The Essex Brasserie

4.3

51 Reviews

$30 and under

French

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 23, 2024

8:30 PM

Booked 3 times today

Experiences are available.

Good for special occasions
Neighborhood gem
Innovative

Chef Colt Taylor, celebrated for his culinary gem, The Essex in Old Saybrook, is proud to announce the opening of The Essex Brasserie in Branford, Connecticut, This is comfort food at its finest.

The Essex Brasserie showcases Chef Taylor’s innovative approach to French cuisine with a focus on local ingredients and bold flavors. The menu features classic French dishes, including many of the favorites at The Essex. Among the highlights:

Lobster Bisque, Clam Chowders & French Onion Soup

The Wagyu Burger

Beef Wellington served with pomme purée, haricot verts, and bordelaise

Fluke Meunière: A zesty and flavorful dish with peanut chile crisp

Moules Frites: Fresh mussels offered in three unique styles

The famous Essex Lobster & Beet Fusilli

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
French, American, Contemporary French
Hours of operation
Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(860) 237-4266
Website
https://theessexbrasserie.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Colt Taylor

Location
120 N Main St, Branford, CT 06405
Neighborhood
Branford
Cross street
Cedar Street
Parking details
Park in the Rear and enter through the back door!
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

A Very French Christmas Eve: Reveillon
$89.00 per person
Prepaid
Dec 24, 2024 only
The Essex Brasserie proudly presents our take on a traditional French Christmas! Join us for a family style French Christmas dinner, featuring pork cassoulet, chateaubriand, cheese, oysters and dessert. $89 dollars per person includes all family style food and wine. Regular menu will be available in the bar area only during this special evening. Reserve your spots now!

What 51 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.3

4.3 based on recent ratings

4.3Food
4.4Service
4.2Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

New Haven
Innovative

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Essex Brasserie in Branford offers a delightful French-inspired dining experience. Guests rave about its "outstanding dinner" and "fantastic dining experience." The menu features diverse options, including the "best chowder ever" and "delicious" steak tartare. With attentive service and a cozy ambiance, it's a top choice for locals.

51 Reviews

d
david
VIP
New York City
28 reviews
2.0
28 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Had the Bronzino. It was not fresh, over spiced and over cooked The beet salad was good The onion soup was like glue Service was good. The waiter really tried to make our experience pleasant
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m
marcia
VIP
New York City
69 reviews
5.0
69 reviews
Dined on December 14, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Food was interesting and unusual and yummy. Lobster beet fusili was unusual and tasty. I had it as my main after delicious clam chowder. Husband had the boullabaise and could not have been happier. We were cold in the restaurant. A warm sweater would have been appreciated. Service was great until we had finished our meal.
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J
Joe
Greater Boston
6 reviews
2.0
6 reviews
Dined on December 12, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 5
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
The food at the Essex Brassiere was excellent, just like The Essex.
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G
George
New York City
21 reviews
5.0
21 reviews
Dined on December 7, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Loved our dinner! We’d been to The Essex previously (outstanding!) and were very happy to hear that the Brasserie was opening in Branford. Delicious food (roasted beet salad, black bass and braised short rib, pavlova - all excellent), excellent service, and a relaxed and quiet dining room add together to make a perfect dining experience.
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D
Darlene
VIP
New York City
75 reviews
5.0
75 reviews
Dined on December 7, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We are so fortunate here in Branford, Connecticut to have this level of cuisine available so close to home! The salads are not your average salad served at most restaurants around here. The frisée and beet salad was astonishingly delicious as was the main course, beef Wellington. The owner chef, Colt Taylor, has won numerous awards and worked at famous restaurants across the US. If you haven’t tried this restaurant and are a foodie, you are missing out.
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d
david
VIP
New York City
28 reviews
4.0
28 reviews
Dined on December 7, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
you charged my credit card three times for the same bill
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m
matthew
VIP
New York City
5 reviews
4.0
5 reviews
Dined on December 7, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Happy to have this new restaurant on the CT shoreline. Excellent, professional and engaging service. Food was very good and inventive, veering a bit from traditional French brasserie, with some added flavors/heat. Large portions. A very nice time. Hard to choose between dishes, a good thing since I will definitely be going back!
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b
barbara
Cleveland
8 reviews
2.0
8 reviews
Dined on December 6, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
Not a good night. Onion soup was so rich it was inedible. Beet salad for $21 was average. Two of four main courses were served and two were forgotten in spite of the fact that we stated we had to leave by a designated-time for theater. One main course burger was so over done it also was inedible and the fries so salty they were not enjoyable. Other main course was the salmon and that was fine. Had to leave before they were able to bring us the two other main courses which they had forgotten. Wines were very expensive. Not returning.
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E
Eva
New York City
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on November 30, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Drinks, food, service, and ambiance were all very good. This was our second visit and we'll most certainly be back.
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m
michele
VIP
New York City
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
The food was excellent; great flavors and cooked perfectly. I had the fluke and highly recommend it. The service was very good; the waiter was very knowledgeable.
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FAQs

The Essex Brasserie is rated 4.3 stars by 51 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 23, 2024

8:30 PM

Booked 3 times today

Experiences are available.

120 N Main St, Branford, CT 06405

Additional information

Cross street
Cedar Street
Neighborhood
Branford
Hours of operation
Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
French, American, Contemporary French
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Park in the Rear and enter through the back door!
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Colt Taylor
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://theessexbrasserie.com/
Phone number
(860) 237-4266

The Essex Brasserie

Make a reservation

Additional information

Experiences

A Very French Christmas Eve: Reveillon

Menu

What 51 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is The Essex Brasserie restaurant rated?

Is The Essex Brasserie currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information