5 Best Bars in New Haven, Mystic, and the Coast, Connecticut

This spot is a cross between a dance club, a brick-oven pizzeria, and a brewpub. Come for live music and dancing Wednesday–Saturday; pizza and beer, anytime—but you must be age 21 or older at night. An added bonus: BAR's pizza has roots in the Sally's tradition, and is considered among the best in town. Their mashed potato pie with bacon started a national trend; it can be enjoyed in full view of the oven, brewing equipment, and Crown Street passers-by.

Across from the Shubert, the music hall is the latest iteration of a venue that has already been the Rialto, the Roger Sherman, and the Palace theater stretching back to 1921. The 2,000-seat, balconied music hall has hosted huge stars, from Paul Newman and Robert Redford at the premiere of Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid in 1969 to seemingly every big-name act in rock, punk, hip-hop, indie, and comedy of the modern era. There is always a show worth seeing at College Street.

A meeting place for members of the Connecticut General Assembly at the turn of the 18th century, the tavern hosted George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and Noah Webster (creator of the dictionary) during the Revolutionary War. The current building dates to 1910, when it became the opulent Taft Hotel, named for Yale professor and future president, William Howard Taft. The circa-1912 barroom was redesigned post-Prohibition, in 1935, with elaborately carved wooden accents and molding, and remains largely the same to this day. Just as special as the setting, the drinks themselves are an experience with award-winning bartenders crafting classics as well as thoughtful new creations. Ordinary cultivates a relaxed vibe by capping the number of guests admitted at any given time to encourage both conversation and elbow room, so reservations are encouraged.

Toad's Place has the tagline "Where the legends play," and they're serious about it. Over the years The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, U2, Billy Joel, Weezer, Parliament Funkadelic, Johnny Cash, Drake, The Afghan Whigs, Lenny Kravitz, Bon Jovi, and hundreds more have given showgoers the night of their lives. Spend a night at Toad's Place and you're standing, likely dancing, in music history.

After hosting major men’s and women’s tennis WTA and ATP tournaments since 1990, the former Connecticut Tennis Center was converted to the instantaneously popular Westville Music Bowl in 2020. News of the new 5,000-seat, open-air venue spread like fire on a mountain, and crowds have packed the bowl to see acts like Joe Russo's Almost Dead, the Trey Anastasio Band, Umphrey’s McGee, The Disco Biscuits, Eggy, and Goose, a Connecticut-local, now internationally known touring phenomenon.