Breakwater

I don’t understand the ratings. The menu is fun, innovative and varied. Very good food. Fast service. I hate excellent mussels, great scallops and a great apple crisp. The décor is very nice and fantastic views. So much better than the old skippers dock. I actually think the food is one of the better in mystic

I have a huge clue as to the low ratings before! They now have a new chef and she is great. Last summer I was so disappointed and tonight was just the opposite. On a rainy, nasty night we decided to try it again.
Finally, the food matches the beautiful setting! We had a few dishes from the All Day Menu. We started with the crispy brussel sprouts and they were wonderful. They are not breaded but still are crispy and very full of flavor. Next, I had the grilled seafood medley that could not have been better. All of the seafood was grilled perfectly and was a nice, light dish. My husband had the seafood medley, marinara, that was equally good. It was flavorful and all of the seafood was cooked perfectly. Then we decided to sample one more and tried the grilled pizza that happened to be steak, blue cheese and mushrooms. Again, it was so perfect and not too filling!
Since we were there for happy hour and I enjoyed the lemon drop martini and my husband a local beer. It was such a nice surprise to have the perfect meal finally match the setting. Cheers to the new chef and great bartender — locals try it again. You’ll be quite pleased. I’m sure it won’t take long for the good word to get out!

Went here on a Friday night around 5:30pm. I was surprised at how many tables they had open. We ordered the special with pumpkin squash and mushroom risotto, and asked them to swap the tuna for flounder, which they did without any problems or fuss. My husband ordered the roasted seafood medley. The portions were a little in the small side, but very good. The view here is spectacular! It was too chilly to sit outside in the deck, but they have plenty of seats out there. We will definitely be back!

Always a wonderful location, regardless of who’s currently operating a restaurant here. Eaten here three times now, and all three were lousy experiences. Final straw today for lunch. Went with a friend, both ordered burgers, medium-​rare, simple enough. Both received burgers that were burned beyond recognition – clearly the cook put them on the grill and forgot about them. I showed our server our burgers and his response was they have to cook them that way. When I say burned beyond recognition, I mean black.
Our server’s response is rather typical of everything at Breakwater. I live in the Boro and will join the many residents who won’t be back. Too many other good choices in town. Management should take heed — it’s a looooong winter and you need us to survive it!

One of the most spectacular views of the ocean while enjoying your meal. it sits over the water adjacent a dock. The portions are small considering the price though when you factor in the view and location it more than compensates.

Absolutely terrible!!! Avoid at all cost! I give them zero stars but you cant. The service was terrible the sangria was red wine and sprite. My husband ordered the scallops which we are pretty sure were frozen. We ordered the coconut rice which was definitely just boil a bag rice and the grilled pizza was inedible. I never like to write bad reviews but this place was just that bad. The only nice thing about this place is the location which is on the water and you can watch the sunset. The drinks and food are terrible and not worth the money.

Great view, attentive service and despite nicely and swiftly presented food the output of the kitchen is mediocre at best. Based on food alone (and this was our second visit) the rating would be lower, but the vibe and setting push it up.

We were surprised to hear that Swooner had closed up shop after just one season, but cheered to find out that the historic pier (home to Skipper’s Dock for many years) was reopening with a new name and classic seafood-​centric menu. The deck is still the perfect place to park yourself with a Grey Sail Pale Ale (and maybe some ceviche with Old Bay Fries) and ogle a glorious sunset with views of Fisher’s Island Sound. The day we embarked on Breakwater, torrential rains did not damper our experience one bit. We settled ourselves at the cozy bar and indulged in the sweetest Noank Oysters with Mignonette and a pair of fish tacos stuffed with local fried cod.

I haven’t a clue as to why there seem to be quite a few mediocre reviews for this place.
I was skeptical about going but between Mystic and Stonington there are exactly TWO sit down outdoor eating venues, not including clam shacks/​lobster in the rough and I am not in a hurry to return to the one in Mystic (see my Red36 review!)
I hadn’t been to this venue since it was Skippers Dock and was betting it would be less busy on a Sunday evening in Stonington versus Mystic.
This proved to be the case.
I called them in the afternoon, the young lady who answered the phone was polite, well spoken and very helpful. When we arrived later that evening we found that to be the case with all the staff we encountered.
At 7:30 the outdoor tables were full but I wouldn’t say they were crazy busy or overwhelmed by a huge volume of guests. I suspect some of the poor service reviews stem from the fact that these types of venues get slammed during peak hours which is always something to be aware of if you’re cranky hungry or impatient.
The hostess said the wait would be 20 minutes or so for an outside table, so we got some drinks from the bar, our wait was no more than 10 minutes.
The waitress was prompt and courteous and when we ordered refills on our beer and wine she KNEW what we were drinking even though we had gotten our drinks self serve at the bar and had no open tab!
THAT is EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE!
Our party of 4 had a tuna appetizer, tuna special entrée, 2 Asian boneless short ribs, roasted mussels and the beet salad.
EVERYONE was pleased with their selections!
I mean, personally, I wouldn’t order terrestrial protein at a SEAFOOD restaurant but my companions were happy.
I had the mussels and beet salad both were EXCELLENT, and I’m a bit of a foodie and not always easily pleased.
The menu layout needs to be tweaked, it’s a bit ambiguous, that’s an easy fix.
I was almost scared away by the poor reviews, so glad I wasn’t, will return!
SERVICE EXCELLENT, FOOD SERVICEABLE!
And, really, what’s not to love about Stonington!

Coming here for years as well as other places in town, latest management is a nice improvement over Past ones. Seafood selections nice and fresh, mostly local sources. Nice but limited wine list — thankfully without over emphasis on mostly lousy local wineries. Beautiful location out on dock in quiet harbor, is recommend it as a good and reliable choice in this great little village. Nice bar scene inside and out too.

BIG improvement over Skippers; ambiance, service and food quality all 5-​Star. Overall would be 5-​Stars were it not for skimpy portions. Arugula/​Salmon salad was good but we left hungry. The prices are high compared to portion size? PS, our waitress was very pleasant, efficient and accommodating!

Given the mixed reviews, I kept my expectations in check as we walked over to the Breakwater for lunch. Stonington dining options are somewhat limited and it was too beautiful a day not to be outside on the water.
What a nice surprise! The restaurant is well maintained, open and airy, beautifully minimal and staffed by some of the most friendly people imaginable. The view alone is extraordinary and we waited happily with a beer for a table to open up on the deck. While we both kept it simple with fish & chips, the quality was evident in each perfectly breaded flake of plump cod, the piping hot fries and even the curly flourish of carrot on my side salad. The menu might be predictable, but our overall experience was anything but. We ended up going back for drinks before dinner — enjoying the last few rays of sun and watching a nice crowd stream in for dinner.
It might be worth noting that, for a summer Saturday, the town seemed very quiet. Perhaps we benefitted from a slow day at a normally busy spot, as the service was relaxed and attentive and the food arrived perfectly presented in good time. Regardless, I’ll look forward to going back and would recommend the Breakwater first for lunch in Stonington.

We went to dinner at the NEW breakwater restaurant on the pier.
We were so sorry to have wasted our time.
The hot lobster roll was cold and rubbery.
I had grilled seafood, it was ok but had no taste.
Our friends order the scallops and they too tasted like they were old and over cooked.
The only part of this evening were the drinks and sunset.
If you are inclined to visit this restaurant pick something simple like the burger, I imagine that should be good.
Our server was very nice and generally liked her job.

What an awesome venue! Beautiful outdoor dining! Food very good. Ceviche and tartar excellent. Nice variety of other choices which were all good at reasonable prices, service rock solid.

Wow, trying not to overreact here but this is an awesome venue on the water that can’t seem to get the food and service part right… insanely slow and unresponsive bartenders who forget they are working for tips and the harder they work (the more drinks they serve) the more money they make… and one bartender thinks it is acceptable to constantly run his fingers through his hair before serving drinks (big no no)…
The food is subpar and my guess is they went to the sysco food conglomerate route for most of its products besides raw bar obviously.
why not focus on a few small yummy fresh dishes and mid level prices and throw a bar on the back deck… this place should kill it…
maybe next time

Great view, slow service, mediocre food, weak drinks… full price.
I really wanted more from my lunch here, but basically I got a seviche full of AVOCADO and a lackluster roasted beet salad.
Our server was meh, and couldn’t even tell us what type of tequila they had. The view was fabulous, which, I think, is the only reason this place will survive the season.
LOVED the view, but everything else I could have made better at home. I won’t be back.

Ok, reviews… Let’s say reviews are a tool for which the recipient can make themselves better. Undoubtedly, this has been my business experience. I’ll keep the content short
Setting: proven for decades to be an amazing location
Service: let’s say they are learning, finding their grove, but a bit on the dismissive, rude side
Food: here’s the real problem, Sysco food service packaged up as something other than what it is. With all the local farms, fishermen etc no excuse not to put something thought out on the menu. Not just an item, all of it.

Miss the old Skippers Dock, but the view is gorgeous to be expected. It was actually a restaurant called Swooners for only 6 months between Skippers and the current incantation. Definitely a step up from Swooners which was too posh and snooty, super high price point.
They need more gluten free options, but my husband loved the clam chowder! The very salad was delicious but needed more goat cheese for the thick slabs of beets they provided.
The se ice was painfully slow!
Took 30 minutes to get 3 clam chowders, a salad and a sole sandwich.
Would come back since they have only been open a month and I am hoping they are still trying to find their groove!
Can’t beat the outside ambience and view!!’ Best in Stonington. :)

As usual the former Skipper’s Dock has an amazing view.
Went to the new Breakwater the other day & the food was okay. Nothing spectacular but decent enough for the most part. The arugula salad was the favorite thing we ordered. Clam Chowder was oily– as if the soup had begun to separate (or had never quite come together). The lobster mac & cheese was strange– usually a family favorite dish, this one was our least favorite. The cheese is almost Velveeta-​esque in flavor & consistency. I like to think that it wasn’t Velveeta, but I honestly can’t be sure. Neither of us enjoyed it though. On the other end of the spectrum, the Roasted Scallops were a big hit.
Service wasn’t great– lots of people running around but few getting things accomplished.

My wife and I tried the new Breakwater restaurant in Stonington last night. We arrived around sunset and decided to sit indoors at the bar instead of outdoors at one of the tables that are situated along the dock. The extended bar is a warm and comfortable place to drink, eat, and chat. I ordered the Pasta Seafood with their variation of a marinara sauce that was tasty, spicy, and delicious. The pasta was linguini topped with a real healthy helping of calamari, scallops, mussels, clams and maybe more. Highly recommended. My wife ordered a grilled seafood medley that she really enjoyed. The service was superb. Stonington has several very good restaurants and Breakwater is a welcomed addition.