Even though Hartford, Connecticut isn’t very big, it has a lot of great food. Some of the best places to eat in Connecticut can be found in Hartford, which is known for its delicious New England food. There is a restaurant for every taste and price, from fancy fine dining to cozy little spots serving comfort food that will make your mouth water.
13 Best Restaurants in Hartford, Connecticut
1. Zohara Mediterranean Kitchen
Type of Cuisine: Mediterranean
Standout Dishes: Falafel, Moroccan Chicken
At Zohara Mediterranean Kitchen, authentic Mediterranean food shines. The crispy falafel and tender Moroccan chicken with couscous are two of the best meals. You can eat your way through the tastes of Greece, Lebanon, Morocco, and Egypt on their menu. Starters like hummus, baba ghanoush, and shakshuka are sure to please.
2. Salute
Type of Cuisine: Italian
Standout Dishes: Hazelnut Gnocchi, Tiramisu
Salute is a stylish and warm place to eat Italian food in downtown Hartford for a more upscale experience. Pastas made in-house, like hazelnut gnocchi in a brown sage butter sauce, are delicious. Wood-fired pizzas, pan-seared scallops, and veal osso buco are also great options. Save room for their dessert, which looks like a picture. Salute also has a long list of Italian wines.
3. Agave Grill
Type of Cuisine: Mexican
Standout Dishes: Jalisco Tacos, Skirt Steak Fajitas
When you walk into Agave Grill, the bright tiles, fun decorations, and lively atmosphere make you feel like you’ve taken a quick trip to Mexico. From enchiladas and tacos to chimichangas and flautas, they serve all of your favorite Mexican dishes made the right way. Their spit-roasted pork in Jalisco tacos and fajitas filled to the brim with grilled steak and veggies make for fun and tasty meals.
4. Bin 228 Wine Bar
Type of Cuisine: Wine Bar
Standout Dishes: Cheese Board, Panini Sandwiches
Bin 228 in downtown Hartford has a long wine list, artisanal cheese boards, and small plates that are great for sharing. It’s a more relaxed but still fancy place to eat and drink. Also on the menu are unique panini sandwiches, cheese plates, and flatbreads for when you’re hungry for something heartier. The cozy, homey style of Bin 228 and the helpful staff make it a popular spot in the neighborhood.
5. Vaughan’s Public House
Type of Cuisine: Irish Pub Grub
Standout Dishes: Fish and Chips, Shepherd’s Pie
Get a real taste of Ireland without leaving Hartford at Vaughan’s Public House. This popular Irish pub and restaurant imports ingredients directly from Ireland and boasts all the comfort food classics like fish and chips, bangers and mash, cottage pie and their signature beer-battered fish tacos. Of course, you can enjoy it all while sipping on the perfect pint of Guinness. The atmosphere here is always buzzing, especially on weekends, when live Irish bands play.
6. ON20
Type of Cuisine: French-American Fusion
Standout Dishes: Tuna Tartare, Duck Risotto
Head to ON20 on the 20th floor penthouse of the Hartford Steam Boiler building for a truly memorable eating experience with views that can’t be beat. While you eat, you can enjoy creative takes on French-American dishes like duck rice and tuna tartare while taking in stunning views of the city skyline from floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s the ideal place for a special meal to celebrate in Hartford.
7. Trumbull Kitchen
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Type of Cuisine: Farm-to-Table New American
Standout Dishes: Crispy Chicken Thigh, Mac and Cheese
Since it opened in 2009, Trumbull Kitchen has quickly become a favorite place for delicious farm-to-table food. It specializes in serving New American comfort food made with locally found ingredients. People really like their five cheese mac and cheese with sautéed onions and their crispy chicken thighs. Their menu is always changing, and they have a lot of gluten-free and vegetarian choices as well.
8. Oyster Club
Type of Cuisine: Seafood
Standout Dishes: Lobster Roll, Oyster Sampler
People from Hartford go to the simple Oyster Club near the water for incredibly fresh seafood. At the raw bar, you can get mixed oyster sampler plates and lobster rolls that are packed full of sweet meat. Fish dishes like pan-roasted Atlantic cod and diver scallops make the best use of the day’s catch. You can enjoy your meal and watch the game at their stacked raw bar bar area.
9. Carbone’s Ristorante
Type of Cuisine: Italian
Standout Dishes: Veal Parmigiana, Cannoli
Carbone’s has been an Italian-American landmark in Hartford since 1938. It is owned by a family and is known for serving the city’s best traditional red sauce joint food, such as chicken marsala and veal parmigiana. Don’t forget to save room for dessert. Well-known for their huge cannoli that are filled with sweet ricotta and dipped in nuts and chocolate chips right there on the spot. Carbone has been around for a long time because it has an old-world feel and great food.
10. Firebox
Type of Cuisine: Farm-to-Table New American
Standout Dishes: Korean Fried Chicken, House Burger
Firebox focuses on getting its food from local farmers and food artisans, and its unique dishes show off the region’s best produce. Their sweet and hot Korean fried chicken with house pickles and goat cheese fondue burger with caramelized onions and arugula are two of the best things on the menu. Their rustic and cozy setting makes it easy to stay for lunch or dinner.
11. Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ
Type of Cuisine: Barbecue
Standout Dishes: Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork Sandwich
Bear’s Smokehouse is the best place in Hartford to get delicious barbecue. Smoked brisket that falls off the bone, ribs that are tender, and hearty pulled pork sandwiches smothered in their signature sauce will fill any barbecue craving. Potato salad, pit beans, biscuits, and chipotle slaw are some of the sides that go well with barbecue.
12. Max Downtown
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Type of Cuisine: New American
Standout Dishes: Truffle Fries, Bone-In Ribeye
Many people say that Max Downtown is one of the best places in Hartford, and it’s easy to see why once you walk in and look at the menu. Max Downtown is famous for its perfectly cooked New American food. Their truffle fries and bone-in ribeye steaks are two of their most popular meals. Their long wine list has more than 175 different kinds. Max Downtown is the place to go for good dining in a stylish and classy setting.
Conclusion
This list only shows a small part of what Hartford has to offer eaters and gourmets. The range of restaurants is amazing, from Carbone’s, which has been serving customers for over 80 years, to Firebox and Trumbull Kitchen, which are relatively new but are putting new spins on New American food with their farm-to-table approach.
In Hartford, you can eat at a variety of restaurants, from true ethnic spots like Zohara and Agave Grill to high-class restaurants with beautiful views like Max Downtown and ON20.
Some people in Hartford really do get along over food. When people get together at Bear’s Smokehouse for hearty barbecue brisket plates and craft beers or at Salute for Italian wines and homemade pastas, the city’s best restaurants feel like home away from home. Take your time discovering Hartford’s wide range of restaurants the next time you go there. Your taste buds will thank you.