The food was great. Beet salad was fresh and well dressed. The honeynut squash ravioli and the pappardelle Bolognese were delicious and the portion was just right. The service was very attentive, although a bit too much and to the point of being somewhat intrusive. The server seemed to rush us to order when we were not ready and were at the table every few minutes filling our water. They replaced the silverware from the 1st course which was again, very attentive and were there right away if we needed anything. Also didn't like that a drink was more expensive in the restaurant than it was at the bar upstairs. That seemed odd.
statuspost
context: valentine's day and ordered off of the fixed vday menu. it was a nice touch that the lady is given a rose at the front desk when being seated. food: tomato bisque appetizer was served in an absurdly large bowl and the soup itself was far too acidic and thick. it tasted straight from a can with a dollop of crème fraiche in the middle. next was main course, lobster linguini. my lobster (and my dates) was FAR overcooked and inedible. i couldn't cut through it with my knife, and i wish i was exaggerating. the pasta was cooked well but seriously lacked depth of flavor. it was also unnaturally heavy and off balance. for dessert, i had the netflix and chill which honestly should never be included on a menu that has elevated food. it was messy and not pleasing to look at. it was a brownie with popcorn sprinkled on it with ice cream on the side. drinks: the cocktails were very good, definitely the highlight. service: service was prompt and receptive. ambiance: noisy. but my biggest gripe was music selection. for a nice restaurant or valentine's day outing, it was not appropriate. popular pop/hip hop music was playing which greatly took away from the efforts at making it a romantic setting.
my boyfriend and i celebrated our anniversary here, we had a wonderful experience. our waiter (i believe his name was Michael (or Mike)) was very thoughtful. He brought us out champagne when we sat down, and a conplimentary dessert at the end. The food was delicious. We shared the affettati misti (charcuterie board), i got the rigatoni and my boyfriend got the sea bass. I had an espresso martini & my boyfriend got the nightcap. Overall we had a great time and would definitely come back again
First time @ Siena but certainly not the last. Everything was spot on. I enjoyed all of my items but especially the Rigatoni, it's hard to stand out amongst so many versions of Italian favourites but this is a must try. Cocktails were good and dessert was a welcomed twist on a classic. No regrets or disappointments. Beautiful space, impeccable service. Adding Siena to my list of preferred dining in NHV.
JoyP
The food wasn't tasty because it was season well and a bit undercooked. The ambience was great. Staff still getting their groove. The bartender was great. She was knowledgeable and hospitable!
DanE
Another fantastic experience at Siena New Haven. Great food and service. A very high level of energy on a Saturday night. Invited guests from out of town for their first visit. They definitely will return.
rleestump
Our first visit since we dined there for their grand opening... no surprise, they have gotten better, working out the a few bugs. An extremely polite hostess gave a prompt greeting and seating. Our server, Michael, was equally polite, promptly greeting us, bringing water before taking and then promptly bringing our drink orders. I had recommended what I got on my first visit, the squid ink pasta, to one of our dinner guests, who said they loved it, and I, myself, got the steak frites, which was cooked medium rare exactly as ordered. The frites aren't the best in New Haven but still quite good. The second round of drinks were ordered and promptly delivered with our entrees, so again, well done Michael. All in all a lovely dining experience.
Farah A.
Higher Ground in New Haven exceeded all expectations when it came to the event I hosted for my family members baby shower! Every part of it was a solid 5/5 - from food to service, ambiance, and accommodations... just chefs kiss! The event was a true dream. Open format, green room style venue, adorned with lush plants, created a fairytale-like atmosphere. The prefixed menu showcased a a bunch of different delicious options, from perfectly grilled chicken to yummy cod, savory meatballs, and roasted veggies. The drinks were a highlight for me, offering seasonal cocktails, which I loooove. However, it was the A1 service that truly stood out, adding the perfect touch to an already exceptional experience. Highly recommended for any event or special occasion!
Katia
The service was excellent from start to finish. Servers are nice and helpful. For the cost, food was good but not great - I did really enjoy my ceasar salad. The limoncello and biscotti that were offered at the end was a nice touch! Good experience overall but for this price point, we have had much better food.
casNYC
We had a large party for lunch and the restaurant was extremely pleasant, the server very responsive to questions, and the food very good. We all said we would be back. The prix fixe menu was a terrific value, as well. And we had a diner with dietary restrictions whom they accommodated with creativity.
The food and service were wonderful! We arrived early pre-theatre, quiet atmosphere. As time went by, it got pretty loud between the music and the patrons. The food was all well-prepared, our waiter was excellent!! He was attentive and responsive. We will definitely return!! I think some noise-buffering would be helpful.
jenniferm
Fabulous food! Each of our courses was incredible. We shared and tasted each others dishes and everything was outstanding. Service was extremely attentive, food came promptly, and we wanted for nothing. Highly recommend this restaurant. Parking was super easy too. Across the street is an easy and affordable parking garage.
My girlfriend and I came here for our two year anniversary, and our waitress and the waitstaff were incredibly attentive. Our waters were refilled frequently and the our food and drinks were brought out quickly, despite a nearly full house. We ordered the Sicilian Arancini and Mediterranean Octopus for appetizers and Truffle & Wild Mushroom Tagiatelle and Seafood Brodetto for entrees.
Alexander P.
I do recommend this bar while coming from the hospital lol. Although it is no longer called this. Drinks are good, food is definitely the considered in this side of New Haven- like I said walking distance from hospital. Ambiance is nice, good view even though just a view of apartments and back part of New Haven. Just a clever use of rooftop space.
AmyB
Our meal was good and the service was great however as we were walking out we saw a rat run across the floor. I thought the establishment would want to know. Unfortunately this will deter us from returning.
The food was great. Beet salad was fresh and well dressed. The honeynut squash ravioli and the pappardelle Bolognese were delicious and the portion was just right. The service was very attentive, although a bit too much and to the point of being somewhat intrusive. The server seemed to rush us to order when we were not ready and were at the table every few minutes filling our water. They replaced the silverware from the 1st course which was again, very attentive and were there right away if we needed anything. Also didn't like that a drink was more expensive in the restaurant than it was at the bar upstairs. That seemed odd.
context: valentine's day and ordered off of the fixed vday menu. it was a nice touch that the lady is given a rose at the front desk when being seated. food: tomato bisque appetizer was served in an absurdly large bowl and the soup itself was far too acidic and thick. it tasted straight from a can with a dollop of crème fraiche in the middle. next was main course, lobster linguini. my lobster (and my dates) was FAR overcooked and inedible. i couldn't cut through it with my knife, and i wish i was exaggerating. the pasta was cooked well but seriously lacked depth of flavor. it was also unnaturally heavy and off balance. for dessert, i had the netflix and chill which honestly should never be included on a menu that has elevated food. it was messy and not pleasing to look at. it was a brownie with popcorn sprinkled on it with ice cream on the side. drinks: the cocktails were very good, definitely the highlight. service: service was prompt and receptive. ambiance: noisy. but my biggest gripe was music selection. for a nice restaurant or valentine's day outing, it was not appropriate. popular pop/hip hop music was playing which greatly took away from the efforts at making it a romantic setting.
my boyfriend and i celebrated our anniversary here, we had a wonderful experience. our waiter (i believe his name was Michael (or Mike)) was very thoughtful. He brought us out champagne when we sat down, and a conplimentary dessert at the end. The food was delicious. We shared the affettati misti (charcuterie board), i got the rigatoni and my boyfriend got the sea bass. I had an espresso martini & my boyfriend got the nightcap. Overall we had a great time and would definitely come back again
First time @ Siena but certainly not the last. Everything was spot on. I enjoyed all of my items but especially the Rigatoni, it's hard to stand out amongst so many versions of Italian favourites but this is a must try. Cocktails were good and dessert was a welcomed twist on a classic. No regrets or disappointments. Beautiful space, impeccable service. Adding Siena to my list of preferred dining in NHV.
The food wasn't tasty because it was season well and a bit undercooked. The ambience was great. Staff still getting their groove. The bartender was great. She was knowledgeable and hospitable!
Another fantastic experience at Siena New Haven. Great food and service. A very high level of energy on a Saturday night. Invited guests from out of town for their first visit. They definitely will return.
Our first visit since we dined there for their grand opening... no surprise, they have gotten better, working out the a few bugs. An extremely polite hostess gave a prompt greeting and seating. Our server, Michael, was equally polite, promptly greeting us, bringing water before taking and then promptly bringing our drink orders. I had recommended what I got on my first visit, the squid ink pasta, to one of our dinner guests, who said they loved it, and I, myself, got the steak frites, which was cooked medium rare exactly as ordered. The frites aren't the best in New Haven but still quite good. The second round of drinks were ordered and promptly delivered with our entrees, so again, well done Michael. All in all a lovely dining experience.
Higher Ground in New Haven exceeded all expectations when it came to the event I hosted for my family members baby shower! Every part of it was a solid 5/5 - from food to service, ambiance, and accommodations... just chefs kiss! The event was a true dream. Open format, green room style venue, adorned with lush plants, created a fairytale-like atmosphere. The prefixed menu showcased a a bunch of different delicious options, from perfectly grilled chicken to yummy cod, savory meatballs, and roasted veggies. The drinks were a highlight for me, offering seasonal cocktails, which I loooove. However, it was the A1 service that truly stood out, adding the perfect touch to an already exceptional experience. Highly recommended for any event or special occasion!
The service was excellent from start to finish. Servers are nice and helpful. For the cost, food was good but not great - I did really enjoy my ceasar salad. The limoncello and biscotti that were offered at the end was a nice touch! Good experience overall but for this price point, we have had much better food.
We had a large party for lunch and the restaurant was extremely pleasant, the server very responsive to questions, and the food very good. We all said we would be back. The prix fixe menu was a terrific value, as well. And we had a diner with dietary restrictions whom they accommodated with creativity.
Restaurantji Recommends
The food and service were wonderful! We arrived early pre-theatre, quiet atmosphere. As time went by, it got pretty loud between the music and the patrons. The food was all well-prepared, our waiter was excellent!! He was attentive and responsive. We will definitely return!! I think some noise-buffering would be helpful.
Fabulous food! Each of our courses was incredible. We shared and tasted each others dishes and everything was outstanding. Service was extremely attentive, food came promptly, and we wanted for nothing. Highly recommend this restaurant. Parking was super easy too. Across the street is an easy and affordable parking garage.
My girlfriend and I came here for our two year anniversary, and our waitress and the waitstaff were incredibly attentive. Our waters were refilled frequently and the our food and drinks were brought out quickly, despite a nearly full house. We ordered the Sicilian Arancini and Mediterranean Octopus for appetizers and Truffle & Wild Mushroom Tagiatelle and Seafood Brodetto for entrees.
I do recommend this bar while coming from the hospital lol. Although it is no longer called this. Drinks are good, food is definitely the considered in this side of New Haven- like I said walking distance from hospital. Ambiance is nice, good view even though just a view of apartments and back part of New Haven. Just a clever use of rooftop space.
Our meal was good and the service was great however as we were walking out we saw a rat run across the floor. I thought the establishment would want to know. Unfortunately this will deter us from returning.