23 Best Restaurants in New Haven, Mystic, and the Coast, Connecticut

If you want some of the freshest lobster, crab, mussels, or clams on the half shell (there are also non-seafood options), head down to this unassuming seaside lobster shack in sleepy Noank, a few miles southwest of Mystic. Most seating is outdoors or on the dock, where the views of Noank Harbor are magnificent.

Enjoy fresh-caught New England seafood (and more) dockside at Breakwater, midway along Water Street in Stonington Borough. Dine inside or outside on the deck in warm weather; the roomy bar is a popular gathering place in winter months.

Pepe's may serve the best pizza in the world, as so many people claim. Try the justifiably famous white-clam pie (especially good topped with bacon), but just thinking about the original tomato pie (with mozzarella) makes your mouth water.

In a gorgeous Beaux Arts dining room, this lively brasserie wins high marks for its updated French cuisine. The knowledgeable staff are happy to recommend wine pairings to complement whatever dishes you select—perhaps potato-crusted halibut with fennel compote and ratatouille, a grilled beef filet with fingerling potatoes, or the plat du jour.

Right in the town center, a hop and a skip from popular Hammonasset Beach State Park, Ashley's has flavors of homemade ice cream to tempt every tastebud. The business that began in New Haven in 1979 was named for the owner's champion Frisbee-catching dog, Ashley Whippet, who's favorite flavor was chocolate banana; if you're inclined to buy a pup-size treat—and even though Ashley Whippett loved it—chocolate is not recommended for dogs!

There's no need to take a transatlantic flight to Spain when you can feast on authentic Spanish cuisine right here in New Haven. There are "large plate" entrées and salads on the menu, but the tapas are the best bet—rich, tasty, and full of flavor.

Grilled hanger steak, cioppino, and pan-roasted duck breast are among the favorites at this bistro, which specializes in New England favorites and seasonal dishes. Check out the Mood Lounge for excellent cocktails and smaller plates meant for sharing.

Don't be put off by the long line waiting to order classic fare like lobster rolls (hot or cold, small or large), steamers, fried clams, homemade clam fritters, "chowda"—plus foot-long hot dogs. This outdoor restaurant on Shaw's Cove—where you eat at picnic tables (BYOB) alongside the marina—is a great place to eat and a great place to spend time on a hot summer day.

Claire's has been a New Haven institution since 1975, and it remains a popular destination for vegetarians and vegans. The large menu offers sandwiches, quesadillas, burritos, gluten-free dishes, kosher food, salads of every sort, and breakfast items (some served all day).

Seafood is the draw at this harborside restaurant—clam chowder, oysters or clams on the half-shell, "dogwiches," fish-and-chips, bouillabaisse, roasted cod, Stonington scallops, and more. Alternatively, choose a grilled chicken sandwich, flat-iron steak, burger, or soup and salad. Sit inside or outside and enjoy the view.

Dog Watch Mystic, a sister restaurant, has a similar waterfront location and menu at 20 Old Stonington Road in nearby Mystic.

This isn't your typical hotel restaurant: Occupying half of The Study at Yale hotel lobby, this contemporary American eatery has a casually refined decor. The seasonal menu emphasizes the freshest locally sourced ingredients, with highlights like a warm local ricotta appetizer with thyme and truffle on a crostini, lamb cavatelli pasta, and Connecticut grass-fed beef burger.

At Lenny and Joe's Fish Tale, kids of all ages love to eat their lobster rolls or fried seafood served indoors or, better yet, outdoors near a hand-carved Dentzel carousel with flying horses (and a whale, frog, lion, seal, and more), which the restaurant runs from early May through August (sometimes later) and donates all proceeds to charity. Most of the menu involves fish of one kind or another, but Lenny and Joe's also serves burgers, franks, and chicken sandwiches or dinners.

This family-owned luncheonette, opened since 1895, is recognized as the birthplace of the "hamburger sandwich." Its first-rate burgers are cooked to order in an old-fashioned cast-iron grill (that dates back to 1898) and served with a slice of cheese, tomato, and onion (the only accepted garnishes) on two pieces of white toast. Add potato salad or chips and a slice of pie, and you're all set!

The local go-to place for authentic, old-fashioned, New England-style ice cream, Michael's Dairy has been a fixture on the campus of Mitchell College since 1943. The 39 flavors (plus sherbet, sorbet, frozen yogurt) range from old favorites like butter crunch, orange pineapple, and black raspberry to more modern flavors like salted caramel chocolate pretzel, campfire s'mores, and birthday cake.

We love frozen pudding ice cream, found only in New England!

It's not what Modern Apizza has that sets it apart from the rest but what its signature pie doesn't have: toppings. The pizzeria's "plain" pie is a thin crust with a layer of tomato sauce and just a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. If you want "mootz" (mozzarella in New Haven–speak) or any other toppings, then you have to ask. But why mess with a classic? Modern Apizza has been serving its "plain" pies since 1934, and business is still booming.

Sit inside or outside at this classic ice-cream parlor, right next to the Mystic River Drawbridge, and enjoy homemade ice cream and other soda fountain favorites—maybe a New York egg cream or an ice cream shake. This ice cream has half the air whipped into it compared to other "homemade" and mass-produced products, making it richer, creamier, and more flavorful.

This place has been a rival of Frank Pepe's since 1938, when Salvatore Consiglio, Pepe's nephew, decided to break away from his relatives and open his own place. The result of this family feud is two competing pizzerias and a divided city: those who believe Frank Pepe's serves the best pizza and those who are devoted to Sally's.

Stop in to try one of dozens of cupcake flavors or one of the special flavors featured each month—or you may like a cookie or a whole cake. With flavors like cannoli, cookie dough, and Boston Cream cupcakes, you're bound to find one (or more) to fuel your sugar high.

In this tiny (13-seat) restaurant, the chef applies French techniques to both modern cuisine and old favorites. You might start with Niantic Bay oysters or Essex (New England) clam chowder, followed by steamed local halibut, chicken à la Normande, or steak frites; at the 6-seat Chef's Tasting Bar, guests opt for the five-course ($85) or seven-course ($105) tasting menu.

In a sexy, dimly lighted storefront space looking toward the New Haven Town Green, ZINC turns heads with its artfully prepared and globally inspired farm-to-table cooking. Menu items include typical American standbys (NY strip steak, grilled yellowfin tuna, pork chop) modernized by adding an Asian influence (in dishes like Saigon lettuce wraps and steamed pork dumplings).