Mother's Day dinner with the family! There were 5 of us and it was great! We ordered Shrimp cocktails Caesar Salad Complimentary warm salted rolls Three ordered the filet mignon One ordered the Filet Oscar One NY strip We ordered sides to share and try French fries Onion rings Creamed spinach Brussels sprouts Whipped potatoes Asparagus The steaks were the most tender I've ever had The sides were all very good Dessert Cookie plate. ( meh) Baked Alaska. Really good Valet parking makes it nice and easy Being Mother's Day we appreciated not being rushed and kudos to the kitchen. Once our order was in it went right along smoothly. All steaks were cooked to order. In addition, the turnaround for the bar was not bad for it being a full house. We enjoyed our dinner at this iconic landmark and of course will be back. read more

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10/10 we love able!! lol drinks 10 appetizers 10 entree's 4 -ability to make what i asked and accommodate me and my likings.... big fat 10 for a specification, i had the chef special scallops in something sauce and to be clear. i didn't know what that sauce was when i ordered it and the texture to me. it was terrible, but that is definitely a preference thing and a lack of knowledge on my part however the scallops were not seasoned to perfection. the way the pork belly was and the way the crabcake was so there was also that.... nonetheless able, and the staff in the kitchen were so accommodating they were able to make me exactly what i wanted and i just picked a few things that i wanted and they were able to make a plate for me so that's amazing. the ambience was classy quiet i think me and my girlfriend made the most noise there just laughing and enjoy f ourselves, but it was festive and lively for the most part. uconn was playing by the bar and uconn one so there was a lot of noise for that as well, but the vibe was really quiet and classy over all. read more

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Came here because we wanted oysters with only 1 hour of time to spare. We sure lucked out coming here! Our waitress Courtney was such an incredible human being. She remembered every single word we spoke to her. I was truly impressed and wouldn't be surprised if she's the best server they have! We told her we were in a rush because our daughter was competing in a dance competition. Not only did she get all the food out quickly, but she even brought out a mini dessert, a cookie and wished our daughter good luck on the receipt. People like Courtney are few and far in between. I can tell she is someone who truly enjoys what she does. Ok now for the food haha everything was honestly impeccable. The bread was heavenly, soft and crunchy through every bite. Warmed enough where the butter was smooth to the spread. Oysters didn't last very long and it was exactly what we wanted. If we had more time we certainly would have ordered more! My wife got the Halibut and I got the NY Sirloin with the asparagus and truffle fries side. The Halibut was insanity; it was the perfect cut, the perfect blend of sauces with fish. I was almost jealous that I got the steak haha The Asparagus has to be the best I've ever heard. It came with a hollandaise sauce and crunchy prosciutto, I mean WOW. I was scraping the plate for the sauce and the prosciutto. I ordered my steak medium and it was cooked to perfection. My only wish is that I had more time to actually sit down and enjoy my meal even longer or maybe even an espresso. Honestly it's probably for the best that I was in a rush cause who knows how much money I would have spent. The place is definitely on the higher end so you will spend a good amount of money. I loved the ambiance and the music. I constantly found myself either wanting to dance to the music or just sit and chill while I sipped my wine. They have valet parking which is clutch because the parking in the area is awful. If I am ever in the area I am definitely coming back and definitely asking for Courtney to be our server once again. Oh I forgot my wife got a dirty martini and even though she messed it up by not getting it extra dirty; she still really enjoyed it ! read more

My friends and I came to Max's after work this evening for dinner before catching a show. We arrived at 4:45 and the place was hopping! We had 5pm dinner reservations and they did not seat anyone until 5pm. We decided to grab drinks at the bar while we waited. The drinks were very well done! Once seated our waiter came quickly to take drink orders. He brought bread and cold butter. I personally like my butter at room temperature, especially if the bread is cold. Regardless the bread itself was very tasty - a Parmesan crusted roll. For dinner I ordered the pappardelle and short ribs. I was expecting a tomato based sauce. Instead it was more like a brown gravy. It was delicious anyway. The photo is missing the shaved truffles they came back and added to the top of my dish - they added a nice rustic and earthy taste the dish. I would order it again! My friends had the shrimp à la vodka and the shrimp were huge! We did not get any appetizers, but did share a few desserts. Their chocolate cake was super rich yet light. I would get that again was well. This is an upscale restaurant so good for special night out with a date or friends. The service is very professional and efficient. The waitstaff is super friendly as well. Cost is on the upside - but consistent with an upscale downtown restaurant. read more

Max Downtown - Pappardelle with short ribs - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Food: 4.5/5 Service: 4.4/5 Ambiance: 4.5/5 Value: 4/5 Max Downtown is an upscale restaurant in the heart of Hartford about an eight minute walk from the Union Place bus and train station and near Bushnell Park. It is a lively restaurant on a Saturday night. It was pretty packed. It took a little while for me to order a drink at the bar ("The Offer", made with Dewars eight year scotch finished in rum casks with black cherry bitters and Fever Tree soda; it wasn't great, but I drank it). I waited there for fifteen minutes before I went back to the maitre'd to check on my table availability. They were able to seat us a few minutes before the 8:15 reservation time. I couldn't help but notice that the table they gave us was in the back of the restaurant near other fellow ethnic minorities (everyone seated in the front and middle parts of the restaurant were white), but this could have been a coincidence. It was clean, quiet, and warm, which my Dad appreciated (he is elderly and temperature-sensitive), so I didn't say anything. Our server Josh was very friendly and informative. He remarked that it was good to see adult children enjoying a nice time with their parents. He explained the technique of how they prepare the wagyu picanha to get great texture from what is thought to be a tougher cut of steak than others. The food took a while to get to us because of how busy it was. We didn't get entrees until after being sat for over an hour. But everything was delicious. The bread is soft and warm and served with butter with Himalayan pink salt. The servers pour olive oil on the butter and want you to dress it that way. I'd never seen that before. We ordered colossal shrimp cocktail and lump crab cake as appetizers. My wagyu picanha steak ($64) with Mandarin ginger shoyu was excellent. Even though picanha is not as well marbled as ribeye, this steak was really soft and tender. Some may find the sauce too sweet, but for me it was ok. My Dad liked his pan seared colossal shrimp and my Mom enjoyed the colossal shrimp a la vodka with rigatoni. Sides were crispy Brussels sprouts with honey chili bacon glaze & cotija cheese, along with a loaded baked potato. For dessert we ordered the salted caramel baked Alaska, which I really enjoyed. You don't see this dessert many places anymore, and that's a shame. The textures and flavors of the meringue, ice cream, and dense chocolate crust really work well together. The non alcoholic cocktail called "Tropical Paradise" with fluere spiced cane sugar 0.0%, lucano amaro zero, pineapple, and orgeat was delicious. It comes with a cinnamon stick. read more

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EXTREMELY RUDE STAFF!!! I just went to happy hour and the bartender was extremely rude. There were no reserved signs at the stool at the bar and so I politely sat down. He told me it was reserved and he had other people sitting there and I needed to move. He did not offer me another place to sit and just brushed me off. I definitely understand people might have reserved the space but his rudeness was unnecessary. I live downtown (2 min walk) but I will not be returning. One thing I cannot deal with is rude customer service. Dr. David read more

Man oh man was that (FRESH HOMEMADE) bread & butter SO GOOD?!!!!!! Greta service with an upscale vibe. Absolutely lovedddddd my turkey club and YOU GOTTA GET THE SAUCE ON THE SIDE BECAUSE ITS SO GOOD TRUST ME!!!! The crispy chicken wrap was okay....didnt really like the sauce in it however then turffle fries??? OH YEAH!! read more

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We have been to all of the Max Restaurants and they are all very good. This was the last on the list - it's just that going into downtown Hartford isn't exactly thrilling. We ended up finding a parking place on the street fairly close, come to find out they offer valet parking here. We actually had been to the bar a few months prior to this particular night in September and loved the bartender so much that we wanted to come back for dinner and visit him after (Hungarian guy - he's the best!). Service is very good here. To start I ordered a dirty martini and the presentation was like nothing I've ever seen. They served the drink half in the glass and half in a separate vessel in an iced "bucket." So unique. Salt and pepper "shakers" were really different, they brought me a special gluten free roll and their salted butter is amazing (same as other Max restaurants). We split the Green Goddess Salad. Kind of bland. Didn't love it. For entrees I got the Simply Prepared Colossal Shrimp with Asparagus. Somehow they left off the hollandaise. This dish was extremely bland without the hollandaise and the asparagus was odd. Just these very long pieces and the chef left on the white ends. Never been served the white ends of asparagus before. Boyfriend got the filet and whipped potatoes. So....the night was going fine - beautiful ambiance in here...then something really strange happened. My boyfriend was in the MEN'S restroom and he was verbally attacked by this very drunk woman who went in there thinking it was the women's restroom. She shouted at him to leave "the women's bathroom" and grabbed his arm demanding he leave as if he did something wrong. My boyfriend immediately told our waiter who told management and the maitre d came over and spoke to us and apologized. They ended up giving us a free dessert. We got the creme brûlée which was amazing. Apparently the woman was a friend of a staff member and refused to leave after they took her keys. She was making a huge scene in the bar too - it was quite ridiculous. We watched her go to her car and kick it in frustration as she didn't have her keys. Terrible situation to what would have been a very nice evening but again, management made it right for us. We just feel as though she should have not been aloud to stay as she was really disruptive. Would come back to the bar but the food didn't wow me. read more

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Friendly service. Prompt attention. Brett took care of us in the bar area and he's just great - good sense of humor and professional. Not too loud that you couldn't hold a conversation even with music and the TVs on over the bar. Food was outstanding. We had a crab cake and the mahi mahi tuna and they were perfection. Love this place! read more

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Made the drive back to Hartford just for this place and it was 100% worth it. The filet melts like butter, the peppercorn cream sauce is pure perfection, and the au gratin spinach might honestly be my favorite side ever. Everything here feels upscale, rich, and unforgettable. Easily one of the best dining spots around. read more

The positive's first. We were seated at our reservation time, 5:15 pm. The waitress was amazing and let us know they were expected to be busy due to the concert. We were appreciative of her service throughout the evening. Our drinks were delicious, kudos to the bartender. The pork belly appetizer which I ordered for dinner was fabulous. The only takeaway was it was plated in a way too big bowl. The mac and cheese needed more cheese and some seasoning. I bought it home and added my own touch. It then made a good lunch. Now, the horrible! Our appetizer, burrata on toast was burnt. I was horrified that it was served at all. The bread was burnt and tasted oily, like from a dirty grill. They did make us another but it was hard to get the taste out of our mouth. Ordered my favorite Baked Alaska and this was too charred. Could only eat the inside. Ruined having the slightly smoked taste with the coolness of the ice cream. Our meal definitely didn't live up to the cost paid. I expected more from this "fine" dining establishment. read more

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Used to always be in Hartford for work, therefore was always dropping by this restaurant and was always having banger meals. Drove all the way from Providence back to Hartford just to have another amazing meal. That filet, man.. it's absolute butter. Max Downtown has mastered this steak. And that peppercorn cream sauce is just so luxurious.. it turns the steak into a rolls Royce of a meal. The au gratin spinach is basically like a dessert, so cheesy, tangy, creamy. It's my favorite side ever. And they were kind enough to give me a complimentary appetizer of the pierogis - never had a pierogi before! Man are they luscious, so buttery and rich. That meant a lot! Look up "fine dining" in the dictionary and you'll find this restaurant in the definition. read more

Max Downtown - Prime NY Strip au Poivre , Creamed Spinach - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

The food was delicious, beautiful ambiance. Good friendly service. Great music that night with Dillon and Cooper! read more

I went with my wife for Valentine's Day. Server was nice and friendly and the place is nice. They validate parking. We love all the Max restaurants and this is the last one we had to try other than Max Burger. I was not impressed by Max Downtown. Max Mia and Max Fish are way better. I know they stick it to you because they can on Valentine's Day but $125 per person was a bit laughable. It's a pre fix menu so you would assume it was their best dishes. The bread was good but did not taste fresh or warm. I ordered a slice of chocolate cake, an unseasoned steak and 4 spoonfuls of pasta. The serving sizes kind of laughable. The steak is usually $59 so not sure where the other $66 the charged me went. The steak was terrible did not taste seasoned at all. My wife saw I was visibly upset about the meal. She said it was good but not as good as the other max restaurants. She ordered oysters, lobster frittes and a baked Alaskan. I gave her my pasta as I did not like it. She ate it and thought it would be great with the bread they gave us. The lobster seemed pretty small and like it did not have that much meat on it. At max fish I believe it was 1.5 pound lobster or a 2 pound one. For way less and with actual sides. For $125 a small lobster and a small cup of fries is wild. I will definitely not go again. Just is not worth the money and better places even next door at Trumbull Kitchen. Go to Max fish or J Gilbert's in Glastonbury instead your wallet and tastebuds will thank you. read more

What an excellent dining experience. We stopped in before catching a show at the theater. For starters we had the pork belly which was served over white rice. The pork belly was so tender and delicious. It had a bit of a kick to it. For my entree I had the burger and my girlfriend had the pierogies. She absolutely loved them. My burger was cooked perfectly, the only complaint I had was the bread was a bit soggy and did not hold up well to the juicy and perfectly cooked burger. The service was really good. They took care of our drink orders and our food came out quick. We will definitely stop again when we go to the next show. read more

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We've been to Max downtown a few times lately... on the earlier side and able to get 2 bar seats. They were open at 430 on a Saturday so the hours might be wrong on here. Mac and cheese and Brussels sprouts are both really good. Tuna and crispy chicken wrap were good Fries not that great Chicken tenders, Caesar salad, were okay Bartenders have been nice but they are very busy so not too much small talk. Valet parking is very convenient. read more

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My wife and I traveled to Hartford for an anniversary dinner and show for our 33rd. We booked a 5:30 reservation to be sure we had ample time for our 7:30 curtain which was a few blocks away. We arrived at the restaurant on time and were seated immediately and our waiter greeted us shortly after and took our order. We told him that we.needed to leave the restaurant by 7 to comfortably get to our show. On our table was a happy anniversary card but it did not take but a short time after we were seated that everything started to change. Ten minutes later the bread arrived at the table and then another ten minutes passed before the appetizers were delivered. Then after another half hour our main courses were delivered to the table piecemeal and to boot the medium rare dry aged steak and filet arrived well done. We were livid at the way our anniversary dinner was handled by this "up-scale" restaurant. We demanded to see the manager who swanned over to our table after another 5 minutes waiting. He generously comped the meal ($300 approx) but we walked away hungry without even having our main courses because the show was starting a few minutes later. Who knew such a nice place with such favorable reviews could be such a disappointment?!!!! read more

Best special occasion restaurant north of Greenwich. I adore their oysters, wine selection and deserts. They treat everyone with high respect. read more

This is the place!!!! So I was back in town and was thinking about giving Feng another go when Max popped up on my radar!!! OMG!!! Feng, you need to step it up!!! Max Downtown is AMAZING!!!! From the moment you walk in , the dining and bar area are both very inviting! Tables are spaced well. And they are NOT afraid to put a single in a four topper! Server was on point and not afraid to express her opinion on menu items! Thank you!!! Your suggestions were awesome and I did enjoy my desert and battling to the center!!!! IYKYK! Ok sooo let's talk food! Two types of oysters. Very fresh and very tasty! Clams on the half! Large and very flavorful!! No down side here! Now let's talk about this pork belly app. Wow wow wow!!! Order it!!!!! You NEED it you WANT IT!!! Steak!!!!! Bone in Ribeye!!!! Need I say more. This blew Feng's away like ZERO comparison!!! Flavor was out of this world!!! Yummmmmy. I was very hesitant - I am a purest when it comes to steak but this was AMAZING!!! Folks, this place ROCKS and if I had a choice MAX or Feng, it's MAXMAXMAX!!!!! Two thumbs up and see you all in a few weeks!!! read more

This place is near perfect. The atmosphere is lively and sophisticated. The staff is friendly and helpful and the food is sooooo good. We had Sam as our server and she couldn't have been better. Absolutely love this place. One thing to be aware of. The free parking may not really be free. The garage attendants are scammers. They held us captive despite our validated ticket and insisted on us paying $10 before they opened the gate. I wanted to call the police but the line of cars behind me and their inconvenience and mine weren't worth it. So I paid it. I alerted the restaurant but haven't heard back. read more

Have been here many times but this time, not so good. No food available late afternoon and no happy hour today. Yes, it's Valentine's Day, but post something. The bartenders are more focused on setting up than tending to customers. And no food. Why? Not a good experience today. read more

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Great for a date night dinner before a show at the Bushnell! We started with some cocktails and I absolutely loved the "Greetings From Jalisco" that had strawberry puree and guava. It was fruity and delicious! The menu is pretty expensive so we tried to stay in the under $30 option for our meals. I really enjoyed the burger but thought it was missing something. The hubs enjoyed his vodka rigatoni and we loved the jalapeno caramel bacon! Wish we had time to try the baked Alaska but service was slower than expected and we had a show to get to. All in all great meal and we'll definitely be back! read more

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Perhaps a victim of their own success? We went on a Tuesday night, so assumed it would not be quite as crowded. We were wrong. The restaurant was packed by 5:30. Because the tables are so close together, the noise level in the dining room approached airport level. One could not have a conversation with the people at your table unless you shouted. Food was good though there were a few issues. Crab cake was excellent. Wedge salad was excellent. Scallops with miso glaze were excellent. Filet mignon was served dry. Practically required that you order one of their sauces. The cowboy ribeye had an excellent flavor, but was full of gristle and fat. Made it very difficult to eat and enjoy. Service was very good. Still a nice dining experience, but not for those who wish to have a quiet, romantic dinner. There are better places for that elsewhere. read more

Max Downtown - Cowboy ribeye and loaded baked potato. - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Great bar area and they make good cocktails. I've also had lunch in the bar area and the salads and burgers are solid. My experience in the main dining room has not been as good- especially when you consider the prices. I had the ribeye spinalis which is basically the most flavorful part of a ribeye steak and it was just OK. Multiple servers commented how this dish was delicious and the house specialty but I was underwhelmed especially given the $65 price. The steak frites dish was tough and while I recognize that this not a prime cut, I expected better at $49. The Tuna tartare appetizer was fresh but lacked flavor, we ended up salting it. Berkshire Pork chop was likely the best dish of the evening and certainly the best value. Halibut dish was OK but quite small and the asparagus side was pretty bland for a place that serves steaks. Overall, I had higher expectations given the size of the bill. read more

So my boyfriend surprise me with a date here when we pulled up I was scared because he said I could wear whatever and on the website it says you cannot wear ripped jeans and we were both in ripped jeans lol nevertheless, they still were able to serve us and sat in the main dining area. The waitress was nice and kept it very professional. She wasn't personable. I do enjoy a more personable waitress, but nevertheless, still good service. It was pretty crowded but I enjoyed our dinner. We both got drinks and an entrée we didn't do any appetizers. My drink was smaller than I thought it would be but it was still very tasty and I got a salmon so you can't mess up salmon read more

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First things first, the food is INCREDIBLE. Pricey, yes, but the food was absolutely spectacular. Notable items include the lobster perogies, homemade pastas, and the incredible desserts. My waitress, whose name I forgot, was charming and attentive. However, what could have been a perfect evening was marred by one issue that left me crying at the table. My daughter ordered the children's sirloin, and I decided to treat myself to a filet mignon, a treat I hadn't eaten in years. When the food finally arrived, i started cutting into my daughter's steak and noted it looked....well...filet tender. My filet looked flat. I was focused on cutting into my daughter's steak and she was loving it. I go to cut into my steak and found a slightly overcooked, flat, sirloin. This steak was not a filet, not even close. They must have accidentally switched my steak, so I called over the waitress who was SO apologetic. ..Cue the rude manager (floor manager? general manager? i don't know). He comes in and tells me i'm wrong, this is clearly a filet (its not) and every time I showed him he just condescendingly said "Hmm" while looking his nose down at me. I've almost never sent a dish back. I am so terrified of confrontation that I rarely speak up for myself. My mom, who does not have this problem, encouraged me to send the steak back so I could get my proper steak and this dude was RUDE. Straight up rude. And my tender, mid-divorce, heart couldn't take another man being rude to me, so right in the beautiful restaurant this man made me so upset I cried. I've NEVER had someone in a restaurant be this rude before. I'm not a meat specialist but i've been having fine dining/cooking long enough to know the difference between a filet and a sirloin. The steak was replaced, yes, and we had money taken off of the bill, great, but it was not enough to make up for how incredibly rude this man was to me. I won't be back. Which is a bummer because again, the food is incredible. read more

For lunch today, I went with Max Downtown (definitely a fancy place) I placed my order online and went to get it. It's in the same office building so why not. I walked in and the decor was stunning. Tons of different whiskeys there, office people just on their lunch break. I was greeted very quickly and picked up my order. I opened my lunch at my desk and INSTANTLY my mouth started watering. An amazing looking turkey club, house made chips, a container of pickles, and a roll. I'm gonna need a nap. The turkey club. This was a turkey club? Then it's the king of turkey clubs! Soft yet crisp toast, incredibly flavorful meat with fresh lettuce and tomato, and bacon cooked to perfection. A little bit of mayo and some Dijon mustard was added and complimented the sandwich as a whole. This was bliss. Every single bite was packed full of flavor, start to finish. The chips... I had low expectations but they proved me wrong. Super crisp, perfectly seasoned, and absolutely the right thing to pair this sandwich. Now, I love a good pickle. But these pickle chips may be the best ones I've ever had. Garlicky, sweet, tons of flavor, and absolutely refreshing. It's like a garlic dill and a gherkin decided to have kids. You get the best of both worlds with these, and my only gripe is that I want more! The roll was an added bonus. Flaky, soft interior, crusty exterior, with the perfect amount of butter to enjoy every bite. I get it, this place is amazing! I will definitely order this again! read more

Max Downtown - House Roasted Turkey Club - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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Enjoyed a great business dinner with clients at Max Downtown. The food and service was excellent.

Returned for the Tomahawk Fridays special and it was awesome!!!!!! Steak was delicious, which of course was the most important part, but what a great value! Two BIG salads, two sides (which were amazingly delicious), the steak, and a dessert for $150. A perfect date night out with the lady and couldn't be more pleased. HIGHLY recommend! read more

Max Downtown - Ordered medium rare. Not medium rare. Looks like it was left on the grill too long - forgot about it and sent it out anyway? - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

We Dinned here On Friday April 25th and with no fault to the waitress the service food and drinks were not up to par for a 5 star restaurant. There were 6 ion our party, drinks were sent back due to quality of liquor. Although appetizers came out timely we waited over 45 minutes for our entrees which were partially cold. We had to request the manager for assistance. He apologized and offered free desserts. When dessert menus were provided there was no mention of the items that were no longer available and half the table was looking forward to the carrot cake. Each couple's bill was $300, service and quality of food was unacceptable for a Max restaurant . read more

Max's Downtown anyone reliable Max Group owned dining experience. It was a timely visit as we went to another steakhouse the weekend before and in comparison the other steakhouse ranked higher in our book from a food perspective. But there are many reasons to still enjoy Max's Downtown. - service - atmosphere - food options Overall it was great and j just love the atmosphere and every single person is always so kind. The French onion pierogi, baby gem Cesar, oysters and chicken were spot on! I want o explore their cocktail many a bit more next time. read more

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My family and I enjoyed our meals and service. The staff are attentive and patient. The food speaks for itself.

Top notch! We went for NYE and it was amazing! Very generous portions. The service was amazing and the atmosphere was primo! Loved every minute of the experience! read more

I was really looking forward to a wonderful meal and unfortunately the dinner did not live up to my expectations. My two friends were happy with their meals.. New York strip and crab cake appetizer. However their sides of potatoes and asparagus were lukewarm at best . My husband's sea bass was cold and my Cowboy cut ribeye which was also not hot came much rarer than the medium I had ordered. On the positive our waiter was pleasant so I didn't complain. I don't think we will be back. read more

Upscale eatery where you can find classic American cuisine, and many businessmen & women who wander down from their offices in downtown Hartford to grab a bite to eat Have both a dining room and a large bar area I have been here for lunch twice, once in the dining room and once at the bar, and had very pleasant experiences both times. Everyone working here is very friendly and attentive There is a complimentary single piece of bread & butter. The bread is nothing special, but the butter is very tasty. It has olive oil on top of it, and little crunchy pieces of an ~unknown~ substances on top of it, which was a nice touch The food that I've gotten here was underwhelming the first time (I got steak frites that were over cooked), but that was delicious the second time (a caesar salad and a chicken gyro) They also have a complimentary coat check, as well as complimentary parking in the garage under the building read more

Went to max downtown tonight for their happy hour. Couldn't have been happier. Happy hour runs from 4-6 and I suggest getting there as close to 4 as possible. We left right after 5 and it was standing room only. Our server, Will was top notch. He greeted us swiftly, took note of dietary restrictions and brought me a delicious virgin cocktail with pomegranate juice which I loved. I was there for the happy hour but he suggested the orecchiette pasta special which was not on our menu. I never would have tried it out otherwise and it was my favorite dish of the night bar none. I'll be back at max's just for that dish. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the mushroom sauce is so rich. 10/10 The whipped ricotta was beautiful but lacked salt. To be fair I had it without the prosciutto and I think that made a huge difference. If you don't eat pork maybe request extra balsamic. For dessert I had the baked alaska. It was flawless. The merengue is not too sweet and was beautifully toasted. The salted caramel ice cream was smooth and flavorful and the caramel core made the whole thing Instagram worthy. Our server urged me to pair it with a cappuccino and he was correct. The bitterness from the espresso went along with the caramel perfectly. I will be back at max downtown again in a heartbeat. The food was delicious, the service was great and the atmosphere was fun. 10/10. Don't know how this place wasn't already on my radar. read more

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We were staying across the street from this lovely restaurant and underdressed but decided to see if we could at least order take out. They were so friendly and accommodating and seated us. Our waiter, Jason was the best!! The food was out of this world! We plan on returning! I tend to observe staff and all were so pleasant and customer focused. So refreshing! read more

I frickin love Max Downtown - they have undoubtedly the best happy hour anywhere in central CT with amazing drink and food specials. It's crazy - you can get a bomb ass martini for $5 and small plates for like $6-$8, all of which are fantastic. Last time I went I had my classic martini with fries and it was top notch. Service is impeccable - they're so friendly and kind and I'm treated so well every time I go. The restaurant is gorgeous and they have good wifi in case I need to work at the bar. Would absolutely recommend, 10/10 for happy hour or anytime of the day. Love the Max group and Max Downtown is the shining star of the family read more

Max Downtown - Martini and Hand-cut Fries - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

One of the best happy hour in downtown Hartford! We enjoyed the cauliflower, crudo, chicken strips, and their baked alaska to share. Service was attentive and super kind. Can't wait to come back. read more

Wonderful staff compliments the delicious food and peaceful ambiance. It was my girlfriend's first time and she can't wait to go back!