Sorry to say but I have to give this a mediocre review. For me, the food isn't the only thing that makes a restaurant a great experience, it's a combination of things. After weeks and weeks trying to get in, I got a reservation early on a Friday night. Servers were nice and helpful, the food was tasty (Trout spread, Mussles and the Brussel Sprouts) but I felt there was something missing. After so much hype and difficulty getting a reservation there were plenty of empty tables all around us the entire night. Even with all the emtpy seats I felt like the staff were walking up and down eyeing our table because we had been there for quite a while. The restaurant was smaller than I was expecting and hard to get a seat at the bar. It's definitley worth a try, maybe we were just there on an off night. read more

Incredible and memorable staff!! Food amazing. Abiance was a bit noisy but good crowd Portions huuge lol. My burger could have fed 2. The green goddess deviled eggs were phenominal and I will be back like an addict!!! read more

Food is always great Service is good Ambience is great Seating is ... Challenging .. Space is a bit difficult But whelk is definately in the top three in westport read more

Not a seafood eater but been with a group and they loved it. The chicken burger sandwich was great too.

Freshest fish in Fairfield county. The chef and management team are engaging and so very friendly. I love going to The Whelk. Welcome back to Lauren McE. So great to see you there. read more

We stopped in and had a delicious lunch. Burger, fries and Brussels were all to die for. Felt very safe with the dividers. The space still looks beautiful! read more

Great food, very unique menu. I loved the atmosphere here too, it was busy but didn't feel crowded or pushy. I'd deff recommend a reservation and they have a very limited amount of outdoor seating if you don't want to be inside. Street parking wasn't a problem and we were there on a Saturday night. read more

Best dining experience I've had in CT. They were able to squeeze in our party of four even though we did not make a reservation. Little neck clams were fresh and delicious and the smoked trout dip was out of this world! I had the shrimp and grits -- very tasty and generous with the shrimp. Service was friendly and attentive. The trout dip was absolutely delicious -- MUST ORDER! read more

The Whelk - cherry stone clams -- so fresh - Seafood Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

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I don't think I can ever eat normal food again. The Whelk IS as good as it gets. If you can get reservations here and you're from out of town... do it. Location - Walking into the Whelk, your eyes will catch the nice view of the river with paddle boards docked alongside it. The ambiance inside is trendy and lively but not just full of hipsters. When you get there you feel like you're at the hottest restaurant in Fairfield County (actually, that's fact). The crowd is a nice mixed of townies, young couples and you'll even see some families with kids pop up before the dinner rush. There are communal tables separating the bar crowd and regular dining crowd so groups are also encouraged. I've enjoyed two date nights at the bar and it's just as comfortable as sitting at a regular table or a communal table. Service - Very good. My server or bartender is always attentive & the food always comes out at a good pace. The staff is very friendly in general. They are highly professional but with no air. Successful restaurants are fueled by their every day staff (Kitchen, Front of the house) and The Whelk seems to be winning in that department. Menu - Always changing - which makes me keep going back for more. The menu is primarily seafood, however they do have options for less-enthused-about-fish folk. There's a killer burger and a chicken sandwich. Be sure to order the deviled eggs when you go (complete with a fried oyster right on top), any of the toasts, ...and basically everything else on the menu. Everything I've eaten at Whelk exceeds my expectations. I wish I could rate The Whelk 100 stars. It's absolutely fantastic. read more

What a great find. Had dinner with a friend here and shared several plates. The grilled octopus, squid ink cavatelli, brussels sprouts and deviled eggs were excellent. Service was very good, attentive and friendly. Great selection of beers as well. Probably a very nice spot with your spouse. I look forward to coming back very soon! read more

What an excellent eatery! Superb service, my group could not believe how fast the food came out and our waiter was very attentive and did a great job explaining the menu since this was our first time. The food was phenomenal! We ordered a couple of the smaller plates- oysters, deviled eggs, and octopus, as well as the fried chicken sandwhich and nothing disappointed! Not to mention it is a beautiful environment. Will definitely be back! read more

The Whelk - Seafood Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

Good stuff Whelk! Attentive staff and knows their food. Seafood was on point. Happy hour is where it's at. Try and make it before the crowds. read more

One of the best restaurants in Fairfield County. The Whelk rivals ANY New York City restaurant + experience. The food is beyond delicious, the staff is knowledgeable and atmosphere is casual + cool. This a must try -- over and over again. read more

The sommelier was fantastic. We had oysters on the half shell (loved the mignonette! and the oysters of course were fantastic), the gulf shrimp and grits (really really good as well), the trout rillettes which my husband loved, the halibut (cooked perfectly), the pork belly (surprisingly good at a seafood spot) and the soft shell crab (which was probably the weakest of all the dishes, though still quite tasty.) My husband declared it his favorite restaurant in CT - it definitely exceeded our expectations, and both of us liked it better than Le Farm. read more

This is a 5 stars every day for the food: amazing combination of taste. Try the scallop crudo to get an idea. We had 4 appetizers that were all a 'will order again' in a heart beat. Down side: a Friday evening around 7:30 is a no go for us. The noise level was so painful we left before desert. We want to like this place and we will try again, at a quieter time most likely around 9 or later, expecting to overcome this disappointment. read more

My favorite restaurant in Westport (and maybe in the whole wide world). They 'get it' here. Food and cocktails are always interesting and well-prepared. I love the Fried Chicken Sandwich and the Deviled Eggs...Trust me on the Deviled Eggs...They will make you weep with joy. The servers are trained, professional and friendly. The atmosphere is upscale but still retains a casual vibe. In my view, the Whelk sets a benchmark for dining out. read more

great place to meet friends for a drink and snack. Service was fast price was alittle high but worth it. read more

Gone right downhill. No one minding the store. Ego service attitude, portions scaled to meager (no Parker House Rolls). Dishes over spiced-sauced and priced. $26 lobster roll was mean and slaw was oily. Have been watching this decline for some time. Very sad for a once very exciting, fun spot. read more

I'd wanted to try this place ever since I moved to town and finally did. It's hard because they are only open for lunch on Friday and Saturday and with little kids, it's hard to make it out for dinner. I would not bring my kids here, it's an adult-friendly restaurant. Which is not a bad thing! I highly recommend the deviled eggs. Yum. Could have made a whole meal out of them. The raw oysters were also phenomenal. I liked the food a great deal, and the lunch service was good. I found the menu a little confusing, but our server helped us out. Overall, fun adult restaurant for a special seafood treat. read more

Great food!!! Awesome service!!! Food was excellent! Must try the octopus this was my favorite!

I'm going to think about my dinner at The Whelk for a very, very long time. The place could only be made better with a larger selection of draught beer. Two taps just ain't enough. Great selection of wines and mixed drinks, though, and while the drinks weren't crazily inventive, they were solidly creative. I met my nephew for dinner and we spent 4 hours at table, during which time we covered a decent range of food. Oysters here are local and smart. I shared my feedback about the roasted jalapeno mignonette with our server (more on her later): it's really really terrific, but I did feel that it covered too much of the oyster flavor. By our fourth or fifth oyster we decided to have some without the accouterments. I would recommend doing the same. Some with, some without. We next shared the smoked trout dip. Let me begin by saying that I don't particularly care deeply for trout. Never order it. But as described by our server (more on her later), we couldn't resist trying it. Holy best thing ever!! DO NOT PASS THIS UP if they have it. We got the last one of the night and thanked the early reservations gods for the remainder of the evening. On to the Hamachi collar, served over fantastic collards and flavored perfectly. Highly recommended by our server (more on her...you know), this dish did not disappoint. We picked and scavenged and shooed away the busser every time he tried to take the dish. Sure, it might have *looked* like we were finished, but please, we were practically ready to lick up the juices that remained. We could have (should have?) stopped there. But we shared a great pea and blue salad and a portion of pork belly over beans. Both equally great. It's just that I was comfortably satiated after the fish dishes and really didn't need anything else. But I would recommend both dishes, and they were good together, too. Finally, I cannot wrap up without mentioning our knowledgeable and encouraging server, Lauren. She was tops. She felt around for our likes and dislikes, readily shared her own favorites (I always ask and expect a server to be both honest and enthusiastic about the dishes he or she loves), and allowed us to pace ourselves to meet our dining and conversational needs. Her co-workers, the runners and bussers, were equally as attentive. I will return. I will need some of that smoked trout dip again (and I hear they sell it by the tub or something, too). read more

Absolutely fantastic meal! The Taibe brothers are so good at restauranting.........from start to finish experience was great. Great drinks, great food, great service and prepared support staff. Our dishes were always changed, silver etc, water filled. Dishes: Himachi crudo- refreshing/fantastic Deviled egg/fried oyster - incredibly delicious combo Octopus- nice charr- scapes/great flavors Young lettuce- nice Bavarian banana- literally you eat it and die it's so good......... It's like a play on a bowl of cereal with ice cold milk........ Dolce de leche gelato/cashew crunch/corn flakes.....some caramel or toffee something was in there too....... Decor perfect for the concept- bar is nice as well. Outdoor live music was going! Well done Whelk, well done! read more

Always delicious. Service impeccable. This is an incredible restaurant where incredible food is served graciously in a comfortable and warm setting. Can never go enough read more

The prices were very high. But on top of that, the last line item was $7.44 "for the cook"? After a detailed review of my bill I see that they taxed me 3% for ........." On your check you will notice a 3% surcharge on the food-only portion of your bill. This charge will be passed directly through to our kitchen staff for the tremendous efforts they put forth each and every day to prepare the food our customers eat." Shouldn't your very high prices take care of your staff? Shouldn't this have been explained prior to be paying this ridiculous surcharge? Insulted and never going back read more

This place had great food and they served cornbread. I ordered two seafood items: scallops and red snapper -- very tasty. Service was great. I have been here twice and both the times I have ordered something different and loved them. If you like seafood, you should come here. read more

This was a great seafood restaurant to go to! During the summer it's even better to go and eat outside. I've been here multiple times and I've never had a complaint. The only downside to the restaurant was that if you don't have a reservation it is a bit of a wait. read more

I cannot understand why this place gets rave reviews. Prices are sky high, decor is ugly, food mediocre at best. Oyster Bar in Fairfield gives much better services and prices. read more

Was there a couple of months back, but still remember it well enough to give an accurate review. Can't forget it. Everything was just superb. Cannot say enough. I cannot resist a good halibut, let alone a great halibut. Plus there was so much creativity in how the dishes were prepared. There was a definite art to this. We had some wonderful oysters and a nice shrimp dish that we shared family style and they were seasoned perfectly, just enough so that the freshness of the seafood comes through. Love The Whelk. You will too. read more

Interesting because the whole griddled octopus was the best I've ever had but the chicken sandwich was so terrible it was hardly touched. Will return but only for seafood I guess. read more

The Whelk - Whole griddled octopus - Seafood Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

Our favorite seafood restaurant for casual fun dining. Often crowded and noisy, but worth it for the fine seafood. As casual seafood places go, it doesn't get much better. read more

Delicious and beautiful Westport location. Service excellent. Food excellent. Suggestion : Eat Tapas style with lots of little plates rather than main course. Not to be missed are the deviled eggs, oysters with caviar and creme fraiche ,octopus and bluefish. Banana something for dessert was great. Extensive drink menu with creative options for mocktails. Loud, yes very loud, but would definitely return. read more

Excellent food and service. Been multiple tones for both lunch and dinner. So far everything on the menu has been delicious.

I went here for my birthday last weekend. We ordered 2 baked oysters and a dozen raw oysters which were absolutely delicious. It went downhill from there. We ordered the smoked fish appetizer which had a hint of flowers in a pot with white bread toasted. No other bread was served and there was 3, so there was not enough for anyone to finish it. We had to order more bread. And then, then the jar was still full because there was nothing left to put the spread on. No kids menu, but my daughter loves octopus, we later discovered it was like rubber when we asked her why she was not eating it. Good thing we ordered 2 plates of fries. That's what my kids ended up eating. We asked to take it off the bill. We got the bill and it was not itemized, so we had to ask for an itemized bill. It was charged. We had ask again for it to be removed. We ordered one dessert for my bday and was charged for that too. Sancerre wine was just ok. I ordered the shrimp and grits which was oddly flavorless. I gave it to my son who will eat anything. We ordered the swordfish and it was just meh. I can't remember what the rest of us ordered because it was unremarkable. Large and expensive bill and having to dispute it was a big bummer. I asked for the music outside to be turned down for my elderly parents, so they could hear me better and they said that they would try. They never did. Seating outside is uncomfortable and didn't have any umbrella. I'm so confused by the 4.5 ratings. I'll give it a 1 for the yummy oysters. Should have just stuck with that. Definitely would not go back. When we turned a corner and saw some other restaurants fully packed and busy with people eating. I had wished we had gone there instead. read more

Excellent Chef who supports the community and is thought/careful in selection, preparation & results. Always a pleasure

Place was great. Seafood was spot on. Ordered 2/3 of the menu with my family. Nice location. Service was very attentive and knowledgable about the menu. Had 3 kinds of oysters. Sweet And sour sprouts. Octopus. Grilled calamari. Crab fondue. Squid ink cavatelli. Fried chicken. Burger. Chilled prawns. Deviled eggs. Pigs tails. Skate. All were good. Oysters and deviled egg and cavatelli were the best. Fried chicken and burger also great. Got banana Bavarian and orange carrot cake were amazing. Expensive but worth it. Would def go back read more

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The Whelk is absolutely amazing. The service, food, drinks, and ambiance were all top notch. Sat at the community table which I was hesitant about at first but it was just as nice as having our own table. Our server knew literally everything about every dish and drink on the menu, which was beyond helpful in deciding what to order. We ordered a bunch of things to share and everything from sides to dessert was absolutely delicious. Their drinks are fantastic, as well. Two things you have to do when you come here, however. First, order a side of fries as one of your first dishes. I don't even like regular fries and these were awesome. Second, don't hesitate to order a vegetable/fruit dish. I know it's a seafood place, but these were extraordinary. Definitely on par with the seafood dishes. read more

Wow, everything was great. A bit pricey, but worth it. Hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and "shaved pork" are a must.

Very disappointed!! Was not waterfront as advertised ... we only had a view of the traffic on Main St or the Route 95 bridge. Food way overpriced and small portions. Waitress was pushy and hurried us. Never again read more

4.5 One of the best meals I've had in CT. All 4 of our seafood meals were incredibly flavorful and fresh. Delicious grilled fish sandwich and sides. The bread rolls were incredible. Finally - one to return to! read more

Went here twice with my husband and enjoyed the row 34 oysters, the lovely roasted leeks, and the perfect panna cotta, and the perfectly fried fish sticks. We also really enjoyed their varied menu and the variety of culinary methods and techniques used for various dishes. read more