Atelier Florian

I will start with the $$$ since everyone nowadays are always looking to get something good for a bargain. So yeah not here. But what you get are food that are cooked properly and in timely manner. The squid are fresh, cooked well and lightly salted. The muscles are seasoned with light saltiness on the back end. I would recommend dipping the frit. Canadian oysters are on the small side. The manager/​bartender for the evening is fantastic and friendly. She is definitely a mixologist and just like her attitude her drinks are well balanced.

While the food and the atmosphere are very nice 20% of the menu items were not available over Memorial Day Weekend including several specialty cocktails.
Service was horrific:
Only some of our appetizers arrived at the table and one was then incorrect.
We asked for our mains twice before receiving them 1.5 hours after being seated and asking for them from a waitress other than our own.
We asked for a manager only to find there wasn’t one on site during the holiday weekend
There was hair in the food — the waitresses response was «it wasn’t my hair»
Disregarded a food allergy!
… The list goes on…
I would return here as the food and vibe was nice but I would hope that staff receives much more thorough training as well as an on site manager.
I must praise the other waitress who was very helpful and showed that the restaurant can provide a nice experience.
To complete our evening no complimentary efforts were made.

Best oysters in town! They always have am amazing selection. And if you go for happy hour they are only a dollar! I have been going here almost once a week since. I moved to new haven. The scallops with succotash are my favorite! They also have a great wine list! (Although is usually get champagne to go with my oysters) the dessert is simple usually chocolate mousse that comes with each meal. And they have excellent espresso!

Second time here and just as great as the first. I love the space — it’s bright, clean and open. Their staff is on point and very friendly as well as helpful with recommendations of both food and wine. And the food has been spectacular both times. The octopus and salmon tartare appetizers are excellent, the Brussel sprouts have a touch of sweetness due to the subtle maple syrup glaze, the mussels and raw oysters also delicious. It isn’t cheap (but it won’t break the bank), but quality this good never will be.

Beautiful interior and seems like a pretty popular brunch spot, we came an hour after they opened for the day hence we were able to get a table but overall food was just okay. We started with some oysters, a little pricey at $ 3.50 a piece. The only one I really liked was the blue point oysters from Connecticut. The other oysters didn’t taste as fresh and salty. The cocktail shrimps were a good size but the shrimp itself with a tad dark in color and the seafood taste was very light so it didn’t taste as fresh. The lobster Benedict was delicious. They could’ve thrown some greens on it to balance out the flavor but the eggs were beautifully poached and the lobster servings generous for the $ 21 they charged for the plate. The fish burger was decent. The patty was made really well with no clumps but I couldn’t tell if I was just eating all fish or if there was initiation meat in there. The capers in it really added a good balance to each bite. The buns were a little cold but from the texture it was cooked well, soft. Overall service was great, very friendly staff but food wasn’t exceptional and could use some improvements.

My dinner companion and I ordered oysters to start and they were all amazing. Cold, fresh, clean. The steak and frites was just ok. The steak was good but the frites were too big and soggy with no crunch or pop. But perhaps the worst was the scallop entrée. I’ve ordered scallops many times for a dinner entrée and usually you get 3 jumbo scallops, each about the size of a silver dollar (remember those?), or you get 5 – 6 smaller scallops. These were on the smaller side, and although quite tasty, left me still hungry. The vegetables that came with the scallops were good, but portion wise, it was more of an appetizer than entrée. Service was very good and the drinks were excellent.

Undecided. Went the first time and had their Bouillabaisse which was delicious. Other individuals in our party ordered the Crispy Sushi, Brussel Sprouts, Salmon and Duck which were equally good.
Last night, we decided to go again and ordered the Brussel Sprouts and Crab Cakes (among other things) — both were overdone and oily. In fact, the Crab Cakes were burnt on one side. The waiter was nice and asked if I wanted it re-​done but I I don’t mind a dish like that, a bit blackened. What CHANGED ‘the game’ however, was the oiliness. If food is cooked fresh but is a bit overdone, it is still crispy and flavorful. This, tasted as though it might have been cooked earlier then left to sit for a bit too long. We also had the Curry Mussels and part of the curry paste had not been completely dissolved in the coconut milk. After we mashed it ourselves in the broth, it tasted fine.
As one person in our party noted, «This restaurant would be a great second choice, but only if your first choice reservation did not come through.»

This place deserves nothing less than a full 5 star rating. The food was SUPERB. The first restaurant I think I’ve been to in CT that truly understands the art of food… Each dish was carefully prepared so that all flavors complimented each other. I was blown away by the salmon. The staff was very friendly and the place had a trendy feel to it. If you are looking for NY upscale food quality for CT prices, you have found your spot!

** restaurant week review **
Lori N. and I snagged an 8pm Friday night reservation a day before. The downstairs space definitely feels like a French bistro, whereas upstairs doesn’t have the same character but is much quieter. AF had amazingly-​comfortably chairs, some of the best restaurant seating I’ve seen in a while.
The moules frites were definitely hits. Their mussels were of good size, and the flavors were rich. I couldn’t decide if I liked the Provencale or Red Curry flavor more. (Make sure you keep some of the table bread for sop up the juices.) Unfortunately, the desserts were pretty meh; strawberry cheesecake and crème brûlée didn’t seem to have the right temperature and were not particularly memorable.
We had a great rose with our dinner. I appreciated our waiter’s recommendation on the wine.

We went here on a Saturday night date night. The staff were friendly and prompt. We had a bottle of sparkling rose– a nice choice. We got the fish tacos — super yummy!
Then we got the mouses frites — something that is obviously the strength of the restaurant.
Lastly we got the bouillabaisse — we were to full but it was great.
Chocolate mousse complimentary at the finished us off.
Definitely a great place when craving seafood with Belgian flair. We will come back.

Just do what everyone else (including the ny times writer) says and order the bouillabaisse. It was rich and flavorful and or server brought extra bread for dunking. My hubby and I usually have a rule that we must order different dishes, but we agreed that next time we would throw that out the window here. The sage and cucumber cocktail (the name of which escapes me) was also fresh and delicious. The only thing keeping this from being five stars is that the other dishes don’t quite stand up to the level of the bouillabaisse. The seafood pasta and moules frites were both very good, but just a tiny bit below. The atmosphere is nice but it can be crowded. Get your sage cocktail and don’t sweat the wait. It’s worth it.

Went here for brunch, so they didn’t really have their specialty seafood menu. Everything we had was okay, not terrible but not exceptional. I can see that it being a good place for date nights, since it has a bar and the décor is nice, but don’t recommend it for brunch.

Easily the best Happy Hour (4:00−6:30pm) in New Haven. $ 1 Blue Point Oysters and half-​off all cocktails, house wine, and beer.
Max is arguably the best part about Florian. Friendly face and excellent drinks.
Come for the drink specials, stay for the Brussels sprouts with maple salt.
5 stars all around!

What a beautiful bar and restaurant. We came here a couple of times and love the vibe of the place. Beautiful, bright and elegant, with accessible French cuisine, modern cocktails and great service. $ 1 oysters at happy your drew me here at first, but I will definitely come here to treat myself and my coworkers. What a great place to bring your friends to for some mid week pampering.

First off, I had lovely service tonight. My server was fantastic and gave great feedback on what I was deciding on having in regards to portion size.
I did three apps for dinner– Brussel sprouts, fish tacos and octopus.
The sprouts were a bit too oily for me. However the maple salt was delicious — a hint of sweet in a savory dish. Not likely to get it again. Too much time in the fryer and not drained well. Couldn’t finish it because it was so oily. Sadness.
Octopus– cooked delectably! Amazing great texture, no chewiness at all. However it came with grapefruit and sat in liquid which can I felt unnecessary — but again the texture was amazing for the octopus. Cooked to perfection.
Fish tacos– nothing special at all. I probably could have gotten the same thing at a tacqueria! Portion wise, very healthy.
No dessert menu, to my dismay! They had a complimentary Belgian chocolate mousse but given the scale of this place I would have expected a pastry chef on staff.
Prices are really good for a nice restaurant but as another Unilocaler said: underwhelmed.
Overall: great service but I don’t think I would go back.

Visually striking décor. The candles and white walls with the staff wearing plaid… yes different but somehow it works. It captures you as you walk into the room. The food is up there. So its not where you come to have a cheap meal. But it is New Haven. I will say it is worth the money.
I sat at the bar during happy hour. I had oysters, mussels and delicious cocktails that where hand crafted. The broth and veggies in the mussels pot and the side of fries is something I will be going back for specifically. A must try. The oysters are fresh and come with cute little flags that tell you what kind they are and an adorable tiny bottle of hot sauce. I don’t know anything about oysters and for the first time I had a meal that taught me something… kinda cool right?
The bar tender was funny, helpful and patient as he tried to help me pick a good cocktail to pair. It wasn’t very busy when I got there so he took time to make something up for me, which I thought was awesome. most bartenders force the house cocktails on you since they are easy. I enjoyed my experience during happy hour and it wasn’t overly busy. It was great. If you come expect to spend at least $ 50 on your meal and find it was worth every penny.

Went with gift card from daughter. Hostess took us in right away and seated us. Table was set and we were asked right away regarding water and drinks. Waitress Karen answered all questions and made great suggestions for my wife with the beet salad. Seafood soup excellent mixture and seasoning. Duck breast was perfectly done and the wine suggested by Alex was light and paired with the duck. Dessert of complimentary chocolate mousse was just right and the cappuccino was great. Only suggestion was the serving dishes should be warmed for service. Parking available down the street for free at their other building. Definitely worth the cost.
Will be there again

Mussels, clams, lobster cooked to perfection. Rich flavorful broths redolent with saffron and wine. The hardest part of our first visit was deciding what to leave for the next visit.
But apart from the stellar shellfish there is an amazing, tender chicken and the promise of. Steak frites. Oh yes, don’t forget the frites. We ate in silence, and nearly forgot they were there, and even less than piping hot, they were full of flavor and disappeared in seconds.
And don’t forget the happy hour $ 1 local oysters and draft beer and wines.
Yes, the only sin is that he complimentary chocolate mousse is in a shot glass, and I always loved the Alsatian tendency to dollop out a huge spoonful of the fluffy stuff.
Please don’t come so I can book a table for my next meal with no problems.

I came here multiple times now, so here goes:
Service was always very great and friendly.
For lunch I had their eggs, fries and steak and was very happy with my dish. Everything was just right, the steak portion was both generous and cooked just right (medium rare). My wife had a lobster sandwich which was also good. The fries were also great.
We came for dinner multiple times and tried various appetizers and oysters. Their selection of oysters is pretty great and changes often, and you can pick between West Coast and East Coast oysters, usually 2 – 3 types from each coast. This never disappoints, the oysters are fresh and reasonably priced, and me and my wife got one of each to try them out.
The appetizers were also pretty good. The sushi Florian was interesting: I think the rice was sticky rice, warm and mildly crispy which made a great contrast with the fish. The tuna tartare was also great, and the contrast with the ginger bits was enjoyable as well. The crab salad was a really good balance of crab meat, butter, and citrus. Pork belly (or fresh bacon if you want to call it that) and kimchi was also good, and so was the lobster roll (nice and buttery) and the mussels. The fish tacos were great as well, though we had the feeling they were a bit overcooked and the sauce came out when biting from one side which made them a bit dry.
The free mousse at the end is also pretty nice.

Atelier Florian is a snazzy new seafood spot in New Haven, CT on the left side of Chapel Street across from The Study hotel. The floor to ceiling windows at the front of the restaurant are inviting, and make this a great spot to go to on a sunny day. Inside, the white walls and high ceilings make the restaurant feel big, and clean, which is great for a place selling raw seafood.
I went because I heard about their happy hour specials, which happen from 4 – 6:30pm on weekdays, and features $ 1 oysters (minimum 6) and half price tap wine (yes, wine on tap) and draft beer.
I’ve never had wine on tap before, and was surprised that it was so tasty. The wine was a Chardonnay, but that’s about all I know about it. I wonder if there’s a big box of white wine behind the bar that this «tap wine» comes from, but who doesn’t love boxed wine? Haha, and for $ 4 per glass (during happy hour), it was a good deal.
I was given a small sample of salmon tartar as I waited for my dozen oysters, which was nice.
My oysters (pictured below) came out on a large platter on ice, complete with two lemons, tartar sauce, mignonette sauce, and a cute mini Tabasco sauce. They gave me 13 instead of 12, which was a plus! The oysters were Connecticut Blue Point oysters which come from the Northwestern Long Island Sound. The restaurant says they have both east and west coast oysters, but on my visit, the blue points were on point.
All in all, I had a great experience, will be returning again, and suggest that you try it, at least during happy hour.