Bistro Mediterranean & Tapas Bar

Love this place. I lived in East Haven and when this place opened I didn’t care. I thought it was going to be another one of those restaurants in East Haven that was going to go out of business. I was wrong. This place is great.
I come here for girls night, with my family, with whomever. I’ve celebrated two birthdays here. The owner and staff always greet you and remember who you are (although. how could they not, when you go as frequently as we do).
As for the food. YUM. I stick to the tapas. Beef tartar, tuna tartar, the cheese or chicken croquettes, the shaved brussel sprouts salad with the fried risotto cake and black truffles. Stop it.
The seafood bisque is also amazing.
Oh and if you decided to get something other than the tapas, get the pork tenderloin with braised red cabbage and sweet potato purée. Honestly, it could be one of the best dishes I’ve ever had.
Miguel the bartender is very knowledgeable about wine! So pick your meal and he’ll tell you what wine to get!

Went here with my boyfriend on a whim because we both love tapas and were in the area. We got the filet medallions, gambas al ajillo, and the duck empanadas (a special at the time). We enjoyed every dish, each was balanced (i.e. came with a small salad, included other flavors). After the tapas were so great we decided to try the Valencian paella and it was fantastic as well, and a great value for the price. We are typically red wine drinkers but were in the mood for a white, and the recommendation was great (Alvarinho from Portugal). We sat at the bar and the manager came by to welcome us noticing it was our first time here. Next time we’re in the area we will definitely be back!

Eating at Bistro was one of my favorite dining experiences I have ever had. The quality and quantity of food, paired with exceptional prices and excellent service made for an exemplary meal.
We arrived at 530 for a date night meal and were pleased to see we had beaten the dinner crowd. We were seated and had water, olives, and bread on the table immediately. Our server was attentive and since it was our first time here, offered suggestions as to how to go about ordering to be able to try the most dishes.
Food arrived quickly after ordering. First was the Brussels Sprouts salad, which had white truffle oil, black truffles, parmesan cheese and lemon juice over a fried fontina cheese risotto cake. As someone who usually skips over salad courses, this was not to be missed.
Next was our round of tapas. We tried the lamb stuffed peppers… this could be passed next time. The red pepper overpowered a bland dish, but the lamb was fairly tastey and well cooked. Next were the crab cakes which had a Mediterranean flair from the diced peppers within and the red pepper coulée on top. A really flavorful twist on a typical appetizer. Finally we had the filet mignon tartaric which was one of the prettiest, yummiest and most creative dishes I have tried. It came with a quail egg to drizzle on top and parmesan crostinis to scoop, and once again this dish was laced with truffle flavor.
We decided to share the main course which was a sea scallops dish. When it arrived I was pleasantly surprised to see a larger portion: 4 scallops over three fontina risotto cakes drenched in a lobster sauce that was filled with huge chunks of lobster. This dish had so many of my favorite elements, and will be my go-​to meal. The best part was this was only 18 $.
We also had a dessert: a crème brûlée which was nothing special, but still creamy and a delicious end to a fabulous meal.
For sll this our bill came to $ 63 before generously tipping our attentive waiter who came back after he noticed each plate we finished. Our glasses were kept full of water and Annie, the hostess, stopped by multiple times for conversation as well. I already can’t wait to go back here!

Came to Bistro last night for the first time with my husband to celebrate oour first date night out after having our first born two months ago.
The hostess was super friendly and welcoming, she even checked in with us again towards the end of the meal to see how everything was. Our waiter could have been a bit more friendly, he seemed «all business» and not very warm.
Started with a bottle of Malbec, Sensual I think it was called, very good. Accompanied with marinated kalamata olives and bread.
Then we split two tapas, the croquetas de queso (which were phenomenal, I added a pic of them, go check it out) and the filet mignon medallions (which must be new because they aren’t on their website menu), very good too. Next time we’ll get three tapas to share, totally had room for another.
My husband had the Rigatoni with sausage and broccoli rabe, the sauce was light and tasty.
I had the lobster ravioli, really great tasting as well.
I will have to say, the service was on point and exceptional. It felt like our tapas came out in meer seconds, they arrived right after I sampled our bottle of wine. Though speedy, you didn’t feel rushed. When we declined dessert, we were still welcome to take out time to finish our wine, even though the restaurant was really starting to fill up by that point…(roughly 7pm on a Sat. night)
We can’t wait to return. :)

First of all the service and Annie (front of house) specifically made our experience! Everyone was very attentive, we never had to flag anyone down and Annie stopped by multiple times to check on us. Being first timers and this being a random
Stop this made our night.
They come around with fresh baked bread that is delicious! We ordered 4 tapas, couple drinks, and dessert. The food itself was good, I enjoyed the mussels a lot, we returned the crabcakes and they were happy toner place them with something else, in which we got the garlic shrimp. Overall ok, couple items felt pricey for what you got but it was good.
Dessert we got the tres leches and caramelized bananas. Both were yummy.
Food is good, i am a sucker for tapas, but the service really puts them at that 4 star mark. We will totally be back and next time will try some
Entrees and hopefully will be wowed with those.
Great place!
Also used the Unilocal deal which was an added plus.

I can’t help but to comment again on how wonderful this place is. Went again on a busy Saturday before Christmas, with a group of friends. We had a great meal, shared a few tapas, (all delicious) and our waiter was awesome. Even on a busy night their staff never misses a beat. This is also my grandfathers favorite and most frequented restaurant and I’ll add for him; the hospitality of the staff/​owners is above and beyond.

I originally had a disappointing experience here, but that was quite a while ago, and I thought it deserved another try. I’m glad I did. While I can’t comment on the dining room experience, my Bar experience was very, very good! Excellent Tapa’s and a good wine selection. The bartenders were nice and right on top of things, the atmosphere was very convivial. AND the prices were very reasonable. I’ll be back for sure. Love having a place like this close to home.
Tip: Get the mussels! And ask for a spoon, you’ll understand when they arrive.

The parking is a bit difficult for some with bigger vehicles as the entrance comes suddenly and the amount of space is small until you get to the back then usually plenty of parking. I hate when people park on the side of the exit as it makes it very difficult to go by. Now besides all that. :)
I was very impressed with the plethora of flavors in all their dishes.

Not often do I give five stars but this place is a real gem. Authentic dishes from areas of Spain as well as the Mediterranean. High quality delicious and diverse. My young children loved the idea of tapas and we had fun eating as a family with no need for kids menus. Desert was outstanding as well.

One night, my hubby, my sister and I were looking for a nice place to have a dinner nearby. We lived around here and I Unilocaled. We went around 6 30ish, there were already people seated. The ambience is really perfect for a couple date night. The service came with awesome warm bread (we were hungry) and tasty olive oil, vinegar. Omg, we ordered accordingly to what others ordered here, everything is of a high standard! Fresh seafood and good portion. My sister’s pasta was so tasty too. Go now!

The seafood stew was outstanding, it was loaded with fish in a light lobster broth. Plus it was only $ 17. In any other Resturant it would been $ 25
They also give you a hot roll, olives amd bolive oil. This is one of my favorite restaurants.

Finally made it here after being stubborn since tapas isn’t my favorite choice, but they serve large plates, so thought we would give it a try. Glad we made it here, as I cannot say enough positive things about to restaurant. The minute you enter, the service is impeccable. The staff are amazingly friendly, helpful, and knowledgable.
Complimentary marinated olives and warm bread to start. We both had braised ribs with fresh spinach and sliced potatoes. Delicious! Stalking other patrons nearby, every dish looked amazing from the paella to halibut. Serving sizes are more than adequate and priced well.
Dessert was bread pudding garnished with brown sugar, and fresh fruit, and presented nicely. Spanish beer was great as a suggestion.
Definitely will visit again, and feel confident with anything we order in the future. Worth the trip there without one doubt.

We were looking for a quick spot to grab some tapas abs ran upon the Bistro. We ordered seven different tapas to share and they were all amazing! Hands down though the best was the Brussels sprout salad. Shrimp was decadent too!
Nice patio with music every night except Sunday’s. Wonderful staff.

Well, I decided to give it a shot even though I had three issues with the website and I’m glad I did. Food was delicious and the presentation was so beautiful. Service was excellent. The climate control was a little too warm and the seats could use some cushioning but I will definitely return in the fall.
P. S. They do offer desserts and I’m pretty sure they are made fresh on site.
Previous comment:
Management, your contact email is invalid. You should list prices online and if you offer dessert, that should be online, as well. Thank you.

Went there with my family and friend last year. I can’t wait to go back again.
And it’s really easy to purchase the deal online.

Second time here. I literally wanted to cry. We ordered 3 plates of tapas and a main course was skirt steak, medium rear. Amazing! Service was friendly as usual! I asked for a change in the dish, they happily did it. Were too full for desert, so I made a plan to come tomorrow only for the banana chocolate:)

My teenage son, 6 yr old, and I had a couple hours to kill in East Haven last Sat and a friend recommended this place. I was a bit hesitant as I felt underdressed but so happy we went on in. The man that greeted us was super friendly and accommodating when we walked in and through the night! We had empanadas, shrimp, and steak tar tar… All perfectly seasoned. My daughter really enjoyed an entrée with homemade pasta. Her dessert was perfect for a little girl… A Caramelized banana, served with a berry, slice of orange & kiwi and a bit of chocolate ice cream on top… Adorable. The only complaint I have was the $ 10 in charges for soda refill of my teenager… Without letting us know.
Can’t wait to go back!

Always happy with the excellent food. This is not the place you should eat at if you are in a rush. Food is cooked to order, the way it should be. My husband and I love that we are not be rushed out. The waitstaff are very professional. Great restaurant for a date, business dinner, family get together.
We had our wedding reception there on 12÷28÷13. Everything was outstanding! Our guests raved about the Tapas, The Short Ribs of Beef, Chicken, Paella and the Tres Leches Cake. Oh, forgot to mention the delicious Wines and Mojito’s.
Remember, this is a place to relax and take your time eating amazing food!

Outstanding! This is definitely one of my new favorite restaurants in CT! The service was incredible — very friendly and not too disruptive. The food was amazing! We asked our waiter to give us his top 3 favorite tapas on the menu and they were perfect. They even split a bowl of soup between my friend and I instead of giving us two large ones since we both wanted to try. The soup was the seafood bisque special and we HIGHLY recommend it if it’s on special when you get there — definitely order it. Actual jumbo shrimp, mussels and scallops in the bisque with a delicious crispy parmesan crostini. We also tried the lava cake and tres leches specials for dessert, again absolutely outstanding. Lava cake was soft, perfect temperature and filled with gooey chocolate.
Will definitely return and recommend to friends — can’t wait to try the remainder of the menu!

The entire time I reading the review written by Juli S. I was thinking to myself «I don’t remember reviewing Bistro!» because the tapas she raved about are my favorite ones on the menu, as well. The shaved brussel spout and truffle salad is hands down one of the tastiest things I’ve ever eaten. Even if you don’t like brussel sprouts, you absolutely need to try it when you go here. It’s perfection and I crave it every day of the week. The steak tartare is phenomenal and an absolute must have, as well. The reviews at this place speak for themselves, I don’t need to go on and on about it.
The service can be a bit slow when it’s extremely busy, but that’s the point of tapas in the first place, so what’s the complaint? Tapas are meant to encourage conversation. You’re supposed to sip drinks, chat, and share plates. It’s not meant to be an in and out type of meal. Relax, drink some wine, eat some bread and olives, and enjoy your company.
The staff here is awesome, the bartender Miguel is such a sweetheart and great at his job. He always has the best wine recommendations, too.
I recommend coming here on a Thursday night for happy hour (half price tapas and some drinks) or Sunday for half price bottle night. The prices are unbelievably cheap for the quality of the food that you get, I would gladly (and expected to) pay more than I did. You may need a reservation (especially on Saturdays) so call ahead. This place is unassuming — it’s easy to drive by, and for locals, we’re used to this place constantly closing and reopening as something else. This place is definitely here to stay, and they deserve every award and good review that they’ve received. A stand out restaurant with amazing food, prices, and staff.