New American Restaurants near Watertown, CT

“We ate here last night. The food was outstanding!! I had the beef short rib. It also came with perfectly-cooked carrots with slivers of crispy garlic, golden mashes potatoes and a delicious mushroom sauce. My husband got a wonderful cheeseburger that had a slightly toasted bun. The perfect touch to his burger. The fries were different from any I've seen before. They were the perfect side dish to his burger. Our server, RJ, was so friendly and attentive. We will ABSOLUTELY be returning as it was so hard to choose what to eat from their amazing menu! We can't wait to try the rest!“

“Outstanding restaurant! (and we do a lot of our dining in NYC!) Local 63 is an oasis in Watertown, CT in a variety of ways. The food is creative (even when the dish SOUNDS traditional). The chicken fried steak (hard to even find in New England) is outstanding. The salads were awesome: perfectly dressed with great crunch and freshness. The Cassoulet (originally a French farmhouse dish) with chicken, in-house sausage, and white beans cooked to perfection is something you will not find in many other places. Great bar--friendly atmosphere and great for large groups and celebrations. This is a hidden gem with excellent service and owners who obviously care! I will go back and bring many other guests here when I have a chance.“

“Awesome beautiful location cam also do catering parties or events. Great service good food. Will visit again.“

“We have been to Uncommon many times and the food is always amazing and we have always had a great experience all around but I want to say we had the absolute best service here tonight so I wanted to thank our server Justin D. for an outstanding dining experience tonight. Justin was professional and has a really fun personality. Even though the restaurant was crazy busy we never had to ask for anything, Justin was just there anytime we needed anything. The support staff also did an amazing job tonight as well keeping the table clear of empty glasses and dishes and running food. Just an over all lovely experience.“

“Lovely dinner and dessert❤️“

“AMAZING. Should be Michelin star!“

“Went on Friday night and enjoyed an amazing dinner. One of the friends with us is Vegan and it was so nice to have vegan options for her as well. Service was fantastic, never waited on anything. A special touch is the owner visits each table to ensure we are enjoying ourselves and the food. Totally recommend to anyone looking for a nice, cozy and quiet restaurant where you can actually have a conversation.“

“I had my Birthday dinner at john’s cafes and it was really delicious,I would highly recommend it for any occasion, love eating there ❤️❤️💯💯“

“Food and servers are exceptional! The owners are exceptionally kinda d generous! You can sit and talk with friends,and the servers will not rush you out! Such kind and thoughtful people. The place is spotless!“

“Been looking for wings in CT for almost 2 years and finally found them here, actually crispy - finally. And the Garlic/Honey sauce is crazy good. They also nailed the cheesesteak - I love this place!!!! Now they just need to put cream cheese (instead of cheddar) in their jalepeno poppers and they’ll get a Michelin star ;) LOVE this place!“

“Rachel’s did a Celebration of Life catering event for us very recently. Everything was delicious and fresh. Good size portions. Perfect in every way. Staff accommodating as well. Highly recommend“

“So happy to have not only na beer options but also a delicious mock tail. Food and service were great too.“

“The most delicious breakfast. Great staff.“

“As always, Winvian is a true gem. It is outstanding in every way! The cuisine, service and overall ambiance are very seldom found. I have literally eaten in some of the best restaurants throughout the world as I traveled extensively for many years on business. I, without reservation, put Winvian in the top tier of the very best.“

“We ate here the first time this week. I had the BBQ Short Rib Melted Cheese. It was divine! We'll be back.“

“We planned a weekend getaway at the Winvian Farm over the July 4th weekend, staying two nights—one in the Beaver Lodge and the next in the Woodlands. Both accommodations were beautifully unique, and as we explored the grounds, it became clear that each lodge offers something special and distinct.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meals, drinks, and time at the pool both days. While we had initially planned to dine at the fine dining restaurant, we unfortunately didn’t get a chance to. However, we did experience the main floor restaurant on our first night, and the food was full of flavor with a thoughtful menu.

The staff stood out throughout our stay—attentive, warm, and genuinely enthusiastic about ensuring guests have a great experience. From the initial welcome to dining service and even room service, we felt well taken care of. Special thanks to Erin, the manager, the attendant at the pool (whose name we sadly forgot), and the kind woman who helped us after a bicycle mishap—each of them left a strong, positive impression.

On that note: a word of caution about the bicycles provided on the property. They feature reverse pedal brakes and no gear shift, which makes navigating hills and gravel paths quite challenging. If you’re not used to this type of setup, it can be tricky—and in our case, a slip led to a tumble into the shrubs (thankfully, just shrubs!). When we raised our concerns, we were told, “you ride at your own risk.” Not quite the response we expected. These bikes are meant for paved, flat surfaces – not hills.

That aside, if you’re planning a stay, you’ll find peace, beauty, great food, drinks, and exceptional staff. Just maybe skip the bikes, unless you're really confident—and maybe wear more than just a helmet, because the trees and shrubs don’t hold back!“

“A great local pub and craft beer spot with a fantastic selection, and good prices!“

“awesome in every way. People are awesome. food is always top notch“

“Quite good food and service. Very well executed on basic fare that left me delightfully surprised. The atmosphere lacks polish but is clean and friendly. It’s a place that stands on food and reputation, so if you want a reliable bite and a beer, I would recommend.“

“Always a great time food is delicious and the people are so friendly“

“We had a birthday celebration in an Igloo outside tonight !2/10/24. Just 4 of us girls. What a nice time we had. Everything was perfect. Our meals were delicous and our waitress was wonderful. Her name is Heather. She worked so hard to make our night perfect. Thank you Heather!!!!!“

“The Rathskeller is a comfortable neighborhood restaurant with good food. The new owners, Kate and Nicole, work hard to make it a great place!“

“Fabulous!! Great vibe n food fantastic. Definitely recommend. Diane and Cameron most welcoming“

“Clean pool, healing atmosphere, my favorite getaway in CT“

“The food was delicious. The staff was courteous and the service was efficient. My lunch consisted of the chopped salad and the hibiscus refresher, whereas my fiancé had the falafel wrap with fries.“

“My wife and I stopped for lunch. We love the atmosphere and the staff were very friendly. Our waitress Breanna was absolutely delightful. She was so friendly and did a terrific job. We highly recommend this place and we will definitely be back!!!“

“The supervisor Derick is very friendly & has lots of patience he always gets my order done correctly with no delay…“

“Good food Amazing bartender Good drinks I love it“

“Beautiful renovated restaurant, amazing views of a spectacular golf course, excellent wait staff, quick service, try the Fig French Martini...great happy hour menu, the brunch menu offers something for everyone, and the happy hour menu is perfect, great prices.“

“Food is usually very good. Flaming chorizo was fatty. Caesar salad was dry. Everytime we come here we realize the service is not great. They leave dirty dishes on your table, they don't fill empty water glasses and soda refills are not free. Shame because the ambience is wonderful and it's never super busy.“