Great food but: our table was not ready, which can happen on a busy night. Other people waited with us in an overcrowded entrance. Figure a pre Covid subway experience during rush hour to get the picture. We would have appreciated to be sent at the bar with some drinks on the house, it did not happen, so be it. Beautiful table, busy but friendly staff and excellent food. Nothing wrong except 2 issues; a couple behind us mistaken the restaurant for a hotel room. The staff saw it, nothing happened. Not shy about adult stuff but a place like this seems inappropriate for a live X scene. Then, the bill came, shy of 4 figures. Some of us decided to order expressos after the issuance. The staff conscientiously came back with a revised bill adding the 3 expressos. Zinc knows about food, but nothing about elegance. read more

We have been coming to Zinc since they opened in 1999 for their great food, beautiful space, and impressive staff. Last night I had one of my top five entrees at any fine dining restaurant ever. The Singapore noodles. Spicy, a touch of sweet chutney, some crunch, tender shrimp. Rice noodles dressed with a curry sauce. It was outstanding! I can't wait to go back and have it again. My hope is that it wasn't so special it can't be duplicated again. read more

Our food was absolutely delicious. My husband got the duck bao and I got the Singapore noodles. Our server Wendy was very professional, helpful, and helped make our first anniversary so special. We will definitely be back! read more

Food was excellent. Service was also superb. Could not beat the ambiance - perfect. It is my kind of restaurant.

Definitely the place for you and your date. Despite the 2019 pandemic, the restaurant setting was arranged in such a way to make you feel comfortable and safely distance. The service and the attention from the staff is set to a high standard. There are a variety of very good choices of meal to choose from the menu that will satisfy you foodie appetite. This place deserve repeat visits once pandemic is over. 4 star mainly do to parking inconvenience. If it's a busy night in New Haven, you may have to park a distance. read more

We got the mushroom piccata, charred Vietnamese chicken, seared Mahi Mahi, summer melon salad, cheese plate, shrimp toast. Everything was delicious! Great service! read more

Came here for my birthday. Food was excellent. Got the salmon, was one of their specials. Would recommend the "nachos" as well, very tasty. read more

ZINC - Salmon & short rib - New American Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Good food. I loved the sprouts. But unfortunately I think this place is a bit overpriced

I find that Zinc is overpriced for the quality of food it serves, and the menu often leaves me unimpressed. It has a fine dining price tag with a quality that I don't necessarily find comparable. I do however, enjoy their pizza place out back. read more

It's a pretty nice date place--quiet, fancy, has tablecloths. But the food really disappointed. The pork belly appetizer was dry, and the fried spinach that came with the main tuna entree tasted like old oil. It was really only edible with the tuna, but there was way too much spinach for it to be possible to finish both together. The fried spring rolls that came with it were also not that flavorful. I'd say the duck nachos were the best part of the evening and were quite enjoyable! The drinks were not my favorite but were incredibly strong, so in that sense worth the price. read more

ZINC - Duck nachos and pork belly, yum! - New American Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Safety and quality of service and food are the top priorities here. You can definitely come here and feel safe and have fantastic cocktails and food. This is our favorite place in new haven and the are doing covid dining right. read more

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Exciting menu with a tasting feel to it - but the entrees are full size - so don't be fooled! Loud and popular location - but waitstaff was able to keep up. I will definitely be back. read more

I came here with my bf on our first date and honestly I think we could've gone somewhere cheaper with better food. The food just lacked flavor in my opinion. The place is really nice and clean but aside from that the food isn't great. Save your money and go somewhere else. read more

Sadly, the food is just not very good. Excellent service, nice space... the last 2 times I have been there, the food has disappointed.

It has been a few years since we've eaten at Zinc and either my memory does not serve me well, or the quality has diminished. Overall the service was excellent. Our server was informed, attentive, and did not hover. The menu provides many choices for almost any preference. Our table of five ordered appetizers: duck nachos, spicy crab/cucumber noodle salad, and salmon gravlax tartare. The salmon was the clear winner and the duck nachos were the loser. A great idea poorly executed. Our main course choices were: rib eye steak, grilled pork chop, duck bulgogi rice bowl, tuna, and Pacific cod. The presentation was nicely done on all the entrees. The steak (ordered medium rare) was medium well, the pork chop was flawless, and the fish entrees were good. We will go back sometime but it is not the destination we remembered. read more

ZINC - Rob Eye Steak - New American Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Went here for my wife's birthday. We had cocktails, small plates, entrees, and dessert--it was all great! The Arctic Char was some of the best fish I've ever eaten. There were amuse bouche provided as well. Service was excellent, and it was well worth the price considering the amount and quality of the food. read more

ZINC - Arctic Char - New American Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

OK. Three start but tilting up for the service. Disclaimer though that i was there for a work dinner where my hosts pre-selected entree options so I wasn't getting to really try the whole menu. I could have eaten all the passed hors d'oeuvres and been a happy camper-- my favorite were the little arancinis and the artichoke with the charcoal sauce. If all eyes weren't on me, that would have been my dinner! Went with the hanger steak but subbed in the purple rice from another entree because after being on the road for 8 weeks, I am pretty sick of potatoes. Was surprised because according to the menu, it was supposed to be served with brussel sprouts but then it came out with spinach. Our server though saved us and ordered a side which I am really happy about because I freaking love brussel sprouts! Meal was good but the sauce on the hanger steak didn't go with the rice. Dessert was just okay. I would definitely give it another shot the next time I come to town. read more

Dined there in a party of four. Our waitress was pleasant and the bar provided good cocktails. The apps were on the small size for the price. My wife said the scallops were delicious. I thought the lamb chop was pretty good but a bit pricey. We had a good meal but I would not rank it in my top ten for New Haven. I rounded up since I couldn't give it a 3.5. read more

Just a fabulous restaurant. Ambiance and menu selections are always top notch. I recently dropped off soup for the security guard who works at Hendries Hall at Yale - I see him each week going into chorale. I promised him some butternut squash soup with shallots and ginger. After dropping that off, I stopped at this old favorite. Had a lovely pork chop on the bone with a Harissa glaze. It was served with a white bean ragout and greens. I paired it with a glass of Gamay noir. Great solo date night! I then ordered some soup to go for a homeless man sleeping in a tent on the New Haven Green. I was raised to give back and currently work for a company that does the same - Morgan Stanley. Peace to Zinc for a blessed holiday season. Have reservations to stop in with a friend after our concert the evening of 12/3! read more

Updated review: I had a feeling they tossed my leftovers. I had to ask two different people for them. I opened what I thought was artichokes this morning to add them to my breakfast and someone else's leftovers were in the box. Very gross!! Duck nachos are fantastic. Custom drinks strong and tasty. I eat at a lot of high end restaurants. The food meets the level. It was very good. The service was off from the hostess to the server. The male host was pretty good and took my check when my server was not around. read more

So good!! Dined last night with my boyfriend and had a wonder experience. The fondue appetizer was amazing, a must get. The salmon and tuna were also delicious. Staff was very attentive. Will definitely be back! read more

ZINC - Fondue appetizer - New American Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I went their with my son and boyfriend a couple of weeks ago and will definitely be back. The restaurant was incredibly spotless, has great ambience, and is convenient to so many things downtown. The menu is smaller, but they manage to pack in something for everyone. Everything we ordered was delicious and prepared/served with great care. I can't wait for spring to see what they have on the menu then. Awesome place for any foodie to dine. read more

Food was great but insanely expensive. I know inflation is up, but this was ridiculously expensive.

This is the nicest 5-star restaurant in New Haven. I came here for a date and from the moment we walked in the door to the moment we left we felt so welcomed and taken care of. The service is excellent, the ambience is lovely, the food is good and they are great at accommodating dietary preferences. The prices are reasonable (especially when compared to a similar restaurant in NYC) and the wine/drink selection is pretty great. They had gotten an item in my order wrong and instead of skimming the offending food item off (as I have had in too many restaurants), they actually remade the whole dish. If you tell them you are vegan they will take care of you. I had the curry and it was delicious, spicy and full of flavor. My partner had the steak and he really enjoyed it. He is super picky (classic NYer) and still says Zinc is the only restaurant (that wasn't pizza) we have gone to since I moved here that he actually enjoyed. If that's not a winning endorsement, I don't know what is. read more

A friend and I went to Zinc for restaurant week, and did not enjoy it very much. The service is excellent and friendly, but that was one of the only saving graces of the restaurant, along with the decor. We ordered some sort of duck salad and pork adobo for our entrees. Both dishes were salty, although they had the potential to be great dishes if it weren't for the over-salting. The pork adobo was well-spiced, but the salt just didn't let the flavors shine through. At the least, more rice and lettuce wraps could have been provided considering how much (salty) pork was on the plate. Also, the restaurant week menu online included dessert for the prix-fixe lunch, but we were dismayed to find out that this was not the case once we had finished our entrees. Overall, not a great place for restaurant week, and the chefs could work on balance in their dishes. read more

Recently went to Zinc for NH restaurant week. My friend and I started with the special cranberry spritzer cocktail which was great! Our server then brought out some bread with a peppery jelly sauce. It was very tasty! We both had the shrimp appetizer which was good. My friend had the butternut squash ravioli which she liked and I had the Scottish salmon. The salmon was cooked PERFECTLY. So delicious. The only downside of my meal was the pea risotto was a little bland and could have used a little salt. Dessert was chocolate mousse cake which was Devine! All in all a good experience. Looking forward to returning soo. read more

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Service and ambiance were excellent, but we were disappointed with the food. I do not recommend the lamb breast/coulis entree--the lamb was tender and tasty but overwhelmed by the accompanying 'bean salad' (= lots of dried beans that were nothing special). The appetizer mixed green salad was overdressed and our dessert, the carmelized apple tart, sacrificed taste to novelty, with a hard, cookie-like crust that was impossible to cut with a spoon, and cheese ice cream that did not turn out to be the delightful surprise we were hoping for. We feel no inclination to return soon. read more

Have been to Zinc before and It's usually more of a 4-5 star quality. Tonight we were left unimpressed. Service was outstanding, food not so much. 2 of the 4 got the paella on the menu. Although we like spicy food, there was no indication in the menu that this meal was spicy. The chef was certainly heavy handed as well which made the dish one note. The heat overpowered everything. Our waiter felt bad and said she would notify the chef, but it was apparent that both plates were barely touched due to the poor preparation. For the prices on their menu I would have expected a little more care and perhaps either offering a replacement meal or to take the items off the bill. Waste of $70 on those 2 dishes was a lot to swallow. For that reason we won't be back. I'm all for paying for quality but the restaurant has to live up to their side of that bargain. When they fail they should own it. Would have left 1 star but the pork belly and duck nachos were great! read more

We went to zinc before the Remain in Light show without a reservation and we're happy to sit at the bar. Everyone was really nice to us and the food was beyond fabulous. I had the tuna which was served rare, it came with dried spinach stacked high that melted in my mouth and spring rolls with two types of sauce including wasabi and sweet and sour. Really a generous portion and delicious. My husband is still talking about the lamb soup and we indulged in a wonderful dessert. The restaurant is sophisticated and the attractive staff bustle and smile. We enjoyed interacting with the bartender who was making so many drinks with so many ingredients effortlessly. Giant recommend! read more

Impressive. Loved the food, service and overall vibe. Classy Chic with a trendy flair...been here at least 5 times- absolutely recommend this place. read more

I felt completely humiliated last night, Saturday at 5pm, when the hostess asked me if I had "reservations" to sit at the bar when only a few people were there. I've had dinner with my company here many times in the past when we run up 5 figure dinner bills. Last night I may have looked like more of a casualty dressed out of town tourist with white sneakers and big camera than my usual put together self, but it was only because I was shooting photos for a competition earlier. I didn't plan on stopping anywhere, but also didn't expect to be judged so harshly at 5pm. So no quick glass of wine and cheese board for me! Two stars because your food does rock, but your attitude does not. read more

A great dinner, with some minor flaws that prevented me from giving five stars. We went on a Tuesday night, and started with red wine recommended by our knowledgeable server. Warm and efficient, she quickly brought us some rosemary-speckled bread to nibble whilst waiting for our appetizers. I had a salad with roasted blueberries and goat cheese, which turned out to be my favorite part of the meal. The roasted berries were sweet, bright contrasts to a selection of interesting bitter greens, the creamy goat cheese and an olive oil dressing. The bread was tasty but the red pepper accompanying sauce was a bit spicy. For my main course, I had a seared tuna steak, which I requested rare. It came slightly past that, but still was quite tasty with the included wasabi and soy dips. There was a massive pile of fluffy, crisp-fried spinach, which was interesting for a couple of bites but certainly not my favorite part of the meal. A crisp spring roll, filled with vegetables, was also included. Crunchy, yes, but not thrilling flavor-wise, and a bit gauche on an otherwise elegant plate. In all, I'll return, as I'm certain other main courses are worth sampling--and I'd like another blueberry salad read more

American farm to table dining from a James Beard Award Winning Chef, this was the restaurant in New Haven that I will remember for a long time. Exceptional wine list, nice décor, low lighting, quiet, comfortable ambience and the ability to visit with my dinner partners without shouting. Well done. I don't think you could go wrong ordering anything on the menu. Everything is good, on the last occasion we ordered the prix fixe as it was the best deal. It consisted of an Italian salad, a phenomenal pasta puttanesca with beef sauce and a panna cotta for dessert. Our server was helpful and knowledgeable and steered us to affordable, high quality wines that paired well with the meal. Located right downtown, this place will bring out the foodie in you. read more

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I ended up stopping by Zinc on Saturday night with a couple of friends while in search of some good appetizers. We were seated quickly and had a friendly waitress to take our order. We ended up ordering both the pork belly and the smoked duck breast nachos. The pork belly was as juicy as a pork belly could be and was absolutely delicious. The nachos were crispy, crunchy, and some of the best nachos I've had in the New Haven area. Sadly, I did not get to try one of the dinner entree's but the overall experience was pretty great. I definitely recommend Zinc to anyone looking for a nice place to go on a date or stop and grab a fantastic appetizer. read more

ZINC - Pork belly! - New American Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Was nearby for work so had dinner at the bar. The bar tender being extremely accommodating on replacing some starchy sides for some healthier options (I'm following a keto diet), the food was superb. The food is locally sourced and menu changes often, and the pork belly entree was tasty and went well with flash fried brussel sprouts. My colleague had the chicken and said it was phenomenal. On Monday they have $6 martinis, and as tempting as that was we opted out - maybe next time. read more

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Came in during New Haven restaurant week and immediately decided needed to expand to the regular menu. Tried so many delicious things, like pork belly, some dips and smoked fish. Some of the menu items were a little antiquated, like the duck nachos, which were ok but reminded me of fusion food from the 90s. But everything was good and the bartender made some fantastic cocktails. Will def be back! read more

If you like places where the staff treats the customer as , at best a slight inconvenience, or at the manager level, better than the customer. There's posh and then there's rude; this place is missing the mark on posh and landing right on rude. read more

More than just "A New Haven" restaurant - truly Cuisine with intriguing interpretations. I had Nachos (Smoked Duck Breast/ Fried Wonton Skins/ Chipotle Aioli + Lime Crema) for Starter, followed by Ricotta Gnocchi (Hazelnut Romesco/ Leeks + Shiitake Mushrooms/ Cream/ Parsley/ Fresh Ricotta). Service was extraordinarily attentive, and Portions beyond 'adequate', not to mention the inventiveness of each item on the Menu. OK: so, we happened to be there at Yale students' "Spring Fling" day and New Haven, and ZINC, was a wee bit noisy . . . Being a handicapped person, the walk from the Omni Hotel was long; however Michael, the General Manager, guided our departure thru a "shortcut" to the thru-block pedestrian landscaped walkway which includes "Zinc Kitchen", with outdoor dining. read more

ZINC - Fantastic Gnocchi - New American Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Zinc is a consistent, more 'upscale' dining experience in New Haven. It's style can be described as 'new American' or farm to table, as it strives to source it's ingredients as locally as possible. What results is pretty classic, timeless dishes that are sure to satisfy any palate. Just ask my foodie family, who I brought here on graduation. I had initially booked Briq (yes, I was one of those slackers who waited until February to make a graduation reservation and all of my top choices were booked solid), but after a subpar dining experience there, I knew I had to regroup. Thank god Zinc was still available, and when we got there, I realized why. They had a $50 or $60 prix fixe for graduation. But the waiters were super nice about the fact that we didn't know and let us split between couples, given that it was only 5 pm and we were still full from graduation festivities. For starters, I'd recommend the duck nachos, peppadew poppers. I've had the shrimp on polenta and as a southerner, it doesn't pass the test. They also have special apps and main courses to select from. In terms of entrees, their fish is always perfectly cooked. The duck is okay - a little fatty in the skin and could be rendered longer. Their sea scallops are always good too. Oh, and make sure you save room for dessert! Zincs desserts are always delicious and not overpowering. Every dessert here I've had is good, from chocolate mousse to lemon meringue. Also, be on the lookout for restaurant week and their special chefs tables events. They're always an incredible deal for multiple courses and wine pairings. I recently did their local honey event and it was amazing (see my pics). The honey infused cocktails were amazing, as were all of the dishes, including a cured salmon and honeyed beets. read more

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1.) Just to warm you up: Came here with Yelper extraordinaire Eric H. He seems to know the good spots so I drunkenly followed him after a happy hour spot to this wonderful place known as ZINC. 2.) What your eyes may see: Upscale. You'd be comfortable wearing a suit blazer and dress shoes. 3.) Food: I had the pork shumai steamed dumplings, Saigon Style Braised Beef wrap, smoked duck breast nachos and fried wonton skins with chipotle aioli. I shared amongst the group fried brussel sprouts with truffle oil, then had am angus burger with fries. Every thing was friggin' great! Flavors were so yummy and fresh, juicy and mouth watering. 4.) Service: Our bartender was friggin' awesome! Such a good guy! Management was pretty awesome too, taking time to talk to me about the food at Zinc. Eric even snuck in a birthday cake to celebrate for my friend and me. 5.) Impressions: Take a date here. ;) read more

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