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The Whelk, Westport, CT

The Whelk

4.7 (289)
$31 to $50
Seafood
575 Riverside Ave, Westport, CT 06880-5934

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 22 times today

About this restaurant

  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Lively
  • Great for happy hour
The Whelk is a seafood and oyster bar located on the Saugatuck River. We offer a locally sourced and meticulously crafted menu Tuesday through Saturday. Hope to see you there!

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, American, Oyster Bar
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:30 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm Sun 11:30 am–3:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Cash not accepted, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Zach Hinman
  • Neighborhood
    Westport
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Westport Train Station Metro North
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 289 people are saying

The Whelk reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Connecticut

    Seafood

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Whelk in Westport is a local favorite, renowned for "consistently good food and great service." The menu is praised for its "delicious and inventive" seafood options, including standout oysters and crudos. Diners appreciate the "beautiful ambiance" and the innovative cocktails crafted by knowledgeable bartenders. A must-visit for seafood enthusiasts!
289 Reviews
  1. Stephanie VIP

    New York City2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I love this spot! Consistently good food and great service. Nice ambience

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  2. Donna VIP

    New York City29 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 21, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    I usually like the whelk. I was disappointed in the food this time.I ordered the lobster orchiaetta. Lobster was not at all fresh, and very chewy; like it was over cooked. I didn’t care for the sauce much either. Our appetizer of smoked trout dip came with old-fashioned white bread. That was a big turn off and I would never eat white bread. We had to order a side of raw vegetables which cost extra.

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  3. Chrissey

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The Whelk continues to be a delight. New menu items are even better than before, even the home made brine for dirty martinis is incredible. Innovation at its highest to date, I’m making a weekly reservation because it’s just that good.

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  4. andrea VIP

    New York City3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of Westport's best. The food keeps getting even better. One of our families favorites.

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  5. Lucas

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always fantastic food and beautiful inside and outside.

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  6. jackie VIP

    New York City51 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service was excellent. Food and wine terrific. Beautiful evening to share with friends

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  7. Lizzie

    New York City5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I've always loved The Whelk, so was happy to see it was now offering brunch. Really interesting, creative menu and everything we ordered was delicious - fresh, perfectly cooked and presented. Highly recommend!

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  8. Matt VIP

    New York City24 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always delicious and inventive food. Great preparations and fresh ingredients. Seafood, Oysters and Crudos are the thing - but there are plenty of options for those who don't want seafood, Underrated great wine list too.

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  9. David

    New York City2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The fries are always outstanding. The new items of hamachi crudo and the trio crudo are a wonderful addition. Maybe the should have a different sauce for each item. The oysters and clams are always outstanding. The seafood broth was excellent, but could have used a little less heat. Try espellette peppers. The bread slice was too large. A diagonal slice of a buttered toasted baguette would have been better. We had the Sancerre, but a Chablis would be have nice if it was on the menu.

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  10. Kathy VIP

    New York City29 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on May 16, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    For me this would be a 3.7 if that were possible. I didn’t love this restaurant. The food was decent and the atmosphere was nice, clean and simple. We started with calamari and deviled eggs. The calamari was cooked well, crunchy coating, maybe cornmeal, and the sauce was delicious, slight heat and tang. The deviled eggs were fine, don’t typically order these out, but fried oyster peaked our curiosity. The oyster was delicious, again I think cornmeal crust and plump and juicy but I would have been happy with just the oysters. Having said that the egg was good, creamy green goddess filling but for me there is nothing special about a deviled egg. Seafood stew was our best bite. Very light broth that didn’t overpower the fish and the fregula added some bulk to the dish. Also had fish sticks. Not on the online menu but it sounded like a fun thing to try. This dish was a little disappointing. The fish was battered and deep fried and there was probably a 2 to 1 ratio of batter to fish. The fish was tender and tasty but you needed to peel off some batter to be able to taste the fish. It came with no dipping sauce but I saw it served a few tables down and they had two sauces. Did they ask for it or did they forget to give it to me, I was at the end of my meal when I saw it so didn’t ask. The coleslaw that came with it was very overdressed to the point of not being enjoyable to eat. Again the other table I saw with this meal had coleslaw that looked white and not nearly as saucy as mine. The bib salad was beautiful but unfortunately I ordered it on a whim and didn’t read the menu closely. I don’t care for truffle oil and this salad had truffle honey so it wasn’t for me. I have never had dubai cake before but i didn’t like it. It was very dry and the only pistachio I tasted were a few nuts on the plate. We knew the whoopi pie would be a modern interpretation and it was. Beautifully presented and the cake was moist and I think soaked in olive oil.

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FAQs

The Whelk offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (203) 557-0902.

The Whelk is rated 4.7 stars by 289 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Connecticut
  4. Fairfield
  5. Westport

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 22 times today
Google Map for The Whelk

575 Riverside Ave, Westport, CT 06880-5934

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Westport
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:30 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm Sun 11:30 am–3:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, American, Oyster Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Westport Train Station Metro North
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Cash not accepted, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Zach Hinman
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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