Restaurants near Sandy Hook

“This was such an adorable place. It felt like a local spot found in the Hallmark movies. Recently had brunch with my daughter at The Sandy Hook Café. It was an absolute delight from start to finish. Nestled in the heart of Sandy Hook, CT this cafe exudes a cozy yet vibrant charm, making it the perfect spot for a relaxing brunch. We chose the booth by the front window box that was sweetly decorated for the holiday. There were couple other booths, a high-top table, and several two/four-top tables. Tiny space but a gigantic, interesting menu. Good for takeout as well. There is a small outdoor seating area overlooking the river. We were greeted by Ralph, the owner/chef. He was friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming, which made the whole experience even better. He proudly described all of the interesting specials (his own creations) and it was difficult to decide as they all sounded simply wonderful. We went with the blackened eggs benedict with salmon special, and the breakfast burrito. All fresh ingredients, beautifully presented, and absolutely delicious. It’s an inviting space where you can linger over your meal without a care in the world. Sandy Hook Café is a hidden gem that’s worth every penny. I will definitely be becoming a regular.”

“We visited this restaurant hoping to see Nigel, a waiter we knew from other restaurants and who had always provided excellent service. Unfortunately, he wasn't there, and our experience was extremely disappointing. Our server was the complete opposite of what we had expected: he was rude, inattentive, and seemed to have little interest in taking care of his table. The food was another disappointment. The meat itself was good quality, but it was so heavily salted that it ruined the dish. The fries were just salty and hard. And we are not talking about the bill....”

“Last stop before we left town. Great food and Taya was a wonderful waitress! Sat at the bar and she took care of us. Super friendly! When we’re in town again to see family we will be back in.”

“Thank you for my sister in laws birthday cake. Everyone loved it!”

“Amazing food. Awesome service; owner so accommodating. Love the short rib tagiliatelle. The bar is so much fun and the bartender is on his game.”

“The food is fine, the menu is huge and you can customize your order. The staff work hard and if there is a little bit of a wait it’s because this place is the best value anywhere.”

“Enjoyed a delicious pistachio gelato! My kids love the Italian ice :)”

“Great vibe, good drinks, very cool place. Great for a nightcap after dining out, especially with a group of friends.
The espresso martini was the best, and the specialty cocktails were excellent.”

“Food is good. Prices went up significantly recently. Garlic knots are less than have of what they were and have increased in price by 25%. No longer knots now dough balls. Sauce is extra.”

“Mangia Mi is amazing through and through! I’ll be honest, we were a little skeptical at first after reading some of the past reviews, but my experience was 11 out of 10. Everything was incredible from start to finish.

For an appetizer, we got the deviled eggs, and they were amazing. I had the butternut squash ravioli, and WOW 🤤 — soooo good! You could really taste how fresh and homemade everything was. My girlfriend got the carbonara, and she absolutely loved it as well.

Of course, we couldn’t leave without trying dessert, so we went with the cannoli, carrot cake, and key lime pie. Every single one was delicious. Honestly, there wasn’t a bad bite anywhere.

I also have to give major respect to the owner for having the kitchen completely open for everyone to see. That takes some serious confidence, and I respect it. You can literally see what’s happening, and everything looked incredibly clean and organized. Knowing that everything is freshly made daily makes the experience even better.

We had an amazing experience, and I’ll 100% be a repeat customer. Don’t let a few past reviews scare you away — go experience it for yourself!

Mangia Mi absolutely delivered. 11/10! 🍝🔥❤️”

“Everything 100%, food, ambience, service (Alexandro).A real treasure!”

“My husband and I tried Bora Restaurant for the first time last night. It was excellent!! The food was delicious, the decorations were beautiful, the atmosphere was warm and cozy, all of the staff that we encountered were young but surprisingly all so very well mannered, polite and very nice!! Our waiter was Alton, he did a wonderful job and always addressed my husband as Sir. We would definitely recommend this restaurant!!”

“Awesome falafel, great French fries w/ amazing seasoning. Grandma said the home made lemonade was perfect.”

“Absolute BEST Lebanese restaurant I’ve ever been to! Authentic dishes. Sooooo incredibly flavorful! You feel like a part of the family once you walk through those doors - make sure to taste the lamb special (my all time favorite!!) - it’s the owner’s grandma’s recipe and OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! (I don’t even like lamb but THIS dish is ABSURDLY delicious!!!) pay special attention to the huge pink pen at the register - haha my company pen!!”

“Spice Indian Cuisine and Bar is the best Indian Restaurant I've ever been to. The staff are so friendly, attentive and kind. They go above and beyond to make sure everything is lovely. The food is so flavorful, spiced perfectly, fresh, perfect temperature, aromatic and plentiful. They make the best drinks as well. My favorite is the Ginger Martini which is made fresh per drink. THEY USE FRESH GINGER! Run, don't walk to this amazing gem in Bethel.”

“Best Corned beef hash in the world. A cozy atmosphere and everything is so good.”

“Great restaurant. We just celebrated my wife's birthday in their private area. We had 21 guests and the food and service was excellent. The staff was very attentive and everything was served timely, hot and delicious.”

“Excellent dinner, love the house salad dressing!”

“The best coffee, the best service, the best place to take a little break.”

“Great space for meetings or just to grab a bite. Nice assortment of coffees and teas and everything is delicious”

“The very best ice cream in Ct. Nuff said”

“Razzmanian Devil on a waffle cone is the best!!! And now they accept cards!”

“Great pastries and even better owners. Staff is always helpful and nice. Highly recommend. Many options for any occasion. My go to bakery.”

“Absolutely loved this place! 🍓☕️ They have such a great selection of sweets, coffee, delicious shakes, and of course the famous Dubai chocolate-covered strawberries! Everything was so good and beautifully presented.

The space was extremely clean, including the bathroom, and the hospitality was amazing. Everyone was so welcoming and kind. They even gave us a little gift, which was such a thoughtful surprise! ❤️

I really enjoyed my experience here and will definitely be coming back. Highly recommend this place! 🍫🍓✨”

“Famous pizza has always been our go-to place for pizza and more, for many years! Most recently, Perry and his staff were able to accommodate a group of 9 for a birthday celebration - when the kid wants Famous, you get Famous. The staff had a large table set up and reserved (on a Saturday night) and our pizzas literally came out of the oven as we walked in the restaurant! We were checked on frequently and well taken care of. Another reason why Famous is truly the best in town!”

“Great customer service. And the flavors were so intense. I ended up getting chocolate hazelnut and almond gelatos. I was not disappointed.”

“Amazing food, great service and family owned. Highly recommended! I've gone there lots of times and somehow it seems like it just gets better!”

“Dr. Mike's Ice Cream is BY FAR the best ice cream I have ever had anywhere. No contest. I have been eating it for at least 25 years, and my conviction about this has never wavered. At all. Ever. I moved back to CT from Portland, OR about 2 1/2 years ago (lived there for about 5) and Dr. Mike's was prominent on the list of reasons I moved back. Portland is a food town, and nothing there is in the remote vicinity of Dr. Mike's. Salt and Straw, which has lines of customers around the corner in Portland, is NOTHING compared to Dr. Mike's. I just wish the new owner would pry the original recipe for blueberry ice cream from Robert Allison because Robert Allison changed it a few years before he sold and it is a pale shadow of its former greatness. The original blueberry was maybe the best thing I've ever eaten. But all the core flavors and many of the experimental new flavors are just phenomenal. Best ice cream on the planet.”

“Great sandwiches and chicken cutlets”

“Ordered a birthday cake for a coworkers birthday. The cake was a huge hit in the office, so much so that we have another office birthday coming up next week so I will be placing another order. Great service, fairly priced, a number of different flavors to suit anyone’s liking and the freshest ingredients are used.”