GREAT!! We sat at the bar and had the best service (thanks Reed) Excellent food & atmosphere! We will be back! read more

As far as covid and safety guidelines it was fine. But the service was not great. As soon as me and my friends walked in we felt unwanted. Our waitress (Larla) seemed friendly to the other tables but not ours. The food was good but I'm fine with not going back with that type of service. read more

Pasta Cosi has been around for decades and is known for reliably delicious food. Our favorites include the lobster ravioli, the goat cheese appetizer, and the pasta ala vodka with lobster. The service is always outstanding. They now have a few tables outside, and I hope they'll keep them. A Branford favorite. read more

Food is not that good and overpriced. Service is subpar. Server told us we owed more money after we already paid the check and signed. When we refused to pay more, they went ahead and charged our cards more anyways. Recommend cafe fiore if you want good Italian food and good service in Branford. read more

I have been going here for years as one of my favorite places in Branford, but it has become THE favorite. Just keeps blowing me away every time I go. Phenomenal food, friendly service, amazing martinis and atmosphere. Hands down best octopus I've ever had tonight, coupled with fantastic burrata and a side of their delicious penne a la vodka. A gem in New Haven County and a beautiful location for a post dinner walk on the green. Go here!! read more

Pasta Cosi - Incredible octopus appetizer special with white beans, blistered tomatoes and roasted garlic. Soooooo good!! - Italian Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

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Food was great. The service, spectacular. Ambiance could not be better. Will return very soon for another superb dinner experience.

Wonderful meal. Food was plentiful - able to take enough home to eat next day. Only downside was our waitress. Younger very pretty but I'm hard of hearing. Asked her to speak up. She never did so I had no idea what she said for the specials. Then a group of her friends came in and sat and the table right next to us. She spent most of her time bending over in her spandex pants sticking her butt at us. If it wasn't for the other waitress with long black hair I would have spoken to a manager but the other waitress made our experience nice. Someone needs to be retrained. Customers not friends come first and maybe some people enjoy looking at behinds but not while they're eating. Very rude. And she should learn to accommodate the hard of hearing. It was plenty noisy in the place that she could have used a louder voice with out being noticed. read more

Had Zuppad'Pesce over spinach pasta , it was delicious, however it was a little hot. If you don't like hot pepper, tell them before you order it. The only negative was it was pricy($36) for what you got. However it was very tasty. read more

Pasta Cosi - Zuppad'Pesce - Italian Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

Since moving to the center of town, things have changed . . . Not for the better. I loved this place when it was over by Linden Shores. My friend and I went there for a bite and to catch up and unfortunately sat right near the bar which was super loud, so talking wasn't that easy to do, but it's a Saturday night, so no big deal. We had to wait a bit, so we attempted to get a drink at the bar, but the bartended was too busy chatting, so by the time she paid us any attention, the table was ready. Our waiter was good, knew the menu, the specials etc. Our food . . . Eeek. Mushy pasta, come on! I got the Pasta Cosi - their namesake dish, it came in almost a broth, so like I said, it made the pasta mushy, as well as the white beans that were in the dish. Big let down. My friend got the Chilean Sea Bass dish which tasted like it'd been drowned in butter. It came with sort of sauteed tomatos which were barely hanging on to being lukewarm by the time it got to the table. We had a nice glass of wine, but can't say I'll go back. The food was really disappointing. read more

I'll never be back to Pasta Cosi. Overall horrible service and food. First time I've never not tipped a server was here. Both me and my boyfriend work in the Industry and was very disappointed by the waiter we had. He gave horrible service the entire dinner. Completely wrote us off for being younger, and flirted with the table next to us for the majority of the meal. We asked about the wine selection and he gave us a dirty look for even asking what they offered as their house Cab. Our food wasn't good, cold pasta. I've never even written a review for a restaurant but this is easily the worst restaurant on the Branford strip. Highly recommend saving your money and go somewhere else. Very unprofessional staff. I think the host did more work than our server himself. read more

Pasta Cosi is the best! Whether nice lunch, dinner or just a cocktail with Reed! I love everything they serve. The squash flower special is amazing! Steak tips app, salads, eggplant lasagna is my favorite! read more

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Small and quaint. Very good waiting bread with olive oil. Veal chop and lobster ravioli were fantastic! read more

Pasta Cosi - Grilled Veal Chop (14 oz) - Italian Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

Tom and I headed out for dinner at Pasta Cosi, located in the cute downtown green area of Branford--such a nice quiet area compared to Rt.1! We had reservations, so we were seated right away and water glasses filled. The ambiance is nice for a date night and with only a handful of tables, it was cozy without being cramped. I started with a glass of the house Pinot Grigio and Tom had a beer and a bread basket was brought over. I love good Italian bread, but this stuff was so hard, it surpassed the limits of the word "crusty". This was one breadbasket we definitely did not want refills on. Hoping that things would turn around, our appetizer arrived--fried mozzarella. The mozz was definitely fresh (in the two odd-shaped pieces we got), but plating and portions were way off-balance. We asked for both of the sauces they had available on the menu for this item--lemon caper raddichio and marinara. The lemon caper came in a large ramekin, taking over half of the dish, with the marinara taking up another quarter, leaving the two mozz pieces in the rest of the plate. Plating issue aside, the flavor of the sauces worked nicely with the mozz and was enjoyable. For my entree, I had the Amatriciana--pasta with a sauce of diced onion, pancetta, bacon, garlic, wine and red pepper, with sliced sausage on top. I loved the slightly smoky flavor to the sauce but I wish the pieces of pancetta and bacon were more plentiful and visible; otherwise, I enjoyed this dish and the housemade pasta. Tom went with his go-to pasta dish--clams in white sauce. He noted how filling the dish was, related to the housemade pasta but he also commented that the clams were a bit overdone. Overall, it was a nice meal but it didn't stand out enough for us to become one of our go-to Italian joints, or even for us to likely return to. read more

Great place to dine. They had numerous specials to add to the regular menu. It was a Saturday night. My wife always get Lobster ravioli and it didn't disappoint as usual. Make sure you have reservations especially for weekend evenings. read more

We enjoyed our experience at Pasta Cosi. We bought a groupon online: $25 for $50. We tried the panne cota, clams with linguini and veal saltimboca. All meals showed attention to detail. Intimate small restaurant with a great menu! Olive oil and bread at table as well. read more

Pasta Cosi - Linguini with fresh clams - Italian Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

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We have come to this cute little spot off the Branford green a couple times and just heard that they are doing brunch on Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm. Each time we have come here it has been a little cold so I would encourage a light sweater if you get cold easily. There was a little confusion about our order as the hostess covered for the server so we wouldn't be kept waiting to put our order in. We got the lobster and pork belly Benedict and the homemade biscuits and they were kind enough to bring us extra plates as we said we share our dishes. Both dishes we good but did not blow us out of the water. We ended up ordering the fried calimari because we were still hungry. I would recommend checking this place out for brunch or dinner if you are ever in the area. read more

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NOT a hole in the wall as one review stated. Small, intimate Italian restaurant on the green in Branford. We had a wedding rehearsal dinner here and were treated with extraordinary attentiveness. The food was outstanding, the ambiance delightful and the prices very fair. Highly recommend. read more

Best pasta I've ever had!! The staff is amazing and very personable. I love to sit at the bar. It is small, so perfect for a date night. They do accommodate a larger group if you just call ahead. We also got the best steak & mashed potatoes there that we have had in a while! read more

Pasta Cosi - Truffle pasta special - Italian Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

Not too sure why they were letting people sit at the bar in the midst of a pandemic but bathrooms were not available

I've been here a lot and do have to say it is my favorite place for Italian. Great service and atmosphere, and even greater food. All of the pastas are homemade, and taste amazing. My personal favorites here are: lamb lollipop appetizer special, burrata special, Amatriciana pasta, and a classic filet mignon (all of the steaks are wonderful, especially when you add gorgonzola!). Everyone who works here is wonderful. There can be a filled room and you are treated like the only ones there. They definitely go above and beyond to make your meal worth it. Overall, I would definitely recommend Pasta Cosi. P.S.- Ask for bread with your pasta. It's great. read more

Great atmosphere but not Vegan friendly at all. It is nice for non-vegans. Bar is warm and inviting. Will still stop in for a drink but will have to eat elsewhere. read more

Wait staff is excellent. The positives stop there. Never have I ever had a group of people go out to eat and every single person was disappointed with their meal. Scallops were way over cooked, sauces were old or just seasoned horribly with too much salt and the pasta was definitely not cooked fresh to order. With four different meals all being subpar I can't imagine their food being excellent unless it was just an off night for the cook. read more

Food was just ok. The restaurant Strega down the street is so much better. However, our waitress Kaitlyn was great! Hard to come by these days... a good waitress/waiter that is. I had spaghetti with clams, very bland. The rest of our meals were ok/good. When we first walked into the restaurant it smelled like ppl were smoking cigarettes in the bar. They should have a designated area outside around the corner, so the smell doesn't creep inside while the dining area is so close to the main entrance. Kind of ruined our appetite. read more

Love this restaurant! The Chilean Sea Bass is one of my favorite dishes, and the Salsicce e Finocchietto...oh my god!!! The staff is always friendly, the service is great, and the music is an added plus. I would recommend this restaurant! read more

Quick dinner solo at the bar tonight. No drinks ordered other than a coke and club soda 50/50 and a lemon and after dinner a cappuccino with heavy cream. Ordered the rib eye rare, asparagus and boxed the potatoes for the kids. Low, low carbs right now. Everything was very good food wise but the bartender, Gabby, was very good. No judgment of not ordering an alcoholic beverage and didn't give the attitude like there would little or no tip. A great lesson for all people who work in the restaurant business. Treat everyone like they may be you only customer who tips a dime and also realize that eating out is always about the entire experience and not only the food. Pasta Cosi has a gem behind the bar and it's not the JW Blue Label. read more

I go to Branford often and have always wanted to try Pasta Cosi. I purchased a groupon for my mom for her birthday(so we could both try it of course. Lol.) and we were both very glad that we went. We went on a Thursday night and thought at last minute that we should make a reservation. They got us in at 815 PM. A little late for a week night but we didn't care. I was surprised to see it so busy, but I think that says something about the food. Our waitress Amanda was very accommodating and attentive and so sweet. And the way she remembered the specials- very impressive! We started off with some bread- yum! It was perfect. I ordered the capricciosa dish. I have to say that I was expecting a little more flavor, but it was still delicious none the less. My mother ordered the Gorgonzola dish and she loved it. My mother's friend ordered the marina or maybe the arrabbiata and she loved as well(she actually frequents Pasta Cosi). We all ordered drinks and they were very good. I had the sangria- it was a little sweet for my taste but would definitely get it again. All in all, I enjoyed my visit and I will definitely return. Between my mom and I, the bill was close to $60, so either be prepared to spend money or possibly split a salad/appetizer and an entree. read more

Pasta Cosi - Italian Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

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I am not sure the name of our server, but we went on Thursday 2/10. The young woman who took care of us gave us some of the BEST service we have had in years. Customer service has especially seemed to wain since the start COVID, but we were beyond impressed. Not to mention that the food was excellent, we will most definitely be back. read more

We got some really bad vibes from this place as soon as we walked in. The music was too loud and the staff was very rude and unaccommodating. They made us sit at a table for four people, even though our party was for five, and when we asked if we could have an extra chair they straight up told us no, forcing my father in law to stand the whole time. When we asked to speak to the manager, he was even more rude than the other people we talked to, completely unfriendly and unapologetic. He said that there was no way that we could take an extra chair and then on top of that, when we saw an extra chair open up, he went and sat in it himself so he could drink a beer. I would give this place zero stars if I could. read more

Pasta Cosi - Also, their menu is creepy as fuck. - Italian Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

Reviewing on a small take out order. several appetizers .. eggplant rollotini and sausage broccoli rabe. Both Excellent .. Tomato sauce on the eggplant was light and fresh.. sausage was definitely homemade and the rabe was cooked to perfection. read more

We made the mistake of returning to this place after a past bad experience ! We sat @ the bar and ordered wine and 1 app About an hour later still no food we finally said something (There were tables that had sat and finished there meals) They must have forgot to place the order shortly after it came out This ONLY 1 problem or issue with this place Some manager or assistant Tom is the major problem and issue He happened to pass us by and wasn't happy that we (a couple) were laughing thinking it was @ him turned made comments about "tonight's crowd" and even took a waitress aside and proceeded to talk about us and glare over @ us. I am nothing short of annoyed and disappointed. Avoid this confrontational place So all in all: service ZERO( thanks Tom ! ) Hospitality ZERO Food Average at best Value average read more

If you want a good pasta dish, this is your place. They make their pasta fresh, and have numerous varieties. And the mixed drinks and live music also promises a lovely evening. Although, the rest of the menu can be quite hit or miss. The 2 orders of broccoli rabe and sausage, were both over salted and extremely spicy, as if someone accidentally dumped the bottle of hot pepper flakes in. So much so that we had to send it back, to be made pepper free, it had made everyone at the table practically gag. The bruschetta was not bruschetta. Although the menu says it has parmesan cheese, which would make most people assume it's a sprinkle, it looked more like an Ellio's pizza. Tons of cheese melted over the top, the bread was lightly toasted on the top only, the bottom was completely soft. Not to mention, the Caesar salad was underwhelming. Also, if your having a birthday celebration and bring your own cake, keep in mind, they have a cake cutting fee and plate fee. Even if your table is spending about $70 a person, they won't be comping you cake plates. Happy Birthday! read more

Went here with a Groupon my bf purchased. We had heard great things about this little place & wanted to try it out for dinner. Food was very good, excellent service, prices were just a little higher then average I would say. Loved the intimate setting inside, we will be back for sure! read more

After being told there was a 30 minute wait for dinner tonight, my wife and I went to the bar and had a cocktail, but after waiting an hour I was told it would be another 15 to 20 minutes. The Maitre de was kind enough to inform me that he had to take care of his Resses before walk in customers. I could understand a busy night had anyone decided to tell us throughout the hour, but no. Don't bother now, plenty of great places nearby that make you feel appreciated. read more

Revisited Pasta Cosi on our visit to Branford this week. We've been there in the past and it was good. Unfortunately this time, it wasn't so good! The server was very nice and pleasant. The place itself was nicely decorated though very small. There were 5 of us. All but one ordered Pasta fagioli. It was a good 25-30 minutes before it was served. We thought they were making fresh pasta for it. It was good but WAY overpowered by red pepper flakes which killed our palates to other flavors. 2 of us got a gorgonzola cream sauce over pasta...very salty. My daughter got Pasta with Vodka sauce...it was good but bland. I got the bologenese...nothing to write home about. My father in law got a salmon special. He loved it! When all was said and done, we were in there for nearly 2 hours!! No special apps, no multiple bar orders, though between my husband and FIL they got a couple of bottles of beer. Service was REALLY slow for nothing too spectacular. And very expensive! Too bad. read more

Wow, this place is awesome. Arrived early on a Tuesday night and if you didn't have a reservation- you probably were not going to get a seat. This was my first time at this restaurant and I can't wait to return soon. The atmosphere was perfect and the service was very good. Live music included a nice selection of holiday and contemporary songs. The food was incredible! We had a variety of offerings included the chicken marsala and two homemade pasta dishes that were out of this world. LARGE portions- enough to bring home. Average price per person with tip/wine/appetizer/dinner was $50- well worth it! My only problem with this place was the menu- the font size of the text was impossible to read. (at least for us with mature eyes) read more

I purchased a 32 oz jar of their puttanesca tomato sauce next door at the Branford Green Grocer (now closed). It was excellent and contained lots of flavorful ingredients: capers, anchovies, and fresh basil to name a few. I received many compliments when I combined it with pesto tortellini. The price was double the price of ordinary tomato sauce, but it was definitely superb stuff. read more

This is one of my new favorite places! My husband and I went to Pasta Cosi for the first time based on a coworker's rave reviews. We have since continued to pass the word along to our friends and coworkers. Their Pana Cotta appetizer was beyond delicious and the best we've ever had. Our server was very friendly and did give us a heads up that it would take a little extra time to come out than other appetizers since they make it to order. It was definitely worth the wait!!! For dinner entrees I had the Pasta Cosi dish with broccoli rabe & sausage and my husband ordered the Pasta Puttanesca. We both were extremely pleased with our meals and the portions were huge. We both had leftovers to take home. It is a great place for a date but also a someplace to go with friends! I recommend making a reservation though as it is small and fills up quick! read more

Fine Italian dining. Great seafood combinations. Excellent sauces. Good service and ambiance.

ordered a pasta dish that was very spicy and was blowing on it because it was super hot and chugging water and the cook walks by and yells "IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT YOU CAN SEND IT BACK.." we are very kind patrons and always tip well. We couldn't believe the unprofessionalism. We were so shocked because we made no faces, and no comments about not liking the dish... there was no one else eating in the restaurant at this time so we knew it was directed at us. We will not be going back... cafe fiore is 10x better if you want to enjoy a nice Italian meal in Branford without getting uncomfortable, unnecessary and embarrassing comments from the cooks in the back.. read more

Very simple. If you like great food this is the place to go for brunch! My wife and I had our expectations exceeded ten fold. Also, the BMs are ridic. Great service too. read more