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1. Carmen Anthony Steakhouse of New Haven
- Our 5th restaurant, our 2nd steakhouse, has become one of New Haven's most popular restaurants. Conveniently located at 660 State Street at Audubon,... read more
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- Cuisines:
- Steakhouses
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2. Union League Cafe
A grand salon that retains an air of the site's aristocratic origins, which date back to 1854 -- even the name fairly shrieks of the spot's former...
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- Cuisines:
- French
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3. Scoozzi Trattoria and Wine Bar
- Whether you enter from the street level via elevator or from the terrace below, Scoozzi's will delight and surprise you. Despite its location in... read more
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- Cuisines:
- Italian
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6. Geronimo - New Haven
- Authentic Santa Fe cuisine focused on traditional foods of the Apache and Navajo people, with some Spanish and Anglo-Saxon influences. An essential... read more
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- Cuisines:
- Southwestern
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7. Central Steakhouse
- The two owners of Bentara Restaurant (a Malaysian inspired restaurant), William Christian & Chef Hasni Ghazali, decided to venture into a steak... read more
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- Cuisines:
- Steakhouses
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8. Bentara Restaurant
At this location since 1997, Bentara now finds itself benefiting from a surge in gentrification to its once shabby street. Bare teak tables occupy...
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- Cuisines:
- Asian
- Pan-Asian & Pacific Rim
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9. The Greek Olive
- The Greek Olive is renowned for its unique, Mediterranean style. We take pride in offering an immaculate environment, and a welcoming atmosphere.... read more
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- Cuisines:
- Mediterranean
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10. Christopher Martins
- Christopher Martins, located in the Upper State Street area of New Haven, CT has become one of the best known restaurants in the city. Great food,... read more
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- Cuisines:
- American
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The Best of NileGuide
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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.
