Bailey’s Backyard

This is our favorite restaurant. Casual atmosphere with unique and delicious farm to table food. The gnocchi appetizer was the best thing I have eaten in my life!
If you love food, GO TO BAILEY’S BACKYARD. We can’t wait to go back!

Great place — farm-​to-​table, local, organic type of place. Friendly staff and a robust beer and wine list make this place a five stars.

Our appetizers came out cold. The plates weren’t even warm. I ordered the swordfish entrée. The dish was completely under seasoned and the portion was embarrassingly small. The piece of fish was no bigger than a playing card. I had to put salt all over my meal because it literally had no seasoning. I’ve eaten rice cakes that were more flavorful.
My wife ordered the short ribs which looked more like a flank steak to me. They had an Asian glaze that really didn’t work in my mind but she thought it was okay.
Very disappointing. If it wasn’t Valentine’s Day I would have been much more vocal with my disappointment.

This is one of our favorite spots…
These guys just get it. The perfect blend of flavors and textures combined into creative dishes. Portions are perfect and the service fantastic! Would recommend this place to everyone. Keep doing what you do at Baileys

Fresh, Innovative and Delicious
My husband and I tried Baily’s about 9 months ago and have been back at least 3 times a month since. The food is carefully thought out and innovative. We moved to Ridgefield from Manhattan and as vegetarians we had so many options in the city, but few in CT until we found Baily’s. They do a wonderful job of incorporating fresh, local ingrediants into meat and vegetable dishes. The menu changes seasonally which is something we look for. Many other restaurants in the area stay stagnant with the same dishes over and over showing no imagination, but Baily’s is a show stopper. I have taken friends and family to Baily’s and all are impressed. It is so versatile, you can go for a casual brunch, a fun dinner with friends, but make sure you try the exciting tasting menu at least once. Extremely talented chef Forrest always makes it a point to stop by our table to say hello and owner Sal and staff are always super friendly and on point. Love it!

Service was excellent, restaurant was really nice with a very quaint layout and comfortable. Our scotch egg was excellent! Unfortunately the ingredients in our entrees were not particularly good quality especially given the price point and tasted as if everything had been prepared prior to service and served like a banquet. The plating was beautiful with excellent presentation, given that the place is so small perhaps the chef doesn’t have a proper kitchen or staff to work with. Unfortunately we won’t rush back.

Can be hit or miss, but not with their cocktails. Just wish there was a more of a bar so I didn’t feel locked in for dinner. Some of the small plates (which have changed since I was last in) have been favorite bites of mine in the tri-​state area. I can’t say all plates have hit a home run, but some have been very exciting.

Great little restaurant. Charming cozy atmosphere with a frequently changed menu that keeps us coming back. Now they just need a location in the Newtown area.

My wife and I went there last night on a whim
They were able to seat us straight away, we found everyone pleasant and helpful, all the coarsest arrived at the right time
I had the duck meatballs as a starter followed by the strip steak
My wife had the butter squash with pear followed by the striped sea bass
For dessert we shared a butterscotch with fruit ice cream and popcorn
What struck us about everything was the combination of sweet and savory that was evident in every course
We were very impressed with everything and would definitely go back again

Good farm to table food & laid back atmosphere pretty much sums up the place. Would return to try the seasonal dinner options for sure!
Popped in for some weekend brunch as this place had been consistently rated high. You won’t be disappointed if you order the brunch special — shakshuka. It’s a large plate, expertly seasoned with great combination of spices, topped off with poached eggs and complemented by melt in your mouth toasted bread. Lovely!
Only (small) let downs were the overcooked poached eggs and being slightly forgotten about at my table by the waiter.

Bailey’s Backyard –We haven. t been here for dinner in years, but saw a review and decided to try it out for New Year’s Eve 2015 and what a spectacular meal we had. Usually, when people ask me where’s my favorite place to eat, I have to say, «chez moi,» not because of my cooking but because my husband, his mother (and occasionally I) are such good cooks that most restaurants disappoint. Tonight I take that back– Baileys Backyard was not only a great way to close the year, it was in fact, the single best restaurant meal we’ve had in 2015!
I’d recommend Bailey’s Backyard without hesitation and here’s why: the two «for the table» appetizers– clams casino and scotch egg were both gorgeously presented, a delicious combination of savory with an occasional spark of sweet, a nice contrast of textures with just the right amount of satisfying crunch in each dish.
We continued on to several more small plates– At first I wasn’t sure about the duck meatballs, but it’s important to taste each element of the dish in each bite, that’s when the flavor began to unfold, and then to blossom into multiple layers like a brilliant, rare flower. The exquisitely savory broth, with the tang of either escarole or collard green, + the swirl of cauliflower purée + tiny pop of sweet/​tart lingonberries all slowly tasted together was just heaven.
Then, came the Sake cured Hamachi and avocado tartar– all I can say is, the tastes developed in your mouth like an opera, with a subtle taste of the fish, a sparkle of pickled ginger, the youthful crunch of peanut and the sweetly perfect tomato picks up a fruit note and delivered it in a swelling choir of flavors wrapped in gorgeous smooth avocado. Close your eyes and imagine! I tell you– it sang to me in a language I’d never heard before, and with an aria in every mouthful. Yes, dessert was great — but honestly, after the Hamachi, nothing could compare.
Go, check out Baileys Backyard.

This restaurant has 5 star food in a relaxed, casual atmosphere. It is a bit cramped and has no physical bar or waiting area if your table isn’t ready. They will call you while you have a cocktail at another of the several nearby restaurants. I had the Korean short ribs that were to die for. Can’t wait to go back!

I am a foodie, I spend way too much of my pay check on dinning out and have become a food snob after living in Manhattan and Brooklyn for the past 14 years… Bailey’s would be a winner competing within crowded and tough competition of NYC. Bailey’s is a champion in Fairfield County.
upscale farm to table menu that changes with good consistency
laid back, jovial, but professional staff
no frills but warm and inviting room
price point is bit a high but nothing to be surprised or upset at.
pretty much checks all the boxes for a satisfying meal and a fun night out.

There’s a reason they’ve been in Ridgefield for what must be close to 20 years… they’re amazing. It’s a tiny little bistro, which never ceases to serve up something good. From presentation, to service, to specials and menu choices, this is always a great place for an exquisite dinner.
They might be hidden on Bailey Avenue, and do little to impress with storefront appeal, but I like to think this makes Bailey’s Ridgefield’s «awesome little secret.» Innovation has to be their best asset. Coming up with wild combinations and great ingredients to use in their dishes is what keeps a customer coming back.

I have eaten at Bailey’s Backyard dozens of times. We have had date nights there, taken my parents there, and we’ve even had birthday celebrations there. We have NEVER had a bad meal. Some people have written that they think that some ingredients don’t sound like they go well with others, yeah I’ve thought the same. My suggestion is –try it, you may be surprised.
Bailey’s has become the restaurant we compare ever other restaurant to and it has always come out on top.

This is my go-​to place for when my New York friends come to visit. They all love everything from the laid-​back but beautiful décor to the farm-​to-​table fresh food.
I particularly love the way they bring cornbread to the table and then drip it with molasses.
In fact, I picked this place for my shower, which my sister-​in-​law hosted for me, and it was a beautiful experience that I will never forget. They did a wonderful job, including personalizing a menu for me.

I LOVE this place! The cocktails are unique, inventive, & consistently spectacular. The service is great. And the food, … I dream about some of the dishes. The pork roulade special was so amazing. I wish I could cook like Forrest!

Firstly, the guy that gave this place 1 star because he’s pouting about it being busy on Mother’s Day (which is always insanely busy) probably wouldn’t know a good restaurant if it smacked him in the face. The small interior and rustic feel is all part of the charm at Bailey’s. If you have an ounce of patience the food is absolutely worth the wait, because Bailey’s is THE best I have come across so far in my travels through western CT.
I came here for a somewhat late dinner after a show (8:45pm) and we sat outside. The service is not only pleasant and inviting, they’re knowledgeable and on point. Not a single thing was missed. Waters always filled. Wine aplenty. And the food…
This menu is beyond drool worthy. I’m struggling to find the words that do it justice, so I’ll just name a few of my favorites from the night:
Warm house made mozzarella: basil pesto, chickpea cake, pinenut cracker, fresh chickpea salad
Zucchini & Sweet corn fritters: wax bean salad, shaved baby turnips and zucchini purée
Popcorn shrimp Jambalaya: poblano pepper aioli and pea tendrils
Marinated cucumber & endive: champagne melon, pecorino, mint, lemon & olive oil emulsion, grilled garlic croûton
«Croque Madame»: smoked tempura ham, rosemary-​gruyère béchamel, soft poached egg, rye crumble, whipped dijon
Amish «Chicken under a brick»: artisnal grits, sautéed curly kale, smoked hickory-​dijon gravy
…yeah. You read allllll of that right. The saddest part of my evening was that I couldn’t order everything I wanted — which was more than half the menu. Take a gander here:
. Everything was presented beautifully and was absolutely divine. Plus, its farm to table. With a great wine & cocktail list to top it off, what more could you want out of a dining experience?
I cannot wait to come back here for the 7 course chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings — I have a feeling it will be added to my list of «last meals on earth».

Terrible. Rude. Tried to seat elderly woman at tiny table in rushed hallway. Not legal how they cram tables and chairs — never again.
We were offered the best table in the house if the best table is in a hallway beside the kitchen entrance. It is surprising that a restaurant that adds too many tables to a Mother’s Day brunch then thinks the customer is a child when they are not desperate enough for service. Terra Sole was very accommodating footsteps away.

Hands-​down, Bailey’s is the best restaurant in Ridgefield.
I’m giving five stars for the charming, cozy, and barnyard-​chic interior, five stars for the attentive and delightful service, and five HYPERGIANT stars for the phenomenal menu!
Sunday evening was the first time I was able to come here. I wasn’t starving, but I wanted to try as much as I could fit, so I ordered soup, a starter, and an appetizer. The soup of the day was an amazing butternut squash, also came with a fantastic cranberry-​speckled bread w/​a sweet glaze/​butter/​sauce poured over it. I also got their stellar flourless goat cheese crêpe with baby artichokes and walnuts, and finally, the bbq beef brisket puffy tacos (a decision my waiter helped me make). Now, the final plate came with two tacos, and I loved it so much, SO MUCH, that I somehow resisted inhaling both and brought one to my sister so she could understand how amazing life can be. Bailey’s, this is huge! I have never loved something so much that I would rather share it than have it all for myself.
Forrest, the chef, even came out and mingled with everyone in the restaurant, which was just so nice!
Overall, the best dining experience I’ve had out of anywhere in this town.