Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill is an elevated seafood restaurant, steakhouse and raw bar that…read moreopened in New Haven, Connecticut in July 2015. It was founded by restaurateurs Daniel Kay, Marc Knight, and Robert Bolduc. Knight and Bolduc had previously had success when they opened the popular southwestern restaurant Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill in the Elm City in November 2007. Kay had spent nearly 15 years serving as the president of Connecticut Fluid Power. In 2015, the three business partners came together to open a new venture at New Haven's historic City Point. The location (on the ground level below the Pequonnock Yacht Club) had been home to several restaurants for decades (most recently to Sage American Grill & Oyster Bar). After a complete remodel, they opened Shell & Bones. The trio brought in the award-winning executive chef Arturo Franco Camacho to serve as the culinary director. My wife and I recently had a lunch date at Shell & Bones. The restaurant had been on our bucket list for some time. We loved the nautical theme of the decor as well as the amazing views of New Haven Harbor. We were seated in the indoor patio; it was a little too cold and rainy during our visit for al fresco dining. For drinks, I ordered "The Breakfast Bloody Mary" (Ostreida oyster vodka, Tres Agaves Bloody Mary mix, chorizo, cocktail shrimp, bacon, cornichon, olives) while my wife had the "Lavender Limoncello Spritzer". The cocktails were just as visually pleasing as they were delicious. From the raw bar, we shared four "Lucky Lady" oysters, which were super light and smooth. For our entrées, I had the "Crab Cake B.L.T." (sweet & spicy bacon, romaine, tomato, chipotle mayo, brioche roll) and my wife had the "Shell & Bones Lobster Roll" (served hot w/ house-made Lobster Butter). For our sides, we both ordered "Hand Cut Truffle Parmesan Fries". My sandwich was bursting with flavor, my wife's lobster roll was one of the best we ever had, and the fries were just the icing on the cake. We looked over the dessert menu (which looked great), but we were way too full. We had a fantastic experience at Shell & Bones and look forward to returning!

Came here because of the reviews but surprisingly disappointed at the quality if their seafood…read moreseems all over cooked, very bland, and not as fresh as i expected, not Worth the price. My seafood combo dish was $60 and i literally didn't like anything in it, especially the scallop seems immitate crab meat. Clam chowder is watery, lack of clam flavor, idk why they put chips in it, it has 1 clam in shell and that's all. I'll just get the one from whole food. Raw clams and oysters are ok! The best out of everything we ordered was the steak & fries. Steak was made perfect and love the truffle fries. (Or maybe because i was very disappointed at my own seafood dish) So, I won't come back here for any of the seafood.

We stopped in for apps on a Saturday afternoon. We ordered a glass of wine, ceviche, and skewers…read more We sat at the bar and the bartender was very friendly, full of energy, and efficient. The ceviche was excellent, everything was cooked throughout by the citrus. The portion size is small for $19 and it could have used a side of bread or tortillas to soak up the delicious citrus based broth. The skewers were also excellent. They were cooked perfectly, super tender, juicy and flavorful. They cooked them with a seasoning and had a delicious chimi on top.

On a recent visit to New Haven to see an exhibition at the Yale Center for British Art, we hoped to…read morehave dinner at one of our favorite restaurants (Barcelona Wine Bar), but they were fully booked with a Yale event. In a display of restaurant solidarity , they recommended that we try Vinas Wine & Tapas. As it turned out, we have a NEW favorite in New Haven! We arrived a bit early and were cheerfully greeted by Mike G, our server. The atmosphere was welcoming and relatively quiet, since their musical offering does not start as early as our 5:00-7:00 PM time slot on a Tuesday. We had asked for the waiter Christian because he had been mentioned in several of the Yelp reviews, but Mike proved that the service compliments should go to everyone. First, the tapas: We enjoyed all five of the tapas we chose. The "Calamares" were lightly battered and crispy. The Vinas salad was fresh, with tomatoes, cheese, corn, and croutons. The pork belly was delicious and more meaty than expected . The oyster mushrooms were presented with onion crisps. The baked birria empanada was stuffed with brisket style beef. Each of these "courses" was a unique delight to the palate, and for me and my partner, it was completely satisfying. In keeping with the spirit of a "wine bar," Vinas offered a flight of 4 wines in 3 ounce glasses, and after hearing about our food choices and wine preferences, Mike chose the wines for us, giving us a chance to taste some less familiar offerings. We had the Felino Malbec 2024 (Argentina), which became our favorite for its full-bodied and deep flavor. Our second wine was a unique Don Abel (private label) from Wallingford CT, made by one of the relatives of the owner, specially for Vinas. This one reminded us of the local wines one might receive in a B&B in the Loire Valley in France. The final two wines were both from Chile: Reserva Carmenere 2023 and Cabernet Sauvignon Marques de Casa Concha 2022. Both were excellent wines. It was great fun to have Mike choose the wines for us, and we really enjoyed the variety that the flight offerings gave to us. Of course, we had to try a dessert, and Mike recommended the Toffee Cake. We had heard that the owner claimed that some people cried with joy after eating it. Although we restrained ourselves, we had to agree that this was an extraordinary conclusion to a fabulous meal. Overall, this was a great experience for us, and we heartily recommend Vinas Wine Bar and Tapas for a relaxing and welcoming dinner. Some reviews I had read suggested that the portions were too small for the price. I have to disagree. My partner and I love food, and this was plenty. And the price was reasonable. Including tip and tax, we spent about $75 each.

This is a very delayed review as I visited over the summer. Our party of 4 visited on an early…read moreSaturday evening and was able to be seated right away. The vibe is very much dark and moody. They were setting up for what looked like a guest DJ of sorts? Once the DJ started their music, it was VERY loud which was a little disappointing. We didn't try any of the food. We did try some of the cocktails though and they were all great. Also tried the paper bag beer because we couldn't resist the mystery. The beers were 16oz cans of craft beers. not bad! Overall, really liked the place!

Very moody, vibey lounge, restaurant, and bar in downtown New Haven. Stopped in before a late…read moredinner nearby on a Wednesday night around 6. There are couches in corners, tables, and bar seating. Only the bar tender seemed to be serving so service was very slow. I liked the aesthetic and Dj Kamakaze provided tunes or else I'd give a lower rating. Would return for an evening outing, good place to get lost.

Good spot for a happy hour drink if you're cool with going with one of the small handful of…read moreoptions. I've found the happy hour whites to be pretty good and a nice value. Avoid food. It looks like a great deal but the portions are so comically small that it's actually a bit of a rip off. The food quality isn't great either. I've tried the fries, flat bread, and artichoke dip and didn't find any of them to be particularly good. Mixed experiences on service, a little hit or miss. Ambiance is nice and includes indoor seating as well as a few tables out front on state street.

Possibly my favorite wine bar in New Haven!! I love the decor and vibe inside - they have tall bar…read moreseats but also plush couches where you can really relax and chat with your friends. The staff are also super friendly. Their wine selection is awesome! And if you get a flight, it comes in these cute glasses and a stand. Their chocolate fondue is a great pairing to the wine. I've been here again since my first visit and will definitely be back!!!

I had a fantastic meal here! All of the food was fantastic! I tried the beef empanadas, potatoes,…read moreartichokes, chickpeas, and some cheeses. I really loved the artichokes and the chickpeas! Both were packed with flavor. It was a great spot to relax and spend time with people over a delicious meal!

My fiancé and I just came here to celebrate our anniversary after having been to Spain this past…read moreAugust! We would say this place is very comparable to the food we had there. Overall, it was a great experience! Service, food, and drinks are tasty. They have plenty of seating, including bar seating. For tapas we got: patatas bravas, jamon & manchego croquetas, spanish omelette, and lamb shakshuka. They typically recommend getting 3-4 tapas each, this amount was perfect for us in addition to a half paella dish! My personal favorite tapa was the spanish omelette. It was sooo good, especially with the sour cream. The other tapas were delicious as well. My only note is that the lamb shakshuka was toooo salty. We decided to get the paella salvage and it was pretty darn good! Definitely comparable to Spain. I would consider this place a date night spot given the price point, but overall, a great place!

After a garbage week of snow, freezing cold and work stress we wanted to try somewhere new for…read morehappy hour. I've been wanting to try Manjares for drinks and a bite since I already know how good their baked goods are for breakfast. Tonight was our chance despite traffic jams on the Parkway and snow drifts that makes parking everywhere in New Haven a treasure hunt. Decor is beautiful, ambiance is chill and relaxing. Very reminiscent of Olea without the downtown hustle and bustle. Menu is small yet carefully curated with something for everyone. We came specifically for potatoes bravas, one of our favorites. Saw it on the menu online but was told it was no longer available. Our server, Tabitha, suggested some Yucca fries which was not on the menu but she made a request to the kitchen for us. They were delicious and honestly if they were in the menu we would've ordered that as well. Fried calamari was seasoned and fried to absolutely tender perfection. The coating was light and crispy. My wife loved the aioli and picked onion combo on it. I preferred the lemon. Both of us decided to get a pasta course, bolognese and carbonara. For a non-Italian place to cook both of these dishes with such perfection blew us away. Flavorful bolognese that wasn't drenched in tomato sauce coated the al dente rigatoni perfectly. The carbonara was rich and savory with a little pepper accented by the guanciale. My wife had issues finishing ir and I suggested taking it home. She then finished it out of spite I believe. For $25 each, the pasta dishes were both satisfying without making you feel so full and bloated that you needed a wheelbarrow to get you back to the car. Plenty of food for even the biggest eater. Well worth the money. The attention to depth of flavors was evident. These were not some thrown together pasta dishes. Our compliments to the chef. Tabitha was great. Her cocktails were fantastic. She was attentive without being intrusive and has a great sense of humor. We are definitely coming back.

What a lovely evening! It felt like being in someone's warm home, surrounded by beautiful artwork…read morecreated by Miguel Trelles, one of the owners. He and his lovely wife Ana have created a little haven in the neighborhood. The food was excellent-- my friends and I enjoyed the fried artichoke salad, grilled octopus, crispy calamari, the branzino and the carbonara. Everything came out either with a bright sauce, perfect vegetables or out of the ordinary accompaniments (like pickled onions with the calamari!). Delicious! And our server Tabitha took such good care of us to top it all off! A great start to the weekend.

Can't stop thinking about this place, the food!! Best pasta I've ever had. Very authentic and warm…read morefamily running the place. Live in NJ but want to make trip to go back

A delicious spot in downtown New Haven for yummy Italian food! We stopped in for dinner and got the…read morevegetable coquettes, Gorgonzola figs, lemon pasta, shrimp pasta, and a pasta with tomato and egg plant sauce. The figs are a must! The pasta is cooked to perfection! My favorite was the lemon pasta--decadent and refreshing. We ended the night with biscotti & a ricotta gelato. The service is warm and fast.Can't wait to be back!

Amazing food!! Our server zach was phenomenal the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was on top of…read moreeverything and very knowledgeable of the menu. I would highly recommend.

Great place - we had apps, dinner and dessert and the four of us loved it, esp our two college kids…read more Zach, our waiter was awesome. Very attentive, and knowledgeable of the menu and great help with our selections. Music was a little too loud but other than that we'd go back!

Small and intimate space with great selection of specialty spirits, definitely not you vodka and…read morecranberry place. Don't be confused when you walk by and it looks like the place is closed. They have a "No standing room" policy, so the bar will never be crowded. We sat in the back room, a small place with a fireplace and good lighting. The service was excellent.

Service here is excellent! The bartenders are SO nice and helpful when making decisions about…read moredrinks. They'll make you basically anything you want and even create custom drinks if you say you like a certain kind of liquor. Also happy hour !! It doesn't reaallly feel like a speakeasy but it's still a really cool vibe

Oysters, sabayon, caviar, chives - heavenly. NYE 2025…read more Please keep on your menu (or at Fair Haven Oyster)!

I really don't want to write this review. I've been here twice in the last 4 months. I'm allergic…read moreto seafood and fish and it seems as if so many entrees, including a steak dish, contain seafood. Overall, the food was fine, a bit pretentious but fine. The dining room was so loud esp when the bartenders were shaking drinks as if they were starring with Tom Hanks in "cocktail" We had the pea salad which was very fibrous and chewy (a 10 second Blanche wouldn't hurt) and the burger was tasty but served with frozen French fries, and way too much of them. Considering the style of menu, frozen fries don't belong on the menu. The fish was overcooked and dry. Overall, it's an inconsistent experience. Dinner for 3 was $200 with 1 shared app, 2 burgers and the fish course plus 3 drinks.