Diners' Choice: Best Food restaurants in New Haven

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall cuisine in New Haven? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Nataz Restaurant - North Branford

4.9

4.9 (228)

$31 to $50

American

Branford

About the restaurant

Coming Soon!

Top review

DeniseVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Great biscuits and gravy, best I ever had. Beautiful spread.

Consiglio's - New Haven

4.8

4.8 (614)

$30 and under

Italian

New Haven

About the restaurant

Consiglio's Restaurant: A True Taste of Italy in the Heart of New Haven's Little Italy District Consiglio's Restaurant has been a staple of the Little Italy district in New Haven for over 80 years. Founded in 1938, this third-generation, family-owned establishment offers a romantic and comfortable atmosphere and uses old-world, family-inspired recipes to create delicious dishes.
Consiglio's menu is focused on delivering affordable, delectable food for guests to enjoy any day of the week. Start your meal with an appetizer like the cauliflower with truffle oil, eggplant rollatini, or the fried calamari. For the main course, indulge in popular dishes like the Lobster Ravioli, Homemade Cavatelli and Braciole, or their award-winning Lasagna, which recently took home the title of "Best Pasta in the State."

Top review

Anita

Dined 7 days ago

We sat outside and it lovely, Delicious and service was excellent

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4.9

4.9 (1444)

$50 and over

Spanish

New Haven

About the restaurant

In the heart of downtown New Haven, Connecticut, Olea offers an innovative interpretation of Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine. Chef Manuel Romero and his team explore these flavors in their food, wine, and cocktails, locally sourcing many products and importing specialty items from the Mediterranean region.

Top review

SilvanaVIP

Dined on Jun 12, 2025

Olea is an outstanding restaurant. Its modern Spanish cuisine is creative as it combines ingredients in special ways and uses ingredients in innovative ways. The menu is spot on. The wine list is very good, emphasizing Spanish wines, but presenting a good selection of other terroirs as well. The service was outstanding. We thank Hugo for helping to make our evening perfect.

Strega - New Haven

4.8

4.8 (93)

$31 to $50

Italian

New Haven

About the restaurant

The name of the restaurant is inspired by the Legend of Janare of Benevento. Strega means ‘witch’ in Italian and Benevento is considered the “city of witches”.
At Strega, our mission is to transport our guests to the Italy we cherish. Drawing inspiration from traditions across the Italian peninsula, we are dedicated to crafting an authentic Italian experience. With a profound appreciation and understanding of Italy’s rich history and culinary heritage, we prioritize using imported Italian products and are committed to maintaining authenticity in our recipes and menu selections.
At Strega, we believe that cooking with seasonal, authentic ingredients means there is not need for unnecessary embellishment - our food tastes great, is fresh, and at its peak. Our experience is crafted through a series of selected choices. We take pride in serving freshly made dishes, embracing wholesome Italian cooking with fresh and healthy ingredients.
We look forward to serving downtown New Haven.

Top review

PeterVIP

Dined on Jun 11, 2025

The best meal we’ve had in our 2 years in New Haven. The flat iron steak and branzino were beautifully presented and delicious. Roseanna is a gracious and attentive host as was Brianna! What a gem.

Bar Bouchee

4.9

4.9 (636)

$30 and under

French

Madison

About the restaurant

Welcome to Bar Bouchée!

Convivial, boisterous, social. Loving attention to detail recreates an authentic French bistro from the imported Parisian zinc bar to the tiled floors and brings it to the Connecticut shoreline. You’re instantly surrounded by an atmosphere of familiarity and good spirit. Enjoy comfortable outdoor patio dining Spring through Fall. And if you have time, we’re one block from the charming downtown village of Madison, CT.

Top review

Barbara

Dined 2 days ago

Lovely staff. Very French atmosphere. Very good food.

Viñas Wine & Tapas - New Haven

4.8

4.8 (51)

$30 and under

Tapas / Small Plates

New Haven

About the restaurant

Chilean inspired 🇨🇱 wine & tapas
Featuring: local wine, wine flight tastings & live music

Top review

Michelle

Dined on May 24, 2025

the food was delicious our the waiter was excellent would definitely go again

La Piazza

4.8

4.8 (47)

$31 to $50

Italian

Wallingford

About the restaurant

La Piazza captures the spirit of an Italian trattoria envisioned by Kristjan Lulaj. Our establishment pays tribute to the essence of the iconic Italian eateries that thrived in mid-20th century New York. These were places where exquisitely prepared, mouthwatering cuisine graced tables in an ambiance that effortlessly merged elegance, comfort, and approachability. While our culinary offerings tip their hat to this rich heritage, they also draw inspiration from the contemporary and future culinary virtuosos and techniques. Signature dishes such as Seafood Salad, Linguini Vongole, Zuppa Di Pesce, Chicken Scarpariello, and Chicken Parmesan are taken to new heights of flavor and presentation.

Top review

Marisa

Dined 6 days ago

Everything was delicious and the portions are very generous! Will keep going back

Little Riggs

4.6

4.6 (48)

$30 and under

American

Branford

About the restaurant

The mission stays the same though. Good food ties us to the memories and the people we love. I share the memories and the food I love. 3 years ago I started a little food truck breakfast in a little bar parking lot, today we call that parking lot ours and that little bar, is now Little Riggs.

Top review

Linda

Dined 6 days ago

Their breakfasts are delicious everything so fresh but no matter what we always get a muffin to share. We don’t even ask what kind it is. The muffins are phenomenal. You order your muffin right when you sit down and split it and then order your breakfast and it’s perfect.

L'Orcio

4.8

4.8 (2303)

$30 and under

Italian

New Haven

About the restaurant

RESERVATIONS:
Garden Tables - Outdoor Dining
Standard Tables- Indoor Dining

L'Orcio is an upscale dining establishment serving Contemporary Italian Cuisine. In house made specialty pastas like Ricotta Gnocchi, Papparedelle and Ravioli are only part of the L'Orcio experience. Chef d'Amuri, an Italian native, also works his magic grilling whole fish and juicy steaks and offers a variety of meat and fish dishes daily. Desserts like Tiramisu', Charlotte agli Amaretti and Lemon Tart are also prepared in house. A relaxing and elegant ambiance with a European flair is the perfect backdrop for lunch, dinner or spirits. Located in a refurbished historical home the restaurant offers a unique space their guests. Family owned and operated with an eye for detail L'Orcio has a lot to offer. Come in for a meal, a drink or just to say Ciao.

Top review

MarthaVIP

Dined 3 days ago

This is a little gem of a neighborhood restaurant. Fresh seasonal food, creative dishes, friendly, and efficient service. Love it!

The Luke Brasserie Bar & Cafe

4.8

4.8 (393)

$30 and under

Contemporary French / American

New Haven

About the restaurant

Chef Vincent is excited to bring a dynamic contemporary brasserie experience to New Haven.

Chef Vincent has worked with such culinary giants as:
Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boloud, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Marcus Samuellson, Rocco Dispirito, Georges Blanc, Paul Bocuse, Michel Geurard, and Stephen Starr.

Top review

Samantha

Dined 1 day ago

Attentive staff and amazing food! But definitely recommend to anyone with the large group, or just a night out

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