We went on Mothers day. The only opening they claimed to have was 12:00. They had about a 25% occupancy and a Mothers day menu. nothing fried and I was looking forward to calamari. Oh well I get it but the menu was limited. If I knew I would have picked somewhere else. We ordered stuffed mushrooms that were OK at best had a sausage stuffing that didn't pair with mushrooms. I ordered escargots that looked like they were cut in half on top of a slice of bread in some kind of whipped up sauce NOT good at all. I also ordered the baked stuffed shrimp which were a nightmare. The 3 shrimp were 16-20 shrimp which are cocktail shrimp that were either old, left out for a long period of time or freezer burnt. the meat was mush. The stuffing was just as bad mushy without flavor. Manager came by to check on us I told her the shrimp was mush and not good. She immediately defended saying they go thru a lot of shrimp and impossible to be bad. With that like a fool I went no further. Meanwhile the next day I spent in the bathroom ALL DAY LONG! San Souci's days I feel are over it used to be a hidden gem now it's just a restaurant that serves mediocre food and stuffed cocktail shrimp. read more

Pro Tip: Visit during the holiday season for a well-decorated ambiance and the treat of a dear Italian accordion player who will take requests. Sings a great Christmas tune! Cozy dining area, with a family feel. Chicken Parmigiana and Penne a la Vodka were fantastic. The chicken, a perfect crisp, and the penne wonderfully mixed with the creamiest of sauces. The stuffed mushrooms were a pleasant surprise with great taste! The calamari, although simple, was exactly what you expect when you need a start to an Italian family meal. read more

Sans Souci - Warm and cozy inside, holiday cheer outside. - American Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

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Excellent food, service, ambiance. The prime rib (3 people on my party had 3 different cuts) was the best, leanest & most flavorful I've ever eaten. Ditto the baked stuffed shrimp! Reminds me of the quality of both dishes - that I loved decades ago. The food & this gem are the real deal. Wonderful and accommodating staff. read more

This was my first time coming here it looks like a small little restaurant from the outside when you come in it's actually bigger. The staff were very nice they were very busy so everything took forever. I personally did not like the food at all. My steak had a very artificial grill taste to it. My steak was undercooked and I had to send it back and it taste worse when I got it back even more artificial tasting. The mashed potatoes were flavorless and the green beans tasted like they came out of a can. My whole dish was lacking in flavor. I tried my mother's dish as well and was not a fan. Her stuffed shrimp was very fishy tasting. I would not recommend personally and I will not be coming back. read more

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We arrived early on a Friday night and were confronted not by a warm welcome but by a middle-aged woman who instead asked if we had a reservation without which there was no room except in the bar. Very cold but we looked and while both in our 80's high tops in a bar were just a no go. While leaving there was no warm goodnight just a terse " make a reservation next time". Completely unsatisfactory in the hospitality business. read more

Our favorite "go to" place for date night. Great food, super service and very reasonably priced. We usually sit in the bar area so we can also enjoy the music from their piano player. The baked scrod is my favorite. read more

Literally the best fired clams and fries and salad i ever had. They were so buttery and not chewy or stringy at all. I didn't get the clam ick halfway through either!! Ate the whole plate (im an 80lb kid and im hungry) read more

Sans Souci - Fried Clam Strips, the best i have ever had - American Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

Perfect ambiance of what an amazing sit down restaurant should be. The prime rib and shrimp scampi were great, and you can tell it is all made in-house. Highly recommend going and staying for a while read more

My first time here, the food was excellent and reasonably priced, was here for lunch and the service was great, looking forward to coming back and trying their prime rib which they are most notably known for, the bar area was comfortable and inviting. read more

Very nice restaurant. Food and service were great! I would definitely go back. I was there years ago and it was just as good.

I just had my mother's birthday party here . They were wonderful to work with . It is really great if you have a smaller party. Everyone loved the food . Unfortunately I didn't get to take photos of everyone's food. They really will work with you and the price is reasonable . I am very happy and I would recommend sans souci. The waitress was wonderful and attentive as well. Thank you. read more

Sans Souci - Garden room - American Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

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Old school Italian spot with very friendly servers, a classic menu, and an old school decor. Meals all come with either a soup or a salad, and they are both very large. Tasty complimentary bread and butter as well I got a white clam pasta dish, but I was not the biggest fan as it was super cheesy. I also got the clam chowder as my free appetizer, and it was ok but nothing phenomenal either 5 read more

Best prime rib around. Must try French Onion soup! Great service. Needs a little bit more updating inside. Still a favorite go to ! read more

Arriving to a packed house for a 6:45 Saturday evening dinner reservation, we were immediately greeted and seated. Looking around, it looks like the 70s called and they want their decor back. This place looks old, feels old, but kind of warm and comfy. The regular menu had a typical choices of chicken dishes, veal, pork, pasta, steaks, and seafood. The specials menu offered the same along with whole belly clams. An accordion player was going table to table, playing old favorites that I didn't even recognize, but that's OK. I was here after around five years to revisit. Our server was quite knowledgeable, cheerful, and welcoming. As I remembered, and tasted again, the martinis are on point. Which ever one you order it's going to be delicious. For starters, you must order the shrimp cocktail. These are about as perfect as you can get anywhere. Almost colossal, looking like small lobster tails, a little squeeze of lemon, and the horseradish cocktail sauce makes the some of the best in Connecticut. Next came to salad. The salad was delicious. Lettuce, tomato, black olives, carrots, with blue cheese dressing on the side. I could've made a meal out of this with the shrimp! For dinner, I ordered the linguine and white clam sauce, the large dish arrived, only filled about 1/3 of the way with linguine and clam sauce. A little bit on the disappointing side. The pasta was cooked to perfection, but the clam sauce had a little bit too much lemony flavor in it for my liking. The clams in the sauce were typical, along with five steamer size clams served on top. My dinner guest ordered the whole belly clams and they looked like a huge disappointment with the breading falling off the clams. This dish with served with typical coleslaw, french fries that were on the side-by-side with a few onion rings. It's been five years, and now I know why it's been five years. This place is dated, and needs a little bit more love in the kitchen. All in all, I would give this restaurant a 3.6 out of 5 read more

Don't let the outdated decor deter from trying this place. My father and I have been eating here consistently for at least 15 years. This restaurant has some of the largest portions of any place I've been to, and I can honestly say that even after all of these years, I haven't had a bad meal. I consider the prices very reasonable for the quantity and quality. Dinner: You get a bread basket, can choose between soup or salad. 90% of the time, I order a salad. I highly recommend the blue cheese dressing.... probably the best I've ever tasted... and did I mention they're huge? The entrees are usually big enough to take home leftovers. Lunch: No soup or salad with entree, but prices reflect that. I went again with dad last Sunday, and these photos are from that visit. I didn't take a photo of the salad because I ate it so fast. read more

Sans Souci - Reese's martini. - American Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

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The food was delicious best prime rib stuffed mushrooms were excellent.Our server could not have been better.Went for new years also birthday dinner did not disappoint.The building looks like it could use some work but the food is very good and so is the service. read more

Great food, great atmosphere. The steak and the veal were both tender and cooked to perfection. The sausage stuffed mushrooms were an absolute treat. Glad to see sausage stuffing instead of seafood. Clams casino was also amazing. Great service! Will definitely be back. read more

Absolutely best place hands down for great food at solid value. I always feel at home here.

Food was very good Service was excellent And it was a very low lighted cozy ambiance , but not too low Will go back

I've been coming here with my family for years. I love that it's not a chain and the owners are often present. The food is really good, service is awesome and prices are very reasonable. I've never had a meal I didn't like. Tuesdays they have a complete meal with app and dessert for $16.95! Thursday nights they have $7 martinis! I've had the chicken salad for lunch, it's made with special ingredients and the best I've had. Tonight I had the Chicken Piccata with mashed potatoes and green beans, also comes with a salad. My mom had the clam strips and she finished them! We both loved our meals! read more

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We had a party of seven that all arrived at different times. Our table was ready and our server greeted each of us. Taylor was smiling, patient and efficient, despite special requests and changing orders. Soups arrived hot and salads large and fresh. Baked stuffed shrimp consisted of 3 huge shrimp that were sweet and tender. Lobster roll was a large portion and apparently perfect! The chicken florentine was the most flavorful I've ever had, served with real mashed potatoes. Chicken Parmesan was also a large tender portion with a delicious marina sauce and pasta. There was a rather small but expertly curated wine list and lots of special and seasonal drinks and Sangria. One member of our party opted for a dark, towering slice of chocolate cake that disappeared quickly. Throughout the meal we never had to look for Taylor, always available but never hovering. She even provided separate checks all the while friendly and smiling. The bonus was being visited at our table by Joe who played his accordion and seranaded us. Just perfect! read more

Food is absolutely amazing. Started off with the French onion soup and it's one of the best around here. Next the pasta came with a full salad. I was full even before my meal came but of course had to make room! The clam sauce was so good. The service was also amazing! If your going on a Saturday night, highly recommend reservations because it gets crowded. Lastly they had some live music and the ambiance was just perfect. Highly recommend. read more

Sans Souci - Linguini with clam sause - American Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

had clam strip's probably the best I ever had incredible the size of plate and juicy not dry like other places

Just awful. After I complained about my glass of wine, the server disclosed it was the last glass from an open bottle of wine. I can't imagine how long it had been sitting there. I ordered stuffed shrimp. Inedible. very fishy tasting and dry. After I complained, someone in management offered another meal to take home. I ordered chicken piccata. No flavor whatsoever to either the chicken or the potatoes. The green beans were canned. I can't remember when I had a meal (two actually) that was this bad. read more

Excellent menu. Great variety. I have only dined here a couple of times, but each one was delicious. Great service, timely, courteous. I am old enough to remember when the building was a Howard Johnson restaurant, but remodeled nicely to suit their current clientele. One dining experience was in one of the banquet rooms, which was lovely. Another great dining experience overall. And now that I am writing this, I feel like going back soon! read more

Sans-souci really does come out of nowhere (literally given where it is) as being one of the most well-trusted and quality restaurants you have to go out of your way for. Tucked away on a side-road, this restaurant is often full of either traveling businessmen who received a recommendation when asked where to get a drink, or long-time locals. When I came for the first time on a brisk Friday night, a lounge piano player was playing pieces from the 1950-80's and, accompanied with the lighting, made the restaurant feel like a step back in time to a rat pack or film noir era lounge. The menu and specials are filled with Americana classics, but switch nostalgia for quality and care. For instance, I can honestly say that I have had the best side salad I have ever had here and knew I was going to give the restaurant a 5/5 even before I got to the main course. If you want a dinner out without kids or are entertaining some old friends for a visit, Sans-Souci would rank high on my recommendations for you. read more

Sans Souci - American Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

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Service is excellent. Atmosphere and menu are old-school. Food is good. Clientele is mature. No screaming babies or children running around causing a ruckus. It was our second visit. Would likely go again. read more

I was there celebrating the United States Marine Corps 248 th birthday. The staff and especially the food was absolutely great. Being a Vegetarian, I wasn't expecting Much, but the Chef put together for me a delicious meal. read more

An old favorite of a friend of mine is Sans Souci. It has been here for years originally as a Howard Johnson's [1959] and later as the Black Dog Tavern. I hadn't really found anything reasonably enticing until today with its Lentin [sic] Lunch Special. We both enjoyed orders of Fried Cod with fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce. Beginning with good bread and butter and a tasty but different jicama on bruschetta. The lunch orders had a large piece of nicely fried cod on top of a bed of excellent fries. We enjoyed time together and I applauded her choice of restaurant. read more

Sans Souci - American Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

Living in the area for the last 3 years, I have heard great things about Sans Souci. I'm SO glad they lived up to the expectation and then some. We only had an hour before a play in Hartford so we just wanted some soup and apps. We sat in the lounge area and the server was amazing. We ordered soups, an app and a dessert and she was attentive and asked when we wanted each. The soups were amazing, Black Bean and French Onion. Definitely made in house and very filling. The stuffed mushrooms were so good and I don't usually like the dish elsewhere. But man, the dessert. Pumpkin taramisu. The best I've ever had. Light and tasty and not too sweet. Captured the pumpkin flavor nicely. While the decor isn't modern and could use some sprucing up, the inviting atmosphere more than makes up for it and is the reason people keep coming back. The good food helps too!! But really, I can't say enough for how good our server was. read more

Sans Souci - Lounge area behind the bar - American Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

As the saying goes ... "A diamond in the rough". Really good food in a building that is not really all that fancy. Back in the day, I believe it was a Howard Johnson. Our server was very friendly, knowledgeable about the menu items and was attentive making for a very POSITIVE dining experience. Have had several dinners here and will return!! read more

Love their baked stuffed shrimp !!! Even the salad was delicious. Very nice restaurant.

Been here a few times with small and large groups and all were happy. The service is great. The food is wonderful. Never have had a bad meal. The rack of lamb is very very good and my fav. The decor, albeit clean, is very dated. It'd be nice to see it updated and fresh. The bar area is intimate with a few tables. FYI the chairs at the tables in the bar are very uncomfortable. The drinks however are made well. Again older crowd in the bar most of the time. read more

Everything is always great there! The service is outstanding as well as the quality of the dining experience with great cuisine!

Great salad that comes with the meal. I got a double vegetable instead of the starch. The New Zealand rack of lamb was very good. There was plenty of meat and it was cooked medium rare, which was just right. They also had breadsticks at the table along with bread. There was someone playing the accordion , going through the dining room , which was a nice touch. read more

Sans Souci - Rack of Roasted Rack of New Zealand Lamb - American Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

Always great food, excellent staff and drinks for a fair price. We will definitely be back and bring friends read more

Sans Souci - $7 martini's on Thursday nights. - American Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

I had the Denver Steak-Grilled (Teres Major) with a baked potato and veggies. The steak is deliciously tender and a nice portion. It's cut into medallions and extremely tender! Also had the green pepper pedals with pork/beef Swedish type meatballs with the Swedish brown gravy...delicious appetizer. If you never had Teres Major try it out! It's amazing and they do it well here! Our waitress was very nice also. read more

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Excellent food and service. The atmosphere feels like a private club. A very enjoyable experience.

One of favorite places for family dinners. The servers are always fabulous and the food is always delicious. The garden room is always a wonderful room to sit in. Thank you for hosting so many of our family memories!! read more

Waitstaff is always attentive when in dining area. Joe and Suzie do a great job bartending and taking meal orders if sitting at the bar. No matter how buisy they are they take time to chat and make you feel welcome. Never had a meal I didn't like. Support local private owned places like this! read more