We had always heard great things about Materia, so my fiancé and I visited to celebrate one year until we’re married! The dining room was very chic, and the staff was all very professional and attentive. We had an amazing caprese salad to start with some of the best bufala mozzarella we’ve ever had, and then chose two dishes from the primi section. Truthfully we did intend these both to be our main meals, but decided to split the beef tenderloin special afterwards as we didn’t quite realize how small the portions were. Now that we know, we’ll make sure to order differently next time with less sharing and not being afraid to order multiple dishes as different courses. The flavors of the food really impressed us, and everything was very high-quality, including the desserts. I was grateful that we made a reservation because the dining room capacity is on the smaller side, and there was an influx of people between 7-8pm. We were so impressed by the food that we hope to come back after we’re married to celebrate our anniversaries or other special occasions. It’s easy to see why they won the award for best new restaurant from the Connecticut Restaurant Association in 2022!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eric Muscatell
Sit at the bar, order the Cynar sour, then the vongole with a glass of Grillo, and chat with Orlando the bartender. You’ll have a great night! I’d give it 5 stars if they had more interesting and unexpected dessert options. They only offer the usual suspects, and even though they are expertly prepared—the options are so predictable and common.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scallops and Artichokes Appetizer
Yobana Young
I have no words. That’s all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joe patrick
I personally never leave reviews, although I felt it was warranted for my experience here. To be clear, the service and staff members’ knowledge was excellent. They all made my evening very enjoyable, especially Gio our server. There’s no doubt the chef and kitchen staff are extremely talented. The food was wonderful, but personally could have been better. The portions were to be expected, no issues there. I also must take into account I visited during a busy fixed menu night. We were only able to access a limited range of their culinary talents. That being said, some of the dishes were a tad outdated and left more to be desired. While other dishes were confused and incohesive. They lacked the synergy and spirit I look for in food prepared by establishments of this caliber. Each dishes components weren't as complimentary to each other as they could have been. Dull and not very interesting. Possibly forsomeone who doesn’t frequently have meals of this distinction, the food could have been more stimulating and exciting to them. They clearly have many solid reviews, one of the reasons I decided to visit.I don’t like to refer back to prices, but for the meal we were given there is far better within CT or especially NYC. There was no issue with the actual price, however the caliber of food just didn’t match. For reference, two fixed menu meals, a bottle of Nebbiolo, two cocktails, tax / tip was within a rounding error of $450.00. The experience for my guest and I was unimpressive. Again it truly was good food, extraordinary service, and a wonderful wine menu. However, the overall evening could be summed up as slightly above average fine dining. The vast majority of reviews seem exaggerated. Overall worth giving a try!
Hillary Z.
Lovely, comforting food with excellent service and friendly clientele. We very much enjoyed the 7 course tasting menu and will be returning.
Marc Duby
Got there late, but were warmly received and served. Great staff and food. Beautiful location.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
fitzwein
Had the most wonderful dinner experience at Materia last night. Essentially we went as we had been made aware that our favorite mixologist, Orlando (formerly of the Mayflower Inn) was now behind their bar. From beginning to end, we could not have had a better evening. Host was helpful, no one minded we wanted to spend some time at the bar before our meal so we would see Orlando. We were greeted with such warmth and Orlando even remembered our favorite champagne, and had it ready for us! After spending some time catching up, we went to dinner Dining room is gorgeous, quiet and soft music in the background. Menu was terrific, hard to decide what to get. Ultimately we enjoyed perfectly grilled calamari and octopus for starters and Monkfish and linguine with clams. Everything was fantastic. Service was attentive and polite. All in all, one of the best dining experiences we had all year!!! Can’t wait for our next trip!
Irene C
We went for a celebratory dinner the night before Christmas Eve and picked a tasting menu. Initially we sat at the bar and ordered a classic and special Negronis . The latter was clarified through a special process but flavors were intact. Both drinks were superb. After that we moved to the dining room for dinner . The room is very tastefully decorated , tables spaced appropriately and the noise level is low, which is perfect for a romantic evening. As I mentioned, we decided to go with the tasting menu. It was a big mistake. They serve 7 dishes at ‘chef’s discretion’ , one of them is desert. First was a thumb size appetizer - something with Asian pear. It was ok. Next was one scallop. It was very well prepared and tastefully plated. Then they served a white fish crudo. I don’t like raw fish and I wasn’t warned that there is a raw fish on the menu , yet no substitute was offered . After that they served risotto with a golden leaf slapped on top. It would have been fine, only the rice was seriously undercooked and I couldn’t eat it . I could tell the flavor was good, but texture was horrible. The waiter picked up the dish, saying she ‘will let the chef know”…. You are welcome .. that’s what we are here for - paying close to $400 per couple to let your chef know he could do a better job cooking the rice .. Next time - skip pretentious gold leaf. Then 5 mini ravioli with pheasant meat was good. After that it was a duck breast (about 3 oz) that was plated like in a Michelin restaurant, only it was so raw, it was wiggling under the knife - I couldn’t even cut it through. Finally they brought dessert - which was a warm chocolate mousse with gelato , and it was exceptional. What I would have liked is the staff to show some care and consideration , - warn the customer that raw fish is one of the options. And discuss that the meat will be cooked rare. Perhaps there is some space for feedback . Not everybody likes their meal to quack under the knife. And if a dish is returned - offer a substitute or adjust the bill to make it right . We were not the only ones who got mediocre food. The couple at the next table over had both their pasta dishes returned to the kitchen. Overall, it was pretty mixed experience and definitely not good value for the money spent and almost an hour drive for us. Will stick with Arethusa next time.
Krista Tendler
Food was delicious and special. Our server was terrific- personable and knowledgeable. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Octopus, Panna Cotta
Jacob Tendler
Great food, service and atmosphere for a nice dinner with your
Very expensive, beautifully presented food. Excellent service, elegant atmosphere. Rabbit dish was superb. Scallops very good although green sauce served with them was not as good as we would expect for the price. The olive oil served for dipping bread tasted off - one of us thought it was spoiled. We had the olive oil cake and it also tasted off - like the olive oil was the same as used for dipping.
Kathryn H.
We had a fantastic dinner and experience at Materia. The tasting menu was delicious, unique and the wine pairing was wonderful!! We really feel this was the best meal we have had in CT. Can't wait to go back!
Jennifer Baker
My husband and I were just blown away by our experience. Incredible food, beautiful atmosphere and top-notch service. This was definitely our best meal of our escape to Litchfield county.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Max Levine
Sea bass crudo was slammin'. One of the most flavorful dishes I've ever eaten. Their bread is solid too, many restaurants mess up homemade bread but Materia's sourdough loaf was tasty, hearty, and made properly. Good crust, I hope the baker sees this message! Thank you chef.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nick Bruno
Fantastic experience. Everyone was very courteous, food was exceptional, wine was fantastic, and they were very patient with us bringing my 11 month old son. I will definitely be returning here. Highly recommend.
We had always heard great things about Materia, so my fiancé and I visited to celebrate one year until we’re married! The dining room was very chic, and the staff was all very professional and attentive. We had an amazing caprese salad to start with some of the best bufala mozzarella we’ve ever had, and then chose two dishes from the primi section. Truthfully we did intend these both to be our main meals, but decided to split the beef tenderloin special afterwards as we didn’t quite realize how small the portions were. Now that we know, we’ll make sure to order differently next time with less sharing and not being afraid to order multiple dishes as different courses. The flavors of the food really impressed us, and everything was very high-quality, including the desserts. I was grateful that we made a reservation because the dining room capacity is on the smaller side, and there was an influx of people between 7-8pm. We were so impressed by the food that we hope to come back after we’re married to celebrate our anniversaries or other special occasions. It’s easy to see why they won the award for best new restaurant from the Connecticut Restaurant Association in 2022!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sit at the bar, order the Cynar sour, then the vongole with a glass of Grillo, and chat with Orlando the bartender. You’ll have a great night! I’d give it 5 stars if they had more interesting and unexpected dessert options. They only offer the usual suspects, and even though they are expertly prepared—the options are so predictable and common.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scallops and Artichokes Appetizer
I have no words. That’s all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I personally never leave reviews, although I felt it was warranted for my experience here. To be clear, the service and staff members’ knowledge was excellent. They all made my evening very enjoyable, especially Gio our server. There’s no doubt the chef and kitchen staff are extremely talented. The food was wonderful, but personally could have been better. The portions were to be expected, no issues there. I also must take into account I visited during a busy fixed menu night. We were only able to access a limited range of their culinary talents. That being said, some of the dishes were a tad outdated and left more to be desired. While other dishes were confused and incohesive. They lacked the synergy and spirit I look for in food prepared by establishments of this caliber. Each dishes components weren't as complimentary to each other as they could have been. Dull and not very interesting. Possibly forsomeone who doesn’t frequently have meals of this distinction, the food could have been more stimulating and exciting to them. They clearly have many solid reviews, one of the reasons I decided to visit.I don’t like to refer back to prices, but for the meal we were given there is far better within CT or especially NYC. There was no issue with the actual price, however the caliber of food just didn’t match. For reference, two fixed menu meals, a bottle of Nebbiolo, two cocktails, tax / tip was within a rounding error of $450.00. The experience for my guest and I was unimpressive. Again it truly was good food, extraordinary service, and a wonderful wine menu. However, the overall evening could be summed up as slightly above average fine dining. The vast majority of reviews seem exaggerated. Overall worth giving a try!
Lovely, comforting food with excellent service and friendly clientele. We very much enjoyed the 7 course tasting menu and will be returning.
Got there late, but were warmly received and served. Great staff and food. Beautiful location.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had the most wonderful dinner experience at Materia last night. Essentially we went as we had been made aware that our favorite mixologist, Orlando (formerly of the Mayflower Inn) was now behind their bar. From beginning to end, we could not have had a better evening. Host was helpful, no one minded we wanted to spend some time at the bar before our meal so we would see Orlando. We were greeted with such warmth and Orlando even remembered our favorite champagne, and had it ready for us! After spending some time catching up, we went to dinner Dining room is gorgeous, quiet and soft music in the background. Menu was terrific, hard to decide what to get. Ultimately we enjoyed perfectly grilled calamari and octopus for starters and Monkfish and linguine with clams. Everything was fantastic. Service was attentive and polite. All in all, one of the best dining experiences we had all year!!! Can’t wait for our next trip!
We went for a celebratory dinner the night before Christmas Eve and picked a tasting menu. Initially we sat at the bar and ordered a classic and special Negronis . The latter was clarified through a special process but flavors were intact. Both drinks were superb. After that we moved to the dining room for dinner . The room is very tastefully decorated , tables spaced appropriately and the noise level is low, which is perfect for a romantic evening. As I mentioned, we decided to go with the tasting menu. It was a big mistake. They serve 7 dishes at ‘chef’s discretion’ , one of them is desert. First was a thumb size appetizer - something with Asian pear. It was ok. Next was one scallop. It was very well prepared and tastefully plated. Then they served a white fish crudo. I don’t like raw fish and I wasn’t warned that there is a raw fish on the menu , yet no substitute was offered . After that they served risotto with a golden leaf slapped on top. It would have been fine, only the rice was seriously undercooked and I couldn’t eat it . I could tell the flavor was good, but texture was horrible. The waiter picked up the dish, saying she ‘will let the chef know”…. You are welcome .. that’s what we are here for - paying close to $400 per couple to let your chef know he could do a better job cooking the rice .. Next time - skip pretentious gold leaf. Then 5 mini ravioli with pheasant meat was good. After that it was a duck breast (about 3 oz) that was plated like in a Michelin restaurant, only it was so raw, it was wiggling under the knife - I couldn’t even cut it through. Finally they brought dessert - which was a warm chocolate mousse with gelato , and it was exceptional. What I would have liked is the staff to show some care and consideration , - warn the customer that raw fish is one of the options. And discuss that the meat will be cooked rare. Perhaps there is some space for feedback . Not everybody likes their meal to quack under the knife. And if a dish is returned - offer a substitute or adjust the bill to make it right . We were not the only ones who got mediocre food. The couple at the next table over had both their pasta dishes returned to the kitchen. Overall, it was pretty mixed experience and definitely not good value for the money spent and almost an hour drive for us. Will stick with Arethusa next time.
Food was delicious and special. Our server was terrific- personable and knowledgeable. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Octopus, Panna Cotta
Great food, service and atmosphere for a nice dinner with your
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ravioli, Panna Cotta
Restaurantji Recommends
Very expensive, beautifully presented food. Excellent service, elegant atmosphere. Rabbit dish was superb. Scallops very good although green sauce served with them was not as good as we would expect for the price. The olive oil served for dipping bread tasted off - one of us thought it was spoiled. We had the olive oil cake and it also tasted off - like the olive oil was the same as used for dipping.
We had a fantastic dinner and experience at Materia. The tasting menu was delicious, unique and the wine pairing was wonderful!! We really feel this was the best meal we have had in CT. Can't wait to go back!
My husband and I were just blown away by our experience. Incredible food, beautiful atmosphere and top-notch service. This was definitely our best meal of our escape to Litchfield county.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sea bass crudo was slammin'. One of the most flavorful dishes I've ever eaten. Their bread is solid too, many restaurants mess up homemade bread but Materia's sourdough loaf was tasty, hearty, and made properly. Good crust, I hope the baker sees this message! Thank you chef.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fantastic experience. Everyone was very courteous, food was exceptional, wine was fantastic, and they were very patient with us bringing my 11 month old son. I will definitely be returning here. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Octopus, Panna Cotta