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The Essex Brasserie, Branford, CT

The Essex Brasserie

4.2
4.2
88 Reviews
$30 and under
French
120 N Main St, Branford, CT 06405

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7:00 PM
Booked 6 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for groups
  • Good for business meals
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

Menu

The Essex Brasserie's menu was last updated 2022-02-01.

At present, we do not have menu information for this restaurant. Please see their website or wait to visit the restaurant to learn more.

What 88 people are saying

The Essex Brasserie reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.2
4.2 based on recent ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Essex Brasserie offers exceptional "food and service," with standout dishes like beef Wellington, fluke, and inventive lobster beet fusilli. Guests appreciate the "excellent presentation" and atmosphere, which is "relaxed" and "welcoming." While pricing is on the higher side, the "generous portions" and "impeccable" service make it a worthwhile experience.
88 Reviews

  1. James VIP

    New York City42 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on April 5, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Really wanted to love this place; they clearly invested in the physical space and we want to support a local small business. Unfortunately, it was awful. The food was bland, the service was slow and there was little communication, and we waited well over an hour for our entrees. The only explanation we received was that they had a new chef and he was hit with " a bunch of tickets" all at once. OK, well, delays happen. But, since the food was not good, paying the bill was painful because we paid for a meal that was terrible.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Kelley

    Connecticut3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food and service was great. Nate our server was attentive. I had the chicken Milanese and my husband had the shrimp pasta. Both were delicious. We will be back!

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  3. Richard VIP

    New York City13 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on April 3, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Beef Wellington was disappointing beef was not tender or tasty. Lamb Shank was good. The shrimp with Angel Hair was average.

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  4. Courtney

    Orlando4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 29, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food and service was excellent. The beef Wellington was cooked perfectly medium rare as ordered and the fish melted in your mouth. Perfectly seasoned food and excellent presentation. The menu is quite pricy but that’s expected at a higher end French restaurant. Will definitely return.

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  5. Mark VIP

    Greater Boston8 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 29, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Very nice place with several shortcomings. Both the menu and the wine list are a bit limited. The food on our prior visit was superb; this time a notch lower. My veal shank was mediocre. The service is superior.

    1 person found this helpful

  6. fred VIP

    New York City4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 29, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Main courses, halibut and beef Wellington, were perfectly cooked and seasoned. Excellent, interested service. Very good value.

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  7. A VIP

    New York City3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely fantastic! Food was exceptional, service was impeccable. We had the lobster beet fusilli, fluke, short rib bourguignon, tuna toast, and special salad. All were delicious. We will be back, frequently.

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  8. Lesley

    New York City2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 21, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Our waiter Chris was delightful and helpful telling us the daily special deal right away. The food was good not amazing. We plan to go back again

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  9. Chris

    Greater Boston14 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely loved it. Had been to the Old Saybrook location so had high expectations that were exceeded. The manager, server and food were all exceptional and showed their commitment to this great restaurant.

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  10. Claudia

    Connecticut21 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 8, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Food is outstanding at both restaurant locations. Inventive combinations like beet fusilli with lobster. Service was good, except it took so long for the side orders to arrive that we were nearly dine with our main entrees and ended up sending them back. Wine list is limited, Ur the offerings are high quality.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Essex Brasserie is rated 4.2 stars by 88 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Connecticut
  4. New Haven
  5. Branford

Make a reservation

Booked 6 times today
Google Map for The Essex Brasserie

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
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