I regret that this review is coming too late. We went to dinner here last Saturday night not knowing it was the very last night the restaurant would ever be open. We moved to Hartford a few months ago and eat out often. Given this was the closest restaurant to our condo I can’t explain why we hadn’t gone sooner, other than the assumption that as an Italian restaurant the food wood be heavier than we normally prefer. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. Our entire meal including several shared appetizers before our entrées were AMAZING. Once we found out that the restaurant was going out of business we were even more impressed because it meant that the entire staff were still giving it 100% despite losing their positions at the end of the evening. Our waiter, who we overheard being referred to as Tall Eric, was the best example of staff who were attentive, professional and dedicated to their patrons experience there.Certainly, our experience there will not be soon forgotten. Hartford lost a jewel that I don’t think many even knew it had.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Miss. Moneypenny
We went with another couple on Saturday night at 6:30pm. We were seated promptly and the place has a nice ambiance however our service was slow and it took a long time to get our drinks and our food. The food was not very good. It was all very SALTY. Very salty. The bread for the table came out too late and it was well-done/too crispy. I would not recommend or return.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Anna Apodaca
Made a reservation at this restaurant for 5 pm, showed up on time and they were still setting up and the doors were locked. We had a concert to attend at 6:30 so we couldn’t wait which is why I made the reservation in the first place, we left and got a table at another restaurant and then I got a text at 5:15 that our table was finally ready after we already got drinks and placed our order at another restaurant, very unprofessional. Disappointed I couldn’t even try this place.
Service: 1
JohnY
We love Chef Tyler's food, and so this didn't disappoint. I went basic with the chicken parm, but totally loved it. I think the best thing I had though was the roasted olives!
The ambiance is beautiful in this hotel restaurant. The food was very good. The pizza appetizer was outstanding and the kale salad was perfectly dressed. The big standout was the service! The service was top notch, especially our waiter who was a total rock star. We haven't had service like this in a long time. We will be back.
Lauren D.
I found Terreno after looking for a place to eat in Hartford and I was not disappointed! THE FOOD-the waitress stated they are a Southern California Italian inspired restaurant (I think I got it correct!) so a lot of pasta and related items on the menu. -first up we started with bread. Perfectly toasted, the butter is AMAZING, great for sharing between two people. We liked it so much we ordered a second to have with our entrees. -we ordered the kale Caesar and split that as well. It was so tasty, I really loved the crispy chickpeas. And personally for me, a lot of places put way too much cheese for my liking, but something about the style of cheese didn't make it feel overpowering for me. Perfect amount of dressing and cheese! -I ordered a half portion of the shrimp scampi and it was very delicious. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the added texture of the garlic crumbs on top but it was good. Little kick to it (I really enjoy spicy food), but wasn't very spicy. -my friend ordered the agnolotti full portion. It was very savory and he enjoyed it. I tasted the sauce and agree it was very good. I assume they go by number of agnolotti because it is a stuffed pasta, but I felt bad since his portion size visually looked the same as mine. Again I get it, but just a fair warning that things are likely to look different proportionally based on the pasta you get. THE DRINKS-the wine is obviously the highlight of the menu, we thought about getting a bottle but opted for individual glasses instead -I told our waitress what I was looking for and she suggested a wine that I absolutely loved! -I will have to go back and try the cocktails at some point THE SERVICE-as mentioned above, they are very knowledgeable on the wines and I was happy with my selection. -very attentive and polite, not overbearing THE ATMOSPHERE-we had a little trouble finding the entrance based on the gps but we finally saw a sign pointing to it and found our way after trying to go into a locked entrance of the hotel -low, warm lighting makes for an inviting dining experience -nice decor , good for photo backgrounds Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Terreno and will definitely be back!
pbchi
Excellent ambiance and delicious food. Generous portions. The smaller portions work well if having more than one course . Service good. Location good for downtown activities. We will be back.
LaurenD
Servers really know their wine. Told her what I was looking for and the recommended one was fantastic. Food absolutely delicious. Got two servings of the bread we liked it so much. Shared the Caesar. Each got a pasta dish. Only complaint was I got a half portion and the person I was with got a whole portion of pasta and they looked about the same size. I understand it was because they ordered the agnolotti which is a stuffed pasta so the kitchen likely goes by a certain number of the agnolottis for the half/full servings of that dish but I just felt bad when my serving of scampi looked to be the same proportion.
James K.
Very good dinner option downtown. I wish they were open for lunch. Might even be better then their competition across the street...
Sandy Summer
Atmosphere was nice, service was good but I was disappointed with the food. We had duck legs that were ok at best, bread that was good, the tomato sauce tasted like burnt tomato paste. We had spaghetti and meatballs, ricotta and walnut agnolotti and chicken parm for meals. Although the chicken was prepared well, the sauce ruined the dish. The sauce ruined the spaghetti as well. Nothing balanced the dishes and everything felt heavy. The agnolotti was good but the pasta itself was not quite tender enough. That was the best dish of the night. I felt like the sauce was made from a crushed tomato from a can and paste which are both bitter. Whole tomatoes in juice tend to be much sweeter and fresh in season tomatoes made into sauce are the best. If they are going for a long cook ala Sunday style this was still not a good one. The pastas themselves seemed good. Balance is also important where you taste each ingredient individually yet harmoniously. This was not that.
Front of house staff was terrible and actually nonexistent! Waited to be greeted for 8 minutes, finally approached and told my party of one would need to wait another 10 minutes for a booth to be cleared! (4 booths upfront 2 occupied one had dishes one was ready to be seated) I was finally seated, I waited for 12 minutes and the bartender finally came over and asked if the waiter had greeted me? Nope! Decide to leave and try my luck elsewhere, I thought this would be a perfect place because I am staying at the attached hotel (The Goodwin)FYI it was 7:20p on a Wednesday!?Pass on Terrence!
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Sandy333
The service was very good from the bartender/server. Our issue was with the food. The tomato sauce tasted like burnt tomato paste. We had spaghetti and meatballs as well as chicken parmigiana which both had that sauce. We had Agnolotti with a walnut ricotta which was good and the bread was good as well. The duck leg appetizer was like bad BBQ and not balanced. Everyone has their own taste so if you want to try this restaurant who knows maybe you'll love it. In food there is no right and wrong. We tried it because we love Millwrights and this is the same owner.
ReneeR
Exceptional overall dining experience- highly recommend! The restaurant is easy to get to- we found street parking or there is a garage very close. The ambience is beautiful and classy. The staff was friendly, attentive and professional. Cocktails were amazing - 3 of us ordered off the menu and 1 had a special request - all were fantastic and uniquely presented. Bartender is a Rock Star. Now let's get to the food; it was amazing... Each course was executed with the precision of a highly skilled/ talented kitchen. Presentation was lovely; appetizers, salads, & mains were perfectly executed- so delicious it was hard to stop eating. We had a wonderful evening and will be back again soon!
Justo Pastor
The food was amazing and a great value! The service was terrible. Server never came to see if we needed additional drinks or to check on our order. We had to get another drink from the bartender. The server delivered the 2nd round of drinks but practically threw it at us. She was the only server for the entire restaurant. Shame on the management team.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
Sumi N.
Loved the food, the service was great, and the bartender was too notch! Had a lovely dinner!
I regret that this review is coming too late. We went to dinner here last Saturday night not knowing it was the very last night the restaurant would ever be open. We moved to Hartford a few months ago and eat out often. Given this was the closest restaurant to our condo I can’t explain why we hadn’t gone sooner, other than the assumption that as an Italian restaurant the food wood be heavier than we normally prefer. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. Our entire meal including several shared appetizers before our entrées were AMAZING. Once we found out that the restaurant was going out of business we were even more impressed because it meant that the entire staff were still giving it 100% despite losing their positions at the end of the evening. Our waiter, who we overheard being referred to as Tall Eric, was the best example of staff who were attentive, professional and dedicated to their patrons experience there.Certainly, our experience there will not be soon forgotten. Hartford lost a jewel that I don’t think many even knew it had.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We went with another couple on Saturday night at 6:30pm. We were seated promptly and the place has a nice ambiance however our service was slow and it took a long time to get our drinks and our food. The food was not very good. It was all very SALTY. Very salty. The bread for the table came out too late and it was well-done/too crispy. I would not recommend or return.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Made a reservation at this restaurant for 5 pm, showed up on time and they were still setting up and the doors were locked. We had a concert to attend at 6:30 so we couldn’t wait which is why I made the reservation in the first place, we left and got a table at another restaurant and then I got a text at 5:15 that our table was finally ready after we already got drinks and placed our order at another restaurant, very unprofessional. Disappointed I couldn’t even try this place.
Service: 1
We love Chef Tyler's food, and so this didn't disappoint. I went basic with the chicken parm, but totally loved it. I think the best thing I had though was the roasted olives!
The ambiance is beautiful in this hotel restaurant. The food was very good. The pizza appetizer was outstanding and the kale salad was perfectly dressed. The big standout was the service! The service was top notch, especially our waiter who was a total rock star. We haven't had service like this in a long time. We will be back.
I found Terreno after looking for a place to eat in Hartford and I was not disappointed! THE FOOD-the waitress stated they are a Southern California Italian inspired restaurant (I think I got it correct!) so a lot of pasta and related items on the menu. -first up we started with bread. Perfectly toasted, the butter is AMAZING, great for sharing between two people. We liked it so much we ordered a second to have with our entrees. -we ordered the kale Caesar and split that as well. It was so tasty, I really loved the crispy chickpeas. And personally for me, a lot of places put way too much cheese for my liking, but something about the style of cheese didn't make it feel overpowering for me. Perfect amount of dressing and cheese! -I ordered a half portion of the shrimp scampi and it was very delicious. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the added texture of the garlic crumbs on top but it was good. Little kick to it (I really enjoy spicy food), but wasn't very spicy. -my friend ordered the agnolotti full portion. It was very savory and he enjoyed it. I tasted the sauce and agree it was very good. I assume they go by number of agnolotti because it is a stuffed pasta, but I felt bad since his portion size visually looked the same as mine. Again I get it, but just a fair warning that things are likely to look different proportionally based on the pasta you get. THE DRINKS-the wine is obviously the highlight of the menu, we thought about getting a bottle but opted for individual glasses instead -I told our waitress what I was looking for and she suggested a wine that I absolutely loved! -I will have to go back and try the cocktails at some point THE SERVICE-as mentioned above, they are very knowledgeable on the wines and I was happy with my selection. -very attentive and polite, not overbearing THE ATMOSPHERE-we had a little trouble finding the entrance based on the gps but we finally saw a sign pointing to it and found our way after trying to go into a locked entrance of the hotel -low, warm lighting makes for an inviting dining experience -nice decor , good for photo backgrounds Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Terreno and will definitely be back!
Excellent ambiance and delicious food. Generous portions. The smaller portions work well if having more than one course . Service good. Location good for downtown activities. We will be back.
Servers really know their wine. Told her what I was looking for and the recommended one was fantastic. Food absolutely delicious. Got two servings of the bread we liked it so much. Shared the Caesar. Each got a pasta dish. Only complaint was I got a half portion and the person I was with got a whole portion of pasta and they looked about the same size. I understand it was because they ordered the agnolotti which is a stuffed pasta so the kitchen likely goes by a certain number of the agnolottis for the half/full servings of that dish but I just felt bad when my serving of scampi looked to be the same proportion.
Very good dinner option downtown. I wish they were open for lunch. Might even be better then their competition across the street...
Atmosphere was nice, service was good but I was disappointed with the food. We had duck legs that were ok at best, bread that was good, the tomato sauce tasted like burnt tomato paste. We had spaghetti and meatballs, ricotta and walnut agnolotti and chicken parm for meals. Although the chicken was prepared well, the sauce ruined the dish. The sauce ruined the spaghetti as well. Nothing balanced the dishes and everything felt heavy. The agnolotti was good but the pasta itself was not quite tender enough. That was the best dish of the night. I felt like the sauce was made from a crushed tomato from a can and paste which are both bitter. Whole tomatoes in juice tend to be much sweeter and fresh in season tomatoes made into sauce are the best. If they are going for a long cook ala Sunday style this was still not a good one. The pastas themselves seemed good. Balance is also important where you taste each ingredient individually yet harmoniously. This was not that.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Front of house staff was terrible and actually nonexistent! Waited to be greeted for 8 minutes, finally approached and told my party of one would need to wait another 10 minutes for a booth to be cleared! (4 booths upfront 2 occupied one had dishes one was ready to be seated) I was finally seated, I waited for 12 minutes and the bartender finally came over and asked if the waiter had greeted me? Nope! Decide to leave and try my luck elsewhere, I thought this would be a perfect place because I am staying at the attached hotel (The Goodwin)FYI it was 7:20p on a Wednesday!?Pass on Terrence!
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
The service was very good from the bartender/server. Our issue was with the food. The tomato sauce tasted like burnt tomato paste. We had spaghetti and meatballs as well as chicken parmigiana which both had that sauce. We had Agnolotti with a walnut ricotta which was good and the bread was good as well. The duck leg appetizer was like bad BBQ and not balanced. Everyone has their own taste so if you want to try this restaurant who knows maybe you'll love it. In food there is no right and wrong. We tried it because we love Millwrights and this is the same owner.
Exceptional overall dining experience- highly recommend! The restaurant is easy to get to- we found street parking or there is a garage very close. The ambience is beautiful and classy. The staff was friendly, attentive and professional. Cocktails were amazing - 3 of us ordered off the menu and 1 had a special request - all were fantastic and uniquely presented. Bartender is a Rock Star. Now let's get to the food; it was amazing... Each course was executed with the precision of a highly skilled/ talented kitchen. Presentation was lovely; appetizers, salads, & mains were perfectly executed- so delicious it was hard to stop eating. We had a wonderful evening and will be back again soon!
The food was amazing and a great value! The service was terrible. Server never came to see if we needed additional drinks or to check on our order. We had to get another drink from the bartender. The server delivered the 2nd round of drinks but practically threw it at us. She was the only server for the entire restaurant. Shame on the management team.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
Loved the food, the service was great, and the bartender was too notch! Had a lovely dinner!