New Haven Restaurants

New Haven is legendary for culinary firsts: the first hamburger sandwich was served at Louis' Lunch; the first American pizza at Pepe's. Even the first lollipop was invented by George C. Smith of Bradley-Smith Candy Company of New Haven. Today, the Elm City pays homage to its reputation with a variety of restaurants unmatched for a city its size.

According to legend, American pizza was born in 1925, when Italian immigrant Frank Pepe founded his Pizza Napolitana in Wooster Sq. Today, Pepe's is as famous for the lines of fans waiting hours to be seated in rain or shine as it is for its trademark dish. Sally's Apizza, founded by Pepe's nephew Sal Consiglio in 1938, maintains a friendly rivalry with Pepe's from its spot two blocks away. For Italian restaurants with shorter waits, if lesser fame, check out Apizza Place, Abaté Pizza and Seafood, and Tony and Lucille's.

No tour of culinary landmarks would be complete without a stop at Louis' Lunch (263 Crown St), founded in 1895, where the first American hamburger was served. A century later, Louis' has made no  compromise on purism, serving burgers the original way with two slices of square white toast, tomato, onion, and optional cheese. Requests for mustard, ketchup, or mayonnaise are seen as an insult to the proprietors, as condiments mask the flavor.

For more adventurous taste buds, New Haven has become a dining mecca for ethnic cuisine. Downtown, more than 120 restaurants cook eclectic cuisine from Thai, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean to Ethiopian, Eritrean, French, Greek, Indian, Jamaican, Cuban, Peruvian, Mexican, Syrian, and Turkish. These restaurants are clustered closer to Yale's campus, along Chapel, Crown, and George Streets, and no wonder - only a multitude of cuisines this vast could satisfy the palate of a cosmopolitan university.

Tandoor

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1226 Chapel Street

A-Z of Indian Food...
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Carmen Anthony Steakhouse of New Haven

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660 State Street

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Union League Cafe

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1032 Chapel Street
Between High and College sts

Culinary romance near campus...
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Scoozzi Trattoria and Wine Bar

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1104 Chapel St.

Italian with a Twist...
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Zinc

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964 Chapel Street

Chic cuisine...
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bespoke

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266 College St.
Btw. Chapel and Crown Sts

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Geronimo - New Haven

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271 Crown Street

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Central Steakhouse

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99 Orange Street

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The Greek Olive

402 Sargent Drive

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Wicked Wolf Tavern

144 Temple Street

Local Irish Pub...
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Caseus Fromagerie and Bistro & Cheese Truck

93 Whitney Avenue

Fine Grilled Cheese & French Cuisine...
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Christopher Martins

860 State Street

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C.O. Jones Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar

969 State Street
New Haven

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Pacifico

220 George St
Temple St

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Istanbul Café

245 Crown St
College St

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Cafe Nine

250 Streetate Street

The musician's living room...
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Toad's Place

300 York Street

Number 1 nightclub in America!!...
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Tune Inn

29 centrer Street

Party all the time...
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Cupcake Truck

165 Church Street

Cupcakes on the Go...
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Bernard's

20 West Lane

Dining in the Olden Times...
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