First & Last Tavern

Ehh, First and last is known for there pizza which is really good I’ll give them that, as far as their over priced dinners not no much. seems like they focus more on portion control more then anything else. Don’t be afraid to speak up! Eat well fellow Unilocalers!

My first time back in CT in a long time and wasn’t disappointed with h the tomato pie, great crunchy crust.

Stopped in for weekend lunch while visiting Trinity College and had a good meal.
Pizza featured excellent tomato sauce and was cooked perfectly. A medium fed two hungry teenagers perfectly.
Turkey sandwich with roasted peppers on flatbread was also a big filling meal with fresh ingredients. Olive oil and pesto on the sandwich added moistness beyond what was needed though.
House salad was underwhelming but fine.
We had very attentive and friendly service here. Comfortable booths make it a great place to really sit down and enjoy a meal together. Lots of easy parking too.

Our tradition is to have a meal at First & Last each time we bring or pick up
our daughter from Trinity College. The food is amazing, I love the atmosphere, it is very cozy and welcoming. The staff is top notch and helpful. I wish I lived in Hartford so I could go more often. Never disappoints oh and the BREAD BASKET is like no other! Delicious.

It’s all about the sauces… they’re amazing. Calamari was lightly breaded and the marinara was fantastic. The pizza… otherwordly. Really special. This was my first time and everyone said oh wait til you try Frank Pepe’s pizza.
Guess what, I’ll take First and Last’s pizza every day of the week. Thin crust, again, great sauce. Great pie,
Our waitress was probably part of the original lease. Not very friendly but who cares at this point. She brought out great food and kept the beverages filled.
I’ll be back here. It’s special.

I went in this evening to have dinner with my mom and some wine. We wanted a booth so the dining area was full and we were placed in the bar booth which was completely fine. Our waitress was attentive and great and the food was delicious. My complaint is about the patrons who were at the bar swearing and having vulgar and raunchy discussions and the bartender not saying anything. It’s a small bar and I understand people drink and get carried away but these were professionals having loud vulgar discussions sexual in nature and again the bartender did nothing. I just wished the bartender would have said something to these males speaking this way since we were 2 women 2 feet away from them. It was disappointing the bartender just went with the flow with them. I feel the bartender had no control or did he care what was being discussed in front of other guests. Again I know it’s the bar area but vulgar raunchy discussions loud enough for everyone to hear was inappropriate.

This is a review for their catering services. We recently hosted 25 people in our home and ordered large trays of lasagna and chicken parm and penne, along with meatballs and sausage. First and Last delivered it to our home piping hot and at the promised time. Our guests raved about how delicious everything was. They also loved the loaves of fresh Italian bread that were included.
I have dined in at First and Last before and it was great. I was nervous to do catering, but they showed their standards are just as high for these services. I would definitely use them again and would recommend them to anyone without reservation.

Yummy Food, love going at 2 – 4 when its slower!

Save room for the Cannoli. Theirs are the best in the South End. It’s worth the trip just to have one.

Pizza was delicious. I’ve had a hard time finding a pizza place that serves Italian style thin crust pizza in the Hartford area, and this place has it! But it’s not just pizza! They also offer salads, pasta, seafood, raw bar. I will definitely be back and definitely recommend first and last tavern

Raw bar enthusiasts note: oysters come attached but they do give you an oyster fork. Use that to finish the shucking job and to pick off bits of shell. If you like a mild flavored oyster you’ll be happy. Not briny at all. I was a little disappointed with the blandness.
Affable bartenders explain the happy hour menu and even suggested /​was willing to swap out one of the three raw bar combo plate components to a half dozen of oysters and shrimp. Not sure if they’d do that all the time. Nice sized shrimp. Fresh.
Quick friendly service. Regulars get recognized with a cheerful greeting.
There’s history and character here so if you like that kind of atmosphere and service — enjoy!
First and Last is one of a few classic old timey Hartford eateries that still draws a crowd.

Came here for lunch with some friends. Food was good. Salad had very fresh ingredients. My friend was «eh» about the buffalo chicken pizza because she had to get bleu cheese on the side to round out the flavor. The stuffed figs were delicious. My friend described them as light but oddly filling (not a bad thing!) Another friend enjoyed the penne alla vodka & had no complaints. But, our biggest complaint: the service. Our waitress was beyond rude and muttered «Jesus Christ» when my friend asked for a dessert menu last minute. What’s the big deal? She was not happy to refill our drinks and nothing was done without a quick/​annoyed «yup!» accompanied by an eye roll. I would probably not come back to this particular location. But, I’ve had much more success with first & last in plainville and am hoping to try the bakery café. Poor service really does ruin a fun lunch out with friends! Perhaps it was a bad day but I’ll stick with the other locations!

Best bartender around. Enjoy drinks, good conversation and great service sitting at the bar. Marty will take care of you with the best service.
Pizza is very good and the fresh shrimp, oysters are perfect

Was there a week ago Saturday because I had an urge for the Cioppino. I’ve had it before, I remembered that I loved it so my mouth was watering all day. I was not disappointed, I loved it even more this time. Also, the bread is a great
John V

Food and value never disappoints. This is the original and still the best for food and service. Can’t beat the ‘Original Special” pasta, sauce, sausage and wornderful meatball and salad all served on the same plate, mmmmmmm.
Clams on the half shell served with a tangy dipping sauce and traditional cocktail sauce was wonderful. Italian bread and Focachia/​Bruscheta can’t be beat either. Best choice for traditional southern Italian food in the area.

Lots of history to the First & Last! One of my favorite parts about this place is that the bread basket they serve you is fresh from the bakery across the street. Sweet cinnamon raisin bread and seasoned garlic pita. We got our basket refreshed it was so damn tasty. Doughy and perfect, not crusty and flakey.
Our server was great, and she recommended starters from the happy hour menu (5 – 7) we had the wings — which are not buffalo, but rolled in herbs and spices and cooked, not a sauce, the caprese salad was great, and we ordered 4 meatballs with sides of pasta to top it off!
The only pitfall was that the oysters, and little neck clams in the raw-​bar sampler tasted a bit «fishy» or old. The jumbo shrimp cocktail were great though.
I’d recommend happy hour all the way — the pasta is not hand, made BUT the sauce is!

Came by with friends, been here several times. Always great food and service. Friendly staff.
Ordered apps for the table, and I went with the Penne alla vodka as I have never tried that here before.
It was great. Every one enjoyed their meals.
Can’t wait till warmer weather and eat outside.
Deff stop and have a meal here.
I will be back.
Tanya is the best!

Will definitely eat here again! Drive by this place all the time and finally stopped for dinner one night with a friend.
The complimentary bread bowl was amazing, delicious, fresh home made breads (3 different kinds)!
We both got the beet salad– very good! Then we couldn’t decide between two of the specialty pizzas– the broccoli rabe and sweet peas. So they let us do half and half which was wonderful!

Seriously. The. Best.
I was here last weekend for a friends birthday party. The staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating even after we were a bit late for our reservation.
Starting from the top, the martinis were spot on and delicious.
The bread. .. Oh that bread! The focaccia wasn’t as spongy as I like mine, but he seasoning was delish but the raisin bread, holy goodness, I could eat my weight in that!
Thank goodness our antipasti salad came out quick to distract me from the bread. For something so simple, it was perfectly plated. A dish of salad, olives, peppers, cheese, and an assortment of meats carefully placed on top with the perfect amount of dressing.
But the star of the show: the carbonara. Holy hell. I wish my stomach could have held the entire plate. I ended up making three meals outta the dish, mainly cause I couldn’t stop with the bread. But let me say, that is THE BEST carbonara I’ve had IN MY LIFE. It was just perfect. The sauce was impeccably smooth and creamy, the pasta perfectly cooked, the crisp bite of the prosciutto, and the fresh peas. (I don’t even like peas!)
Everyone in my group enjoyed their meals. Even my picky Italian husband!
Shame I don’t live in CT or I’d make this a regular spot!

Love love love this place! I swear I have eaten the entire menu and have never been disappointed.
Chicken stemperata… OMG! You will stink of garlic for days but it is totally worth it. And their menagerie of breads table side is just divine.