What a gem! My wife and I had a wonderful intimate dinner here. They checked all the boxes, nice ambiance, attentive to our needs, professional waiters and servers, very clean restaurant, hospitable, and the food was excellent and high quality presentation. Dishes were hot and drinks were generous. Thank you! We loved our experience and will be back!
NoakesRyan
My Wife and I wanted to treat ourselves on the first day of 2022 and my Wife has been wanting to come here forever. I am so glad we did. It's a lovely Restaurant. Nice seating area upstairs with open Kitchen. We got served by the most wonderful waitress, Emily, or "Northern Em" as she's known as. She was perfect. Such a kind, welcoming, warm girl. Very personable and helped me choose what I had, I am glad I went with her suggestions. I had the Potato Terrine with Poached Hen Egg, Harissa Hollandaise and crispy Lamb Fat. It was amazing! Perfectly poached egg. Super, super crispy Potato and everything worked really well together. For mains, I got the Salmon with Leeks and Puffed Potato whilst my Wife got the Featherblade of Beef with Parmesan Chips. Again, just unbelievably delicious. My Wife's Beef was falling apart it was cooked to perfection. My Salmon was also really flaky, it was lightly charred on top which gave it great flavour and texture. The leeks were buttery soft. The Potato Puffs are like nothing I've ever had before. It, essentially, all went together. Note: I don't drink so always like different and quirky non-alcoholic offerings. This place had a lovely 0% IPA which is not something you always find as it's normally just Becks Blue. Ha! So, we shared desserts. We went for the Creme Beule that is 'huge' and enough for two, and, the sticky ginger Parkin with butterscotch sauce and Creme Freche Ice Cream. Nothing wrong for them but they are really sweet and rich so probably not the best idea, I did feel a little dicky afterwards but that's because I was full. All round, a fantastic evening, meal and Restaurant and I'm so pleased we've been. Shout out to the Chefs who are so talented. I'll be back!!!
The B.
Great food and cocktails, relaxing atmosphere and the staff are so gracious and lovely. Plus our expert profiling technique tells us the clientele are mostly vaxxed. Can't wait to be back.
2022sonnyc
Dinner was delightful and delicious. Servers were very attentive but not overwhelming. All wore masks throughout our stay. When I was undecided as to which wine to choose, I was offered a taste of my top two choices. The Paella Risotto was beautifully presented, had plenty of flavorful ingredients and was at a desirable temperature. My daughter who is vegetarian had the Mushroom Risotto and found that quite satisfying as well. The dining area was spaced appropriately and quiet enough to have a conversation in a comfortable environment. For me the price of the meal was worth it!
Christopher Stagg
Very nice place. They were wonderful with my 4 year old, gave him extra sweet cocktail cherries with his dessert because he seemed to like them when he got his drink. The food is also good. Has a nice patio with plenty of heaters. Would go again.
Kristen Valera
Enjoyed my dining experience at Kala with friends! From the appetizer to the entrees, they were delicious! I also appreciated that they had a happy hour and each day of the week had its own drink. I got the $6 marg. Would definitely go back and try more of their menu. Support local business and get in there! For more info, follow @sipsandsizzles on Instagram and Facebook
Amy Gallagher
Really not great food. Poor selection and quality.
Nicole Thomas
Overall a pretty disappointing experience. I had read such good reviews about this restaurant and had fairly high hopes going in. The calamari, while flavored well was over done and rubbery, and the grilled octopus was perfectly cooked with excellent flavor but the dish was 90% potatoes. I had the shellfish risotto and while the shellfish was cooked well the rice most certainly wasn't a risotto. It seemed to a soupy steamed arborrio rice and lacked flavor. My partner order the wagyu burger rare which came out over done but still tasty even though the bun tasted stale, however the fries were so over cooked they were inedible. Aside from that the service was wonderful, and our server was very attentive. The cocktails were delicious and the ambiance was lovely. However for the quality of the food at this price it is very unlikely we will be back.
F Ll (FLC)
Great place, food, and service. One of our go-to spots
EMMANUELA LOUIS
Food was great, good service and friendly atmosphere
I wish we had found this place sooner! After four years of visiting Hamden CT while our son attended college here we discovered this gem after many mediocre meals elsewhere. Amazing appetizers and well executed food all around seasoned perfectly. Service was excellent also and prices were reasonable for top notch food and generous portions.
Pzchef63
I wish we had found this gem earlier since we won’t be frequenting this area as much since my son graduated this year but it is highly recommended after we enjoyed a stellar meal here. Appetizers include croquettes and empanadas, fresh salads and quite a few seafood apps. The cassoulet was on point, fresh fish entrees with creative sides. I always say a lot of restaurants don’t put salt and pepper on the tables anymore which I’m ok with if the kitchen knows how to season there food, well, check that box off here as well. Brava Kala Bistro!!
Jkerntravels
Kala has a limited menu but they seem to make each dish carefully. My wife orders a drink called a purple daisy and I get a spiced smoked cherry Manhattan. The appetizers are amazing. This time we ate a cheese board (lots of figs, walnuts, grapes, and toast to go with cheese), empanadas (2 per order with a creamy sauce), mesclun salad (palm hearts and the dressing were the highlights) and calamari (came with an aioli sauce versus cocktail sauce which was great). This proves here are not cheap but you will get an experience and some carefully crafted food.
Harry O.
first time ever going to Kala and it was an absolutely wonderful experience. the food and service was top notch. can't wait to go back. would give it 10 stars if i could.
Margaret Rakoczy
Amazing food! Always has been my go to for a nice night out
What a gem! My wife and I had a wonderful intimate dinner here. They checked all the boxes, nice ambiance, attentive to our needs, professional waiters and servers, very clean restaurant, hospitable, and the food was excellent and high quality presentation. Dishes were hot and drinks were generous. Thank you! We loved our experience and will be back!
My Wife and I wanted to treat ourselves on the first day of 2022 and my Wife has been wanting to come here forever. I am so glad we did. It's a lovely Restaurant. Nice seating area upstairs with open Kitchen. We got served by the most wonderful waitress, Emily, or "Northern Em" as she's known as. She was perfect. Such a kind, welcoming, warm girl. Very personable and helped me choose what I had, I am glad I went with her suggestions. I had the Potato Terrine with Poached Hen Egg, Harissa Hollandaise and crispy Lamb Fat. It was amazing! Perfectly poached egg. Super, super crispy Potato and everything worked really well together. For mains, I got the Salmon with Leeks and Puffed Potato whilst my Wife got the Featherblade of Beef with Parmesan Chips. Again, just unbelievably delicious. My Wife's Beef was falling apart it was cooked to perfection. My Salmon was also really flaky, it was lightly charred on top which gave it great flavour and texture. The leeks were buttery soft. The Potato Puffs are like nothing I've ever had before. It, essentially, all went together. Note: I don't drink so always like different and quirky non-alcoholic offerings. This place had a lovely 0% IPA which is not something you always find as it's normally just Becks Blue. Ha! So, we shared desserts. We went for the Creme Beule that is 'huge' and enough for two, and, the sticky ginger Parkin with butterscotch sauce and Creme Freche Ice Cream. Nothing wrong for them but they are really sweet and rich so probably not the best idea, I did feel a little dicky afterwards but that's because I was full. All round, a fantastic evening, meal and Restaurant and I'm so pleased we've been. Shout out to the Chefs who are so talented. I'll be back!!!
Great food and cocktails, relaxing atmosphere and the staff are so gracious and lovely. Plus our expert profiling technique tells us the clientele are mostly vaxxed. Can't wait to be back.
Dinner was delightful and delicious. Servers were very attentive but not overwhelming. All wore masks throughout our stay. When I was undecided as to which wine to choose, I was offered a taste of my top two choices. The Paella Risotto was beautifully presented, had plenty of flavorful ingredients and was at a desirable temperature. My daughter who is vegetarian had the Mushroom Risotto and found that quite satisfying as well. The dining area was spaced appropriately and quiet enough to have a conversation in a comfortable environment. For me the price of the meal was worth it!
Very nice place. They were wonderful with my 4 year old, gave him extra sweet cocktail cherries with his dessert because he seemed to like them when he got his drink. The food is also good. Has a nice patio with plenty of heaters. Would go again.
Enjoyed my dining experience at Kala with friends! From the appetizer to the entrees, they were delicious! I also appreciated that they had a happy hour and each day of the week had its own drink. I got the $6 marg. Would definitely go back and try more of their menu. Support local business and get in there! For more info, follow @sipsandsizzles on Instagram and Facebook
Really not great food. Poor selection and quality.
Overall a pretty disappointing experience. I had read such good reviews about this restaurant and had fairly high hopes going in. The calamari, while flavored well was over done and rubbery, and the grilled octopus was perfectly cooked with excellent flavor but the dish was 90% potatoes. I had the shellfish risotto and while the shellfish was cooked well the rice most certainly wasn't a risotto. It seemed to a soupy steamed arborrio rice and lacked flavor. My partner order the wagyu burger rare which came out over done but still tasty even though the bun tasted stale, however the fries were so over cooked they were inedible. Aside from that the service was wonderful, and our server was very attentive. The cocktails were delicious and the ambiance was lovely. However for the quality of the food at this price it is very unlikely we will be back.
Great place, food, and service. One of our go-to spots
Food was great, good service and friendly atmosphere
Restaurantji Recommends
I wish we had found this place sooner! After four years of visiting Hamden CT while our son attended college here we discovered this gem after many mediocre meals elsewhere. Amazing appetizers and well executed food all around seasoned perfectly. Service was excellent also and prices were reasonable for top notch food and generous portions.
I wish we had found this gem earlier since we won’t be frequenting this area as much since my son graduated this year but it is highly recommended after we enjoyed a stellar meal here. Appetizers include croquettes and empanadas, fresh salads and quite a few seafood apps. The cassoulet was on point, fresh fish entrees with creative sides. I always say a lot of restaurants don’t put salt and pepper on the tables anymore which I’m ok with if the kitchen knows how to season there food, well, check that box off here as well. Brava Kala Bistro!!
Kala has a limited menu but they seem to make each dish carefully. My wife orders a drink called a purple daisy and I get a spiced smoked cherry Manhattan. The appetizers are amazing. This time we ate a cheese board (lots of figs, walnuts, grapes, and toast to go with cheese), empanadas (2 per order with a creamy sauce), mesclun salad (palm hearts and the dressing were the highlights) and calamari (came with an aioli sauce versus cocktail sauce which was great). This proves here are not cheap but you will get an experience and some carefully crafted food.
first time ever going to Kala and it was an absolutely wonderful experience. the food and service was top notch. can't wait to go back. would give it 10 stars if i could.
Amazing food! Always has been my go to for a nice night out