Great food, great service, luxurious atmosphere. The windows all around allow you to have a great…read moreview of the Hartford skyline and the river. There are a lot of food options, we came for a friend's birthday party and they had created a custom menu. My only qualm with the place is access- difficult to find the parking and to navigate to get in here, it's a business/apartment building so takes a few extra steps to access the restaurant.

I was immediately smacked in the face with the lack of ventilation. My clothes and my hair took on…read morethe aroma of the restaurant, and my desire to eat here was immediately shaped by our first step inside. Notwithstanding, we looked forward to something unique and outstanding, given the constant advertising on Yelp for the Parker House Rolls. The hostess was friendly, the waiter a bit snobbish, but perhaps that's the "exclusive" vibe they are trying to project. We went on to peruse the menu, which is a bit abbreviated; I assumed it's because they are focused on their "specialty." We took in the views, which, hailing from New York City, were not as vast or fascinating as those we were used to. Granted, we knew where we were and really had no expectations. We just wanted to enjoy dinner. The meal's presentation was beautiful. The Parker House Rolls were delicious. The Hamachi Crudo appetizer was perfection. I did not enjoy the Skate Wing and did not eat it; it had a tough rubbery texture; probably overcooked. I mentioned to my waiter that I didn't enjoy it, and he offered no alternative, so I ate more rolls. My husband enjoyed the Dry Aged Rohan Duck. We topped it off with a chocolaty dessert and French press coffee. The friendliest of the staff was a young man who collected our plates after our entrees. He smiled and interacted in a very down-to-earth manner. Overall, the appetizer, rolls, and dessert were delicious. The service was stoic and not warm or welcoming. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be visiting again.

This is the kind of place you wish you had gone to with a crowd so you could sample more dishes…read more Everything was a delight. The Mahi Mahi tacos started with a strip of the meat rather than little chucks, so the fish could stand out as the foundation and not be lost in the excellent toppings. Generally, I am ready for the Brussel sprout fade to end - but please keep these on the menu. Excellent. The pumpkin-sweet potato bisque made with coconut milk was a treat for someone forced off of dairy by an allergy. The service was attentive and the restaurant attractive. Finally, we have found a place to go when we must overnight between DC and central Maine!

We arrived with a large group without reservations, kinda chose it on a whim, so we had to wait a…read morebit but it was fine, we were shortly accommodated. The place looked spacious and with a lot of light, it looked clean and they seemed to have a nice selection of wines (for those that like it) , they were displayed for people to see, which I thought looked very nice. I went to the restroom to wash my hands and I found it odd that there was only 1 restroom for the size of the restaurant. Our waiter was nice, he took our order and we were excited. The food took a VERY long time, we were starving, and we had kids with us so that wasn't good. Some of our orders were wrong and so unfortunately we had to wait even longer for the right meal. We didn't order alcohol but we did older a couple of mocktails. I was SUPER excited for them because that's something I always appreciate at a restaurant. I'm sad to say that they were AWFUL!! straight up syrup, not bubbly (some were supposed to have soda in them) not sweet, simply not enjoyable at all, I ended up switching it for a simple club soda, I figured it was a safe bet. When my food came out, it was ok, I had the avocado toast, and it was forgettable, my sister had the chicken and waffles and now THAT was the meal to get, it was large in portion and that chicken was beyond tasty!! My other sister has the lomito sandwich with the chips and it was good, something missing but she enjoyed it. The rest of the food were burgers and they were ok, the kids had burgers and Mac and cheese and they were not tasty according to the children's disinterest in barely touching their food (and they love cheeseburgers). I'm always willing to bypass certain things as long as customer service delivers BUT unfortunately they fell short. We were celebrating an engagement and so we were all very happy and in a great mood, when suddenly workers around us were cleaning up the neighboring tables, and even sweeping very close to us. We thought the place was possibly closing? (Even though it was only 2:15pm). I asked if they were closing and they said that they close the restaurant from 3-4 so their employees can go eat .... I'm not against giving them a break BUT, it really felt like they were kicking us out, we felt pressured to eat fast and wrap it up, not a good feeling, when you are in the zone of happiness. It was our first time there so, I would have appreciated if they would have informed us that the restaurant takes a little break in between and then we would have decided if we wanted to stay or go elsewhere. They did bring a little dessert and 2 mocktails for the newly engaged which was nice, I'll give them that. Overall, I don't think the food and experience was worth me coming back or recommending this place, I'm sure there's other much better places.

Gather55 is a Hands-On Hartford initiative that is part of its commitment to serving neighbors,…read moreengaging volunteers, and connecting communities in the Hartford area. Diners may participate by paying the full posted price of the meals or a minimum price of three dollars, or they may choose to volunteer with Hands-On Hartford. Additionally, the chefs are rotated every month to give back to the community. Gather 55 has a pre-fix menu, and you get an appetizer, main course, and dessert for fifty-five dollars. I ordered the Milanese Pork Chop with Arugula. It also came with grilled lemon. The Pork Chop was beautifully cooked and had great flavor. The Pork Chop was crispy and not overcooked. The grilled Lemon brought the Pork Chop to another level. The grilled lemon gave the pork chops a nice pop and brought more flavor out of the pork chops. The Argula was cooked to perfection. It tasted great, and you could tell that the grilled Lemon was squeezed into the Argula while it was cooking. The food was fabulous. The customer service was too notch, and I will be back again.

"Come gather 'round people Wherever you roam…read moreAnd admit that the waters Around you have grown" (Bob Dylan) It's part community center, part soup kitchen, and part high end restaurant. In addition, it's unlike any restaurant I've ever been to. My first visit to Gather55 wasn't my first visit to the building, because back in the early '90's I was here during its Spaghetti Warehouse and Trout Brook Brewery days. Gather55 is so unusual because of its innovative and visionary business model. For breakfast and lunch, it opens the doors to the underprivileges or those struggling within the community for "pay what you can" meals. Those that have zero dollars are assigned a task in the restaurant and working for a half hour or so will earn you a meal. In the evening, the white tablecloths come out and Gather55 becomes a high-end restaurant with weekly guest chefs, and the revenue raised from these pricey dinners subsidizes the breakfasts and lunches. Chef and Gather55 director Rob Mafucci does a great job explaining everything in this YouTube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJHbwtuwnfc&t=138s Four of us had a memorable dinner at Gather55 last night. We started off with a few glasses of wine for around $10 a glass. The menu suggested pairings to go along with the evening's five appetizers and four entrees. The dishes were all created by different chefs including some heavy hitting familiar names like Chef Billy Grant and Chef Tyler Anderson. The appetizers were priced between $14-$18, the entrees between $28-$32, and the desserts were all $11. They also offer a 3 Course Prix Fixe Menu for $55 with your choice of salad or appetizer, entree, and dessert. Our appetizers were: Tom Yum Noodles $15 with chili paste, coconut milk, bok choy, bean sprout, Chinese cabbage, peanut, scallion, and lime Crispy Yucca Rellenos $14 (Vegetarian) Chef Jeremy Williams yucca, herbed cheese, aji verde sauce Kale Caesar Salad $14 with parmesan, lemon, and crispy garbanzos. Two of us went with the Tom Yum Noodles, including yours truly. It was a dish by this month's Guest Chef Lapat Watrous of Aroy Thai Garden in Middletown, and she created a helluva delicious starter. It was an amazing combination of tastes, textures and an amazing sauce that reminded me a lot of Panang Curry. Our main courses were: Salmon en Papillote $32 (GF) with potatoes, leeks, fresh herbs, cooked in parchment paper Stuffed Eggplant & Kale $28 with vadouvan, beans, tomato agrodulce, and fregola Pork Chop Milanese $29 with arugula, parmesan, lemon beurre blanc Lobster Ravioli ($18 from the appetizer menu) with tarragon mascarpone cream, and roasted hazelnuts. I had the eggplant dish and had to scurry to my phone to find out what some of the exotic ingredients were. I learned that vadouvan is a French spice blend, tomato agrodolce is an Italian sweet and sour sauce, and fregola is a teeny tiny pasta very similar to couscous. It was the creation of Chef Tim East of West Hartford's Union Kitchen, and it was delicious. The presentation was gorgeous, rollatini style spirals of eggplant topped with bits of kale, topped with the pasta and beans all swimming in a bed of fantastic tomato sauce. We had coffees and split two desserts - Chef Tyler Anderson's Brown Sugar Budino (an egg custard) with brown sugar, maple, and cocoa nibs, and Chef Kristin Eddy's Flourless Chocolate Torte with bourbon, orange, crème fraiche, and black pepper. I had a forkful of each, and they were both fantastic. You really have to tip your hat to Rob Maffucci and his talented group of collaborators for putting together such an innovative effort to serve the community and offer a wonderful dining experience. Thank you, Chef!

Went for "girl dinner" on a Thursday and it did NOT disappoint…read more They have a special with a kale Caesar salad, fries, and an Aperol spritz for $25! (You can add chicken tenders for an upcharge $10) The drink can't be swapped for another alcoholic drink, but you can switch it for something non-alcoholic if you want. Everything was sooo well flavored. The kale Caesar? Literally to die for. I never take salad home because it gets soggy...but I ate it the next day and it was STILL so good and the croutons were somehow still crunchy The chicken tenders were amazing, the fries were perfection, and even though I'm not usually an Aperol spritz girl, I finished the whole drink 10/10 would go back for girl dinner

The Laurel Brunch today was selected for a special birthday--it was a delicious, pleasant…read moreexperience. The interior of the restaurant was lovely- beautiful wallpaper; comfortable booths. Food and cocktails were delicious.We shared delicious Brussels sprouts and chicken wings for appetizers. I had a creamy tofu scramble for my meal. My companions all had egg dishes which they all said were very tasty. For dessert I had scrumptious Tiramisu- not too sweet, just right! My companions had slices of confetti cake - the frosting was meringue! Their specialty cocktails were varied with interesting, flavorful combinations- not the usual. I decided to try a Manhattan instead which was very, very smooth. Our server, Lonnie, was very gracious and attentive. At the end of our brunch she served us sparkling wine, courtesy of The Laurel with a happy birthday note for our birthday celebrant- such a lovely surprise!

Stopped by before a concert and had a great experience. The staff was incredibly accommodating and…read morehelped us choose a few dishes that came out quickly without compromising quality. Everything tasted fresh and flavorful, and the cocktails were excellent. Definitely a spot that delivers more than expected for the price.

Can't believe it's been 9 years since I reviewed this place. Julian was a wonderful waiter, and the…read moreplace was hopping with pre theater folk. It took a while to get our drinks but we still managed to get to theater in time . The steak taco was delicious, and my husband enjoyed his burger. Be sure to have a reservation, especially when Bushnell has a show .

Food, almost very good. Soggy burger bun. Waitress , Nina,…read morewas odd- curt, not listening. Ambience- interesting enough inside, but dumb music meant for the young ones -despite the average age of us who were eating as customers.

I dropped in, and to my pleasant SURPRISE, a beautiful renovation was underway! The space is open,…read morewith high ceilings, an airy feel, and a modern aesthetic. It's FIRE!!! (as the kids say) It was crowded despite being early evening. The only available seats were at the bar area near the windows, which was fine because we were determined to experience the "new" place. We ordered the tuna tartare and lobstah rolls. The accompanying chips are homemade (slightly salty, but my taste buds are really close together). The host was attentive and gave us the royal treatment. We put this gem back on rotation and we are definitely returning!!!

My husband and I usually end up here for our Friday night dinner!…read moreAlways delicious ! Service is great! Atmosphere is Amazing

I decided to have my mother's service here and I'm sure glad I did! They were so easy to work with…read moreand the food was terrific! The room was set up to accommodate over 35 people. Our guests were so impressed with the food as well! I used to take my mother here many times and she loved it, so it was a perfect way to honor her passing. Thank you to the restaurant team that made this a special day!

Stopped in and it was happy hour. Everyday 3:30-5:30 drinks, apps, food & pizza. We got the $8…read moresmash burger and it was delicious. Think a grilled cheese with a burger inside. It was just the right size too. Very flavorful. Got a side of fries too and they were just ok, next time we will try the duck fat crispy potatoes. Partner did get a bite of bone in their burger, but understand how that can happen. Great atmosphere and service. Sir at bar for happy hour.

*This review is from June 2023, I forgot to post it, accuracy was preserved with Word…read more Came for brunch. Menus were confusing, printed on paper in landscape format. Choices were limited to 'small and large plates', there was no appetizer section. We were asked "sparkling bottled ($$) or tap water?". We chose tap. Server brought an old-style quart-size milk bottle and small juice-size glasses. The water had no ice, so I assumed water was cold, it wasn't. I ordered a 'breakfast' stout, my wife coffee. Stout was served in a wine glass, not a traditional pint glass. Wife said coffee wasn't that hot. When they brought our beverages, wife asked for a napkin since none were on the table. Like most civilized countries, I like to put a napkin in my lap when I sit down in a restaurant. Apparently you need to ask for one here. Young server muttered something about place settings are brought when food is delivered. I guess an ale and coffee aren't napkin worthy. Not sure what they accomplish with this goofy policy. It looks more like some kind of cost cutting measure. We made reservations a week earlier, wanted us to confirm a second time through text the same morning. It led me to think this must be a popular place with people clamouring to get in. Once there, place wasn't bust at all, no waiting customers and a sea of unoccupied tables. Our guest arrived after we ordered our beverages. After a few minutes, I ended up flagging down a server to get her a drink. Another sign we were stuck with a 2nd or 3rd-string staff. Our aunt ordered a specialty drink from their menu; "champagne in a laundry basket", (looked more like laundry water in a wash tub). After taking our orders, paper menus were collected to be reused. Maybe they were saving money on copy paper. I kinda' wish she left one in case we wanted desserts or something later. They were keeping the table clear of literally everything. I ordered a humus plate for use as an appetizer, something to share and couldn't be screwed up while waiting for our main course. When entrees showed up, we all chose 'smoked sausage eggs-benedict', extra servers were in tow with plates, napkins and silverware, napkin place settings given after all plates were on the table. My wife was seated across from me, sitting next to her Aunt Nan. The first plate was placed in front of me. Even being the neanderthal caveman I am, I knew this was the most basic etiquette faux pas (I felt humiliated j/k). Ladies are ALWAYS served first, another red flag from an inexperienced staff. The 'smoked sausage' Eggs Benedict failed on many levels. It wasn't hot, poached eggs were both over and under-cooked- egg whites had chunky white snot, yolks were not runny. The 'smoked sausage', was kielbasa logs cut in half lengthwise, they were overcooked and impossible to cut without flattening and mutilating egg and muffin. They could be used as wheel chocks, I had to deconstruct it so sausage could be wrestled with on the side. Wife said the 'homemade' English muffin had the tap water taste like what we were served 'for free'. I couldn't help but envision a garden hose filling a mop bucket used for filling the milk bottles. The Hollandaise sauce lacked silky richness and flavor, I've had better with McCormick packets. Benedict was overpowered with the taste of the smoked sausage. This meal was our aunt's special treat for our birthdays. They did not finish their meals, leaving mostly the pieces of the hockey puck-hard sausage. Server had been touting the pastry chef for the home-made English muffins. They were not any better than Thomas's English muffins. I am a plate-cleaner by habit, I've even been called human garbage disposal, so I managed to clear this one, (except for the egg snot, it would've taken a straw to finish it). My wife always has leftovers I happily dispose of quietly, not this time, gave it a hard pass. I felt unfulfilled, I was food frustrated, so I ordered some bacon cheese scones and shared them with the table. They turned out to be the best thing we had, warm Bisquick quality with a good taste of bacon and cheese almost as addicting as Red Lobster cheddar biscuits. We consumed them like a pack of hungry wolves. I asked and was told they don't serve them with butter. These begged for butter. IMO, butter should already be on the table. My wife picked this venue for our birthday treat meal with our beloved Aunt Nan from MA treating us. I apologized to her for our disappointing choice. She said she was glad I said it, she didn't want to say anything to make us feel bad. With tip, the bill for 3 was $171.00. We could have had a better meal and service at an IHOP for a quarter of the cost, I know I would have felt more satisfied. This experience made onto my list of top 5 worst eating experiences.

Mother's Day dinner with the family! There were 5 of us…read moreand 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.

10/10 we love able!! lol…read more 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.

The Charles…read more Delicious food and a great atmosphere in beautiful Old Wethersfield We love the vibe here!

Food: 3.8/5 Service: 3.4/5…read moreAmbiance: 3.7/5 Value: 3.6/5 The Charles is a nice upscale restaurant on Main Street in Wethersfield which opened in 2020 and quickly made Connecticut magazine's list of best restaurants. It is inside an old house of some sort, so it has a charming ambiance. They have a small parking lot so the spaces are a bit tight. Then, although we were on time for our 8:15pm reservation, we found out that they didn't have a table for us on the main floor, which is bad because my parents have mobility issues and cannot climb stairs. They asked us if we would be ok waiting five or ten minutes. Sure, that was fine we said. The host was very reassuring and he let us know that the corner table near the fireplace was finishing up and he'd get it bussed promptly. So that was good. But after we sat down we experienced service issues. Many items were unavailable. No orrechiete. No crab cakes. No sirloin special. It was weird. We hadn't arrived that late, on a Saturday night, how could so many dishes be sold out/unavailable? We ended up going with the scotch egg $11 and butternut squash arancini balls $12 for appetizers, which were both great. The scotch egg was a decent size and came with a mini salad. The arancini balls were small, but the truffle gorgonzola fontina cheese filling was really nice. Entrees were not bad. My Berkshire pork chop cooked medium was tender enough and had decent flavor. My Dad's veal ribs over mac and cheese were really good. My Mom's wagyu burger was tasty and my sister's salad was satisfactory. However the cost of the additional protein to the salad seems high (Grilled Chicken +14 / Seared Salmon +16/ Grilled Shrimp +21 / Churrasco Steak +24). The drinks were well made, but took a while to get to us. The "Charles... In Charge!" with old forester bourbon, montenegro, spiced cherry bitters, luxardo $15 was a hit. My Dad enjoyed his $17 Manhattan made with Angel's Envy bourbon. My $11 FreeBird mocktail was refreshing. Yet, throughout the night we found it difficult to get our server's attention. All four dishes did not arrive simultaneously. We had to flag someone down for more silverware after the appetizers were cleared. Right at the end when we were ready to pay, she got tied up listening to a couple at a neighboring table tell her a story or something. This must have been quite a yarn because she was totally enrapt and oblivious to our needs. We started wondering whether our table was actually her responsibility or not. Finally she came by and we let her know we were done, no dessert or after dinner drinks, just the check and a few boxes for takeout please. This was a new restaurant that we hadn't tried before, and maybe I took a risk by booking it for my Dad's 89th birthday, which was supposed to be special. Our experience was okay, and maybe we'd go again in the future, but there were too many more ups and downs this evening than I would have liked for a special occasion. I am rounding up to four stars overall, even though on this particular evening I didn't think each individual component met that mark exactly.