Old Lyme Inn

Name: Old Lyme Inn
Address: 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, United States, 06371
Telephone: (860) 434-2600
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.5

4.5 (708)

$31 to $50

American

85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT 06371

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 9 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Charming
Romantic
Good for special occasions

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 Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–8:00 pm
Phone number
(860) 434-2600
Website
http://www.oldlymeinn.com/
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.

Location
85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT 06371
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.

What 708 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
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

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 enchants with its "impeccable service," "delicious food," and "phenomenal" Jazzy Brunch. Guests praise its "charming dining room" and delightful afternoon tea. The live jazz enhances the "magical" atmosphere, making it ideal for special occasions. Despite occasional staffing issues, the overall experience is heartfelt and memorable.

708 Reviews

S
Sydney
New York City6 reviews
3.0
Dined 7 days ago
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.
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K
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 4 days ago
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 .
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S
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
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V
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?
C
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.
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M
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?
L
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?
J
Jill
New York City3 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 10, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
My daughter and I have been to the afternoon tea at Old Lyme Inn 4 times already and each time it’s been wonderful. The owner is so welcoming, the staff are always helpful and friendly, and the food is delicious. Can’t wait to go back.
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D
Daniel
Connecticut1 review
3.0
Dined on May 3, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The servers were wonderful. However, we felt that having one server/bartender tend to the entire jazz club was overwhelming for that person. Our bartender at the Inn was our server, and also had to tend to the band - it seems for a busy Saturday night, the ownership was operating with a very small staff. The food was tasty; we ordered two appetizers and two entrees, along with decent house wine and generous pours of bourbon. I don't mind paying good $$$ for a good time, but a total of $52 in service fees that did not benefit the serving staff was something I had never seen before, and hope to never see again. All in all, I had a wonderful time with my wife, and am glad we tried this place along the CT shoreline once.
Old Lyme InnResponded on May 8, 2025
Hi Daniel, I texted you earlier today to see if we could have a conversation regarding your review. I would love the opportunity to clarify and address some of your perceptions including your misconception about the service fee. Please let me know if this would be possible. Thank you, Chris Kitchings
1 person found this helpful
A
Andrea
New York City11 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 26, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
DELICIOUS and generous portions. Charming dining room . Hospitable and efficient service. Will be back again!!
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FAQs

Old Lyme Inn is rated 4.5 stars by 708 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 9 times today

Experiences are available.

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 Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–8:00 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

Website
http://www.oldlymeinn.com/
Phone number
(860) 434-2600
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.

Old Lyme Inn

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Experiences

'Wizard of Oz' Afternoon Tea

Menu

What 708 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Old Lyme Inn restaurant rated?

Is Old Lyme Inn currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information