represent the best that Connecticut has to offer, when it comes to a dining experience we could vouch for. We no longer feel that we can recommend this restaurant. If you care about hospitality, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

After finishing the Niantic Artisan Festival, we stopped at Constantine's On The Bay to grab lunch…read more We were told we could sit anywhere so we chose a table by the front windows so that we could people watch even though it was raining, the room was brightly lit. We started with the Jumbo (6) Shrimp Cocktail, which were served on a bed of lettuce and cocktail sauce. Rather than having a meal, I decided to have the Mediterranean Style Crispy Calamari, it was tossed w/Garlic, Lemon, Artichoke Hearts, Peppers, Tomatoes and Capers. I also had a cup of the Lobster Bisque that was full of lobster chunks. Both were very good. My companions had the Fish and Chips, but substituted mashed potatoes. Our friend ordered a big burger and also substituted the fries for mashed potatoes. The food was delivered quickly and our waitress was very pleasant. I will definitely be back to try the other foods.

The atmosphere outside was great. Good view of the water. All the food we ordered came out hot…read moreand better than was expected. But the server was soooooo slooowwwww. Had to grab another server to get my server so we could get napkins. Then I had to grab another server to get my server to bring the dawgone bill.

We recently hosted an event here and couldn't be happier with the experience. From the initial…read moreplanning stages to the day of the event, the staff was absolutely fantastic to work with. They were incredibly accommodating, professional, and went above and beyond to ensure everything ran smoothly while staying strictly within our budget. The food was outstanding and the atmosphere provided the perfect backdrop for our gathering. If you are looking for a venue that offers great service, delicious food, and a seamless planning process, I highly recommend them for any event. We will definitely be back!

Came back two years later and I was also able to swing by during their happy hour where they had $1…read moreoysters. It was unfortunately very slow to get the order in. The waitress took about 20 mins to get to our table right before happy hour ended, even though it was not busy at all. The oysters were big and tasted really good! The main dish came out in another 25 mins and it was good, but not as good as I last remembered. Overall the happy hour oysters are a great deal. The mains dishes were a little more overpriced for what you get. Staff and service was unfortunately very slow. Not disappointed with the experience, but expected a little bit more from this place. Food(50%): 7.7 Staff/service(25%): 4.0 Value(25%): 5.0 Overall: 6.1/10

A fantastic intimate, yet roomy venue for live music. Service was outstanding, staff was friendly…read moreand professional and food was delicious, but be sure to save room for dessert...The Cakes are Out of this World Good! It's on Bank St in New London, so be mindful of your surroundings, otherwise, a great place to unwind and have a good time!

After a Second Chance, I'm Officially Bowing Out This was my…read moresecond attempt at giving The Social Bar a fair shot, and unfortunately, absolutely nothing has changed. You would think a spot would be packed for Sunday brunch, but we walked in to a completely dead restaurant--just two couples sitting at the bar. We got seated, but it quickly became clear that the bartender (who I assume was also the manager) was the only person working the entire front of the house. The Service & Wait To say the service was slow is an understatement. It took so long just to put in an order that we were highly tempted to walk out. The only reason we stayed was because we had an hour to kill. While the bartender was genuinely friendly--and even nicely gave me the last of the batch he had mixed--the good attitude simply couldn't make up for the agonizingly long wait. The Drinks & Food The Mimosa: It was a premixed blend that was about 90% orange juice and 10% champagne. The Fries: The lone bright spot of the meal. They were nicely seasoned and easily the best part of the experience. The Side Caesar Salad: I really wanted to love the Caesar dressing because it actually tasted homemade. Sadly, it was so incredibly overloaded with salt that I'm genuinely shocked I'm not blind. After two strikes and two back-to-back fails, I'll sadly have to bow out from giving this place a third chance. There are too many other spots to choose from to waste time on slow service and unexecuted food.

We were staying at the hotel next door and had breakfast at the Helmsman. We were thrilled with the…read morebreakfast menu. Besides the breakfast buffet, there are several wonderful breakfast items to select on the menu. I opted for the avocado toast. It was served on grilled sourdough and with thinly sliced radishes. It was perfection. I loved that it arrived with a side salad and dressing. The cucumbers and radishes really made the breakfast pop. Lovely presentation! We also ordered the smoked salmon on a bagel as another b breakfast entree. It was loaded with smoked salmon! If you have breakfast here and have never tried a grilled muffin, order it! We had never heard of a grilled blueberry muffin and had to try it! To say it is delicious is an understatement. The muffin is overflowing with blueberries! They cut it in half and put it onto the grill. The butter and sugars seem to crystallize into one of the best muffins I have ever tasted. Tim was our server was able to help us navigate our options and the items to try during our stay. He was friendly and so very helpful!!

Headline: Believe the reviews. It was overpriced, mediocre food with defensive service…read more I should have heeded the warnings. Despite being attached to the Marriott, this restaurant currently feels completely disconnected from any standard of hospitality. The service was the primary issue. While our initial server was adequate, the older server who brought our food was unprofessional. She delivered the wrong meal a wilted Caesar salad and a "goopy" flounder instead of the salmon that had been ordered. She implied it was either our mistake or her colleague's fault. Worse, she took the incorrect dish back but left my short rib on the table. No one offered to keep my meal warm, and by the time my companion's food finally arrived, my dinner was cold. The food itself was "wannabe" high-end, but instead,overpriced Sysco-grade quality. There is potential in the ambiance, but the kitchen and staff are clearly just going through the motions. Save your money and walk to a restaurant with better reviews

We went here on a day when there was a big event going on in downtown New London. They had a…read morelimited menu due to the event so we didn't get to sample the full menu. With that said, what we did have was absolutely fantastic. The group I was with had jerk chicken sandwiches, a short rib sandwich, a smashburger, and a salad. We were all totally happy with our meals. Moreover, the service was absolutely fantastic. The young woman serving us was extremely friendly and attentive. The owner was awesome. She chatted with us and checked on us regularly to make sure we were happy. We sat on their back porch, which was lovely and provided a view of the harbor. I definitely recommend this place and look forward to going back to sample their full menu!

What a nice eating addition to Bank street. We got a tip that the short ribs were to die for and…read morethey were. Great chicken wing appetizers too with great bbq and jerk sauces. Service great. Place clean and nice view of River in the rear. We'll be going back!!

Everything about this restaurant is absolutely amazing!!!! Always has been. I've never had anything…read moreI didn't like from here!!

This place is a hidden gem! The pricing is great and I love their chicken salad sandwiches. The…read morebread is always fresh, I believe it is made in house. The ladies behind the counter are always so nice.