Sichuan Alley Bistro

Been enjoying this restaurant for a bit and they have consistently had delicious food and top notch service. Small, intimate, very comfortable, and a beautiful job of decorating the place.

Our favorites have been:
- the dumplings (any of them, they are all great!)
- Black Pepper Beef is super tender
- Gummy Noodles have the perfect chew and spicy flavor (my personal fav)
- Hot and Sour Sweet Potato Noodle soup will bring you back to life when not feeling well
- Kung Pao Chicken: this is the only place I order it from
- Alley Pasta in any option is delicious. Again, the noodles are cooked perfectly and it hits all of the different textures and flavors in the best way
- side note: we never had to ask for water to be refilled, and we go through a lot of it - super attentive!

Cost is on par with the size of the portions and how good everything is. Parking is easy and convenient.

If using a wheelchair or similar assistive device, it may be challenging inside as it is a small space. There is a bit of outdoor seating. They are also very kind and I'm sure would so their best to accommodate for the best experience possible.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The attention to detail at this restaurant is really spectacular. First, the branding is really amazing, which is not something I tend to give much thought to at a restaurant but it’s clear that a lot of love and thoughtfulness has gone into this place. The logo is super cute and shows up in a lot of small ways throughout the restaurant. The atmosphere is also very nice, it does not feel at all like you’re still in Hartford Connecticut. It feels comfortable and intimate but still unique and different. One of my favorite parts is the menu. The photography of all the dishes is really good and was so helpful, especially since we’d never had Sichuan food before and didn’t know what to expect. The service and food were great. The cocktails were delicious and we enjoyed sharing small plates. We had the find the chicken in the chilies, dan dan noodles, pork bao, and shredded tofu skin. Overall it was a really fun experience eating here and I’m excited to come back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food is so good, the pan fried dumplings are crispy and the angel hair pasta is delicious. They put teas/drinks in cans so you can take them to go, and I loved the chrysanthemum yuzu tea! Note that getting food here can add up to be a bit expensive.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Perfect atmosphere, so much personality, chill, very good music playing , kind workers, delicious food 10/10

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My new top place in CT. Menu and drinks are amazing

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It's so wonderful to finally find a GOOD Chinese food restaurant in CT. This place is fantastic. (I'd give it a 4.5 for the food and a 3.5 for the atmosphere). We will be going back again soon.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 4

A delightful meal in a cozy environment. Every thing we ordered was REALLY delicious. We will be back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The staff are helpful and generous on their options. I enjoyed the mapo tofu, which is their signature dish, showcasing their spicy sichuan peppercorns.
Their sichuan peppercorns are sourced from china and ground here giving them exceptional flavor. Visiting is a coveted experience particuarly for those with more sophisticated tongues.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I tried Sichuan Alley because I was told they have a great vegan menu. They do have several vegan sections like appetizers, cold dishes, and entrees. I started off telling the server I was vegan and I only ordered from the vegan menu. The entree was Dan Dan Noodles (from that vegan section) and it arrived heaping with ground beef and egg. I returned it to the kitchen and did not want it to be made again. I don’t trust their approach with cross contamination regarding the vegan menu

If your vegan avoid this place OR be sure there is no animal product in your dish

***Edit to correct: it was PORK. Not beef.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 5

Luckily I recognized that they served me meat before I ate the entire dish. ( I did taste it and quickly realized) I ordered the Dan Dan Noodles from their Vegan menu and when we got it there was ground beef and hard boiled egg on it. In a day age of mock meats and even mock eggs, it was plausible that it was plant-based. But I tasted the tiniest bit of the substance in question and sure enough, it was meat!! Turns out it was ground pork I asked the server if we definitely got the vegan meal. The server was nice and this was not their fault. They went to the kitchen and asked. Since they didn’t bring the dish right back I know it was meat they served me. I finally got the servers attention and verified that it was not vegan. The chef was making a new one but I told them “No Thank you”. I don’t trust that they will serve me an actual vegan meal. If you come here as a vegan, please make sure there is no animal products in your food. I am disgusted that I consumed animal, even as small as it was. Never once did the chef come out to apologize and they didn’t comp any of the bill. Not Even the 1/2 price appetizers. I do not recommend this place to vegans. There is too much possibility that you’ll be served something non-vegan. I want to emphasize again that the server was nice and not to blame. We did leave them a tip but it would have been a much better tip if I had a better experience. Updated from previous review on 2025-05-22

Very cute place and lovely cozy decor, but not where you'll bring a huge group. Small menu and small portions, but the flavor is not! The two noodle dishes we got were delicious.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Atmosphere,food, and service was extremely awesome 👌 very recommended

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My husband and I went there for our 4 year anniversary. The whole experience was awesome. I was amazed by how nice the place was decorated, good food, cute drinks. Highly recommend Sichuan peppercorn braised beef. We will definitely be back.

Atmosphere: 5

I love this food so much! I’m addicted to the angel hair fried chicken fillet pasta! The flavors and textures are really nice and the chicken fillet is crispy but doesn’t feel greasy at all…love! The inside is cute, drinks are yummy, staff is nice :) would definitely recommend!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Scallion Pancake, Cucumber Salad

Great authentic food! Everything was delicious.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5