32 Best Cocktail Bars near West Haven

“I’ve been a regular here since Day 1 and I can’t believe I didn’t post a review until NOW!! What can I say, it’s the best seafood in West Haven HANDS DOWN! The oysters are fresh, the lobster rolls are the best, and the mussels for 2 is so flavorful. The staff are like family and welcome you with open arms. For drinks, I recommend the manhattans, old fashioned, espresso martinis and dirty martini with the blue cheese stuffed olives (YUM!). Their Moby’s lager is delicious and there’s a great selection of tequila. The bartenders are the best around! My favorite dishes are the lobster Mac, Lobster Rolls, Tuna Sushimi Oysters, Oysters Rockefeller, and tuna tartare. Trust me, you will not be disappointed with your dining experience! Nick and the crew will take good care of you. I’m a customer for life ❤️“

“food excellent service excellent“

“Excellent for a night out with friends!“

“Love it !! Unique experience“

“Good food.and friendly staff.“

“Excellent cocktails. One of very few places I can get excellent vegetal cocktails.“

“The staff was incredible! The food was amazing and the drinks were very tasty. Most definitely recommend and will be back.“

“The food is exceptional…creative and delicious. Great drinks as well. Awesome place.“

“I came the other night to check out a show there, and had a Dirty Chai and a Muffin. The Dirty Chai was the best I've had in New Haven so far. It's a nice place, but I wouldn't say it's an easy place to see a show. It's a very narrow space and it crowded badly enough that I got uncomfortable after the 2nd set and left, but if I came back for a show I know to come early.. the regulars pack the place out!“

“We ate here last night and the food and service were wonderful! What was even more wonderful was the customer service when I left my purse at the restaurant. I called later that night to see if it was there. They were so kind and kept my bag and made arrangements to get it to me this morning before they opened. Would definitely go back!“

“Excellent food especially the Mac and cheese. The dessert was phenomenal and service all around was excellent. Such a welcoming place. Not to mention our serve Christina was a gem. She was attentive throughout the night and offered great suggestions.“

“cool vibes and good food !“

“Nice couple of hours there today on a rainy Sunday. Delicious food, awesome staff!!!!“

“Very intimate setting. The wait staff were very friendly. My wife and I were celebrating our anniversary and the manager came over to congratulate us as well as give us a complimentary toast.“

“Best restaurant ever. Every visit was great! Food Great! Service great! Atmosphere great ! This is our go-to restaurant. Highly recommend !“

“I love going to places where they do everything right even down to the rest rooms with the pocket doors Best food, service, atmosphere, view!!! LOVED it! TATUM! Stellar service!! Will definitely be back and will ask for her 😉“

“Hands down absolutely fanatic meal! Authentic Southern Flare at its BEST!! Kudos to Chef Joe!!We will be back again!“

“Food is DELCIOUS AND SERVICE IS GREAT!!“

“Very quiet restaurant in hotel lobby. Service was very friendly and attentive. Slightly overpriced for quality of food. Menu was very limited, with really the option for dinner being a burger, taco, or turkey sandwich. Food was very good and not greasy. However, it was expensive for the quality.“

“Catering Party @ Sally’s Apizza Fairfield On Saturday September 13, 2025, we celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary. The food, service and staff were phenomenal. We all know how great the pizza is, but the appetizers and salads were equally great. I can’t say enough about the wonderful servers, Dan and Brandon. There were efficient, kind, friendly and polite. They went out of their way to insure everyone was having a great time. The bartenders and other staff went a long way to help make everyone enjoy the party. I also want to thank the General Manager, James Layfield and the Catering Manager, Helen Blanchard for their exceptional service and hospitality. Sally’s Apizza @ Fairfield deserves a 5 star rating for making our event the success it was. Thanks so much“

“A lot of other reviews mention the atmosphere for good reason - the vibe is unexpectedly cool. Dirty martinis are my go-to drink and Michael made me the best one I’ve ever had. He was very welcoming and attentive and gave great recommendations for my second drink. I’ll definitely be returning.“

“It's Sunday and every once in a while... more often than not, we brunch! Lol. We heard about the bottomless mimosa brunch here at Cast Iron Chef Chop House & Oyster Bar so we pulled up to check it out! Here's how it went... Atmosphere/Appearance: Set right on the busy State Street is this gem. There's no private parking, but plenty of comfortable, spacious street parking right out front. Once inside you're immersed in a very fine-dining, elegant, laid-back atmosphere. Lots of woods, intimate-low lighting and upbeat music. I loved the vibes in here. The first room is your bar room where the rail is off to the left, but with plenty of seating to the right. If you continue through the room you enter the main dining room where it's all booths and other tables. Service: Stacey was our server. Things got off to a bit of a rocky start, but they smoothed out throughout the brunch. Food/Drinks: The mimosa was okay... It was REALLY strong because there's orange vodka and orange liqueur in it. It kinda killed the flavor for me because I'd prefer a traditional mimosa with minimal juice, but... no matter. They're bottomless... or supposed to be... Just be mindful of who your server is. Brunch can consist of a prix-fixed menu, which is what we did so we'll be going through that. First up were the Homemade Sausage Gravy and biscuits. These were super smothered and fantastic. Hot, savory, meaty, salty and even had a bit of a subtle sweetness. The biscuit was soft, butter and had crispy edges. Next up were the Cinnamon Rolls. These were HUGE. Lol. Like, how are we supposed to eat AND drink all of this stuff?! The exterior of the roll was crispy and the inside very soft. Not over-the-top sweetness or anything. These were very balanced. Next up were the Bananas Foster Pancakes. But this thing was enormous. It was so thick, like literally an inch thick. Lol. Fresh bananas sliced right on top, it cut like butter, was soft with the perfect crispy edges and these were AMAZING. Punch of sweetness up front, fluffy texture and just a great pancake. For dinner, this restaurant usually serves Cast Iron Popcorn instead of bread, so Stacey let us try it! It was smokey, a little-little sweet with a little bit of salt and maybe a hickory barbecue flavor. I liked it. Lastly, I chose the Steak & Eggs over Salmon & Eggs, but got to try both since my wife was with me. Each comes with gigantic fried potatoes, 3 eggs, a piece of toast, caramelized onions and your protein of choice. My steak was cooked perfectly (medium-rare). The flavors were excellent. It was a little fatty and just was done very well. Value: $64.96 for bottomless mimosas and the prix-fixe menu. Probably the best value brunch in the state. SO MUCH FOOD and strong drinks. I don't know what else you'd want! In conclusion, I really enjoyed myself here and have revisited since my first time! Everything was just as awesome as the first. Check this place out if you're in the area!“

“Drinks were good. Food was delicious. Great atmosphere.“

“Pedro, the manager, once again delivered an exceptional experience. He recommended the tomahawk steak, and it exceeded every expectation twas perfectly cooked with incredible flavor. Our waiter Andres was attentive and professional, making the evening seamless. The mariachis added a wonderful touch and truly elevated the atmosphere. Overall, we had an exceptional dining experience and look forward to returning!“

“Excellent food. Highly recommend“

“Fantastic experience .The staff were friendly and attentive, and the owners were so welcoming. Great atmosphere , great food and service , I will definitely be coming back“

“Frozen margarita and street corn were awesome! Service was also fantastic!“

“Muy buen lugar y el dueño es aún amor de persona“

“Simply put, the food, staff and restaurant are nothing short of amazing. My husband and I hosted an event this past weekend (~100 guests) and it was a literal dream! THE FOOD! I was a little nervous when we settled on a buffet-style for the main entree but that worry was immediately thrown out the window when the first person up said, wait when can I get seconds?! EVERYONE has commented on how much they loved the food. Many of our guest list is from out of town, but are petitioning that a open a location opens in Northern New Jersey The staff was just amazing during the event; almost every single person I have spoken to since Saturday has brought up an interaction where 'the staff clearly cares' ::insert story of staff member just actually giving a heck about a situation:: from a question answered, to a compliment given, and everything in between, the people who worked the event were rockstars. Brittney, their catering & event manager, is worth a million dollars; she cares, she's passionate, she is kind, attentive (she definitely works 24/7 as she emailed/ texted back no matter the day or time), & is just all around an amazing person. I will never not include her and working with her in my memory of our Reception. She and Deon will not steer you wrong in making selections that will work and will be memorable. All-in-all, if you are looking to host your event in a place where people take pride in their work, are dedicated to the customer and the food is real, feel it in your soul food, then Olives and Oil is your place!!“

“Top notch food and cocktails in a relaxed environment with reasonable prices.“

“We loved this place when it first opened, but it seems like it’s under new ownership. It’s not necessarily “bad” now, but they have removed a lot of the aspects that gave it its charm (eg. visible guac bar, frequent mariachi band is now only Friday nights). Service is hit or miss but the food usually comes fast. It’s great that they seat you with chips and two dips to choose from. The food is good.

Beware if you have small children, I was informed that *none* of the high chairs in the building have working lap belts. If you have a rambunctious boy like we do, that makes enjoying the meal challenging. It’s too bad that this gem seems to be going downhill.“