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We've compiled the best of the best in New Haven, Mystic, and the Coast - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
If you want some of the freshest lobster, crab, mussels, or clams on the half shell (there are also nonseafood options), head down to this unassuming seaside lobster shack in sleepy Noank, a few miles southwest of Mystic. Most seating is outdoors or on the dock, where the views of Noank Harbor are magnificent.
Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025, this is the place that put New Haven pizza on the map. Try the justifiably famous white-clam pie (especially good topped with bacon), but one can never go wrong with the original tomato pie (with mozzarella)—thinking about it makes your mouth water. Die-hard fans claim they serve the best pizza in the world.
There's no need to take a transatlantic flight to Spain when you can feast on authentic Spanish cuisine right here in New Haven. There are "large plate" entrées and salads on the menu, but the tapas are the best bet—rich, tasty, and full of flavor.
Don't be put off by the long line waiting to order classic fare like lobster rolls (hot or cold, small or large), steamers, fried clams, homemade clam fritters, "chowda"—plus foot-long hot dogs. This outdoor restaurant on Shaw's Cove—where you eat at picnic tables (BYOB) alongside the marina—is a great place to eat and a great place to spend time on a hot summer day.
Seafood is the draw at this harborside restaurant—clam chowder, oysters or clams on the half-shell, "dogwiches," fish-and-chips, bouillabaisse, roasted cod, Stonington scallops, and more. Alternatively, choose a grilled chicken sandwich, flat-iron steak, burger, or soup and salad. Sit inside or outside and enjoy the view.
Dog Watch Mystic, a sister restaurant, has a similar waterfront location and menu at 20 Old Stonington Road in nearby Mystic.
Started as a fish market in 1983 by a young couple with a baby on the way, Flanders has grown into a popular restaurant and bar with awards for its seafood—especially the lobster roll—and appearances in local media and national TV. The Market's 40-year history landed it a spot in the Connecticut Restaurant Association "Hospitality Hall Of Fame," and locals come for the raw bar, seafood platter and sandwiches, brunch, and "Cappy Hour" specials.
Sourcing ingredients from New Mexico to bring the flavors of the southwest to the northeast coast, Geronimo serves hearty flavorful entrees and lunch. If you come for a drink expect the same flavors from the little plates of happy hour snacks you'll sample while you have a cold beer or drinks made from one of the largest selections of tequila on the East Coast. A raised patio overlooks Crown Street, and both the patio and the inside space get lively on nights and weekends.
Nana's is a pizzeria, restaurant, and bakery, all in one, and ingredients and preparation are chosen with local farms in mind. Coffee and breakfast (local egg sandwiches, chilaquiles, mushroom toast) start the day, sandwiches and small plates begin the lunch hour, with locally raised rotisserie chicken, and sourdough pizza leavened with koji (a byproduct of locally produced soy sauce) available after 11 am.
This place has been a rival of Frank Pepe's since 1938, when Salvatore Consiglio, Pepe's nephew, decided to break away from his relatives and open his own place. The result of this family feud is two competing pizzerias and a divided city: those who believe Frank Pepe's serves the best pizza and those who are devoted to Sally's.
