Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
Old Lyme Inn, Old Lyme, CT

Old Lyme Inn

4.5 (710)
$31 to $50
American
85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT 06371

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 3 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for live music
The Old Lyme Inn’s restaurant and bar offers guests contemporary New England Fare in a casual yet elegant atmosphere. Our chef embraces the changing seasons and bounty of the Connecticut River Valley to offer creative menus.
Since its opening in April 2012, the restaurant has quickly become a celebrated meeting place for visitors and locals alike. The inn boasts three different dining rooms, a grand eight seat bar and a fireplace adorned library. The Side Door Jazz Club offers shows every Friday and Saturday night and has been recognized by 'Down Beat' magazine as one of the best jazz venues in the world.
Whether you're joining us for our famous "Jazzy" brunch, cozying up with a friend at our afternoon tea or enjoying an elegant dinner before a show at the Side Door; we can't wait to exceed your expectations.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Pub, Contemporary American
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sun 9:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch Fri, Sat 11:30 am–2:00 pm Dinner Thu 5:00 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–8:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Sichanh Patana
  • Private party facilities
    The Peterson room is the ideal size for an intimate party for 18 guests. Our more formal, larger main dining room will accommodate up to 70 guests.During good weather our patio has served as a wonderful pre-dinner cocktail site.
  • Neighborhood
    Old Lyme
  • Cross street
    Boston Post Rd.
  • Parking details
    Large open parking lot on property.
  • Entertainment
    Live entertainment on selected evenings in the lobby or when whether permitting our patio.Visit theSideDoor, a premier jazz club featuring world renowned jazz artist as well has local jazz artists. Selected by Connecticut Magazine for 2014 as Best Live Jazz in Connecticut. Please visit our website for upcoming shows.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, High Tea, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • 'Wizard of Oz' Afternoon Tea

    $45.00 per person

    Jun 7, 2025 - Jun 28, 2025
    Lion's and Tigers and Bears, OH MY! Follow the yellow brick road to the Inn for 'Wizard of Oz' Tea. We will be steeping Harney & Son's Teas accompanied by Ruby Red Strawberry Macarons, Glinda's Pink Sugar Cupcakes, Lemon-Poppy Scones, Wicked Witch Key Lime Pie Bites and Over the Rainbow Italian Wedding Cookies. Savory Sandwiches include Haunted Forest Roast Beef, Goat Cheese/Avocado & Spinach OZ crostini, Auntie Em's Egg Salad & Glinda's Strawberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels. Tea attire is encouraged and costumes are celebrated! This is a family friendly event and 'little tornadoes' will have their own special menu.
    'Wizard of Oz' Afternoon Tea Photo
  • Midsummer Afternoon Tea

    $45.00 per person

    Jul 5, 2025 - Jul 26, 2025
    Our July tea highlights the bounty of summer in New England. Imagine sandwiches that could be packed in a picnic basket...caprese crostini, lemon-cucumber, and Thai Chicken Salad. Desserts will include mini cherry pies, s'mores macarons, olive oil tea cakes and lemon-blueberry scones. We'll be featuring Harney & Sons 'Blood Orange' Iced Tea to beat the heat, along with Paris and White Earl Grey served hot. Cool down and relax every Saturday with reservations taken between 11:30am-2:00pm.
    Midsummer Afternoon Tea Photo

Ask Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

What 710 people are saying

Old Lyme Inn 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

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • New London

    Best Food

  • New London

    Best Service

  • New London

    Best Ambiance

  • New London

    Great for brunch

  • New London

    Hot spot

  • New London

    Romantic

  • New London

    American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Old Lyme Inn offers a charming and historic dining experience with "excellent food" and "superb" service. The Jazzy Brunch is particularly memorable, featuring "amazing" live jazz. Afternoon tea receives high praise for its "delicious" offerings and attentive staff. It's a "lovely place" perfect for special occasions.
710 Reviews
  1. Shari

    New York City4 reviews

    1.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    The food was terrible our table of 6 had various items, all were sub par. In the end because one dish came out wrong a cheeseburger was sent out and while it was late, it"s the only food that was decent

    Is this helpful?

  2. Christine VIP

    Greater Boston12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Perfect Father's Day Jazz Brunch! Nice corner table and wonderful Jazz Ensemble! Food and drinks were delicious and our server was very personable and engaging!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Glen

    Baltimore / Maryland4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 13, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food, if small portions. Even better drinks. We had to remind server about our drink order, but besides that, the service was excellent. We took initial drinks at the bar which was very comfortable and featured a friendly bar tender. We sat inside at a window table. It was perfect for our evening.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Sydney

    New York City6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 7, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    My husband and I have found the inn to be delightful in the past. Last night’s dining experience was a disappointment. The service was incredibly slow. They were understaffed and apparently there was a big party in one of the rooms. Our reservation was for 630 and we did not get our meal till about 8 or 8:30. They did comp us a glass of wine, which was very thoughtful, but that really did not make up for the fact that the service was very, very slow. In addition, there is an automatic charge of 20% for a tip. Tip means “to ensure promptness”, which certainly wasn’t the case last night.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Kendra

    New York City5 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on June 6, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    I love the classic Old Lyme Inn and will return. Yet we dined on a Friday evening in the bar area. There were not enough diners to open the dinning room. The classic burger $24 had four pieces of burnt to a crisp thick bacon 🥓 and very ordinary cheese. Waitress spilled ketchup on my white clothes. Oops
    Old Lyme InnResponded on June 10, 2025
    Hello Kendra, Thank you for your review. I want to clarify that a couple of things. Our dining room is never open for regular dining. It is reserved for special events and our Saturday teas. Friday nights can be quiet, you just never know. I spoke with Lexi your server and she told me that you did not bring the bacon to her attention. We would have done our best to correct. Ordinary cheese? Should have been gouda. As for the ketchup incident, Lexi jumped into action and did her best to remove the ketchup form your husband's clothes. She was so sorry this accident happened. I hope you will give us another shot at regaining some stars. Our patio opens this Thursday with live music from 5:30-7:30 .

    Is this helpful?

  6. Susan

    Greater Boston4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is the third time we attended the "Jazzy Brunch". The food is consistently of high quality and the music is great. Our server, Skylar was outstanding. She was responsive, courteous, professional and thoroughly delightful. Thank you

    Is this helpful?

  7. Viktoryia VIP

    Washington, D.C. Area23 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had read quite a few negative reviews about dining at the Old Lyme Inn, but I’m happy to say my experience was the complete opposite! The service was impeccable—polite, friendly, and attentive. The food? Absolutely delicious. But what truly stole the show was the Jazzy Brunch. It was hands down the most amazing thing that happened to me in Connecticut! The band was phenomenal and created the perfect vibe. Thank you for such a memorable experience!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Clare

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The hamburger was absolutely outstanding, the pumpkin gnocchi were superb and the cocktails were unusually forceful. The dining room was perfectly fine, not exactly sexy or interesting, but after three of those drinks, nobody cared.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Martha

    Los Angeles6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Pricy but worth it for a special occasion. Food is excellent!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Laura

    Wisconsin1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food served well in a quaint atmosphere!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Old Lyme Inn is rated 4.5 stars by 710 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. New London
  5. Old Lyme

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 3 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Old Lyme Inn

85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT 06371

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Boston Post Rd.
  • Neighborhood
    Old Lyme
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sun 9:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch Fri, Sat 11:30 am–2:00 pm Dinner Thu 5:00 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–8:30 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Pub, Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Large open parking lot on property.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Sichanh Patana
  • Entertainment
    Live entertainment on selected evenings in the lobby or when whether permitting our patio.Visit theSideDoor, a premier jazz club featuring world renowned jazz artist as well has local jazz artists. Selected by Connecticut Magazine for 2014 as Best Live Jazz in Connecticut. Please visit our website for upcoming shows.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, High Tea, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    The Peterson room is the ideal size for an intimate party for 18 guests. Our more formal, larger main dining room will accommodate up to 70 guests.During good weather our patio has served as a wonderful pre-dinner cocktail site.
OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
  • Press
More
Businesses
  • Restaurant Management Solutions
  • Restaurant Reservation Software
  • Restaurant Marketing Software
  • Restaurant Event Software
  • OpenTable For Restaurants
  • OpenTable For Restaurant Groups
  • Restaurant Resources
  • OpenTable Pricing & Plans
Join us on
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2025 OpenTable, Inc. 1 Montgomery St Ste 500, San Francisco CA 94104 - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo