Very friendly atmosphere combined with interesting and beautiful food and drink. We really appreciated that the cook came by our table not once but twice.

They had run out of coffee; so, that was not available. My food arrived at a temperate heat level and, although it was a crab dish, I was unable to discern any crab in the serving.

First time there - will return many times. Go for the tasting menu - so good!!

everything was wonderful. will definitely visit again.

Great food and great service, always look forward to my dinning experience at the Essex.

We started at Los Charros for a margarita and taco appetizer and then went to The Essex for the chef's tasting menu to celebrate my birthday. The food at both places was absolutely legendary. Colt, the chef, makes incredible pairings. I especially loved the eggplant "bolognese" with a scallop on top. But our absolute favorite was the short rib- it had crunchy rye breadcrumbs on top and it was perfect to balance the richness and smoothness of the sauce. I would come back every week if I could. For now we'll stick to once a month to keep it special! I am recommending The Essex to anyone and everyone- you'll have an unforgettable meal and love the ambience!

Everything was excellent.The way it was very knowledgeable. And the portions were very good.

Lovely dinner outdoors on the beautiful enclosed patio. The food was exceptional and the service was impeccable! In this time of uncertainty our experience was delightful.

Perfect night out . They practice wonderful social distancing while serving unique delectable creative menu. Beautiful combinations of flavors presented in an artful way. Best restaurant around. Fit for foodies. Owner/ Chef cares about your enjoyment and comes around to make sure you are pleased. Part of the wonderful charm. Happy to support such a creative chef during these pandemic times. Go and treat yourself.

My wife and I love The Essex. She had oysters and the lobster risotto and couldn’t stop raving. I had filet mignon. It was excellent. Although The Essex isn’t a steakhouse, this steak was as good as anything I’ve eaten in the best steakhouses. As always, the service and ambience were great.

We had a wonderful dinner at the Essex, as always! We sat outside on the patio next to the space heater and were perfectly comfortable in a sweater & boots. The scallops tasted like candy, the lobster risotto was rich and decadent, and the cantaloupe gazpacho was so creative and tasty! We loved all of it!

I forgot how good this restaurant is as we had only been there once before this occasion!! There was a nip in the air so it was a bit chilly and the heater did not really put off a lot of heat and we were not prepared for outdoor seating but it was lovely nonetheless. They moved us inside before our entrées were served which made it more comfortable. We will definitely be back! Love this place!

Wow! Best meal I have had in a very long time. I had the Peaches and Cream appetizer and Beef Wellington for my main course. Both of these plates were creative and well executed. I cannot wait to go back to try something else. So good!!

Bottom line: a knockout! We’ll be back.

We had the chef’s tasting and it was incredible! Outdoor dining was pleasant and felt special. Excellent service!!

Visited twice this Summer. Incredible dishes, great wine list, top notch service.

Good first time dinner at The Essex.
Look forward to enjoying future meals with friends

The Essex is a little hidden jewel..a real sleeper! Unknown to most, the owner/chef is world renowned and has worked at many of the famous dining establishments throughout the United States. Everyone in our table for 4 raved about their appetizer and food. I started with Prince Edward oysters ..best I ever had..and as a main course ordered the lobster and shiitake mushroom with mussels, delicate vegetables all prepared in a delicious, subtle broth. An outstanding choice. Generous portions served in a beautiful ambiance. Five star restaurant.

Food was amazing! Flavor pairings excellent!

We had the Chef’s tasting mg menu—extraordinary! Service outstanding—all the staff are exceptional. They grow all their own vegetables on site. Go!

Relaxed comfortable outdoor patio. Excellent food and service. Small portions. Would go again.

This Chef is So Gifted - The layers of flavors and textures (especially the Tasting Menu!) are always exciting and easily rival the best London restaurants (lived there 18 years) along with NYC, Miami & Boston. Not too heavy or too rich. I always want to eat at The Essex when in the area. The wines & cocktails also in keeping with the level of the food. (The more casual side focusing on Mexican is also good). But the main side of the business is Easily one of the best restaurant along the CT coast. Can’t wait for our next meal there!

Absolute pleasure...food outstanding

Fantastic meal and wonderful service. As good as any NYC restaurant. A hidden gem!

The food and the service was amazing. The restaurant is on the expensive side but it was worth it. If you're able to I suggest treating yourself to a delicious meal there. I did the tasting menu and I loved every course!

Our waiter was world class

We loved the food

Cocktails were creative and fun

Super experience

The food was excellent thoroughly enjoyed the rolls--different presentation from the usual. Service was very knowledgeable & attentive (our waiter brought a complimentary proseco toast even though we didn't expressly tell him it was our anniversary). We sat indoors with distance seating and felt very comfortable. Good & somewhat unusual wine selection. A very enjoyable experience!

The food was delicious. Farm to table.
We ate outside, where the accommodations were pleasant and plenty of space between tables!
Chef Taylor is innovative and serves top notch meals!

Amazing! Every time we eat here it’s better than the last! It’s definitely a MUST try if you haven’t been.

It is hard to make a final judgement about the overall experience given the unique times we are living in. Each dish that we had was outstanding and unique, with extremely large portions Even though there were few tables in the room, the noise level was high and voices and sound carried throughout the room. Service was a challenge with a wait time for our first course of over an hour...apparantly our order was never entered...and others ordering after us had already been served.
However, given the high quality of the food preparation, we will give it another go.

Delicious food-oysters were outstanding.
Very good service too!

Another amazing dinner....fabulous cocktails...namely the Hibiscus 🌺 Punch and the Lost in Paradise. We had the $1 Mystic oysters, the Hawaiian Poke with salmon belly and Wahoo to start...then the Double Double Wagyu Burger, CT lobster roll and the buttermilk fried chicken with "Mac-n-greens" and kimchee. For dessert we shared the Corn 🌽 Pavlova and the S'mores Tart. Everyone sitting around the table is really happy and full.

We are self-proclaimed foodies and dining is a major activity for us that has been impeded somewhat by Covid-19. We were delighted to discover this neighborhood gem on one of our first post-lock down outings. The food was well-prepared, served attractively and exceptionally flavored! The wine list was well-suited for the menu and reasonably priced. We were seated inside by request, but there were also attractive outside tables available.
Prices were reasonable for the quality of food and service. Recommended for most any occasion.

We were so pleasantly surprised with the Essex. We did the chefs tasting menu and every dish was executed to perfection. Couldn’t recommend more!

My husband and I had a great time and enjoyed their outstanding food.

Celebrated my wife's birthday after the re-opening of in-door dining. Tables far apart. Waiters wore facemarks. We kept ours on unless eating. Great $1 oyster deal so ordered a dozen. The fish skewers were tasty but a little skimpy. I had the Korean fried chicken - excellent! Served w/ kimchi. Wife had the long bone Wagyu and one son had the Wagyu steak frites - both superb. Other son had a spicy noodle dish that had a nice kick to it.

Finished the meal with 2 desserts - a sweet corn puree dish and an Asian Yuzu parfait. They put a candle in the corn dessert and sang Happy Birthday.

Very enjoyable and felt safe. Plenty of left overs to take home.

Everything was delicious. We started with a salad of greens, tomato, watermelon and goat cheese. Definitely out of my wheelhouse and yet surprisingly delicious! Followed up with a poached halibut in an Asian broth with ramps asparagus and radishes. My tastebuds were delighted and surprised with the flavor combinations. I cannot rate the food higher!

It’s always a pleasure to dine at The Essex. Food is beyond incredible and made with the love and joy!

The food is incredible, As the wait staff is very good. It was very nice to be there and enjoy eating out on the deck.

Great meal as always, half the group did the tasting menu that they loved and the other half ordered off the menu. The food has a fresh full bodied layer taste that helps even the non-foodie among us appreciate the experience of eating at The Essex. Another special occasion celebrated with an awesome dining experience at The Essex.