The Whelk

4.8

270 Reviews

$31 to $50

Seafood

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 25 times today

Innovative
Great for creative cocktails
Good for special occasions

The Whelk is a seafood and oyster bar located on the Saugatuck River. We offer a locally sourced and meticulously crafted menu Tuesday through Saturday. Hope to see you there!

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Seafood, American, Oyster Bar
Hours of operation
Tue–Thu 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:30 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm
Phone number
(203) 557-0902
Website
http://www.thewhelkwestport.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Cash not accepted, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Zach Hinman

Location
575 Riverside Ave, Westport, CT 06880-5934
Neighborhood
Westport
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
Westport Train Station Metro North
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

Deviled Eggs w/ Fried Oysters {4}$15.00
pickled onions
Roasted Oysters {4}$16.00
kimchi butter, parm, crumbs
BBQ Clams {8}$16.00
bacon, bbq sauce
Smoked Trout Dip$18.00
dill, trout roe, toast
Mussel Toast$17.00
lemon butter, garlic, escarole
Hand Cut French Fries$10.00
smoked mayo
Crab Toast$20.00
jalapeno mayo, celery, sourdough

-------------------

Young Lettuce$16.00
radish, sunflower seeds, lime creme
Broccoli$17.00
toum, pickled mustard seed, feta, mint
Burrata$21.00
asian pear, verjus honey, rosemary, pine nuts, toast
Maitake Mushrooms$21.00
nduja & garlic butter, egg yolk

-------------------

Fish Sticks$18.00
mateo's potatoes, cherry peppers, malt vinegar tartar
Octopus$22.00
gigante beans, paprika, serrano gremolata
Seafood Stew$21.00
pollock, clams, shrimp, fregula, aioli

-------------------

Whole Trout$45.00
charred lemon vinaigrette, chilled marinated garbanzos {typically available thurs-sat}
Cod$35.00
salsify puree, kale, chestnut, ras el hanout {not available at lunch}
Black Bass$35.00
bulgur, leek tops, mussel butter {not available at lunch}
Shrimp & Grits$26.00
shrimp jus, jalapeno, prosciutto
Squid Ink Cavatelli$26.00
shrimp, chorizo, tomato
LeFarm's Roast Chicken$32.00
farro verde, bacon-braised kale, parmesan, jus {may not be available at lunch}
Dry Aged Beef Burger$25.00
pickles, bacon, onion mayo, cheddar, brioche, fries
Fried Chicken Sandwich$22.00
pimento cheese, b&b pickles, cabbage slaw

Lunch Exclusives

Items below are available exclusively at lunch, Friday + Saturday starting at Noon in addition to our main menu above.

Blackened Pollack Sandwich$21.00
slaw, old bay mayo, brioche, fries

SWEETS

Chocolate Pot De Creme$12.00
dark chocolate custard, hazelnuts, caramel, whipped cream
Olive Oil Cake$12.00
cherry compote, whipped cream
Almond Cake$12.00
amaretto brown butter, whipped cream

What 270 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.7Service
4.7Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Connecticut
Seafood
Fairfield
Innovative

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Whelk offers a vibrant dining experience with "amazing food" and "exceptional service." Known for its innovative menu and lively atmosphere, it consistently impresses with "outstanding" seafood, creative dishes, and a warm ambiance. Despite some noise concerns and automatic gratuity, it remains a "favorite" for many patrons.

270 Reviews

M
Mary VIP
San Francisco14 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Every bite was delicious. The fritters are amazing. The salad with bib lettuce is outstanding.
Is this helpful?
j
john VIP
New York City5 reviews
4.0
Dined on February 1, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
You pay for what you get..no bargains here and not the best ever cuisine but just about par for the course..said another way, if I was in the area okay/sure, would I go out if my way to visit, “no”
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L
Leila
New York City3 reviews
3.0
Dined on February 1, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Solid lunch at the Whelk today, but I wish they would use white meat / breast in their fried chicken sandwich. The dark meat / thigh is weird and not good. Otherwise it’s a great menu - the burrata was particularly good. Ambiance also so nice for a weekend lunch.
Is this helpful?
K
Katharine
New York City8 reviews
5.0
Dined on January 24, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We made dinner reservations for 5:30 but when we saw they had happy hour specials we showed up a bit earlier to partake and it was worth it! Oysters for $1.50/ea and some of their small plates are available in snack size for Happy Hour specials allowing us to try more items on their menu which we appreciated. Service was good and food and drinks were delicious.
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w
wendy VIP
Glasgow137 reviews
5.0
Dined on January 24, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Love the delectable farm to table cuisine, accompanied by great drinks,& attentive service. Highly recommend
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D
David
New York City1 review
5.0
Dined on January 24, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The Whelk has the best French fries anywhere. The seafood soup and the grilled octopus were excellent as well. The raw oysters and clams are as fresh as can be. I have been going there for over 10 years and it has kept the same quality and become more refined.
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V
Vivek
New York City1 review
4.0
Dined on January 18, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Very good food. Wine selection can be improved. Very generic
Is this helpful?
J
Jason VIP
New York City6 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 11, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Another wonderful meal. Excellent new items on the menu along with some classics.
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L
Laura
San Francisco2 reviews
3.0
Dined on November 30, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
The food was good, but the service honestly wasn’t that great and they included a tip in our bill, which I thought was strange for only five people. Plus, I really thought that it would’ve had pretty water views and it didn’t.
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J
Jill VIP
San Francisco3 reviews
5.0
Dined on November 26, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food is off the charts and service was perfect. Burrata dish is one of the best things I’ve had in a while.
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FAQs

The Whelk offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (203) 557-0902.

The Whelk is rated 4.8 stars by 270 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 25 times today

Order delivery or takeout

575 Riverside Ave, Westport, CT 06880-5934

Additional information

Neighborhood
Westport
Hours of operation
Tue–Thu 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:30 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Seafood, American, Oyster Bar
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
Westport Train Station Metro North
Payment options
AMEX, Cash not accepted, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Zach Hinman
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.thewhelkwestport.com/
Phone number
(203) 557-0902

The Whelk

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Roasted Oysters 4

Shrimp & Grits

Octopus

-------------------

Deviled Eggs w/ Fried Oysters {4}$15.00

Roasted Oysters {4}$16.00

BBQ Clams {8}$16.00

Smoked Trout Dip$18.00

Mussel Toast$17.00

Hand Cut French Fries$10.00

Crab Toast$20.00

-------------------

Young Lettuce$16.00

Broccoli$17.00

Burrata$21.00

Maitake Mushrooms$21.00

-------------------

Fish Sticks$18.00

Octopus$22.00

Seafood Stew$21.00

-------------------

Whole Trout$45.00

Cod$35.00

Black Bass$35.00

Shrimp & Grits$26.00

Squid Ink Cavatelli$26.00

LeFarm's Roast Chicken$32.00

Dry Aged Beef Burger$25.00

Fried Chicken Sandwich$22.00

Lunch Exclusives

Blackened Pollack Sandwich$21.00

SWEETS

Chocolate Pot De Creme$12.00

Olive Oil Cake$12.00

Almond Cake$12.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does The Whelk offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is The Whelk restaurant rated?

Is The Whelk currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information