The 196 Club is definitely a "speakeasy" location you should try! I went for a pre wedding…read morecelebration and we reserved half of the location. The bartenders were super friendly and made sure to keep up with the demands of our venue. The food and drinks were top-notch. We were served some finger food, and the meat balls were to die for. The drinks had interesting twists to classic drinks and left me wanting more. If you like mystery and enter a secret hidden bar for the elite just like in the movies, this location will make you feel like that with its setup.

What do you find behind a candy store in Hartford, Connecticut? A very cool speakeasy. We dropped…read morein for a drink after dinner. Our bartender, Jon, gave us great suggestions and made excellent drinks. It wasn't too busy, they played good music, and we could imagine the space with some live music. I highly recommend it, and we will definitely return. Thanks, Jon!

Went for lunch. Nice and very open space and clean! Food was very good! Freshly cooked and enjoyed…read moreevery bite!

My first time But I must say the food was very good and the service was great ! The empanadas…read moreare-awesome and amazingly tasty with that amazing Puertorican flavor ! From the beef to the chicken and the shrimp ! The steak amazing !! One of my favorites and the Fried chicarunes de Pollo amazing ! Giving them 5 stars for the great tasting food and fair Prices ! The drinks are fairly priced .

Awesome place to go and have a few drinks really friendly atmosphere 2 dart boards pool table I go…read morethere quite a lot lately has a outside deck pretty cool place to hang out

Great bar to have couple of drink before hitting the club. Price are not bad and the mixed drinks…read moreare great.

Stopped in during an event on pratt st. 2nd visit. Birch bourbon was bold & hints of birch were…read morevery nice, overall a smooth bourbon. The tacos were excellent, very flavorful and fresh, and very filling/ample meat portions. The double taco-shell helps hold it all together. Wednesday was the perfect day for a peaceful visit before the rain storm. Happy hour menus attached for reference! Every visit, the staff is perfectly welcoming and knowledgeable, and the food surprises my taste as a former picky eater. I would be excited to get tacos again, or try something new.

Came here after going to bingo Loco to finish my celebratory birthday…read more We walked in within an hour of closing, so we were given last call. We were seated at a booth, but quickly moved to the bar where the bartender made our concoctions, chatted with us, and talked about the old distillery that was before the parlor. I got the Smoke Break; mezcal, wild moon sumac, apricot, amaro del capo, lime and absinthe. It was very good, very smoky, but the perfect balance. And of course, the birthday is not complete without shots! We ended up taking the sour cherry vodka, which is one of my favorites We were unable to get food as the kitchen was closed, but we will have to try next time

This is to hookah what Taco Bueno is to fine Mexican dining. I visited on a Saturday night and we…read morepromptly decided to go elsewhere. For starters, the two-people-per-hookah policy is obnoxious. I get the trade-offs here and why the business has to do it, and more and more hookah bars are adopting similar policies. But when you're telling me if I've spent $50 on 2 hookahs for 4 people and one more friend shows up, our tab is now $75, I really don't appreciate that. I get that most customers are younger and would smoke 10 people on 1 hookah if given the chance, but you've got to have a middle ground. 5 people wanting to share 2 hookahs is not taking advantage. Then comes price: I'm from Texas where tobacco taxes are sky-high and businesses have about $20,000 of prep work to do for special tobacco-oriented zoning, and you still don't see prices this high. $25 for a bowl is obscene, especially with the aforementioned policy. Then comes the atmosphere. Loud, cramped, poorly ventilated, dark, and uncomfortable. It may seem novel to novice smokers but is less likely to be enjoyed by a regular hookah bar attendee. I also am not a fan of the pay-when-you-walk-in model. The register is up front and you cash out before you sit down. We made sure to walk into the back and have a look around before doing so, thankfully. Again I do get that their clientele may be a little younger and more stealy than other establishments, but it does not make for a friendly or inviting experience. There are myriad websites that will sell you an entire hookah package including pipe, tobacco and coals for the same price as a single 5-person smoke session here. I know he's got some overhead but a single bowl of this stuff pays for a whole box of the stuff you're actually smoking. Save your money.

This place has the total potential to be a 5 star lounge, but here are the pros, cons and…read moresuggestions to gain the extra 2 stars. Pros: Hookah: -good flavors (al Fakher and starbuzz) - packed well - small hookah with a lot of smoke - coconara charcoals Seating area: - very spacious - can handle large groups - unique floor seats - custom tables hold hookah and garbage - homey set up with actual couches - very laid back (music tempo maintains atmosphere -smoothie was on point Cons: Hookah: - not maintained regularly (they come every 20-30 mins), so it's not good 5 mins after they fix it Seating area: - the music can be updated - no worker is ever present, making it extremely difficult to order anything (waited 20 mins to order smoothie) - prepaying seems very unwelcoming Suggestions: This place mainly lacks in service. The seating area being unattended is a big disadvantage. Regular maintenance of the hookahs served out would make this place go a long way.

I was driving on Franklin Ave looking for a place to eat when I noticed Uchu for the first time…read more Uchu is a un upscale Peruvian restaurant that serves things like Chaufa, Lomo Saltado and other traditional dishes. The inside is comfortable, colorful and well appointed. Service was friendly, but they seem like maybe they're thinly staffed at the moment because, even though it wasn't particularly crowded, I wanted to get my check for about 10 minutes at lunch before I had to ask for it. I ordered a Pan con Chicharron off the breakfast menu, which they serve until around noon I believe. Even though it seems like lunch type sandwich to me, in Peruvian cuisine it's considered more of a breakfast item. It came with huge chunks of gently fried pork belly, slices of sweet potato and Salsa Criolla, which is the red onion salsa popular in Peru. It came in a huge crusty roll. that was full of the other ingredients and cut in half. I've never had another sandwich quite like this. The color was great. They were so generous with the ingredients that they spilled out of the bread. The bread was super fresh. They served it with aji and thin crispy potato sticks that I think may be called papas Hilo. So you could use the aji to add flavor if you wanted. They charged me $10 for this, along with complimentary chips, three different aji and Cancha (the crispy Peruvian corn kernels). I thought this was a tremendous value. I would definitely return to try more of the menu. 4.25 Stars

Huge portions. I have a mixed reaction about the pork belly dish which tasted spoiled to me. I'm…read moregoing to try it 1 more time to see if this is a continuous issue. So, I'll rate this at 4 stars for now.

The best time!! Came here for a birthday celebration and it was perfect vibes. Our server was…read morefantastic and gave us great recommendations. The food was all delicious - I was VERY sad to hear the calamari was discontinued because it was always my favorite but everything else was so yum. DJ starts at 10 (so fun) !!!

I really used to love Barcelona, but to be honest, I think the quality has fallen off. Dined here…read morewith friends last night. We had a small seafood paella and several tapas. As a general observation, tapas portions are minuscule. Here is the rundown: -Jamon and cheese croquetas: 4 small pieces, good not great -Gambas: tasty but it would be hard for the shrimp to be any smaller -Tortilla: very small portion and slightly runny -Albondigas: these were good -Pulpo: It was so tough that it was no edible - not sure if it was just overcooked. -Paella: The paella was spicy - everyone at the table agreed, it had a kick. Authentic Spanish paella is not spicy. I have had it at Barcelona at least a half dozen times through the years - never spicy. While the food was meh, the drinks were really good, but don't think I will go back anytime soon.

I typically order delivery and the food is consistently good and affordable…read more The chicken mofonguitos are one of my favorite things to eat in the Hartford area. The plantain is always just the right texture and the chicken is very tender. It doesn't really travel well though so you just have to use a fork to put everything back together. The steak is good, but it is a bit salty and the white rice cancels it out a bit. Super filling!

Recently, my support group Hearts that HEAL enjoyed a delightful meal and excellent service at Lo…read moreSano Restaurant and Bar, nestled in the south end of Hartford on Maple Avenue. Our meeting with 17 women and 8 Hartford Police officers who came to answer our questions about personal and Internet safety was a positive experience, led by our friend Hyacinth Yennie. This community activist spends her time at the Senior Citizen Wellness Center down the street, where she leads activities and trips for older residents of the neighborhood. Delicious food, attentive service, and affordable prices made this restaurant a positive choice for our monthly support group meeting. The hors d'oeuvres, sandwiches, and desserts hit the spot while we engaged with South End police officers who answered our questions about safety and gave short, helpful talks. All in all, it was a positive experience. We will return for the delicious Spanish food and the excellent service from the wait staff. Thank you, Lo Sano, for a wonderful dining experience. We thanked our friend HyavinthYennie for recommending such a good place for our group to meet and enjoy a delicious meal. Thank you, Lo Sano, for a wonderful dining experience.

This is my third time at flying monkey ( 2nd time at the new location on the Berlin Turnpike) and I…read moremust say the food is always on point ! Note they also offer happy hour (aka monkey hour ) Tuesday-Friday 3-5:30 I ordered the frazberry froze which was really good it literally tasted like a raspberry sorbet in drink form which I loved . Service was great our server was very attentive and checked up on us regularly and we got our food pretty quick . For my entree I ordered the chicken sandwich . Which was grilled chicken , bacon , Avacado and a creamy aioli served in a fresh bun and a side of fries ! Soooo good highly recommend. Overall 4/5 good food good service plenty of seating ( I only give it 4 stars because I loved the original location)

I truly miss when The Flying Monkey was located at HFD Airport. The setting was unmatched being…read moreable to enjoy a meal while watching planes take off and land created a unique and memorable experience. The food, at that time, consistently matched the atmosphere and made it a place worth returning to. Since its relocation, however, the experience has not been the same. While it's nice that they still offer live music and occasional events, the overall quality particularly the food no longer meets the standard I once associated with it. Unfortunately, it's lost much of the charm and appeal that made it special, and I find myself no longer wanting to visit.

They are back and better than ever!!!! Cheap drinks!!! A gourmet menu!!! Small town bar feeling in…read morethe capital city. The perfect place to make bad decisions with good people.

A great old school neighborhood bar where everyone knows each other and each other's business…read more(think Cheers). Opens around 9 a.m. for the few early-drinking regulars and keeps a slow pace throughout the day until a louder crowd arrives at 5 or so. Love the regular-crowd vibe, of which the bartenders and owner are a part. I've been going here for years when I lived in Hartford and when I'm in town now. Amenities: No taps, just liquor and bottles. Cheap prices. Food selection is frozen burgers/sandwiches/pizza (cheap) and snacks (Cheez-Its, jerky, pickled eggs). Seating is at bar stools and a couple booths. Pool table. (Note: I was horrified to see this listed as "closed" a while ago. I had to play phone a friend to verify that it's not. To my knowledge it's been open continuously for a long, long time.)