Harbor Lights Restaurant - East Norwalk, CT

Harbor Lights

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Address:
82 Seaview Avenue
East Norwalk, CT 06855

Neighborhood:
Norwalk

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Cuisine:
Seafood

Price: $30 and under

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Harbor Lights Details

Dining Style: Casual Elegant
Website: http://www.HarborLightsRestaurant-CT.Com
Email: Rwmios1@aol.com
Phone: (203) 866-3364
Hours of Operation: Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:45am - 3:00pm, Saturday - Sunday: 11:45am - 5:00pm; Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 9pm, Friday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm; Brunch: Sunday: 11:45am - 3:00pm
Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Seafood, Mediterranean
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Beer, Full Bar, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Catering: We offer on site catering of up to 150 people.
Private Party Facilities: Maximum of 70 seated guests in a beautiful room with panoramic waterfront views of the Norwalk Harbor and the Norwalk skyline.
Private Party Contact: Chris (203) 866-3364

Getting there

Cross Street: East Avenue
Public Transit: 10 minute walk from East Norwalk train station
Parking: Private Lot

A word from Harbor Lights

Harbor Lights is the premier seafood house located in East Norwalk, CT. Located on the Norwalk Harbor, it offers well-prepared, attractively presented and sophisticated fare. Open year round, the glassed-in terrace allows for a comfortably heated dining experience in the winter without losing the… outside dining experience in the summer. Continued

Foodspotting photos

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Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerSeafood
Diners' Choice WinnerScenic View

Diner Reviews

"My wife and I went to Harbor Lights for our Valentine’s Day dinner. It was a fixed price menu with excellent selections. We sat at a table for two, which had enough table space, along a window overlooking the water. The waiter was attentive and knowledgeable regarding the menu selections and wine. Actually it was all frozen and no boats. But it would be even better in the spring and summer. We had a really enjoyable time. Will definitely go back with friends."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"Harbor Lights was decorated beautifully for Valentine's Day and they had a special prix fixe menu with excellent food."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"Harbor Lights has always been one of my favorite restaurants ... but not this night. Seems they were having a private party on a Saturday night. Felt like our dinner was an afterthought and all the focus of the wait staff was on those guests. This was a special birthday celebration and it just didn't feel special. Food was also not to usual standard but that could be because of the big party."
Dined on 1/25/2014
"We enjoyed an excellent dinner at Harbor Lights on New Year's Eve with close friends. We were looking for something nice, but not noisy or boisterous. The wait staff are all friendly, helpful and efficient and the price fix menu was just right. Three members had the Chilean sea bass and I had the NY strip steak - all excellent choices. We each ordered a glass of house wine, which was just right and at a reasonable price. We look forward to summer evening dinners overlooking the harbor - one of our favorite spots! We've recommended Harbor Lights to others and we generally run into people we know when at the restaurant."
Dined on 12/31/2013
"They only had a special menu, Prefixe. The food was delicious! I was really looking forward to little necks clams but could not order them. Service was mediocre. Waited for drink refill. Maybe give it another try"
Dined on 12/31/2013
"All that one would want for a fine night out. Great aby occasion or special occasion restaurant. Great location. Plenty of parking."
Dined on 12/31/2013
"I've been to Harbor Lights before and thought it was very good, but this NYE was a disappointment. I didn't realize it would be a pre fixe menu, which was fine--there was enough of a selection. The place was packed and the waiter immediately apologized in advance for the delays we would encounter--he wasn't kidding! My corn chowder came out of the kitchen warm at best. By the time my surf & turf order went in, they were out of filet mignon so I got a thin strip steak cut in half. My lobster tail was overcooked, charred and rubbery. The side of "potato" on my husband's plate looked and tasted like it came out of a cafeteria. For the price we paid and the time we waited, I was extremely disappointed."
Dined on 12/31/2013
"My girlfriend and I wanted to go someplace pleasant, comfortable, good food and have a nice experience. Harbor Lights was the place, and we thoroughly enjoyed every moment. The food was delicious and creative, although I would rate the service as average; but to be fair the restaurant was packed and everyone was hustling."
Dined on 12/31/2013
"I have hosted a holiday event here for years, and it never fails to impress. This a 'go to' venue for a romantic dining experience or an important business lunch."
Dined on 12/19/2013
"The food was terrific, our waitress was very pleasant, and attentive, the scenery was stunning with the beautiful lights on the harbor, but the noise level was a little too high. There is no place for the sound to be absorbed as the floors are wood, the ceilings are wood and the walls are windows."
Dined on 12/24/2013
"First time. I'd driven by many times and said I want to go one day. A friend wanted to take me to a pre-Christmas dinner so i thought it was a good time to "try" Harbor Lights. We had a mussels appetizer that was very good. Bread was good but would have been nice "warm". Salad was very disappointing. We ordered a Greek Salad. It only consisted of sliced cukes, diced tomato, a little feta and red onion. There was 'no lettuce'. It was very very small. I should have returned it to the waiter and have it taken off our bill but I did not. The best part of the dinner was one of their 'specials'. I had hoped that "sea bass" would have been on their menu. It was not. But it was a special with crusted potatoe topping - it was excellent."
Dined on 12/20/2013
"I really loved Harbor Lights. There is a small take away place that's right beside it. I had often stopped there for a quick bite and wondered what Harbor Lights was like. They also have a TV commercial that was great. I am so glad I finally went! The food was great, the service was wonderful and the view, even at night, was awesome! I'd highly recommend this restaurant."
Dined on 12/16/2013
"Six of us met at Harbor Lights after a Norwalk Concert Hall event and loved it. A great location, the service was attentive and professional, staff were all very accomodating as we had to come in later than planned because the concert ran overtime. We could talk and hear one another - overall a really wonderful dining experience. The menu selections could use a bit more variety but the food was good and attractively served."
Dined on 12/7/2013
"traffic.. we were doing about 5MPH, so decided on sea food, checked open table and found a gem. Perfect Oysters and grilled Octupus, was the start for a nice dinner. Food was great, service, not on your face but attentive. We decided we will make it a required stop going/coming back from Boston now. If you are near, driving by, won't be disappointing to make a stop."
Dined on 12/1/2013
"Very nice upscale restaurant with great service, good food, and nice atmosphere overlooking the water. Would recommend especially for special occasions."
Dined on 11/9/2013
"My colleague and I dined here recently and we found our meal to be excellent and the service wonderful. A nice experience."
Dined on 11/11/2013
"With windows on three sides, the views over the harbor are spectacular and make it a special occasion place. The menu has the usual assortment of main courses for a seaside restaurant with several of them done in more imaginative ways than generally found. There was also an ample selection of meat dishes that were prepared with a delicious variation. We highly recommend eating there."
Dined on 10/27/2013
"Great view and service was terrific Food was great and experience was perfect"
Dined on 10/22/2013
"Our food was drenched in oil. If we weren't so hungry,we wouldn't have eaten it! Not going back, even if it does have a nice view."
Dined on 10/20/2013
"We would not return. It was hyped beyond what it really is."
Dined on 10/13/2013
"I took my friend for her birthday lunch. Caesar welcomed us when we walked in, seated us at a table overlooking the river, and waited on us. The food was delicious, beautifully presented, and Caesar and his colleague sang happy birthday to my friend while delivering the desert masterpieces, which we savored slowly and happily. No one rushed us while we ate and talked. I look forward to trying Harbor Lights for dinner!"
Dined on 10/10/2013
"Very Noisy, the view, even at nigh,t was nice. but not the place for a couple just trying to get out and relax. We eat and left. could hear each other from across the table."
Dined on 10/13/2013
"great ambiance. One of my wifes favorite places to eat"
Dined on 9/21/2013
"Drove up from NYC to meet a friend here and had an absolutely superb experience. I was a little early, so waited at the restaurant bar, lively with a nice group of local regulars catching up with the staff. When my friend arrived, we moved to a table and had amazing service and delicious food. I had the lobster risotto and it was full of lobster meet in a creamy delicious risotto = amazing. My friend had the stuffed shrimp with veggie risotto, which looked so good, and she said it was phenomenal. We both enjoyed our dishes so much we didn't even offer to share for tastings. The ambiance overlooking the water would be very romantic for a date, but also had a "We are on a mini vacay!" feel for two girlfriends catching up. Highly recommend!"
Dined on 9/28/2013
"This is my third time at Harbor Lights this year and it did not disappoint. The swordfish was excellent, as was the beet salad and the wine. The atmosphere is great overlooking the harbor. This is an underestimated gem and I shall return."
Dined on 9/17/2013
"This was our favorite restaurant 10 years ago, before they enclosed the deck. After some really bad meals there, we stopped going to Harbor Lights because the service was terrible and the menu never changed. We just went back this weekend and guess what? The service was terrible and the menu HASN'T CHANGED. The menu is boring; meat or fish with starch & vegetable and we waited 30 minutes for a table because we didn't want to sit inside near the bar. (You could hear a pin drop 'inside', they didn't even have music on.) Out on the enclosed porch is the complete opposite, the noise bounced off the high ceilings. Their wine list needs a makeover, too; the two bottles we considered were $56 and $84. They need to have less expensive options."
Dined on 9/15/2013
"First: we made a reservation. While it was not crowded they had reserved a nice table by the window. Second: the waiter was knowledgeable and friendly but not beyond the bounds of server/client. Third: there were different items on the menu. I have never seen grilled octopus in the U.S. Forth: the wine was reasonably priced. Fifth: the desert was excellent."
Dined on 9/7/2013
"So often, restaurants that offer a lovely view have lousy food! Harbor Lights manages to have both an excellent view----and good food and service. Enjoy!"
Dined on 9/11/2013
"We had the WORST waitress. It took her 15 mins to get to our table because she was busy with a fellow employee.She laid the menus on the table and walked off. I had to call her back to get drink order and had to repeat the order twice to her. We ordered a bottle of Malbec wine with dinner. When she returned to the table she had a wine bucket filled with ice. I told her red wine did not belong in ice. She put the unopened bottle of wine on the table with no opener and left. I got up and asked to have a word with the manager outside. He explained she was a friend of the owner and in training. I asked where was the trainer? It was a busy weekend because of the Oyster festival and this young lady was clueless to anyone and anything but herself."
Dined on 9/8/2013
"Our party of four enjoyed the relaxed ambience of Harbor Lights restaurant. We were warmly welcomed, the service was excellent, and the food was delicious. The sole florentine was raved about by the person who ordered it, the crab cakes were excellent, as was the creamy risotto with vegetables; even the bread was good. We will definitely be returning to Harbor Lights."
Dined on 9/3/2013
"The chef was very creative and responsive to the problem of food allergies. The presentation unique and the taste wonderfully delicious. We would recommend for any occasion."
Dined on 9/2/2013
"My husband and I had reservations for 7pm. We were a little early but that wasn't a problem. Awfully glad we had reservations as the restaurant was packed! Our waiter was excellent. He came back several times to pour wine for us, he was very attentive and polite. The food, was amazing!! Probably the best striper bass I've had in New England. Everything was perfect. My husband had a pasta entree with lobster, swordfish, shrimp and mussels, again it was wonderful and he had a hard time finishing it all. I would definitely recommend this restaurant! And I hope to be back the next time I am in Conn. Well done!!"
Dined on 9/1/2013
"Perhaps too expensive for the quality of the food. Great location where good food could make this special and more in demand."
Dined on 9/1/2013
"Looking for a dining experience to create a special .memory...Harbor Lights is your place. The atmosphere is great and the staff attentive without being intrusive. The view is amazing as the sun begins to set. The food is delightful and well portioned. The only draw back was the closeness of the tables. The conversation from the table next to ours was a bit distracting. Good thing I had great company to overcome that slight."
Dined on 8/28/2013
"This is one of our favorite restaurants. We dine here about 6 times a year from late spring through mid fall. When the windows are open, it is fantastic - like dining right on the water. The food is excellent from the menu items to the specials. If you are seeking a nice romantic place, this is it."
Dined on 8/24/2013
"We went with friends on a Saturday night. They asked us to wait 10 minutes so they could seat us by the window, which was lovely. Beautiful view, summer breeze. The food was very good, although I thought it was a little salty (but I often think that, so you can disregard that comment). I ordered two specials, and they were both HUGE. I wish the waitress had warned me. I asked if the jambalaya was spicy and she said no -- but it was. I switched with my sweet husband, and finished his miso fish, which was so yummy. My only real complaint was the wait staff. It took a really long time for anything to happen beyond bread and water. It was as though we were in a different room and the waitress kept forgetting us..."
Dined on 8/25/2013
"Harbor Lights is a wonderful restaurant for many reasons. The food, the scenic view of LI Sound and , the service are great! I have never been disappointed when I patronized this "landmark"."
Dined on 8/23/2013
"Go for the ambiance, certainly not the food. It's been the same tired menu with the same lousy food dressed up to look better than it is for many years. On the other hand, you can't beat the room with a view. So if you are willing to tolerate boring fare, overpriced, to enjoy your friends in a nice setting, then this is the place to go in Norwalk, at least until someone else realizes that a high quality seafood restaurant is sorely needed in this part of Fairfield County."
Dined on 8/23/2013
"My husband and I went to Harbor Lights to celebrate our anniversary. We wanted waterfront dining and great food and we got it! The food, especially the stuffed jumbo shrimp, was awesome and the service was very attentive. We got a table for two right by open picture windows that looked out onto the harbor. We watched the sunset and enjoyed a light breeze during our meal. A fabulous experience overall!"
Dined on 8/21/2013
"Dining room has wraparound crank-out windows that open onto the harbor water - great spot to sit next to window or inside dining room with views. Staff is welcoming and responsive. Primarily seafood menu, our 6 entree choices from stuffed shrimp to steak were attractively served and delicious. Creative. Especially good spot for romantic dinner for two by the window at sunset. :)"
Dined on 8/17/2013

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